Jik was momentarily taken aback by the drunkard's words.
'Did you notice the healing factor?'
In a sudden situation, the pupils constricted and the muscles stiffened.
But soon, I was able to regain my composure as the 'Solid Mental Defense' skill was activated.
"I don't really understand what you are talking about."
I didn't know who the man in front of me was.
I thought it would be better to pretend not to know rather than speak rashly.
The drunkard licked his lips to check if there was any alcohol left, then shook his hands.
"Ahem… … Are you going to grab it?"
That was when.
Suddenly, a drunken man threw himself at Zeke.
'attack?'
Before I could even recognize the attack, the man's sharp sword flew towards my face.
Zeke rolled over and fell under the bed, avoiding the water.
At the same time, he pulled up the mat to block the man's view.
Then, as soon as he fell to the ground, he stretched his leg under the bed and attacked the man's knee.
phut!
The attack was in vain as the drunken man leapt into the air.
Zeke went under the bed and kicked it up with his feet.
Pachin!
The iron bed frame rose into the air.
Whoosh!
Zeke rolled over and headed straight for the door that would lead outside.
He stood up and grabbed the claymore that was placed next to him.
Ching!
Zeke pulled out his claymore and was startled.
'That's... ... ?'
A man was seen doing a handstand in the air, balancing on the edge of the bed frame as if performing an acrobatic feat.
The man jumped into a stable position and then pushed the frame with his feet to return the bed to its original position.
It wasn't the typical knightly movement.
Zeke spoke to the man, holding the claymore.
"Where did you send the assassin?"
He could have been an assassin deployed by other direct purebloods to keep him in check.
The man who heard Zeke's words tilted his head and picked at his ears.
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"The more I look at him, the more peculiar he seems."
The man did not answer Zeke's question and slowly approached him.
Zigg quickly closed the distance and struck with his sword with a single, fatal blow.
Whoosh!
It was a strike that combined the acceleration of a breaking news report, the killing blow, and the strength of a world-class warrior.
But the man lightly reached out and caught Zeke's sword with his fingers.
"hmm...."
Zeke tried to pull the sword out from between the man's fingers, but the man wouldn't budge.
'Not just any assassin.'
Zeke immediately put down his sword and stepped back.
The man looked at Zeke curiously, seeing the claymore on his finger.
"Drake drops his sword and retreats?"
The voice was closer to curiosity than reproach.
Whoosh!
As the man turned his hand, he suddenly found himself holding a claymore in his hand.
Zick changed his attitude and asked the man.
"May I ask where you are from?"
With this level of skill, he was at least a Blue Knight.
At first, he was thought to be an assassin disguised as a therapist.
But judging from his actions, it seemed like he had no intention of killing Zeke.
'If you had intended to kill me, I would already be dead.'
There was that much of a skill gap between Zeke and the man.
The man scratched his bushy beard and threw the claymore he was holding at Zeke.
Thud!
Zeke took the heavy claymore lightly.
That was when.
The man standing in front disappeared.
'back?'
In an instant, Zeke was caught by the man.
'At this point, it might be the Red Knight.'
Cold sweat ran down my forehead.
The man said, grabbing Zeke's shoulder.
"My name is Dexter."
It was a name I had never heard even in my past life.
Dexter whispered to Zeke.
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"Kid. If you feel like talking to me, come to the greenhouse west of the academy."
After saying those words, the man disappeared.
When Zeke looked back, the man was nowhere to be seen.
'What on earth is it?'
Cold sweat broke out on my back.
It was the first feeling of frustration I had felt since my regression.
I've only felt this way once in my past life.
'This is the first time since Master.'
Even considering that his current state is far from his previous life's skills, the man named Dexter's skills were extraordinary.
As he was doing his research, Zeke thought about whether any of the information he had obtained from his past life matched the man's.
'There's nothing that fits Dexter like that.'
At that moment, a piece of information flashed through his mind.
'Wait a minute, is it that person...?'
If his thoughts were correct, he could understand why Andrei was at the Academy now.
Zeke's eyes flashed.
* * *
A week had passed since Zeke met Dexter.
During that time, Zeke quietly focused on his class participation, not even looking toward the greenhouse to the west, as if the incident with Dexter had never happened.
During the basic training period for the Dragon Sword, I practiced in the private training room on the Platinum Floor, and only came out when there were other classes.
Now, Zeke was in a large lecture hall to attend one of the few lecture-style classes at the Academy: Magic Theory.
In a lecture room with a tiered layout, the instructor gave a passionate lecture on the properties of magic and the theory of how magic manifests.
Other students weren't very interested in theory classes, because in the end, what mattered was the practical part.
But surprisingly, Zeke listened intently to the magic theory class lectures and even took notes.
The other groups of students who thought highly of Zig looked at him with curiosity.
'I didn't know it when I heard it before, but when I listened to it again, there was a lot of useful information.'
In my previous life, I was bullied a lot and had a hard time keeping up with the practical classes, so I didn't have time to focus on the theory classes.
After leaving the academy, I learned most of it through hands-on experience.
There was no opportunity to take separate, systematic theory classes.
As I looked at the systematically organized theory while having practical experience, I was able to naturally understand things I already knew intuitively.
'Aha, so that's why when a wizard forms a magic formula, if he just hits it with his shield, he might take damage from the recoil.'
Zeke guessed that the instructor teaching the class was not an ordinary wizard.
As he had expected, Paynen, the instructor for the magic theory class, was a scholarship student from the National Magic University of Delphos, known as the home of magic.
But Payne was tired of the atmosphere of working at the Academy, which was a place for knights, by knights, and only for knights.
The reason he, who was famous as a genius even at Delphos Magic University, came to the academy as an instructor was because of the stable research environment.
That's why Payne took a job as an instructor at the academy despite the dissuasion of many of his seniors.
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'Haa... ... There was a reason my seniors stopped me.'
Since it was a class on magic theory that was conducted almost as a formality, it was unreasonable to expect enthusiasm from the students who were aspiring to become knights.
And, following that atmosphere, he too was soon attending class mechanically.
But then it happened.
"Professor, I have a question."
Payne thought he had misheard something.
'Haha, now I can even hear voices.'
But then the voice was heard again.
"I don't quite understand the magic conversion drive system you just explained to me."
Payne looked back in surprise.
There was actually a student who asked a question during class.
Payne turned his head, adjusted his glasses, and asked again, stammering.
"Ma, a horsepower conversion drive? What kind of thing?"
Zeke asked questions one by one about things he was curious about.
"Aha, this is what I mean. I need to adjust the magic power constant value."
Zeke nodded, understanding Payne's kind explanation.
Payne was impressed to see that Zig understood his explanation after hearing it only once.
"Hey, is there anything else you don't understand?"
In response to his words, Zeke asked a few more questions about things he was curious about.
Payne was slightly surprised when he heard Zeke's questions.
'That's a pretty deep question considering I don't know the basic formulas?'
Before I knew it, the class was almost filled with questions and answers between Payne and Zick.
Ring ring ring!
As the theory class ended with a clap of paper, the students stood up from their seats to prepare for the next practical class.
Zeke stood up only after asking Payne a few more questions.
"Okay, just a moment, Student Zeke."
Payne called out to him and Zeke turned around.
"If you have any further questions, please come to my lab anytime. It's the room at the very end of the second basement level of the research building."
"Okay, Professor."
Zeke left the classroom under Payne's loving gaze.
"Maybe it's because he's a young professor, but he's full of passion."
Zeke's main argument was that there was nothing wrong with becoming friends with a wizard, even if he had more questions.
'Nothing is more useful as a companion than a wizard.'
Wizards are quick-witted, have excellent situational awareness, and can adapt flexibly anywhere.
On the other hand, knights were only trained with swords and lacked flexibility, so they often became a burden in times of crisis.
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Zeke walked out of the building, recalling what he had learned from Payne.
But there was someone lying on the bench outside the building.
'That person is… … .'
As Zeke came out of the building, Dexter slowly got up from his seat.
He scratched his bushy beard and looked at Zeke.
"The more I look at this little kid, the funnier he gets."
Zeke said to Dexter.
"Your Majesty, what is the matter?"
Dexter said, raising his body.
"Kid. Didn't you hear what I said back then?"
Zeke looked straight at him and answered.
"No, I heard."
Dexter looked at Zeke in disbelief.
"Uh… … But why didn't you come to the greenhouse?"
Zeke said in a calm voice.
"I've been busy with personal training."
Dexter's mouth fell open at his words.
Then, after a while, he closed his mouth and looked at Zeke, wondering what he was thinking.
"That's right."
In an instant, Dexter's body disappeared.
Even though Zeke was on edge with his fighting instincts, he missed Dexter's movements in front of him.
Then Dexter appeared from behind and tapped Zeke on the neck.
"this...."
Run, damn it.
Zik fell down without being able to continue speaking.
Dexter took the fallen Zeke and disappeared somewhere.
* * *
"Umm… … ."
Zeke barely came to his senses.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the strong scent of grass and green leaves.
Zick sat up with a start.
'Have you been kidnapped?'
He looked around.
"Where is this place?"
Inside the glass-windowed building, numerous grasses and trees were growing.
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"Kid, are you coming to your senses?"
I turned my head and saw Dexter watering the tree.
After finishing it, Dexter gulped down the potion mixed with alcohol.
"Ugh!"
There was a strong smell of alcohol in the air.
Zeke said to Dexter.
"Did you kidnap me?"
Then Dexter put down the water jug and said.
"Oh. Right. Kidnapping."
Zeke looked around calmly at his words.
'There is one exit behind, one to the east, and one across.'
After instinctively figuring out a way out, Zeke began to move his body little by little.
Dexter chuckled at the sight.
"Why are you trying to run away?"
His new model has disappeared again.
Zeke instinctively rolled his body to the side.
"Oh, I'm here."
Dexter appeared from the side Zeke had rolled from.
Zeke took a stance and looked wary of Dexter.
"What on earth is this?"
Then Dexter chuckled.
"If you catch me even once, you'll let me know."
Dexter looked at Zeke and gestured for him to catch him.
While looking at Dexter like that, Zeke was thinking something else.
'Okay. You took the bait.'
On the outside he looked like a thirteen-year-old kid, but inside he was a seasoned warrior who had been through a lot.
'Dexter is a pseudonym.'
Zeke already knew his identity.
That's why I didn't go to the greenhouse on purpose, but instead guided him to come to me on his own.
'His real name is the Knight of the Storm. Duke Draker.'
Zeke gulped as he looked at him.
'Once upon a time… … he was a black knight of the Draker family.'