“It's a cursed sword.”

Kito, who had quietly approached Leon and was observing the wooden sword with him, spoke in a low voice.

“A cursed sword?”

“I can’t be entirely sure, but the strange flow of mana surrounding that sword… it could only be a cursed sword.”

Leon’s expression stiffened upon hearing that. From his understanding, weapons labeled as cursed swords typically had negative effects on their wielders.

They could drive a person to madness or force them into soul-binding contracts, among other things.

While Leon furrowed his brows and stared at the wooden sword, a small piece of the light brown surface, already cracked, fell off.

And what was revealed beneath... was a darker brown wooden sword.

“….”

Leon tilted his head to the side, staring blankly.

Was this feeling one of disappointment or relief?

As he looked at Kito with a peculiar sense of emptiness, Kito averted his gaze and spoke.

“It is a cursed sword.”

“….”

“It just hasn’t fully revealed itself yet. Pick it up.”

Leon cautiously reached out to grab the wooden sword but hesitated, opting instead to move it with basic telekinesis just in case.

“Huh?”

It was only an experimental attempt because he was reluctant to touch it, but the wooden sword, which had previously been immovable, now floated in the air at Leon's will.

‘Something must have changed.’

Leon placed the wooden sword back on the ground and cast an appraisal spell.

However, there was nothing he could discern through the appraisal spell.

‘It’s not that it has no abilities… the appraisal spell doesn’t seem to work on it?’

That seemed like a reasonable conclusion.

“...It’s definitely a cursed sword.”

Leon looked at Kito with sudden certainty, and Kito shook his head covered in gray feathers.

“How can you be so sure?”

“When you… stuck the sword into the ground just now. I felt a strange wave of mana.”

“A wave?”

“It was a very unpleasant sensation… I couldn’t determine the exact ability since it was buried in the ground…”

Kito mumbled, his expression serious as if trying to gauge something.

Leon, who had been quietly listening, picked up the wooden sword again and floated it in the air. He then slowly brought it closer to Kito.

“…What are you trying to do?”

“You said you weren’t sure.”

“So you’re going to experiment on me?”

“I don’t have any other way. If I place it against your body, maybe we’ll find out. It’s just a wooden sword, so it should be fine, right?”

Kito stared silently at Leon.

Seeing that look, Leon decided to drop the idea.

“If you think it’s dangerous, I won’t do it.”

He’d just have to figure it out through use.

He might not know how to use it in a critical moment when he faced an enemy, but there was no other choice.

“Fine. I was getting frustrated with your lack of boldness anyway. If I tell you to pick it up, you should just do it. Why are you always so suspicious…”

“Was that really bothering you? You hold grudges for too long.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Although Kito’s expression didn’t change much, he seemed as if he would have clicked his tongue in disapproval if he were human.

Leon stared at Kito’s healthy-looking face for a moment.

“You said it was an unpleasant sensation, but it’s not enough to harm you, right? So it should be okay to touch it briefly.”

Leon, observing Kito’s slightly smug expression, didn’t hesitate to tap Kito’s body with the wooden sword.

“Guh…”

Kito’s large body flinched.

But since there was no further reaction, Leon tapped him again with the wooden sword.

“Grr… stop it.”

“….”

Pretending not to hear, Leon pointed the tip of the wooden sword at Kito again.

“I said stop!”

“….”

Kito finally raised his enormous body.

However, it was extremely difficult for such a large body to avoid the wooden sword. Sensing this, Kito’s entire form suddenly began to glow.

The massive light rapidly shrank until it was only about 30 centimeters tall.

The small figure deftly dodged the wooden sword and approached Leon.

The light faded, revealing Kito’s true form.

Leon murmured in disbelief.

“A female…?”

“Ha ha ha ha! You’re just realizing that now?”

Kito, whom Leon had thought was a monstrous bird, had transformed into a female figure with long gray hair.

Though the hands at her waist were unmistakably human, if you tilted your head slightly, you could see the gray feathers covering the back of her arms.

The front of her body resembled a tiny fairy-like woman, but the back was that of a feathered, half-human, half-beast creature.

Kito flapped her gray wings frantically as she buzzed around in front of Leon.

Leon felt a sense of betrayal.

“You could… use magic?”

Kito’s movements stopped abruptly.

“…Are you accusing me of slacking off while fully recovered?”

When Leon nodded, Kito snorted.

“I still haven’t found my core, have I? Polymorph is a natural magic for beings like us once a soul is fully settled.”

“Still, that means you’ve gained the ability to use magic.”

Otherwise, you could have escaped by polymorphing even when you were shackled.

“Oh dear, using magic all of a sudden is making my head spin…”

As Kito fluttered her wings, trying to land on Leon’s shoulder, Leon quickly moved away.

Her face looked far too healthy to be making such complaints.

‘Well, if I slept for 40 years, I’d have a fresh face too…’

It wasn’t something to be envious of.

While being carefree and relaxed might seem like a blessing, it wasn’t something Leon could afford.

If he slacked off despite being pushed to grow stronger, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if he was sent back to his original world and rendered unable to walk again.

‘But it is kind of annoying.’

Leon glared coldly at Kito.

Kito floated back in front of him and spoke.

“Hmph, aren’t you curious about the cursed sword’s ability?”

“What is it? Tell me.”

“It disrupts the flow of mana.”

“Disrupts?”

“It disturbs the mana of anyone it touches. If they’re a mage, it will interfere with their spellcasting.”

Leon pondered this unexpected ability.

A possible method to use the sword as a weapon had just flashed through his mind.

Arpina sat in one of the top seats of a massive circular arena.

Next to her sat a bald-headed mage, seated slightly closer to the center than she was.

In the absence of the tower master, the bald man, Bervford, was acting as the tower master. He had taken on this role ever since he gave up on his training and returned.

Although the difference in rank between Bervford and Arpina wasn’t significant, she found the responsibilities bothersome, so the authority naturally fell to Bervford.

Bervford accepted it as if it were only natural.

“We lost…”

Bervford sighed quietly.

“It would be strange if we won.”

Arpina spoke indifferently, her tone ambiguous as if she was speaking to him or to herself.

Since Arpina settled here 20 years ago, the Widia School had always fluctuated between 4th and 5th place among the eight schools.

This was because Rydra was entirely absorbed in his own training.

None of the tower masters of the eight schools were overwhelmingly superior in skill. They were all at a similar level of insight.

However, while the other tower masters had resigned themselves to focusing on their duties, Rydra had yet to give up his obsession.

It was only natural that people were drawn to a magic tower where an insightful magic master constantly revised magic books and researched the latest spells.

Bervford, who agreed with this approach, was not without responsibility.

“Hmph… it’s only the first day, so there’s no need to be disheartened…”

Ignoring Arpina’s words, Bervford muttered as he watched the arena where several duels were taking place, still holding onto some hope.

It might have seemed strange for a Mystic-level mage to be so concerned over an apprentice’s duel, but no one around him found it odd.

The benefits of achieving first place were that significant.

‘The priority in ruins exploration is certainly appealing.’

However, Arpina had already given up.

Seeing the other disciples, except for Rowen and Leah, suffer defeat after defeat, she could already predict the outcome of the remaining duels.

‘If it were a continuous duel where the winner kept fighting, things might have been different.’

According to the rules, each disciple of the school could only participate in one duel, and they could only fight again if the opposing school changed.

After each school had dueled with all the others once, the rankings would be determined.

While thinking fondly of Leah's overwhelming talent, who hadn’t lost a single duel so far, Arpina naturally thought of Leah’s childhood friend.

‘If he had been here, we might have won a few more times.’

She heard that he had been holed up in the training room.

Arpina shook her head.

‘He’ll come when he’s ready.’

It wasn’t easy to stay focused on training, even with the talent of a Tri-Elemental Constitution. Even if there was some hidden method.

‘I should find his dedication admirable.’

Arpina wasn’t one to dismiss such diligence.

Yet, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of annoyance.

Why did she feel this way?

Arpina recalled Leon’s eyes, filled with a strange confidence. The kind of eyes one has when they’re certain of their path.

‘He has…’

“Arpina.”

A female mage sitting quietly beside her interrupted Arpina’s thoughts.

“What is it?”

“Are you prepared for the conference?”

“That’s Bervford’s responsibility.”

“I heard he had stopped his training, so I guess he’s fully committed now.”

“He’s had enough time to enjoy his self-satisfaction, so it’s about time he put in some effort.”

“Still, don’t you have something you’d like to say? Like about the Black Tower causing a stir lately…”

Arpina pondered for a moment before replying.

“Our Rydra already stirred things up once, so there’s not much to add…”

“Is that so.”

The woman murmured as if she understood, but there was still some lingering doubt on her face.

Noticing this, Arpina asked.

“Is something bothering you?”

“Hmm, it’s nothing. I just received information that Black Mages from Tenelon have established a base near Widia. But since you said Rydra took care of it, it must have been delayed news.”

Hearing this, Arpina frowned slightly, feeling an inexplicable unease.

‘Did anyone mention dealing with the Tenelon people…?’