Training-Addicted Mage In A Progression Fantasy-Chapter 21: Regular Exchange Festival (3)

“It’s a Magic Sword.”

Kito, who had approached Leon’s side to examine the Wooden Sword together, said softly.

“A Magic Sword?”“I can’t examine it in detail, but the strange flow of Magic Power around that sword... It can only be a Magic Sword.”

Leon’s face stiffened at those words. In his opinion, Magic Swords mostly had negative effects on their owners, like driving them mad with bloodlust or making contracts that cost their souls.

While Leon frowned at the Wooden Sword, its light brown, cracked surface suddenly fell off with a thud. What was revealed underneath was... a Wooden Sword of an even darker brown.

“...”

Leon tilted his head, staring blankly.

He wasn’t sure if he felt disappointed or relieved.

With a strange sense of emptiness, he looked at Kito, who avoided his gaze and said.

“...It is indeed a Magic Sword.”“...”“The main body just hasn’t revealed itself yet. Try picking it up.”

Leon cautiously approached to pull out the Wooden Sword directly, but then stopped. Just in case, he decided to touch it with Basic Psychokinesis instead.

“Huh?”

To his surprise, the Wooden Sword that hadn’t budged before now floated in midair according to Leon’s will.

Looks like something has changed.

Leon stuck the Wooden Sword back into the ground and cast Appraisal Magic.

However, no abilities could be discerned.

It’s not that it has no abilities... but that Appraisal Magic doesn’t work on it?

That seemed to be the more reasonable inference.

“...It’s definitely a Magic Sword.”

At this sudden assertion, Leon looked at Kito, who was shaking his head covered in gray feathers from side to side.

“How can you be so sure?”“Just now, when you stuck the sword in the ground. I felt an ominous wave of Magic Power.”“A wave?”“A very unpleasant feeling... Since it’s stuck in the ground, I can’t tell its exact ability, but...”

Kito muttered with a serious expression, as if trying to gauge something.

Leon, who had been quietly listening, pulled out the Wooden Sword again and made it float in midair. Then he gently moved it towards Kito.

“...What are you trying to do?”“You said you weren’t exactly sure.”“And because of that, you want to experiment on me?”“We don’t have any other options. If we try it on your body, we’ll know for sure, right? It’s just a Wooden Sword, so it should be fine, shouldn’t it?”

Kito stared silently at Leon. Seeing that gaze, Leon set aside his curiosity.

“If you think it might be dangerous, then we can’t do it.”

There was no choice but to learn by using it directly, though Leon wasn’t sure if he could use a weapon with unknown abilities in an urgent situation when facing an enemy.

“Fine, I was just getting frustrated with your lack of spirit anyway. If I say pick it up, just pick it up. Why are you so suspicious...”“Was that what you were upset about? Aren’t you holding a grudge for too long?”“You’re not one to talk.”

There wasn’t much change in Kito’s face, but if he were human, he would have clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Leon stared at Kito’s healthy-looking face for a moment.

“I said it was an unpleasant feeling, but it’s not enough to threaten this body, so it’s fine to touch it briefly.”

Staring at the face that somehow looked triumphant, Leon didn’t hesitate to tap the Wooden Sword against Kito’s body.

“Ugh...”

Kito’s massive body flinched.

But there was no further reaction, so Leon poked with the Wooden Sword again.

“Urgh...stop it.”“...”

Leon pretended not to hear and pointed the tip of the Wooden Sword at Kito once more.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop?!”“...”

Kito finally raised his massive body.

But it was very difficult to avoid the Wooden Sword with such a huge body. Sensing this, Kito’s entire body was suddenly enveloped in a flash of light.

The massive light began to shrink rapidly, until it was about 30cm in size. That small light quickly dodged the Wooden Sword and approached Leon.

Soon the light faded, revealing Kito’s true form.

Leon muttered blankly.

“Female...?”“Mwahahaha! You just realized that now?”

Kito, who Leon had thought was a monstrous bird, had now transformed into a female form with long gray hair.

Her hands resting on her hips were clearly human, but from a different angle, gray feathers covered the back of her arms. While her upper body resembled that of a petite, fairy-like woman, her lower half was a curious blend of human and avian features, adorned with feathers.

Kito fluttered her gray wings, flying frantically in front of Leon’s eyes.

Leon felt betrayed.

“You could... use Magic?”

Kito’s movement stopped abruptly.

“...Are you saying I’ve been slacking off while fully recovered?”

When Leon nodded, Kito snorted.

“Haven’t you still not found my Core? Polymorph is a Magic that creatures like us naturally understand when a spirit dwells within us.”“Anyway, it means you can use Magic now, right?”

If that wasn’t the case, she could have polymorphed and escaped when she was bound by shackles.

“Ah, my head is spinning from suddenly using Magic...”

As Kito fluttered her wings and tried to land on Leon’s shoulder, Leon quickly dodged. Her complexion was too bright for someone supposedly exhausted.

‘Well, I suppose even my face would look better if I slept for 40 years...’

He didn’t feel envious. While enjoying leisure without any worries might be a blessing in some ways, it wasn’t applicable to Leon. If he slacked off when being pushed to become stronger like this, he would have nothing to say even if he was sent back to his original world and made unable to use his legs.

But it’s annoying.

Leon looked at Kito with narrowed eyes. Kito floated in front of him again and said.

“Ahem, aren’t you curious about the ability of the Magic Sword?”“What is it? Tell me.”“It has the ability to disrupt the flow of Magic Power.”“Disrupt?”“It means it disturbs the Magic Power of the opponent it touches. If it’s a Mage, they’ll be interfered with when manifesting Spell Formulas.”

Leon fell into contemplation at this unexpected ability.

A way to use it as a weapon right now flashed through his mind.

***Arpina was seated in one of the topmost seats in the massive circular arena.

Next to her, a bald man occupied a seat. It was a position slightly more central than hers.

In the absence of the Tower Master, the bald man, Berford, had been acting as the Tower Master.This had been the case ever since he returned after giving up on his training.

While the difference in realm between Berford and Arpina wasn’t significant, the authority had readily passed to Berford because Arpina found such roles bothersome.

Berford had accepted this as if it were only natural.

“We lost......”

Berford sighed softly.

“It would be strange if we won.”

Arpina spoke nonchalantly.Her tone was ambiguous, as if she was speaking to him, or perhaps to herself.

For the 20 years since Arpina had settled here, the Widia School had always ranked 4th or 5th among the 8 schools.

It was only natural, given that Laidra was absorbed in his own training.

Among the Tower Masters of the 8 schools, none could be said to have overwhelmingly superior skills.They were all at similar early stages of Insight.

The difference was that while other Tower Masters had given up and focused on their duties as Tower Masters, Laidra still hadn’t abandoned his obsession.

It was only natural that people were drawn to Magic Towers where Insight Grade Mages consistently revised Magic Books and researched and presented updated Magic.

Berford, who had gone along with this, wasn’t without responsibility either.

“Hmm...... It’s only the first day, so there’s no need to be discouraged......”

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Pretending not to have heard Arpina’s words, Berford muttered as he watched the various sparring matches in the arena, seemingly still unable to let go of his expectations.

It might have seemed strange for a Mystic-grade Mage to be so concerned about the sparring of mere Apprentice Mages, but no one around him found his attitude odd.

That’s because the benefits of becoming first place were that significant.

The priority rights for ruin exploration are certainly attractive.

But Arpina had already given up.

Except for Rowen and Ria, seeing the accumulating defeats of the other disciples, she could already foresee the results of the upcoming sparring matches.

If it were a system where the winner of a sparring match continued to the next one, things might have been different.

According to the sparring rules, disciples from each school could only participate in a match once, and they could only participate again when the opposing school changed.

That’s how the rankings were determined after each school had sparred with every other school once.

Arpina was impressed by Ria’s overwhelming talent, who had never lost a match so far, and her thoughts naturally extended to Ria’s childhood friend.

If that guy were here, we might have secured a few more wins?

She had heard that he was holed up in the Training Room.

Arpina shook her head.

He’ll come around on his own.

Even with the talent of a Triple Attribute Body, it wasn’t easy to consistently focus on training.Even if there was some hidden method.

I should certainly find it admirable, but...

Arpina wasn’t one to disregard such diligence.

Yet, why did she feel somewhat vexed?

Arpina recalled Leon’s eyes, filled with a strange certainty.The look in one’s eyes when they’re firm in their own direction.

Having......

“Lady Arpina.”

Arpina snapped out of her reverie at the call of the female Mage sitting quietly beside her.

“What is it?”“Have you prepared for the conference?”“That’s Bradford’s job now.”“Ah, I did hear he quit training, but it seems you’ve fully handed over your responsibilities.”“He’s enjoyed enough self-satisfaction, so it’s about time he did some hard work.”“But don’t you have anything you want to say? The Black Magic Tower folks have been very noisy lately......”

Arpina thought for a moment before speaking.

“Since Laidra turned things upside down for us once, we don’t really......”“Is that so.”

Though the woman muttered as if she understood, there was still an unresolved question on her face.

Arpina noticed this and asked.

“Why do you ask?”“Oh, it’s nothing. There was information that Black Mages affiliated with Teneron had set up base near Widia. But since you say Laidra took action, I guess it was outdated information.”

Hearing this, Arpina frowned at the strangely lingering uneasiness.

Was there any mention of dealing with those Teneron guys......?

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