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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 39
Myorn’s Laboratory
“Now then… Shall we start with the first test?”
Myorn’s fur clumped together like threads, wriggling.
Whoosh!
Amid the pile of junk, Myorn pulled something out. It was a piece of full plate armor, glimmering silver.
“What was its name again?”
“Alkas, Master.”
“Alkas, put it on.”
“Wait… me?”
Alkas, who had been dragged into the lab without explanation, looked startled but didn’t seem entirely displeased.
After all, wearing a mana suit had been a longstanding dream of his as a knight.
“I’m not a Meister, though…”
“I already told you. I heard you’re a knight without color or scent.”
“Yes… that’s correct.”
“This is perfect for someone like you. Probably.”
With that, Alkas received the mana suit.
“Inject your mana into the mana stone embedded in the helmet.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t resist the pressure. Just relax.”
“Understood.”
“Let me know if it gets too much.”
Bzzzzzzzz!
The steel armor, shimmering with mana, began to shift, molding itself to fit Alkas’s body perfectly.
“It’s heavier than I expected.”
“What about the fit?”
“It’s manageable.”
“Now, try using your aura.”
Whoosh!
Myorn tossed him a sword, and Alkas immediately infused it with his aura.
Vrrrrrrr!
A sharp blue light radiated from the sword, far stronger than the aura he was used to summoning.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Alkas couldn’t hide his excitement.
‘So this… is the power of a mana suit!’
However, the reactions from the two observing were less enthusiastic.
“Huh. It doesn’t come out the same for him, does it?”
“Hmm. Could it be the difference between a Sword Master and an Expert?”
Step, step.
Kaylen approached Alkas, his footsteps measured, and firmly gripped the mana suit.
“Alkas, try summoning your aura again.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Vrrrrrrr!
Once more, Alkas’s sword gleamed brightly with aura.
Kaylen closely inspected the mana flowing through the suit, carefully measuring its output.
“The aura still isn’t fully stable yet.”
“What did I say? To become a Sword Master, you can’t rely solely on your mana heart. Is the mana in your toes and head just for decoration?”
Kaylen’s sharp tone cut through the air as he offered advice to Alkas.
“Alkas! You’re being hasty. Aura must be built up steadily from the ground up. Are you so excited just because you’re wearing a mana suit? Remember, this mana isn’t yours. You need to approach this more carefully and establish a solid foundation.”
“Yes, I understand!” Alkas replied, startled but earnest.
“Good.”
“Yes, I’ll focus on steadily refining my aura!”
With those words, Alkas began adjusting his aura…
Crackle!
The aura etched along the blade suddenly ignited, spreading like a blaze.
“Oh? His aura changed! This is… about five times stronger than before!”
Myorn exclaimed as she hurriedly jotted down notes in her experiment log.
“Just a few pieces of advice, and he improved this much? Is this what it means to be a Sword Master?”
“Impressive, Kaylen,” Myorn remarked in awe.
“It’s still far from perfect,” Kaylen replied, his tone as cold as ever.
While Myorn marveled, Kaylen remained unimpressed.
“When compared to the experiments we’ve conducted over the past week, these results are underwhelming.”
“That’s only because you’re a Sword Master.”
“Even so, the output has diminished. At this rate, it’s not viable for practical use.”
At Kaylen’s words, Myorn reflected on the past week’s experiments.
It began on the day Kaylen unleashed his sword energy. He revealed that he had acquired the relic of the Archmagus, leading to experiments conducted specifically with a Sword Master.
From these trials, Myorn reached a startling conclusion:
“The efficiency of his aura… is off the charts!”
When it came to magic, the mana suit prototype Normal was practically useless. However, the aura Kaylen emitted was an entirely different story.
When used with the newly developed mana suit, his aura displayed terrifying power. It was so overwhelming that the mana stone embedded in the suit was completely drained in no time.
“This… is definitely worth researching further. If even an ordinary knight could achieve this level of efficiency… the results would be world-changing.”
Over the course of the week, countless experiments left both Myorn and Kaylen amazed at the mana suit’s potential.
Kaylen also discovered another notable benefit:
“When casting spells while manifesting aura… the power is significantly amplified.”
“Really?”
“Yes. However, this seems to be a unique case for me. It’s unlikely that ordinary knights could replicate it.”
“Well, using magic and aura simultaneously is rare to begin with.”
Kaylen’s unusual skill set—a Sword Master and a 4th-circle mage—set him apart. His unique synergy allowed him to unlock such effects, particularly when paired with the six-elemental swords of the Ernstine family, which represented the attributes of earth, water, fire, wind, light, and shadow.
For instance, the devastating Fire Wave that felled the Wind Meister Robin in a single strike came from one such synergy.
However, this level of versatility applied only to someone like Kaylen.
For ordinary individuals, the Normal prototype focused primarily on maximizing aura amplification efficiency. That was why Alkas had been chosen as the test subject.
But the results were disappointing.
“It’s lacking,” Kaylen muttered.
“Do you think this performance falls short compared to a Meister’s sword aura?” Myorn asked.
“Well… there’s not much difference, but…” Kaylen trailed off, clearly dissatisfied.
Compared to mana suits designed for mages, the knight-focused mana suits were often criticized for their lack of power. While mage mana suits typically doubled or even tripled output, knight mana suits started at half that level.
However, Myorn’s new prototype, Normal, stood apart from traditional knight-meister mana suits. It offered a distinct advantage: any Sword Expert, not just meisters, could achieve up to double their usual output.
“This should be fine as a prototype.”
Myorn felt it was a success, even if it couldn’t meet the original goal of being suitable for magic users. Producing this much power for knights was already impressive for a prototype.
But Kaylen thought differently.
“We cannot stop here.”
“Hm…”
“When compared to magic, aura starts at a much lower baseline for destructive power.”
“...You’re right. In terms of raw destructive force, it doesn’t match magic.”
“Exactly. Which is why we need greater efficiency. To compete with mage mana suits, we must push further.”
“Th-That’s… impossible. Magic and aura are fundamentally different.”
“There is no such thing as impossible.”
Kaylen’s eyes burned with determination as he looked back and forth between Myorn and Alkas.
Seeing his unwavering gaze, Myorn instinctively bristled.
What is this?
Although they were supposed to be partners in this endeavor, Kaylen exuded a terrifying aura of authority.
“With the Dwarf Queen here, and a promising knight with Sword Master potential, we can achieve greatness if we coordinate well.”
“Wait a moment! Mana suits aren’t something you can just whip up overnight. Do you have any idea how many mana stones, how much trial and error this will take—”
“It’s possible. I know it is. Dwarf Queen, I’ve seen your boundless potential. You’re not just any blacksmith—you’re the Dwarf Queen.”
Kaylen’s gaze, filled with unwavering faith, made Myorn’s fur stand on end again.
'What exactly did he see in Ernstine’s memories?'
“I will provide the mana stones. Once I begin working with the Demon Subjugation Corps in earnest, I can supply as many as needed.”
“Wait, hold on—”
“Myorn. To grow stronger, you must forge mana suits and temper your hammer until you reach your limits. All of this was in the memories I saw.”
“That’s ridiculous! Mana suits didn’t even exist in the past! What does this have to do with high-ranking spirits?”
“It’s the process of hammering. That’s what matters.”
“Ugh…”
Kaylen’s presence was almost suffocating, radiating an overwhelming sense of authority. He stood as an unshakable force, his voice calm yet laden with absolute command:
Work!
Forge and hammer until you produce results!
“Alkas, you must assist Lady Myorn as much as possible. The more advanced the mana suit becomes, the quicker I can guide you to become a Sword Master.”
“Yes, my lord! I will devote every ounce of my strength to fulfill your command!”
Hearing that his efforts might lead to becoming a Sword Master, Alkas seemed ready to leap into fire without hesitation.
Watching this, Myorn sighed deeply, her exhaustion evident.
“Hah… Fine. I’ll adjust the design further. But more importantly—”
Myorn rummaged through her pile of odds and ends, pulling out an object with visible effort, utilizing every ounce of strength.
What she produced was a full plate of armor, pitch-black and ominous in appearance.
“Kaylen, here’s yours. The item for the finals.”
“It’s finished already.”
“It’s just a modification of the original design. Like you asked, I completely ignored stability. It’s absurdly heavy, the pressure is intense, and it won’t last long. There’s no longevity to it.”
The suit was something no ordinary mage could hope to wear—its weight and immense pressure would make it unbearable. It also had no extended duration or transformation capabilities.
Every aspect had been sacrificed in favor of one single trait: pure output.
“All it’s got is power. That’s all I focused on.”
“That’s precisely what I wanted.”
“But even with this, I doubt you’ll manage against Glacia. Are you seriously not going to use aura?”
“I never intended to win in the first place.”
“Yeah, I figured. I just want to see if you can survive one hit without using aura.”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Kaylen smirked.
“I’ll show you the power of a mage, not a meister.”
Finals Day.
For Princess Violet, the day began like any other.
She rose at six in the morning.
“Glacia, wash me.”
Her mana suit cleaned her body within minutes.
“Jane, are there any documents that need signing?”
“No, Princess. It seems there aren’t many coming through today because of the big event.”
“Ridiculous. A tournament match shouldn’t disrupt government business.”
She reviewed and approved a few remaining documents.
“Robin showed promise yesterday.”
“Shall I add him to the recruitment list?”
“Look into it. He’s been raised by the Tower of the Sky, so his loyalty to them will run deep.”
“Understood.”
“Princess, it’s time.”
“I’m on my way.”
Tap. Tap.
As Violet walked, Kaylen wasn’t on her mind at all.
He wasn’t anywhere near her level.
His Fire Wave was impressive. She acknowledged that his spell, used to defeat the Wind Meister Robin, had displayed considerable power.
But it’s far weaker than Lionus.
For a non-meister to pull off such magic was surprising, but the raw power was incomparable to Lionus.
Thus, the finals didn’t stir any sense of tension in her.
Still, Kaylen is the top recruit on my list. I should let him save face and not crush him too quickly.
Planning to go easy on him for appearances’ sake, Violet entered the arena.
She never anticipated what awaited her.
Crackle.
Bzzzzzzt.
“Princess.”
Glacia’s half-mask began to spark with electricity.
“You don’t need to hold back.”
A portion of Kaylen’s mask burned, blackened by the intense currents coursing through it.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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