I Became A Villian In a Rofan

Episode 5

 

Jericho Isaac manifested mana when he was 12 years old.

 

Proud of his growth that was several years ahead of his peers, he looked at Raphael. Despite pretending not to care, acting as if being a couple of years behind his younger brother didn’t bother him, deep down, he harbored a sense of inferiority.

 

Jericho was two years younger than Raphael. Due to this age difference, Raphael usually won when they sparred with wooden swords, but Jericho was confident that the tide would turn within a few years. Raphael was only slightly taller and more robust than him. In terms of swordsmanship, Jericho believed he was superior. As they grew older, he was certain he would surpass his older brother.

 

It was only two years after their parents’ sudden death that Raphael ascended to the position of a lord.

 

Jericho thought, ‘To become a lord, it should have been me according to the family rules.’ Raphael becoming a lord was an unexpected turn of events. Even after Raphael became a lord, Jericho was determined to take the position away, especially witnessing Raphael’s incompetent rule. He joined forces with his younger sister, vowing to reclaim their rightful place.

 

‘Changing late doesn’t change anything.’

 

Raphael treated the members of the family kindly, improved his physical strength, manifested mana, and even learned swordsmanship at the academy. There were changes in a short period.

 

However, even if he belatedly took care of the family members, it was challenging to regain the hearts that had already departed.

 

Jericho sighed, acknowledging the drastic change.

 

“No, congratulating someone for this is something you do when you’re young. At my age, what’s the point?”

Raphael manifested mana, and Coromang’s words meant to congratulate him for it.

 

Though Raphael felt embarrassed, he followed Coromang’s instructions, bowing his head. He then emitted mana from his hand. The azure energy rippled and scattered in all directions before coalescing again.

 

The size of the manifestation was quite substantial.

 

While the manifestation itself was late, the inherent amount of mana was impressive enough to evoke jealousy.

 

Jericho had been putting in relentless efforts to reclaim the position of a lord.

 

Considering the current situation as a crisis, Jericho whispered to Evelyn, who was next to him, due to his anxious heartbeat.

 

“Isn’t this dangerous?”

 

Evelyn chuckled at Jericho’s concern.

 

“Hey, scared? Think you might lose if you fight?”

 

“No, it’s not that, but just in case…”

 

“Enough. Don’t worry about it. In a few days, I’ll be leaving for the academy anyway. You won’t be able to increase your influence in the family, so focus on training harder. As long as you maintain your skill to win in a fight, you won’t have any problems.”

 

“I trust you.”

 

“Yeah. You never really used your brain for things like this. Leave it to me.”

 

—

 

“Good morning.”

 

“Yeah, you too.”

 

“Congratulations on manifesting mana.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

On the first day here, the servant who avoided eye contact with me and disliked me was now smiling brightly. Faced with this completely different attitude, I awkwardly scratched my head. It was regrettable that I had to leave here tomorrow.

 

I woke up early in the morning, did my usual training, and had breakfast.

 

Coromang called me to the study for some reason. When I arrived, she greeted me with a haggard face, as if she had spent a sleepless night. “Did you come? I have something important to discuss.”

 

“Why are you creating such a serious atmosphere?”

 

“Well… It might be a bit early to talk about this, but time seems to be running out, so I’ll just say it. It’s better not to go to the academy.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Raphael had been talking about leaving for the academy for quite some time. It seemed strange for him to oppose it now.

 

“Why the sudden change of heart?”

 

“Leaving the territory will endanger the position of a lord. The young lord…”

 

“Oh, that? I know about it. Don’t worry; there are various ways to handle it.”

 

Jericho was undoubtedly a skilled individual. Compared to the original story where he was almost irrelevant, his skills were outstanding.

 

But just up to that point.

 

If the flow of the original story was followed, surpassing him was simple.

 

“Hehehe.”

 

I laughed foolishly.

 

It was unnecessary advice, but giving advice meant that Coromang’s feelings were starting to lean towards me.

 

The original story was deviating.

 

—

 

As time passed, on the day of the academy’s entrance exam, Coromang sniffled and said, “Not too long ago, I thought it was all because of Miss Biso. I thought you were following her. So, I had a negative view of it. But now, I guess there’s a twist.”

 

“I won’t be able to see your face for a while. Thanks for taking care of me.”

 

“It was just work. Well then, do your best and come back. Even if it’s tough, don’t give up.”

 

After receiving Coromang’s farewell, I headed to the academy.

 

If you had talent, education was open to anyone, and there were countless applicants who came to the exam hall under the education philosophy of providing education to anyone with talent.

A crowd had gathered under the main gate of the exam venue, creating a lively atmosphere. Each group chatted away, creating a buzz similar to a market specializing in seafood.

 

“Phew.”

 

As I mixed into the multitude, I already felt a sense of discomfort. Nevertheless, the Department of Swordsmanship was relatively better.

 

Swordsmanship allowed individuals to assess their skills by fighting each other, offering a somewhat subjective evaluation.

 

In contrast, the purely academic departments, where it was challenging to compete directly in terms of skills, were tightly packed with people.

 

The poor examiners who had to control them looked pitiful.

 

Although the Department of Swordsmanship was composed of Mana users, making it somewhat better, as I looked around, I noticed candidates with weak physiques and lacking physical strength.

 

What could be the reason?

 

Had they learned something unusual?

 

Was there a form of swordsmanship specialized for those with a small build and lean physique? If such a setting existed, I couldn’t have missed it, could I?

 

I pondered on what could have happened. Then, observing them standing anxiously, glancing around, I realized they were not individuals who had learned swordsmanship in the first place.

 

They were magicians. Moreover, low-level magicians.

 

Compared to the Department of Magic, the minimum criteria for admission to the Department of Swordsmanship were lower. These individuals seemed to have somehow entered the academy through the Department of Swordsmanship’s lower admission standards, with the intention of transferring to the Department of Magic later.

 

When I saw them, thinking that I could handle them to some extent, they approached their positions and surveyed the surroundings with anxious glances.

 

It was then that I realized they were not individuals who had learned swordsmanship from the start.

 

They were magicians. Low-level magicians, to be exact.

 

Considering the lower admission standards for the Department of Swordsmanship compared to the Department of Magic, these people seemed to have entered the academy through the Department of Swordsmanship with the intention of transferring to the Department of Magic later.

 

As I observed their behavior, I heard a somewhat low-toned yet clearly audible voice amidst the crowd.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

Jeffrin came to me with a perplexed expression. He had been observing me with sharp eyes.

 

“You are from a noble family with the rank of a viscount, making you eligible for special admission. So why are you taking the entrance exam?”

 

“Because it seems unnecessary.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You don’t need to go through such things to get admitted.”

 

Jeffrin carefully looked at the sword at my waist and then spoke with an expression of disbelief.

 

“Did you apply to the Department of Swordsmanship?”

 

“Why? What’s the problem?”

 

“I thought you had given up on the sword for quite a while.”

 

“Well, I’ve left it for a long time, so I should work hard from now on.”

 

“Just a whim.”

 

Jeffrin turned away from me as if he didn’t need an answer, speaking with a firm tone.

 

“I believe that everyone should be fair in front of the sword. I hope you take a fair exam.”

 

It was a clear indication that he wouldn’t give me any favors, so I should be prepared to fail.

 

“Ha.”

 

I snorted as Jeffrin walked away. I was confident I would win even without his acknowledgment.

 

—

 

The entrance exam for the Academy’s Department of Swordsmanship first confirmed whether the examinee had manifested mana, then tested their swordsmanship skills.

 

Checking for mana manifestation was simple. The examinee had to hold a rechargeable mana stone, infuse it with mana, and change its color.

 

However, for some reason, both Department of Swordsmanship and Department of Magic examinees crowded the exam venue.

 

Observing them, it became clear why some examinees aspiring to be magicians applied to the Department of Swordsmanship. Magic relied more on mana than swordsmanship did. Therefore, the Department of Mana tested not only the manifestation but also the quantity and control of mana.

 

The basic color of a rechargeable mana stone was blue. Swordsmanship candidates passed by allowing light into the stone. Meanwhile, magic candidates had to turn it red.

 

As boring as simply holding a rock, the exam was incredibly tedious.

“Blue, less blue, more blue… a bit more vibrant blue…” While people waiting for the dull exam were half out of their minds, a scream erupted from the front row.

 

“This, this can’t be real.”

 

The mana stone was rechargeable.

 

This meant that there was a limit to the amount of mana the stone could contain. The current color of the mana stone was green, indicating the color emitted when the stone reached its mana capacity. The stone vibrated with an intensity that couldn’t be increased any further.

 

The person holding the rock was also the one who would later become the owner of the mana tower, and one of the candidates to kill me.

 

Boom!

 

The mana stone exploded, releasing a mana bombardment exceeding its maximum capacity.

 

Ian Roadbreaker, the person responsible, seemed indifferent to the reactions of the people. He casually brushed off the dust from the crushed mana stone on his hands and left.

 

Wow, that was impressive.

 

After a moment of commotion, it was my turn. Everyone was still somewhat distracted by the miraculous scene from the previous turn, so they didn’t pay much attention to me.

 

I received a new mana stone since Ian had shattered the previous one. I slowly infused mana into the stone.

 

“Ohh.”

 

The mana stone changed from blue to red and settled into a bright green as I approached the limit of my power.

 

“Wow, did you see that?”

 

“Yeah, what’s that guy doing? Amazing, right?”

 

“Did the guys from the Mana Tower come for training?”

 

However, the reactions only went so far, as Ian’s display in front had been too extraordinary.

 

“Did you pass the first test?”

 

I handed the mana stone to the supervisor and asked. The supervisor nodded.

 

“This batch seems to have a lot of talented individuals. You applied to the Department of Swordsmanship, right?”

 

“Yes.”

“Do you have no intention of transferring to the Magic Department?”

 

“No.”

 

Leaving behind the supervisor, who wore a disappointed expression, I headed to the location where the second test would take place.

 

The first test had ended in the blink of an eye.

 

—

 

The second test, under the supervision of Katarina, involved sparring with other applicants.

 

Each sparring session was conducted twice, and I easily won them all.

 

The first opponent seemed like a man who initially applied to the Magic Department but switched to the Department of Swordsmanship. He trembled as soon as he stepped onto the sparring ground, holding a sword. I won with a single stroke.

 

The next opponent had well-developed muscles and a strong fighting spirit. Despite his confident expression, he couldn’t overcome the penalty of not appearing in the original work. After a few exchanges, I effortlessly secured another victory.

 

“Come back in the afternoon.”

 

After winning the matches, Katarina showed no interest in me and simply instructed me to return later.

 

While watching the sparring matches of other applicants, she always kept an eye on Jeffrin.

 

Jeffrin, indeed, stood out among the other applicants. He finished his match with invisible speed in a single round. It was clear to me that he possessed overwhelming talent.

 

I could guarantee that, among the graduates of the Department of Swordsmanship in the history of the academy, no one could beat Jeffrin. Just holding my ground against him for a single round was worthy of applause.

 

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

 

Feeling a bit hungry, I looked around the academy for the cafeteria. To my surprise, Jeffrin walked towards me.

 

“It seems you’re genuinely hungry.”

 

Jeffrin had a vivid imagination.

Unexpectedly, he approached with the assumption that I would naturally understand the story in his mind.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“From what I remember, your swordsmanship was crude.”

 

“Well, anyone would seem that way compared to you. What are you trying to say now? Bragging about your sword skills because you’re good at it?”

 

Jeffrin shook his head.

 

“I’m not pointing out the immaturity of your swordsmanship. When you were young, you ignored the basics, focusing only on difficult and flashy techniques. However, today in the sparring matches, you only used the basics.”

 

Jeffrin saw things the way he wanted.

 

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to use difficult and impressive techniques; I simply couldn’t. Raphael’s body was awkward, and he hadn’t thoroughly studied the swordsmanship textbook.

 

Jeffrin rolled his eyes over my ears, neck, and fingers in a systematic manner. He spoke with a decisive tone.

 

“Moreover, you took off all the accessories you were wearing. That must be because they would interfere with your swordsmanship.”

 

“Oh, right. That’s it.”

 

“I’ll cancel the advice I gave you to give up immediately if you encounter me in a sparring match. Come at me with everything you’ve got. I, too, will show you everything I have.”

 

Ah, there’s really no need for that.