The Swordmaster Who Returned After 1,000 Years

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 69

Time passed, and the gates of the Bormian Magic Academy finally opened.

“Oh… it’s Kaylen!”

The Superior Mage and Meister of the Elven Mage Tower, Kaylen Stern.

Even though he no longer needed to attend the academy, his appearance caused the students to whisper.

“I heard he’s got the talent of a 6th-Circle mage.”

“I heard he used to be at the very bottom of the rankings…”

“He must be busy with his research—why is he here?”

Kaylen, who had become a topic of fascination due to his exceptional performance in the Superior Mage Selection Tournament and the Meister Test, found himself the center of attention.

The stares were blatant, but Kaylen, long accustomed to such scrutiny since his time as an emperor, felt nothing.

He simply dropped into a chair in the auditorium, lost in thought.

“Halt all dungeon subjugations?”

“What does the term ‘subjugation’ even mean…?”

The dungeon cores he had brought led to the suspension of all subjugation missions for the Civil Squads.

Had it not been for this, there would have been no reason for him to attend the opening ceremony.

However, Kaylen had no intention of skipping the lessons.

“I need to study more about magic.”

His magical attainment had stalled at the 4th Circle.

If he could draw just one more circle, he would reach the 6th Circle.

However, the two circles engraved in his body hadn’t progressed since he became a Meister.

Kaylen quickly realized the cause.

“While my understanding of magic is part of it, the fundamental issue lies in perfecting the Six Swords.”

Currently, he had mastered only the Water Sword, Light Sword, and Dark Sword, leaving his body’s balance incomplete.

This imbalance seemed to be the reason his body rejected further circles.

If he could achieve balance, perhaps the circles would advance as well.

As he pondered this, the opening ceremony began.

“…Always remember that you are a part of the Bormian Royal Academy, and most importantly, the Magic Academy. That is all.”

Clap, clap, clap.

As the Magic Academy’s dean concluded his lengthy speech, Kaylen joined in applause, filled with relief.

During his time as emperor, he was always the one speaking; now, sitting and listening made his body itch with boredom.

Clicking his tongue, he exited the auditorium, where staff were handing out flyers with class assignments.

“Class 1, Year 3.”

The third-year students of the Magic Academy were divided into three classes based on grades, from Class 1 to Class 3.

Although Kaylen’s grades weren’t stellar, his achievements in the Superior Mage Tournament earned him a place in Class 1.

“Kaylen. Hi.”

As Kaylen examined his class assignment, a heavily made-up Lina approached him with a soft smile.

“We’re in the same class, huh?”

Lina de Florence.

After attempting to exploit Kaylen and failing miserably—losing everything in the process—she had kept her distance from him.

Now, for reasons unclear, she approached him with a bright smile.

“You…”

“Huh? What?”

“What was your name again?”

But to Kaylen, her existence was irrelevant.

He had completely forgotten her name after defeating her in the Superior Mage Selection Tournament.

“I’m… Lina.”

“Ah, right.”

The boy wasn’t pretending not to know.

“He really doesn’t remember…”

Lina bit her lip slightly before raising the corners of her mouth again into a smile.

“We’re in the same class this year, so let’s get along.”

“Sure.”

“K-Kaylen, I-I’ll count on you too!”

As Kaylen acknowledged Lina, other classmates from their second year began swarming toward him.

These were the same people who had ignored him when he was considered an underachiever.

Now that Kaylen’s status had completely changed, they shamelessly approached him with smiles.

Lina’s brows furrowed slightly at the sight.

“Clever little schemers. Their calculations are quick.”

Once a 2nd-Circle failure, Kaylen was now a Superior Mage, possessing the talent of a 6th-Circle mage.

On top of that, he had become a Meister of the Elven Mage Tower, one of the most prestigious mage towers, which was notoriously difficult to enter.

It was no surprise that these people who had once dismissed him now wanted to act friendly, hoping to gain some benefit.

Meanwhile, Kaylen frowned for an entirely different reason.

“This is tiresome.”

His sole reason for coming to the academy was to study magic.

He had no intention of wasting time building relationships with others.

Raising a hand briefly in acknowledgment of their greetings, Kaylen quietly made his way to the classroom.

As he walked away, whispers reached his ears.

“Did he just ignore us?”

“Wow, acting all high and mighty.”

Unaware that Kaylen was also a Sword Master, they muttered behind his back.

Kaylen smirked at their words.

“They’re right. I am above them. What’s the problem?”

Once inside the classroom, the first lecture of the day turned out to be mind-numbingly dull.

“They’re just teaching elemental affinity.”

In the third year, a student needed to reach the 3rd Circle to advance further.

The focus for these students was on becoming not just mages but Meisters—those specialized in a single element.

The curriculum heavily emphasized elemental affinity because the academy’s ultimate goal was to train Meisters.

“This knowledge is completely useless to me.”

For Kaylen, who mastered the Six Swords encompassing all elements, affinity with a single attribute was irrelevant.

“From now on, I’ll have to study on my own instead of attending these classes.”

As he resolved himself to this, he yawned.

A cold voice cut through the air.

“Kaylen, you don’t seem to be paying attention. I suppose someone with 6th-Circle talent would find my lecture boring.”

“Irene… Professor.”

Standing at the podium, Professor Irene crossed her arms, glaring at Kaylen with visible displeasure.

“She’s as rigid as ever, even though we know each other.”

A single yawn had earned him such a rebuke.

With a stiff smile, Irene spoke again.

“If my lecture is so dull, why don’t you teach in my place, Kaylen?”

“No, thank you.”

“Everyone, wouldn’t you like to hear from him?”

Ignoring Kaylen’s response, Irene turned to the students, addressing them with a smile.

“Yes!”

“We want to hear it!”

The enthusiastic cheers of the students resonated throughout the room, emboldening Irene, who now looked at Kaylen with a triumphant expression.

“Kaylen, no, Kaylen the student. Please, go ahead.”

“Oh, come on…”

Was he being overworked lately?

— “With so many researchers, they should be able to analyze it within a month, right?”

— “Wait, hold on... that’s…”

— “I’m confident you can do it.”

Kaylen recalled the time he handed Irene, who had been stunned at the sight of a drake for the first time, the task of deciphering the magical patterns on its scales in just a month.

“Back in my day, we managed such things effortlessly,” Kaylen thought with the mindset of a 700-year-old emperor.

Rising from his seat, he finally relented.

“Fine. Let’s talk about elemental affinity. For those who aim to become Meisters…”

Kaylen let his gaze naturally sweep across the audience, pausing momentarily to meet their eyes one by one.

This brief silence, a habit ingrained in him from his days as an emperor, immediately captured everyone’s attention.

Finally, he began to speak.

“I believe 90% of it comes down to talent.”

“What?!”

“That’s it?”

The room erupted with jeers.

Kaylen raised a hand to quiet them, his demeanor unshaken.

“Do you truly believe I’m wrong? As you all know, many graduates of this academy have never become Meisters.”

“There were those who consistently ranked at the top in their first and second years, even reaching the 3rd Circle. Yet they couldn’t overcome the wall and remained mere mages.”

Faced with this uncomfortable truth, the students exchanged uneasy nods.

Innate talent—this was the most critical factor for becoming a Meister.

No matter how much someone dedicated themselves to a single element during their 1st or 2nd Circle years, only natural talent could sustain and amplify their efforts. Without it, growth was impossible.

“Ultimately, it’s about talent,” Kaylen concluded firmly.

Irene cast him a sharp glance.

“This coming from someone who claims he can increase one’s elemental capacity?”

“Kaylen, that’s a bit harsh.”

“It’s the reality,” Kaylen replied calmly. “However, there is the other 10%, isn’t there?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Raising one finger, he continued.

“Becoming a Meister is achievable through effort. The hurdle to becoming a Meister isn’t as high as you might think—especially for those of you who’ve already reached the 3rd Circle at your age.”

“What kind of effort would that take?” Irene interjected.

Kaylen smiled slyly.

“I have no idea.”

The truth was, Kaylen’s success stemmed from the elemental understanding he had cultivated since his days as a Grand Sword Master.

How would he know the methods by which an ordinary mage improved their elemental affinity?

“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” he answered dismissively.

“What kind of answer is that?”

“But let me warn you,” Kaylen continued. “There are some for whom effort won’t suffice. In the past, such individuals would have been hailed as genius mages—those unrestricted by any single element.”

For most mages, particularly those in their third year, training in a single element was the established path to becoming a Meister of that element.

No matter how hard they tried, some people could not succeed. In the past, they would have been recognized as "geniuses" who mastered all elements and were the first to break through the 6th Circle barrier.

But in the current era, they were evaluated as failed mages who could not become Meisters.

“But even those individuals, they don’t despair anymore.”

“Because of the Mana Suit that Myorn and I are creating. A Mana Suit with no attribute.”

Irene furrowed her brow.

She had playfully suggested that Kaylen give a lecture after he had been yawning repeatedly, but now it was turning into a promotion for a Mana Suit?

“Everyone, don’t believe this. You all know about Professor Myorn’s Mana Suit, right?”

“Yes!”

“Ugh, she knows all the secrets by herself.”

“How unfair!”

The class responded with jeers, to which Kaylen simply shrugged.

Well, it wasn’t something they could accept anyway.

After the class ended, Kaylen stood up abruptly.

‘Now, I need to head straight to the library.’

The curriculum on elemental affinity was not suited to him at all.

It was time to use the privileges of being a Superior Mage, which meant he didn’t need to attend this class.

Knock.

At that moment, a knock echoed on the classroom door.

Jane, a maid of Princess Violet, entered the room.

She briefly scanned the room before walking straight toward Kaylen.

“Hello, Kaylen.”

“Ah. Yes, it’s been a while.”

“Yes. Do you have any plans after school today?”

“Nothing special.”

“The Princess would like to meet with you. Would you be able to spare a little time?”

It was an invitation on the very first day of the semester.

The Princess was certainly eager. Kaylen nodded.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Then I shall escort you.”

Jane led the way, with Kaylen following her.

The students around them watched with envy.

‘The Princess is looking for him right on the first day.’

‘Wow... he really is a big deal.’

Even though they were talented individuals who had reached the 3rd Circle at a young age, they could tell that his world was different.

“Kaylen!”

“Yes, senior?”

“Lioness is looking for you... huh?”

“Zaik, I’m sorry, but Kaylen already has a prior engagement with the Princess.”

“Tch. I’m late then. How about tomorrow?”

“Yes. We’ll meet tomorrow.”

When they saw Zaik Baldur, a senior who had already graduated, coming to take Kaylen away, their eyes widened in surprise.

‘No way, what is he...?’

‘The power players of the 1st and 2nd Prince factions want to meet on the first day of school?’

‘This is insane...’

As they watched, Kaylen thought to himself.

‘Now, I should be able to outline things.’

The real reason he had come to the academy.

The time had come to start investigating the suspicious royal family.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]