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Following Headmaster Hugo's instructions, representatives from each grade, from 1st to 7th, went up to the podium.
Davian and Bonita represented the 1st grade.
This time, Bonita took first place in swordsmanship, pushing Latia aside and becoming the female representative.
However, Latia, who was below the podium, was not trembling or glaring at Bonita for losing her spot as the female representative.
Latia was definitely much different than she was at the entrance ceremony.
Headmaster Hugo shook hands with each of the representatives, starting with the 7th grade, and handed them their completion certificates for the first semester.
Elton Academy distributes semester completion certificates at the end of each semester.
This signifies that they have successfully completed a difficult course, and it is also a system created because not all entering students graduate.
The value of these certificates for students who drop out along the way varies depending on how many they have received when they enter society.
"I don't think I've seen you before. Is this the first time you've been a grade representative since becoming a 3rd grader?"
"Ah, yes! I've briefly served as a representative in the middle, but this is the first time at the end of the semester! I'm honored, Headmaster!"
"Yes. If you work hard, you can achieve such good results. Judging by the accumulated mana, you seem to be majoring in magic."
"Yes!"
"What is your specific major?"
"Four-element magic!"
"Yes. Please continue to strive further."
"Yes! Thank you!"
Before long, all the 2nd grade representatives had received their certificates, and it was Davian's turn.
Headmaster Hugo held out a luxurious leather case containing the completion certificate.
"So you're the famous Davian Naone. I hear you're double majoring?"
"Yes, that's right."
Headmaster Hugo scanned Davian's body with intriguing eyes.
"You've already raised your inner strength quite a bit. Not to mention your mana."
"I'm still lacking."
"Hahaha. I've heard you speak like an old man, and it's true. But what is this energy floating emptily without settling in your dantian or heart?"
Hugo Molton.
A truly terrifying man.
I had heard this story in the second semester of my 4th year in the 3rd playthrough.
The energy floating emptily that Headmaster Hugo was talking about was the unallocated mana points.
Hugo Molton was the only person who had sensed the identity of the unallocated mana points in the three playthroughs.
He had a knack for noticing even when there were only a few unallocated mana points left, so it was only natural that Headmaster Hugo would sense this energy now that I had 70,000 unallocated mana points.
"I don't know what you mean."
First, deny it.
Headmaster Hugo's eyes flashed sharply for a moment.
"You can't say you don't know what I mean at all, can you?"
Ghostly intuition.
"I'm sorry. I'm still not skilled enough to fully understand what you mean, Headmaster."
"If you could just harness this energy floating emptily in your dantian, you could build enough inner strength to become an intermediate 5-star swordsman right away."
Whether you're a swordsman or a mage, the amount of mana or inner strength you need to accumulate to reach the next rank doubles each time you go up a rank from 5 stars on.
As a result, there is a significant difference in skill within the same rank for those above 5 stars.
Therefore, knights above 5 stars are further divided into early, mid, and late stages within the rank.
Davian's current inner strength is 120,000 points.
With 70,000 mana points collected through step-by-step quests, allocating them all to inner strength would bring it to 180,000 points.
Slightly above the level of an intermediate 5-star swordsman.
'Every time I see him, I'm amazed by his intuition, Hugo Molton.'
Hugo held out his hand for a handshake.
"Indeed, just as the Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, said, you are a truly intriguing freshman. It was interesting that you were learning both magic and swordsmanship, but you also have an extraordinary energy. I look forward to working with you, Davian Naone."
"Thank you."
This time, Hugo Molton handed Bonita the leather case containing the completion certificate.
"I heard there's an incredible swordsmanship genius in the 1st grade. It must be you."
Bonita Portis was unusually nervous.
"No! I'm just working hard!"
"Hmm... Excellent. Your inner strength is well-refined, and you already have a perfectly balanced body. I can tell how much you've been wielding your sword without even asking."
"Thank you!"
"I have high expectations for both of you. Don't be satisfied with just becoming grade representatives, but strive even further."
"Yes!"
"Yes."
"Oh, and Davian Naone."
"Yes?"
"Come by my office next week. I have to go to the capital this week, so Tuesday next week would be good."
He was someone I avoided meeting as much as possible in the previous playthrough because he seemed to see right through people.
I don't really care about other things, but if he starts asking about mana cultivation methods or unallocated mana, I'd have to break a sweat to get away.
'I should empty my mana points in advance when I have to meet this intuitive guy. But this time, it feels like I've gotten properly involved before the end of my freshman year...'
But a mere 1st grader can't refuse a call from the headmaster of the academy.
"Yes, I understand, Headmaster."
After the grade representatives went back down, Headmaster Hugo continued with a short speech.
Afterward, all the professors from each grade came down to where the students were and personally handed out the semester completion certificates to each student, shaking their hands.
This was also a tradition of Elton Academy that took place at every closing ceremony.
"Congratulations on your first completion at Elton Academy, Liber Specula."
Liber bowed his head so low that it almost touched the ground.
"Thank you! Professor Billian. I was able to avoid expulsion thanks to you!"
"What are you talking about? I've never seen a 1st grader perform mental magic on a person. I couldn't do it when I was a 1st grader either. You are more than qualified to attend Elton Academy, Liber Specula."
"Thank you!"
On one side, Professor Mateo handed Latia her completion certificate.
"Latia, congratulations. You're completing the first semester with excellent grades as expected."
"Thank you, Professor Mateo."
"At first, I thought you were just obsessed with studying magic and wouldn't make any friends, but you've made so many friends. Excellent. Just keep doing what you've been doing."
"Yes, Professor."
Medium approached Luna.
"Here you are, my adorable Luna Pueri. Congratulations on your completion."
"Teacher! Thank you. Thank you so much. If it weren't for you..."
"What are you talking about? Have you forgotten what happened last week? That soldier would have died if it weren't for you that day. You earned this super pass with your own strength, Luna Pueri."
"Thank you! And..."
"Yes?"
"I, I respect you! Teacher Medium Frill!"
Medium stroked Luna's head.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo, how cute. Grow up to be a wonderful healing mage, my adorable Luna Pueri."
"Yes!"
That afternoon.
The Headmaster's office at the academy.
Knock knock.
"Headmaster, it's the Head of the Department of Magic."
"Ah, come in."
Sirims Andrian, the Head of the Department of Magic, opened the door and entered.
"You called for me?"
"Ah, I'm so sorry. I've made the pillar of Alcancia, the Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, come and go as I please."
"What are you saying? No, Headmaster. Feel free to call me at any time."
"Call? Don't mention it. I just had something important to discuss, so I asked you to come."
Headmaster Hugo stood up and suggested that Sirims take a seat.
Sirims sat down in the opposite chair without hesitation and asked.
"You called me, probably... because of that kid, Davian, right?"
"You anticipated it."
"I expected you would be quite shocked when you actually met him."
"Shocked... That's right. I don't know how long it's been since I've been shocked."
An attendant quietly entered from the next room and placed teacups in front of the two men.
Sirims picked up the teacup first, lightly wetting his lips, and then opened his mouth.
"What shocked you the most?"
Hugo also took a sip of tea and replied.
"Let me ask you directly. Does that student, Davian, practice mana cultivation, or does he not?"
The Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, stared intently at Headmaster Hugo.
'What kind of question is he asking?'
Does he practice mana cultivation?
I knew that Headmaster Hugo could see the size of the mana, inner strength, and external force accumulated in other people's bodies.
An ability that was created because his senses developed to the extreme due to the tremendous inner strength he had cultivated throughout his life.
But.
Then shouldn't he know even better?
That Davian has mana at least at the level of a 6-star mage.
According to what Professor Stella told me, his inner strength has also far exceeded the level of a 4-star swordsman.
But what does it mean to ask now whether Davian is practicing mana cultivation or not?
"I don't know what you mean. I think he's probably working harder than anyone else? I know he already has the mana of a 6-star mage and the inner strength of a 4-star swordsman."
"Has anyone seen it?"
"Davian practicing mana cultivation?"
"Yes. I'm curious if anyone has seen it directly."
"I don't know. But if he's gathered that much mana and inner strength, he must have been practicing mana cultivation every single day."
Headmaster Hugo lowered his gaze diagonally and nodded slowly.
"I see. I'll have to find out myself."
"May I ask why you're asking about this? I also thought Davian had a rather unique mana as soon as I saw him for the first time the day before the entrance ceremony, but..."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I've just been bombarding you with questions out of my own greed. I apologize. When I saw him up close earlier, Davian had four kinds of mana."
"Four kinds?"
"Yes. Mana, inner strength, external force, and something unknown. But that unknown something seems like the mana of nature, but it's not the mana of nature."
Professor Sirims was also a mage who had devoted his life to the study of mana.
Rather than Hugo, who was a swordsman, Sirims, who was a mage, could be said to have studied mana more diversely and deeply.
But it was hard to understand what Headmaster Hugo was saying right now.
"You mean there's a kind of energy in Davian's body that seems like the mana of nature, but it's not the mana of nature?"
"Yes. That's right. Exactly."
"Then does the Headmaster have any idea what kind of energy it is?"
Headmaster Hugo slowly shook his head.
"No. I have no idea. It's an energy I've never seen before. If I had to try to explain it... I'd say it's a kind of refined mana that's ready to enter anywhere, whether it's the heart, the dantian, or the muscles throughout the body?"
"Mana that's ready? I've never envied the Headmaster's sense that can feel such things as much as I do today. I can't feel it, so I'm just curious what kind of energy it is."
"No. I've only felt it. I'm just as curious as the Head of the Department of Magic. Rather, the Head of the Department of Magic is the best at researching mana, isn't he? That's why I invited you here today."
Sirims tilted his head.
"But what's the connection between that strange energy Davian has and whether Davian is practicing cultivation or not, which the Headmaster asked about a little earlier?"
"There's a connection. It certainly wasn't mana absorbed through the pores and respiratory organs while practicing cultivation."
"That energy is a separate, special thing, and Davian's mana, inner strength, and external force may have been obtained through cultivation."
"That could be the case. But. I have a strong feeling that that's not the case. I don't know exactly what kind of feeling this is."
The Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, nodded slowly.
"Well... He's showing an unbelievably high level of skill. It's hard to believe he's a seventeen-year-old freshman at the academy."
"That's right. I heard it was amazing, but it's even more surprising to actually meet him. But in my opinion."
Headmaster Hugo paused for a moment and picked up his teacup.
The Head of the Department of Magic, Sirims, calmly waited for Headmaster Hugo's next words.
"...I have a very strong feeling that he will grow much more."
"Much more?"
Headmaster Hugo added with quite a strong conviction.
"Maybe to a level that far exceeds our expectations."
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