In My Second Life, I Rule from the Shadows

Chapter 178: Althausen (3)

Carl cast a cold gaze toward the cadets who were looking at him.

‘If I were to rate them with Laysis as the benchmark at 10…’

Maximilian and Pozers would be a 6, Gale and Lien a 5, and Amy would be rated a 4.

If it were the current Laysis, who had learned the Boundless Azure Sword Technique and experienced a dramatic boost in mana through the Gold Bead, she could probably defeat all of them without much difficulty.

Of course, excluding Yuria.

‘Yuria is…’

To be honest, she was impossible to gauge.

There were too many unknowns hidden within her to judge her as a mere magician like Pozers.

What’s more, she retained the knowledge from having played this world as a “game.”

In case of emergency, she had numerous means prepared to protect herself, so she couldn't be evaluated on the same scale as the others.

“……”

A tense atmosphere filled the inner part of the training hall.

Realizing that Carl’s attack was genuine, the cadets too gripped their weapons tightly and began to engage seriously.

‘Thorough, as always.’

Yuria glanced around the training hall.

A barrier had been set up to block sound and presence, likely to prevent any disturbance from leaking outside.

Unless someone had exceptionally sharp senses, they would only perceive it as regular training.

Even though what was unfolding inside was a battle that could hardly be called a mere sparring match.

‘Then let’s see what they’re capable of.’

Yuria gripped her staff.

The abilities of the other cadets were more or less obvious.

Though she was surprised by the Gold Beads—something that didn’t even exist in the game—it didn’t mean they granted overwhelming power.

Their effectiveness would largely depend on how the individual used them.

What drew Yuria’s attention was Carl and Laysis.

‘Setting Carl aside, I’m curious how well Laysis can fight.’

She must have undergone bloody training under Carl alongside learning the Boundless Azure Sword Technique.

Now that Carl had revealed his true self, Laysis likely wouldn’t hold back her abilities either.

Truthfully, she wanted Laysis to go beyond expectations and land a solid blow on Carl.

‘Not that it's very likely.’

Still, if she offered some support, it might just be possible.

Fwoosh!

A bright red flame surged from Yuria’s hand and once again wrapped around Carl.

It was hot enough to roast an ordinary person multiple times over.

But the flickering flames couldn’t even touch Carl.

Tap!

Carl suddenly charged through the flames, breaking through them as he lunged forward.

His target was Yuria, who had used threatening magic repeatedly.

She deftly slipped away from her spot with fluid movements, as if she had expected it.

‘...Faster than I thought!’

But Carl’s speed as he dashed through the cadets toward her was no joke.

Was he really intending to beat them all down?

As she slid swiftly across the ground like she was skating, she swung her staff with all her might.

Shaaah!

Dozens of spinning ice spikes shot up, locking onto her pursuer’s ankles.

Because there were cadets nearby, she had to aim carefully.

Crack, thud!

With a single sweep of his palm, Carl nullified all the incoming attacks aimed at him.

And in the brief moment his movements were halted, Gale and Amy charged in from both sides.

“Haaaah!”

A heavy greatsword swung with forceful momentum, and a sharp sword stabbed forward so quickly it didn’t even emit a Sonic Burst.

Carl floated lightly in the air and spun, deflecting both attacks with seamless motion.

Clang!

He even made Gale and Amy crash into each other in the process.

Thud!

He extended his hand and shoved their chests, sending them bouncing away without a chance to resist, tumbling across the floor.

“Gale!”

“...Damn it, he’s a monster.”

Gale clutched his aching chest and stood up.

Amy managed to block Carl’s attack just in time by retrieving her sword, so the impact was a bit lighter on her.

Swoosh!

But Carl didn’t miss that opening.

As Gale was getting up, Carl closed in and slashed at his head with fierce momentum.

Clang!

Maximilian narrowly intervened, blocking the blow.

He grit his teeth, ready to collapse to his knees, but fortunately, unlike before, the impact was bearable.

‘The mana…!’

The mana obtained through the Mana Bead had merged with his own and was now actively circulating in combat.

As Carl had explained, this was the process of absorbing mana through stimulation.

‘Let’s admit it.’

Carl’s skills were far superior compared to theirs.

Even while fighting everyone, his expression remained unwavering, his breathing calm, and his gaze cold as ever.

But clearly, Carl was “adjusting” his strength so they could handle it.

‘It’s frustrating to admit, but…!’

In the end, it meant he was willingly playing the villain for their sake.

Suddenly, Yuria’s recent words echoed in his ears.

—So don’t overthink it, just do as Carl says. Has he ever been wrong?

She was right.

From the moment they entered the Bavarian Academy until now, there wasn’t a single moment where Carl had been wrong.

He’d always given more for them than himself, always showing consideration.

At first, discovering he’d been hiding his strength made him feel a little uneasy, but since it was Carl, he figured there must be a reason.

“...Alright.”

Maximilian cast aside his hesitation.

As Carl had said, this was a place to prove and validate his own worth.

So he resolved to face Carl with the determination of confronting a life-or-death foe.

‘Hoh.’

Carl, who was facing Maximilian, was silently impressed by the sudden change in his aura.

Swinging a sword in earnest at a friend you were familiar with wasn’t an easy task.

Back when he carried out missions as an assassin, the easiest way to eliminate a target was to exploit familiarity.

Even if it was just a brief morning greeting exchanged daily or a passing face in the crowd, once any affection formed, it would unconsciously influence their thoughts.

‘That person would never try to harm me.’

Even without ever having spoken a word, if someone became a part of your daily life, such thinking took root subconsciously.

Carl had emphasized to the assassins he once trained that such a gap was the easiest and most fatal weakness.

Though he wasn’t teaching them as assassins now, there were still aspects that resonated.

Clang! Clang-clang!

Maximilian, having regained his balance, began to swing his sword with a solemn expression.

Perhaps because he looked up to Brother Darius, his sword form had changed to resemble his more than before.

That brutish swordsmanship that crushed opponents with overwhelming power, cornering and hunting them down.

However, when facing an opponent stronger than oneself, it was necessary to adapt with flexibility.

“If Brother Darius were here, he would’ve changed his approach to the fight. He would’ve used our numbers to wear you down little by little.”

Swish.

Carl adjusted his grip on his sword.

Abandoning his usual sword technique, he too wielded a heavy sword like Darius to match Maximilian’s strikes.

Claaang─!

A shock that rattled his body made Maximilian grit his teeth and stumble back.

He realized, just as Carl had said, that his attack was misguided.

“Everyone!”

He shouted to the cadets around him.

Those already prepared leapt in between them, filling the gap in power.

Swoosh!

The most skilled among them, Laysis, took the front line.

Her strikes from the Boundless Azure Sword Technique spread through the air with a sharp blue aura.

Carl was fighting the cadets based on the standards he had set himself.

Taking that head-on while also dealing with the others' attacks would be too much, so he lightly stepped back—and in that moment, he felt his hair stand on end.

Craaaack!

A bolt of yellow lightning suddenly struck the spot where Carl stood.

But just like the magic used before, his protective aura surged and shielded his body.

“I expected that too...!”

Pozers formed hand signs and thrust his wand forward.

Then, vines shot up from beneath Carl’s feet, entangling his ankles and quickly snaking up his body.

Crackle.

Even while resisting the falling lightning, Carl stomped down to tear the vines apart.

But Amy, who had flattened herself almost entirely against the ground, struck at his back with precision.

‘She has talent as an assassin.’

Carl closely observed Amy’s movements.

Though she usually gave off a bright and cheerful demeanor, her fighting aura was chillingly quiet and composed.

With just a bit of detailed instruction in combat methods, she might become a Dark Blade capable of killing in silence.

If she mastered it, she would undoubtedly become more terrifying than anyone else present.

‘An unexpected side.’

It was a new facet he could only discover now that they were truly fighting in earnest.

Thud.

Carl raised the Heavenly Thunder Sword to block Gale’s greatsword as it slashed toward his waist.

However, he slightly lifted off the ground and took the full force of the blow without resistance in order to shift his position.

‘That was a mistake.’

Carl looked at Gale with sunken eyes.

Both the lightning and the vines were spells meant to bind his legs.

In such a situation, everyone should’ve attacked at once, yet Gale disrupted the flow with a lone attack?

‘Disappointing.’

Perhaps sensing that look in Carl’s eyes, Gale shouted loudly.

“Now!”

Screeeeech!

In an instant.

Maximilian, who had been gathering his power, unleashed his full strength in a flurry of strikes.

At the same time, Laysis, who had retrieved her missed strike, leapt through the air and aimed at Carl’s crown.

Only then did Carl realize Gale’s true aim.

‘So it wasn’t reckless.’

Gale had known from the start that those two spells wouldn’t bind his feet.

So he had purposefully broken the rhythm with his attack to create an opening.

He had launched the strike while entrusting the follow-up to the more capable Laysis and Maximilian.

‘Sharp thinking.’

Rather than simply trusting his allies, Gale had coolly assessed their strength and the situation.

Despite his lack of experience, Carl revised his evaluation of Gale, impressed by his precise judgment.

Swish.

Carl’s sword glided gently through the air.

If the opponent came with brute force, he would respond with the subtlety of a willow.

Caught in its arc, the Boundless Azure Sword Technique and Maximilian’s full-powered strike veered off their intended path.

—This won’t do.

Carl sent a voice transmission to Laysis in warning.

Boundless Azure Sword Technique and even the Gold Bead.

Laysis had received the most investment out of all the cadets here.

And yet, if all she could show was slightly above average, she would fall far short of Carl’s standards.

Clatter.

At Carl’s words, Laysis adjusted her grip on her sword with a resolute expression.