I let out a short laugh the moment I read the alert about the Path of the Martial Artist.“Heh.”Martial arts, with this trash body? Yeah, right.Thinking that, I opened the Traits window and rechecked Loen’s hidden traits.[ Gu-eum Jeolmaek (Nine Yin Severed Meridians) ]– Due to a large amount of yin energy accumulated within the body, the body and mana circuits are overloaded, and abnormal symptoms appear in the Mana Heart.– Growth efficiency of Mana and Intelligence stats increases by 100%.– Vitality, Endurance, and Strength are reduced by half.– Yin energy grows stronger. Lifespan decreases significantly.One of Loen’s hidden traits, [Gu-eum Jeolmaek].It halves the body-related stats while rapidly accelerating growth of Mana and Intelligence.From the perspective of a mage, it’s great: cut the unneeded physical stats and raise the essential Mana and Intelligence.Better to be exceptional in at least one axis than be mediocre across the board.In any case, with a trait like Gu-eum Jeolmaek, throwing away the mage path to switch to a martial artist was nonsense.'…Wait.'Just as I was about to dismiss it, a thought crossed my mind.By design, Mir-Ellin Saga locks out other job trees once you choose a class.That’s why those with special classes — magic swordsmen who use both magic and sword, or shamans who wield hybrid spirit–holy magic — are extremely rare.Yet after I’d already advanced to Alchemist, my lower dantian — the mark of a martial artist — had opened.'Is this some kind of player-only privilege?'If I framed it that way, it wasn’t so strange.If I opened the martial artist job tree, my physical stats — HP, Strength, Endurance — would start to grow.And if I went further and advanced to a higher class, I might gain a mana breathing method or combat skills.I had no intention of becoming a knight, but if it helped even a little to train this weak, pathetic body, I wouldn’t refuse.Ting—.Without overthinking it, I pressed the alert floating before my eyes.[ Class change to Martial Artist is complete. ][ Lower dantian has been opened. ]“Fuu.”With my lower dantian and the martial artist job tree now open, I drew a deep breath of the cool dawn air.Keeping my eyes closed and continuing to meditate, I felt a faint current circulate through my body.That subtle flow swirled around my lower abdomen and heart, then was absorbed into both.Ting—.– Mana increases by 1 due to Mana Breathing.– Due to the trait [Gu-eum Jeolmaek], Mana increases by an additional 1.[ Mana +2 ]'Good.'A brief bout of mana breathing had raised Mana by 2.It would crawl later on when the stats got higher, so I might as well enjoy the low-level buzz now.With the pleasant chime, I wrapped up mana training and stood.Meditation done; next was morning exercise.I’d obtained a martial artist trait anyway — time to limber up and slowly build the physical stats.With my body stats halved by trait, I had to work that much harder.Clack—.Before exercising, I opened the safe, took out a large belt, and fastened it around my waist.A bulky, clunky-looking equip-type artifact: the Power Belt.[ Power Belt ]– Category: Growth Support– Rarity: Rare– When worn during training, increases growth rate of Vitality stat.– While worn, Movement Speed and Reaction Speed decrease.It’s an item that helps with stamina training — basically like a leveling tool from a monster-raising game.Apparently, even Loen hated his miserable body enough to stock up on training gear like this.With the Power Belt on, I rolled out a mat in the office and started exercising.The academy did have a nicely outfitted training hall, but I didn’t want prying eyes on this bizarre gear.It looked like I’d strapped a small tire around my waist.If people saw this, I’d get laughed at from every direction.The Student Council Office wasn’t a bad environment, so I’d do personal training here and only hit the training hall when necessary.“Hup.”Breathing steadily, I repeated sit-down, stand-up in place.All I could do with Loen’s current condition was bodyweight work.The most basic trio: squats, push-ups, and plank.“Fuu. Fuu.”Sweat poured like rain right away.I hadn’t done many when my legs started shaking, so I switched to push-ups — but that wasn’t any better.Sinking down to the mat, I rubbed my trembling forearms.'This is… worse than I thought.'They’re basic exercises, but for Loen, whose physical stats were below an average civilian’s, even these were brutal.'…Can’t even do ten.'If your body’s light, push-ups aren’t hard — but Loen’s Strength was bad enough to shatter that simple assumption.Even so—'I’m not quitting here.'If I work hard, the stats will rise. Then I’ll get stronger.As simple and obvious as grinding monsters for EXP in a game.With a “certain reward” guaranteed, how could I not?“Hup.”I got back up and kept moving, my whole body shaking.***Knock, knock—.“I’m coming in.”The moment I finished showering and changed into something comfortable, a knock sounded.It was Ciel.“Come in.”“……”But I heard no reply, and the door didn’t open.'Ah. She must be thrown off because there was supposed to be no answer.'At this hour, the original Loen would still be sprawled out asleep.After waiting a moment, she came in, bowed to me, and spoke, sounding a bit surprised.“You’re up early.”“Yeah.”“Must be the day the sun rises in the west.”“Someone said the same thing to me yesterday.”I shook out my hair with a towel and tossed it toward the laundry basket.Thwup—.My arms were still trembling, and the towel missed, draping over the edge.I stood, placed it properly in the basket, and sat back down.Ciel quietly watched my shaky limbs and asked,“Did you exercise?”“Mm.”I dipped my chin slightly and opened and closed my fist, trying to “feel” the effect of that Strength stat I wished had gone up.No — there was nothing to feel.Strength growth applies a day later due to the time lag after training.All I got for now was a random tingling in my arms.I set out the coffee and toast I’d prepared and sat at the table.Then I said to Ciel,“The donuts I bought yesterday are gone.”“Yes, well.”Her voice was a touch curt, but her neutral face relaxed slightly. She must have liked them.I’d buy them again.“As long as you enjoyed them. What’s on the schedule?”Sipping the coffee I handed her, Ciel outlined today’s agenda.“Yes. First, you need to finish course registration that was postponed while you were hospitalized. Two days remain until the final revision deadline.”“Hmm.”Course registration, huh.I had to personally select lectures totaling forty credits. Pure torture.At least it wasn’t first-come-first-served like in reality — no nerve-shredding click war.So I’d calmly pick classes that intersected with key figures and were efficient for Loen’s growth.“Got it. I’ll finish by today.”“Yes. Next, we need to look into a funding source.”“You mean money?”At her out-of-the-blue remark, I could only tilt my head.The idea that Loen de Valis would worry about money was absurd.Even if the Student Council President was a mere figurehead, the council budget alone was ample.That alone paid like a decent knight’s salary; unless I blew it on nonsense, it more than covered living expenses.And beyond council funds, I was the youngest son of De Valis — the premier house of the West.'De Valis commands multiple knight orders and countless elite troops — a giant among houses.'They maintained the long wall at the Land’s End and stood at the front against monsters — their military and manpower were loaded.Naturally, the economy to sustain that force was abundant, too.The Seine River, the lifeblood cutting across the West; golden plains on both banks; and rich underground resources.In military and economic terms, the territory rivaled many kingdoms.The house still styled itself “Count” and “Margrave” out of respect for a fallen nation and because it remained humanity’s shield.As a scion of De Valis, Loen was effectively near royalty — with no reason to worry about money for life.On top of that, Loen’s personal assets included numerous artifacts, high-grade alchemy materials, and a wallet thick with bank checks.So if Loen was to worry about money, that could only mean one thing.“Don’t tell me…”“Yes. The Duke Aslan says she is cutting off support. She says she’s done enough.”I wordlessly grimaced.So much for ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) bragging about my house’s wealth — the fire had reached my toes.Alchemy materials were expensive, and the higher the grade, the faster the costs skyrocketed.Without family support, what Loen currently had wouldn’t cut it.Sure, even a ruined rich man lasts three generations, and I had plenty on hand for now — but thinking long-term made my head spin.It wasn’t urgent, but I should plan ahead to start earning.“Understood. I’ll find a way.”Dipping torn bread into coffee, I answered mildly.Given how well I knew this world, a solution would present itself once I looked.I could dump useless items at the Black Market of the underworld, for one.Beyond securing a cashflow, I also needed to find out why Aslan had suddenly cut support.“Understood. And lastly…”Ciel nodded, indicating she’d leave the matter to me, then delivered the final item.“The Chairman is calling for you.”***Top floor of the Union’s main building.Knock, knock—.“Come in.”When I opened the door of the Chairman’s Office, a grandfather with a kindly face greeted me.“Heh heh. Long time no see, Loen.”A shiny bald patch on the crown, with fluffy white curls like clouds on both sides.A warm face and a pleasantly round belly — like Michelin bundled up in layers.Hengarde Ubellon, Chairman of the Academy Union.His magical talent wasn’t much, but with connections and social savvy he’d served as the Policy Director of the Mage Tower and then climbed to Chairman of the Union — a self-made figure.A perfect match for the Union, a place where one could quietly spend one’s twilight years as a figurehead.Anyway, a wily old fox who’d seen it all — not someone even I could control easily.Sighing inwardly, I bowed politely.“Chairman, I hope you’ve been well.”“Oh, I’m always well. Don’t just stand there — sit, sit. You’re still recovering, aren’t you?”Offering me a seat, he first asked about my condition.“I heard you were laid up for days because of the inauguration incident. How are you now — any better?”“Yes. Thanks to your concern, I’ve made a full recovery.”He gave me a genial smile.“Heh heh. I’m glad to hear it. Still, don’t overdo it — take care of yourself.”Tap, tap—.He gestured to a classy paper bag by his desk, as if to say I should take it later.Likely some tonic. If he even cared to bring that up, then yes — he lived up to his reputation for social finesse.“Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”“No need to thank me. It’s only natural. By the way… how is the Duke?”Handing me a carrot, he smoothly brought up the Duke of De Valis.Aslan de Valis — current head of House De Valis.Just thinking of my “sister” made my skin crawl, a reflex branded into Loen’s flesh.If it was that terrifying woman, she was probably doing fine — slicing monster necks somewhere.Meanwhile, her only little brother was sweating over his budget.When I nodded, Hengarde cleared his throat and continued.“Hmm. Then when you go home over break, be sure to give Duke Aslan my regards. And my thanks for the donation.”'Ah.'So he’d likely pulled strings to help elect me Student Council President.Because Aslan had donated a staggering sum to the Union.It might even be the reason my allowance had been cut.Granting Loen’s final tantrum about becoming Student Council President, and then deciding that would be the last of her support.It wasn’t a position I’d wanted, but giving the answer he wanted was easy enough.“Understood. I’ll be sure to tell my sister.”“Good, good. Haw haw.”Smiling as if grateful, he patted my shoulder.Then, as if remembering something, he rifled through his desk.“Ah, and actually, I called you for this handover. Take it.”He slid a card across the table to me.“What is… this?”I took it and examined it closely.A white card bearing the emblem of seven overlapping circles — the symbol of the Academy Union.It looked expensive and important at a glance — and its identity was:[ Master Key ]– Category: Key– Grade: Epic– Grants access to most facilities within the Union grounds.– When owned by a Union student, confers the title of Student Council President.

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