When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 146

Episode 146

For Jez, it was an unexpected development. Ever since Victor started participating in the morning training sessions, Jez’s own combat abilities began to improve as a result.

Victor’s physical stamina was below average, so at first, he would exhaust himself after just the basic training. However, even after reaching his limit, Victor would intently observe Jez and the others as they continued their exercises. Eventually, Victor began offering feedback on their movements. In turn, it pushed Jez towards mastering techniques beyond the traditional Norman-style martial arts.

After being taken in by the Norman family, Jez sought the power to fight and received training in the Norman martial arts from Gerald. By the age of 16, Jez had already acquired a considerable level of skill. However, while his abilities were impressive, they were still within the bounds of common expectations. Even at this stage, Jez was strong enough not to be outclassed by an average legionnaire, but he was far from reaching the level of a Legion Commander.

One of the reasons for this plateau was the Norman martial arts themselves. This style had developed specifically for the direct bloodline of the Norman family. Due to certain genetic limitations, Jez could not fully harness its potential as an adopted son.

Another factor was Jez’s natural constitution. While his magical capacity was greater than most, his ability to wield magic was fatally inefficient. This flaw restricted his use of certain techniques within the Norman martial arts, as well as made common body enhancement spells incredibly wasteful for him.

Because of these reasons, Jez had already begun to feel stagnated in his growth by the age of 16. He was constantly experimenting with ways to improve on his own.

At this crucial time, Victor’s unique “magical modifications” began to come into play. Originally only interested in magic, magical tools, and potions, Victor started to develop a strong fascination with the human body and the weapons used for combat. This curiosity eventually led him to study medicine with the help of Seraphina and the church, something neither Jez nor Miriam were aware of.

As Victor deepened his understanding of human anatomy, particularly the structure of bones and muscles, he applied this knowledge to Jez’s training. By analyzing Jez’s movements during their morning exercises, Victor began pointing out unnecessary actions and teaching Jez how to move more efficiently based on his unique physique.

Using Victor’s insights, Jez started incorporating techniques from other major martial arts styles into his repertoire. He refined them to suit his own body over the course of his three years at the Royal Academy. Additionally, Victor helped reconstruct Jez’s magic formulas to better align with his strengths, especially in terms of magic utilization.

Initially, Jez had struggled with common body enhancement magic due to its inefficiency for him. But Victor, recognizing Jez’s poor magic control, devised a new enhancement spell focused on maximizing the impact of individual strikes. By combining this new magic with his martial arts, Jez began to develop a short-burst, high-impact combat style uniquely suited to him.

As this new combat style took shape, Jez started to realize that pursuing a career as a legionnaire might not be feasible after graduation. He began to consider this path relatively early, acknowledging that it might be better for him not to rise too prominently. Especially considering the complexities of the Norman family.

Meanwhile, Victor was influenced by Jez’s unwavering belief in the motto “muscles never betray” and began to adopt a more methodical approach to his own training. The repetitive nature of the exercises resonated with his mindset as a researcher, and he gradually grew more patient and persistent in his efforts.

Originally, Victor was a completely indoor type who preferred to isolate himself in his room. Victor had slowly become more active and, possibly, a bit more cheerful through his interactions with Jez and the others.

Incidentally, during this time, Victor developed his own protein drink called “The Bass.” The name was inspired by the bass in music, representing the foundational element that supports all training. He was very particular about the pronunciation, insisting it be called “The Bass” and not pronounced in a way that might be confused with the fish.

At first, Jez and the others were reluctant to drink it. But once Victor tried it himself, they begrudgingly followed suit. They were soon surprised by its effectiveness.

And so, without Miriam or Erin knowing, both Jez and Victor were steadily undergoing a mutual “magical modification” through their morning training sessions.

・　・　・

“Well then? Have you gathered all the information?”

Kingdom of Tashman, Royal Capital Nevorista. At the Divina Church’s Grand Cathedral.

Seraphina Lorentzi, a candidate for sainthood, questioned the Archbishop Edelmar Solennis.

Gone was the carefree air she carried at the academy; now, she exuded the calm and dignity befitting her title. She had come all the way from her homeland to the farthest frontlines of humanity, on a top-secret mission known only to a select few within the church. Ideally, she would have preferred to stay in her homeland, preparing for the impending turmoil. But due to her age and status, no one else was more suited for the task. Well, if she was going to study abroad, she might as well enjoy academy life too.

“Yes, it appears that Jez Norman is indeed the last surviving member of the Wist family,”

Edelmar confirmed while checking the documents in his hand.

Seraphina let out a deep sigh at the answer. She had suspected as much, but hearing the confirmed results still made her sigh. The Wist family. Whether it existed or not, it was always such a troublesome affair.

“A direct descendant of the Wist family, and on top of that, a dimensional singularity. What a pain… Jez must have it rough, too.”

It had been about two months since Seraphina entered the Royal Academy. She had spent as much time as possible with Jez Norman, without raising any suspicions. She had nearly confirmed that the dimension surrounding him was extremely unstable. Although she was merely a candidate for sainthood and couldn’t explicitly perceive the presence of angels, she still sensed something off about him—likely due to his nature as a dimensional singularity.

And to make matters worse, he was the last surviving member of the Wist family. A thoroughly vexing situation. For now, Seraphina and Edelmar had kept this information strictly between the two of them, but how they should proceed remained a dilemma. With the Pope’s health deteriorating and the political climate growing increasingly tense, it was hard to know how to handle such volatile information. What to do next?

The church was rife with intrigue and power struggles. However, the Kingdom of Tashman was the stronghold of Edelmar’s faction, making it a relatively safer place compared to others. Still, Seraphina couldn’t help but feel that it would be nice to set aside these troublesome matters and simply relax, enjoying tea with Jez, Alchemis, Stonewell, and Saylor.