“There’s all sorts of things here.”
The items sold in the sponsorship shop ranged from things Henry had occasionally imagined to things he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. There were familiar materials like the root of Seiat, as well as mysterious items such as the “Summoning Pill.” However, judging by the kindly provided descriptions, all of them were clearly meant to directly or indirectly aid in Henry’s growth.
“I can think of sponsorships as a form of currency these mages are gifting me.”
Sponsorships had an even greater impact than subscriptions.
“But if it’s currency, I can’t blatantly ask for it. I don’t know exactly what these mages want from me, but it would be best to maintain my dignity as a knight.”
This had to be something given out of goodwill. If he were to openly beg for it, he would no longer be upholding the knightly image.
[Yeah, even in most RPGs, you can just cut down everything in sight, lol.]
[For real, PVP is insanely intense.]
[Just thinking about raid mechanics alone, lol.]
The mages were still deeply engaged in their heated discussion. Henry quietly observed their conversation.
[Just based on his looks, he’d be perfect as a paladin.]
[Lol, warrior wouldn’t be bad either.]
[With how well he plays into the role, he’s gotta be an orc warrior, no doubt.]
[Orc warrior? Horde?]
Paladin. Orc. Warrior. Some terms were familiar, but that didn’t mean he could grasp their meaning.
Then suddenly—
<“FilthyHorde” has donated 1,000 won!>
<“Sir Knight!! Please say ‘Filthy Horde scum’ for us!! Really get into it!!”>
A lively yet bizarre voice rang out.
Filthy Horde scum.
He had no idea what it meant, but his deliberation was brief.
“…Filthy Horde scum.”
He did his best to fulfill the request—his gaze lowered in contempt, his voice deep and heavy. A perfect embodiment of a human knight.
The mages erupted into a frenzy.
[LMAO, the way he delivered that was insane.]
[For real, knights doing this just fits so well, lol.]
[Oh??? A filthy Alliance rat was hiding here??]
[Lol, we’ve got a Horde traitor here!!]
The mages were suddenly going wild.
“Could it be the name of a mage faction?”
Horde and Alliance. If they were names of mage factions, then Henry might have just walked into a troublesome situation.
However, his concern was short-lived.
<“KingGarrosh” has donated 1,000 won!>
<“Hahaha, so you’re discriminating against the Horde, huh? Say ‘Cowardly Alliance scum’ next!!!”>
A second request came in.
“…Are Horde and Alliance the names of mage factions you belong to? If that’s the case…”
<“KingGarrosh” has donated 2,000 won!>
<“Ahahaha, dude’s clearly biased against the Horde, lol.”>
This was a problem.
Henry panicked and shouted, “Cowardly Alliance scum!”
[LMAOOOO]
[The knight of capitalism, lol.]
[Selective racism, lol.]
The chat erupted into laughter. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t done anything offensive.
“So it’s not a faction name, or if it is, it’s not something that would cause an issue.”
It was only natural that knights and mages perceived situations differently.
And before he could even fully grasp what was happening—
<“CrispyInside” has donated 1,000 won!>
<“KingGarrosh” has donated 1,000 won!>
The situation had become clear even to Henry.
“They’re competing with each other?”
The mages had split into two factions and started competing. Even without understanding the content, the situation was obvious. And what was the price of this competition?
Donation money.
“This is a good situation.”
Henry instinctively thought so. Of course, his outward reaction was entirely different—he put on a troubled expression, as if he didn’t know what to do.
After all, wasn’t it a knight’s duty to prevent conflict and division?
But.
“Being too honest in life only leads to losses. Besides, it doesn’t seem like a sensitive issue.”
Henry was someone whose inner thoughts often differed from his outward actions.
The competition continued for a while. Henry played into the atmosphere multiple times, representing both factions in turn.
The result—
[Sponsorship: 71,000 won] *49 USD
A considerable sum of sponsorship money.
And on top of that, the broadcast had seen some solid growth.
[Viewers: 27]
[Subscribers: 20]
A whopping 27 viewers and 20 subscribers!
“Excellent.”
These mages genuinely liked him. Despite being an unremarkable knight trainee, no better than his peers.
“That might be exactly why. Because I’m not remarkable.”
Through broadcasting, Henry had realized something.
These mages were deeply invested in his growth. More than anything, they were fascinated by his personal journey.
“They want to see me grow… to watch someone with such terrifying talent develop.”
Then he had to deliver the results they were expecting.
That was the key to maintaining a steady, positive relationship with these mages.
“To do that, I need to start building up mana first.”
For now, all he could visibly show was his crude swordsmanship—a style that only looked impressive on the surface thanks to the tiny amount of mana infused in it.
But he had already obtained something invaluable.
A sensitivity of 32.
Whatever that number meant in terms of efficiency, it at least meant he had the foundation to work with.
And in addition to that—
[Shopping Cart]
- You can add items to your cart for future purchases when you have enough donation funds.
He had already set aside items he would buy once his donation stacked up.
[So when does the semester start??]
“After a week of rest, it will begin immediately.”
[Lmao, your break is only a week??]
[That’s way too harsh, lol.]
[Wait, is it really a week? Does time pass the same way here?]
“Yes, it does. The semester begins in exactly one week.”
[That’s way too long?? For a tutorial, it’s dragging on forever;;]
[Maybe they wanted it to be super realistic? Considering the game quality.]
[It’s fine, Sir Knight!! If you keep this up, I’ll tune in every day!!!]
[Me too!!]
“Thank you.”
[Uh, but… when are you actually going to progress the tutorial??]
[Are you just going to keep training your swordplay??]
“No. From now on, I plan to focus on building up my mana. I can’t waste the opportunity the mages have given me.”
[How do you build up mana?]
“There’s a mana cultivation chamber available. I intend to devote myself to training there for a while. But for now…”
Henry glanced outside.
Night had already fallen.
“I should return to my quarters.”
Like with his sword, the same rules applied here. If he belonged to a B-rank or higher group, he could train freely at night.
But for those below that?
They had a curfew.
Greater autonomy was granted based on skill. That was the academy’s educational philosophy.
[So you’re ending the stream?]
[Ah… That’s a shame.]
[You’re not saying you won’t stream for a whole week, right??]
“No, I can’t start and stop broadcasts at will. It’s up to the mages’ discretion…”
Henry stopped in his tracks just as he was about to leave the training hall.
[Stream ending in 15 minutes.]
[Resumes at 6 AM.]
“My apologies. I’ll see you all at 6 AM.”
That was as far as the Grand Mage had allowed.
Henry’s lodgings were old and shabby. And yet, this was the Royal Academy. If the institution had wished, it could have provided an environment more luxurious than anywhere else. However, the state of his quarters was essentially a form of discipline—both a punishment and an incentive. The purpose was clear: motivation. If he wanted to escape his shabby surroundings, he would have to push himself relentlessly.
Effort, huh.
Henry sat down in the middle of the room. Even in this run-down space, mana was present.
This is what I excel at more than anyone else.
He had walked when others rested. He had run when others walked. And yet, for three years, Henry had constantly lagged behind. If he wanted to close the ever-growing gap, he couldn’t afford to settle for small victories.
Let’s do this.
His wake-up time was 6 a.m. The academy’s morning announcement would come at the same time. The Grand Mage might have intended to ensure Henry got his rest, but he was already focused.
[Focus on your breathing. The process of exhaling is more important than inhaling. The mana that enters your body must settle in your heart.]
He recalled Instructor Pike’s lessons. The instructor had never been particularly fond of him, but his ability to wield mana was genuine. Having repeated his first year three times, Henry had memorized these lessons by heart.
[It won’t be easy, but more than ninety percent of mana growth speed depends on this process. The loss of mana during exhalation has a crucial impact, so—]
Only air leaves my body. I must think of it that way—mana must stay inside.
He repeated long, steady breaths. As he inhaled, he felt mana flow into him. It was still as mysterious and wondrous as ever, and just as difficult to get used to. A strange unfamiliarity tickled his throat—not unpleasant, but rather a cool sensation.
It’s not easy, but…
The sensation remained as he exhaled. Nearly all of the mana was slipping away.
If it were easy, that would be the real mystery.
This was merely the first step. He cast aside impatience and revisited the lessons in his mind.
[Focus solely on your breathing. Empty your thoughts. If it’s difficult, hold a sword, close your eyes—do whatever helps. The posture doesn’t matter.]
A sword, huh.
It seemed like a good method, but Henry had no wooden sword. He glanced around and picked up a broomstick from the corner of the room. The handle was thick and blunt. He gripped it in his right hand and closed his eyes. He imagined it was a sword. Surprisingly, it helped.
“Huuh…”
His breathing gradually slowed. He inhaled through his mouth and exhaled through his nose—an improvised method to exhale as slowly as possible. His mind emptied. He focused solely on the breath pulling through his throat and deep into his chest. And then, as he exhaled—
“Huuh…”
The mana halted. It lingered, as if caught on the verge of his heart. A tiny amount. Something any other student would have achieved in their very first lesson, but for Henry, it was his first real success.
Finally…! Damn.
But the moment he lost focus, the gathered mana scattered.
This is hard.
He was disappointed, but not discouraged. If anything, he was so overwhelmed with joy that he nearly teared up.
Until morning came.
Let’s try again.
There was still plenty of time.
3 a.m. The moon was high in the sky, but Chief Instructor Russo trudged along, his face flushed red.
“Bastards… acting like they know everything.”
Harsh words, uncharacteristic for him, slipped out. He had been drinking with Alex earlier when he happened to run into other instructors and ended up joining them for drinks. It was only natural that Henry Hamilton’s name came up.
“‘An idiot will always be an idiot’? A so-called knight dares to belittle another’s efforts?”
Russo had felt the urge to grab him by the collar. That was a line no one should cross. So what if someone lacked talent? So what if they couldn’t wield mana?
That student has endured more fiercely than anyone. How dare they judge him solely for his inability to control mana?
Russo couldn’t understand it. Or perhaps, precisely because it was him, he understood all too well.
I had no talent either. The only reason I made it this far was relentless effort.
He, too, had once been an academy trainee. His dreams had been crushed in an instant. He had fought fiercely to overcome his poor mana affinity and, in the end, barely managed to earn the title of knight. The only difference between him and Henry Hamilton? Russo’s talent had been just slightly better.
Yet despite being failures all the same…!
Every instructor at the academy was a former knight. The chief instructor was considered among the most skilled. But beyond the academy walls? They were merely knights who had been outclassed, cast aside to train students.
“Haaah…”
A deep sigh escaped him. At some point, he had arrived in front of a ramshackle shed—Henry Hamilton’s quarters. A result of the headmaster’s firm belief that treatment should be based on ability alone.
He’s probably asleep by now.
Russo slowly approached the hut. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to see him. And when he reached the window—
“……”
Henry Hamilton was there, gripping a broom handle, deep in meditation.
A wave of sorrow crashed over Russo. This won’t change anything. If he couldn’t even do it in the mana training chamber, how could he possibly succeed here?
Talent is truly cruel…!
Without a sound, Russo turned away. If Henry saw him, it would only make things harder for the boy.
And so, Russo missed it.
In that fleeting moment—
A faint glow flickered at the corner of Henry’s lips.
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