Sword God in a World of Magic

The Dean looked at Shang.

"What do you want in exchange? This book is worth far more than I have invested in you," the Dean said.

"Is it?" Shang asked in an uncertain voice. "Without your help, I wouldn't have gotten that many points regardless."

"Sure," the Dean said, "but without my help, you would have still made about eight or nine points, and these eight or nine points have nothing to do with me. By gaining about eleven points or so, you would have already repaid everything I invested in you."

"But you gained 22."

"So, what do you want?"

After hearing the Dean put it like that, Shang agreed.

Yes, the Dean had helped him a lot, but Shang would have also gotten a lot of points without his help.

"There is something I want, but I don't know if you can help me get it."

"Tell me," the Dean said.

"Do you know about the Old King's Trial in the Wild Forest?" Shang asked.

The Dean nodded. "It opens once a year for only the most talented Adepts. The quota for joining the trial is heavily contested by all manners of big families."

Shang also nodded. "I recently found the trial on accident, and Sword told me that the very ore I seek can be found in there. It seems to be one of the rewards."

The Dean frowned as he scratched his goatee.

"That is truly very difficult," he said. "The Old King's Trial is only reserved for Mages, and the Trials in there are also designed to be completed by Mages."

"Even if you were allowed to enter, I doubt you would gain many points. After all, it isn't only Battle-Strength that's important in there. The trial also tests the mastery the Adepts have over their Elements and Spells. As someone with a warrior's body, you wouldn't get far."

"And with that comes the problem. If I could guarantee that you would get something out of the trial, it wouldn't be so hard to convince the others to let you participate."

"But I can't. Because of that, everyone will automatically assume that giving you a spot would be like throwing it out of the window."

"Imagine a room with ten people and three valuable gems. Everyone wants the gems. After a long time of deliberation and negotiation, three people get the gems."

"And then, one of them just destroys it."

the ire of everyone

have full control over the Old King's Trial just because it's inside his territory. His

King doesn't get involved in the Old King's Trial as long as there are

was able to enter

own, he might not agree. This is something that can

Shang frowned.

him into the trial wasn't easy, but

there's no chance?"

scratched his goatee for a bit

the Old King's Trial

Dean looked

don't need to enter to get

Shang lifted an eyebrow.

Where did you get all the ore for your sword? Did you harvest it yourself?"

his head, and a moment later, he

Dean noticed that Shang had realized

to Jerald," the Dean said. "If I am willing to support his heir, Mattheo, he could maybe convince Mattheo to

course, the rewards from this trial are very valuable, and they could very well be the difference between someone

get an amazing score, the value

the ore is only worth one point since the ore probably has no use for a Mage, but Mattheo manages to gain ten points?

Shang's brows furrowed.

This was difficult.

might

said slowly, "there might also be a possibility that Mattheo could convince someone less talented than him to help him. Of course, Mattheo would need to promise

be many, many more problems with that, but that is something Mattheo and Jerald are very good at. They are politicians, and they

think we can make this

you want for now?" the

only interested in things that can increase my power. Techniques obviously won't work since I have to rely on my own, but I can use ore for my

nodded. "That's not a problem. I will go and talk to Jerald. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Until then,

nodded. "Thank

you,"

left the room to talk to Duke

further theorized how to incorporate the

enough, two hours later, the Dean

didn't

solemn