Chapter 1: Eugene drops out

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TLN: Hey guys, Reigokai here!

New story from the same author of Weakest Mage is here.
To celebrate this new story in my own way, I will be uploading chapters of Zero Attack Power on the blank days as well for 2 weeks.
Basically every 2 chapters of WG will be followed by 2 chapters of ZAP instead of 1, meaning there will be no breaks.

The full name of the story is: The Squishy Swordsman with Zero Attack Power ~Abandoned by his Childhood Friend Oracle, he entered the Magic Academy, and ended up looking after the Demon Lord~

Now, let’s enjoy the ride in this new story in the same world as WM!

——-

“No way…my ability is…White Mana only…?” 

I muttered this dumbfounded at the stage. 

Imperial School, Selection Exam. 

In the Empire where you are considered an adult when you are 15 years old, after you finish the Selection Exam, you can officially become a soldier. 

The students of the school endured rough training, and will be given a Blessing by the Destiny Goddess, Ilia-sama. 

By receiving the Ability Blessing, the path you will be taking will be made clear. 

As the number 1 student with the highest grades in the school, I -Eugene Santafield- had high expectations placed on me. 

And I myself believed in my success.

Swordsmanship, strategy, leadership; I stood at the top of all subjects, worked hard every single day without end, became stronger than anyone else, and obtained outstanding grades. 

…And yet…why…?

I looked at the Selection Card in my hand. 

When placing the transparent Selection Card in front of the Goddess statue, the Ability of the wielder will be shown with the ‘color’ of guidance.

My Selection Card is pure white. 

Black is talent in attack.

White is talent in defense. 

Gray is half and half talent in attack and defense. 

Red, dark orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple; those 7 colors are special colors, and they each show their respective talents.

The more Abilities one has, the more colors show up. 

The average person gets gray. 

And the ones who have ‘defects’ in their Ability will have pure white or pitch black. 

In other words, just like me…

“Eugene-kun…I understand you feeling down.
Hang in there.” 

The teacher tried to cheer me up. 

But those eyes were clearly showing disappointment. 

“Oi, there’s people in line here.
Return to your seat already!” 

The 3rd ranked of the School, Mazio, laughed at me with a mocking tone, and pushed me by the shoulder. 

I couldn’t avoid it and left there with unsteady steps. 

“Nice! I got 3 colors!” 

“Tch! 2 colors.” 

“Oi, someone with 5 colors apparently showed up!” 

“Seriously?!” 

Cheers were raised one after the other among the students. 

I couldn’t think of anything and was just looking up, spaced out. 

My childhood friend Airi, who was sitting by my side, was talking to me, but it didn’t reach my ears. 

After a while, someone got in between me and Airi. 

“Hey, Airi, sadly to say, your childhood friend was a ‘failure’.
An elite like you shouldn’t be together with him.” 

Mazio, who had finished his selection, slapped my shoulder while grinning. 

The colors of his card are: red, green, and gray. 

3 colors means exemplar. 

…Different from me. 

“Man, it truly is a shame.
To think mister top would get the failure white card.” (Mazio)

“Damn true, Mazio.
But an Ability where he can only do defense…would he even have a place in the army?” 

“Sounds impossible.
No one would accept a monochromatic failure.” 

Even the lackeys of Mazio were getting involved.

“You people…” (Eugene)

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I was trembling in anger. 

But they are right. 

White Mana is only an Ability in defense. 

A pure white card means that I don’t have a single trace of ‘mana connected to attacks’. 

I have been learning techniques for a magic swordsman. 

Magic Sword is a technique to clad mana onto the sword. 

But with my white mana, even if I were to cut an enemy with a magic sword, I wouldn’t be able to scratch them. 

I would be a faulty swordsman that can’t attack. 

Why did the Goddess only give me talent in white…?

If only I had a little bit of talent elsewhere, I have the confidence to be able to manage somehow with hard work…

“With only white mana, being a swordsman is impossible.” 

“Become a healer.
I will request for you if I get injured.” 

“The other option left would be a Barriermancer.
A job where you have to go around each point in the region reapplying barriers of the cities, huh.
Sounds great.
Not for me though!” 

“““Hahahahaha!”””

“…Damn it.” (Eugene)

I can’t say anything back. 

I could only groan in silence. 

◇◇

Misfortune really likes to latch on.

I felt it was a pain to leave school, so after skipping classes for a while, my childhood friend Airi asked about me at home. 

I thought for sure she came to cheer me up, but…she seemed to be acting strange. 

It wasn’t only Airi alone, but her friend was with her too. 

Airi tried to avoid eye-contact with me. 

I have a bad feeling about this. 

“…Eugy, I think we have to put some distance between us for a while.” (Airi)

Airi calls me with Eugy. 

Her voice I should be used to hearing felt cold like ice. 

“Eh…? What are you saying, Airi?” (Eugene)

I remember the Selection Card Airi got in the Selection Exam the other day. 

—The color was rainbow. 

The highest form of Ability.

The complete opposite spectrum of me, who is the lowest monochromatic white.
She overflows with talent. 

The way too high of a difference created between me and her who grew up together has been forming a rift between her and me recently. 

But for her to suddenly say that…

“Put some distance, you say… What do you mean by that…?” (Eugene)

Even when I asked her with a trembling voice, Airi covered her face as if sad. 

The one who answered instead was her friend that was by her side. 

“Hey, Eugene-kun, take a hint.
This is an important period for the Oracle Airi.
It would be troubling if weird rumors were to arise from being together with a talentless like you, right?” 

“Wa?!” (Eugene)

That unbelievable way of saying it made blood rush to my head. 

Who is talentless?! 

Airi and I may not be engaged yet, but our parents officially recognize us.

Even you as our classmate should know that we have promised to be together in the future! 

“Airi apparently received a marriage proposal from the 2nd prince of a certain major power of the Empire.
Rainbow Ability and a prince, huh.
That’s nice.
Airi really is blessed.” 

“Wait! You said you wouldn’t tell Eugy about that…” (Airi)

Judging from the reaction of Airi who hurriedly covered the mouth of her friend, I learned that that’s the truth. 

“Airi…what’s that about a marriage proposal…?” (Eugene)

“That’s not it! Father moved the conversation forward on his own…” (Airi)

“That’s right.
Basically, this means that it is the will of Airi’s father, His Eminence.
Eugene-kun, don’t go hating on Airi, okay?” 

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“…”

The father of the Oracle Airi is the top of this nation.

In other words, His Eminence, the Emperor. 

For the citizens of the Empire, the words of His Eminence are absolute. 

Even a 3 year old knows that. 

“Airi…I…was going to become your Royal Sword and…” (Eugene)

I noticed the absolute joke of those words that I blurted out and couldn’t finish what I said. 

The Royal Sword is the right arm of the Emperor. 

Always standing by the side of the Emperor, and the sword that protects the Emperor from enemies. 

…That was the last objective I was aiming for. 

Airi closed her eyes sadly, and the friend of Airi warped her mouth slightly. 

“Pfft… A mere white failure becoming the Royal Sword…?” 

“Hey, don’t laugh!” (Airi)

The words ‘don’t laugh’ from Airi gouged at my heart. 

“Sorry, sorry.
Let’s go, Airi.” 

“Eh…but…o-okay.” (Airi)

Airi left, pulled by her friend. 

Airi…didn’t look back at me even once.

—The next day, I dropped out from the Imperial School. 

◇◇

“Yes yes, so after you got rejected by your childhood friend, you shut yourself at your ho