Chapter 587
587fury
70. This side(20)
A warrior whose skills were recognized by the emperor as a representative of a school. An Idaejongsa (一代宗師) who was qualified to found a new school. Powerful people competing for supremacy in the Mittergerand Empire, the largest country in Middle-earth..
Those are the masters of the sword, commonly known as Sword Masters. The prestige attached to that title was so great that there were few people even abroad who did not know about it..
This was especially true for the seven students gathered in front of me. Among the 700 students who were evaluated by me last week, these are the ones with the skills that are second to none. There is no way such students would not know about famous foreign martial artists..
“……I'm a truly unpredictable person..”
“What did you just say? ‘Kill the Sword Master’? That sword master?”
Girion shook his head, and Euphria looked back at Garwin, who was also from the West, with a strange expression. The rest of the students also looked puzzled, dumbfounded, and perplexed..
“……Haha, hahaha!”
He burst out laughing as if it were the same, but his expression completely changed when he saw me laughing too..
“There is a limit to being arrogant. Just by showing some tricks against the students, you gained a lot of momentum, yes..”
The reactions of students in each class were varied, but the underlying thoughts were similar. His words spoke for this..
“No matter how much the so-called swordsmen and imperial knights are a bunch of bastards who fall short of the kingdom's elite knights, the sword masters are those who stand at the top..”
If you were to ask the residents of Milanol Kingdom to name the strongest warrior, nine out of ten would name the Frost Ball or the Sword Demon, while the remaining few would name the Thunderbolt Sword or the Red Knight..
If you ask who will be next, the names of powerful figures representing each region will come up one after another, such as the first cathedral knight, the king, Chamcheolgeom, and Seonhyeolbaek. The sword masters of the empire, such as Guardian Guardian, Geombaek, and Dragon Slayer, are also mentioned somewhere..
Of course, the prowess of warriors could not be determined solely by fame, reputation, or recognition within the kingdom, not even the entire Middle Earth. It's not uncommon for the world's perception and reality to be different. If you actually put them together, there was a high probability that they would be ranked in a completely different order..
It's strange even if you just look at the Red Knight, the True Iron Sword, and the Blood Blood. Akelle is below me and on the same level as Lord Langbolt? A passing dog will laugh.
“But isn’t it ridiculous that you, who are just a wandering swordsman, dare to mention them??”
No matter how genius the students in each class were, they were nothing compared to the warriors at the top of Middle Earth..
To put it bluntly, none of these seven would be able to take even one stab from Lord Langbolt. I can assure you.
But, no matter what.
“Well, you're a bit fussy..”
“……What?”
“Sword Masters are great warriors. But it is not something that cannot be spoken of. Getting hit by a knife and bleeding is the same, and bleeding to death is the same..”
I smiled at him who was speechless..
“Please keep in mind. Fighting isn't about names.”
“…….”
“This is my first lesson, and it is the basis for everything I will learn in the future..”
After remaining silent for a moment, Gdun quietly nodded. I looked back at the other students and continued speaking..
“I know. Even if all seven of you here attacked at once, even the worst sword master wouldn't be able to defeat you. You won't even get a scratch..”
No student felt this was a provocation. Because it's obvious.
“But, so what? If you were to face a sword master or someone of the same level of strength on the battlefield, would you calmly throw away your sword and sacrifice your head? Because you won't be able to win anyway?”
“Of course not.”
Girion chuckled and shook his head..
“My ancestor defeated ‘Aval Tarandus’ and took over the current territory. Would the descendants of a warrior who killed a mountainous reindeer be frightened by humans??”
“You have the attitude of an aristocrat..”
Naturally, the ones that caught my eye were the only two commoner students..
“How about you two??”
It was very annoying to have different attitudes toward students depending on their status within a lecture. Aside from having to know the status of all students, I don't feel like doing it because it seems like such a shallow thing to do..
“……Of course, there are no great warriors among my ancestors.,”
So, I used a tone that was no different from when dealing with nobles, and the commoner students showed a more cautious attitude. Well, even if they were the same students, unlike the nobles who were kids in their late teens, they were mature men in their early to mid-20s, so they would have had that level of discernment..
“Instead, I will become a warrior that my descendants can be proud of..”
“……That's cool. It won't be easy though.”
“I can only pray that the Lord of Light will guide us..”
‘Bucan’, the oldest in the class, answered in a very cheerful tone. I like the spirit and am immediately interested..
However, he is a former mercenary from the Crescent Moon Islands and came to the Royal University thanks to the support of the Marquis Alphard family. It would probably be impossible for me to seduce him under my command..
“My soul and body depend solely on the Sacred Heart of His Majesty the King. If you only follow orders, how can you feel fear??”
Another commoner student, ‘Crally’ said bluntly:.
He was a former member of the Royal Military Police and was a young man on the path to success after being noticed by Prime Minister Zacharis. There is a rumor that he underwent years of harsh training, bordering on body modification, in the basement of Faralan Cathedral, but I don't know if that is true..
In fact, I only found out after the evaluation that Crully was receiving support from Zacharis. Of course, even if I had known this in advance, the evaluation results would not have changed..
Still, I couldn't help but feel uneasy thinking about being in this narrow hall with the king's pet dog..
Now that we had confirmed the students' mindset, it was time to begin the actual lecture..
“As you all know, the official name of this lecture is ‘General and Practical Imperial Combat Techniques’. The original purpose, as the name suggests, was to learn the techniques boasted by the empire's leading schools and their relative methods. However, the level difference between the students who signed up for the course was quite large, so we made some changes to the course content, and accordingly, your learning goal was changed to 'Kill the Sword Master.'.”
For reference, the goal of the chicken class is to ‘kill the centurion’. The Gom class is ‘killing knights’, and the Mal class is ‘killing swordsmen’. It was common to all classes that this goal was extremely difficult to achieve..
“So what about the lion? What is the goal of those who received the lion's mark??”
“It's a secret.”
“…….”
I felt aggrieved inwardly as I saw his expression slightly crumpled..
Still, I can't help it. The objectives of the Hawk, Horse, Bear, and Chicken classes may be a bit extreme, but there is little room for controversy as they are set against the Mittergerand Empire, a potential - no, actual - enemy..
On the other hand, 'killing the teacher' is a bit…….
Considering the status of the Saja class friends, it's perfect, but some people may feel it's immoral.?
“The lecture topic changes every week. Every Tuesday, when I present the secret technique of a certain school or sword master, you must prepare the method of destruction by Thursday..”
The level of the Mal Peninsula is different, but we plan to proceed in a similar manner. Because it is more effective to encourage people to think on their own rather than just teaching them one-sidedly..
Of course, bear classes and chicken classes are taught through cramming without any such thing. Because thoughts are made by people.
“Follow the learning objectives and devise a way to kill the Sword Master. Regardless of the means or method, you must use only your own strength..”
“It's the strength of my body…….”
Euphria seemed quite interested, and asked a question with a faint smile on her face..
“Sir, I think that's a bit ambiguous.?”
“What part is unclear??”
“I have a lot more than just this pretty body..”
She took off her gloves with a graceful gesture. The hands of a knight are calloused at every joint, contrasting with his handsome features. What caught more attention was the ring and bracelet connected to each other by a thin chain..
“For example something like this.”
The moment he said that and snapped his fingers, the rubies embedded in the ring and bracelet sparkled and Euphria disappeared as if in a flash..
“oh.”
I burst out laughing at the students' wide-eyed looks. And then he slowly turned around and held out his hand..
widely.
“-Tsk?”
With a simple movement, he snatched up the wooden sword that was just sticking out through the space. Euphria appeared later, and the wooden sword carrying her weight was violently snatched away, causing her to fall to the floor..
“what, how?”
The effects of Euphria's magic tools were very familiar. Because it was almost identical to the ‘Sideway Walking Hat’ that I had previously obtained by defeating ‘Star Maker’ Soleva. That conical hat that Ellen had been using for a while..
Suddenly I thought of Ellen, smiled, and helped Euphria, who was looking embarrassed at the surprise attack..
“I would like to allow not only magic tools, but also scrolls, potions, and runes. Because it’s more practical..”
“Uh, uh…….”
“But for that to happen, the magic tools possessed by the Empire's sword masters would also have to be reflected... … . Well, I guess it's going to be a very difficult situation for you all..”
‘Fabio wielding the 'Spear of Aurora', Tuacelo holding the 'Gbuta'... … . At that level, even if I give my best, I will have quite a bit of trouble. That's too harsh a goal for the students here..
“So let’s assume a situation where an anti-magic field has been developed. You see, this is an advantage for you..”
“……yes.”
Euphria, who had received the wooden sword back, probably thought she had been humiliated, answered in a hushed voice and quickly returned to her place..
“After comparing and evaluating the methods of destruction that each person has prepared, I will introduce the answer I prepared..”
Unlike me, who prides myself on having a perfect curriculum, the expressions on the faces of my classmates in each class were a little strange. Among the dogs, Gawin expressed his opinion politely..
“That seems a little inefficient..”
“Oh, what a point.?”
“If that schedule goes on, you only have one day to think about the law of destruction, right? I think it would be better to do the presentation on Thursday and the solution on Tuesday..”
“……uh.”
I was quite taken aback by that absurd suggestion..
“But, we have to have fun on the weekends..”
“……What?”
“It's spring now, right? Flower viewing, dating... … . You must be busy.”
Garwin looked dumbfounded and kept his mouth shut, and I added a few words of persuasion..
“And thinking about it for a few more days won't give you a better answer. The first answer you take is more likely to be correct..”
The students seemed to have finally understood something..
“But, I don't know if this has any meaning.?”
The next question was asked by Girion, who had a dissatisfied face..
“There is no way you have learned all the secret techniques of the many imperial schools. In the end, it will mostly just be a verbal exercise, so how helpful is that? It's not practical at all..”
“hmm.”
I answered step by step while stroking my beard..
“First of all, it is inefficient to learn martial arts by just using your body. It is essential to familiarize yourself with the contents before moving directly. And, there will be no training in just words..”
“……what? then,”
“As stated in the recruitment notice, I have learned a total of five schools of swordsmanship. Some other schools can also imitate some of the techniques. Of course it won't be perfect, but it won't affect your learning at all..”
Not only Girion who asked the question, but also the other students seemed at a loss for words. The reaction is that I am tired of being surprised and embarrassed..
“Then, let me show you right away what happened..”
I asked for Girion with a polite gesture. As a subject for training, he looked a little dazed, but stepped forward without hesitation..
“Don't be too nervous and take your time. I'll show you as much as I can.”
When I lightly raised my wooden sword, Kirion also took a defensive stance..
Since I had already confirmed my skills through last week's evaluation, I did not show any sign of letting down my guard. It had a posture that lowered its center of gravity so much that it looked like a prone leopard, and it had an agile appearance that did not suit its large body. And the sight of the wooden sword extended long and aimed at the opponent's eyes was very annoying and threatening..
Looking at his eyes, I thought there was no need for a warning, so I grinned and held my wooden sword tightly..
And, stab.
hiss-
The wooden sword, which moved slowly, accelerated sharply when it reached about half a span..
“……uh?”
“what-”
The students made stupid noises. This is because the long sword that cast a long shadow was immediately divided into three..
“Whoop.”
With his eyes wide open, Girion took a quick breath and quickly raised a long wooden sword that was well over a meter long. It was a move that aimed to kick back three lines of stabbing towards the forehead, neck, and chest at once while also aiming for a counterattack. It was a good decision.
Taaak!
“blocked,”
The very moment he cried out in joy. The two thrusts except the bottom one changed direction sharply. Like a living snake.
puck.
“English,”
Girion, who was hit on the elbow and wrist at the same time, lost sight of the wooden sword..
“no, just now.”
He sighed softly at the decision that was made in an instant. Unlike the evaluation where I lasted for more than 5 minutes, this time I was overpowered in just one move, so it feels like a waste..
“‘It's a 'three headed snake'.”
I retrieved the wooden sword and introduced the first task..
“This is a technique frequently used by Cavalni style sword master, Sword and White Tuacelo..”
Youth is a very good thing. Even if you make stupid faces like that, it's not frustrating, it's just cute.
I glanced at the students, looked at Girion, and shrugged my shoulders..
“How about it? This will be practical training.?”
He just blinked his bulging eyes and made no reply..
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