novelraw Chapter 106 : Chapter 106
Chapter 106 : Chapter 106
106
I entered the classroom as class time began.
The auditorium in the old building had now become my exclusive lecture space.
It used to be spacious enough for 150 people to attend a class, but recently, even that felt cramped.
“There are a lot of people today, too. Where did they come from?”
“Advancement classes A and C, and graduation classes B and C are here.”
“A lot have come. What about the instructors?”
“They are with the students, leading them.”
As I stood near the lectern, Shasha and Jessie quickly approached and provided me with the necessary information.
Standing on the stage and looking down, it was truly a sight to behold.
A large number of students were sitting and chattering noisily, as if it were a large-scale event.
The basic class students fell silent out of courtesy as soon as I entered, but many from the advancement and graduation classes were still talking.
Even when the instructors in charge of each class tried to quiet them, they didn't listen well.
It seemed that as they got older and their heads grew, a bit of rebelliousness had started to surface.
‘It’s natural for that age.’
I didn't think it was a problem.
“Alright, let's begin the class.”
Because when my voice was heard, the students' voices would gradually subside.
I waited a little, confirmed that everyone was quiet, and then started the class.
“Today, we're going to talk about the intent of the sword……”
After the demon subjugation, the students' concentration in class had increased significantly, to an incomparable degree.
Even before, this year's students had good concentration in class.
But after the battle with the demon, the students were engrossed in their studies on a completely different level than before.
Some students brought writing utensils and wrote down everything I said, almost like dictation, and a group of students had apparently formed to openly share notes from my class.
Pan told me that after my lecture, students would gather and hold discussions about it.
“The intent of the sword is a process of prediction, of drawing the future where the sword will ultimately arrive.”
What I found interesting were not the basic class students.
The advancement and graduation class students had never liked me before.
Just last year, they would talk and not concentrate in my class, not even bothering to listen to my words.
But now, those same students were listening to my story with intense focus.
‘Maybe not.’
I continued the class, observing their faces.
When lecturing from up here, the students' expressions are clearly visible.
From those who are dozing off, to those who pretend to look at me while thinking of other things, to those who doubt my words, and so on.
Among the advancement and graduation class students, it seemed that only about 30% were listening to my class seriously.
Still, that was something.
“Therefore, we need to adjust whether the sword forms we wield match our sword intent……”
Between last year and now, the content of my lectures hadn't changed much.
I emphasize the basics and repeat important points in various ways until they are understood.
What had changed was the environment.
“Now, based on what we've learned so far, we will begin instruction. Auditing students from the graduation and advancement classes, please take a seat in the 2nd-floor auditorium. Only the first-year students, please remain in your seats.”
At my instruction, the students moved in perfect order.
The graduation and advancement class students rushed up the stairs.
In the middle, there were students who took the hint and went outside.
I didn't mind.
If this class didn't suit them, there was no need to force them.
The remaining first-year students all paired up and stood facing each other.
“Begin sparring.”
With the signal, the students' sparring began.
The students engaged in sparring with more enthusiasm than anyone else.
Although it was sparring with wooden swords, it was overflowing with seriousness, no less than a real sword fight.
“You need to step in a little less when you plant your foot. The sword isn't receiving the full force and is meeting the opponent at an awkward point.”
“Yes!”
“The moment the sword touches the opponent, your jaw to your shoulder stiffens. It feels like you're afraid of the impact on your hand.”
“Is that a bad habit?”
“It's hard to say if that habit alone is good or bad. What is the direction of your sword intent? If you want to reduce pain, receive and deflect the opponent's attack, and let your sword strikes sweep past. But if you want a powerful strike, an impactful sword strike that doesn't damage your own hand is important.”
As I continued instructing like this.
“Oh, ooh! Teacher!”
Students who awakened their Aura began to appear one by one.
“Well done.”
I separated those students and had them face the students who had already learned Aura.
A female student who had just awakened her Aura moved to where the other group of students was.
“Welcome. This is the space for students who have learned Aura.”
“I just awakened it, so I will leave here until I've learned a bit more.”
“Where do you think you're going?”
“P-please save me!”
The students congratulated their newly awakened friend with exaggerated gestures.
That's good.
“Isn't this bullying rather than congratulations!”
That's good. Really.
In any case, it was clear that having a goal had raised the enthusiasm of the entire student body.
After finishing today's class productively, I entrusted the rest of the instruction to the teaching assistants and other instructors.
The moment I was leaving the class.
“Teacher Cassian.”
An employee from the administration office was waiting for me at the auditorium entrance.
“There's a request for a meeting.”
“I believe I told you I would not be meeting with any outsiders during the semester.”
As if the lord and Gwen's fuss was true, numerous calls had been flying my way.
From royalty asking me to naturalize to their kingdom, to nobles promising wealth and honor if I took a post in their territory, the calls were overflowing.
There were even people who, aiming for the fact that I was still unmarried, contacted me about marrying their children.
Most were promises of marriage with young students who would be attending or had just graduated from the academy.
It was an incredibly rude proposal to someone who was teaching students of that age at the academy.
When I didn't respond to any of the proposals, a flood of requests for private tutoring followed.
There were countless knights offering thousands of gold just for me to look at their swordsmanship for a single day.
There were even people who came to the academy in person, asking to spar with me.
Most of those people were usually cut off by the graduate student teaching assistants.
‘To face me, you first have to face a 6th-circle magician. As if I'm someone that great.’
As I was thinking that and about to move on, the administration office employee opened his mouth, looking troubled.
“It's not an outsider. It's a parent.”
It seemed what was bound to come had finally come.
I had anticipated a situation like this.
If I refused all contact and blocked outsiders, they would use the internal students to get in touch with me somehow.
However, if they made the students deliver the message directly, there was a high possibility that I would be displeased.
In that case, there was only one way.
To use the relatives of the students currently attending this school.
And the only place that could strongly mobilize the relatives of students in such a way was one.
“Did they come from the Empire?”
“Yes, student Bridget's father……”
Viscount Chestra had come in person.
This was a difficult one to refuse.
It wasn't that I discriminated between students, but Bridget was one of the students I was particularly fond of mentally.
Moreover, Viscount Chestra was a man who had left me various gifts when my body was still not fully developed.
I couldn't coldly refuse to meet such a person.
‘This is why you shouldn't accept bribes from parents.’
It's pointless to regret it now.
“I understand. We shall meet in my office. Please guide him.”
“Yes!”
The employee rushed off to guide Viscount Chestra.
As I arrived at the office and was tidying up, I soon heard a familiar voice from outside.
― I'm coming in.
His red cloak, covered in a lot of dust as if he had traveled a long distance alone again, caught my eye.
Light gauntlets and greaves, and armor that looked well-worn.
Red hair resembling a lion's mane and a well-groomed beard under his chin.
However, what caught my eye were the new scars on his other armor pieces.
There were many marks here and there that I hadn't seen the last time I saw him.
All of them were attacks aimed at vital organs such as the heart or lungs.
“It seems you still go to the battlefield often.”
“You can tell? You have really good eyes.”
“I just tend to obsess over smaller details than others. Would you like some tea?”
“No. I know you're refusing to meet with everyone else. Meeting me like this is already a great privilege, so I don't want to take up too much of your time.”
Indeed, he was a down-to-earth person, just like when I first met him.
So I got straight to the point.
I had faith that he wouldn't beat around the bush.
“What brings you here today?”
“I've come for the reason you're thinking of. The Empire wants you.”
“I refuse.”
“I see. I understand.”
A clean exchange of questions and answers passed between us, perhaps because we both knew what the other would say.
It felt as if we were reading from a prepared script, one after another.
“So I've brought a plan B as well.”
That must be the main point.
“This is a proposal to Akarind Academy. Is Akarind Academy interested in establishing a sisterhood relationship with the Imperial Academy and holding an academic exchange conference?”
While attending the Imperial Academy, I had attended that academic exchange conference a couple of times.
The academic exchange conference was an event where two or more academies exchanged their academic achievements, usually competing in the fields of magic or swordsmanship.
“With our Akarind Academy?”
The Imperial Academy, with its history and competition rate, had high pride and did not engage in academic exchanges with just any academy.
They would barely apply for an exchange only when there was a genius student who could shake the world, or a scholar who had achieved a dazzling accomplishment.
The purpose was often impure.
It was to imprint upon even such people that they were nothing more than a firefly before the sun compared to the instructors and students of the Imperial Academy.
To have applied for such an exchange conference meant…….
“The Empire seems to be quite hurt in its pride.”
“Think of it as the Imperial Academy rather than the Empire. Scholars say that the competition rate for the Imperial Academy this year is about 1.2:1. For a place that used to talk about 100:1, their pride is bound to be hurt.”
“But this seems to be a matter you should discuss with the Chairman, not me.”
“The Imperial Academy has set conditions. First. Akarind Academy will designate Cassian as the organizer of the exchange conference. Second. Ten students will be selected to exchange swordsmanship achievements.”
After finishing his words, Viscount Chestra raised one corner of his mouth.
“For the record, I was against it. I've seen my son's achievements. Since I belong where I belong, seeing the Imperial Academy's pride humbled isn't entirely pleasant.”
I fell silent in thought.
An exchange conference, an exchange conference…….
The pros and cons were clear.
As I was pondering.
“Ah. And it's not just that they've set conditions. They've also offered a reward.”
“A reward?”
“In the Emperor's name, we will settle all your bad blood with Defnos and Crownhardt.”
It was an offer that was hard to pass by.