novelraw Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
Chapter 115 : Chapter 115
115
The first day, which was full of talk and trouble, came to an end.
As soon as night fell, Rozalin dragged Hati and stealthily slipped out of the academy.
‘Since I'm in The Empire anyway, I'm going to take care of the overflowing tasks of this period! At this time, there should be some talented people too. I'll stir up the Administrative Academy, Military Academy, and Magic Academy as well!’
‘Stir up? You mustn't cause trouble?!’
‘It's okay! People who would problematize the problems will all die within a year anyway!’
‘That means they are alive right now?!’
Perhaps because Rozalin and her group disappeared, the instructors' gathering became quiet.
Sordian seemed to have a lot on his mind after meeting Falkain of the Lionheart Knights, becoming less talkative and calmer.
Jessie was busy looking around and enjoying the Imperial Academy itself like a tourist destination.
‘What about you, Teacher?’
‘I'll head in first.’
Returning to the accommodation like that, I closed my eyes and reviewed the conversation I had with Professor Hollians.
‘I can't sleep.’
Even if I fell asleep due to travel fatigue on the first day, now I had rested enough and my stomach was full.
As my body's health was filled, naturally, thoughts increased.
Besides, I even obtained a very attractive topic.
‘Was I so buried in the act of creating Aura itself that I missed the possibility of creating something beyond Aura?’
If that hypothesis is correct, Aura was merely a process, a means, not the goal.
It is merely a phenomenon that appeared while the human called 'me' was transforming into a single sword.
Then how will my Sword Intent, of creating the ultimate sword, change my body?
Not wielding the sword, but how will it move my body.
Such topics hovered in my head, and when I came to my senses, I had almost stayed up all night.
Seeing the dawn beginning to brighten outside, I hurriedly closed my eyes, but when I opened them after a minute time where I felt like I hadn't slept at all, it was a clear morning.
‘Let's get a grip.’
I pulled myself together by washing my face.
Today, I will conduct a lecture in front of the Imperial Royal Academy students.
I couldn't go with such a blank face and show an embarrassing appearance.
Still, perhaps I didn't wake up too late, as fewer students than yesterday had finished getting ready and were up from their seats.
“You woke up early.”
However, soon I realized that was my misunderstanding.
It wasn't that I woke up early.
It was that all of them woke up late.
“What, you couldn't sleep?”
The students' faces were all haggard.
There were dark circles under their eyes, and some students had dull skin.
“Yesterday, that…… we got into a debate among ourselves and couldn't sleep.”
Laughter came out.
The situation was the same for me and these kids.
Like me, they couldn't sleep after hearing yesterday's story.
“You're going to take classes from new teachers today. Wake up quickly.”
“Yes…….”
Although the students said that, they didn't seem to have much expectation.
Why?
“Aren't you excited? It's an instructor from the Imperial Royal Academy, no less. He must be the person who teaches the sword best in the world.”
“What? No way.”
“Ay.”
“……Teacher, is that deception?”
The students looked at me with narrowed eyes.
Some students even looked at me with pathetic eyes.
Why?
“Yesterday, Teacher, you talked about this and that with that old professor.”
“Professor Hollians? He is my mentor. I did.”
“Back then, because you were talking with the Great Master, you didn't see the faces of other professors, right?”
I didn't see.
Because I was thinking too much about myself and lost my mind…….
“Then it's fine.”
However, the students only said up to there and then turned their gazes away without any words.
Was there something then?
Did those teachers make expressions as if ignoring my students?
If that's the case, I think I would be angry.
Ugh, I don't know.
I felt I should soothe the students first.
Let's see, the instructors who came out yesterday, instructors…… Ah.
“Do you remember the instructor among yesterday's instructors, the one with white hair rolled up like a judge?”
There was a person who looked like a typical Imperial noble, someone who seemed to pursue art rather than swordsmanship.
Perhaps because he was a person exuding such a unique aura, the students seemed to easily recall his face.
“Right. If it's that person's class, you can look forward to it, right?”
“Really?”
The students showed doubtful eyes this time too.
Why do the students not believe my words today of all days?
“That person, he reacted as if he couldn't understand a single thing when Teacher and the Great Master said something!”
Really? I didn't know that.
But thinking about it, it was natural.
“That's because the swordsmanship he pursues is completely different from mine.”
I could tell just by looking at his sitting posture, gaze processing, the direction of his chin and hand gestures, the pinky finger straightening whenever he lifted a teacup, and the curves of his elegantly and delicately moving hands.
“He is a person pursuing an artistic sword.”
“Is an ideal sword different from an artistic sword?”
“An ideal sword is seeking a pure sword.”
Pure sword.
It was a journey to find something only a sword could do, which spears, bows, axes, sabers, and clubs couldn't do.
It is seeing the end that can be reached with a sword, and desiring a miracle possible only with a sword.
However, an artistic sword is not such an exclusive technique but rather a process of finding a socio-cultural sword.
“Trying to compromise with this world somewhat, and reading the room of this world. It's such a sword, but it will be beautiful.”
“Teacher, since you came here, the words you use for explanation have become difficult.”
It seemed the habits from the time I studied here in the past were dominating my body.
I should be careful not to make it too difficult since I'm going to teach the Imperial Academy students soon.
“Thanks.”
I answered the students and looked around.
While coming out and talking about this and that, the students had come to their senses quite a bit and gathered here and there.
“Let's go quickly.”
I led them and moved to yesterday's auditorium again.
Unlike yesterday, today, students and instructors were all occupying seats.
“You're late!”
“I'm sorry, it seems the students tossed and turned until a bit late.”
“Ahem, are you indirectly criticizing that our academy's accommodation facilities are a mess?!”
“……? No? I just told you as it is.”
“Tsk! Let's see if that pride can be maintained no matter whose class you enter!”
I thought we arrived well on time, but I heard resentment.
I felt like Professor Hollians would explain if I asked why he was like that, but the Professor was absent today.
Although he possesses knowledge about Mana Road, since swordsmanship isn't his major, it seemed he handed over the spot to the instructors.
‘It's a pity. I wanted to listen to a swordsmanship class lectured by the Professor.’
Since he is a person who has established almost all theories in the world, wouldn't he have drawn out surprising theories after seeing these barbaric and violent swordsmanship theories.
Well, even without the Professor, being able to listen to a lecture given by a swordsmanship instructor belonging to the Imperial Academy is a precious opportunity.
I led the students and entered the auditorium.
After confirming that the students took their seats, I was guided to the second floor.
Although each student looked far away, it was a place where I could check the overall flow and movement paths.
“What is this?”
Jessie, who came up with me, tapped the wide stone slab as if amazed.
This system is also equipped.
“When the class starts, the instructor's face and voice are transmitted here.”
“Hiek? This is all over the lecture hall right now? Over there, there, there, all…….”
“It's a result of magic engineering that allows a large number of people to listen to a class at once.”
“It's amazing. I thought The Empire's strength or education was an illusion created by outstanding students, but things like this seem to have created the potential.”
“The Empire uses magic engineering throughout education. The most representative among them is data collection on students.”
Isadora, who was looking down beside Jessie, spoke.
Right, The Empire's biggest advantage and biggest disadvantage is precisely the database of students.
“There are analysts who comprehensively analyze not only students' academic achievement but also class data. They always analyze students' sincerity, talent, potential, and current ability numerically.”
“Besides exams, students are monitored and evaluated on everything from daily life. And they are notified of that ranking periodically.”
“Cruel. That's not school life, isn't it just survival?”
“It's not for nothing that the Imperial Academy is called endless competition or survival.”
“If such data comes out…… I think people would discriminate unknowingly.”
Instructor Jessie pointed out the problem immediately.
Correct.
The Imperial Royal Academy was a space that discriminatorily educated only those who would succeed after filtering out the gems from the stones.
Since a lot of educational resources are invested, they didn't want to engage in useless waste.
Therefore, assuming a thousand students entered when the academy first opened, fewer than 500 graduated.
If surviving is survival, what should the eliminated students be called?
‘It's no different from death.’
They were students who lived pursuing only the life of the Imperial Royal Academy since childhood.
Being eliminated from this academy was no different from being rejected by the world they thought was everything.
Most students cannot overcome the shock and become recluses, ending their lives.
Even if they tried to overcome it, it wasn't easy to make a comeback with the stigma of being a flunking student certified by the Imperial Academy.
‘Like that student.’
Arms crossed, I looked at the yellow-haired female student who used magic yesterday.
Other students didn't approach her surroundings as if a shield was cast.
Usually, in such cases, that student is marked as a flunking student for this period through the database.
A person who will leave the academy.
And a person who might soon be erased from life as well.
So the students are detaching their affection and slowly moving away from her.
Cruel, isn't it.
“I will start the class! This body is Jerome, a swordsmanship instructor belonging to the Imperial Royal Academy. I intend to teach a new swordsmanship to you who are satisfied with mere miscellaneous techniques like Aura or whatever!”
Instructor Jerome started the lecture.
Indeed, the swordsmanship he pursued was close to art.
Swordsmanship that kills the opponent's intention the moment swords touch and drags the opponent's sword to fit my intention.
It was swordsmanship that looked like a dance and also like a song crafted with a sword.
There was no lack in the swordsmanship displayed by an instructor of the Imperial Academy.
‘But the drawbacks are just as clear.’
It was just like looking at the sword of the Lionheart Knights.
Swordsmanship where the instructor's swordsmanship is the answer, and students going outside of it are considered wrong.
That hurt my heart.
‘Above all…….’
I looked at that yellow-haired student from earlier.
‘Overall, she's dull.’
Instructor Jerome's swordsmanship emphasized rhythm.
Tan, dadadan, tan, tan.
It only shows its true value when one steps according to a specific symphonic rhythm and swings the sword while swallowing even the opponent's flow.
However, the yellow-haired student's body didn't have such groove.
“Ailen. Come here!”
And Jerome cruelly used such a yellow-haired student.
As soon as the name Ailen was called, the yellow-haired student bit her lower lip and approached the instructor.
“Watch closely! This is what beautiful swordsmanship is! Ailen! Attack with a magic sword!”
Mana gathers in Ailen's hand.
Red light hovered on Ailen's sword.
“That is Fire Sword, right? It's magic one can wield only when they reach about the 2nd-circle.”
“Since she has talent in magic, her body has become dull.”
Sordian and Jessie each offered their analysis.
Ailen, who finished the magic, caught her breath.
A faintly trembling hand.
And eyes full of venom.
That wasn't a deep breath to relieve the tension of sparring.
‘……It is forgetting fear.’
Sure enough.
“Like this!”
As Ailen thrusted her sword, Instructor Jerome stepped back one step as if he had been waiting, and struck down Ailen's back with cruel lightness.
With a cough, Ailen slumped to the floor, and almost simultaneously, a step kicked Ailen's head.
With a thud, Ailen collapsed as she was.
Akarind Academy students looked at him in shock, but Instructor Jerome sneered, raising one corner of his mouth as if enjoying such gazes.
“No matter how good the swordsmanship is, ultimately one must kneel before art!”
Jerome continued the class as it was, and the students of the Imperial Academy continued their training silently as if it were a familiar scene.
‘What kind of foolish class is this…….’
My hands trembled due to anger.
Competition? Teaching method? I don't know well about such things.
I was angry about only one thing.
‘Ruining a student by his own standards without even recognizing the student's talent…….’
It was Instructor Jerome's arrogance.
Ultimately, even if it's the Imperial Academy, it hasn't changed that it's barbaric like general swordsmanship education.
Probably Instructor Jerome didn't know.
He must be doing that because he doesn't know.
Since even Instructor Jessie or Sordian seemed not to have grasped it right now.
‘She has no talent?’
No.
Ailen was the student with the most brilliant talent among the Imperial Academy students down there right now.
My education time that will be in a little while.
I made a decision on what kind of education I will conduct then.