novelraw Chapter 119 : Chapter 119
Chapter 119 : Chapter 119
119
Leferil looked down at the surroundings with arrogant eyes.
There was a unique atmosphere that only those accustomed to looking down on everyone from birth could exude.
Creating such an atmosphere was also thanks to the two people standing behind the Prince.
Werner.
A man with a height of possibly 2 meters and a physique with developed shoulders and muscles comparable to Hati.
His hair was cut short and neat, almost shaved like Bridget, which combined with his scar-filled face to give a somewhat hardened impression.
In contrast, the man called Ban had a gentle impression.
The corners of his eyes drooped, giving him a somewhat aggrieved look, but when combined with his smiling mouth, he gave off an overall pitiful feeling.
However, his skills were the real deal.
A strong lingering scent of mana was felt from his body that couldn't be hidden, enough that even people who couldn't feel mana could intuitively sense that he was strong.
5th-circle.
He was the strongest magician I had met after Ulf.
No, since Ulf was actually sending a clone and not her main body, it would be correct to say he was the strongest magician among those I faced directly.
“Yesterday's performance was truly impressive. It seems that kind of swordsmanship is useful outside the Imperial Capital.”
Leferil laughed, revealing his teeth.
“Since I invited you all the way here, I can't show you an unsightly scene.”
The content was quite violent.
He declared that what the Imperial Academy showed yesterday, meaning the appearance of Professor Jerome or the students, was merely a kind of unsightly scene.
“So I invited people who can show what the Imperial sword and magic truly are as one-day instructors.”
All education here is fake.
That confidence declaring that the real thing is the power possessed by The Empire.
That was the power and perception of The Empire and the Imperial bloodline.
The students of the Imperial Academy looked at Leferil with stiff expressions.
They also seemed to fully understand why the Imperial Grandson was doing such a thing.
‘They must feel insulted right in their faces.’
Especially Instructor Jerome's expression was the worst.
His face flushed red and blue as if he felt immense shame, but even so, he forced a smile by raising the corners of his mouth.
Like any academy, a professor is ultimately nothing more than a contracted appointee.
If the Imperial Grandson didn't like him, his life could fly away immediately.
Of course, with a career like Professor Jerome's, he could probably live comfortably while displaying his abilities elsewhere.
But since the Imperial Academy is the pinnacle of this field, wherever he went, the quality of life would inevitably be lower than now.
It was the smile of a person in whom countless emotions intersected and anger rose in his heart, but who had no choice but to smile in the end.
“So that's why you cancelled the sparring.”
“Even if we fight as it is, isn't it obvious that our academy students will be miserably crushed? What kind of exchange conference is that. We can't treat guests who came from afar poorly.”
That was the method of exchange conferences The Empire had always done.
It means they can pull such tricks themselves, but they won't allow others to pull such tricks.
Laughter leaked out.
“I rather feel a bit disappointed right now. No, I'm a bit let down.”
At my words, Leferil's eyebrows twitched.
“It is not shameful to fight and lose. Because there are victory and defeat in all fights. Especially, defeat in a practice match is more valuable than general defeat. Since there is a next time, there is growth too.”
However, running away without fighting was different.
It is depriving the opportunity to clash one's skills and lose.
“I came to educate students, not to show off knowledge.”
Like the Imperial Family is doing right now.
Just as Leferil was about to say something at my words.
Chief Knight Werner, who was standing behind, walked forward.
“Rude.”
“Rude?”
Laughter came out.
The rudest person here right now was himself.
What does a person who barged into the sacred academy space with military boots, relying only on his paltry status, and ruined the class atmosphere, have to say?
“Is education important? Those well-trained here will serve for the Imperial Family anyway. Learning how to live for The Empire from now on is also education.”
“That is the Imperial Academy's situation.”
Not our academy students.
Of course, there will be students among ours who will return to The Empire and live their lives.
But the value of these students is not determined by where and for whom they do what.
They will just live their lives.
They will survive in a world where demons appear, and live as humans.
I asked Leferil.
“So what is it you intend to do today?”
“Well, we could do various things. For example, like yesterday, we could have these two conduct education, or these two could provide this and that education to the academy students.”
I looked at the two people beside Leferil.
There was no way they would conduct pure education.
It was obvious they would torment our students here and there to satisfy their pride.
‘I can't let them fight with the students.’
Although our students certainly had outstanding skills, they couldn't fight well against world-class powerhouses like them.
Then eventually, only one method remains.
“Spar with me.”
“Oho.”
I had to step forward.
“Teacher!”
Pan hurriedly approached and tried to stop me.
Not only Pan but also instructors like Freutche, Jessie, and Isadora who were watching us from the second floor tried to dissuade me as if there was no need.
“I'll quickly go out and bring Senior Rozalin. Then…….”
“No, it's fine.”
I didn't step forward out of stubbornness without thinking.
Because I had something to rely on.
‘I've already seen the Lionheart Knights' spearmanship and swordsmanship through Senior Knight Falkain.’
I had also drawn out methods to respond.
And one more thing.
‘The wolf pattern is vibrating.’
Ulf said that if I charge this pattern, it would help me about once when my life is in danger.
Since I had charged mana for quite a while, I would be able to preserve my life about once no matter what happens.
And lastly.
‘That guy.’
I glanced at Ban.
The guy was just maintaining a smiling face as if observing how the current situation flowed.
They said he is a traitor to humanity.
He might not recognize me.
But would he not recognize Pan either?
‘Looking at how Rozalin, Yuria, Abrahal, etc. didn't recognize him, there is a possibility.’
Because the future Pan was said to be a monstrous guy with a rugged physique.
But if he finds out that this Pan is that Pan.
‘I don't know what the guy might do.’
In such a situation, it was right for me to step forward.
It wasn't for a reason like being a swordsmanship genius who can cut through all magic at once using Aura.
Rather, what I trusted was one thing.
Fantasy.
‘Giant-Block's Fantasy blocks all ranged attacks.’
Giant-Block's Fantasy even defended against Ulf's magic.
Even if there is a surprise attack, I believed I could block it if it was magic performed from a distance.
“Good, good! Since I invited you all the way here, I should show the true face of The Empire. We can proceed with the sparring right away, right?”
I looked around once.
The auditorium was wide enough to proceed with sparring.
“Please move all students to the second floor. Just in case of any unforeseen situation, I hope Your Highness also goes up.”
* * *
The students who went up to the second floor looked down at the first floor, clenching their teeth regardless of who they were.
The gazes of Akarind Academy students were not directed at the Imperial Academy students.
From Basic Class freshmen to upperclassmen who came together.
Without a single exception, they knew that their enemies were the Imperial Grandson, the Imperial Knights, and the Tower Master.
The students of the Imperial Academy were also victims.
They didn't want to resent them.
That made the Imperial Academy students feel incredibly ashamed.
‘Why are we…….’
They had lived only with the pride that they were the best in the world.
However, in this Academic Exchange Conference, all that common sense collapsed.
Not to mention the honor of being the best, even the pride of maintaining the best shattered and scattered.
‘Embarrassing.’
Ailen bit her lower lip.
She might really have to consider dropping out and transferring, which she had thought of as a vague possibility.
Is it right that her future, and The Empire's future, lie in a place like this.
If what she has to handle when she eventually graduates from here and goes out is a situation like that.
She is.
“Let's finish this quickly.”
There was no way the Chief Knight couldn't read such an atmosphere among the students.
In the first place, a Chief Knight in the knights was a team leader position checking the discipline of new and Senior Knights and tuning the atmosphere.
He was a person who had stayed for over 10 years in a position where he had to sensitively read people's emotions and relationships and make quick judgments.
He sufficiently understood the despair or shame they felt.
Of course, understanding it and sympathizing with and embracing it were separate matters.
Because everything he said was sincere.
“Quickly, sounds good.”
Cassian smiled faintly and looked at the second floor of the auditorium for a moment.
The expressions of all the students also came into his view.
His sensitive senses absorbed their emotions.
Containing all those emotions, he lifted his sword.
This sword would not be for the students of Akarind Academy, but a sword for all students present here.
“…….”
Seeing Cassian's posture, Werner's momentum changed.
After inhaling and organizing his breath, he drew a sword from his waist.
It was a ceremonial dull sword with no edge, but made of solid iron, it was a sword sufficient to kill a person.
His momentum holding the sword slowly subsided.
Even the students on the second floor felt the air in all directions settling heavily.
Just by holding the sword and taking a stance, it felt like goosebumps would rise all over the skin.
However, Cassian just took a stance leisurely.
His stance was somewhat clumsy.
His posture was awkward, his arms were awkward, and his head, wrists, legs, and ankles were all clumsy.
It was a limp posture as if hanging loosely rather than standing properly, but.
“Hey, that…….”
“Did you notice? Crazy.”
“Awesome. Crazy…… Wow. Uh.”
Akarind students who saw that posture started clicking their tongues, saying it was nonsense.
“Why, why?”
Ailen, who at least had exchanges with Akarind Academy students, asked.
Imperial Academy students also listened to her voice.
“You, if you swing a sword at our teacher, how will you go in?”
How, she asked.
Ailen set her hand blade in the air and swung her hand diagonally as if cutting.
“Well like this…… Huh?”
Her hand was blocked with a thud.
Because her neck was cut.
This time, she took a stance again and tried cutting horizontally.
“Uh-oh?”
Her arm was cut.
Next, she took a proper stance and tried thrusting.
She was cut diagonally from the shoulder.
Every time she took a stance, her death rushed right in front of her eyes.
Ailen's expression turned pale.
Imperial Academy students who were imitating her started murmuring one by one.
And the one feeling that perplexity most at the front was Chief Knight Werner.
‘Solid. Or should I say flexible.’
The Lionheart Knights' swordsmanship was basically a narrative swordsmanship that whittled down the opponent's strengths, leaving only weaknesses, and then destroyed them in a single blow.
If a weakness appeared in the facing stance, it slowly crushed that weakness and tightened the opponent's breath.
But that instructor's stance was full of gaps everywhere.
However, the moment one tries to enter those gaps, all other areas become an organic flow that can counter oneself.
‘Is it swordsmanship made specifically targeting our knights?’
Intuition from wielding the sword for a long time warned him endlessly.
If he enters rashly, he will not only lose the flow but die.
However, The Empire's knights always had the role of piercing through rough terrains without roads.
Even if there were traps of natives there, it was enough to just crush them.
‘With power, suppress.’
A simple yet powerful strike was made vertically without any tricks.
Swoosh!
With the noise of tearing the air apart, the two bodies moved.
Cassian's body swayed like a blade of grass resisting the wind and let the sword flow past.
Werner swung the sword again to catch such Cassian.
A powerful storm arose and battered Cassian's body.
However, Cassian swung his sword as if he had been waiting.
Thud.
Cassian's sword hit Werner's arm and passed.
It was the very illusion the students saw.
However, Werner's arm didn't budge.
‘It's a wooden sword anyway.’
Just endure and swing.
Again, Werner's sword thrusted in like a flash.
This time too, Cassian stepped back.
Not swinging the sword aggressively, but in the process of dodging, he used Werner's flow to tap, hit, and retreat.
Dodging again and tap.
And tap.
“That…….”
The students looking down at that appearance from the second floor felt a sense of déjà vu.
That sword Cassian wields.
Although there was no distinct form, its purpose and process felt familiar.
“Isn't that the Lionheart Knights' Sword Intent?”
It was swordsmanship that built a long narrative while cutting away the opponent's weaknesses.
Werner was unknowingly making the opponent use Lionheart's swordsmanship.
‘It's hard.’
Cassian's vision sometimes blurred and shook.
Even taking a single step caused strong pain to pierce sharply from his toes to his wrists.
The pattern Ulf drew felt like it would explode at any moment.
Nevertheless, he clenched his teeth and endured.
‘Not yet.’
He could know by absorbing mana and reading the surrounding flow.
Insidious mana was aiming for him, squirming and crawling on the floor.
There was only one person who could handle this amount of mana.
Ban, the Vice Tower Master of the Imperial Magic Tower.
‘I'll create an opportunity.’
Just then, Cassian felt hot liquid flowing from his nose.
It seemed his nose was bleeding again.
With a dizzying sensation, his head heated up hotly.
And as if aiming for such Cassian's situation, mana in all directions began to create some form.
Also, as if waiting, Werner's sword aimed for his ribs and thrusted in.
‘Now.’
Cassian clenched his teeth and took a proper sword stance for the first time.
Not swordsmanship toward the opponent, but his own swordsmanship.
Cassian Style 1st Form.
Proper Cut.