novelraw Chapter 140 : Chapter 140
Chapter 140 : Chapter 140
140
Dwayne was so scared that it was hard for him even to open his mouth.
He wanted to endure by pretending to be calm, but his hands kept trembling as if he had palsy.
It wasn't just his hands.
From his chest to his stomach, arms, and even his chin.
His whole body trembled with a premonition of death.
"I, I, I've never even swung a sword properly..."
Just slowly unraveling a story like a self-confession consumed all his mental energy.
Thinking even this story was like a will he was leaving behind, it flowed out with spite.
Why do I have to live this kind of life?
Why must he live life like this?
Such unfairness and resentment flowed out.
"Just, just Uncle, talking about a great cause, he, he dragged me in... th, that was all."
Thinking about it, it was a very ugly confession.
Royals and nobles enjoy numerous benefits because they are born that way.
Those benefits are not just given.
They demanded responsibilities befitting their status and power.
The reason Dwayne got swept up was also because of that responsibility.
"Is just wanting to live wrong...?"
Pan quietly looked at such Dwayne.
Rozalin and Hati often sat him down and told him stories of the future.
They said if anything happened to them, he was the only one who could protect the Teacher and protect humanity.
People to watch out for, including the Wolf King and Ban.
People who must be recruited, including Jelta.
Places where interesting experiences could be had, like the Empire's training dungeons.
And places where legendary elixirs or artifacts were hidden.
Even demons and Fantasies to remember among those that will appear in the future.
All that information was interesting like an epic saga of heroes, and Pan memorized each piece of information to the point of reciting it perfectly.
Dwayne was nowhere in there.
That meant Dwayne was a person who would have died anytime without leaving any meaning.
'Back then, he wouldn't even have been able to leave a story like that.'
He didn't think it was pitiful.
Because in the stories of the future he heard, there were overflowing people more pitiful than him.
It was such an era.
"No life is wrong."
However, even in this era, there was a person who inclined his heart to the lowest place.
"There is just a life that suits you a little better."
That was Teacher Cassian.
"Because the life suitable for Student Dwayne right now doesn't seem to be that kind of life."
What did the Teacher see in that shabby young man?
If he keeps swinging the sword, someday he might reach a higher level than Teacher Cassian.
Because the Teacher was a person who taught the sword well, not a person who swung the sword well.
In fact, Pan's current level had risen to a level similar to Cassian.
Even he could contemplate and solve the correct sword form by looking at the opponent's swordsmanship like Teacher Cassian.
But just one thing.
He had no talent to see the invisible.
Because he only saw what was visible.
Perhaps the future him was the same.
Isn't that why he kept missing Teacher Cassian?
"If you are a coward, you can fight like a coward."
If that is your Sword Intent, follow the Sword Intent.
So you can fight while dodging the opponent's sword to the extreme.
As if mocking the opponent from an overwhelmingly far distance rather than clashing swords.
So that the opponent's sword cannot reach me, and my sword can aim everywhere on the opponent.
"Th, that is a sword unbecoming of royalty..."
"But it would be a sword becoming of Dwayne."
At Cassian's words, Dwayne's eyes wavered mercilessly.
To the rebel prince who talked about unfairness saying he did nothing wrong, how attractive is the story that he can be himself?
'Maybe what I should learn from Teacher is that devil's mouth? No. I don't think I can even imitate that.'
Even Jelta said he would learn from the Teacher.
With Cassian's guidance, Dwayne's sword changed.
The fascinating thing was that this time, Cassian never gave specific guidance even once.
"Advanced swordsmanship is ultimately breaking the form. With this stance, you must cut the perception that your path forward is cowardly."
"Pe, perception..."
"Think about who gave you that perception. Was it your father? Or maybe the tutors of the Royal Castle. Although they are dead, their shadows surround you. Cut the shadows."
Guidance like a listing of abstract images continues.
Strangely, even Pan could vaguely understand what that meant.
It wasn't a story applicable to Pan himself.
Although he learned the sword from Cassian, he had no intention of imitating a sword like Cassian's.
Pan has Pan's sword.
Because that was Cassian's theory.
But others seemed not to be so.
"...Ah!"
Exclamations burst out from everywhere as if realizing something.
Not Dwayne, but the people watching that training gained enlightenment and stared blankly down at their swords.
Even among the nobles and wandering swordsmen who came to audit, some stood with mouths open, eyes half-opened as if realizing something.
'Isn't he giving away too much?'
Pan chuckled thinking so.
The Teacher was not stingy about sharing knowledge.
He would probably feel proud seeing people awaken like that.
Above all, Teacher Cassian was a person to whom students were more important than such external gazes.
"Yes, like that. Extend your arm a bit straighter. Draw clearly in your mind what you are going to cut."
Dwayne's gaze slowly changed.
They were eyes completely captivated as if hypnotized.
His sword moved slowly.
Everyone vaguely felt what Dwayne was trying to cut.
That was a struggle.
Therefore, it was a sword uglier than anyone else's, but.
"Well done."
It was a sword just as beautiful.
Aura erupted from Dwayne's sword.
Just when Cassian smiled satisfactorily.
"Uh?"
A nosebleed trickled down from Dwayne's nose, and he collapsed just like that.
"...Ah?"
* * *
"It's an overload. The brain was strained."
Serris, who was treating Dwayne, diagnosed the illness.
Brain strain.
It was a concept I had never thought about.
"What does that mean?"
"It is literally as it says. The brain was used excessively beyond the scope it could handle. For instance, a person who endured long without sleep, a person who read excessively many books. A person who accepted all information from the streets. Everything is included."
So Dwayne accepted images beyond his limit and got overloaded.
"Was it a dangerous state?"
"In a way, yes. Because the brain is an important organ. Intelligence could deteriorate, physical functions could decline, or in severe cases, one could become an idiot."
I should be careful.
If I make a mistake, my students might become the protagonist of 'That person handles the sword really well, but...'.
At this rate, I should use General Fantasy carefully too.
'There really is no shortcut in teaching. The royal road is the fastest way.'
In the end, I just have to teach students slowly from the basic stage as I have done so far.
Instead, unlike the students of the past, the possibility of being ignored because they don't know what I mean has disappeared.
While I was thinking that, Serris stared at me intently.
"Teacher. You are human, right?"
"Yes?"
What kind of sudden nonsense is that?
"Of course?"
"Student Dwayne collapsed pouring a nosebleed because his brain was strained. Conversely speaking, Teacher Cassian conveyed images and information enough to overload a person's brain with just a few words. And that would be an amount less than 1/10 of the action moving inside Teacher Cassian's brain."
Well, that's true?
Because when I release the seal and process information, I see and process dozens, hundreds of trajectories.
"That is not a human brain. If you are human, you borrowed the power of something not human."
Serris continued speaking with a calm voice.
Sitting demurely on a chair looking at me, the cold air unique to early winter flowed outside.
Perhaps because of the wind coming through the window, I felt somewhat chilly.
"It's just a simple light difference that everyone has. Just like there are tall people and short people, fat people and thin people."
"That could be."
Serris smiled lightly with eyes.
It was a strangely unrealistic, creepy smile.
Not a single bit of sincerity was felt in that smile.
"Then I will return to class."
"Yes, please do. I will move after taking care of this student a bit more. Since he seems afraid of attacks from others while collapsed."
Is that like a threat?
I left the infirmary with a sour expression.
They are from the same Holy Kingdom, but Inquisitors were several times harder to deal with than Yuria.
Above all, there wasn't just one such person, but five.
'Miss Ganemia didn't just leave people behind carelessly, right.'
Since she wasn't particularly friendly to Akarind Academy.
Still, if I live like now, I think I can live without being faulted greatly.
Careful, let's be careful again.
"Senior! Senior!"
Coming out of the infirmary, Isadora approached with a flushed face from afar.
"How was the class today? Personally, I really liked today's class! Didn't the students perfectly understand my stories? I was amazed to see them follow even the movements of complex formations! Is it because of that thing called Fantasy?!"
It seemed she conducted class while I was in the infirmary for Dwayne's treatment.
I moved to the faculty office while appropriately agreeing with Isadora's words.
Besides Isadora, numerous instructors including Jacy and Freutche made a fuss saying classes went exceptionally well today.
Listening to their stories, I fell into thought.
'There are no cases of students collapsing in other people's classes.'
Am I really unique?
Thoughts multiply.
Of course, that didn't mean I acknowledged being a demon or a strange existence equivalent to one.
But I could harbor this much doubt, couldn't I?
'What did Captain Perdius teach me in the beginning?'
I was originally on the observant side.
But the ability to read by looking at a sword, or the ability to grasp a person's weakness, were all learned from Captain Perdius.
What if the swordsmanship Captain Perdius taught me was wrong from the beginning?
I acted superior to Dwayne with plausible stories, but maybe I'm the one who hasn't abandoned the root of my swordsmanship.
'I need to go to the Empire once.'
When this winter break comes, I think I should talk to the Chairman and visit the Empire for a while.
Although the Lionheart Knights might think of me uncomfortably... it will work out somehow.
If I go alone, I don't know, but if I rub shoulders well with Abrahal, wouldn't it work out somehow?
"How was your class, Teacher?"
"Ah, I made one student collapse."
"Pardon?!"
Like that, we shared various class reviews and information.
Time flowed like that.
It became the final exam season.
Teachers each boarded carriages to evaluate the scores of the classes they were in charge of.
And I.
"Have a safe trip."
"Please take good care of grade processing."
After entrusting grade processing to Shasha, I boarded the carriage.
There, a face I hadn't seen in a long time smiled welcoming me.
"So are you really thinking of having a bout with that Lionheart Captain guy?"
It was the Spear God.
"I'll think about it."
I also smiled back at him.