65 – Mental Education (1)
Aria’s lunch break passed, and a couple of class periods (one was Professor Chloe Jane’s first magic class) also passed.
When the students were slowly preparing to disperse.
“…… “I heard she would come visit.”
Beatrice spoke to me as if I was dumbfounded.
“What is this? Challenge to a duel? What did you really do? “Why are you fighting over there?”
Of course, it was about Aria.
What she could have expected from her position was that Aria would tell her professors about the day’s events. The sudden delivery of the battlefield like this must feel strange again.
Actually, I was quite embarrassed.
I thought they were going to bring up the idea of sparring, but did they do it so openly?
What kind of plan are you planning to make sparring a spectacle for all first graders?
Of course, I had no intention of making a fuss about it.
-Entrance to the Western Hummingbird Forest.
I scratched my cheek shamelessly and thought about the duel location written at the bottom of the letter. Coincidentally, this was the forest where the team training took place the day after admission.
I clenched my chin as I thought back to the place that was definitely better described as a jungle than a forest.
Was that forest a place where students could use it at their discretion? I don’t think it would matter since we didn’t go inside and there was a bit of arguing at the entrance.
But it wouldn’t make sense for a first-year student to rent a gym for private sparring.
I could have asked the teacher in charge or another full professor to become an inductee, but as I’ve said many times, I didn’t want to escalate the situation that way. Yes, the duel location was decided to be the entrance to Hummingbird Forest.
At about that time, I neatly folded the letter and put it in my pocket.
As for the content, a plausible justification was given, such as becoming interested after watching the sparring with Grisha, etc., And not a single sentence was written about the purpose(?) Of the whetstone that was of interest.
There is no need to worry any more.
Instead, while I was speaking, I once again lifted up the brilliant whetstone that had been roughly placed on the desk.
‘Hmm.’
It is heavier than expected. It wasn’t as severe as I could have lifted without the thunderbolt activated, but it couldn’t even be called an ordinary brick.
So what is this?
‘…… Gift?’
From noble mtl dot com
That’s the only thing that comes to mind, but I can’t figure out why Aria suddenly handed me this gift.
There was no good use for it before that.
I naturally lowered my gaze and looked at Flügel. An amazing guy who always takes more than half of my penalties.
Should I try using a whetstone on this guy?
To begin with, a whetstone is a necessity for cutting blades, and since it is a gift from a princess from a prestigious swordsmanship, the quality is probably not bad.
With that thought in mind, I subtly brought the whetstone close to the sword sheath, and as expected, Flügel, who seemed to be conscious, rattled his blade briefly.
What? You like it?
So you are also a black sword?
I was relieved that I had found a use for the whetstone and brought it closer. In other words, it touches the slightly protruding blade slightly.
It was that moment.
Pazy!
For a moment, a blue-colored spark jumped out, but soon turned into an electric current and lightly electrocuted my arm.
Because I had expected it to some extent, I quickly retrieved the whetstone even though I was laughing.
– …… Dante, you… ….
“Sorry, sorry.”
Flügel’s dissatisfaction is clearly whispered but clearly growled. I lowered my voice so that only she could hear and offered her an apology.
Hmm, as expected, 5-star weapons have high pride. Even if you don’t have a whetstone or something, maintaining the blade isn’t difficult.
On the contrary, since he is a Flügel with an ego, he is like a whetstone and grinding his own face might be quite unpleasant.
After gently tapping the scabbard as an apology, I placed the whetstone back on the desk.
Therefore, this whetstone is a seal. I don’t need stones like this for my 5-star weapon.
‘Still, we can’t ignore sincerity, so let’s keep it.’
I was suddenly lost in thought as I roughly wrapped the whetstone in a wrapping cloth. Does the Sword Saint family have a culture like this? It’s a long-standing tradition related to gifts.
Well, it’s not particularly important.
“Huh?”
I had put aside all the meaningless thoughts and suddenly looked up. Isn’t there quite a lot of attention?
I could feel the tired and powerful gazes of my classmates.
I thought everyone would have gone back, but I guess not.
Raising their gaze in this direction with even more intense eyes seems to have piqued their interest for a different reason than the concentration of attention during lunch.
I realized that all of my classmates’ eyes were looking beyond me and toward the inside pocket of my uniform jacket.
For a moment, I thought about spouting nonsense like ‘Oh my, where are you looking!’, But that didn’t seem right, so I took out the letter again. This is probably their goal anyway.
As expected, their eyes began to burn with even more curiosity.
Well, even if it’s not like a love letter or something like I first thought, a duel between two special students is a pretty interesting topic.
You must be curious.
If possible, you might want to take a look.
You’ll probably want to know things like the reason and the origin. First of all, except for the previous confrontation, there was almost no contact between Aria and me.
It was a natural interest and concern for those who did not know the series of events leading to the invasion of the professor’s office.
And I knew well how to satisfy their needs.
“Are you curious? This.”
As I fluttered the letter paper left and right, my friends kept turning their heads, like fish chasing bait with their eyes.
These are quite stubborn expressions.
I smiled and continued talking.
“This letter contains the reason why Miss Aria challenged me to a duel, and a detailed description of the emotions related to it. Lastly, tomorrow afternoon is none other than the place where the duel will take place.”
Of course, everything except the backstory is a lie. There is no description of emotions or anything like that.
But what about it? I knew very well that this side could definitely attract more aggro.
Actually, look, all of our classmates who remained in the classroom were glancing at the stationery as if they were very curious, even though they were pretending not to be.
Small fun definitely refers to situations like this.
“I see, I’m curious about the contents of this letter… ….”
I clearly enjoyed those gazes and expressions until the end, and returned the letter to my inner pocket with a nonchalant attitude.
“Oh.”
Suddenly and naturally enough for someone to make such a puzzled voice.
In other words, this is the end of the preview.
I got up from my seat, ignoring the questioning looks that seemed like I still didn’t understand. It’s time to go home today.
If I call it a home, it’s a dormitory, but anyway-.
I smiled slyly and said to my classmates.
“Keep wondering like that.”
The atmosphere in the classroom, which was filled with the excitement of curiosity, became cold surprisingly quickly due to my words.
Hmm. It’s cold.
But I couldn’t help it. If I were to be honest, the reason I accepted this unexpected sparring request was because I also had my own purpose…….
Since the purpose is to ultimately break Aria’s confidence, the nature of the sparring will be quite harsh, to the point that some might say it is ‘excessive’.
There is nothing good about being seen by many students.
“See you tomorrow, friends.”
I smiled cheerfully and waved at my classmates.
I’m sorry, but this sparring will be off the record.
He crosses the classroom making a cheerful sound. And the moment you open the door and go out…
“Philip, Drake.”
The students’ eyes returned with a bad feeling.
“Let’s catch that.”
The voice of Nick is familiar, but the usual smile is completely gone.
I stiffened as I held on to the doorknob.
“Is that so?”
“That’s right, it should have been like that a long time ago.”
The following are satisfactory answers from the two male students. But for me, it was a negative reaction.
You may not know it, but at this time, all the students in the class except me must have reached a tacit agreement and were in a state of one mind.
“… ….”
“… ….”
In the short silence, my judgment and response were indeed quick.
Snap!
Hold the door handle, open it, and get out!
“Hey, catch it!”
“This kid is making people angry. “Why do you stop talking?”
“Bind!”
The sound of casting that followed, which I shouldn’t have heard, made me start the game. Don’t use magic on campus for something trivial like this!
I tried to avoid the students who barbarically tried to suppress me with force, but it was of little use.
“Hundreds of millions.”
I was quickly caught, and all I could do was crouch down to prevent the letter from being taken away.
“Looking at that won’t wear you out, give it to me!”
“Let’s take a look. “Do you think it’s easy to watch special cases fighting each other?”
“Oh! Evil! If this continues, the letter will be torn to pieces! Hey, stop pulling!”
In the midst of the one-sided lynching, I looked to Beatrice, who was far away, asking for help, but she was so cruel that she just leisurely left the classroom alone.
“You guys are having fun. “I go first.”
That man, a heartless bastard…… !
*****
“…… Why do you look like that? “Did you fall over on your way there?”
Aria said that in a shaky voice. Of course, she was worried, but even more than that, she seemed to be astonished.
That’s because the way I am now is out of the question.
A day passed, but I still had marks here and there where the kids had pinched me.
But I guess I should be thankful that he didn’t hit me.
While gently rubbing my red cheeks, I waved my hand at Aria to show that it was okay.
“Don’t worry. “Even though he looks like this, his body is in good condition.”
“Yeah, really?”
“…… Okay.”
I reluctantly nodded, but in my mind, I thought about my classmates’ actions and failures the day before. How can you attack me as a group while dealing with me alone? Violent guys.
Of course, I scratched his nerves first, but that doesn’t matter.
All of the Class A guys are already imprinted in my head as ‘too much guys.’
Well, fortunately, the letter somehow escaped without being stolen…….
I think I had a lot of hair pulled out in the process. It still stings.
“Whoa.”
Anyway, that was yesterday, and it’s not something worth continuing to worry about.
I took a short breath, shook off my mental fatigue, and pulled out my flugel.
The western area of the Academy, on the other side of the area where various natural environments, including a small lake, have been artificially created.
I stood facing Aria in the clearing at the entrance to the so-called Hummingbird Forest.
Of course, it wasn’t just me and her, but Beatrice was sitting on a tree a little distance away, as her witness and as a precaution in case of an emergency.
At that moment, Aria glanced at Beatrice, nodded her head slightly, and opened her mouth.
“As expected, the saint was there at that time?”
And at that word, Beatrice, who was far away, flinched greatly. Then, it’s a bonus to stare at me for no reason.
I tried to ignore her gaze and nodded at her.
“I was the black mask, and that saint over there was the white mask. “Isn’t the color scheme okay?”
“Because she is a saint. “No matter what, you can’t put on a dull mask.”
That is also true.
I smiled and raised my sword.
“Have you given up on reporting it now?”
As I spoke those words at the same time, Aria pointed her black sword at me and narrowed her eyes.
“For now. I don’t report it. I still don’t know why, but if not only you but also the saintess is involved in such a thing, there might be a reason…….”
“Such discrimination is heartbreaking, Miss Aria.”
Aria giggled softly at my joke.
“But it can’t be helped. “If I were to ask any of the first years, in terms of trustworthiness, I would choose the saintess of the Holy Order over you.”
“…… Write.”
It wasn’t wrong, I was silent, but I couldn’t help but feel displeased. I frowned, and in the meantime, Aria spoke again.
“It just worked out. After this sparring, I’ll have to have a chat with the saint. “I have a feeling, but I think I can communicate better than you.”
If that was unfair, it was also unfair, so I couldn’t help but laugh.
“How bad are you looking at me?”
“Hmm, a juvenile delinquent who just leaves behind a friend who preaches that doing something wrong is wrong?”
“… ….”
That is also true.
The words are a bit strange, though.
“Oh, there’s one thing I’d like to ask before we start sparring.”
“…… What?”
I was about to raise the sword, slowly take my stance, and widen the distance. She calmly said her words as if Aria was no big deal, and I too only briefly nodded at her.
She glanced in the direction where Beatrice was and whispered in a low voice.
“Was it really necessary to bring the saint? There may be injuries, but I didn’t think it would be such a bloody fight. “Did I think wrong?”
I also glanced at Beatrice slightly so as not to be noticed.
It certainly wasn’t a matter of life or death, and having her saintess on standby as her mandatory trainer didn’t seem a bit excessive.
Of course, there was no reason at all, so I looked directly at Aria, letting her flugel slightly hang. A little boring.
“…… ?”
Perhaps my gaze bothered him, but Aria gently tilted her head.
“Dante?”
“Let me tell you one thing in advance.”
I didn’t like her relaxed appearance at all.
That attitude of thinking that you won’t lose anyway and that no one will get seriously hurt.
That’s why Geomseong constantly questioned her pride.
So, I also decided to lower my voice a little.
“You lose to me today. And that too with a sword.”
I gently tilted the flugel, emphasizing the confrontation between prosecutors and prosecutors, and took a step forward.
And at those words, Aria’s expression also hardened for the first time.
Now, I was planning to scratch her pride, pride, and other things about the ‘sword’ she carried.
“You are not that strong. Not overwhelming. To be honest, if you fight Grisha, you will definitely lose two to three times out of ten.”
“…… What are you talking about all of a sudden? “I don’t understand.”
Aria responded quietly and coldly, but her tone of voice lowering the temperature was exactly the response I was hoping for.
I deliberately twitched the corner of her mouth and decided to hurt her pride even more.
“Know the topic. It’s nice to see someone overflowing with confidence, but if it’s too much, it’s just annoying. “I assure you, you can’t beat me.”
“… ….”
That was quite an extreme statement.
Not only did Aria keep her mouth shut, but she also made Beatrice, who had been watching without thinking, look embarrassed.
It was exactly as intended.
“…… Were you this kind of kid? “I never thought there would be such a low level of nerves ahead of sparring.”
Aria’s voice sank even deeper. Her emotions rising above her red eyes were clearly unpleasant.
“I got the wrong person.”
And it is disappointing.
I didn’t care and spoke calmly.
“Whether you think so or not is none of my business. The point is, you need to get beat up by someone. “When that time comes, I will still be able to judge myself a little more objectively.”
At that moment, Aria’s expression completely calmed down. What ultimately comes to mind is emotionlessness and lamentation.
After she straightened her sword, she looked at me intently from the gap between the blades.
“It’s a coincidence.”
“What?”
“I thought about it just a moment ago, but I also want to beat you up.”
“…… Okay?”
Heomi, be brutal.
I was a little scared on the inside, but I succeeded in not showing it on the outside.
I lightly tapped the flugel, trying to reassure my anxiously beating heart.
It was a signal that it was about to begin, and the blade trembled briefly as if he had accepted it.
As if he was a little nervous.
-You can come anytime. Because I’m ready… …. Ha… ….
“… ….”
I wasn’t nervous.
Anyway, that’s enough of the nonsense. There is no need to make more noise, just show it by crossing your swords.
What I want from Aria, the attitude I want her to adopt.
“Shall we begin?”
“… ….”
Aria did not answer.
It just puts an aura on the sword.
Wow-
Her unique auror, like a black flame. It’s dark, but not ominous. Rather, it would be nice to say that it gives a mysterious feeling.
And in order to receive her black sword, I also need to do my best.
Pajik-
I closed my eyes for a moment and muttered one word in a low voice.
“Heavenly thunder.”
In other words, the starting word for this ability.
From noble mtl dot com
Quargorung!