Chapter 89
Chapter 89
After returning from the Academic Festival, the second semester exams began.
Since everyone—including myself—who had represented the Academy and participated in the event had already taken the exams in advance, we had free time until the regular exam period ended.
Naturally, all of my scores were perfect.
The system assist’s performance was as reliable as ever, and I had studied diligently while relying on it, so it was only to be expected.
Leysias, who had also taken the exams early with me, said she thought she had missed about two questions in the theory subjects, but even then, she would probably place second or third.
While the exams were being held, I spent my time leisurely strolling around the Academy grounds, and the others looked at me with envy as they devoted themselves to exam preparation.
With even the unplanned Academic Festival schedule finally finished, I intended to spend some time adapting to the changed senses that came with reaching Sword Master.
To others, it probably looked like I was just slacking off, basking in the warm sunlight—but in reality, I was repeatedly undergoing a delicate process of reconstructing my energy from the inside out.
The place referred to as the dantian in martial arts novels was, in this world, vaguely called the center of the body.
Anyway, centered on that place, I expelled all the energy I had accumulated so far into empty space.
Thus, the mana that had been residing there returned to nature, and my dantian began to fill with something purer and denser.
As the dantian changed, my body also began to change little by little.
There was no dramatic transformation like rebirth through bone and flesh, but with each night that passed, I grew slightly taller, and my muscles and bones thickened further.
Perhaps it was a process of drawing closer to what was called perfection.
Even in the midst of that, I was called to the headmaster’s office several times to coordinate schedules due to the Academic Festival awards.
Finally, on the day the exams ended, just as Chris had said, someone from the upper echelons of the Empire came and personally bestowed awards upon us.
“Ho ho, there are truly many interesting youngsters this year.”
That in itself wasn’t particularly special, but the problem was that the face of the person praising me and handing me the award was extremely familiar.
‘Damn it, why is this old man…….’
At most, I had expected a baron or marquess-level noble to appear.
But before my eyes, a Sword Saint holding the title of Grand Duke had personally come to the Academy and was directly awarding the Academy representatives who had achieved outstanding results.
Participation in the award ceremony was voluntary, but with the appearance of the Sword Saint, almost all Academy students gathered there.
He was a figure who could be called the Empire’s greatest hero.
Thousands of gazes converged on him with admiration.
The Sword Saint seemed to enjoy it, letting out a hearty laugh as he patted my shoulder.
“They say there’s never been a case of a first-year winning the Academic Festival. Keep striving just like this; you’ll be put to good use by the Empire.”
Those who didn’t know the circumstances all looked at me with envy.
However, those who knew my status merely forced smiles while hiding subtle expressions.
“Ha.”
As I let out a small sigh, the Sword Saint patted my shoulder once more and moved on to the next person.
By nature, he disliked pomp and ceremony, so unless it was by the Emperor’s order, he rarely participated in events or parties.
This time as well, I had expected him to come see me quietly on an unofficial visit, but as if mocking my expectations, he made a grand spectacle of it.
“I heard my disciple achieved unprecedented results. How could I not come in person?”
When I asked about it in a private reception room right after the ceremony, the Sword Saint replied with a nonchalant expression.
“And while I was at it, I came to check whether what you wrote in that letter was true.”
“You could have just come quietly…….”
When I voiced a slight complaint about how troublesome things had become, the Sword Saint let out a carefree laugh.
“Do you think things would stay quiet just because I moved quietly? It was bound to turn out like this anyway. It’s better for one’s peace of mind to enjoy it.”
“…Well, you’ve left me with nothing to say.”
Indeed, when someone like the Sword Saint moved, there was no way it wouldn’t cause a stir.
Since handling it as an official visit would lessen the aftermath, I nodded at his reasoning.
“Still, I thought it would be soon, but this is faster than I expected.”
The Sword Saint looked at me carefully.
Before, his piercing gaze had made me feel as though everything about me was being laid bare, but after reaching the realm of Master, I could properly recognize my own existence.
In other words, by not recognizing myself, I could also erase my existence.
As I calmly met his gaze, the Sword Saint nodded with a satisfied look.
“I’m glad it doesn’t seem like some half-baked awakening. Lately, there are far too many chaff who say they’ve reached Master just because they can use an aura blade.”
“I ran into one during the Academic Festival as well. A guy named Gashnel.”
“Gashnel? Wasn’t he a close aide of the Second Imperial Prince? I heard he’s gone into hiding recently, though.”
At that, I smiled.
If even the Sword Saint didn’t know, then Darius must have deliberately kept his mouth shut.
Reading something from my expression, he spoke with a suspicious look.
“…Don’t tell me?”
Awakening came in times of crisis.
I hadn’t explained how I awakened, but perhaps he sensed something from the name Gashnel, because the Sword Saint’s expression hardened.
“That ‘don’t tell me’ is exactly it.”
I nodded and calmly continued my story.
During the Academic Festival event, an unexpected terrorist attack by the Anti-Imperial Faction occurred.
Caught in the middle of it, I was transferred to a forest near the capital by a teleportation spell installed on the stage.
There, a group led by Gashnel was waiting, and after a fierce battle, I awakened and managed to defeat them all.
“Hm…….”
The Sword Saint stroked his chin.
“That fellow Gashnel was certainly one of the chaff, but he wasn’t completely worthless. More than anything, his obsession could even be called impressive.”
“You said it yourself—that not all Masters are the same just because they use aura blades. He remained incomplete until the end, and I merely completed myself at the very end.”
At that, the Sword Saint burst into loud laughter, then flicked his finger as if telling me not to get cocky.
“You brat, Master is nothing more than a process in the end. It’s still too early to talk about completion.”
“I know. But isn’t it okay to be a little cocky?”
When I shrugged as if to say that this level of talent combined with this level of effort deserved recognition, the Sword Saint wiped his smile away and spoke seriously.
“Fine, I’ll acknowledge it. In all my life, I’ve never seen someone with talent like yours.”
A smile naturally spread across my face.
Receiving praise from the person I aimed for made it feel as though the hardships I had endured were being repaid, even if only a little.
Of course, the Sword Saint’s words didn’t end there.
“So let me take a look at that ‘completion’ of yours. You’re ready, of course. Sword Master.”
“From today on, I won’t go down so easily.”
At that, I smiled with confidence.
“Huff, huff…….”
Cancel it.
Forget it.
I was nothing close to complete—I was still a mere novice.
The sword, wrapped in dazzling aura blades, split into dozens of strands, pressing in from all directions as if multiple Masters were attacking me at once.
I hurriedly sucked in a breath and tensed every muscle in my body.
‘You crazy old man!’
It was my first spar since reaching the realm of Sword Master.
Given who my opponent was, it was natural to be nervous, but I also had a bit of pride swelling within me.
The Sword Saint looked at me and laughed happily, saying that from now on, sparring would finally have some bite.
I shot back that I wouldn’t disappoint him, but that was the moment I should have smashed my head into the ground and begged forgiveness for getting cocky.
He pressed down on me with power on an entirely different level from before.
As if declaring that this was the true sword of a Sword Saint, his blade came at me without a moment’s respite, to the point where my body—being reconstructed after reaching Master—convulsed and screamed that it had reached its limit.
“Ugh, agh, ngh!”
Each time our swords met, the overwhelming difference in power flowed through my grip.
Shaken by the majestic impact that reverberated through my entire body, I ended up sprawled disgracefully on the ground without managing a single proper attack.
“It’s better than I expected.
It really has a nice feel.”
The Sword Saint looked down at me and smiled with a genuinely satisfied expression.
‘Damn it.’
I felt an unbearable sense of self-loathing.
His attacks were brutal, but just like before, he had engaged me at a similar level, using comparable strength.
And yet, the fact that the gap was still so overwhelming meant that I was still lacking.
Remembering how I had boasted in front of him earlier made me want to crawl into a mouse hole.
But feeling my inadequacy also meant that I could grow stronger.
As I reminded myself of that and barely forced my groaning body upright, the Sword Saint, who had already approached, ruffled my hair and said,
“You’ve finally started to look like my disciple.”
“…Then what was I before?”
“What else? A reckless brat who trusted his slight talent and got cocky.
But now it’s truly different.
Within this Empire, there are probably only about twenty people who could defeat you.”
“…There are still twenty?”
I sighed at the unexpectedly large number.
At that, the Sword Saint smiled gently and replied,
“That’s the minimum estimate.
Do you know how many experts are buried in obscurity? There might even be someone stronger than me.”
Saying that it was truly exciting, he lightly swung his sword.
Of course, there was no one stronger than the Sword Saint.
Someone on a similar level, perhaps, but not stronger.
“Well then, it’s probably best to stop here. This place seems to have reached its limit too.”
He looked around with a regretful expression.
This training ground had been built with a barrier specially requested from Chris.
Even if they held back, when those who had reached the level of Sword Master clashed, the aftereffects were no small matter.
At the very least, everyone in this Academy would notice it.
But the Archmage’s barrier erased all of that, allowing us to swing our swords with relative peace of mind—at least to a certain extent.
Seeing cracks forming here and there in the barrier, it seemed this was the limit.
At his words signaling the end of the spar, I sheathed my sword and cautiously opened my mouth.
The reason I had called the Sword Saint to the Academy wasn’t only to show him my achievement—there was another reason.
“There’s someone I’d like to introduce you to.”
“Are you talking about the headmaster? You might not have noticed, but she’s been watching from over there since we started exchanging blows.”
Following his gaze, I turned my head and saw Chris leaning against the wall.
Naturally, she was in the appearance of an old man she usually showed.
When our eyes met, she gave a gentle smile and approached us.
“This is the first time we’ve spoken directly like this, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. We’ve crossed paths several times at events, but we’ve never really talked.”
The Sword Saint responded casually in an informal tone.
Chris’s eyebrow twitched, but she laughed lightly without showing it.
Outwardly, she was a mage who had reached a high realm, but that alone wasn’t enough to be compared to the Sword Saint.
I stifled a smile at that and pointed at her.
“As expected, even with your eyes, Master, you couldn’t see through her true identity.”
“…Her?”
The Sword Saint looked at Chris with puzzled eyes.
From appearances alone, she was undoubtedly an old man.
At that, Chris let out a deep sigh and snapped her fingers.
“Pardon me for a moment.”
At the same time, the surrounding scenery changed.
It was her specialty—spatial transference magic unfolding.
Soon, Chris released her polymorph and revealed her true form.
“…This is.”
The Sword Saint’s eyes narrowed.
At the same time, his hand moved toward the hilt of the sword at his waist.
“…Huh?”
A clear hostility flared in the Sword Saint’s eyes.
It was something even I hadn’t anticipated.