Chapter 135
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: An Ardent Admirer
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Right after the first-years' lecture ended, Aint was the first to leave the classroom.
‘Thanks to Pernyan, I got to see something interesting.’
Experience wasn't something you could only gain by fighting yourself.
Watching skilled fighters spar was also a good experience, and Alkmion Altriark's swordsmanship, in particular, was a novel sight for Aint.
‘I've never seen that kind of swordsmanship before.’
- That is the secret swordsmanship of the Altriarks. It pursues power and dominance over precision, subtlety, and grace.
- Because it's relatively simple, those who criticize the Altriarks call it crude, but that's precisely what makes it so destructive.
‘It seemed that way.’
None of the first-years could block Alkmion's sword.
- It's a sword that deals damage even if you block it, unless you dodge or deflect it properly.
An effect born from its overwhelming destructive power.
‘I'd still like to face him once.’
- It would probably be a good experience. He's the most suitable practice partner before fighting demons.
While there were considerable differences between the fighting styles of demons and the Altriarks, they shared the common trait of crushing opponents with overwhelming power.
In that sense, among humans at least, the Altriarks pursued the most demon-like style of combat.
‘That's true….’
It was then.
“Senior Aint!”
“Timon Baertz?”
“You know my name?”
It was Timon Baertz.
Aint was taken aback. He had been looking for a chance to approach him, but he hadn't expected Timon to come to him first.
- Is he here to size you up because he's a Vile Breed?
Perhaps that was it.
But still, I can't feel any demonic energy.
- Just say something. Standing there silently will look strange.
“You're the first-year salutatorian.”
“It's an honor! An unparalleled honor!”
‘Huh?’
- This reaction is a bit strange.
Even to Aint, the reaction was more intense than he'd expected.
But it could be an act.
According to Gardner, a thousand years ago, there were countless Vile Breeds and demons who would beguile humans and approach them in a friendly manner.
“No, it's not that big of a deal just because I know your name….”
“Not at all! What a great honor it is for a senior from the great Armian family to know my name!”
- It's like I'm seeing a thousand years ago. The former emperor was a hero back then. There were countless people who admired and respected him.
“…Is that so?”
“Of course!”
Aint stammered in response to Gardner's words.
Honestly, he was a bit baffled, as he'd never thought of it that way before.
- Think about it. With a reaction that intense, isn't he practically giving away that he's a Vile Breed?
- A thousand years ago, the former emperor was naturally a hero for wiping out the demons and killing that bastard Collomo, but you haven't really done anything yet.
It wasn't that he'd done nothing. But was it enough to warrant this level of adoration? Gardner didn't think so.
If so, there was only one answer.
- Those stupid demons. A thousand years have passed, and they still think it's the same era.
- This guy is definitely a Vile Breed. He must have received orders from a demon, but they were anachronistic orders.
An approach stuck a thousand years in the past.
Since the demons had only just begun to descend again after a millennium, it wasn't surprising they wouldn't understand the gap in time.
After all, Gardner himself had needed some effort to adapt to the changed world after waking up after nearly a thousand years.
‘That could be it.’
- This is for the best. If he plans to approach you like this, he'll agree to almost any request you make.
So just say it directly.
“You're pretty skilled. How about a sparring match with me?”
“A sparring match? Me, with you, senior?”
“Yes.”
Aint nodded, carefully observing Timon's reaction.
Widening pupils, a slightly parted mouth, a faintly flushed face.
“I'd love to!”
And the fervent nod and enthusiastic cheer that followed were certainly strange.
‘I think you were right, Gardner.’
He had defeated Andromalius where no one could see, and even then, Pernyan and Ruina had contributed greatly.
His other encounters with Vile Breeds hadn't become major rumors either; at most, there was only the Continental Academic Conference.
And he agreed with Gardner that that alone couldn't be the reason for this much admiration.
“It would be my honor! To think I'll be able to cross swords with you, Senior Aint!”
- He took the bait!
‘What should I do?’
- Beat him half to death. We're sure he's a Vile Breed anyway, and this is just for final confirmation.
- Make sure you knock him out cold.
‘Yes.’
“Shall we go to the training grounds, then?”
“Yes. Absolutely!”
Aint headed to the training grounds with Timon.
* * *
‘Oh my god…! We made eye contact!’
Their eyes met. Timon Baertz barely managed to keep his composure.
‘Senior Aint is watching…!’
‘How did a second-year get into a first-year sparring class?’ or ‘Why is he watching the first-years' sparring?’ Such questions briefly crossed his mind, but they weren't important.
What mattered was that he had met Aint, that their eyes had met, and that he had a chance to show his skills in front of him.
‘I hope I didn't look bad. I should have ended it more decisively…!’
At least he'd managed to secure a victory, which was a relief.
‘What does he think of me…? To think a hero of Armian is my senior. I'm so glad I came to the academy…!’
Ever since he stumbled upon *The Biography of the Great First Emperor* as a child, Timon had been captivated by the righteous code of chivalry and the great first emperor.
The first emperor who wiped out the demons.
The knights who galloped across the continent alongside him.
*The Biography of the Great First Emperor* became an ideal for the young Timon, presenting him with a path to follow.
Become a knight. Become a knight like the ones in this book.
And so, he took up the sword.
But as he grew older, he had to face two cold realities.
One was that the Armian family had fallen.
The other was that there were no demons.
‘…The demons were wiped out by the first emperor a thousand years ago, and Armian, upon losing the throne….’
had all but collapsed.
The sense of loss he felt then was too devastating to put into words.
But then, the situation began to change abruptly.
【Breaking their long silence, the Armian family finally re-emerges... Aint Armian enrolls in the academy! Rank: 38th!】
Although his rank of 38th was disappointing, the Armian family had finally broken their long silence and resumed their activities.
【Vile Breeds Attack the Continental Academic Conference!】
As if on cue, Vile Breeds began to appear and throw the world into chaos.
‘No, the order is wrong.’
It wasn't that demons appeared after Aint Armian emerged; it was that the Armian family emerged because they anticipated the demons' return.
To save the world from the demons.
The moment he realized this, his heart pounded.
The news that Aint, who had entered with a disappointing rank of 38th, had become the top student before even finishing his first year excited him even more.
Before he knew it, Timon was imagining himself riding alongside Aint, cutting down demons.
The nearly extinguished flame began to revive, burning hotter than ever.
And so, he enrolled in the academy.
He would have enrolled even if it weren't for Aint, but still, that's what happened.
‘But to run into him so soon! And to think he came to watch the sparring!’
Their eyes had met. He didn't know if Aint had come to see him specifically, but it was clear he had at least some interest in his skills.
‘Of course, I may have lost to that ignorant muscle-head from Altriark, but I'm still the salutatorian!’
After all the lectures had ended, Timon quietly followed Aint out of the classroom.
He didn't know why. He just wanted to try talking to him.
He didn't know what others thought, but to him, Aint Armian was his ideal.
He rushed out impulsively and, fortunately, managed to catch up to Aint.
“Senior Aint!”
Aint stopped.
“Timon Baertz?”
“You know my name?”
“You're the first-year salutatorian.”
“It's an honor! An unparalleled honor!”
My god! He knows my name! It felt like a halo was shining behind him.
The problem was, he hadn't thought about what to do next.
“No, it's not that big of a deal just because I know your name….”
“Not at all! What a great honor it is for a senior from the great Armian family to know my name!”
Aint, who had paused for a moment, rolled his eyes once and continued.
“Is that so?”
“Of course!”
Timon nodded vehemently.
Armian was his hero. He wished that Aint would clearly recognize his own worth.
“You're pretty skilled. How about a sparring match with me?”
It was then that the sudden proposal was made.
“A sparring match? Me, with you, senior?”
This time, Timon paused.
A sparring match?
Me?
With Armian, of all people?
Really?
“Yes.”
Aint's nod was like a giant fireball to Timon.
His heart began to pound like crazy, and his breathing grew ragged.
‘Me? Sparring with Senior Aint?’
With that hero?
“I'd love to!”
There was no reason to refuse. In fact, he wanted to beg for it, even on his knees.
“It would be my honor! To think I'll be able to cross swords with you, Senior Aint!”
He drove the point home again, just in case Aint suddenly changed his mind.
Fortunately, Aint didn't go back on his word. Truly the bloodline of a hero.
“Shall we go to the training grounds, then?”
“Yes. Absolutely!”
He headed to the training grounds with Aint.
Timon tried hard to calm his pounding heart.
‘This is a test.’
A test to see if he was worthy to stand by the hero's side, to be a part of the great epic.
‘I must do my best to catch his eye.’
Timon steeled his resolve. He also had faith that no matter how hard he fought, Aint would be able to handle it with ease.
And that faith.
“…Huh?”
became certainty when his sword went flying after just ten clashes.
“You're as strong as I expected!”
He was different from Alkmion. Sharper, faster, with better combinations.
‘This is truly a hero's sword!’
It was on a different level from Alkmion's crude method of crushing opponents with sheer power. One might even say his sword flowed with elegance.
What was disappointing was that he'd lost his sword in just ten exchanges.
Frustration welled up inside him, a feeling that perhaps he wasn't good enough to stand by the hero's side.
“Senior, may I ask for another round?”
“Alright.”
Fortunately, the senior allowed him a rematch.
The generosity of an Armian was just as it was written in *The Biography of the Great First Emperor*.
He picked up his sword and fought again. This time, he went all out from the start.
─!
But his sword still went flying. The only consolation was that he had lasted a little longer.
‘I was a frog in a well…!’
He had thought he was worthy enough to stand by his side, but the hero destined to catch demons and save the continent was on a completely different level.
“I've lost. Next time, I'll definitely….”
“No, you haven't lost.”
“Pardon?”
“Pick up your sword.”
“…Pardon?”
It was then that he realized something was wrong.
“We have to spar, Timon. We agreed to spar.”
“But, the match is….”
“It's not over 'til it's over.”
“No, I mean, it's over….”
As the senior's sword began to glow with aura, Timon had no choice but to hastily pick up his own.
───!
And once again, he lost his grip on his sword.
“Pick it up.”
He picked it up.
“S-Senior…! Please…!”
“Pick up your sword.”
──!
“Pick it up.”
─!
“Sword.”
After nearly ten more rounds of the one-sided spar, Timon's aura was depleted.
Every muscle in his body screamed, and his consciousness began to fade due to internal damage.
Thud-
“He's final…ly… down.”
Through his darkening consciousness, he heard his senior's voice.
There were only the two of us in the training grounds, so who was he talking to?
He felt a warm aura entering his body.
Could it be my senior?
- ...nothing?
‘No, my senior wouldn't do that. It must be my imagination, since I'm in bad shape.’
The pain from his battered insides was immense.
As if to confirm his thoughts, the energy he had felt was long gone.
At his absurd delusion, Timon let out an unconscious chuckle.
- He's... laughing?
With those words, Timon's vision went black.