Hero

Well, whether he was groping the asses or tits of women who liked him wasn't any of my fucking business.

What was happening right in front of me—the students' sparring matches—was far more interesting. The duels, conducted regardless of gender, were more intense than I'd ever imagined.

No joke, the level was high enough that an ordinary blue-rank adventurer wouldn't even be able to compete and would get chewed up. A few ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the students could even use aura, so wouldn't that put them around red-rank?

"So, how about it, Kingdom Knight? Satisfied with the Empire's standards?"

It was Ethenera. No matter how I looked at it, that was a nickname he'd come up with himself, and he seemed to like it, since he kept pushing it. But I knew reacting every time would only encourage him, so I decided to just ignore it and answer.

"Honestly, I'm surprised. I don't know whether it's the difference in how they're educated, but they're extremely good at responding to real combat situations. They could easily beat adventurers up through blue-rank back in the kingdom."

The training grounds didn't just generate injuries or weapons; it created terrain, too. It could produce all sorts of environments—swamps, snowy mountains, deserts—and it was clear that the people inside were affected accordingly, even if there was some mitigation.

Seeing them deploy magical engineering that advanced, even for students, really made me think, the Empire's on another level.

"Oh, that's a pretty specific comparison. Does our Kingdom Knight here have ties with adventurers?"

"I'm not a knight in the first place. Adventurer work is part of my job too. The request I handled right before coming here went well, so I figure I'll probably make blue-rank soon."

Judging by the incident itself, they could probably give me red-rank, but I wasn't expecting that much.

"Ooh. They said you were only fifteen, but your experience is no joke. But does that mean our knight here is about the same level as us?"

As expected of a young buck, Ethenera loved dick-measuring contests about strength. I had absolutely no intention of getting dragged into that, so I just smiled.

"Who knows."

Anyway, they'd find out soon enough during sparring, so what was the point of saying anything now? Maybe Ethenera figured as much, because he just laughed heartily and didn't ask me anything further.

Most of the matches paired mages against warriors. Thanks to that, I got what was practically my first detailed look since coming to this world at how mages actually fought.

The students were so skilled that comparing them to the mages you occasionally saw among adventurers would have been embarrassing. They used shortened chants and spell storage with extreme proficiency against the warriors. Moreover, the number of spells they could use was so vast that it was rare to see a student fighting with a similar method.

Even veteran adventurer mages often stumbled over their incantations if a warrior wasn't protecting the front line for them. Maybe those guys really had just been idiots after all.

Overall, the mages had a higher win rate, but when it came to aura users, it was a crushing victory for the warriors. Though, that was because there were only four of those aura users.

"What do you think? Those are the nobles considered the best in our year. They're popular too, since they're all good-looking."

Sure, their faces were decent enough, and judging by their conduct before and after duels, their personalities seemed fine. But I didn't quite see them as being that pretty or handsome, so I just nodded. Their skills, apart from one, were just so-so. Maybe it was because they'd awakened their aura early, but overall their swordsmanship was a bit sloppy, which was a mark against them.

"I'd heard the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Empire's nobles awaken their aura somewhat early, and maybe it's because of that, but their swordsmanship feels a touch lacking."

"Whoa, whoa. You're coming in hard all of a sudden, Kingdom Knight!"

"Anyone can run their mouth while watching, can't they?"

I smiled, cutting off Ethenera's attempt to deflect with his bluster, and the guy clicked his tongue regretfully and backed off.

The more I looked, the funnier this guy was. This was exactly why he was here despite having that kind of cheek—because he had the skills to back it up.

"Well then... now that you've gotten a feel for things, would the Margrave care to try as well?"

When the students were about halfway through their sparring, Jideulli casually broached the subject. At that, Ragnis, who had been maintaining a fairly amicable atmosphere among the female students, stepped forward and answered.

"Certainly. I expect it will be a very instructive experience, so I'm looking forward to it."

Ragnis had zero real combat experience. Still, having gone through the utterly rare and dramatic experience of an aerial kidnapping, I thought she'd have acquired some level of situational composure, but I couldn't help feeling inwardly anxious. Even if it was an illusion, getting beaten down one-sidedly would still sting a bit.

Of course, if Radnelbandes's educational philosophy was indeed rooted in real combat as Jideulli said, she must have been lauded as talented through intense training over the past year and change...

"I haven't seen it myself, so this makes me nervous."

"Hm? What was that?"

"Just talking to myself. I'm also curious to see what the Margrave will show, so I'm looking forward to it."

Feigning nonchalance, I watched Ragnis step up into the training grounds with the heart of a parent watching their kid's school recital.

Her hair, now grown so long it was hard to find any trace of how she'd looked back in Ogwen, was lightly tied up. Her appearance was so sleek, she could've passed for a warrior.

She wore high-waisted leather pants that rose to her stomach and a deep wine-colored shirt with a mass of white frills across the chest. It matched her hair remarkably well, and the male students' eyes naturally kept drifting toward her legs.

"Then, the Margrave's opponent will be..."

"I would like to do it."

The owner of that confident, powerful voice was the female noble who, in a manner utterly unbefitting that voice, had been offering her ass up to the Hero. If our eye levels were similar, it wouldn't be so obvious, but... since mine was different, it was plainly visible.

Hmm... if the person in question was brazen about it, well, I guess it didn't matter, but still... jeez.

Maybe it'd be better to just call her a slut.

"Having heard all about the Margrave of Levien's talent from the professor, I've been wanting to have a match with her at least once."

"Hmph. Fine. Come on up, Eselua."

The slut, whose striking long blonde hair fell to her thighs, strode confidently up to the training grounds and, the moment she stood before Ragnis, offered a greeting in strict accordance with formal etiquette, her movements very familiar.

No matter how much they say you shouldn't judge people by appearances, it was an etiquette that really didn't suit a woman who'd been getting her ass groped outdoors just moments ago. The weapon the illusion generated for her was, at a glance, a mage's staff. Probably because they took into account her total lack of real combat experience, they hadn't deliberately paired her with a warrior.

Honestly, I'd been worried sick that with that body, which didn't have a hint of muscle and only boasted a huge ass and tits, she might actually be a warrior. If she had been, something inside me would have undoubtedly shattered into pieces.

"I look forward to this, Margrave."

"I look forward to this as well, Eselua."

The noble greetings ended, and at Jideulli's signal, the sparring began...

-BANG!

"Aaah!"

...huh? The fuck? Why is she flying?

With a dumbfounded expression, Jideulli watched the slut sail lightly through the air and land outside the training grounds, then announced the match was over without closing his gaping mouth.

"E-Eselua. Ring out."

And the moment he did, the students erupted in commotion.

"Chantless casting?!"

"Incredible! That was so clean! And what the hell was that spell just now?!"

"So it was true—she really is Radnelbandes's top disciple!"

"I heard she just came of age; how can she have such accomplishments?!"

Unlike my stupefied self, all the students instantly cheered, as if they perfectly understood this sudden turn of events.

Why are only you guys excited? Let me be excited too. Why am I the only one not excited? Why am I the only one who doesn't get it?

"Kingdom Knight! What was that! The Margrave is on a completely different level!"

"Ah, no. I'm seeing this for the first time too."

Did something like a burst of air just go off and send the slut flying? Without any incantation at all? Was that really magic?

"A-amazing! I've never seen calculations at that level performed without an incantation! That was incredible! I'm impressed!"

Even the slut who'd been sent flying didn't get angry or frustrated. Her eyes sparkled as she climbed straight back onto the arena, grabbed Ragnis's hand, and shook it over and over. Whatever else I thought of her, I genuinely liked what a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠good sport she was. Ragnis stood there letting the woman swing her hand around while maintaining a calm, dignified smile fit for a noble.

Was this really the Ragnis I knew? My heart swelled with pride.

"Thank you."

She even came back down accepting the praise calmly, without a single word of humility. Well, of course, in a duel between nobles, holding back was considered disrespectful, but still...

"Eldmia."

The call came out of nowhere, but I was already in work mode. I responded immediately, followed her gesture, and leaned down to bring my ear close.

"Fight the Hero. And win."

"Huh? Come again?"

Ragnis? That's the Hero we're talking about. Sure, the way he acts pisses me off, and sure, things have been going well for me lately, but isn't that asking a little too much? Maybe?

Sure, I'd told him I was looking forward to sparring when we talked earlier, and I was completely willing to fight him. But when she ordered me to do it in that tone, the pressure went up a bit.

"Eselua said it. That it was a first for her. That means, whatever the Hero's magical talent may be, his actual combat ability is below mine."

I naturally untied my scabbard and handed over the sword at my waist, playing along with Ragnis as if she'd called me over just to receive it. In contrast to the encouraging pat she gave my shoulder, a frigid voice flowed from her lips.

"Shouldn't we teach that little brat that first impressions decide a great deal?"

"Well, yeah, but still, he's the Hero..."

"The whole atmosphere is what it is precisely because he isn't strong enough to inspire awe in the students."

"It could be backlash from him being overwhelmingly stronger than them without any particular effort."

"If that were the case, it would've been obvious."

She seemed angrier than I had thought, but separately from that, she was laying out a logic that felt fairly valid.

"More importantly, that brat is either the same age as you or a year older..."

Seeing her expression, smiling with her eyes but with her pupils frozen solid, I couldn't bring myself to voice the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠rest of my sentence, so I just shut my mouth and nodded.

The hell, give me back the Ragnis I knew.