Ch 217
Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy
Chapter 217
Along with the training camp, the late summer heat also receded, and before we knew it, autumn was in full swing.
Well, it's already November after all.
There's only one month left until the festival.
Of course, there are final exams before that.
Today is finally the day of the martial arts tournament preliminaries.
Since last year's winner came from 1st Hunter School, this year's preliminary venue is also at 2nd Hunter School in Incheon.
Still, it's a bit different from last year.
When I was a teacher, the teachers had to go on their own, but this year even the teachers get to ride the bus chartered by the school.
They should have done this from the beginning.
Even though it's not as nice a bus as the one for the training camp, it's still very convenient not having to drive.
Most of the kids going to the martial arts tournament are honor students, so there's nothing particular to worry about on the bus.
"Oh? Chan-seong, is the seat next to you empty?"
"It is, but are you going to sit here?"
"Why are you making the kid uncomfortable? Eunseo, there are other seats available, so sit with me."
"Aren't you going to sit with Jinsu?"
"I'll tell Jinsu to sit here, I'll be in the middle, and you can sit on the right."
"I think Jinsu would be more uncomfortable. Chan-seong, am I making you uncomfortable?"
"Ah... no."
"See, he says no."
"But would a junior openly tell a senior that they're uncomfortable?"
I had taken a seat in the back corner, accepting some discomfort to travel more comfortably, but Eunseo is better than the talkative Jinsu anyway.
"Sit down quickly over there. Is everyone here? Everyone fasten your seatbelts properly."
"Yes."
"Driver, I think you can depart now."
"Yes, departing now."
Eunseo naturally takes the seat next to me.
"How's your condition? Are you confident today?"
Eunseo really asks mischievous questions.
"The kids are probably going out for the experience. Don't be nervous and just do what you've been doing."
Even Minhee, sitting next to us, chimes in, but that's actually what I want to say.
The winner of this tournament is already decided anyway.
"Well, I'm just... How about you, senior?"
"I'll just do what I've been doing too."
"Please don't let me face you. Chan-seong, you pray too as you go. Pray that I don't face Eunseo as an opponent."
Minhee is joking around, but hmm, actually I still haven't made a decision.
The original plan was to face Eunseo in the second round of preliminaries and eliminate her.
I had thought of a method and prepared everything, but I'm wondering if there's really a need to do that in the current situation.
Lee Ji-sung's skills after obtaining the Internal Energy manual have grown as fast as in the original work, no... even faster.
He clearly showed improved skills during regular class time, and I heard he even defeated Cha Min-woo in the sparring match during last week's supplementary class.
It's much faster than when I first learned the Internal Energy manual.
Since the original work said his talent wasn't particularly good, he must have gotten wild ginseng to eat.
Students can't go out, but they can receive deliveries and such.
At his current level, he should be able to put up a good fight even against Eunseo.
In this situation, is there really a need for me to step forward and frustrate Eunseo?
The idea that I would eliminate her instead because Eunseo, who extremely dislikes Lee Ji-sung, would be shocked if she lost to him, was honestly just rationalizing things for my own convenience.
Still, if Eunseo beats Lee Ji-sung, the original work would be completely derailed, so to play it safe, it would be right for me to handle it...
While I was lost in thought, we arrived at 2nd Hunter School in Incheon before I knew it.
The venue is the magic dueling arena located in the auditorium, same as last year.
"Chan-seong, how's your condition?"
Kim Do-hyun approaches with Lee Ji-sung while I'm sitting in the corner.
"Well, so-so. Did you prepare a lot?"
"In my own way. But this Ji-sung bastard has been incredibly arrogant. He kept telling me to pray that I don't face him."
"It's not arrogance, it's confidence. Min Chan-seong, you should pray you don't face me too."
"The first round of preliminaries is against other schools anyway?"
It's slightly irritating to see him acting so cocky when he doesn't even know the rules, just because he learned some mental cultivation method.
"Really? Well, it doesn't matter. I'll have to do the 2nd and 3rd rounds anyway to make it to the main tournament. We can face each other later anyway."
"Don't get eliminated in the preliminaries."
I don't like Lee Ji-sung, but to prevent the original work from being twisted, I should intervene.
"The championship will go to Seong Eunseo senior anyway. I sparred with her last week and she's on a completely different level."
"Don't exaggerate."
"I'm not exaggerating... I lasted the longest, but I surrendered before even lasting 10 minutes."
At Do-hyun's words, Lee Ji-sung's expression became slightly serious.
He was acting cocky, but now he seems anxious after Do-hyun scared him.
It seems right to intervene after all.
While warming up and waiting, the opening ceremony began shortly after.
After sermons from 2nd Hunter School's principal and our school's vice principal, followed by a brief explanation of the rules, the electronic board lit up last, showing the tournament bracket.
[1st Hunter School Magic Class 1st Year Min Chan-seong VS 2nd Hunter School Swordsmanship Class 2nd Year Kim Ho-jin]
Oh my, I'm the very first match.
"Chan-seong, you're the first match."
"That's right."
"What do you mean 'that's right'? Aren't you nervous?"
Nervous about what. I just feel a bit sorry for that 2nd Hunter School student.
I have no choice but to win and advance if I want to face Eunseo in the second round and eliminate her.
"Not really?"
I answered casually and continued looking at the electronic board.
Do-hyun is facing a 3rd year spear arts student from 2nd Hunter School, Yu Hye-ji's opponent is a 2nd year swordsmanship student from 2nd Hunter School, Nam Ji-hyeon is facing a martial arts student from 2nd Hunter School... Huh?
Seong Ji-an's opponent is a student from our 1st Hunter School.
And it's Minhee from the swordsmanship class.
Usually, the first round doesn't pit students from the same school against each other, so what's this about?
Not just Seong Ji-an, but looking more carefully, there are several matches where 1st Hunter School students are pitted against each other.
Is it because many 1st Hunter School students participated?
This is an unexpected variable I didn't think of... Good Lord.
[1st Hunter School Swordsmanship Class 3rd Year Seong Eunseo VS 1st Hunter School Magic Class 1st Year Lee Ji-sung]
Their names are at the very bottom of the electronic board.
This is the worst-case scenario.
I immediately went to find a teacher and asked if the first round wasn't supposed to be against other schools according to convention, but as expected, the answer came back that it couldn't be helped because there were overwhelmingly more participants from our 1st Hunter School.
"Min Chan-seong student?"
"Chan-seong, they're calling for you. Go quickly."
"Do well and come back."
"Min Chan-seong, fighting!"
...I was too complacent.
I should have thought that this kind of situation would naturally occur if many 1st Hunter School students participated.
No, even if I had known in advance, it would have been useless.
From the second round onwards, students draw lots directly, so there's room for intervention, but the first round bracket is determined by computer random selection...
"Chan-seong?"
"Ah, yes."
Since it's the first match, I immediately went up to the dueling arena.
A 2nd year student with a good physique is holding a sword.
The referee calls us to the center and starts explaining.
"When everyone calls for a stop..."
"I forfeit."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Since Eunseo and Lee Ji-sung ended up meeting in the first round of preliminaries, I have no reason to participate in the martial arts tournament.
My plan has already been completely ruined.
I said I would forfeit again and came down from the arena.
People around might tease me a bit or look at me strangely, but that's not important right now.
How on earth should I resolve this situation...
Should I intervene during their match?
During matches, barriers are naturally activated, but I can still intervene with people inside the barrier using Absolute Domain or Formless Sword.
But to ensure Lee Ji-sung's victory, I'd have to attack Eunseo, which is another problem.
Both Absolute Domain and Formless Sword are techniques that can't be controlled precisely.
It's complicated. How could things get so tangled up?
"Min Chan-seong, what's this? Why did you forfeit?"
"Chan-seong?"
"My condition suddenly got bad. I'm sorry."
I apologized to Teacher Kim who approached and took a seat in the corner.
I was trying to think more when Eunseo approached.
"Teacher, what's wrong? You said you'd make it to the main tournament at least..."
"Ah, when I thought about it again, for me to advance here, I'd have to eliminate other students. It's a competition for kids, so I felt too sorry to do that."
"But if you forfeit like this, people around will think badly..."
"It doesn't matter. I was forced to participate because of the vice principal anyway."
"That's so like you, teacher."
I just made up an excuse, but Eunseo looks moved.
She doesn't know what's in my heart.
"How's your condition today?"
If Eunseo's condition is somewhat poor, there might be a chance for Lee Ji-sung...
"It's perfect. Even if it were bad, preliminaries wouldn't be a problem."
I thought she might not know, but this is really bad.
"Is... is that so?"
"The opponent is also someone I don't like... Ah, you were somewhat close with him, weren't you, teacher?"
"Well... I don't know. We're not that close."
"Then I can beat him up without worry."
"No, still, he's a junior, so go a bit easy on him... And that guy seems to have improved recently."
"Still, he won't be able to handle me, right? I'm Seong Eunseo, your second disciple, teacher."
She smiles and leaves, but I'm really going crazy.
***
‘Whether heaven is helping me or not, I luckily met the opponent I most wanted to face in the first round of preliminaries.
Still, I would have preferred to meet in the finals... no, at least in the main tournament, but it's a bit disappointing.
The finals or main tournament stage would have had many more people watching than now.
But thinking differently, meeting in the first round isn't entirely bad either.
Last year's winner, who even won the WHCU, but this time gets eliminated without even passing the first round of preliminaries?
That would be quite a big humiliation too.
Both teachers and students are whispering that it's unfortunate and pitiful about me, but I don't care.
After the match ends, everything will change.
I closed my eyes to memorize some spells, but it's noisy around me.
Wondering what's happening, I opened my eyes and found out that Min Chan-seong, that guy, forfeited.
He said it was because his condition wasn't good, but what's with that guy?’
"Wasn't he the ace of the magic class?"
"That's what I heard, but when it came time to actually compete, he got scared."
"TSK TSK, there's always that type."
"The ones who do well in practice but mess up in actual battles?"
"Why say it so complicatedly. He's just stupid."
‘Everyone around is badmouthing Min Chan-seong, but I can't sympathize or understand.
Min Chan-seong's opponent didn't look that strong, so why did he do that?
Even if not as much as Seong Eunseo, Min Chan-seong is strong.
He has good combat sense and very fast spell casting speed, so if I were to face him, I was even worried I'd struggle in the early stages.
He forfeited and is sitting crouched in the corner when Seong Eunseo approaches him.
Were they close?
Seong Eunseo basically puts up walls with everyone except her close friends.
I don't know what they're talking about, but the two are talking and then Seong Eunseo gets up first, and she's smiling.
On the other hand, Chan-seong's expression looks very bad.
Is his condition really that bad... Wait, did Seong Eunseo go to mock him instead of comfort or encourage him?
Then was that smile from before a sneer?
Still, they're from the same school and even on the student council together, so if a kid forfeited, she should have comforted and encouraged him.
Mocking and sneering, she's really rotten.
I approached Min Chan-seong, who was stiff and hanging his head low.’
"Hey, Min Chan-seong."
"Huh?"
"Don't be too heartbroken. Your brother will get revenge for you."
"Huh? Revenge?"
"Seong Eunseo just mocked you, right? When she left, she was smiling too from her expression. She was sneering at you."
"What are you talking about..."
"There, there you go acting nice again. Don't shield her just because she's a senior. I know how you feel."
‘Being mocked like that and still covering for her because she's a senior.
Anyway, Min Chan-seong is too upright and kind for his own good.’
"What are you talking about?"
"Lee Ji-sung student, Lee Ji-sung student? It's your turn next, so please come wait below the dueling arena."
"Forget it, just watch brother's match well. This brother doesn't go easy just because someone's a senior. I'll properly discipline her and come back."
‘For some reason, Min Chan-seong's expression seems to have gotten worse, but well, it's probably just my imagination.
I patted Min Chan-seong's shoulder to encourage him and headed to the arena.’