The First Student in Advanced Swordsmanship
“Haaht, hup!”
It felt incredibly satisfying.
After assigning the basic swordsmanship fundamentals lecture, I made Angela swing her sword ten times just like the others.
The result was astonishing.
Her stance wasn’t just stable—it had become outstanding.
Of course. She was Professor Akan’s own daughter.
Angela hadn’t been a complete beginner to begin with.
Students who wanted to specialize in swordsmanship often took both beginner and advanced courses, but Angela was a bit different.
When I asked if she’d changed her enrollment plan, she answered immediately.
“I’ll take both. As long as it’s your lecture, Professor.”
Thanks to her, Angela became the first student to enroll in my advanced class.
After ten swings, Angela lowered her sword.
“I’ve completed the swings.”
“Good. You did wonderfully.”
Clap, clap. The applause came from the three students watching her sit down—Lua, Macbeth, and Elson.
Even as beginners, they were serious students, so they recognized how excellent Angela’s stance was.
Angela received the praise without embarrassment or blushing.
‘Probably because she’s received that kind of treatment many times before.’
After observing for a while, I learned that Angela had a reputation for superior swordsmanship among the students.
The only drawback was that her mana reserves were a bit lacking.
Without an overwhelming gap in skill, mana alone couldn’t defeat a stronger opponent.
“No trembling in your stance, and your energy distribution is excellent too. Sit down.”
“Thank you.”
Hearing my praise, Angela bowed her head respectfully.
Back when we dueled, she’d been shouting at the top of her lungs that she’d kill me.
But the moment she entered my lecture, Angela greeted me with a polite bow.
With proper, courteous speech.
‘Honestly, I thought she was someone else.’
Once Angela sat among the students, they instinctively tensed up.
They felt she was far stronger than them.
“It’s wonderful to have a new student join us. But just because you’re stronger than the others doesn’t mean your swordsmanship is complete. Keep working hard.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
In both my past and present lives, this was the first time I had such a respectful and courteous disciple.
The only other one I remembered was Pine, but Pine would follow instructions perfectly only to grumble about how hard it was, throw a tantrum, and cling to me annoyingly.
I felt like I could handle a hundred disciples just like Angela.
That was why I became an educator.
“As I mentioned in the last lecture, let’s talk about the posture and mindset required for swordsmanship. Posture is simple. When wielding a sword, the one who feels most comfortable is yourself. Any part of your body that feels uncomfortable when holding the sword is a weakness.”
The four students nodded in unison.
Except for Lua, they were all older than me.
From her enrollment form, I learned Angela was seventeen.
Yet the students still looked adorable to me.
Like baby birds chirping for more food.
“Everyone has different bodies. So finding a comfortable posture for yourself is faster and easier than learning from someone else, and it’s the right way. Now, what about mindset?”
I pointed at Elson and Macbeth.
“Elson, Macbeth.”
“Yes, Professor!”
“Yes, yes!”
“Both of you said you want to become knights. So what mindset should a knight have? Elson, why don’t you go first.”
“Loyalty to my lord, protecting the weak… ah.”
When I shook my head, Elson stopped.
“Not that. Then Macbeth, tell us. What kind of knight do you want to be?”
“A knight everyone respects! Strong and cool! And…”
“And?”
Macbeth’s stern expression suddenly flushed red.
“Popular with women…”
“Pfft…”
Lua, listening nearby, burst out laughing.
Macbeth, with his sturdy body and voice, dreaming of a cute dream.
Angela, pretending to be unbothered, crossed her arms, but her body trembled slightly.
I held back a laugh too.
The students could laugh, but I couldn’t.
I had to take their dreams seriously.
After a cough, I continued.
“I hope Macbeth can become exactly that. Elson. Mindset is simple. If you have an image of the knight you want to become, just try to have the mindset that matches that image. What kind of knight do you want to be, Elson?”
“I… want to become a strong knight.”
“You need to be clear on what ‘strong’ means. How strong do you want to be?”
“A knight strong enough to defeat all the older brothers.”
Elson had been passive, but his eyes sparkled when he said it.
“Lua?”
“I don’t want to cause trouble for those around me.”
Not causing trouble for those around you sounded like the most modest goal.
Yet depending on who said it, it meant something else.
Lua dreamed of becoming a king, so it meant becoming stronger than the protectors of the king.
“That won’t be easy. Protecting yourself with a sword is easy, but caring for others isn’t ordinary.”
When I said that and met her eyes, Lua grinned.
She was showing she had it in her.
“It’s fine. Professor will teach me well.”
“I’ll have to work hard to live up to that belief. Then, Angela?”
“I want to defeat Professor.”
“Me?”
Of course.
Angela glanced at me as she said it.
The look in her eyes was as sharp and chilling as it had been during our duel.
I admired her passion, but…
‘I’m sorry, but that dream can’t be realized.’
There was no one in this world better with a sword than me now.
I thought that one day, when I grew old and lost my strength, I might be able to beat her.
“Big sister, your dream is huge. Last time you—”
“Shh, quiet!”
“Mmm… uwu…”
As Lua gently teased her, Angela quickly covered Lua’s mouth.
In my absence, it seemed Lua had become quite close to Angela.
Probably the kind of story only women could share, one that a man couldn’t intrude on.
“Theory is enough for now. Let’s go back to practicing the basics.”
Honestly, I wanted to let the students experience many real fights.
To feel the real atmosphere of battle against various opponents.
But this was a beginner’s basic lecture.
We had to go slowly. I couldn’t let my enthusiasm run ahead.
The only way to prove my lecture was better than Professor Sevice’s was to show the results on well-trained students.
And finally, the time came.
Finally, with the first student here, I could begin the lecture.
**
“The advanced lecture is a bit different from the Professor’s, right?”
“Of course. What’s there to hesitate about? Draw your sword.”
Angela smiled brightly and raised her sword.
Not a training sword, but the real one she carried.
“I didn’t even need to say it.”
“We’ve already collided swords over a hundred times. You don’t need to tell me. I enrolled because I wanted this.”
“Time to waste. Come.”
“I see!”
Angela attacked fiercely, just like during our duel.
I calmly blocked her continuous assaults and spoke.
“Angela, if you want to truly defeat your opponent, what should you do?”
“Haaap! You have to know your opponent well!”
“Correct. But you must also know yourself. No matter how well you know your opponent, if you can’t use yourself properly, it’s useless.”
“So both are important, right!”
While clashing swords, we traded advice on swordsmanship.
This was exactly the advanced lecture content I had planned.
Even if it didn’t stop, it was fine. Even if you fell exhausted, it was okay.
This was that kind of lecture.
“Come to think of it, you said your goal is to defeat me. Do you know anything about me?”
“Professor has no waste.”
“Even without waste, you’re not not using your stamina.”
“Your body can handle the stamina drain!”
“If you don’t use such a good body, it’s a waste, isn’t it?”
I had already fought Angela many times with my sword.
Now it was time to shift her thinking about over-focusing on the sword.
I slipped my foot forward.
“Waaah!”
Angela suddenly yelled a weird nickname.
My foot had tripped her, sending her body floating in the air.
Her wide eyes, startled and momentarily enlarged, were oddly cute.
Angela’s head approaching the ground, eyes squeezed shut.
I reached out and gently caught her head.
Angela sprang up, hurriedly putting distance between us.
Her face had turned slightly red.
“Professor, that’s cowardly. This is a swordsmanship lecture!”
“You’re exactly like Professor Akan in this. The body and sword are connected. One thing. So swordsmanship includes using the body. Understand?”
“But that kind of fighting style is for mercenaries or street thugs…”
“Talk about winning. The loser says nothing. Got it?”
It was a double jab at Angela: Professor Akan getting hit by my elbow attack, and the loser saying nothing after losing to me.
Stimulated, Angela started charging again.
“If the body is soon to be the sword, then swordsmanship isn’t just swinging the sword.”
“That’s not wrong. It was a pretty interesting wordplay.”
“Then this is also fine?”
Angela threw down her sword and raised her fist.
“Oh?”
“I’ll fight with a sword, but I can fight with my body too, you know? If you’re going to use the body, why not spar properly!”
This time it was Angela charging with fists.
It was exactly the ideal lecture I wanted.
If I weren’t so slow, I would have loved to take a hit.
‘But what can I do? She’s too slow, and I can’t hit even if I try.’
After that, Angela charged at me for a long time, but the result was the same as before.
While she fell exhausted, she never landed a single effective hit.
I poked the fallen Angela with my finger and said one thing.
“This is the difference between student and teacher. You feel the gap in strength, don’t you?”
“Ugh…”