Genuine Swordsmanship
Eroy was quite taken with Eugene.
It wasn't because of his looks.
It was the aura and mindset he exuded as a swordsman.
'He has the makings of an excellent knight.'
She believed a knight's limits were defined by their mindset toward battle.
Most noble-born knights had low ceilings. They relied too much on their talent and family name, never hardening their resolve for combat.
Sure, their talent kept them above commoners... but the moment they encountered a commoner who was sincere about the sword and battle, with natural gifts to boot, they got pushed aside in no time.
'An outstanding student.'
Eroy swung the tree branch in her hand. An ordinary branch, but the moment aura enveloped it, it became tougher than any fine steel sword.
Clang!
Eugene blocked with his wooden sword but was shoved straight back.
"Huff... huff..."
"Your stance is breaking! Focus more and fix it! Don't exhale so sharply—breathe slow and steady."
"Huuuuh... huuuh..."
Eugene straightened his posture, slicking back his sweat-drenched hair to the side.
His eyes sparkled with delight.
'This... this is a real swordsman.'
A true veteran of the battlefield, with years—decades even—of swinging a blade, carried a different air of composure.
She pressed him relentlessly, yet pinpointed his flaws and weaknesses with crisp precision.
If their physical abilities had been worlds apart, it might've been different, but Eroy was top-tier even among high knights—on par with Eugene.
"Alright. Here I come again."
"Yeah."
Eugene regulated his breathing, eyes narrowing fiercely.
The branch whipped through the air. It looked harmless on the surface, but the aura cloaking it gleamed ominously.
He raised his wooden sword to parry. The immense force sent his body sliding back.
He planted his feet and lunged forward.
"Charging straight in is still too much—"
Eroy cut off mid-sentence, raising her arm.
Whoosh!
The sand Eugene kicked up scattered against Eroy's arm, blocked effortlessly. She was impressed.
'Already fighting like it's real combat!'
The moment a gap opened in the sand cloud, Eugene's wooden sword flowed like water. Quickdraw. No, beyond quickdraw—it fused with the sword path Ash had shown before, forging something new.
Crack!
Something snapped. The tip of Eugene's wooden sword had shattered. The blocking branch didn't lose a single leaf.
"Good. That's it! Break for now!"
At Eroy's call, Eugene collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.
"Haa... huu..."
He hadn't broken a sweat after 100 laps earlier, but now his whole body was soaked.
He'd ditched his priest robes ages ago, handing them off to Eodukshini.
-Hey, you mangy mutt...
Ash approached Eugene, Eodukshini perched on her shoulder, priest robes in one hand and a water pouch from her pocket in the other.
"Here, drink."
"Oh. Thanks."
Eugene chugged the water, then remembered something and turned to her.
"Oh, right. About yesterday."
"?"
"You told me to go see Adria. You knew something was up, didn't you?"
"I just had a stomachache and asked you to cover for me, that's all~?"
Suspicious. Eugene's eyes narrowed.
Right on cue, Professor Eroy clapped to gather attention.
"Everyone, good work. Class ends here today. Take ten minutes to rest, then prep for the next one."
Jackpot.
Eugene started to flop straight onto the ground.
But Ash blocked him. She held out a spare wooden sword with a sly smile.
"What're you doing? Get up."
"?"
"You gotta learn from me too. Don't need my swordsmanship?"
Damn it.
* * *
The next class was Basic Divine Beast Studies. Held on the third floor, but he had no strength left to move.
"Ughhhh..."
"Was it too intense...?"
Thanks to cramming all the break time into training, his body felt like limp noodles.
In the end, Ash slung one of his arms over her shoulder and dragged him along.
-Heh heh heh...
Eodukshini, meanwhile, let out a weird chuckle while bouncing on his floppy head.
"What're you doing...?"
-This is my world now!
"Your world?"
-Next class is Divine Beast Studies! And I'm a divine beast! Real divine beasts aren't meant to be bossed around like you do to me! You gotta pamper 'em like babies and bond!
What the hell?
"Uh, yeah... not wrong, but..."
Ash half-defended Eodukshini but didn't sound convinced.
They entered the classroom and took their assigned seats.
Ash, without a divine beast yet, sat front row. Eugene, who had one, was stuck in the back.
"...See you later."
"Nah, just hurry up and sit."
The Basic Divine Beast Studies professor had a totally different vibe from the others.
A warm, grandmotherly woman.
She entered with a blue bird perched on her shoulder.
"Hello, everyone. Nice to see you've all sat in your proper spots."
Most of the students looked pretty docile.
Makes sense—delinquents had no reason to take divine beast studies.
"Great. First, a quick rundown on contracting divine beasts?"
A blue bird fluttered up in a puff of powder, landing on her palm.
"Contracts with divine beasts usually involve us paying a 'price,' and they accept it in exchange for granting our requests. But there's an exception: 'affinity.'"
She stroked the bird's head with a finger. It accepted without resistance.
"Higher affinity means easier bonding. But most start near zero on first contracts. Divine beasts might sulk, ignore requests, or disobey. Build affinity, though, and it changes."
"Professor, how do you build affinity?"
"Good question. Simple: play together, communicate, spend time. Until then, think of yourself as the 'eul' and the divine beast as the 'gap.' Makes it easier."
-Hear that?
Eodukshini puffed out its chest (or what passed for one) triumphantly.
Eugene shot it a cold glare.
"Hey."
-?
"Get up."
-No, treat me precious-like...
"That's when I'm on the bottom. Who revived you, huh?"
Grab.
He snatched the fleeing Eodukshini and yanked it to his face.
"Huh?"
-Uh, no...
"And our contract? Wasn't mutual aid. I turned you into a divine beast, so that's why. Get it?"
He squeezed harder.
"I'm the gap."
-Ah, no... grrrk...
"Don't need your power anyway. You're fully mine already, right?"
This is what it was smug about earlier?
While its owner was suffering?
Eugene cracked his neck side to side with a grin.
"Alright. Let's chat."
-Uh, um... teacher? I think I was way off.
"Nah~ Your thinking's spot on. We need to communicate, right?"
-N-no...!
An hour later.
"Up. Sit. Roll. Up again. Sit. Side roll. Right roll. Back to position."
-Position!
Eodukshini had become an exemplary divine beast.
* * *
Third period was Basic Mana Lectures.
If it was like the first day, it'd be tolerable.
But as expected of a professor, she unleashed merciless quiz attacks.
"Memorize everything on page two."
"......"
"Let's see... Next class is the day after tomorrow. We'll do a pop quiz then."
Oh, my god.
'Eodukshini.'
-Yeah?
'Can't tag-team the quiz with my divine beast, huh?'
-......Screw you, you bastard!
Eugene sighed deeply.
One test was bad enough, but the green-haired dark-circle kid—Bulria or whatever—was glaring at him too.
'Double bullshit. That guy's sword arts, this one's magic?'
Sword class: Yahan. Mana class: Bulria.
Why always me?
'Jenella's way better than that punk anyway.'
Jenella's talent was exceptional.
Bulria might lead now, but that was just family privilege.
A plain commoner like her, in the academy's growth environment? She'd catch up fast.
"What're you staring at? Eyes down."
"......"
Grind! Bulria ground his teeth and whipped his head away.
Hmph. Knows it'll lose, so why bark?
Eugene stood and approached Jenella.
"Jenella."
"Yeah?"
"Wanna study for the pop quiz together?"
"Huh? For real? What about Adria and Ash?"
"Adria's busy."
Adria, with her unique ability, was at a disadvantage in competitions—scarce info, no dedicated mentor.
Ash... uh, sleeping?
She was so still, he didn't wanna disturb.
"Sweet! When?"
"Now? And lemme sit next to you."
"Huh? Sure, go for it."
Clap clap. Jenella clapped, drawing eyes.
"Everyone? Forget the quiz for now—focus on mana control. Let's aim to cover up to here today."
Ah.
'Homework bomb, huh.'
Tests as scheduled, but class time for other progress... Jayyan meant: no slacking in breaks or after school—study.
Eugene groaned, turning. Ash, eyes closed moments ago, now watched him with an enigmatic smile.
"??"
* * *
Ash returned to her dorm after classes.
A colorless room.
Barren compared to other students' or Eugene's.
Just the standard bed and desk. Unlit, her sky-blue hair sank into inky black.
She didn't lie down, sitting at the desk and opening her notebook.
[1. Bulria Arishion.]
[2. Banasi Madcond.]
[3. Yahan Horain.]
Even she couldn't make out the title she'd written, smeared black into oblivion.
Causality.
The shackle restraining her from spilling everything to Eugene.
Flip—
Turning the page, the contents appeared clearly enough.
The rare duke and imperial names in the academy, all harboring inferiority and hostility toward Eugene—now two crossed out.
Ash's finger moved.
[1. Bulria Arishion]
An inscrutable line slashed through Bulria Arishion's name.
And below, in tiny script, a new name:
[Jenella]
Ash's eyes held their impenetrable deep blue.