Gawin Greta's Burning Yearning
Gawin Greta absolutely wanted to compete in the friendly matches. Leaving aside his family, which had finally achieved some stability, it was because he craved recognition from others.
At the start of the semester, when skills were most on display for validation, he'd been beaten down by Ludenberg Lavante and demoted to Ador rank. Sure, he'd maintained decent grades after that... but there were just too many outstanding people around him in every way.
Gawin was someone who evaluated himself fairly accurately. The reason he'd turned his back on Ludenberg stemmed from that incident. He knew that staying under Ludenberg would get him nowhere. He knew that a lowly, despicable creature like himself could only survive by leeching off someone else.
So he'd chosen Mion and Eden. He'd chosen to become their dog. But even so, living at Solemnute Adem and watching Ludenberg smash through everything in his path, he couldn't help feeling something. Envy—that kind of emotion.
People who ignored him, people who despised him. Seeing Ludenberg silence them and force their acknowledgment through sheer skill alone, Gawin couldn't help but be stimulated. In that process, he reflected on himself. Well, he didn't feel any particular regret or anything like that. He'd lived like trash, and he'd enjoyed it, so there was no need for pathetic excuses. He'd chosen that path, and that's what he'd done. Even if time rewound a thousand times, he'd make the same choice.
Simply put, he was just envious of Ludenberg. Envious of his tenacity, his terrifying self-discipline. Gawin could never become a person like that. Even if he trained every single day, could his efforts even touch the heels of Ludenberg's? No, they couldn't.
From the moment midterms ended and Ludenberg claimed top of the year, he'd harbored a longing he couldn't even share with his closest friends, Rev and Marvin. He wanted to climb higher. He wanted to grow strong enough to grab at Ludenberg's ankle. And through that, earn someone's recognition. He wanted to chase after even Mion and Eden, who had used him. He wanted to sink his teeth into everyone above him like a rabid dog. It didn't matter if he lost. He just wanted them to see him as somewhat threatening.
But if it wasn't possible, it wasn't. Maybe he'd just end up as a hunting dog who became a decent knight. That was probably it.
As he wallowed in such thoughts, Professor Nah Tes had approached him out of the blue.
"Got some worries?"
"No."
"Doesn't look like it."
Gawin found Nah Tes uncomfortable. She was overly nosy with students in all sorts of ways.
"Really, it's nothing."
"Just my nosiness acting up. There must be a reason you're sitting here with that miserable look."
Professor Nah Tes was popular, especially with students. Being nosy meant she picked up on the little details about people.
But Gawin didn't like that fact. Because her nosiness had made her close to Ludenberg. Every student knew it.
"If it's about Ludenberg Lavante, you don't need to worry about it."
Gawin flinched.
"Sure, from his perspective, he might want to beat the crap out of you, but I'm a teacher educating you all. I'm not going to gossip about things when I'm not even involved. You're all my students in the end, and a true educator can't play favorites. Well, you did pull some pretty nasty stunts, so there's plenty you two need to sort out yourselves. But staying out of each other's way works just fine too."
Professor Nah Tes spoke reasonably, a smile playing on her lips. Gawin stared at her blankly.
"So, what's the worry?"
After she'd said that much, he had no choice but to speak.
"I want to enter the friendly matches."
"Then just do it."
"I don't have anyone to team up with."
"What about your friends?"
"They said they don't want to. And you know how flashy my reputation is."
"Well, you're a bit of a scumbag. But why the friendly matches?"
Gawin kept a calm face even at her blunt probe. It was something everyone knew anyway.
"Just think of it as youthful hot-bloodedness."
"Fair enough. Kids your age always want to show themselves off to the world."
"...Yeah."
It wasn't wrong, so he nodded.
"Then team up with my little brother. He's got no friends either."
"Your brother... the professor's?"
"Yeah."
"Who's that?"
"Nadan Tes. Big bald guy. He's pretty good. Amazing with saint laws."
"..."
"If you don't want to, oh well."
"I'll do it."
And now, back to the present. Gawin Greta couldn't comprehend the situation unfolding before him. His opponent's steps were as light as if wrapped in Celioum's saint law, displaying disciplined footwork.
"Theology department, right?"
Like with Ludenberg, they were facing second-years. They glanced lightly at Gawin and Nadan, but their eyes widened at Nadan's display of power. Most Solemnute Adem students believed theology students were weak in close combat. But Nadan hadn't neglected his training any less than a knight faculty student, and he even mastered the exclusive martial arts passed down among Star Pilgrims. It was only natural.
"What the...!"
His movements dodging sword strikes were no joke. And the Setra's divine power cloaking his hands—what about that? Even clashing with weapons, Nadan's hands remained unscathed. No, it didn't stop there. Suddenly, his body accelerated.
"...?"
The sword swung at Nadan clearly sliced through an afterimage. It wasn't just raw speed. It was as if a past shadow lingered.
The second-year stood dumbfounded by the unprecedented sight, and Nadan's iron fist slammed into his face.
Thwack!
With a heavy, dull thud, one student crumpled backward. Gawin was bewildered by how the fight had turned, but Nadan had already downed one. If he did nothing, no one would notice him.
He cloaked himself in Terra's divine power and charged another student head-on. He hadn't just been slacking amid all those incidents. Even with his tangled emotions, he'd never forgotten to swing his sword and hone himself. He might not have grown explosively like others... but he hadn't stagnated enough to fall behind.
He was the top in Ador, even surpassing some Innocence students. His growth had slowed a bit, but he hadn't regressed. Thanks to that, he easily crushed the second-year who'd come with half-hearted resolve. His solid guard didn't waver against the enemy's strikes, relentlessly tearing into him. Like a hunting dog biting its prey. Terra's divine power granted him the toughness to block attacks and keep gnashing until the end.
The result, naturally, was victory for Gawin and Nadan.
"Aigoo, that was tough."
He didn't look tired at all, despite his words.
"You sure you're theology?"
"Even looking like this, I'm the top first-year theology student."
"..."
Gawin was speechless. The guy who'd just demolished second-years in close combat was the theology top student. All his preconceptions about the theology department shattered. He'd thought they were all just bookworms. Guys who pored over thick theology primers until the pages yellowed and frayed. But the pinnacle of that department fought better than knight faculty students. His movements screamed rigorous training. Probably top-tier even in Ador... no, Innocence.
Gawin felt he'd get thoroughly crushed if they sparred right now. Common sense was crumbling left and right. Well, theology students weren't necessarily weak up close. Having seen even more unrealistic things, Gawin accepted this new reality easily. It was more believable than a powerless guy smashing divine power users in the knight faculty.
"Hey."
Nadan called to Gawin.
"What."
"In the next qualifier, you move first. It'll be easier for me to match you."
"...Do whatever."
Gawin scowled. Matching himself? It was blatantly looking down on him. That bulk—he didn't like it one bit. He wanted to beat the crap out of him.
Nadan felt the same.
I wanted to team up with a pretty girl for the friendly matches, but ended up with some sweaty, filthy dude. Damn. If not for sis...
The two headed to the waiting room with mutually sour expressions. The spectators ignored them, focused only on Nadan's saint law display.
"Looks like he finally pulled it off."
Denetim said to Tradiaan.
"Yeah. After all that effort..."
"A saint law that overlays his past self. He said he hasn't named it yet, right?"
"Yeah."
The two recalled Nadan explaining it to them before.
"So, Setra's saint laws are mostly supportive, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Then, what if we train our bodies and use those supportive laws offensively?"
"Training's whatever—we're all learning the Whispers of the Stars together."
"Exactly. It'd be a waste to let it rot. So I had this idea..."
"Idea?"
"It's kinda too hard, though."
"What saint law? Let's hear it."
Overflowing with curiosity, they must have said that back then.
"No name yet—it's just my concept. We can summon our past selves into the present, right?"
"Right."
"So, what if in battle, we briefly overlay a recent past version of ourselves to deceive the enemy?"
"Oh."
They'd probably been impressed then. Denetim nodded, reminiscing.
"Pretty innovative, huh? I'll ask him to teach me later."
"...He won't teach it easily, though?"
Tradiaan tilted his head at Denetim's words.
"Probably. We're competitors, after all. But Nadan's amazing... He'll teach it casually and come up with something even better to surpass it."
"Maybe."
"Let's prepare. We have to face Nadan in the friendly matches at least. And to meet Eve—that woman—we need to beat him."
At the mention of Eve, Tradiaan's eyes changed. They burned with fierce rage.