Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Parents' Observation Class
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***
March 8th.
Two days before the start of the semester.
Philip received a summons from the Faculty through a maid. It was none other than from Felicia Oswald herself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A brief, awkward silence flowed between the two as they sat facing each other across the desk in Felicia's office.
Felicia was the first to speak.
"...You'll be joining me for classes with the first-years and second-years."
She looked at Philip with eyes full of anxiety and doubt.
Felicia Oswald was a young lady more than worthy of being called a genius. In her fourth year at the academy—at just seventeen—she had awakened her Sword Aura, becoming the pride of the Oswald family. Right after graduation, she received a recommendation and became an instructor.
At twenty-three, she mastered the application of Sword Aura—hurling it to slice targets at a distance—proving her qualifications to become a professor.
And now, at twenty-four, she faced the worst crisis of her academy career.
'...What on earth were Father and Mother thinking, sending this kid here?'
She knew all too well about Philip's usual behavior.
Every time he got his allowance, he'd lavish it on the girls at high-end salons, hang out with a bad crowd, and pull all sorts of outrageous stunts.
Back at the academy, he'd nearly beaten a senior two years his senior to death, earning himself expulsion—a true delinquent among delinquents.
'He has been quiet these past few days, though. No idea what he's been doing holed up in his room...'
Philip quietly opened his mouth under Felicia's piercing gaze.
"Is that all you wanted to say? Nothing else?"
"No. That's not it."
Felicia snapped to attention, narrowing her eyes.
"This is my last request as your family—as your sister. Now that you're here, I won't blame or belittle you. But when you're teaching the students, do it seriously. The kids we're teaching... they're just fourteen or fifteen. Too young to get hurt by someone like you."
Philip let out a small sigh. How could he argue when she was genuinely worried about the children?
"Well, I really do plan to do it properly."
But Felicia didn't look convinced in the slightest.
"And tomorrow is the entrance ceremony. It's the class where parents will be observing."
"Of course I know."
He had already been informed, and it was something he knew anyway.
After the entrance ceremony at Previa Academy, each faculty held observation classes to show parents how lessons were conducted.
"All you're expected to do there is a simple self-introduction and assist with my class. I... really dislike your usual behavior, but I think you can at least manage that much."
Philip could guess her feelings.
She found him utterly repulsive and loathsome, yet she suppressed those emotions out of her sense of duty as a professor. Not just anyone could do that.
It was a level of responsibility hard to believe from a young woman of twenty-four.
"...Keep piling on the pressure like that, and I'm starting to crave a drink after all this time."
Felicia bristled at Philip's joke.
"Are you actually insane? Can't you be serious for even a moment? Just how far do you intend to—"
"It was a joke. A joke. People can joke sometimes, right?"
Felicia glared at Philip as if she wanted to kill him, then let out a deep sigh.
"Please, Philip Oswald. I don't think you'll last long here. Just stay out of trouble for a few months, and I'll beg on my knees to our parents to let you return to the family. Okay?"
"What are you talking about? I plan to stick around here for at least five years. I want to spend more time with my sister... Whoa!"
Philip hurriedly dodged the teacup Felicia hurled at him. Her long golden hair rippled in the air like waves, mana surging through it.
'She's really pissed now.'
"...Get out. I don't even want to look at you. If you pull anything like that tomorrow in class, I will never forgive you."
"Got it. See you tomorrow."
Philip fled Felicia's office like his life depended on it.
—Master, you're so mischievous. She seemed like such a nice sister—why tease her like that?
Neria grumbled in dissatisfaction. Philip chuckled as he replied.
"Her reactions are cute."
—...Well, that's true. Anyway, Master, are your preparations all done? These past few days, you've only been fighting my former owners and haven't prepared for class at all.
"I've got more than enough preparation now—overflowing, even. What I lacked from the start was knowledge of swordsmanship itself. Teaching it was never the issue. Thanks to that secret manual I got, I finally have a rough grasp of what swordsmanship really is."
—With that? How?
Neria had heard from Philip last night about what the Moonlight Sword roughly entailed, but she hadn't understood a word of it.
"I just kinda get it? It'll take some time to formally start learning it, but I feel like results are coming soon."
—...Ah, yes. You're so amazing, Master.
And a day passed.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ March 9th.
Previa Academy's grand plaza was packed with sixty new students, their families, relatives, or attendants.
After briefly attending a few events, Philip headed to the warehouse to prepare for the observation class. There, he met the instructor who would handle the lower-year classes with him for the first time.
"Let me say it again: if you cause any trouble for Professor Felicia, I will punish you no matter what."
Her name was Diana Frenhal. Age twenty-six.
A woman with blue hair and an expressionless face. If not for her naturally pretty features, she might have been called fierce-eyed.
Philip knew her well. She was the only one at Previa Academy who could be called Felicia's 'friend'.
He already knew that in private, the younger Felicia called her 'sister'.
The problem was that she was hostile toward him too.
"I-Instructor, the observation class is starting soon, isn't it? No need to put pressure on me right now."
"...You're right."
At least she was someone he could reason with, so Philip checked the necessary items despite feeling dizzy. It was the instructors' role to inspect training dummies, practice wooden swords, and the like.
"This one's rotten inside. It looks fine now, but a few hits from a wooden sword and it'll shatter. And this wooden sword—why's the handle finished like this? What if the kids get splinters in their palms? Who's in charge of warehouse management?"
As Philip threw himself into the preparations with enthusiasm, Instructor Diana gave him a surprised look.
'Felicia said he's never done anything properly in his life...?'
"What are you doing? Not working?"
"N-No, you're... quite diligent, Instructor Philip."
"These are for the kids to use—I can't just half-ass it. What if someone gets hurt? Think how anxious the observing parents would be."
"Y-Yeah...?"
'What's going on? What is this?'
Diana Frenhal felt extreme confusion. This was nothing like the image of Philip from rumors or what Felicia had told her.
'No one could fake that...'
It was hard to say something like 'I'll check carefully because it's for the kids' unless you really thought that way. In Philip's position, people usually made excuses for other reasons.
"This should do it for now."
Diana nearly let out an exclamation of admiration at his skill in marking defective teaching materials separately and sorting them for easy access by the staff.
Felicia hadn't told her much about Philip. She didn't want to burden her one true friend with dark family talk.
All Diana knew was what she'd heard in the past few days.
So she hadn't had time to form prejudices.
"...Alright, Instructor Philip. Let's prepare for the observation class now."
'Maybe Felicia's misunderstanding her brother. She hasn't seen him in years.'
'This girl's unexpectedly strict? She keeps spacing out.'
The two instructors headed to the swordsmanship training hall, each misunderstanding the other.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Nice to meet you, honored guests and new students. I'm Felicia Oswald, in charge of swordsmanship for the first- and second-years."
The observation class was held with about twenty of the new students selected.
Philip spotted the protagonist twins—or rather, he didn't. They weren't in this training hall.
'Probably in the magic faculty classroom?'
Once the semester started, his top priority was to win over the one who would become the protagonist among those twins. The other students didn't matter as much, but the protagonist had to be a solid ally.
"...For convenience, I'll dispense with formal speech. I hope the guests understand. Before you learn swordsmanship, you need to know why, when there are powerful weapons like spears, axes, and whips, the sword is chosen by so many."
Felicia's voice was delicate like a girl's, yet carried a subtle charisma. Philip watched her lecture with a pleased smile.
"Isn't that instructor the infamous Philip Oswald?"
"What was the Dean thinking, letting a delinquent like that into the academy?"
"...Well, even prestigious names can't stay prestigious forever, right?"
'I can hear you assholes.'
Philip closed his eyes and swallowed his rising anger. They spoke in refined noble tones, but the content was laughable.
'The Dean's gone senile and is trying to ruin the academy—how elegantly put.'
It didn't bother him much, and he wasn't angry. Suddenly, Chief Professor Emil Panoy's voice echoed in his mind.
'Must be tough, huh? Worthless nobodies yapping about you being a delinquent or trash. Bet it's hilarious watching those full-bellied idiots spout off.'
This was exactly that. These people knew nothing.
"...As more land was conquered and filled with buildings and cities, the sword—which could wield full combat power even in narrow alleys—became nobles' weapon of choice for self-defense. And the first master, 'Solbein,' taught how to accumulate and utilize mana in the body..."
The class was already heading into its midpoint. It was almost Philip's turn.
"Now, let me introduce the instructors assisting today's class. Instructor Frenhal?"
At Felicia's call, Diana stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Diana Frenhal, who'll be teaching you from here on. Those of you with older siblings have probably heard rumors about me. I'm exactly as advertised—no more, no less. Look forward to it."
'Her nickname was Ice Instructor? Bluey's more familiar to me.'
Philip smirked, recalling info on Diana. The new students' expressions varied wildly.
Those with siblings paled, while the others seemed to savor their luck at a pretty instructor.
"Then, Instructor? Could you show the students a bit of your skill?"
"Yes, Professor."
Private sisters they might be, but in public, Diana treated Felicia with utmost respect.
After a bow, she drew the sword at her waist. Approaching the life-sized training dummy in the center of the hall,
she slashed it once—short and swift.
A flash in an instant. Whether it was mere sword light or Sword Aura, only skilled swordsmen could tell.
Soon, the dummy's head and lower half were severed, tumbling to the ground in four pieces.
"Splitting Sword Aura into three streams in that brief moment the blade touches? Impressive, as the rumors say. Anyone would be helpless on first sight."
"Any knightly order would snap her up immediately. That level in her mid-twenties..."
The parents' admiration continued. As inheritors of family sword styles themselves, they could judge Diana's level objectively.
"...Wow."
"What? How'd she do that?"
"Kinda scary..."
The new students gaped, mouths open.
Even those from notable families had never seen such advanced techniques casually demonstrated for show—family knights didn't flaunt them lightly. Most were seeing this for the first time.
It was swordsmanship on par with a clan's ultimate technique.
"That's all."
Diana returned to her spot opposite Philip.
Philip swallowed hard. Even prepared as he was, this moment was tense.
"...Next, Instructor Oswald?"
Her voice was calm, but her gaze betrayed extreme anxiety as it turned to him.
Now it was his turn.