046. The Slaughter-Crazed Woman's Swordsmanship Class (1)

【 Swordsmanship Specialization Major 】

[ Course Name: Basic Swordsmanship Education ]

[ Instructor: Baek Seol-hee ]

Before I'd even registered for courses, this class was already sitting on my timetable, taking up both Monday and Friday.

On top of that, there were no set start or end times for the lessons.

All that was written at the bottom was a small note in tiny print, marked as a special remark.

— Come to Training Ground C as soon as your first class is over.

In other words, a class that clearly intended to devour the entire rest of my day after one morning course!

At first I thought it might be some kind of mistake, but then I remembered what Instructor Baek Seol-hee had said during the Demonized Human Misunderstanding Incident.

'Your major has already been decided—it will be my Swordsmanship class.'

That warning came to mind, and I just accepted that this was how things turned out.

The class took place in the same familiar training ground where I'd trained under the Male Quota System before.

Instructor Baek Seol-hee was still burning with rage over what I'd said a moment ago.

Crunch—

"......Who was it who said that? Come to think of it, your first class....... Ahh, that monster-fucking bitc—no, Instructor Yoo Mi-ra."

Instructor Baek Seol-hee ground her teeth and spoke in a cold voice.

"Ha, looks like I'll be stretching my body for the first time in a while."

Crack— Crack—

Baek Seol-hee tilted her head from side to side and kneaded the back of her neck.

A dramatic reaction I'd never seen from her before.

It seemed the nickname "Slaughter-Crazed Woman" had touched a nerve.

'I'll have to be careful not to let those words slip even by accident from now on. Hmm, I do feel a little bad though....... Nah, well, whose fault is it for messing with someone's Gukbap?'

With that thought, I offered a silent prayer for Instructor Yoo Mi-ra.

"Hoo, yes. I'll deal with that after class."

Baek ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Seol-hee, who had been seething with fury, soon composed her face and turned her head with her usual stoic expression.

"Good to see you. Cadet Jin Yu-ha. I am Baek Seol-hee, the instructor in charge of your Swordsmanship Specialization Major and Basic Swordsmanship Education."

"Ah, yes. I look forward to learning from you."

I gave a polite bow.

"So, um......."

"Hm?"

I looked around and finally asked the question I'd been curious about.

"Is this class just me?"

"It is. You are my sole cadet."

Baek Seol-hee nodded.

'Uhh....... Is this a good thing?'

Honestly, I had no idea.

Was it better to take a class with other students, all working together?

Or was one-on-one tutoring better because I'd get more focused instruction?

As I hesitated in brief confusion, Baek Seol-hee started the class immediately.

"We'll begin at once. First, show me the downward strike you were practicing before."

"Ah, yes."

I drew Moonlight, closed my eyes, and began the downward sword strike.

* * *

In an instant, Jin Yu-ha sank into his inner world and began the downward strike.

Watching him, Baek Seol-hee rubbed her chin.

Jin Yu-ha.

An unusual cadet who carried a sword that belied the label of the Male Quota System.

As she gazed at him, Baek Seol-hee fell into contemplation.

'He does have talent.'

Physical ability, concentration, willpower, precision, comprehension of swordsmanship.

Glimpses of talent were evident in every quality a swordsman should possess.

But at the same time, everything was still rough around the edges.

Here, Baek Seol-hee had no choice but to worry.

'How should I teach this child?'

She had succeeded in somehow pulling Jin Yu-ha into her class.

She'd summoned the swordsmanship instructors and threatened them into leaving Jin Yu-ha alone.

Through a mix of blackmail and coaxing the board chairwoman, she'd managed to claim his timetable before the course registration period even began.

However,

'......There's that useless system called the Course Adjustment Period.'

If it were the other instructors, she could handle them somehow,

but if Jin Yu-ha himself decided to change his courses, there was nothing she could do.

'You think I'll let that happen?'

She couldn't be completely certain, but there was a high chance that Jin Yu-ha would be her first and last direct disciple.

She had always been more interested in elevating her own swordsmanship than raising anyone else.

And with all her missions and duties, she wasn't someone with much free time.

The one and only disciple who stirred her heart had appeared—she couldn't bear to let anyone else snatch him away.

But the fundamental reason for her current dilemma was something else entirely.

The truth was, she had absolutely zero experience teaching students.

None whatsoever.

The closest thing she had to educating was when she trained members of the Demonized Human Extermination Squad.

Because of that, she had absolutely no grasp of what a class tailored to academy students—let alone a class for a male student—was supposed to be.

During the three-week Basic Training period, she'd simply followed the training guidelines the chairwoman had handed her,

but even then, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was nothing more than children playing house.

Suddenly, Baek Seol-hee recalled his actions during the Demonized Human Misunderstanding Incident.

— Then...... Instructor. Once I enroll, would you be willing to continue teaching me the sword?

'Indeed, this child is sincere about the sword.'

Above all, despite being able to demand substantial compensation from that incident, he'd acted as if such things were unnecessary.

He had volunteered for nothing but learning the sword.

Back then, Baek Seol-hee hadn't expressed it in words, but she'd felt a deep sense of gratification swelling in her chest.

He truly wanted to learn the sword properly.

She too was a swordswoman with a thirst for the blade.

How could she not recognize that desperate sincerity?

Yes, his will and attitude were already complete.

......If that was the case, did she really need to lower the difficulty for these lessons?

It was a path that any student of the sword would have to walk and seek out eventually anyway.

What harm could there be if things came a little early?

'......Anyway, when the Demonized Human Extermination Squad members first came in, they were nothing more than brats no different from cadets.'

Baek Seol-hee thought back to her sole teaching experience.

The training of the Demonized Human Extermination Squad members.

A brutal training regimen where no matter how tough a woman was, after a few days she'd be bawling her eyes out and shrieking to be spared like some simpering man.

But to Baek Seol-hee, such things were so obvious that she never perceived anything strange about them.

'Hmm, I see. I'll just base my teaching on the new recruit standard.'

And so, Baek Seol-hee committed the atrocity of placing Jin Yu-ha, a fresh academy entrant, on the same level as people who had already graduated from the academy and been hardened by all manner of training.

Because, frankly, in her eyes, there wasn't much difference between him and them!

Baek Seol-hee nodded, confident in her judgment.

And, Jin Yu-ha, completely unaware of the crisis bearing down on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠him, was still swinging his sword alone.

* * *

I flinched—

While swinging my sword,

all of a sudden.

BAAANG—!!

My eyes flew open and I leaped backward.

"Hahh. Hahh."

Goosebumps prickled all over me.

Cold sweat erupted from my entire body.

A moment ago, I had seen a vision of my own head flying off.

Yeah, just now.

I died once.

The moment I recognized that, my body began trembling uncontrollably, regardless of my will.

My heart pounded like it was about to burst.

My Intuition screamed an alarm like mad.

This was the trait that activated only in special circumstances:

when a boss monster appeared,

and when someone on the level of Kang Do-hee cast a hostile glare at me.

But when I opened my eyes and looked around, all I saw was the quiet scenery of the training ground.

Instead, there was Instructor Baek Seol-hee up ahead, looking at me with her arms crossed.

Which meant she was the one who had shown me that vision just now!

'......D-Did I screw something up? Don't tell me she got pissed off belatedly over me saying "Slaughter-Crazed Woman"?'

"......I-Instructor?"

I forced my quivering lips apart and called out to her.

"Mm."

"......D-Did I make some kind of mistake?"

I asked, my voice flustered.

"Hmm, your ability to detect Killing Intent isn't bad either."

Baek Seol-hee nodded, then picked up a thin branch that had been lying on the ground.

Then she leveled the branch toward me and her eyes grew calm.

"To me, killing you is easier than breathing."

A part of me thought no way, but I immediately clenched Moonlight's grip tight and took a stance.

Baek Seol-hee watched me do this, staring intently, then spoke.

"No, I will amend that. It is harder than breathing."

"......B-But, what's the point?"

"For the duration of your training from now on, I will be constantly thinking about killing you."

I couldn't understand what she meant, so I asked back.

"......Why?"

At that.

She flinched.

This time it was Baek Seol-hee who went rigid.

'Did I just ask something I wasn't supposed to......? No, you're talking about killing me, it's weird not to ask!'

As I replayed that terrible vision in my mind,

cold sweat broke out over my body again.

After staying frozen for a long moment, Baek Seol-hee spoke again.

"Sorry. I didn't anticipate you would ask about something so obvious. Hmm, first of all, composure is what matters in combat."

Composure?

How the hell do you find composure after that?

"Yes, and?"

"......."

Another handful of minutes passed.

Just as her stare started to feel oppressive,

"......Being sensitive to Killing Intent is, on one hand, helpful for sensing enemies ahead of time, but at the same time, it's an obstacle that locks your body up."

"......Yeah. So?"

"When you actually encounter a powerful opponent. If you're unaccustomed to Killing Intent, you won't be able to swing your sword properly."

"So, this training to get used to Killing Intent is......"

At that, Baek Seol-hee's face relaxed as if relieved, and she nodded.

"Correct. Hence, there is a necessity to repeat this and grow accustomed. It's training to sustain your swordsmanship even within a flood of Killing Intent."

Only then did I understand what Instructor Baek Seol-hee intended.

But at the same time, a question arose.

'......Wait, is this really Basic Swordsmanship Education?'

No, isn't regular basic swordsmanship just hitting straw dummies and the like?

Training that shows you a vision of your head flying off?

The thought flashed through me for a second,

but I shook my head internally.

She seemed close with Chairwoman Rina, and every other instructor appeared to respect her.

Meaning she was an educator who commanded considerable trust among the instructors!

Since that's what an Instructor like her was saying, this education was clearly standard Basic Swordsmanship Training.

'Yeah, this must be right. This is a world where even regular civilians walk around armed.'

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't really sure, but

it seemed like every Hunter who used a sword went through training like this.

Having been born and raised in a warm, safe society with no monsters, I had no idea how learning the sword worked in the Hunter world.

I could feel anew just what a comfortable environment I'd come from.

'......So this is Basic Education.'

For a moment, the realization that this was basic nearly crushed my spirit.

But I steeled myself, picturing the future that lay ahead.

Seeing that, Baek Seol-hee gave a faint smile and nodded.

"Then let's begin again."

At her words, I gritted my teeth and answered.

"......Yes!"

Jin Yu-ha closed his eyes once more and began the downward strike.

*

Baek Seol-hee, who had never taken a disciple and therefore set her educational baseline at the Demonized Human Extermination Squad level.

Jin Yu-ha, a Transmigrator who had no idea what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠learning Swordsmanship was supposed to be like.

And so, the misaligned standards of master and disciple meshed together in exquisite discord, and the difficulty of the class rocketed straight through the heavens.