Chapter 22
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 22: Crushed by the Disaster I Brought Upon Myself (2)
After the communication crystal ball turned off, only one thought crossed my mind.
'I'm screwed.'
I might have called in a tiger to chase away a wolf.
Commonsensically, it's impossible to enter as a professor and create a lecture at a time when midterm exams are over.
But why am I trembling like this?
It must be because of the eccentricities my master has shown so far.
In fact, I don't know much about Master.
Just that he is at the Expert stage, which belongs to high-ranking knights even among knights, and that he made quite a name for himself on the battlefield in the past?
It was partly because I wasn't particularly curious about Master's past, and partly because Master didn't particularly talk about his past either, so it couldn't be helped.
But if there is one thing I learned while living with Master, it's that this man is properly crazy.
In the first place, where is the master who throws a kid, who is merely an elementary school student by Earth standards, at monsters saying he'll let him gain practical experience?
Even if this is the middle ages and the age considered adult is early, that was certainly something outside of common sense.
For such a master outside common sense to do an action that isn't common sense.... Wouldn't that perhaps be a natural thing?
I started to fear the future.
After the terror incident, the academy suffered from fever once again.
Protests by students and complaints from neighboring countries were natural, and since the Imperial Family even dispatched people directly to inspect the academy and sent inspectors, professors became noticeably busier.
This was unavoidable for the Imperial Family as well, as clear cause identification and solution presentation were needed to regain lost trust.
Although they say blood is thicker than water, if the Imperial Family showed even a hint of defending the academy now, it wouldn't be strange if mass dropouts of international students occurred due to angry nations.
Although they were lucky this time and there were no fatalities, is there a guarantee it will be the same next time?
They sent the future of their nations trusting the name value of the Empire in the unprecedented situation of the appearance of warlocks, but if they might return as corpses, this was a natural choice.
Therefore, the academy announced a short break period after the midterm exams.
Originally, it was common to take a break from classes or proceed loosely after exams ended, but the academy officially declared school closure for maintenance.
The period is about 2 weeks.
Although the curriculum for final exams would become a bit tight, it wasn't to the extent of discarding a whole semester.
Considering the impact of this incident spread to the entire continent, 2 weeks would be absurdly short time to handle it.
It must be hell for the academy too.
No matter how much the academy gathers competent people, reinforces barriers, and guards against outsiders, the situation won't change much.
Because for the story to progress, the academy had to be breached eventually.
Honestly, they were a bit pitiful.
They will have to take responsibility every time an incident occurs in the future, but as long as the Saintess is here, incidents will be endless.
Since I knew that, I sent them brief condolences.
The time of 2 weeks flowed faster than expected.
Although the academy declared school closure, it was only the suspension of education, not the suspension of other facilities.
Since facilities like the training ground or cafeteria operated normally, a few like me who felt a lot from this incident tried to utilize these 2 weeks as much as possible.
"Ethan, I'm going."
"Anytime!"
I was currently sparring with Kairin.
Although we weren't very close before, I formed a friendship with her after solving the incident together.
Furthermore, Kairin also felt her power was lacking due to the warlock's terror and came out to the training ground, and as we trained together with that as an opportunity, we were able to get close quickly.
Kairin was surprisingly a person with a refreshing personality.
Since she always went around like a lone wolf and her appearance was on the cold and sharp side, I thought she would be infinitely cynical and cool-headed, but that wasn't entirely the case.
She liked eating delicious things or looking at weapons, and fitting for a warrior, she had a competitive spirit and a strong desire for growth.
She just didn't approach others well, but she was open to people she got close to, so I liked her.
"Heueup...!"
"Keut...!"
I aimed for Kairin's opening and thrust the spear.
Her hurriedly receiving the spear with the flat of the greatsword.
Due to the nature of the destructive greatsword, the motion was large when attacking once, so such situations occurred frequently during sparring.
The opposite was also true.
"Can you dodge this too?"
"Kuk...!?"
I twisted my body to dodge the greatsword stabbing toward my upper body by surprise.
Between spear and greatsword, the one possessing superiority in terms of attack power was definitely the greatsword.
With a spear possessing a thin and long form, it was difficult to block the attack of a greatsword with strong power from the front.
Plus, since the greatsword was larger than a general sword, the advantage of range possessed by the spear was also difficult to utilize compared to when dealing with a general sword.
Our spar proceeded in a way where I checked her, and when Kairin launched a full-scale offensive, I dodged it and countered.
"Haa.... Haa...."
"Huu... Huu..."
As the spar prolonged, we looked at each other breathing heavily.
The distance between us was approximately 3m.
Although I am slightly more advantageous, if Kairin possessing outstanding physical ability decided to rush in, it wasn't a distance she couldn't pierce.
Since both of us were thinking of wrapping up the spar soon, the final offensive was fast.
Kairin flying in like a cannonball using all remaining mana to strengthen her body and weapon.
Since the power of the greatsword was added to that speed, a blow difficult to receive even if my stamina was fine would fly in.
If it were actual combat, I would have dodged that and then countered to finish it.
No matter if it's a world strengthening weapons and bodies with Aura, dealing with a greatsword from the front with a spear was a reckless thing.
But since it's just a spar right now, isn't it okay to fill up on romance sometimes?
Since I became curious if I could receive that blow from the front, I didn't hesitate and poured all remaining Aura into the spear.
My spear with Aura surging as if blue flames were burning.
There was nothing to hesitate about.
I thrust the spear blade into the trajectory where her greatsword was being swung.
The greatsword slashing diagonally and the spear advancing forward clashed.
Honestly, dealing with a greatsword, I thought it wouldn't be strange if the spear snapped the moment they clashed.
But fortunately, my wooden spear was holding up well even against Kairin's greatsword thanks to containing plenty of Aura.
Now all that remained for us was to compete in strength through the remaining Aura.
Victory or defeat depended on which of my spear and Kairin's greatsword would break first.
A contest of strength continued for a moment.
Kairin swinging the greatsword diagonally and me trying to extend the spear straight.
The two forces trying to advance while holding each other's weapons tight didn't yield an inch.
A confrontation that seemed like it would last forever.
But this contest of strength met its end before long.
Kwajik-!
The sound of wood crushing was heard.
Along with this, a hole made by the spear appeared on her greatsword.
The greatsword, once broken, couldn't withstand the continuously injected Aura and cracks began to spread in an instant.
A situation where Kairin's greatsword was completely broken.
Around the time I naturally thought I won, my spear blade also snapped.
".........."
".........."
We looked at the weapons we were holding in vain.
The practice weapons that intensively received attacks containing the two people's Aura eventually couldn't endure and went first.
We sparred quite seriously, but who would have expected such a futile result to come out.
"Puheup..."
"Ahaha!"
We looked alternately at our respective weapons and the opponent, then eventually burst into laughter we had held back.
"Good work."
"Yeah, it was a good match."
We ended the spar with a handshake.
'Since weapons broke and Aura ran out, I should end today's training here.'
It was when I thought that.
"Disciple, is that correct?"
".....?"
"Which household's spearman strikes ignorantly like that against a greatsword?"
Too familiar words were heard.
A voice that makes one tremble just by hearing it and a frivolous tone.
My body flinched without me knowing.
I turned my head with trembling eyes.
There was a face too familiar there.
A middle-aged man I've seen to the point of being sick of since childhood.
The crazy master who threw me into a pack of monsters saying he would make me grow was looking at me from behind.
'Life....'
Although he said he was coming, even so, I didn't know he would come this early.
I thought he would come around the time the school closure period ended, but why did he come already?
But apart from my complaints, a polite greeting popped out of my mouth.
"I greet Master."
"Yeah. So why did you fight like that?"
Still, since there were kids around, I was polite, but our master didn't care about the surrounding gazes.
Sweating profusely, I had to give an explanation that wasn't an explanation.
"Since that friend's blow was strong, I became curious if I could also produce similar power, so I tried receiving it from the front."
"Hmm.... That makes sense."
"Does it make sense?" (Note: In Korean, 'Matneun mal' means 'correct words/makes sense', but 'Matneun' can also mean 'being hit'. Ethan mishears or Master plays a pun implying 'words that get you hit'.)
"No? You said you wanted to become stronger last time. Then it makes sense. Why, do you want to get hit?"
"No."
"Right, let's do well."
It seems my enjoyable academy life ends here.