Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Apostle Executioner, Anastasia
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The next day, Tuesday.
As soon as I entered the classroom, I first checked for David’s seat.
And when I saw David in his usual spot, I could finally let go of my worries.
*Step.*
As I approached the seat next to him, David looked at me with a faint smile.
“David. Are you okay?”
I beat him to the punch, and David nodded as if it were obvious.
“Of course, I’m okay. Can’t you tell just by looking at me?”
“Still, I had to ask just in case. Anyway, I’m glad you’re alright.”
As I sat down, I could see that, at least on the surface, there was nothing wrong with David.
“So, Han Cheon-seong, I heard you beat Jerad right after me yesterday?”
“I did.”
“Well, that’s a shame. I should have seen that match.”
Seeing him act completely like his usual self, a laugh escaped my lips.
I had been worried that he might be demoralized or depressed from the aftermath of his crushing defeat yesterday, but that was a needless concern.
“If you think so, you should have just let me go first.”
“…Well. I wanted to land a hit on him too. Of course, far from landing a hit, I was the one who got thoroughly beaten.”
As David scratched his cheek at the end of his sentence, I didn't think he looked particularly bad.
‘Getting thoroughly beaten is also a necessary experience.’
Of course, the fact that his opponent was Jerad was a bit unfortunate, but David not giving up even in that match would surely become a great source of strength for him later on.
I had felt it keenly during my first duel with Leonhardt.
Just how powerful willpower can be.
“David. Still, Instructor Kalli seemed to hold you in high regard for not giving up until the very end.”
“Come on. There’s no way Instructor Kalli would think highly of me. I just held on out of stubbornness, what’s so great about that?”
“The majority of cadets don’t even have that kind of stubbornness.”
As I spoke, I truly believed it.
Whether it’s stubbornness or something else, the spirit of not giving up is meaningful. When it comes to training one’s will, there is no greater training than overcoming the desire to quit.
At the time, I was so filled with anger that I couldn't think straight, but now I completely understood why Kalli hadn't stopped the duel.
Thinking back to yesterday’s training session was amusing. After my victory against Jerad, not a single cadet sparred with me, save for one.
And even that one person was defeated so futilely by me that no one else dared to challenge me afterward.
Facing reality and preparing to be broken isn't as easy as it sounds.
“So, how’s David doing?”
I asked, my thoughts leading me to the question.
“What about him?”
“Is Jerad acting like he used to?”
When I put it more directly, David let out a chuckle and shook his head.
“No. Maybe it’s because he got beaten by you yesterday, but Jerad’s attitude completely changed today.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. He didn’t try to pick a fight or anything, just stayed quiet.”
At his words, I turned my head.
I could see Jerad sitting not too far away. On the outside, he seemed the same as usual. The biggest difference was that his gaze wasn't directed toward us.
‘I was thinking I’d have to punish him more severely if he held a grudge.’
I wasn't sure if my warning from yesterday had been etched into his heart, but judging by his current appearance, it seemed I wouldn't have to worry about Jerad anymore.
“Anyway, that aside, Han Cheon-seong.”
“Yeah. What is it?”
As I straightened my head and replied, David suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“Hey. You… by any chance…”
He trailed off with a strange tone, then clamped his mouth shut, making me wonder for a moment what was wrong with him.
“By any chance. What?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”
“David. If you’re going to say something, say it properly. What did you want to ask?”
Even when I pressed him, David just smiled awkwardly.
As if he had been mistaken.
“It’s nothing. Just thought you’re pretty popular, Han Cheon-seong.”
“What’s with the sudden change of topic?”
“It’s just… forget it. Just drop it now.”
*Screech.*
Just then, the classroom door suddenly opened.
*Clack. Clack.*
As Kalli appeared in the classroom at nine o’clock sharp, just as always, every cadet in the room held their breath.
And I was no different. I collected my breath and straightened my posture.
‘Did the conversation with Adelia go well yesterday…?’
I could only pray that nothing had happened between the two instructors.
Then, inadvertently, the image of Adelia’s explosive figure came to mind, and I hastily shook my head.
Yesterday’s encounter was not easily forgotten, even through the night. Adelia’s destructive figure was not something that could be easily dismissed…
“…”
Then, of all moments, why did our eyes have to meet?
I couldn’t tell.
Her red eyes, holding only indifference, or perhaps coldness, made it impossible to discern what emotions she was feeling.
“Everyone, please be seated.”
At the voice that followed, I took out my textbook and swallowed hard.
***
—A1 Classroom.
Time passed, and the afternoon lecture was underway.
“The event known as the blooming, or evolution, of an ability has different growth factors for everyone. All cadets present in this classroom should know that a strong will is necessary as a foundation. To manifest that will more firmly and strongly, exceptional concentration is essential…”
At the words of the A1 Class instructor, Gebel, most of the cadets focused, gripping the strange blue cylinders placed before them.
It was an auxiliary tool called a ‘Pavel,’ which shrank and expanded in response to their grip strength.
This was a training session to improve concentration by maintaining a certain level of grip strength. If they failed to control their grip, the mana inside the cylinder would burst out in a small explosion, causing minor pain to the cadet’s hand.
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
“Haa!”
Just like now.
The groans of several cadets who failed to control their grip echoed throughout the classroom.
And as if it were a matter of course, the A1 Class instructor, Gebel, slowly walked among the cadets.
“Concentration is, at a glance, simple, yet it is anything but. However, it can certainly be trained if one puts in the effort. While focusing on the Pavel in your hand, listen closely. Sharpening your senses and activating the latent mana within your body is also one of the best ways to improve concentration.”
With his continued words, Gebel moved slowly through the focused cadets.
*Step. Step.*
As he did, Gebel observed the cadets with a generally satisfied look.
With the exception of the S Class, reserved for royalty and the highest-ranking nobles, this classroom could be said to gather the cadets with the best traits and talents of the year.
Each and every one of them was a shining star. The instructor teaching them was, naturally, an extraordinary individual as well.
Gebel was an officer who had distinguished himself on the battlefield, with a trait level of 9. He was known as one of the pillars supporting the eastern front, alongside Kalli.
There were a few cadets Gebel was paying special attention to right now.
“……”
“……”
Two cadets, a man and a woman, were focused on their Pavels without a word.
They were Leonhardt and Glacia.
A faint blue light was currently swirling around both of their bodies—proof that they were simultaneously handling mana while concentrating on their grip.
‘As expected.’
Thinking they were worth watching, he shifted his gaze to the person beside them.
A cadet with fiery red hair was frowning. It was Yumia, and an aura of flame, different from mana, swirled around her entire body, showcasing a brilliant talent no less than the others.
‘I can place my hopes on these three cadets this year.’
Since the S Class cadets rarely made an appearance, it was fair to say that these three were showing the most promise in the early days of the academy.
And cadets who stood out early on usually continued to do so until the end.
*Step.*
He moved among them and spoke once more.
“The Pavel training you are currently undergoing is an almost essential exercise for cadets hoping to become officers nearing graduation. The battlefield is a place where every second counts, requiring swift judgment and intense concentration to face monsters. And even if you do not stand on the battlefield, enhanced concentration will be of great help in various other fields.”
*Step.*
As he walked, at that moment.
“…!”
He saw Cadet Glacia bite her lip. It seemed her concentration had wavered, and she felt the pain from the Pavel.
‘Does talk of the battlefield break her concentration?’
He thought she was a peculiar cadet.
Ninety-eight percent of the cadets in this A1 Class were of noble birth. Each one hailed from a renowned family or, even if their title was low, a family with a long history.
But Cadet Glacia was the exception. She came from a very unusual background.
To call Cadet Glacia a commoner… even that was laughable.
Leaving aside her personal traits, talents, and qualities, her current family connections were treated like a top-secret matter.
A request had been made within the academy that no one but her direct supervising instructor could view her records.
‘To think that Cadet Glacia is the younger sister of the renowned Apostle Executioner, Anastasia…’
He couldn’t believe how surprised he had been when he first confirmed it.
A great pillar of the western front. An officer whose performance was so overwhelming that it was said she alone accounted for a third of the entire military force.
[Apostle Executioner]
—Anastasia.
To call her a commoner without a surname was ridiculous; she was already an officer whose noble title conferment ceremony had been confirmed. The ceremony was only being delayed because she had not yet returned to the empire.
‘She’ll probably receive the title of Count at the very least. Perhaps even a Marquis.’
The fact that she had single-handedly defended a front for many years was a monumental achievement that the empire could not ignore.
Moreover, her epithet was ‘Apostle Executioner.’
—Apostle.
Monsters classified as special-grade threats were called Apostles.
And the power of the Apostles was the primary reason the front lines were currently at a stalemate.
While Apostles, whose defeat even veteran officers with years of battlefield experience could not guarantee, continued to appear, the number of experienced officers was steadily decreasing.
In that situation, the number of Apostles Anastasia had killed and the legendary record she had built… even he, who had been on a different front, had heard of her fame.
*Step.*
As he walked, he suddenly checked the time.
It was past three in the afternoon. It was about time to end the lecture.
“That will be all for today’s lecture. Any cadets who wish to continue their training may do so with the Pavels until five o’clock.”
Even though he had clearly announced the end of the lecture, no one stood up.
Everyone remained focused on the Pavels in their hands, engrossed in their training.
“…”
A pleased smile unknowingly formed on his face at the sight.
Indeed, the future of this empire rested on the shoulders of the A Class cadets here.
Their mindset was entirely different from that of the lower-ranking cadets.
*Scrape.*
Then, a cadet stood up, and his gaze was involuntarily drawn to her.
A calm expression beneath blue hair.
*Clack.*
The cadet who returned her Pavel to its original place was none other than Cadet Glacia.
“Thank you for the lecture, Instructor.”
“…Yes. You’ve worked hard today too, Cadet Glacia.”
He replied with some reluctance, his eyes following Cadet Glacia as she left the classroom without a moment’s hesitation.
‘What in the world is going on?’
Cadet Glacia was usually the one most engrossed in the lectures. But today, strangely, she was the first to rise from her seat.
“…”
He watched her for a moment.
*
On the other hand, Glacia, who had left the classroom, was thinking intensely.
“With this kind of training, I’ll never be able to reach my sister.”
What I need is…
Han Cheon-seong, that man.
The only man in whom I saw a shadow of my sister.
And as luck would have it, today was the day I was scheduled to meet him.