Rivals Now
“Oh, ohhh.”
“Ohhh? That’s the kind of useless ‘ohhh’ that would freeze you to death. Stop saying weird things and focus already, please.”
“No, Lucian. You could probably be an artist right now as is.”
“An artist?”
“Exactly. These days, artists receive all sorts of sponsorships from nobles while painting, sculpting, and doing every other kind of thing.”
I recalled that artists like painters and sculptors really did go around looking for patrons.
Just like Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo from the Renaissance era.
“Why suddenly bring that up?”
“Because looking at what you drew just now, it seems way better than those artists who get sponsored. It’s not some empty compliment—it's the real deal.”
Locke’s words might not have been sincere praise, but the picture before me was so perfectly crafted that it made you wonder if someone else had drawn it.
It was something I had drawn, yet the thought of it being mine at all felt absurd.
Did I have an original talent for art? No. This was simply a side effect of my ability.
I had never even held a pen or a brush properly, and in my previous life I had never possessed any artistic sense whatsoever.
The only art-related things I had seen were books and paintings from this fantasy world.
Yet somehow, just by touching a pen, I could produce a masterpiece in no time.
While the most important martial arts and magic in this fantasy world were gem-like skills!
“All right, let’s call this woman Rie and that man you.”
“Wait a second.”
“What now?”
“...Is this what I look like? This fat?”
“Focus, human. Want me to stop?”
“No, but I’m curious why you drew Rie-nim so beautifully while I look like this.”
Rie and you are both realistic paintings, you idiot.
And your build is disgusting. Whether you know it or not, everyone calls you a pig behind your back.
Only when I threatened to abandon the advice did he finally listen.
Outside of swinging swords and brawling, he really had no talent as a friend.
“Rie-nim is truly beautiful. Though I can’t compare, I’m not half bad either, am I?”
“...Yeah. Our Locke… he really… is handsome! Extremely handsome!”
“Is something missing from what I said? Did I imagine it?”
“Quiet. If I explain it in words you won’t understand, and you’d probably ask me to repeat it five times, so I’ll leave it in the picture. Look at this scene right now. The moment when Rie’s sword is aimed at your leg.”
“Eh? Then?”
“When this moment arrives, you must block the shoulder. More precisely, the right shoulder from your perspective.”
“Looking at the picture, this is a perfect downward cut that even tricks couldn’t hide?”
“Most people can’t twist their wrists, but Rie can. I’ve seen it a few times—pretending to aim low, then in the blink of an eye she slashes from the top.”
“...No matter how you look at it, there’s no way you can raise your sword to the shoulder in time.”
“If you don’t trust my eyes, do as you please.”
At that, Locke waved his hands, saying it wasn’t that way.
I knew this guy understood that my eyes were unmatched when it came to analyzing “real combat.”
“There will be several similar moves. In those cases, it’s definitely a real downward attack, so don’t get confused—definitely block it! When Rie aims low like in the picture with her hand shaped like this, that’s the moment to target the shoulder. That’s why I drew it. Got it?”
“I understand. So dodge here, and then?”
“No counterattacks or anything like that at this point. You can’t beat Rie even if you’re dead and come back.”
“I accept that, but if there’s a way to do all this with pictures, then—”
That’s why I hate sharp-eyed guys.
“...If you hold out a few more times, Rie will come for your head with a big overhead swing. Then don’t defend—just clash with it.”
“Right when my head is about to crack, you tell me to clash?”
“I’m not aiming at your head. I’m aiming to pin your vision there and strike at your neck. If you do that, you’ll probably see yourself choking and gasping. That should buy you one opening. The rest is up to you. I can’t help anymore.”
It was a shame, but these were all the hints I could give.
Because Rie’s swordsmanship was so refined and superior that even my eyes couldn’t fully read it.
Still, these were details I had spotted only after watching with bloodshot eyes countless times.
In words it might seem simple, but facing Rie’s blade in the dueling arena would change your thinking entirely.
Even seasoned fighters who swung swords couldn’t endure her attacks for more than two exchanges.
“...Still, Lucian, I expected you to see through it with those sharp eyes of yours. But it’s this bad?”
“I said so. This is the limit. Why else was Mikael-senpai so thoroughly beaten? Word is he was a talented person who passed the knight exam without much trouble.”
“That’s why I’m even more worried. Hah… can you last five exchanges…?”
Watching him act unlike his usual self and tense up made me feel a little sorry for the guy.
Was he disappointed that I couldn’t help more? Just as that worry was rising, a new thought struck me.
“Oh, right. By the way, Lucian.”
“What?”
“Thinking about it, you seem to have an incredibly strong interest in Rie-nim.”
...What the hell is this guy saying out of nowhere?
As if to challenge him to keep talking, I stayed silent and just blinked.
Without catching on, Locke continued anyway.
“No, look. The picture is completely identical to Rie-nim, you’ve mastered her swordsmanship completely, and even the tiniest details I couldn’t have noticed—you’ve grasped them all. No matter how sharp your eyes are, if you’re not interested in the other person, this level of insight should be impossible, right?”
“...Locke.”
“Hm?”
“Just lose already.”
As I said that, I reached for the paper I had been about to hand over.
Locke, ever the quick-witted martial student, snatched it first and tucked it straight into his robes.
Then, with a grateful smile, he said that if it actually worked, I could buy him two more hot choco later and left the cafe first.
Looking at his retreating back, I silently prayed that nothing would break or crack him.
I knew that once Rie gripped her sword, she became terrifyingly fierce and never held back, relentlessly pressing her attacks.
Compared to the freshmen days that should have been full of fun, having to walk with a cane was truly pitiful.
After finishing the last of the hot choco, I headed toward the next lecture.
Everyone at the academy called the philosophy lecture the “most boring class.”
But I actually rather liked this philosophy lecture.
Without needing any special abilities, I simply talked about things I had known on Earth, and at some point all eyes naturally turned to me.
“I believe that even though humans are born good, there is also the possibility that they are born bad.”
“What an interesting opinion, Lucian student. Please continue.”
“At first, a human knows only himself. Then he meets others, faces society, learns what he must protect, and grows while learning to control himself.”
“In that case, Lucian student’s view is that humans are born evil?”
“Not exactly evil, but inclined that way.”
At that, the professor in charge of philosophy, Dayduck, smiled and clapped.
“Excellent. Have you been interested in philosophy since before coming to the academy, Lucian student?”
“No, not really. I simply wondered if there might be such opinions while reading books.”
“Very good. In fact, five years ago, someone named Shug opposed Mag’s claim. If humans were truly good, why do we have laws and religion?”
It turned out someone had already made that claim before me.
I had worried it might make me seem like a pioneer and cause trouble, but it was a relief.
While saying this, Dayduck praised me sincerely for being so passionate about philosophy even as a first-year.
He even joked that I might be the next one to become Mag’s follower…
Wait, is the professor excited? That statement seems a bit off though?
Once a follower, one must live only with good words and good deeds until the end.
It’s good to live life correctly, but I don’t need to be so obsessively good that it becomes annoying—my motto for life.
In that sense, becoming a follower was no different from being cursed for me.
“Everyone, please don’t think of philosophy as such a rigid academic discipline. Take Lucian student’s approach and consider it seriously once. Today’s lecture ends here.”
Dayduck left the lecture hall first, and the students behind him hurriedly gathered their textbooks and disappeared like the tide going out.
Since there was nothing to do now anyway, I took my time organizing the books.
Suddenly someone approached me from the front.
“Lucian.”
...Strange. As far as I knew, philosophy class was only for the Literary Division students.
This voice belonged to someone from the Martial Division.
I hoped I had misheard, but in a situation where that probability was less than 1 percent.
Slowly looking up, I saw that it was indeed Rie staring at me.
“It’s not swordsmanship class time?”
“Yes. I ran here the moment it ended.”
The lecture hall erupted in noise at the appearance of the academy’s top star and promising talent, first-year Rie.
Even the students who had been rushing out to leave stopped and peered inside through the windows.
While thinking this was an undesirable sight, I continued organizing the books at my leisure.
“Follow me. There’s something I want to talk about.”
“Ooh!”
“Waaah!!”
Oh? And what was that “Waaah”? Please, I hope you all disappear.
I closed my eyes tightly and imagined the academy rumors that would spread later.
Rie, the academy’s top promising talent, was interested in me—something between us.
I was fully aware that excessive interest always became chains that tormented a person.
I had seen enough Earth celebrities suffer from depression, panic attacks, and even suicide.
And I hated more than anything when strangers gossiped about me.
In that sense, getting entangled with Rie meant I would see my ugly side soon enough.
“Can’t we do this quickly? I just finished class and want to go back to my room and rest.”
“Yes. No. This isn’t something simple, so just follow without complaint.”
If Rie spoke to me like that, there was no point in rebelling.
To avoid strange rumors, I replied as casually as possible that I understood, and we could have tea somewhere and hear what she had to say.
Rie nodded and walked out of the lecture hall first, and the students watching on the sides parted with a “shuk” sound.
Was this Moses’ miracle or what the hell was going on?
“...”
“Hey, Rie.”
“...”
“Where are we going?”
“...”
It had already been ten minutes since I had started walking without complaint.
Thankfully, there was no other lecture today, so no unexpected self-suspension happened.
Still, this woman who casually stole my personal time was not at all pleasant.
“If there’s something to talk about, shouldn’t we sit somewhere appropriate? Where exactly…?”
“We’re here now, so stop whining.”
The voice had a quite sharp edge.
Laws are far, but fists are near, they say—now I knew I couldn’t beat her even if I died and came back, so I simply kept my mouth shut and followed.
The place we finally arrived was the garden within the academy, where almost no one came and there was no sound of students chatting.
“...”
Was there no one who had followed us here? As I looked around, Rie.
“Lucian.”
Suddenly rummaging in her pocket, she pulled something out in front of me.
“What is this?”
Overall Rank: 12 / 150