Revealing My Shadow Behind the Sword's Master
The announcement that I, Lucian Theodore von Deodore, was one of the creators of the renowned Sword Master technique from Lebechia had spread like wildfire.
According to the rumors, the academy and even the outside world had been in absolute chaos.
Considering the timeline, it meant that while I was still a child who hadn't even reached adulthood, I had already participated in the creation of swordsmanship.
Looking at it that way, the question naturally arose: wasn't there already a genius who surpassed Rie out there long before?
Of course, those speculations only fueled the bigger question: Did that youth truly possess the skill level of a Sword Master?
Rie had an overwhelmingly powerful and talented swordsmanship that every knight in the kingdom unanimously acknowledged.
But I had seen none of it until just recently, when the spark of divine potential had only begun to ignite.
That was exactly why I had left the creation of the technique under Edwin Hyung's name.
If someone like me, who couldn't even wield a sword properly, had supposedly crafted it, who would believe me?
Instead, the real doubt would fall on the technique itself—its terrifying might.
Anyway, it had left a clear mark on Lebechia without threatening Rie's position at all.
I had intended to reveal the truth one day, but after giving it more time, the powerful request from Cloud Grandfather and Edwin Hyung had finally made me nod.
“Honestly, Lucian… were you hiding something? Like… concealing your power?”
“I suspected it too. Right now, even the swordsmanship I’m using is one you supposedly designed.”
After the academic festival ended, the very next day, Raoul and Locke had rushed over the moment they heard the news.
Each of them carried a copy of the academy’s internal newspaper and the royal gossip sheet, waving them in my face with the words “Take a look at this!”
To be honest, I could tell exactly what kind of article was inside without even opening them.
But there was no escaping the issue, and since I had already accepted the idea of gradually stepping into the spotlight, I had to accept the results calmly.
“First-year Literature Division student Lucian Theodore von Deodore. It turns out he was the one who forged Lebechia’s swordsmanship alongside Edwin Lang von Dragonschulz! As a fellow academy student, I’m extremely proud…”
“The mysterious secret collaborator who was previously hidden in plain sight. The young son of Viscount Deodore who hadn’t yet reached adulthood! Using his exceptional talent to assist Edwin Lang von Dragonschulz…”
“Enough with the acting! You don’t have to breathe at all while saying that nonstop.”
“It’s amazing! Or rather, when did this even happen?! If you know the knight Edwin, you must be close to the former Prime Minister Dragonschulz, right?”
“That’s right. I heard the former Prime Minister Dragonschulz has only a handful of close acquaintances. First the sudden visit to the academy festival, then him highlighting you—there’s definitely something up with this!”
Being with them made me feel like my guard had suddenly grown sharper for no reason.
If I had just let it slide naturally, but now, with this kind of thing happening, it seemed I would have to choose—either lie or tell the truth.
Having some connection to Edwin Hyung was more than enough.
After all, he was an upper-class knight of Lebechia, so he knew plenty of people everywhere.
But Cloud Grandfather—the former Prime Minister Dragonschulz—was still the biggest burden.
If others knew I was close to him, more headaches would arise than just the fatigue.
What I wanted was to enjoy my life without excessive scrutiny.
Although Lebechia was in a peaceful era right now, who knew when it would descend into chaos?
And the first to suffer the most during such times would be those who stood out too much.
Even otherwise, I hadn’t wanted to become a rival or a target of jealousy and suspicion.
That was why I had judged it was still premature to reveal the connection with Cloud Grandfather.
I would reveal it later, once Rie was officially recognized as a Sword Master and I had climbed to a position far above anyone’s reach.
“What do you think of the former Prime Minister Dragonschulz? Did you really believe he dotes on his own son and helps him out, or something like that?”
“Eh, ehh? O-of course! There’s no way the former Prime Minister would do something like that.”
“Exactly. I simply got to know Edwin Hyung by chance. We talked about swordsmanship, discussed the shortcomings in detail, and decided to pool our ideas to create something better.”
Unlike Cloud Grandfather, who had completely withdrawn from public activities, Edwin Hyung was a regular upper-class knight of Lebechia, maintaining a moderate level of activity.
And although they weren’t particularly close, since Edwin Hyung knew my father—the viscount—through business, it was almost impossible to believe that I had met him without any connection.
That was why my explanation sounded quite logical, and in the end, Locke and Raoul nodded and stopped mentioning the former Prime Minister Dragonschulz.
Honestly, if he really doted on his son and helped him out, would His Majesty the King have kept him by his side for so long?
Instead, he would have been purged long ago for being arrogant.
“Anyway, you’re truly amazing. To think the swordsmanship prodigy I knew for so long is now… this is on another level.”
“You really hid your power or something? Don’t tell me that.”
“Not at all, Raoul. Let me put it differently. You know how the swordsmanship looks amazing in my eyes, but my real combat ability is strangely weak? I understand it all with my head and eyes, yet my body and hands just won’t follow. Imagine that.”
“...Just listening to that for a second already makes me terrified. Sorry, Lucian. I never thought of that. You must have suffered a lot.”
Being quick on the uptake like always, Raoul immediately apologized.
It seemed that even in his mind, thinking about the part where his head understood but his body didn’t was so terrifying that the word “terrible” didn’t even begin to cover it.
At my playful counter, “I’ll graciously accept your apology,” he quickly turned the heavy mood around.
“Anyway, that part was really noisy. The big jump in swordsmanship this time was thanks to Rie’s special training, or something like that—there were rumors, but it was perfectly proven. You weren’t lacking in actual combat ability; you just didn’t know swordsmanship itself.”
“I heard from the Martial Division side that you still need to catch up on your graduation requirements, and that with this level of swordsmanship, you would fit better in the martial track. What do you think, Lucian?”
“Those idiots who laughed at me as a swordsmanship prodigy just now… And if I transferred, in the end it would all be Rie's territory anyway. I want the first-place spot in the Literature Division, so I have no interest in transferring.”
“Tch, that’s a shame. If you went, I could have aimed for the first place in the Literature Division!”
“...How about making at least one statement that has a tiny bit of possibility, Raoul?”
“Why! Can’t a person dream at all?! Anyone can have any fantasy, Lucian!”
This guy really… I’m done for.
After shaking my head, I turned to Locke, who had been quietly watching Raoul from the side, and asked him to intervene.
This idiot seems to have lost the thread of his sanity. Can you please calm him down a bit?
Locke answered that he would and reached out to gently rub both of Raoul’s temples.
Soon, a loud wail burst from Raoul’s mouth: “Kyaaah!! My head, my head is being crushed! Gaaah!!”
“Hey, hey! It really hurts! Locke! My head’s gonna burst!”
“Burst after you first put on your mental brakes. You, me, everyone— this is very uncomfortable to hear.”
“Can’t even hope for the best!! I want to be first place too!!”
If you want to be first, first study history properly, you idiot.
Forget swordsmanship or magic. Even the regular introductory lectures are eating away at your scores—you can barely aim for top ranks, let alone first place.
“Ahem.”
Right then, a sudden cough came from the front, and I looked up, thinking it might be Rie.
But the person sitting there was not Rie—it was Fleta Noona.
Lately she had been very busy with tutoring duties, so it seemed she had taken time out of her schedule yesterday just to come find me.
“Fleta Tutor.”
“Sorry, can you step aside for a moment? There’s something I need to talk about with my little brother.”
“Of course! Raoul, let’s go!”
“Eh? Y-yah! Locke! Stop holding my neck! My neck… gk!”
Locke, with the skilled technique of a martial arts student, had quickly subdued the Literature Division representative and dragged him away.
Raul kept coughing and begging desperately for him to let go, which was a bit pitiful.
But since there was no faster way to leave, I simply watched in silence.
“Lucian. I’ve heard everything you told me yesterday.”
The moment Raoul and Locke disappeared from my sight, Fleta Noona finally got to the main topic.
I stood quietly in my seat, waiting for the next words.
Fleta Noona’s expression was 90% shocked and 10% a little hurt as she continued.
“Not just anyone, but the upper-class knight Edwin of Dragonschulz… He crafted that swordsmanship together with him. When I first heard the news, I couldn’t even speak—I was so stunned I was speechless. No matter how talented my little brother is, I never imagined he could be that amazing.”
“Because I didn’t say anything.”
“Even Father didn’t know?”
“Yes. I only told him that I had a slight acquaintance with Edwin Hyung. Nothing more.”
“That makes sense. Father also knew how lacking your swordsmanship was. If I had said that the most complete swordsmanship in the kingdom was one you created, he probably would have tilted his head in confusion.”
That’s exactly what Noona muttered, nodding in agreement.
But then she suddenly lowered her head slightly, looking deeply hurt, and said, “But I believed it. I know better than anyone that swordsmanship isn’t just about swinging a blade. You could have told me, couldn’t you?”
“That’s… back then, Noona was already at the academy. I was afraid it would interfere with Fleta Noona’s academy life, so I kept it secret. If it had leaked outside, it would have caused an absolute uproar.”
“...I want to say ‘no,’ but I can’t make that final call.”
Fleta Noona stepped closer and slowly raised her hand, gently stroking my hair as if comforting me.
There was a certain age gap, and ever since I was little, Noona had doted on me like a precious little brother.
Some people fought like crazy with their siblings until blood was drawn, but Fleta Noona wasn’t like that at all.
And I, following my Noona, never caused any unnecessary arguments or blushes beforehand.
She once said there was no one she trusted and relied on as much as her family.
Furthermore, Fleta Noona was the first knight from the Deodore family.
She was destined to become even greater than she was now and would surely become the next viscountess, so there was absolutely no benefit in clashing with my Noona.
“By now, Father should have received the news. What did you tell him?”
“I sent a letter right after yesterday. Everything I could say within the limits of what I could share.”
“Well done. Everyone has their own circumstances and reasons, but it’s best not to hide things from family. You did it thinking of us, but it might have hurt you.”
After answering that I would keep it in mind, Noona finally wiped away the hurt expression and smiled.
Noona had always been a good person, but she was still human, so she had a tiny flaw.
What was that flaw? If she was hurt and couldn’t resolve it in time, she would later get terribly hurt and it would be extremely difficult to fix.
“...I should tell Senior Michael right away.”
Thinking about it, I wasn’t sure how Senior Michael was doing.
One of these days, I should go to the third-year floor and check on him.