Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: 22. Sparring
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“Hoo. Fellow student! This training ground is way bigger than I thought!”
“Yeah.”
Barkan looked around in admiration as he stepped into the training hall.
Sure enough, just as he said. The S-Class exclusive training ground was far wider and more comfortable than any other practice area.
The floor was finished with a special material that was soft yet firm.
The ceiling was covered with transparent glass reinforced by magic, allowing sunlight to pour in directly.
'They sure don't skimp on the money. It's all about merit here.'
A few students monopolizing facilities like this really drove home what elite treatment meant.
“Haat… haa!”
With the professor waiting in front of them, staring only at his pocket watch.
Soon enough, the other students who had dashed to the changing rooms arrived one by one, panting heavily.
“Haa… haa! I, I didn't make it late…”
Hyera, drenched in sweat, arrived last, hands on her knees as she gasped for breath.
She must have run in such a hurry.
Her face was flushed red, and her glasses were fogged up so badly she could barely see.
Click.
“Barely made it.”
Without even glancing at the students whose faces were red from running.
Professor Zig Keil glanced at his pocket watch and spoke curtly.
“Ten minutes. Right on time. Not bad for a bunch of slow slugs.”
It was hard to tell if it was praise or an insult.
But for the moment, everyone sighed in relief that they weren't late.
“All assemble!”
At the professor's command, the S-Class students lined up one by one.
Rather than standing at the front, I naturally positioned myself at the end of the back row to observe the situation.
I wanted to be as far from Iris as possible, but.
Of course, that wasn't the reason.
'…Probably.'
Rustle, rustle.
“...Ugh. Why the hell did I…”
She kept fidgeting with her fingertips, muttering complaints under her breath.
'Rosalyn Belluga… was it?'
I recalled the name of the girl with her glamorous blonde hair tied up in a bun like a roll.
The only daughter of Viscount Belluga, a typical arrogant noble lady.
In the original story, she was one of the roles who looked down on Iris from a lower noble house and commoner Hyera, only to get thoroughly schooled.
I heard she eventually reformed later on, but.
“...Ugh, it smells like sweat. So gross.”
“S-Sorry… I ran in a hurry, so I guess I sweated a bit…!”
Sure enough, Rosalyn pinched her nose and scowled at Hyera standing next to her.
Hyera bowed her head repeatedly, apologizing profusely, but Rosalyn ignored her completely.
'What a piece of work.'
I shook my head and looked away from them.
What mattered to me right now wasn't Rosalyn's bitchy behavior or feeling sorry for Hyera.
I could put all that aside for now. At least at the moment.
Rosalyn hadn't started seriously bullying Hyera yet anyway.
And if it really bothered me, I could intervene later; it wouldn't be too late.
'The important thing is my sparring opponent.'
Draws, right?
Please, oh please, just not Iris.
“From now on, you'll pair up two by two for sparring.”
Professor Zig Keil shook a box as he spoke.
“Inside are papers with your names. The ones I draw will be opponents. Any complaints?”
No, none.
Just please don't draw Iris.
“I'll take that as a no. Then.”
After scanning the surroundings once.
The professor reached into the box and pulled out two slips of paper.
“First pair. Barkan, and… Hyera Lane.”
“Hahaha! What an honor to be in the first sacred spar! Heh. Looking forward to it, Hyera!”
Barkan laughed heartily and stepped forward.
Of course, Hyera, his actual opponent, turned pale and trembled.
“Eek… s-so big a person…?”
Hyera looked so pitifully shrunken, but the professor showed no mercy.
“Next. Second pair. Rosalyn Belluga, Kaien von Raven.”
“...”
As if he didn't care who the opponent was.
Kaien walked forward with an expressionless face.
Rosalyn pouted and glared at Kaien but eventually followed with a sigh.
“Third pair: Celine Dreadnote, Elishia von Arden.”
“Oh! Looks like I'm up against Celine.”
“Looking forward to it, Eli.”
The two smiled at each other.
It was a heartwarming atmosphere, but the upcoming spar wouldn't be peaceful.
Celine was already a genius mage with combat experience, and Elishia was an elf deeply versed in spirit arts.
Moreover, both were top contenders for valedictorian, so the result wouldn't come easily.
...Huh?
Wait, with the pairs like this…?
Let's see. Who's left…
“Last one.”
Me, and…
'Uh?'
A bad premonition crawled up my spine.
No, not a premonition—this was basically confirmed.
Only two people left, no need for more draws?
The moment Professor Zig Keil reached into the box again for the final pair.
My heart started pounding wildly.
'No. Just maybe. There could be a third person I forgot about!'
Of course, I already knew that was nonsense.
Still, I hoped it wasn't. It had to not be.
I'd had plenty of bad luck before, but please, not this time.
'Gods out there, please!'
But as if mocking my desperate wish.
“Final pair. Evan Dreadnote, and…”
The professor paused for a moment, then unfolded the remaining paper with an indifferent expression.
“Iris Riel.”
“...Hah.”
I couldn't hold back the sigh that burst out.
No way this probability makes sense. Even with few students, there's a limit.
How does it end up exactly like this?
At this point, the heavens must be screwing with me on purpose.
No other explanation.
“Hehe. It ended up like this after all.”
On the other hand, Iris looked at me with the corners of her mouth lifted, as if she'd been waiting for this moment.
“How about this? We're fated to not push each other away.”
“...Don't jinx it.”
Fate my ass.
This is a curse. A disaster.
I muttered curses under my breath and stepped forward.
Someone once said, if you can't avoid it, enjoy it.
I wanted to ask that person how the hell to enjoy this.
“Alright, pairs to your positions. Sparring is free-form. Weapons, magic—whatever. Subdue your opponent or force a surrender to win.”
The training hall was so vast that finding suitable spots for each pair was easy.
“Begin.”
At the professor's word, battles erupted across the hall with shouts.
Boom! Kwang!
“Wench! Take my weapon fair and square! Urraap!”
“Th-that'll k-kill me! Eek!”
“Don't run—fight back! Wench! Is that how a warrior acts?!”
“I-I'm not a w-warrior!”
Kwang!
“Eek!”
Barkan's massive wooden sword swung down at Hyera, Rosalyn's whip flew at Kaien.
Celine and Elishia distanced themselves, chanting spells in preparation.
If I had the leisure, I'd want to watch and appreciate—their skills were that impressive.
Even unpolished as they were.
Just gauging their abilities, they far surpassed ordinary students.
True rough gems.
Give them a little time, and they'd grow into even bigger monsters soon.
“...”
“...”
But I had no time to admire their fights right now.
Right in front of me stood Iris Riel, the protagonist of The Glory, wooden sword aimed at me.
We faced each other, neither moving first.
“Young Master Evan. Ready?”
Iris gripped her wooden sword and asked.
Her eyes stared straight at me without a flicker.
As if piercing right through me.
“...No. Not at all.”
“What if you're not ready? I won't go easy.”
She smiled brightly, clearly enjoying this, and slowly lowered into stance.
“I know. That's why I'm asking you to go easy.”
“Go easy…”
Hmm.
As if pondering.
She tapped her chin with her index finger and hummed.
“Sadly, that's not in my dictionary.”
With those words, she kicked off the ground toward me.
Tat!
In the blink of an eye, she closed the distance, her wooden sword thrusting straight for my throat.
'Fast.'
Her ruthless assault without hesitation drew an involuntary gasp of admiration.
No wasted movements in her actions.
A protagonist worthy of the title.
Already at enrollment, she was beyond most people.
Even Professor Zig Keil over there was the same.
“What kind of monster is that…!”
Seeing the professor muttering to himself with shaking eyes.
Even that old coot had realized Iris was no ordinary.
[My lord! This isn't the time to look away. She's coming! She's coming, I say!]
Tundra's scream-like warning from the shadows rang in my ears, but I ignored it.
Sure, Iris wasn't someone to take lightly and toy with.
However.
'I see it.'
Her movements, gaze, even breathing.
The trajectory, where she was aiming, what she planned.
All crystal clear in my eyes.
Whoosh!
The moment the sword tip grazed my Adam's apple.
I leaned back, barely dodging the attack.
By a hair's breadth, a chill wind brushed my skin.
“As expected…!”
Even though her sure-kill strike, aimed at a lapse in guard, missed.
Iris didn't panic. Her eyes sparkled, as if she'd known.
No, don't look at me like that?
Like you're gazing at your idolized actor.
“My hunch was right. You are strong.”
She readjusted her grip and closed in again.
Clang! Kagang!
I parried her barrage with my wooden sword, sometimes twisting my body to evade.
Unlike the noisy battles around.
The dull thuds of honest wood on wood echoed relentlessly through the hall.
'Strong and straightforward.'
Iris's swordsmanship was honest.
Textbook-perfect form, no frills.
But the power behind it was beyond imagination.
A heavy waterfall-like weight coexisting with wind-like speed.
That bizarre yet fundamentals-solid style.
Reflected her innate talent perfectly.
Even that swordsmanship was probably self-taught, never learned from anyone.
With a good master, she'd get even stronger.
'But not yet.'
No matter the talent, no matter her monstrous skill.
She was still a growing, unfinished prospect.
Far from the depth of my fully-honed Black King Style, forged through countless battlefields.
Maybe someday she'd surpass me.
But not now.
I casually deflected her attacks, waiting for an opening.
A tiny gap she wouldn't notice.
“Why aren't you attacking?”
After dozens of exchanges, with me purely defending, Iris asked curiously.
“No opening.”
“Liar.”
She saw right through my lie.
“You see it all in your eyes. My gaps.”
“...Quick wits must be exhausting.”
I shrugged and leveled my wooden sword horizontally.
No point hiding anymore.
She was already convinced I was strong.
Then.
'Time to wrap this up moderately.'
I faced her sword and assumed the most basic form of Black King Style.
Specialized in deflecting and subduing opponent attacks.
“My turn to go in.”
Tang!
This time, I moved first.
Kicked off and plunged into her guard in an instant.
“Kuh!”
Iris raised her sword in surprise to block.
But my wooden sword slithered through like a snake.
Thwack!
A light tap to the wrist collapsed her stance.
Immediately, I pointed the tip at her throat.
“...It's over.”
At my declaration, Iris froze.
She glanced between the sword at her throat and me, then let out a deep sigh.
“Haa. I hate losing… but I admit it. You win.”
Her voice held regret but no frustration as she conceded defeat.
If anything, she looked relieved.
“You really aren't ordinary.”
With a sigh, she lowered her wooden sword and smiled faintly.
“Thanks. It felt like fighting all-out after so long. It was fun.”
Fun for you, huh. Good thing. I was sweating bullets.
“So, now you'll answer my questions?”
...What random nonsense is this.
What questions?