Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Not a Single Day of Peace (4)
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There wasn't a single day of rest.
The day after the incident occurred. In other words, it had been a few days ago from now.
Right after afternoon training ended, Shabel—who would normally have left by then—approached me.
"Luke Nineheart, come to my office."
"Understood."
With that, Shabel turned on her heel.
As she walked away, traces of yesterday's incident lingered around her. Claw marks scarred the walls and floor, exuding a savage menace.
I'd heard they planned to repair it over the weekend, but I hoped they'd fix it as soon as possible.
Just thinking about that thing made me uneasy for no reason.
'What could this be about, anyway...'
If it was about the incident, I'd already been thoroughly questioned that morning. There was no need to hide anything, so I'd spilled everything I knew.
Well, no need to worry about it. Even if I didn't want to know, talking with Shabel would reveal it soon enough.
After that, I headed to the office, where I encountered an unexpected figure.
"Good to see you, Luke."
A middle-aged man greeted me with a kindly smile. Streaks of white in his hair hinted at his age.
How could I not recognize him? He was practically the face of the Academy.
"Good to see you too, Dean."
"Don't just stand there—have a seat over here."
He gestured to the sofa across from him.
I nodded lightly in response and followed his lead.
In the end, we sat facing each other across the table. He began the conversation with that same kindly smile.
"Have you found life at the Academy comfortable so far?"
"Yes, quite satisfactory. The professors have been passionate in their teaching as well."
As I spoke, I glanced sidelong at Shabel.
Shabel stood behind the Dean like a bodyguard. Her eyes were wide, clearly taken aback by my words.
Perhaps complimenting her pleased the Dean too—his smile lifted a bit higher.
"I'm grateful you recognize our professors' efforts. At any rate, I'm glad you're comfortable."
"I'm the one who's grateful for this opportunity to learn."
In truth, this was just polite small talk. Nobles always exchanged pleasantries before getting to the point.
Like an appetizer before the main course, if you compared it to a meal.
A brief silence followed, during which the plates on the table were cleared and replaced.
"Luke, as Dean, I offer you my thanks for this incident. We avoided a greater disaster entirely thanks to you."
"A knight exists to protect others. I only did what was expected."
That said, I was hardly the epitome of knighthood. Truth be told, if Elena hadn't been there, I'd have fled faster than anyone.
In short, I was hardly worthy of such gratitude.
"Even if it felt natural to you, the fact remains that you risked your life to protect the Academy. I'd like to offer some small reward..."
"A reward...?"
"Yes. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask. Precious jewels or a sword forged by a master smith would be fine."
It was a tempting offer. I happened to need something right then.
'My sword's broken...'
Maybe because I couldn't properly handle my aura. When I came to, only the hilt was left dangling.
I'd asked Shabel to gather the shattered blade, but it was still unusable.
Logically, I should toss the broken sword and ask the Dean for a new one.
But I couldn't bring myself to say it. That sword was a gift from Elena, after all.
With no other ideas coming to mind, it seemed best to decline.
"I appreciate the offer, but I'll just accept your kind intentions."
"That doesn't sit well with me..."
"Really, it's fine."
The Dean, who had maintained his kindly smile throughout, furrowed his brow in thought. He clearly hadn't expected the refusal.
After a moment, he smiled again.
"No helping it, then. If the recipient isn't pleased, it's not truly a gift. We'll just award the medal this time, but come to me anytime if you need something."
What if they skipped the medal too...? If the recipient isn't pleased, it's not a gift.
Of course, I couldn't say that aloud.
"Thank you for considering it."
What could I do? Refusing this might make his brow furrow so much his eyebrows would merge.
Still, quietly accepting a medal didn't seem so bad...
That had been just a few days ago.
'How did things end up like this?'
A large crowd had gathered before my eyes. Not just the Magic and Swordsmanship Departments from the joint class, but even the unrelated General Studies students.
It felt eerily like the entrance ceremony—and sure enough, every student from that event was assembled.
"Heard what this is about?"
"No idea. They just said to gather in the auditorium."
"I heard something went wrong during the joint class between Swordsmanship and Magic. Maybe that's it?"
The students murmured in confusion at the unexplained assembly.
Their voices naturally died down as someone took the podium.
Of course, it was the Academy Dean. He wore his usual kindly smile.
"Good to see you all, students. It's been two months since you enrolled, and the once-mild weather is heating up, much like your passion for learning."
A principal's address, I suppose. I'd endured plenty as a kid. Standing still on the sports field had been torture.
Of course, that was just the surface. The real reason for gathering them...
"Luke Nineheart, to the podium."
Was to award me the medal.
Apparently, it was tradition to assemble the entire year group for medal ceremonies. Something about receiving congratulations from everyone.
From my perspective—someone who hated the spotlight—it was utterly unwelcome.
'I swore I'd never go through this again...'
I let out a long internal sigh and stood. I ignored the stares from around me.
Reaching the podium, I bowed politely to the Dean.
"At last, I get to pin it on you myself."
He gave a wry smile. No doubt, failing to do so at the entrance ceremony had bothered him.
Soon, the second medal adorned my chest. Its weight made my shoulders feel heavier.
"You may return to your seat."
I returned amid applause from everyone.
I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole, but I endured. As the Frozenheart Ducal Family's exclusive attendant, I couldn't afford to act undignified.
I learned later that I was only the second person in history to receive two medals in a single year.
The first was Camelot.
The one called the Sword Saint.
How many days had passed since the medal ceremony?
I was facing Elena in the gardening club's plot.
"Milady, I have something to confess."
"What is it?"
I rummaged in my pocket and pulled something out.
It was a handkerchief. More precisely, something wrapped in one.
"What's that...?"
Better to show than tell, so I carefully unfolded it.
"What is this...? It looks just like a broken swor—"
Her blue eyes drifted downward, stopping at my waist.
She reached out and grasped the hilt. As she pulled slowly, the bladeless hilt came away limply.
Elena stared wide-eyed, looking between the object in her hand and me.
"Wh-wh-what have you done?!"
"I'm sorry for not treating your gift with care. Due to my lack of skill, it broke during the fight with the beast."
"Oh, that's all? I thought something serious had happened..."
Elena let out a sigh of relief.
I'd expected an earful for breaking her gift, but she was more forgiving than I'd thought.
"Still, how did you manage classes with your sword like this?"
"I borrowed a training sword, so classes weren't affected."
"Even so, tell me right away if something like this happens. You can't handle it alone."
"I'm sorry."
"Anyway, throw it out. We can just make a new sword."
"Actually, I plan to visit the smithy tomorrow. Melting this down might let us forge a new one."
No matter what, tossing away a sword from my lady felt wrong. And it was expensive, too.
"Well then, why don't we go to the city together tomorrow?"
A faint smile played on Elena's lips.