Idrian Goldenroad
Idrian Goldenroad. The empire's worst scoundrel, despised by all. At the mere rumor of him wandering about, taverns would shut their doors early, and parents with pretty daughters would hide them away. It made no difference whether they were commoners or nobles.
The power of the continent's Four Great Families, who never bowed even to the imperial royal family. Before the heir destined to fully inherit that power, even the most influential high nobles had to bend their waists. For the gold and the military might amassed by the Goldenroad family were nothing short of a calamity.
Oppose them, and face ruin. A level of technology that leaped ahead by at least several centuries made that a reality. Furthermore, according to the Goldenroad tradition of inheriting everything to the eldest son, his ascension to family head was set in stone. At least, until he was exiled to Teonor Academy.
The tyrant, once safely ensconced within a golden fortress where none dared touch him, had been temporarily cast out. The tyrant, known only by his infamous reputation, had descended upon the academy. Naturally, the academy was on edge. The prominent heir of the Goldenroad family—one of the continent's Four Great Families and a financial powerhouse—had suddenly dropped into their laps. And a rabid one at that.
But...
"Assistant, the subjugation is complete."
What in the world is this?
The symbol of incompetence. The worst scoundrel boasting the greatest infamy on the continent, Idrian Goldenroad. There had been talk of him turning over a new leaf since entering the academy. Even rumors that he was actually a powerhouse hiding immense skill.
But this is crossing the line.
A C+-rank monster that even second-years struggled to deal with: a High Orc. Unlike the green-skinned orcs, the red-skinned High Orcs were not easily handled even by second-year cadets. In terms of demons, they possessed strength equivalent to a low-ranking demon. And yet, such a monster...
"...Pass. One minute, twelve seconds."
It had been brutally slaughtered by the boy standing before them. His brilliant golden hair and golden eyes, resembling molten gold, curved gently.
"Thank you."
A polite tone. Yet, it was entirely mismatched with the High Orc hunt that had just transpired.
The assistant looked down at the red blood staining his boots. A pool of blood stretched over a ten-meter radius around the High Orc. The sight brought to mind a viciously cruel style of swordsmanship. Watching Idrian walk back to his spot, the assistant muttered quietly, "For a kid who looks so gentle, he's incredibly brutal."
It's not that I'm brutal, it's just that I can't kill it any other way.
Idrian chuckled softly at the assistant's words drifting from behind. Well, to an ordinary person who had never experienced war, it would certainly look like a vicious style of swordsmanship.
Normally, I wouldn't have used this kind of swordsmanship.
A style that drove blades into every single one of the opponent's weaknesses. This swordsmanship, which thoroughly weakened the enemy before snuffing out their life, was created by his past companion, the Sword Demon.
Was it called the Practical Swordplay: Ultimate Chapter?
Thoroughly defeating the strong from the perspective of the weak. It was the specialty of the Sword Demon, the least talented member of the Hero's party. The culmination of that specialty was the Practical Swordplay: Ultimate Chapter he was currently executing. It was an excellent style, incomparable even to the Seven Star Sword he had created himself.
Though everyone died, leaving no one to inherit it.
Idrian wore a bitter smile. The Sword Demon's style had been forged during the Great War of Humans and Demons in the hope that even one more person might survive. However, it was not a style suited for the current peaceful era. It was far too cruel. While any technique designed to take a life could be horrific, this crossed the line. Every single strike was practically a form of torture. Contrary to the Sword Demon's intentions, most who fell to this swordsmanship died of shock rather than blood loss.
I'm sorry, but I should be the only one to remember this style.
Unless, of course, the Great War of Humans and Demons broke out again. Had he made a needlessly ominous prediction? Just as Idrian felt a pang of regret, someone rushed toward him. A familiar wheat-colored blonde hair.
"Idrian!"
A bright country girl, yet a genius whose talent for swordsmanship even he admired. Miruel threw herself into his arms.
"I told you, you'll get hurt if you run like that."
He nagged as he gently pulled Miruel out of his embrace. Despite the scolding, Miruel giggled, clearly happy about something.
"By the way, where are we going?"
At her question, Idrian wore a meaningful smile. He recalled the senior who had unleashed a strike he couldn't possibly replicate.
"To find the person who wields a sword better than anyone I've ever seen."
Conveniently, he had also heard that the senior was currently taking his mock dungeon subjugation exam.
Following the directions given by the Student Council President, Idrian and Miruel arrived at the training grounds where the second-year Swordplay students were being tested. The place was filled with skilled individuals who, despite being only eighteen, possessed swordsmanship that belied their young age.
The C+-rank High Orc that Idrian had barely managed to defeat by relentlessly targeting its weaknesses. Slice! A B-rank monster, which treated such High Orcs like mere snacks, lost its life, its entire body hacked to pieces.
"Mor Debla. Five minutes, fourteen seconds. Pass."
"Nice!"
A swordsman with green hair resembling seaweed. The mischievous-looking boy pumped his fist and let out a cheer. Seeing this, Professor Carmel smirked in satisfaction.
"You've grown incomparably since the second semester of your first year. Back then, you couldn't even defeat a High Orc and ran away crying..."
"Pwahaha! That's right! That guy Mor pissed his pants when he saw a High Orc and bolted! Snicker."
"Come on! How long ago was that, Professor!"
Mor's face turned beet red at the sudden exposure of his dark past. The surrounding Swordplay students chimed in with "Exactly, exactly," eagerly teasing him. After all, someone else's embarrassing history was always a source of great entertainment.
"That was a whole four months ago!"
Flailing his arms in the air, he voiced his complaints as his past—when he was called a "crybaby" instead of his current nickname, the "Druid Swordsman"—was dragged into the light. However, he was quickly dragged away by the other students waiting for their turn.
"Aaaargh! It's been four months already!!!"
Once Mor, the "clown" who had brought a massive laugh to his peers just as he had during their first year, disappeared, the rowdy students regained their composure. Looking over the calmed students, Professor Carmel called out the next examinee's name in his usual dry, flat voice.
"Kanteil. Step up."
At those words, Kanteil squeezed through the crowd of students. Wrapped around his body was a striking, luxurious fur coat that instantly drew everyone's eyes. Professor Carmel narrowed his eyes at the attire.
"Is that... the Amorphous Armor? Where did you get it?"
"Yes. Seril Lever, whom I rescued when an irregular monster appeared in the breeding grounds, gave it to me as a token of gratitude."
"A reward... It seems a bit excessive for a mere reward, but well, as long as it's not illegal, it doesn't matter. It's a tremendous stroke of fortune, so take good care of it."
Having seen the Amorphous Armor in the past, Professor Carmel recognized it at a single glance. For a brief moment, he wondered if it might be illicit property, but the name Lever instantly dispelled his doubts. The South, where all the empire's wealth was said to gather—the Lever Marquisate was the de facto ruler of that region.
Any other family wouldn't have been able to offer such a reward... but the Lever Marquisate could. After all, the Lever Marquisate was the only imperial nobility that could even remotely compete with the financial powerhouse, the Goldenroad family. Of course, "compete" was a generous term; the gap was still immense, as the empire fell far short of Goldenroad's wealth and technological prowess, which was on an entirely different level. Still, a piece of Amorphous Armor was well within their means to give as a reward.
Professor Carmel brushed it off as nothing, but a commotion broke out among the students.
"What? The Amorphous Armor?"
"A single set of that can buy a mansion in the Imperial Capital. He hit the jackpot."
"He was already incredible during that duel. How much stronger will he be wearing that?"
He felt gazes of envy, but there was little actual jealousy. Anyone who would feel jealous over armor had likely already left the Swordplay Department to transfer elsewhere. These were students seeking to delve into the absolute limits of the sword. Had he brought a legendary sword, they would have looked at him with jealousy and envy, but armor was of little interest to them. They were merely momentarily surprised that he had shown up wearing armor that even high nobles struggled to obtain.
"Quiet. That's enough chatter. Kanteil, enter through Entrance 1."
Thus, he stepped into the glass case. Once Kanteil was fully inside, the glass case instantly transformed into a cavern. The surroundings were filled with stone, and the damp air lent a vivid sense of realism.
"The illusion magic is truly incredible... Is it because it's the magic of the Occupation Club's leader?"
A power capable of completely neutralizing the tracking techniques of the Lionheart family. True to that skill, the dungeon felt entirely real.
"Kee-gik?"
"Kik-kik-kik-kik. Kee-ri-rik!"
Thirty goblins materialized in the empty dungeon. Their eyes locked onto him simultaneously, and they lunged forward. Looking at the swarm of goblins filling his vision, Kanteil smirked.
"This won't even serve as a warm-up."
The blade was drawn. Death swallowed the goblins. Having cleared Area 1 in an instant, Kanteil proceeded to clear Area 2. Unlike the goblins, which were mere F-rank monsters, ten orcs stood waiting, brandishing massive stone weapons.
"Kuruk."
A leader-like figure covered in tattoos sneered, approaching with an arrogant smirk. A blood-stained mace rested on his shoulder. He looked ready to beat Kanteil to death at any moment. A dry chuckle escaped Kanteil's lips.
"Ah. I guess I look easy because I'm alone?"
Was he relying on the sheer number of hulking brutes behind him? Right, normally, no matter how strong a person was, they couldn't take on a crowd.
But you see, that...
Only applies to my past life on Earth.
Mana—by stripping away the world-interfering properties of mana, which grants superhuman strength, and maximizing its offensive power, one gets aura. If you know how to wield that aura, you can transcend the limits of numbers. And when I hold a sword...
I transcend human limits.
A Sword Master. The goal and dream of every swordsman. Capable of facing an entire army alone, a realm once referred to as a one-man army. To someone like me, a mere ten orcs stood absolutely no chance.
Whoosh. A breeze swept through the orcs. Feeling the wind tickle their necks, the orcs turned their heads. And a red spider lily bloomed in full splendor.
"Kururuk?"
Their eyes filled with disbelief. It was an unbelievable shift in attitude for creatures that had been looking down on him with such arrogance just moments ago. Now, they stared at him with pitiful, pleading eyes, as if begging for their lives.
Throb!
Bringing back shitty memories.
The raiders who had ambushed them as they fled from the zombies. Only after the tables were turned did they cling to his legs, begging for mercy. That image flashed through his mind. He gave the exact same answer he did back then.
Crunch.
Why the hell would I spare someone who struck first?
The leader's head rolled. The sensation felt so realistically like slicing through a living creature's neck that it left a foul taste in his mouth.
"It's just an illusion... yet it brings back bad memories."
He had planned to take his time clearing it. Now, he didn't want to waste another second.
At that moment, the power he had been suppressing erupted. The world before his eyes was blanketed by thousands of sword paths, slowing down as if grinding to a halt. Before the illusion magic could even fully manifest, he severed the necks of every monster and tore the boss monster to shreds. As he sheathed his sword, the world snapped back to normal.
Whirrrr...
Challenger: Kanteil
Clear Time: 24 Seconds
★ NEW RECORD ★
The illusion magic flickered briefly, and upon confirming that all monsters had been subjugated, the machine announced the end of the exam. *Creak.* Stepping out of the opening door, I was greeted by gazes filled with shock and awe.
Kanteil had cleared the mock dungeon in the blink of an eye. Watching him from outside the training grounds, Idrian wore a meaningful smile.
"I guess I'll have to collect my reward today, Senior Kanteil."