The Lion is Smiling
I'd said it over and over, but from the moment I accepted this teaching gig, I had zero intention of half-assing it.
I know damn well how tough it is to take money from someone above you. And if that someone isn't some street urchin but a bunch of noble ladies' education? You've gotta give it your all, or your pride won't let you sleep at night.
Sure, now that the Demon King's dead, it's all water under the bridge—most folks have forgotten about it. Even here in the capital, I get dismissed left and right. But at least I take pride in being a veteran. So yeah, I've gotta live up to that, saying only what's worthy of it.
Irina, though? She was eating it up like it was the best thing she'd ever heard. Her excitement ratcheted up another notch, her heart practically thumping out of her chest.
Good for her—and good for me. I'd given her a solid reason to pick up her sword again, so no more sob-story sales pitch needed.
Clang, clash—!!
"Eek!"
"……."
Kaching—!!!
"—Urk!"
So, to gauge Irina's level firsthand, I'd told her to come at me with everything she had.
"That's enough. Looks good for now."
As she'd feared, there wasn't much to see. If she'd at least kept up a decent pace, I could've given her some positive feedback. But bluntly? This half-baked, trash-tier swordplay would be zero use in a real fight.
Now I had a clear direction for her training. With the rematch not far off, turning her stronger than Zigrinde overall was impossible. Best to shelve that for now.
"……Hoo, what did you think of my swordsmanship?"
Irina asked, wiping sweat from her brow. I cut straight to it.
"Gonna suck to hear, but you need a full overhaul."
"I-is that so… Ngh, I kinda knew. You were just defending the whole time, but from the first clash, something felt off."
"No time for that, though. We'll save the details. Focus on one thing for now."
"O-one thing…?"
I nodded.
"Yeah. How to beat Zigrinde."
"Th-that's…."
"You've got a whole year for the full package. Right now? Just how to win against her."
In other words, specialize in screwing over one opponent. Cowardly? Dishonorable? Sure, someone like her—a romance-fantasy archetype—might think so. Totally predictable.
But that's how you lose.
Irina, you gonna stay a background extra in this story? Or prove your worth as my student? Your call. I'm rooting for you.
"If you think it's dishonorable as a grand duchess, don't take it. But if I may offer a bit of wisdom… analyzing defeat and challenging again is never shameful."
"……."
"Laval and I lived by that. No need for me to spell out the results."
But Irina didn't hesitate. She ground her teeth, her voice resolute.
Figures. Nobody likes losing.
"Teach me. Anything from you, Professor—I'm in."
"Good."
Heh, tough kid.
"Like you, I've crossed swords with Zigrinde myself."
"I heard in the infirmary. They said you just blocked her ultimate move, Flash Circle…."
"Yeah."
Not that it matters, but honestly? I didn't even know it was her ultimate at the time. Figured it out later. I'd just seen mana pooling at her feet, thought she was about to lunge, and reacted on instinct.
…What, you think I had to master that stuff to survive? Can't expect the same from Irina.
Besides, that felt like Zigrinde's trump card. Irina wasn't even close to forcing it out—and she hadn't.
But paradoxically? That's where her opening lay.
"Straight talk, Irina. What you need to counter is Flash Circle."
"Wha—? N-no, that?!"
"Seems impossible, but it's actually your best shot."
Here's the breakdown:
1. Overall skill gap? No contest.
2. So even against her ultimate, a known move like Flash Circle gives better odds.
3. Thus, Irina's gotta bait it out.
"…Yeah."
"Oh ho… Normally, the timing's unreadable, making it a nightmare. But you're saying induce it to predict the timing."
"Smart. So practice the counter after it activates—with me."
She nodded, focused, seeing the logic.
"But Professor, how do I even make her use Flash Circle? She won't waste it on a nobody like me."
"Easy. Provoke her."
"Aha!"
"Get the vibe?"
"Would be weirder if I didn't."
Right? Who eats provocation like Zigrinde? Normally she's a sucker for it, and now that she's mellowed toward me… Irina hitting her with central-noble snark will stack the rage till it blows.
Otherwise, it'd turn into some higher-level chess match I can't even picture.
Anyway, I stepped back like in a real duel and recited for her.
"Okay, pretend I'm charging at you Zigrinde-speed. You just sidestep the trajectory and raise your sword."
"That simple…? Kinda humiliating. Deflates the drive."
"Easier said than done."
Swooo—
I gathered power, mana-boosting my legs.
"R-right now?!"
"Yep. I'll mimic what I saw. Mana'll pool in her feet, but it's too quick to spot. Just etch it in your heart and react."
"G-got it, Professor. Hit me—"
Fwoosh—!!!
But the instant I lunged, Irina's eyes lagged a beat, tracking me only after I'd reached her side.
"Dead."
Feel that? Like facing a teleporter. And Zigrinde's even trickier post-lunge—she feints a sword toss to cover her weakness.
Irina furrowed her brows with resolve.
"………Again. Please!"
"As many times as it takes. Till sunset."
* * *
"Dead. Too slow."
"Late again. That's two deaths."
"Ow—!!"
No matter how hard she gritted her teeth, failure was failure.
We'd drilled the same move till dusk, so she was reacting better than at first. But nailing the timing? Not happening.
"Damn it…!"
Whoosh—!
"Eek… S-sorry, Professor! I didn't mean to… Shall we go again?"
"Sure."
Frustration boiling over, she'd even chucked her sword to the ground, forgetting her grand-duchess poise. But I didn't scold her.
That despair? It's warrior fuel.
…Huh.
After a few more tries, I spotted it.
"Hold up. One more?"
"Yes! For victory, till sunset, sunrise, days if needed…!"
Nah, pass. Already clocked four overtime hours.
Clash—!!
"Ngh—!!"
As I closed in again, certainty hit.
"…Oh ho, so that's what you've got."
"K-kid…?"
She fixated on my slip-up for a second, then zeroed in on my discovery.
"What… did you see?"
"Yeah. Didn't expect it, but… You can't dodge for shit. But taking a hit while countering? That's decent."
"Eh?"
"Just now, you didn't dodge—you focused on clashing swords. Probably 'cause you're pissed and wanna fight me. Could be a solid approach."
Thinking back, yeah. She'd held her own against Zigrinde by enduring. Answer was there from the start.
A northern girl through and through, her style screamed "take the hit, deal the slash"—aggressive swordplay I knew about, even if north specifics were fuzzy.
So why dodge? Doomed to fail!
"My bad. Sorry. You're not built for evasion. Change of plans."
"Then…."
"Ditch the fancy footwork. How about tanking it head-on?"
"—Professor."
"If you can eat anything short of lethal, it'll catch her off-guard easy."
Her red eyes seemed to flicker hotter—maybe my imagination.
"Lose an arm? Take her head. That it?"
"Spot on."
"Sounds… painful."
But she grinned, like it finally clicked.
"Fits my style better, though."
Atta girl.
"From the top. This time, take the hit—don't flinch."
"Just what I wanted. Come at me, Professor…."
Irina burned with fighting spirit, ready to clash with anything. Her eyes blazed.
"Getting to face the Demon King Slayer's blade? My honor—"
No one'd guess this was the original-story grand duchess, constantly belittled and cowed.
Yeah… More like the lion's gaze always described in her brother's scenes.
Blood tells, huh?
Anyway, perfect stance. Maybe I've got a knack for this professor thing.