Ariel Academy (3)
Right after possessing this body, I couldn't remember my biological sister. Strangely enough, though, I managed to dig up her name from the fragmented memories of the original Cian. Hedy Marigold. She was beautiful, but her mouth was vicious, and if you crossed her she'd bite like a rabid dog. Even the original scoundrel had known better than to mess with her.
The moment Hedy spoke, the chattering students fell silent. Laura didn't bother to reprimand them. If anything, she seemed relieved. She must have been exhausted from dealing with the children all day. The kids probably didn't notice, but from the perspective of someone older than my possessed body, it was obvious. I wouldn't want to play kindergarten teacher while being a national treasure-level Sword Master either. Unless you genuinely adored children, Hedy's timely distraction was a blessing.
"Everyone, shall we head to the training grounds?" Laura placed both hands on the lectern and smiled with her eyes. As if nothing had happened, the students perked up again, answering energetically before rising and making their way toward the training area. I stood up as well, stealing a glance at Hedy.
"……"
She wore a perpetually dissatisfied, prickly expression. Was that her default face? I didn't know why, but my eyes kept drifting toward her. Before she could notice my gaze, I looked away and followed the others to the training grounds.
The training grounds were spacious. There were two separate lines: one with scarecrows designed to withstand swords wrapped in Auror, and another with ordinary scarecrows. We lined up at the ordinary scarecrow line. Once Laura confirmed everyone had gathered, she addressed us in a loud voice.
"Listen carefully. Today's lesson will cover the Thunder Sword Technique."
The students reacted with confusion.
"Thunder Sword Technique…? We already learned that one."
"Isn't it time to move on to the Water Sword Technique? Why are we doing Thunder Sword again…"
"A review is fine by me. Skipping class a few times and getting a refresher sounds like a win."
I was puzzled too. The Thunder Sword Technique was the first-stage beginner sword art derived from the basic Three Calamities Sword Technique. Even though the original owner had learned it half-heartedly, according to the memories before the break, we'd already completed it. So why suddenly revisit it?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Laura silently demonstrated the second form of the Thunder Sword Technique.
-Whoosh! Hwoong! Shwaaak!
Swift, disciplined rotations. Fluid yet never limp sword strikes. It was unmistakably the second form of the Thunder Sword Technique. And yet…
'Wait, what is that?!'
She had modified the form. I'd never seen anything like it in the game. Modifying an established technique…? This was a massive discovery. Depending on the situation, you could alter the form mid-execution to escape life-threatening encounters with monsters. In a PK duel, it would let you overwhelm opponents with unpredictable swordplay.
Laura's demonstration had given me tremendous inspiration.
"What the heck, that's supposed to be the Thunder Sword Technique…?"
"Did Lady Laura make a mistake? It looks like a completely different art."
The others didn't seem to understand what had happened.
"Hey, did you see how her midsection moved just now…? That was insane."
"I wonder what she's like in bed…"
…Some of them were impressed in an entirely different way. To openly spout such vulgar remarks in a public setting… These guys were something else.
Laura seemed to notice the boys' behavior but paid them no mind, continuing the lesson. Being a professor must be an incredibly taxing job. As their crude comments persisted, the female students around them frowned in disgust. Some even left the area, repulsed by the blatant display of desire right in front of the person in question. A few of the girls hesitated, wondering whether to step in and stop the boys.
Then, one of the girls who had been standing at the back walked forward. At first I thought she was rushing to the bathroom, but her direction said otherwise. Her face was twisted with contempt. Her steps were aimed straight at the offending boys.
'Oh?'
It was none other than Hedy Marigold. Her footsteps came to a halt.
"Huh? What?"
She stood directly in front of the boy who had just been making vulgar remarks about Laura.
-Thwack!
"Aagh—!"
Wow. The dull sound of a watermelon being struck echoed through the students. Hedy had driven her fist into the boy's head.
"Wh-what the hell! You crazy bi—!"
"Should I tell Lady Laura?"
"……!"
The boy who had been hit froze in panic. If word got out that he'd sexually harassed a Sword Master, he wouldn't escape punishment. It might not even end with expulsion—his family could be held accountable. And yet he'd made those remarks anyway… In his childish mind, he'd dug his own grave.
Realizing the situation, the boy trembled before clicking his tongue and turning his head away from Hedy. She sneered at him disdainfully.
"Idiot."
She turned and walked back to her spot. The boy was still fuming. I felt oddly refreshed. None of the protagonist Cain's heroines had been like this… Hedy stood out even as an extra. A small spark of curiosity about her flickered to life.
"Everyone, you think I didn't use the Thunder Sword Technique, don't you?"
Laura smiled as she spoke to us.
"What I just performed was exactly the second form of the Thunder Sword Technique. However, I added a certain modification."
"Eeeh—?! Is that even possible, Lady Laura?! The forms are fixed!"
"That's right. The forms are fixed. But the sword path during those forms isn't, is it?"
I understood. The sword path referred to how the blade moved while executing the form. Even if you followed the prescribed footwork, you were free to swing the sword however you wished during the motion. It was an interesting idea. You could cancel a normal attack mid-form or swing the sword during a part of the technique where you normally wouldn't.
As if answering the question in my mind, Laura continued.
"There's something the famous Sword Master Bella Brace once said while she was alive. Everyone may start from the same place. But how the story unfolds—that's up to me."
My body flinched at the familiar name. Bella Brace…? The Brace family? Was she connected to this scoundrel Cian?
"Lady Laura, were you Lady Bella's disciple?" one of the girls asked.
"No, I wasn't. But I did work alongside her many times. Now, a question for you all."
Laura placed a hand on her hip.
"You're dueling an opponent of similar skill. You both activate the first form of the Thunder Sword Technique at the same time, but the opponent executes it faster. What happens?"
A boy raised his hand.
"Yes, you there."
"The first form involves a spin followed by a thrust. So if the opponent spins first, you'll get stabbed while still rotating."
"Correct. Then how do you thrust first even while activating the form later than your opponent?"
"Hmm…"
The boy pondered deeply before answering.
"I don't know."
"You perform a vertical slash while spinning."
"…?"
The boy tilted his head, not understanding. Laura chuckled and explained again.
"If you're late to spin, you spin while executing a vertical slash to throw them off, then use that opening to spin once more and complete the first form."
In short, disrupt their form with a cancel, then quickly re-activate and thrust first.
"Lastly, what I want to tell you is this: don't get trapped in the framework of the forms. I believe the clever ones among you will immediately understand what I mean."
I wasn't sure if understanding this made me clever, but I'd grasped it in an instant. Laura's words would have a meaningful impact on my future sword training.
"That's all! Research what I've just taught you during your personal training. Now, everyone, fall in line. I'll be teaching you the first form of the Water Sword Technique!"
. . .
The rest of the class was perfectly ordinary. I learned a new sword technique and absorbed it quickly. But the most impactful part had been the lesson on modifying forms. I wanted to make it my own as soon as possible. So after eating lunch with Lloyd, Bobby, and Louis like yesterday, I headed straight for the second-floor student training grounds.
I was just about to open the door when I heard voices from inside.
"That bitch Hedy is from a fallen noble family?"
I froze at the sound beyond the door.
'…What is this?'
I stopped reaching for the door and decided to listen.
"That's what I'm saying! I got nervous when I heard she was from a count's family, but it turns out their house is falling apart—nothing left but the nameplate!"
"And she still walks around acting all high and mighty…? This won't do. How dare a fallen noble like her lay a hand on me, Francis, heir of a prestigious viscount family?"
The voices were getting closer to the door. I quickly hid behind the wall.
-Creak!
The door opened and the owners of the voices stepped out. Sure enough, they were the two boys who had been making vulgar remarks during sword class earlier.
"Where is that bitch now? This is a matter of our family's honor."
"She always goes to Professor Philip's Danjeon theory class next period."
"Call the others. Professor Philip's class is in the next building, right? There's a backyard by the corridor. Let's drag her there and beat her until she can't act up anymore."
The two boys walked down the opposite hallway, their voices fading. Once I confirmed they were completely gone, I stepped out from behind the wall. It seemed I'd overheard something rather troubling.