New Elf Professor (1)
“I got the report, but seeing it for myself is better than hearing a hundred words about it. Before we dive into proper beast hunting lessons, I’ll just lightly check what level you all are at.”
“Another spar?”
At Konet’s question, burning with fighting spirit, Elfin smirked.
“A spar? With you guys? Looks like your ego’s gotten a bit too inflated. This is a skill check.”
Unlike me, who knew Elfin’s true identity, the other students didn’t really grasp just how strong she was. Sure, she looked young because she was an elf, but at first glance, she was a pretty slender woman, so she didn’t come off as intimidating. Plus, Yozef had mentioned she was an imperial knight whose name wasn’t well-known.
Even if her name isn’t famous, an imperial knight shouldn’t be underestimated like that.
It seemed Professor Perrin had raised the bar for the other students—especially Konet.
Originally, Elfin’s name wasn’t well-known because, as Yustina had said, she belonged to the imperial secret organization, the Shadow Division. Though it was called a skill check, it felt like it was heading toward a proper thrashing for Konet and a lesson in discipline.
A skill check, huh. Guess I’ll have to do it properly this time.
A warrior speaks with their sword, not their mouth. If I snuck up to Elfin on the mountain path right now—or later—and confessed that I was Dane, how would she react? Honestly, Yustina was a special case for blindly believing in reincarnation and waiting. Normally, anyone would just frown and call it nonsense. Given Elfin’s hot-blooded nature, she might even draw her sword, demanding who the hell I was to dig up her personal history and insult the dead.
If I show her the skills from back then, she’ll recognize me first and come to me without me saying a word.
But what if, unlike last spar, I didn’t half-ass it imitating her berserker style and instead revealed my true abilities? Konet or Yozef might be shocked by the style change, but Elfin would sense something about me. It was like a form of communication that only warriors understood.
“Alright, you first, Baldy. Konet, was it?”
“I’m not bald! I shaved it all off because it gets in the way of fighting!”
“Never said you were bald, baldy. Come at me.”
Watching Elfin grin while picking up a random twig from the ground to face Konet, I suddenly realized something. At least when it came to provocation, the Elfin from 500 years ago and the one now were exactly the same. That subtle arrogance back then had, through the passage of time and proven achievements, solidified into unwavering confidence.
“Haaah!”
Konet charged at Elfin, swinging the axe he’d brought from the start. He was a bit more emotional than when he fought me, but in top condition, his power and speed were impressive.
Yet the reckless Konet was slammed headfirst into the ground in the blink of an eye.
“Huh?”
Thanks to his sturdy head, Konet wasn’t badly hurt. With his head planted in the dirt and face down, he rolled his eyes, trying to figure out what just happened. But all he could see was Elfin’s shoe-clad foot perched on his head like a strawberry on cake.
Then why’d she pick up the twig?
Unfortunately, I hadn’t caught all of Elfin’s movements either. Of course, the hand and arm holding the twig didn’t move at all, and I could see her leaping forward like Konet and raising her leg. But the part where that foot smashed down from above onto his head and drove it into the ground? I missed it in an instant.
Damn, she’s incredible.
I’d been focusing more on Konet and slacked on Elfin, but still—for my eyes to not keep up? The preparation phase was completely skipped; exaggeratedly speaking, it was like the action phase itself was deleted, leaving only the result.
What level of physical ability allowed for that kind of performance? I blinked, staring at the abs peeking out between the scars under Elfin’s chest bandages, asserting their presence.
She really became a monster.
Since Konet went down in one hit, Yozef was no different. In combat rankings, I was an overwhelming first in short bursts, with Yozef and Konet around the same level. Yozef, whose imperial prince title meant nothing, couldn’t even get close to the Shadow Division captain before getting wrecked. Like Konet, he ended up face-planted and burst into good-natured laughter.
“Next… the girls?”
Elfin’s gaze turned to the female students after taking down the two boys. Charlotte yelped “Eek!” and hid behind me, while Yustina crossed her arms, turned her head away with a huff, still sulking. That left the cat beastkin girl, Gines, stepping up first.
She’s skilled in summoning magic, right?
Gines, with her fiery red hair and matching glowing red eyes, approached Elfin with a large staff. She seemed to glance at the butts of Konet and Yozef, still stuck in the ground, but since she was a girl in her prime, I let it slide. Her red tail swishing, she stood before Elfin.
“Um, will I end up like that too?”
Gines pointed at Konet and Yozef with the tip of her large staff. Elfin, casually brushing dirt off her shoe sole while prepping a kick, nodded as if realizing something. “Ah.”
“This class has three combat-track recommendations and three magic-track, right?”
“Yes, I’m magic-track. I have aptitude for summoning magic…”
“Summoning magic? Perfect, I’m a summoner too.”
“Really?!”
Gines’s cat ears perked up, and her tail straightened. It made sense—Professor Dane had said summoners were rare. Summoning wasn’t inherently superior to other magic, but so few had the talent that it was scarce. Rarity also meant far fewer teachers compared to other fields. Even Professor Dane was no expert in summoning, so Gines must have been desperately hoping the special class instructor would be good at it.
“What summons do you handle? I’ve got magic swords and leopards for now…”
“I’m an elf, so mostly spirits. My magic’s lacking compared to my combat skills, but it’s enough for you to learn from.”
While speaking, Elfin winked at Yustina. But Yustina just pouted and looked away.
“I think I read about that in a book. Elves have way more people with summoning aptitude than humans or other races…”
“Spot on. Though I had circumstances, so I didn’t learn from proper channels—self-taught hack style.”
“Hack… style?”
I gripped my sweaty hands watching Elfin’s sheepish grin. She wasn’t about to summon spirits and pull out undead instead, right? She must have hidden her black magic genius when joining the imperial side. At least.
Paat—!
Thankfully, when Elfin chanted her spell, out came not zombies or skeletons, but proper wind spirits. Three or four wolf-shaped wind spirits growled at Gines. Even I, no magic expert, could tell her standard magic was below Yustina or Dane’s.
Black magic might be different.
Self-taught without formal training probably meant she’d solo-learned after being chased out by her kin as a kid. Still, Elfin’s wind wolves weren’t pushovers. They easily tore apart the flame leopards Gines summoned, proving at least support-level viability.
“I, I learned a lot! Thank you!”
With a flash of green light, Elfin’s wind wolf spirits vanished. Gines watched the whole thing intently, eyes sparkling. She even bowed at the waist in thanks, glanced again at Yozef and Konet, then helped up the trembling Konet—who was extending his left hand—dragging him to his feet.
“Next, Charlotte?”
Charlotte put up a good fight against Elfin’s spirits too. Her barrier held until the wolves’ sharp teeth finally wore it down after a while. Holding even briefly without instant shatter was impressive. Though if Elfin had used her body instead of magic, it’d break in one go.
“Defense magic, huh. You’d be popular if you enlisted later.”
“……Pardon?”
“One healer’s precious on the battlefield, but a mage who prevents injuries altogether? They’d welcome you with open arms.”
“B-but the army, um, thank you for the advice……”
For some reason, Charlotte seemed more shocked by that last comment than the defeat.
“Hmm, now it’s this Yustina-sama’s turn.”
I’d been somewhat looking forward to Yustina vs. Elfin. Curious how Elfin would fare with proper weapons against Yustina’s varied magic. But I knew Yustina, using her “Yuz” student guise before students, and Elfin, facing a magic-track kid, wouldn’t go all-out.
“Oh my, as expected of an imperial knight—you’re truly strong! This Yustina-sama’s skills are still sorely lacking, ugh…”
“Tch.”
As expected, Yustina ended it without using even a tenth—no, a hundredth—of her power. Elfin clicked her tongue in disappointment but knew it was inevitable, let Yustina pass, and finally called me.
“Last one: Deneb Lehinar? Top of combat class. Took down over half the class solo… I can expect something?”
“You flatter me.”
I grinned slyly, gripped my sword, and stood before Elfin. She was smirking too, glancing between me and Yustina. Probably suspicious of our relationship from that mountain encounter. She might see me as a boy fallen for the forbidden fruit of Yustina’s secret identity.
Me with Yustina?
Elfin suspecting me and Yustina—it was so absurd I nearly burst out laughing. But I held it in, glared at Elfin, and raised my sword.
“I’ll go first.”
And to avoid ending up like Konet or Yozef, I stepped forward.
Taat—!
Ironically, this fight was the opposite of Yustina’s. Not hiding myself, but revealing. From the start, I openly used Shadow Step, sliding like a shadow into Elfin’s gap.
“……Huh?”
Elfin groaned in surprise, swinging her twig. Cling!
Clearly a frail twig, yet it met my iron sword without splintering or snapping, blocking the strike. What mastery over weapons allowed that feat?
No, sword aura.
Looking closely, green sword aura enveloped the twig. Aura-clad, it could deflect a normal iron sword no problem. But I had no spare aura for this spar. Sword aura burned mana and stamina. With demon realm scouting today, I needed to conserve mana.
“Kgh!”
I groaned faintly, stepping back. Elfin’s twig sliced through where I’d been. A normal twig clash wouldn’t hurt, but with her aura? It’d slice me like butter—I dodged with a step. Then, instead of fighting the swing’s recoil, I absorbed it body-wide, spinning once.
Where to aim?
Eyes bloodshot with focus, I scanned Elfin’s body. No intent to kill, but against her, even that mindset barely let me hold on. Assassins eye neck or heart. For tough targets, lower body.
Legs.
Arm off? Can’t fight but might flee. Deep waist/gut wound? Still possible escape. Legs gone? No flight risk. Nine in ten get finished. Humans learn walking first—crawling instinctually inferior for survival. Lose innate locomotion, even monster warriors panic.
An assassin’s talent: exploiting that panic’s gap. Elfin showed none against Konet, Yozef, or mages…
—When the enemy’s stronger, target the legs.
As Dane taught Elfin, I swung. Dane’s technique on Elfin. Dane’s tip to strike the target. Leaping 500 years, here, now.
Pakak!
My blade targeting her leg shattered. Iron shards flew, reflecting Elfin’s face: surprise, confusion, joy.
Knee to break the sword?!
No time to gape—her roundhouse flew at my side. Sword-on-sword tells deeper tales via clash. Knee-on-steel? Who knows.
“……Dane?”
Thankfully, it worked. Elfin’s shaken eyes named my past life. Lips trembling, she continued.
“No, Deneb Lehinar. Follow me a sec. Got questions.”
Her eyes cleared instantly, but she dropped the twig, beckoning. I rose to follow obediently. But…
“Keurgh……”
Hey, can’t breathe from the kick……