Chapter 50
Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Grab Dirt First
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I've said it time and again, but I'm a swordsman, not a mage.
I'm not completely clueless about magic, but that doesn't mean teaching it is the same thing.
It's not for nothing that I usually post on the community about things like "How to slay dragons, how to use a shield, how to charge"—stuff that involves physical movement.
Even when watching Yura the mage's streams, I'd only comment on footwork or simple mana handling techniques.
Normally, I give advice more on physical maneuvers than magic.
In other words, I have confidence in teaching swordsmanship above all else.
-You...?
The sage doubted me, but this was plain truth.
Just moments ago, hadn't I pointed out every single move to Hwang Deok-cheon?
Before teaching the kids swordsmanship, I first asked what they wanted.
What they desired was obvious, but maybe some kid wanted something else.
"What we want? Obviously, to win."
"Against the swordsmanship academy kids?"
"Yeah."
As expected.
-What are you going to teach them?
I needed to see their stances first to decide what to teach.
I didn't know their level, so it was hard to know where to start correcting them.
"Everyone, assume your stances."
The kids lined up in a straight row and raised their swords upward. Some had heard what I told Hwang Deok-cheon earlier, or maybe they'd already learned it, as a few awkwardly bent their knees and spread their legs.
As I stared openly, one kid asked.
"How's this...?"
It was sloppy.
I hadn't expected much from magic academy kids, but this was a bit too much...
The swordsmanship academy kids at least knew how to hold a sword properly.
But these kids didn't even know that.
There wasn't time to start from basic stances.
Then...
There was only one way.
"Kids. Everyone, grab some dirt in your hands first."
This was a sparring match allowing both magic and swordsmanship, like real combat, so any tactic was fair game.
As long as it wasn't fouls like interfering in a one-on-one.
Therefore.
Let's start with dirt-throwing practice.
-? What? Why aren't you drilling the kids?
I had to match their level.
Drilling them like before would just be torture.
-So you actually had a brain...?
What was that supposed to mean?
I always only made them do what they could handle.
They seemed to be misunderstanding something; I always only assigned feasible tasks.
A student clutching dirt asked with a puzzled look.
"Dirt...? Aren't we learning swordsmanship?"
What?
Swordsmanship?
Kids with no stances sure had big dreams.
"Just grab it first."
The goal was to win, after all.
In times like this, I just had to teach them how to fight.
The lucky thing for these kids was that magic academy students weren't at such a disadvantage.
Overall physical abilities were lower compared to swordsmanship academy kids, sure.
But with body enhancement magic, the magic academy kids could match them evenly.
Unless they hit puberty.
Right now, physical stats were similar, and looking closely, the swordsmanship kids hadn't properly learned swordsmanship either.
There was plenty of chance to win.
And with me teaching them, no way even one would lose.
"Got dirt in one hand? Now I'll simply teach you how to throw it. This isn't swordsmanship; it's just how to hit well, so memorize it and practice later."
The kids looked skeptical about learning sand-throwing instead of swordsmanship, but there was no choice.
Just fixing their stances would take too much time.
So the best was to teach how to put force into hitting the opponent, instead of swordsmanship.
Well...
Proper swordsmanship could wait; I'd teach it thoroughly later when there was time.
"Next! Come up to the sparring arena!"
Seong-chan climbed onto the arena, wondering if this was really okay.
"Hey."
Lee Eun-su from the swordsmanship academy twirled his wooden sword.
"Come at me."
Up to this point, Seong-chan was still conflicted.
Whether he should do it or not.
The transfer student's words flashed through his mind.
'Even if it's sloppy, assume a stance first. That way, the opponent will think you're attacking honestly and let their guard down. Spread your legs a bit more. Aim the sword at their philtrum. That'll make you look decent.'
The stance he'd learned just minutes ago couldn't be that great. But the important thing was that he'd assumed a stance.
"Swordsmanship? No magic?"
As a magic academy kid, Seong-chan was confident in magic, but he'd only prepared body enhancement, skipping the rest.
Casting magic took a little time.
He remembered getting beaten by swordsmanship kids last time while preparing a spell, so this time he held his sword.
"Whatever... Fine by me."
Seong-chan glared at his opponent approaching while spinning the wooden sword.
And then.
When they got a bit closer.
Splat!
Seong-chan threw dirt.
'Even a 1-circle spell—you guys haven't reached the level where you handle it as naturally as breathing. So infuse mana into the dirt and throw it with all your enhanced physical strength. It'll go pretty far. The dirt particles will make the opponent close their eyes.'
"Ugh! What the—!"
Lee Eun-su squeezed his eyes shut. Now was the chance.
'Remember the hitting method I just taught you? Do exactly that.'
Seong-chan swung his sword with all his body-enhanced strength.
It looked more like swinging a baseball bat than swordsmanship, but the key was the power behind it.
Then—thwack!
Lee Eun-su, caught off guard, doubled over at the waist.
"Guh!"
That was the end.
If Lee Eun-su were middle school division or even an upperclassman, he might have forced himself up to keep fighting. But he was an 8-year-old boy who still couldn't control himself well.
For someone inexperienced, sand-throwing and a wooden sword strike to the waist were enough to break his will.
"Hic! Sniff! I... I surrender."
Seong-chan's victory.
'I won? This actually works?'
Seong-chan descended the arena in a daze.
He glanced at the professor.
Anxious that throwing dirt might get him scolded.
But the professor said nothing.
"Seong-chan wins!"
"Wait, you can really throw sand?"
"The professor didn't say anything, so it must be okay?!"
The magic academy kids cheered to welcome Seong-chan.
Professor Cheong swallowed a groan but didn't comment on using dirt.
'This is... I wondered what he was teaching the other kids earlier.'
He looked at the boy in the distance instructing the remaining kids.
Should he stop him now?
No.
The kids were shooting fireballs; complaining about mere dirt seemed petty.
This was elementary division, hence the dilemma.
If it were middle or high division, he wouldn't even think of intervening.
Now that the magic academy kids were using sand, the swordsmanship kids needed to figure out countermeasures.
Professor Cheong stared at the murmuring swordsmanship kids.
The sand tactic would be blocked next time since it'd been used once.
So the next method I came up with.
"Hey, you—throw your wooden sword at the start."
If there's no opening, make one.
I taught ways to unsettle the opponent somehow, then called Seong-chan.
"Why me?"
Why was the kid resting?
This was just the beginning.
"What are you doing? Get ready for wheel battle. You want to win, right? Assume stance."
Luckily, there was plenty of time before the wheel battle.
I could teach them at least one sword technique in the meantime.
Tricks work once or twice; after a few, they don't.
For the wheel battle, they'd probably have no choice but a frontal clash.
To prepare, I built up their bodies a bit.
"But our wheel battle is after lunch?"
So?
As I stared, Seong-chan mumbled.
"Just a short break..."
"A break?"
"No..."
Seong-chan and the other kids couldn't savor their victory joy and jumped into wheel battle prep.
This time it'd be frontal, so even if hit by wooden sword, they could counter—I trained their reflexes.
Thud!
"Ow!"
Overreacting.
I'd stopped the sword right before impact.
Seong-chan slyly opened his eyes.
"Open your eyes. Don't look at the wooden sword—watch the opponent's stance and muscle movements."
"Easy for you to say! How?"
I couldn't explain this in detail.
Precisely, I'd already done it all.
Predict and react based on muscle twitches and footwork.
Now it was up to the kids to put theory into practice.
So I said just one word.
"Good."
Figure it out yourselves.
"What does that—!"
Whoosh!
-See, what did I tell you...
A pitying voice came.
-You chose this, so grit your teeth and endure.
They can't hear you.
-Oh. Right.
After a long time passed.
Lunchtime arrived quickly.
As expected, moving the body makes time fly.
Time to eat.
"Everyone, rest."
The kids, led by Seong-chan, bolted to the cafeteria the moment I spoke.
"Lunch!"
"Finally a break!"
"No more wooden sword hits!"
That exciting?
As I followed the kids to eat.
A familiar-faced professor approached me.
"Ahem, student."
It was Professor Go.
"Nothing much, but could you take a look at this?"
Professor Go held out a photo. It was of a room plastered with those Paspin Pings kids go crazy for these days.
"My grandson left it in my office last time. I don't need it, so I was wondering who to give it to, and here you are."
Normally, he wouldn't approach so blatantly.
But seeing Professor Cheong eyeing me made him feel a sense of crisis.
"Want to come to my office and pick it up?"
Not just any Paspin Ping.
Loan Ping, Interest Ping, Gift Ping, Coin Ping, etc.—a full set. Professor Go was confident the boy would bite.
First, lure him to the office and protect him from the swordsmanship academy.
And if opportunity arose, even get the designated advisor stamp.
But.
The boy just tilted his head at the Paspin Pings.
'Those are super expensive... Shouldn't I give it back to his grandson...?'
Professor Go didn't know the boy preferred meat over toys like Paspin Pings.
Then.
Someone popped up behind Professor Go and spoke to the boy.
"Student, got a moment?"
It was Professor Cheong.
In this déjà vu situation.
The boy thought.
Professors approaching suddenly.
One was even among those overseeing the sparring earlier.
What?
Maybe because I told the kids to throw dirt?
Or throw the sword?
He had a lot to feel guilty about.