Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: 46. Academy (3)
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The lecture proceeded with remarkably enthusiastic cooperation.
Particularly, the swordsmanship department showed the greatest interest.
But when you thought about it, this was still a field that dealt with the flow of mana. That was why students from the magic department also took an interest in the lecture.
The students studying general liberal arts simply enjoyed the entertaining spectacle.
"Like this, rotate it like this!"
Yuri taught loudly, using an artifact as a prop.
Suddenly, the students in the auditorium raised their swords and circulated mana.
"When rotations upon rotations repeat, what happens? It becomes a larger rotation. Small rotations form a grand rotation, the grand rotation becomes an even larger mega-rotation, and when mega-rotations gather, it forms an ultra-mega-rotation!"
But in truth, Yuri had no intention of teaching properly.
Without profound enlightenment, no amount of instruction would be of use.
Telling those who weren't ready to use the Spinning Vortex Sword would only ingrain bad habits.
But so what?
To Yuri, the Empire was the enemy.
He was poisoning their well.
"Heh heh heh..."
But on the surface, he pretended to teach with great passion.
"Oh, it works, it works!"
One student unwittingly grasped the essence of the Spinning Vortex Sword with his blade.
But it didn't last long.
The rotational force swirled around his sword, but without forming a fractal structure like Yuri's, it soon dissipated.
Yuri pounded his chest and made a fuss as if genuinely frustrated.
From the academy students' perspective, it was an infuriating reaction.
"Really? Why can't you do it? I'm totally baffled right now."
Yuri shook his head.
"Progress is slower than expected. Is this okay for the academy?"
Yuri stepped down from the podium and guided the students.
Gradually, he made his way toward the target he had singled out.
The opponent's face paled.
"Let me see, this friend here is Edran, right?"
Thanks to Dale's testimony, he already knew the face.
Yuri went to where Edran was sitting. Edran trembled with his sword, his face ashen.
"You didn't expect me to come all the way here, did you?"
"Uh, um..."
Yuri patted his shoulder and said,
"Come on, do exactly as I say. Master the Spinning Vortex Sword, and you'll get stronger too."
Edran勉强 raised mana, but with Yuri standing beside him, his mind froze, constantly breaking the mana flow.
Yuri gripped his shoulder firmly.
"Can't even do this?"
"I-it's difficult."
"This won't do. Edran, I'll give you special private lessons."
Yuri said that and dusted off Edran's shoulder.
"We'll meet separately later."
Edran's face had gone beyond pale to a dirt-gray hue.
Yuri returned to the podium.
The swordsmanship students were desperately trying to succeed with the Spinning Vortex Sword, while the magic students were studying how to generate rotational force with mana in their own way.
Yuri felt pleased.
Talents who would become the Empire's future military power were wasting time obsessing over the Spinning Vortex Sword.
Yuri doubled down on his deception.
"Is that a vortex? Is that the spinning vortex? Ah, um. The spinning vortex means... look. Create two mana flows. Then spin them. Like snakes, got it?
Snake. When they meet like this, it naturally becomes like that. Mix them. One by one. Rub them together. Really rub. Keep rubbing. Spin this way and that, forward and back, just whirl it around. That's the vortex. Keep doing that."
But no one understood his words.
As time passed, some managed to produce a degree of rotation. But to Yuri, it was utterly inadequate.
Yuri called three students who showed the most promise up to the stage.
"You there, you there, and you. You three, come up here."
One guy and two girls.
"Show us the spinning vortex you've each achieved. It's okay if it's imperfect. That'll actually be more instructive."
They each raised their swords and generated rotations.
They couldn't handle the whirlwinds as freely as Yuri, but helical winds still swirled around their blades decently.
But it was merely imitating the form.
"Your Highness."
One of the female students said to Yuri,
"You're truly amazing. How do you handle mana so well...?"
Admiration dripped from her eyes.
Feeling good from the sincere praise, Yuri examined her blade and gave advice.
"Don't force the mana too hard. Make it feel light, like floating."
"Like this?"
"Just boosting output isn't the way. Try making the mana lighter."
"It's hard..."
Soon, her vortex sped up and grew stronger.
She shook her sword in delight.
"Oh, it works. Look at this."
"Well done. You've got talent."
"Wow..."
She seemed deeply impressed by Yuri.
"Your Highness, will you come to the academy again?"
"If I have time before leaving the imperial palace, maybe."
"Teach us more next time."
"I'll consider it."
As they chatted amiably, the male student who had come up with her muttered,
"But isn't this not very practical in real combat?"
Yuri looked at him. The guy swung his sword aura a few times, then lowered his blade and said,
"Isn't it too cumbersome for actual battle? I doubt it's been used on the battlefield."
Yuri felt disappointed. He had memories of dismantling orc limbs while swinging his sword on the plains, yet this student was doubting those exploits.
Yuri sized him up.
His presence was composed, and the total mana he exuded felt substantial.
He seemed like one of the top dogs at the academy.
Yuri asked the female student beside him,
"Where does that guy rank in the swordsmanship department?"
"Probably the strongest..."
"Number one, huh. Who's number two?"
"Me."
"So he's third?"
"Around there..."
Yuri nodded. For the academy's strongest, it made sense to have that much ego.
He himself had lived like a thunderbolt in his previous life, relying on one talent.
In contrast, this guy had at least achieved the title of academy number one.
Of course, if his skills were truly exceptional, he'd have been nurtured in a noble house or trained in a knight order, but being the academy's top was still impressive enough.
"Name?"
"Capri."
"Capri. I'll show you personally how powerful the Spinning Vortex Sword is in real combat. Raise your sword."
"It's too cramped here..."
"It's fine."
Yuri smiled faintly.
"It won't be a fight that needs much space."
Capri's expression hardened at those words. He seemed to take pride in his skills.
"Understood. Don't blame me no matter what happens."
Capri raised his sword.
Suddenly, as Yuri and Capri crossed blades, the auditorium buzzed.
The swordsmanship department's strongest student versus Brioll's third prince, who had risen to fame through his exploits in the Allied Forces.
It was a spectacle unlike any other.
The swordsmanship students leaned forward, focusing intently on the match.
Capri warned,
"You might regret this later."
Yuri laughed at Capri's words.
"You're the talkative type too?"
"Of course not."
Capri concentrated. A clear sword aura flared up.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm an academy student."
He advanced. His footwork was light, his movements efficient without excess.
The trajectory of his swinging sword as he closed in was flawlessly clean.
But that was all.
It wasn't as ferocious as an orc ripping humans apart bare-handed, nor as refined as Rolang's, nor as ingenious as Jared's.
Bernard or Jose were in another league altogether.
Yuri was a bit disappointed.
Had he only encountered such exceptional people lately?
After dodging one swing, Yuri asked,
"By the way, do you have money at home?"
"Pardon?"
"Broke?"
"Uh..."
Capri faltered at the sudden question.
"Not completely, but..."
"Good enough."
Yuri thrust Guilty toward Capri's moderately fast and strong sword.
He then miniaturized the Spinning Vortex Sword into a 'small rotation.'
The sudden vortex sucked in Capri's sword.
One clash.
Capri's sword warped and shattered into pieces.
Metal fragments bounced off, leaving a thin scratch on Capri's cheek.
"Ah, no..."
The spar was brief, the gap overwhelming.
As Yuri reined in his mana, the vortex pattern hovering over Guilty's blade gradually faded.
Capri stared blankly at Yuri, clutching his throbbing wrist.
"Uh, sorry. Can one magic student come up and heal him?"
"How..."
"That's the Spinning Vortex Sword. You get it in real combat, right?"
If Yuri had used the Spinning Vortex Sword properly, it wouldn't have been the sword shattering into pieces—it would have been Capri himself.
"How did you use it so quickly..."
To Capri, it was unbelievable.
He had to whirl mana for a long time to accelerate it just to get something resembling rotation, but Yuri had instantly layered rotations.
A whirlwind had struck like lightning.
"How did you do it?"
"Just practice hard."
"No..."
A magic student came up and cast a healing spell on Capri's cheek. Even then, Capri remained dazed.
Soon, the students applauded Yuri.
He had defeated even the academy's strongest, Capri, in a single exchange.
Proving his skills were genuine firsthand.
"Hm..."
Yuri decided that was enough for teaching the Spinning Vortex Sword. The poison seemed sufficiently spread.
After sending the three down, he returned to the podium.
[That's it for the Spinning Vortex Sword lesson.]
Unaware of Yuri's scheme, the students looked fulfilled.
The Spinning Vortex Sword was difficult but fascinating. He'd come down from the podium to interact directly, and even sparred with an academy student at the end.
Satisfaction was higher than most classes.
[Now, questions. Anything you're curious about me?]
Hands shot up here and there.
More students participated than expected, surprising Yuri a bit.
Yuri pointed to the first one who raised their hand.
The student stood abruptly and asked,
"Your Highness. There were rumors that dating the Holy Kingdom's princess was a lie. Is that true?"
A personal question out of nowhere.
Yuri paused briefly.
"Hmm..."
Everyone who mattered already knew, so no point hiding it now.
Yuri nodded.
[Yes.]
"Why on earth?"
[One question per person.]
He quickly switched to another.
[You there, with your hand up.]
"Yes. Same question for me. I'm curious too. Why spread such a lie?"
Probing like a journalist.
Wondering what was going on, Yuri noticed thin magazines in some students' hands.
Titled [Imperial Nights].
The magazine was infamous for sensational gossip.
The polar opposite of [Monthly Empire], which had interviewed Yuri.
They were asking about the suspicions covered there.
Yuri sighed.
He'd offered questions himself, so he couldn't back out.
This seemed a good time to reveal his 'relationship' with Sibylla was fake.
So he answered straightforwardly.
[Kept getting introductions, so I did it to fend them off.]
"Whoa..."
"No way..."
Questions kept coming.
"They say you dueled Georg's great warrior in the past..."
"You ate with soldiers in the Allied Forces—why...?"
"So, do you have someone in mind now...?"
After the long lecture, Yuri returned exhausted. He'd expected trivial questions, not ones prying into his private life.
That was the imperial palace for you.
Why did the students obsess over gossip instead of constructive questions?
"Why is that?"
"Mmph, mmph..."
At Yuri's words, a man bound to a chair with a sack over his head made muffled noises.
Rolang removed the sack, revealing Edran's pale face, gagged.
Each time he struggled, the chair legs scraped the floor with creaks.
"Quiet. Be quiet."
Yuri approached Edran.
"We have some things to sort out between us, don't we?"