Entrance Ceremony (1)
I found a nice spot in an empty lot a little ways from the academy, reminiscent of the garden back home.
The place was sparsely populated and just the right size, with a single tree standing tall much like the one in my family's garden, stirring up a wave of nostalgia.
After today's entrance ceremony, I'd be using the academy's training grounds, so I probably wouldn't come back here. Still, for some reason, it put my mind at ease.
'Alright, let's give it a shot...'
Shaking off stray thoughts, I assumed my stance, facing nothing but empty air.
My sword pointed at... nothing. Just the void.
Visualizing the ideal Battōjutsu in my mind, I drew the blade from my waist in a single motion.
"Hoo..."
With my exhaled breath, the sword that had sliced through empty air boomeranged back into its scabbard at my hip.
Battōjutsu really was the best. It erased unwanted thoughts, complicated worries—like a damn eraser.
'What the hell were you thinking doing something like that!!'
After I'd wrecked the exchange meet, Victor—who hadn't even been personally affected—had nagged me endlessly, acting like he was my damn parent.
'Hurry up! Let's go apologize right now!'
After fleeing from Victor's idiotic ramblings, I'd ended up in this quiet vacant lot.
It was a chance discovery, but it seemed like a place where I could think in peace.
'Okay, first things first, let's get this sorted...'
I drew my sword and, using it like a pen, began jotting down the names I needed to commit to memory—one by one—to organize my thoughts.
Top of the list: the novel's protagonist and next Sword Saint from the Sword Saint's lineage, Leon von Reinhardt.
The novel described him as a tall, handsome man with flashy golden hair like a lion's mane—easy enough to spot.
'In the illustrations, he looked kinda like some Japanese host with that hair. Wonder if it's the same in real life?'
In a world where Jessica's roll-bread hairstyle passed for elegant, maybe a shaggy cut here counted as stylish too.
Leon, who had strongly inherited the blood of the founding Sword Saint, wielded everything from standard swords to all manner of weapons, but his specialty was the greatsword.
A massive blade around 160cm long—he swept enemies aside with it in scenes that, even without Battōjutsu, felt as satisfying as an action flick.
'But not yet...'
Sure, even early on he outclassed his peers by several levels, but he hadn't reached Sword Master territory.
My goal was to defeat a universally acknowledged Sword Saint and prove Battōjutsu's supremacy.
To avoid the folly of picking unripe fruit too soon, I needed to time our duel perfectly.
'He's supposed to grow by defeating enemies, so I can't just take out his foes myself...'
For now, best to leave Leon alone. With the story's highest potential, he'd ripen into the perfect Battōjutsu sacrifice on his own.
Leon: ignore for now.
Next up: the kingdom's second prince—or more precisely, his guard.
The second prince who would surpass his brothers to claim the throne, future king Eugene von Derpart.
He used a rapier-like "gay weapon," but he'd grow into a formidable fighter—not quite Leon's level, but strong.
Right now, though, he was weak enough to lose to me, let alone Leon. No need to worry.
The one to watch: his guard and frontrunner for captain of the royal knights, Vector Alkaid.
The royal family commanded five direct knight orders, symbols of their power.
Each captain was a Sword Master-level knight; becoming one was the ultimate honor for any warrior.
And at just 28, Vector had been tapped as next captain of the Fourth Order.
Side note: every time Eugene and Vector appeared, the comments exploded with BL-fangirl thirst, making me want to unleash Battōjutsu on them more than once.
Hell, they even dragged innocent Leon into it with their train-play bullshit and other crap.
'Fucking Battōjutsu-thirsty bitches...'
Anyway, his skill was unknown until we crossed blades, but he was probably my equal—or maybe even stronger.
The thought made my hand itch, but the issue was how to fight him.
This wasn't a game; challenging him to a duel or spar out of nowhere? No way he'd accept.
Refusing a duel was dishonorable for a noble or warrior—but only with proper cause.
Without justification, rejecting was fine, and the challenger got labeled a barbarian.
'He won't even spar...'
Vector was already a highly acclaimed young knight.
Struggling or losing to some student? Regardless of skill, it'd ruin him—his captaincy would vanish.
So he flat-out refused duels or spars.
In the story, he only acted when the prince was in mortal danger; otherwise, he just watched.
'To fight Vector, I need to drag the prince into a duel somehow...'
If I dueled the prince, Vector would step in as his champion.
But how the hell do you provoke a duel with a prince—second in line to the throne?
'Hit on his fiancée?'
No... couldn't taint Battōjutsu's legacy with some sleazy trash tactic.
I could barely stomach infamy as a war maniac tied to martial prowess, but adultery? Hell no.
'Tch...'
No clue how to pick a fight that'd make waves without it backfiring.
Time slipped by with no ideas, and the ceremony loomed. I stood up.
No concrete plan, but the direction was set. That was enough.
Before heading back to the dorm, I erased the writing on the ground—no big deal if seen, but better safe.
"Hm..."
After a shower and changing into the issued uniform, I flexed my arms and legs to test it.
As expected, with practical training outweighing theory, the academy uniform was more flexible than most workout gear.
The belt for my sword was higher quality too, securing the katana more firmly. Satisfying.
'About time...'
Dawn broke; ceremony time neared. As usual, I buckled my katana to my waist and stepped out.
"......"
Victor's room caught my eye—the one where he'd been sleep-talking nonsense with eyes wide open last night.
No signs of life inside. Maybe he'd left early for the ceremony, like me?
He'd been wearing the uniform pre-enrollment, so it fit. I headed out of the dorm to the main building.
'That's...'
At the entrance, two familiar faces: Jessica half-hiding behind her fan, and sullen Victor.
Approaching slowly, Jessica smiled and held her spot, while Victor slunk away with a gloomy look.
Guessing what happened, I walked up to Jessica.
"I told you I'd never forget. This is just the beginning. Like I did earlier, I'll cut off your friends one by one until you're utterly isolated!"
"...That's it?"
I've lived this life since reincarnating, sword at my side, devoted solely to Battōjutsu.
Even in my previous life, I'd fought a lonely battle amid the ignorant masses blind to its greatness. And this was supposed to faze me? Bullying?
"If I were you, I'd just tell your daddy—save us the bad blood."
Victor and I had known each other what, two or three days? Cutting ties barely registered.
"You arrogant—!! You think that'd make me blink—?!"
"If you wanna piss me off, insult Battōjutsu to my face or something like killing my mom."
"Eek...!"
She yelled something as I turned away, but rage garbled it beyond comprehension.
'Better keep distance from Hori for a while.'
Already facing discrimination as a commoner, adding Jessica's harassment? Unbearable.
'Entrance ceremony's in the central hall.'
The central hall served for events, announcements, or as a shelter during attacks.
The novel got mocked in comments past chapter 600: "Just rename it Central Shelter already."
Killing time wandering, I blended with other students into the hall as it started.
"Please take your assigned seat."
A servant handed me a paper with a number, like at a theater.
E-12
The novel said seating was random.
They sorted dorms by title but pretended fairness for the ceremony? Hypocritical.
'E-12... definitely... huh?'
Heading to my seat, there was a face I'd just seen.
"We meet again sooner than expected?"
"Haa..."
I sat next to the sighing roll-bread noble lady, pointing at her fan.
"Thought I broke that yesterday. You carry spares 'cause you smash 'em so often?"
"Shut up...!!"