Duel (6)
The staff aimed at me wasn't much of a threat, but it was unmistakably infused with mana.
I had no idea why she, someone I'd never even met, was treating me with such hostility.
But what mattered was the reality right in front of me: a grand mage—no, the Grand Mage of the kingdom—pointing her staff straight at me.
Can I draw my sword faster than she can cast?
She was one of the kingdom's rare grand mages, with plenty of real combat experience to boot.
In the original story, her power was rarely unleashed on intruders at the academy, but her reputation never suffered for it.
"It's an honor that the headmaster remembers the name of a student who's barely been enrolled."
"Remembering students' names is only natural. Especially yours—your rumors have even reached my ears. But more importantly..."
Marina poured more mana into her staff as she pressed me for an answer.
"Student Ian, answer the question. What did you do?"
"Beats me... I was just minding my own business when I got jumped. Shouldn't your first concern be for the student who was attacked?"
"An attacked student wouldn't look as thrilled as you do. And I've been watching since midway through anyway."
"...Midway through?"
Come to think of it, there was that setting where if the academy suffered damage above a certain level, Marina would sense it immediately through the barrier...
I'd forgotten about it since it was rendered pointless whenever the academy was attacked—either Marina was away on "business," or the barrier got tampered with.
This lady's utterly useless against enemies, but why's she so sharp with students?
If she'd been this competent in the original, half those academy invasions would've been nipped in the bud before they started.
"...How much did you see?"
"From when you got launched into the fountain by Sir Peter."
If it was from the fountain, then she still didn't know what I'd done wrong, right?
Feeling wrongly accused by Marina jumping to conclusions without knowing the full story, I snapped at her curtly.
"How can you decide I'm at fault just from seeing that much? If you can figure everything out from scraps like that, you should be a detective, not headmaster."
"Any other student, and I wouldn't have done this. But given your usual behavior, Ian, it's par for the course."
"What the hell's wrong with my usual behavior?!"
I'd even gotten praise for my diligence back in that model student hellhole, Kar○rst.
How could she call my conduct bad after barely a week of watching me?
Sure, I'd gotten into that disgraceful spat with a professor over Battōjutsu and dropped out, but that was impossible to accept.
"Even excluding your pre-enrollment issues and anything that could be called self-defense, your record isn't good by any stretch."
"What exactly?!"
"Scattering killing intent at students during sparring sessions, showing hostility toward a teacher, trying to pass off violence as 'sparring.' And though it's unconfirmed, there was a report of a massive noise in the city when you went out..."
"Trying to commit violence? I just asked the teacher for a spar!"
"Witnesses say you threatened to break your opponent's ribs in the last spar before requesting one. What's the difference between that and declaring you'll break mine?"
"That's an overreach! And unconfirmed noise reports don't..."
I shut my mouth as I recalled splitting that iron ball at the forge.
Seeing me clam up suddenly, Marina let out a deep sigh.
"...Sounds like something rings a bell."
"...Yeah."
But this wasn't entirely my fault—I'd only done it because Otar told me to.
Marina ignored my side and continued.
"From what I know, you're the first student to rack up penalty points in just two days at the academy."
"...Doesn't everyone get a point or two?"
"A student who gets those 'everyone gets one' points in two days flat, versus Sir Peter—the honorable knight and former captain of the Royal Fourth Knight Order."
Marina implied that if trouble arose between those two, who was the obvious suspect.
"...Captain of the Royal Fourth Knight Order?"
"Yes. Though he retired last year."
I'd thought he was too strong for an academy teacher even as a Sword Master, but a knight order captain? No wonder.
So his skill's around Jessica's dad's level, or maybe a notch above?
The Royal Knight Orders symbolized the royal family's power; their captains weren't pushovers.
Just look at Victor, the next captain by the second prince's side in the original—he could solo demon beasts.
With that resume and the title of honorable knight, even I'd suspect me first.
"Still, how can a teacher not trust their student?"
"If you want trust, earn it first."
"Hah..."
No friends, no one to talk to, and yet she talks a big game...
"Headmaster, you're really good with words. How do you get that good? Lots of chit-chat with friends back in school?"
"...Be quiet."
As we bantered, the culprit who'd launched me here approached slowly.
...Was he waiting for me to come out?
Or maybe worried I'd use students as shields if I changed tactics?
Either way, him waiting confirmed my earlier hypothesis even more.
I took up a stance as Peter advanced with clear killing intent, but Marina stepped forward.
"Sir Peter. Calm yourself. I can't allow a teacher to kill a student, no matter the circumstances."
"He's the exception!! He used the duel as an excuse to kill a student!!"
"Kill a student...? I don't follow, but my barrier detects student deaths. There are none."
That setting too?
Even with it, I figured it wouldn't help in a pinch—
"Student Ian, explain what happened."
Marina questioned me, but I played dumb.
"Never said I killed anyone."
"Then who was it that said he smashed her head with a katana?! What bullshit is this?!"
In response, I slowly drew the Reverse Blade Sword from my waist and showed it to Peter and Marina.
"What is that...?!"
"The blade's on the opposite side."
The Reverse Blade Sword could cripple but never kill— a non-lethal blade.
As Peter and Marina narrowed their eyes at the reversed edge and flat, I said calmly,
"You think you can kill someone with a sword like this?"
"...So you've been fighting me with that thing? Wait, then the hair you showed me?"
"Just some that got cut during the duel. Got Jessica's permission and picked it up."
"...You picked up hair? What the hell are you even..."
Their dumbfounded stares fixed on me.
To Marina, who still didn't get it, I pulled Jessica's hair from my pocket and showed her. She frowned.
"So... to sum up: You said in front of Sir Peter that you bashed Lady Jessica's head with that katana, then showed off the hair like a trophy?"
"Yes. But does that justify attacking a student with lethal intent without checking?"
Marina started to retort but nodded instead.
"You're right on that, Student Ian. Sir Peter?"
"Yes..."
Peter bowed his head like a criminal at her call.
"Sir Peter. I'm aware of your ties to the von Grind family, but I can't overlook favoritism toward one student."
"...Yes. I'll reflect in confinement for the time being."
I'd thought he just took pity seeing the hammer, but there was more I didn't know.
Anyway, with things sorted, I stepped forward from beside Marina.
"Teacher Peter."
"...What?"
Peter glared as he looked up. The misunderstanding cleared, but his aura still raged—perfect.
"Shall we continue?"
"What—?!"
Before he finished, the Reverse Blade Sword whipped from my waist and slammed his unguarded gut.
"Guh!!"
Like I'd been earlier, Peter nearly flew back, but he poured aura into his legs and barely held ground outside the main building.
"Student Ian!! What madness is this?!"
"Misunderstanding cleared, but the match is the match. Shoot me from behind if you want."
Leaving that, I advanced past Marina toward Peter, who'd reset into combat stance.
"You lunatic... You think I'll go easy just 'cause the headmaster's here?!"
"Didn't want it to come to this, but don't worry about me—come at me."
Dismissing my words as bluff, Peter sneered and charged again.
His hammer swung once more at my head.
The trajectory was still laughably simple, but the speed and power deserved praise.
I dodged the hammer by a paper's width and unleashed the Reverse Blade Sword I'd been charging with aura since the draw.
It shot toward Peter, but knowing it was reversed, he didn't evade—planning to tank it with aura.
Gotcha...!
From the moment I showed it, I'd been aiming for this.
Just before it hit, I twisted my wrist, flipping the grip upside down.
"Urk...!!"
"Gaaah...!!"
Groans burst from both our mouths almost simultaneously.
Mine from the strain on my wrist; Peter's from the flat tearing into him.
Not the blunt edge, but the aura-charged flat sliced with unmatched sharpness.
It shredded his aura, then his clothes and flesh, spraying blood into the air.
As expected, inside the building, he couldn't use that deflection technique from outside.
"Ughh!!"
Peter buckled from the sudden blood loss. Seizing the chance, I ignored my wrist pain and sheathed the blade.
As I went to draw again—
"That's enough!!"
A blade of pure white eyes blocked between us, aimed at me.
"One more attack, and I'll expel you by headmaster authority."
"......"
Tempting as a former knight captain's neck was, expulsion wasn't worth it.
Reluctantly releasing the hilt, Marina scowled in a face that didn't suit her.
"Ian Bar Tow. 20 penalty points. Confined for three weeks."