Merits and Demerits
That ice bitch...
After getting hit with demerit points, I returned to the dormitory and lay down on my bed, trying to sleep. But the demerit points I'd just received kept me wide awake.
Even when I tried to forget about it and just sleep, closing my eyes only brought Marina's face floating up unbidden.
That damn ice bitch... Since when were spell-slinging bitches allowed to butt into warriors fighting it out?
And to top it off, the arm bends inward—they only gave Peter a light punishment.
Sure, I wasn't entirely blameless, but Peter was at fault too, and I was the one who won in the end. So why did I get the heavy penalty?
Peter had put himself on house arrest, but that wasn't nearly enough.
I'd gotten house arrest plus a whopping 20 demerit points.
20 points... no, 21 points. How the hell am I supposed to clear that?
The academy had a merit and demerit point system. Merit points helped during promotion exams, while demerit points did the opposite.
If that was all, I might've let it slide without a second thought. But the real problem was that accumulating 50 or more demerit points meant expulsion from the academy.
The only way to make up for demerit points was to earn merit points to offset them.
But racking up merit points wasn't easy by any stretch.
The protagonist's first merit points were probably when he repelled those mine demons, right?
I remembered he got 50 points for that, but I couldn't wait around past chapter 60 for demons to show up.
What if I used that Battōjutsu technique that only physics majors can learn, on Marina and Peter...!
The technique was called Memory Wipe (Physics) Battōjutsu.
A terrifying move that smashed the opponent's head with all your strength to erase their memories.
I was seriously contemplating it when a knock-knock came from the door.
Who's that?
At this hour... even if it wasn't this late, no one should've been coming to see me. Still, with no one else on my mind, I slowly got up.
As if impatient, another knock echoed, so I stomped over—thud thud—like I was making a point of it.
Stopped, huh.
They must've heard my footsteps from the other side; the knocking ceased. Standing at the door, I opened it just to see who it was at this hour.
"...Hori?"
"Ian! A-are you okay?!"
"Huh?"
Opening the door revealed Hori outside, a huge bag on her back and a worried look on her face.
"...Come in first."
"Ex-excuse me."
We might get in trouble talking out here if someone overheard, so I pulled her inside.
Once in, Hori glanced around the room, then set down the massive bag from her back and spoke.
"Are you really okay?! I thought you'd been badly hurt..."
"Hurt? Me?"
I'd blocked Peter's attacks with aura and only got some scrapes—nothing a few days' sleep wouldn't fix.
"Who said I was hurt?"
"N-no one said it, exactly... it's just the rumors going around..."
Rumors?
Had word of my fight with Peter already spread?
Makes sense—after the racket we caused in the main building, it'd be weirder if it hadn't. But wasn't this a bit too fast?
"...What rumors?"
"That you challenged Teacher Peter and got seriously injured in the duel..."
"...What the fuck?"
Those words were too much to swallow, and killing intent leaked out with my curse before I could stop it.
"I-I didn't say it! It's not my words...!!"
Thinking the killing intent was aimed at her, Hori trembled like a leaf in the wind.
I quickly reined in my aura and waited for her to calm down before asking again.
"...Sorry. Can you say that again? What rumors?"
"Just like I said. Rumors that you challenged Teacher Peter to a duel and got badly hurt during it..."
It sounded for a split second like I'd lost, and blood rushed to my head.
"And... that's the end of the rumors?"
"Yeah. I went to the temple, but you weren't there, so I figured you might be back at the dorm."
She added with a smile that it'd been tough finding my nameplate in the dark.
"But seeing you fine like this, it must've been nonsense. I even brought potions."
"Nah, the duel happened. It ended before there was a clear winner, though."
If Marina hadn't interfered, I'd have killed Peter right there—so it was my win by judgment.
"Even retired, he's a former captain for a reason. Crazy strong."
If we'd fought outside instead of indoors, it might not have gone this well, but a win was a win.
Some students who'd heard the rumors probably thought I'd lost since they didn't know about Battōjutsu, but it was objectively my victory.
"Th-then... there was blood on the main building stairs. Was that...?"
"Peter's blood. Didn't want to hold the reverse blade backward, but it was the only way to cut through."
Hearing that, Hori stared at me with wide eyes, like she couldn't believe it.
"I knew you were strong, but... not this strong."
"Half luck... Anyway, you brought potions thinking I was hurt? Kinda touching."
Pointing at her huge bag, I teased, and Hori ducked her head shyly.
No big deal now, but Jessica might catch her—coming all this way. Worth saving her that time.
"...I owed you my life once. So, how'd the fight even start?"
"Uh... how to put it? Remember Jessica I mentioned before?"
"Yeah. The one who threw the cake...?"
"Told her I smashed her head with my katana and tossed her some hair I'd cut off back then. She flipped out and charged."
"......Huh?"
I'd skipped too much; Hori tilted her head. So I explained in more detail.
But even then, the confusion didn't leave her face.
"Why would you even...?"
"All for Battōjutsu."
"???"
Her confusion deepened, leaving me stumped on where to start explaining.
I wasn't sleepy anyway, and time was plentiful, so I spent a good while pouring out my love for Battōjutsu to Hori.
Finally, she looked a bit understanding and asked me.
"...What is Battōjutsu to you, Ian, that you'd go this far?"
"What isBattōjutsu to me?"
I didn't know how to answer that.
Impossible to boil down to one word, so I picked just one aspect briefly.
"Can't say it all, but... if I had to pick one? Conviction."
"...Conviction?"
"Yeah. Something you protect no matter what."
"That's why... you challenged someone who might be stronger than you?"
"Bending or breaking before someone stronger isn't conviction."
"!!"
My casual words hit her hard; eyes wide, Hori said to me.
"That's... really good."
"Yeah? You wrestling with something like that too?"
"...A little. But not anymore."
Didn't get exactly what she meant, but her satisfied face felt like a relief.
"Cool. Then, for good luck going forward..."
I peeled off some of Jessica's hair decorating my desk and handed it to Hori.
"Here."
"...Mind if I ask what this is?"
"Jessica's hair. Roll-bread hair's a symbol of wealth—your money luck's bound to improve!"
Hesitating a moment, Hori stared blankly at the golden strands before taking them.
"...Th-thank you."
"No prob!"
Maybe send some to Victor or Mother back home too?
Luck grows the more you share it.
"Ugh...!!"
Alone in his room, wrapping bandages, Peter frowned at his wounds in the mirror.
He'd fought knights, demon worshippers, and even magical beasts over the years, earning countless scars.
But this was his first time getting cut by such a half-assed sword.
Reverse blade, was it?
Not in his youth, but now in old age with his temper cooled—it was fortunate he'd only taken this much.
Back in the day, losing to a sword like that would've shamed him into hanging himself!
Did I lose...?
Indoors, he couldn't fully tap the dragon veins' power, but a loss was a loss.
Seeing that reverse blade was my downfall.
No proper edge, so he'd chosen to block with aura and endure once.
That was the mistake. From the moment he'd shown the sword, that kid had been aiming for it.
"Heh..."
Why, after such a humiliating defeat, did a laugh slip out unbidden?
He'd underestimated the kid for relying on draws alone—a bad habit—but as Otar said, the talent was real.
Though as next Sword Saint's partner, the personality flaws were a bit much.
"......"
Reaching for the desk to grab more bandages, he spotted a document nearby.
Merits are merits, faults are faults, huh...
Staring at it, he hesitated, then bit his lip in frustration and wrote down one man's name.
[Ian Bar Tow]