Chapter 16: Never a Quiet Day (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: Never a Quiet Day (1)
As the thick dust cloud filling the sparring arena slowly began to settle, the gruesome aftermath of the battle was laid bare.
Crimson pools of blood gathered in every crater, and multiple wavy lines were etched into the dirt floor like ripples.
Looking at my reflection on the blade, I clicked my tongue. I felt it every time, but slicing up a human was an unspeakably unpleasant sensation. This knife was made to gut fish, yet here I was, using it to carve up people...
If there was any consolation, it was that I hadn't actually cut a real person yet. Whether it was the Mao twins or Nox, who was currently growing cold before my eyes, it had all happened inside a subspace. Who knew I'd benefit from the perks of a virtual space like this?
Of course, even in reality, I fully intended to slice up anyone who threatened me, but I wanted to avoid mindless slaughter.
If I just swung my blade whenever I felt like it, I'd probably turn into a human butcher before I knew it.
I gave the blood-soaked sashimi knife in my hand a quick flick and sheathed it. The blade rattled slightly.
Well, I had unleashed countless sashimi slashes in that brief moment. No matter how famous the brand logo on it was, it would be stranger if the edge didn't get damaged. I let out a bitter smile.
Twenty-six seconds. The fight had ended much quicker than expected.
Nox was definitely strong. Just as Chloe had said, he was highly experienced in real combat; his blade work was ruthlessly decisive.
It was enough to give me goosebumps when parrying his strikes. Above all, his combat instincts were genius.
The cadets in the spectator seats probably didn't realize it, but the moment he drew his sword, he had activated 'Raven's Blessing' to irregularly twist the trajectory of his strikes.
On top of that, he added a level of speed that was even more mind-boggling than Chloe's, making it incredibly difficult to deal with.
When it came to combat, Nox was indeed a natural-born genius. However, his tactical mind was a bit clumsy.
Masking his presence to curve his sword path was a good move, but his sword energy carried such a heavy bloodlust that his next strike was entirely predictable.
Of course, if he continued to gain experience and fully unlocked his potential, he would undoubtedly become the ultimate assassin.
He was strong, though.
Perhaps because I was getting used to activating my blessings, I felt like I could manage my time to some extent now.
Granted, even with the Blessing of Painlessness active, the heavy, stiff sensation around my eyes remained.
Still, compared to the absolute shitshow when I first activated the Blessing of the Sword God, this was practically a joke.
I reached up and gently massaged the back of my neck, which was stiff from tension. Meanwhile, the subspace barrier dissolved, and the buzzing voices of the cadets reached my ears.
A feverish atmosphere mixed with various emotions. I had a gut feeling that my future Academy life was going to be exhausting. I let out a short sigh and muttered,
"...Nothing I can do about it."
This was the path I chose, after all.
I just had to grit my teeth and push through.
* * *
The aftermath of the fierce battle between Kang Geomma and Nox shook the entire Academy. From the Star Class to the Tiger Class, every single class was talking about nothing but that incident.
As rumors belatedly spread that Nox was from the Auditore family—the House of Order—most people nodded in agreement regarding his strength.
Just as an awl in a pocket always pokes through, the prestigious name of Auditore was not entirely unfamiliar to the children of high-ranking nobles.
Because of this, the identity of the male student who faced Nox became an even hotter topic. Frankly, calling it a "matchup" was embarrassing; he had sliced and filleted Nox Auditore like a piece of raw fish. It was a performance that went beyond shocking.
What's more, he was a mere Special Admission Student. No rumors or truths about him had ever been revealed. That fact alone made him an unprecedented sensation, more than enough to keep the teenagers' gossiping mouths busy.
Inside the Star Class classroom.
Abel sat with her arms crossed, lost in thought without a single change in her expression. Her silhouette, bathed in the purple sunset filtering through the window, was as beautiful as ever. However, her eyes, which usually sparkled like topaz, were unusually quiet today.
The face of the black-haired male student flashed through Abel's mind.
In her memory of their previous encounter, he had seemed to have a slightly softer impression, but the eyes she saw today held an indescribable chill.
When he drew a half-moon with his knife, one of Nox's arms slid off and fell. It happened without a sound, as if it had been severed from the very beginning.
And the clash that followed was at a blinding speed that even Abel's eyes couldn't keep up with. Above all, that unrealistic blade work... Just watching it made her body flinch.
And he did it not with some special armament, but with two Rose sashimi knives.
There were even identical knives sitting in her dormitory kitchen. The thought gave her a sudden chill, making her feel reluctant to use them for no good reason.
As a descendant of the Nibelung family and the granddaughter of the Sword Emperor, she prided herself on her deep understanding of swordsmanship. But today, she felt that proud discernment utterly shattered.
Abel shook her head slightly to clear her crowding thoughts. Her long, sapphire-blue hair swayed.
"His name is Kang Geomma..."
Abel muttered the male student's name, which had flashed on the arena screen, as if chewing over it. The classmate who had treated her so slyly. To think she would learn his name like this...
Suddenly, as she searched her memory, she recalled what she had said to Kang Geomma.
'Huh? Because you look weak. Actually, our family motto is "Be strict with the strong, and merciful to the weak!"'
She remembered the unidentified top student whom the Sword Emperor Siegfried had mentioned with a grim face. A sudden, chilling realization hit her: that student might be Kang Geomma.
No, circumstantially, it was definitely him. The reason was... because Kang Geomma was overwhelmingly stronger than her, the second-ranked student. There was no way the sacred subspace grading system would miss that.
"..."
Abel let out a deep sigh and hung her head. As a wave of embarrassment washed over her, her face turned bright red, and she bit her lip.
Soon, her clenched fist lightly tapped the desk.
What on earth was Kang Geomma thinking when he looked at me?!
Her embarrassment and shame instantly flared into a spark of anger. His sly attitude when dealing with her.
He probably knew everything and reacted that way on purpose. To think that the first person she had opened up to and talked with after entering the Academy was highly likely the very top student she had vowed to crush.
The more she thought about it, the more frustrating it was. Extremely so. Even if she generously conceded that he had his reasons for hiding his top-student status, she had poured her heart out, yet Kang Geomma hadn't shared a single thing. She hadn't even known his name until yesterday.
Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of emotion, she abruptly stood up. At that, the blonde girl with twintails sitting next to her yawned and tapped her mouth.
"Yawn... What's up?"
"...Oh, it's nothing, Rachel."
Startled and flustered, Abel could only stammer awkwardly. Rachel narrowed her eyes and stared at her.
A faint, playful mischief flickered in her heart-shaped pupils.
"Heeey, reeeally?"
"Yeah. I haven't been able to work out the past few days, so my body feels a bit stiff."
Abel offered Rachel an awkward smile. Her beautiful eyebrows twitched slightly. Rachel de Myura, the niece of the Spear Saint and the 4th-ranked student in the Academy.
Honestly, they weren't even that close. In the first place, Abel had avoided making friends due to the deep-seated elitism prevalent in the Star Class.
But Rachel, with her characteristic easygoing nature, kept trying to break down the walls Abel had unconsciously put up.
"Abel, you got yourself a guy, didn't you?"
"N-No, I don't!"
The playful voice tickled Abel's ears.
Rachel extended her index finger and gently tickled Abel's slender waist in circles. Abel gasped in shock and quickly took a step back.
"So our Lady Abel is a proper woman after all? I thought you were completely sworn off romance."
"I said, it's really not like that!"
As Abel's face flushed red, Rachel rested her chin on her hand and let out a giggle.
"So, who is it? If he managed to steal Abel's heart, he can't be just any random nobody. Hmm, let's see..."
Rachel pretended to look around the room. Then, she lightly gestured with her chin toward Leon.
"Is it Leon? Well, he does have a handsome face."
"No."
Abel wiped the expression from her face and flatly denied it. At that, Rachel tilted her head slightly and casually tossed out,
"...You're strangely hostile toward Leon, Lady Abel. Then, is it that Special Admission Student from the sparring arena yesterday?"
"!?"
Bingo. Abel's face instantly turned beet red. Seeing that reaction, a sly smirk played on Rachel's lips. She stood up and grabbed Abel's wrist.
"W-What are you doing?!"
"Let's go, Lady Abel."
"Wh-Where?!"
"To the Wolf Class!"
Just like that, Abel was helplessly dragged along by Rachel's strength. Perhaps because she was a spear-wielder, her grip was incredibly strong.
* * *
The break between the 6th and 7th periods.
Slide—
The door to the Wolf Class classroom slid open.
In an instant, the noisy atmosphere quieted down. The sudden appearance of two beautiful girls had the Wolf Class cadets whispering in hushed tones.
Rachel walked in first with a smile on her face, while Abel hesitantly shuffled in behind, dragged along by her.
They were none other than this year's Academy runner-up, Abel von Nibelung, and the 4th-ranked student, Rachel de Myura. Two girls who stood at the very top of the elite Star Class.
It went without saying that Abel's beauty was almost too dazzling to look at, but Rachel beside her was also a beautiful girl with a striking, healthy charm.
When Rachel flashed a bright smile, several male students clutched their chests and swooned. Behind her, Abel let out a series of short sighs and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Standing tall at the front of the classroom, Rachel narrowed her eyes and searched for black hair. She roughly knew his face from seeing him in the arena yesterday, and since black hair was extremely rare, he should be easy to spot.
As Rachel quickly scanned the faces, a mental exclamation mark popped up over her head.
Oh, found him! A distinct, eye-catching black. The unique feature was the tips of his hair, which were lightly streaked with white.
In the third row, by the window.
He was fast asleep, face down on a thick history textbook used as a pillow. Beside him, a cute red-haired girl was grinning foolishly, staring intently at his sleeping face.
Was she his girlfriend? It didn't matter to Rachel. After all, the grass is always greener on the other side. Although she had come here to tease Abel, Rachel was personally quite intrigued by this Special Admission Student as well.
With a faint smile, Rachel unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt and approached Kang Geomma. Her bold steps left Abel no time to stop her.
She possessed a provocative figure that would disarm almost any man. It was the determination of a woman entering combat mode. All eyes in the room converged on them.
Rachel leaned in and blew a warm breath into Kang Geomma's ear. At that, Chloe, who was sitting next to him, scowled fiercely and shot her a murderous glare.
Kang Geomma let out a soft groan and shook his head to shake off his sleep. He must have been sleeping deeply, as the cheek he had been resting on was flushed red.
With a dazed look, Kang Geomma slowly lifted his head and glanced around.
And immediately, his vacant gaze met Rachel's milky cleavage.
"...What?"
She tucked her side hair behind her ear, gave a gentle wave, and whispered to him.
"Is it up?"
A seductive smile curved the corners of Rachel's lips.