Chapter 22: One of the Two Will Die (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: One of the Two Will Die (3)
The graduating class of Joaquin Academy had been restless lately.
As usual, they were busy tearing down the academy principal's name, but today a new hot topic was added to the mix.
"Did you hear the news? Parsi Academy requested an exchange meeting with Joaquin Academy."
"They call it an 'exchange meeting,' but it's just a cover to look down on Joaquin Academy."
"Honestly, I think it's for the best. Parsi Academy fits the true purpose of an academy way better anyway. Frankly speaking, Joaquin Academy has turned into a breeding ground for commoners. Watching those lowborns squirm and try to climb the social ladder makes my skin crawl..."
The current graduating class was the third cohort admitted to the rebuilt Joaquin Academy. Back then, nobles still held dominance.
But starting from the fourth cohort—the current second-years—the atmosphere began to shift unnervingly. By the fifth cohort, things had spiraled to the point where nobles and commoners were sharing tables. Naturally, the students' pride was deeply bruised, and as their families raised holy hell back home, the blame was directed at the innocent academy principal and the underclassmen.
To be honest, the graduating class knew deep down that the real cause of this mess was someone else entirely. But daring to gossip about that person was a gamble where your life was the stake. Naturally, that person was the Heavenly Sword.
"..."
The moment black hair flashed through their minds, the entire group, who had been grumbling moments ago, fell dead silent. Static electricity seemed to prickle down their spines. To the graduating class, the Heavenly Sword was a living nightmare.
The world praises him as humanity's hero, but...
The graduating seniors, who frequently ran into him, knew his true nature.
The Heavenly Sword was, for lack of a better word, a lunatic. Floating somewhere between a god and a human, his humanity was razor-thin.
On the Heavenly Sword fan site, the Heavenly Demon Cult, members cheered for the cafe owner, calling him a walking carbonated drink.
They were wrong.
He wasn't refreshing carbonated water; he was pure hydrochloric acid.
"His actions go far beyond merely being reckless."
"Exactly."
At the slightest provocation, he knocked nobles unconscious from shock or released bloodlust that sent them straight to the hospital. Fortunately, he barely managed to draw a line with the students—though it was by the skin of his teeth.
But the moment he deemed someone unworthy of respect, he instantly transformed into a devil. Some even rumored that Kang Geomma was actually an unsubdued Demon King.
"...Should I just transfer to Parsi Academy while I have the chance?"
"Are you insane? Why would you transfer when you only have one year left before graduation?"
"To be honest, I can't sleep properly at night worrying about getting on that person's(?) bad side. I'm only nineteen, but I feel like I'm gonna develop an arrhythmia. I'd rather transfer to Parsi Academy. Besides, they even have a university program—"
"Quiet, all of you."
All eyes turned toward the source of the sharp voice.
Princess Victoria was glaring at them, her eyes narrowed. Perhaps it was the power of her rank; her gaze alone commanded the entire graduating class.
"P-Princess..."
"Do you know why we lost our voice? It's because of people like you who only whisper behind back doors. You should speak up to his face, yet all you do is grumble from the shadows."
"..."
"Calling yourselves eagles while acting no better than rats. And whatever you do, don't throw around the title of the Heavenly Sword so lightly. It'd be wise for your well-being."
Victoria clicked her tongue softly.
Losing interest, she turned her gaze back out the window. Outside, dark clouds collided, echoing with thunder.
Looking at the scene, the princess's eyes were glistening, and the male seniors gazing up at her felt like knights moved to chivalry. A quiet outrage swelled among them all.
"This is all... all because of him!"
"I can't take this anymore. I'm going to give him a piece of my mind right now!"
It happened in an instant.
Rattle.
All eyes snapped toward the sound of the sliding door opening. A dress shoe poked through the gap. Then, footsteps bound the entire graduating class in silence.
The atmospheric pressure shifted sharply. Muffled gasps burst out from every corner.
Overwhelmed by the crushing presence weighing down the room, Princess Victoria belatedly turned her head toward the door. Her apricot-colored irises dilated wide, and she instinctively stood at attention.
She squeezed out a voice from her tight throat.
"Y-You are...!"
The Heavenly Sword had arrived.
A flurry of mixed emotions washed over the princess's face. Surprisingly, a bright flush was far more prominent than any negative emotion.
Whether he noticed or not, the Heavenly Sword walked up to the podium with an indifferent expression. Then, out of nowhere, he pointed out a few specific students.
"The students I just called, follow me."
Her name was on that list as well.
*
Episode: One of the Two Will Die
Leon and Abel were probably having a tough time picking their representatives.
Though not quite on par with our generation, rumor had it that the current first and second-years were packed with exceptional talent.
Apparently, besides the nobility's offspring, there were several highly promising students even among the special admission students.
On the other hand, handling the selection for the graduating class was a no-brainer for me. Princess Victoria was the undisputed number one.
Ryozo mentioned she wasn't the type to act high and mighty relying solely on her family's prestige.
Even though Ryozo found her annoying because Victoria constantly got on her nerves, Ryozo's judgment of people was always objective.
—Princess Victoria's talent is honestly too good to rot away in an era of peace. If she had entered the academy during the 2nd Human-Demon War, she would've made a huge name for herself and served as a pillar of the Victoria Dynasty. If she weren't the heir to the throne, she could've become the youngest Warrior-rank hero.
Blessings are hereditary. While blood, sweat, and tears might bring someone to an equal playing field, there was a ceiling.
It's harsh to say to the special admission students, but that's reality.
Still, they say the proportion of commoners awakening blessings has been increasing lately.
Lycan said it was the aftermath of me wiping out the False Gods.
But even so, the fundamental difference in the rank of blessings was stark.
So how grand must royal blood be?
On top of that, Victoria was of the British Empire's royal bloodline. The grade of her inherited blessing was likely among the absolute highest in human history. Her potential alone must be off the charts.
The only issue is that she lacks proper character.
I intend to turn her into a decent human being.
With that intention in mind, I brought Princess Victoria and the rest of the bunch to the training hall.
At least their eyes still have some spirit.
I guess seniors are seniors after all.
When they first stepped into this newly built training hall, they were gulping nervously. But now, they were glaring at me with tense eyes. Full of hostility and vigilance.
Makes sense.
Just looking at who I picked tells the whole story.
I rounded up only those students who formed factions to harass Ryozo day in and day out. Unless they were complete idiots, they must have figured it out by now.
I had no intention of abusing my authority to discipline them. If that were my goal, I would have killed Parsi Academy's principal yesterday.
I wanted this exchange meeting to follow proper procedures as much as possible. That was the only way to deliver a true, thorough lesson.
As I've said time and again, I am the God of Sword, and when it comes to 'destruction,' I am second to none.
A man who could split the Earth like an apple if he felt like it. That's me.
However.
What meaning is there in that?
This world isn't flat or two-dimensional. It can't be neatly split into light and dark. Even I am far from purely good, making me unqualified to act as an ultimate judge.
I decided to steer my life toward respecting the people of this world. Sure, I lose my temper and snap once in a while, but hey, that's just bound to happen.
Like I just said, I'm unqualified.
Why don't I try laying down a 'little' of the weight on my shoulders while dealing with them?
There were five students in total. So these five bastards are the main culprits nagging and harassing Ryozo...
"Alright, everyone focus up."
I spoke with a faint smile plastered on my face. Time for my facial muscles to work overtime.
"I heard from the instructors that you students are the most outstanding among the graduating class."
"..."
"..."
Everyone remained silent. Yet their pupils pointed toward the same spot. Princess Victoria stood at the center of the formation.
"It hasn't been officially announced yet, but I'm sure you lot have heard. We're holding an exchange meeting with Parsi Academy. Quite a few of the students here want to transfer over there, don't they?"
"...!"
I was just joking, why are they trembling like that? Struck a nerve?
"T-That couldn't be, Lord Heavenly Sword."
A male student took a step forward.
Judging by the unusual look he kept giving the princess, youthful love really could wring out courage from thin air.
"We are proud students of Joaquin. Wh-Why would we want to go to Parsi Academy? I-I have always lived with pride as a student of Joaquin Academy!"
"Ah~ I see. Then why do you still go around blabbering about commoners and lowborns? A proud student of Joaquin Academy shouldn't be spewing bullshit like that."
"..."
"I'm not joking about this one, so feel free to speak your mind. Relax."
"...I am sorry..."
I wiped the smile off my face and said in a cold tone:
"What I hate most is people doing things they'll have to apologize for. Don't do it again. I'll be watching."
"...Yes sir."
The male student took two steps back, his face looking as though his world was collapsing. Perhaps feeling guilty themselves, the other students kept quiet too, biting their lower lips so hard their mouths turned pale.
A chilling lull settled over the room, as if ice had been poured over us. I didn't mean for this to happen, but my emotions ruined the mood again.
"I didn't call you here to scold you. I summoned you busy folks to select the representatives for Joaquin Academy's third-year class."
I spoke as I ran a hand through my front hair.
The students stirred. I gave them plenty of time to exchange glances before speaking again.
"I could pick arbitrarily, but that wouldn't be fair. So I'm giving an equal chance to all of you who have the best practical grades. Looking at you guys, it seems you've already designated 'one person' among yourselves..."
I briefly glanced over at Princess Victoria.
She hadn't taken her eyes off me for a second. I tried my best to ignore her burning gaze.
"Things can change in actual combat, though. Depending on the situation. So, in my own way, I will conduct tests across three categories. It won't take long. We'll wrap up before lunchtime."
"..."
"You won't be eliminated immediately after a single test. The subspace will calculate the total score and inform us. Since my personal bias will barely be involved, fairness won't be an issue."
I added that there would be substantial rewards for achieving outstanding results at the exchange meeting. Setting their personalities aside, their excellence was a fact. If they brought glory to the academy, they deserved a fitting reward.
Disciplining them is one thing, but...
Winning the exchange meeting comes first.
If I crushed their morale before we even started, all my efforts would go down the drain. I sincerely hoped at least one of them would win.
The moment the word 'reward' left my mouth, the trembling students regained their vigor.
"What are the test contents?"
The main culprit finally stepped up. Princess Victoria asked with her chin raised, but I didn't give her a direct answer.
Crack, flash!
Just then, the training hall went dark before flashing bright again.
Even though the lighting lifespan was far from over in this newly built facility, the lights began to flicker erratically.
Darkness.
The room brightening.
And darkness once more.
The flickering power outage sent waves of anxiety through the students. Normally, something like this would be nothing to them, but my presence seemed to amplify their terror.
Flash!
Finally, the power flickering stopped. Warm sunlight streamed back into the training hall. Just as the corners of my lips began to curl up—
"Wh-Wh-What...?"
Five pairs of eyes widened in utter shock.
And understandably so. Behind me, five shadows that hadn't been there moments ago were lined up in formation.
A group that gave sleepless nights to any noble. Auditore da Sicilia stood alongside me.
"If you endure against them, you pass the first test."
I sat down on a chair brought over by one of the Auditore members. I crossed my legs and rested my interlaced hands on my knee.
"Time limit: one minute."
The moment my words fell, masked figures bolted past both sides of me like the wind.
"D-Damn it!"
"Draw your swords! Draw!"
"J-Just like we practiced! Form the front line!"
The students scrambled to unsheathe their weapons and prepare for battle. Clangs of metal clashing echoed in rapid succession.
"They're pretty decent for a graduating class," Nox muttered as he stood beside me. He, too, was poised to spring into action.
"Should I hold back a bit?"
"No. This is a selection to pick representatives for Joaquin Academy. We need to be careful. If we choose half-heartedly, we might lose."
"Look at Mr. Devoted Husband."
Nox chuckled faintly. Then, slicing through the air, he joined the masked figures and demonstrated his blade work.
It didn't take long for the clashing metal to turn into screams begging for mercy.
"S-Spare meeeeeee!"
"Aaaargh! F-Father...!"
It was the flare signaling the restoration of teacher authority.