Chapter 17. Let Me Teach You the Basics
"The swordsmanship instructor has been replaced?"
A few hours before the swordsmanship class was scheduled to begin.
"Yes, indeed. You are quite late to the news."
Adria Balcazar had remained at the academy to meet with the Vice Student Council President, Demian Cromwell.
"It is quite puzzling. Why does everyone consider this Professor Selene such an eyesore?"
"Who can say?"
"I heard your brother suffered a great humiliation, but I was under the impression you weren't exactly a family-oriented person?"
"Hehe. How rude. Well, you aren't entirely wrong. However, if my brother fails to lead the Balcazar family properly, it would be troublesome for me as well, being a Balcazar myself."
"So it is certain that the Balcazar family wants to oust Professor Selene."
"Yes, I won't deny it."
"And if she is driven out in utter disgrace, it will create the exact picture you desire."
"Oh? And what might that mean?"
Demian adjusted his glasses, the lenses catching the light with a sharp glint.
"Whatever the case, Professor Selene is associated with the Reformists. Whether she actually is one or not doesn't matter. Isn't that right?"
"Do go on."
"Furthermore, the Vice-Principal who recommended her, the Head Dean, and perhaps everyone who follows them will be painted as her co-conspirators. Whether it's true or not, that is the narrative you intend to spin."
"..."
"And if someone like her—who climbed up through the highly controversial method of a special Recommendation Letter—is expelled due to pathetic teaching ability? Then the Vice-Principal and his faction will be held collectively responsible, won't they?"
"Oh?"
A smile played upon the lips beneath her veil. Yet, behind that sheer fabric, Adria's expression turned ice-cold for a fleeting moment.
"Even so, isn't it a bit far-fetched for someone's personnel evaluation to shift over such a trivial matter?"
"Well, that is..."
Demian, who did not miss that subtle shift in her expression, felt even more confident in his deduction.
"Isn't that the Balcazar family's specialty? Blowing trivial matters out of proportion to bring about an opponent's ruin."
"..."
The gaze behind the veil pierced through Demian.
"Just like when you ruined your fellow imperial rivals, the Valteria Family, in the past."
"Hehe. You talk too much."
"But it is the truth."
"Then let me ask you in return."
The expression behind the veil sank into a cold chill once more.
"Since you know all this—and since you are aiming to marry the next head of the Valteria family—why are you holding hands with the daughter of the very family that brought about Valteria's ruin?"
"Well, that is..."
And looking at Adria, Demian smirked slyly once more.
"I have no interest in whether the Valteria family, barely restored to their status thanks to the current Emperor, will ever ascend to the throne. In fact..."
"In fact?"
"Isn't it far more advantageous for our family if they remain in their current, ambiguous position?"
"Hehe. So all you need is their symbolic value, is that it?"
Demian smiled as if Adria had hit the nail on the head, extending his hand.
"Yes. The final step to elevate our Cromwell Family, which is currently looked down upon as mere parvenus, into an influential house. What could be more certain than bringing a woman of Valteria into our fold?"
"My, what a devious man."
"But now, our mutual interests are perfectly clear."
"Indeed."
Adria smiled and accepted Demian's handshake.
"Then I shall take my leave... I have another class to attend."
"Then may I assume the Cromwell family will assist in driving Professor Selene out?"
"Of course. As long as it benefits our family."
After concluding his meeting with Adria.
"O-once more!"
Demian happened to witness Leonia being utterly crushed by Selene in a swordsmanship duel.
"Oh? What is this?"
Demian's ultimate goal was to marry Leonia and absorb the Valteria family into the Cromwell family.
In short, expanding his own influence through a political marriage. That was his rational objective.
"How very interesting."
But that was not all. Demian harbored another secret he had not shared with Adria.
"With this..."
Leonia was perfect. That was the impression Demian had formed of her while approaching her as the Vice Student Council President while hiding his true motives.
Ideally, he would have become the Student Council President and kept Leonia, the Vice President, by his side, but Demian had failed.
Though once ruined and only recently restored, Valteria was still a branch of the imperial family. On top of that, her grades were outstanding, and she was a genius of swordsmanship, earning the moniker 'The Empire's Sword.'
She was even skilled enough to defeat the swordsmanship instructor, a renowned war hero.
Because of that, Demian had tasted defeat for the first time. He had lost the position of Student Council President to her.
"She will be all the more satisfying to break."
But that was exactly why Demian had grown obsessed with Leonia. He wanted to make her submit.
He wanted to corrupt her, to reduce her to a dependent creature who could not live without him, clinging to him forever.
"To think I would discover a crack in her armor here."
And right now, as he watched Leonia flustered and defeated by Selene in swordsmanship.
"It's about time I start making my move."
Demian licked his lips in anticipation.
Later, during the class at the Swordsmanship Training Ground.
"Three weights. Same."
Demian let out a sigh as he watched Selene claim that the longsword, rapier, and mace all weighed the same.
This won't be easy...
He had a secret pact with the Balcazar family, but would driving Selene out truly benefit him? That remained to be seen.
But looking at the situation, the answer was clear. Setting aside the political pressure she faced, Professor Selene simply lacked the strength to overcome it.
There were rumors that her magic class was extraordinary, but did she lack even the most basic understanding of swordsmanship?
Then how did she break Leonia's swordsmanship earlier? Did she secretly use magic? Is Selene actually some kind of brainwasher?
However, Demian's judgment was built entirely upon a single premise.
"Well, that settles it."
"..."
"It seems Professor Selene won't be able to teach this class anymore."
This conclusion was based on the assumption that Selene's previous answer was incorrect.
"Why do you think so, Demian?"
"Isn't it obvious, Madam President? Naturally, the mace, being a blunt weapon, should be the heaviest."
This was Demian's first grave miscalculation regarding Selene.
"I HAVE COMMITTED A GRAVE INSOLENCE!"
"Hmm?"
"Please forgive me for mistakenly believing you lacked the basics!"
The moment Instructor Brika performed a thunderous Head-bowing Apology, slamming her forehead against the ground.
The mocking sneers in the arena vanished in an instant.
"W-what?"
"Ahem!"
Ignoring the bewildered students, Instructor Brika stood back up. Fragments of shattered marble fell from her forehead with a clatter.
"You are correct, by Jove! It seems you are not some amateur who lacks the basics! Forgive me for failing to recognize your depth!"
"The hand?"
"My hand?"
"Betting hand..."
"You fool! A warrior's Head-bowing Apology is far more powerful than losing a mere hand!"
"(Disappointed.)"
"W-wait a moment, Instructor!"
Someone shouted, cutting through their meaningless banter. It was one of the students.
"S-so you're saying those three weapons actually weigh the same?"
He pointed at the three weapons lying on the ground, desperate to resolve his confusion.
"Of course they do!"
"O-of course? But the mace should be the heaviest!"
"Says who?"
"Is—is that an imperial regulation? Do the empire's weapons have some special significance that requires all three to be made with the exact same weight?"
"No?"
Seeing the follow-up question, Brika smirked like a wicked instructor who had just found a perfect teaching moment.
"Pardon?"
"Of course, custom-made orders would differ! And there will be slight variations depending on the craftsman's touch!"
"Then..."
"Indeed!"
Brika boasted, picking up the three weapons from the ground with both hands.
"Standard personal weapons are naturally crafted to weigh almost exactly the same! Any decent weapon smith makes them that way!"
"W-why is that?"
"Unless you are using Magic Swordsmanship or physical reinforcement, weapons are ultimately crafted to fit the physical limits of a standard human body, you fool!"
"No, wait, then that makes no sense!"
Despite her explanation, the student still looked utterly baffled. The others who had been sneering at Selene just moments ago shared his confusion.
"Then why on earth would anyone use a blunt weapon? Why would anyone use a rapier?"
"..."
"If they aren't lighter or heavier, there's no point in choosing one over the other!"
"And why is that?"
"A blunt weapon needs substantial weight to deliver a proper impact!"
"Explain further!"
"The head of the mace must be heavy to crush an enemy! If they weigh the same, wouldn't it be better to just use a longsword as a blunt instrument?"
"No, that is not how it works."
Before the student could even finish, Brika raised the longsword and drove it into a wooden training dummy. The blade became wedged deep in the wood.
"The weight is the same. But their destructive power is entirely different!"
Brika then picked up the mace and swung it at the dummy.
CRACK! The wooden dummy shattered into splinters.
"Huh?"
"Did you see that?"
"Y-you're just lying about them weighing the same, aren't you?!"
"Do you want me to bring out a scale right now?!"
"Then what on earth makes their destructive power so different if they weigh the same?"
"That is..."
Brika grew even more triumphant at the follow-up question.
"Shape."
"It is because of... Wait, hey!"
But the one who cut Brika off and threw out the answer first was—
"Hey! Don't steal my lines!"
Selene, who was yawning beside her.
"Bored."
"S-shape? Could you explain that in more detail?"
"By shape, she means..."
"Length is different."
Selene cut Brika off once more to continue her explanation.
"Hey! Let me look cool and explain for once—"
"Length is different. So even with same weight, destructive power differs."
"Pardon?"
"Longsword. Long. Mace. Short. Longsword is long, so blade is thin. Weight of blade is distributed, so destructive power is weak."
"No way..."
"Mace is short. So weight concentrates in one place... the head. Therefore..."
"Therefore, the destructive power becomes far stronger! Haha! I got to deliver the final conclusion!"
Having her words stolen by Brika this time, Selene stared at her blankly.
Not backing down, Brika glared back, creating a tense standoff between them.
"B-but..."
Still unable to resolve his confusion,
"Then wouldn't it always be better to use the mace since it has more destructive power?"
the student muttered his final question.
"Mace. Range. Disadvantageous."
"The mace is short, so its range is terrible, you idiot!"
Without yielding to each other, they spat out the answers almost simultaneously.
"Ah..."
"..."
"..."
"T-that is all for my questions."
The student wanted to ask, 'Then what is the difference between a rapier and a longsword?' but held his tongue.
Brika's voice had been growing progressively louder, and his ears were beginning to ring.
"Tsk! Well done, kid!"
(Tilts head)
"To think you avoided my trick question so easily!"
Brika turned her head, looking at Selene with a mixture of pride and admiration.
"However!"
Shring.
"Ultimately, swordsmanship is about real combat! Now that I know you understand the basics, show me your practical skills!"
With a slightly softened smile, Brika drew her sword.
"Come at me! If you have the ability to teach, then defeat me!"
She pointed her blade at Selene, her expression brimming with anticipation.
"Let real combat prove it! Whether you are truly worthy of this place!"