Let's Correct Those Bad Habits
Brika spat out a string of exasperated groans.
“What?”
“You ridiculous idiot.”
“What—what’s this all of a sudden…”
“How the hell did someone like you become the Empire’s Sword?”
“What?”
Brika kept venting. “No, wait. Is this actually even crazier?”
“Instructor Brika. Please explain what you—”
“Haa… I didn’t realize it when you took the title of the Empire’s Sword from me. Back then I was only thinking about winning. I didn’t give a damn about anyone else’s habits.”
“Habits?”
“Leonia! Draw your sword!”
“What?”
Without giving her a moment’s rest, Brika charged. Leonia moved on pure reflex and countered.
“See? Look at that.”
“What—what is it?”
“This crazy bitch. She’s completely insane.”
“Why do you keep swearing at me out of nowhere?”
“You idiot. Who closes their eyes in the middle of a duel?”
“What?”
At the accusation, Leonia exploded. “Closing my eyes?! Who would make such a beginner mistake?!”
“You! You! The Empire’s Sword just blocked my attack with her eyes shut!”
“What?”
Leonia turned away in disbelief. She looked at Selene, pleading for support.
But Selene simply said, “Yeah. You closed them.”
“What?”
“Leonia. Keep your eyes closed.”
“Damn it. When we dueled I only saw your sword and some of your movements, so I didn’t notice. Now that I’m in the position of teaching, I see it. All these ridiculous things are plain as day!”
Brika swung her blade again.
“Get that hand out of there, you bitch!”
“What?”
“Why are your fingers twitching like that?”
“When did I—”
Crack!
“Pull your leg back!”
“Which leg?”
“Your useless, flailing left leg!”
Brika kept forcing different stances and pointing out every flaw one by one. Yet no matter how many bad habits she identified—
“God damn it!”
—she still couldn’t overwhelm Leonia.
“How the hell can I not beat someone with these stupid, brain-dead habits?!”
“What are you saying?”
“You crazy woman! How do you have all these pointless, useless little tics and still not leave a single opening?! How are you blocking every attack with your eyes closed?! How are you counterattacking from there?!”
Brika was practically foaming at the mouth, unable to hide her fury.
“Fuck! The Empire’s Sword is still raw ore! A piece of raw ore walking around with the label of strongest!”
But that anger was really directed at herself.
“Haa… I feel it. I feel the wall!”
Brika turned to Selene with blazing eyes. “Did you know from the start?”
Selene nodded.
“Since when?”
“From our first fight.”
“You’re a monster too.”
Selene tilted her head in confusion.
“So how many?”
“How many what?”
Brika finally let out a resigned sigh. “How many habits does this idiot need to fix?”
At the question, even Leonia swallowed hard and looked at Selene.
“Twelve.”
“Haa…”
A short sigh, and the three of them fell into heavy silence.
“Oh dear gods…”
“T-twelve? I have that many bad habits?”
Selene nodded.
“What… what exactly are they? These habits…”
“They are…”
When Selene opened her mouth, a detailed list of all twelve habits poured out. Every single one, described with painful precision.
“I… I was at such a pathetic level?”
“And yet with that pathetic level you still climbed to the seat of the strongest! Don’t you dare act surprised!”
Furious, Brika raised her hand to deliver a sharp knuckle to the forehead.
Thwack!
“Ouch?!”
But Leonia’s arm blocked it perfectly.
“This kid? She blocked that too? Without even looking?”
“Then what exactly have I been doing?”
“What?”
“With all the habits Professor Selene just listed, how have I been winning? Did I unconsciously use demonic sword arts?”
“No. That’s impossible. The sealing magic is still on you. And if you had, I would have noticed long ago.”
“Then…?”
Brika let out a long, heavy sigh. “It’s a common symptom among those who never received proper formal training.”
“Formal training?”
“You know how it is with magic, right? There are academy students who received early education and ended up with problems because of it.”
“Mm… I’m aware.”
“Noble young masters usually study theology and such before entering the academy, yes?”
“Philosophy, mathematics, history, and theology.”
“Exactly. They don’t learn magic there.”
“Magic is only taught at the academy… usually at the university level.”
“Right. And swordsmanship is even more so. In a world where magic solves everything, swordsmanship is just an optional liberal art. It’s stylish, so nobles like it. If you’re good, they treat you well—like they do with you.
At best, it gets special treatment when mixed with demonic sword arts. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Leonia fell silent for a moment, thinking.
“There are many nobles who show talent early and give their children advanced lessons in magic.”
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
“Then the swordsmanship I learned… was that also advanced learning?”
“Of course it’s better to start swordsmanship early. I don’t know about magic.”
“Then…”
“But even advanced learning only works properly when you receive ‘formal education.’”
Brika drew her sword in a clean arc and settled into a perfect stance.
“Formal education?”
“I’ll use the term here to mean proper, correct training. Not the sloppy basics taught by half-assed instructors, but learning accurately from a real master.”
“Then what I received…?”
Brika lowered her sword again and looked at Leonia seriously. “Have you ever wandered the battlefields and received sword training from real warriors?”
“No.”
“Of course not. Where would a precious noble heir find time for that?”
“That means…”
“Exactly.” Brika pointed at her. “You’ve never received any formal education. True swordsmanship is learned by those who’ve seen the battlefield firsthand, who then study the theory. Only after understanding the field can you truly complete your swordsmanship.”
Leonia stared at her own hands, visibly shaken.
“Then even this ability… even my swordsmanship is fake?”
“What the hell kind of nonsense is that?!”
This time the knuckle found its mark.
“Ow!”
“Leonia.” Selene stepped closer. “Strong. Leonia. Among humans. Swordsmanship. Strongest.”
“Me?”
“If you refine it more… you can become even stronger.”
“She’s right, Leonia.”
“Even stronger…”
“Right now you’re the strongest in swordsmanship among humans. But.” Selene took Leonia’s hand and wrapped it around the hilt of her sword. “If you work harder, no human will be able to follow you. The strongest in swordsmanship.”
Leonia looked at Selene with trembling eyes. “Then… Professor Selene…”
Selene tilted her head.
“Could I… ever defeat you?”
But Selene didn’t sugarcoat it. “No.”
Leonia fell silent.
“There are two monsters here.”
“No. Leonia is not a monster.”
“Haha! This is ridiculous…”
Brika drew her sword again with a metallic ring. She leveled it at Leonia.
“What are you planning?”
“What else? We’re getting rid of them.”
“Of what?”
“Those absurd habits of yours. That’s why Selene brought you here.”
Selene nodded.
“But… the swordsmanship tournament is only a few days away.”
“So?”
“Even if I fix all my habits in that time, what’s the point?”
“Point?”
“I’m going to lose to Professor Selene anyway…”
“This kid is getting on my nerves! Earlier you were going on about your father!”
“But… if there’s no way to protect the title of the Empire’s Sword, then there’s no meaning in—”
Brika grabbed Leonia by the collar.
“Brika.”
“Shh! You stay out of this, Selene. You’re too soft on the kid. In my day we learned by getting the shit beaten out of us.”
Leonia stayed quiet.
“Hey, Leonia. Listen well.” Brika didn’t hide her anger. “Do you know how fucking awful I felt after losing to you?”
“You must have resented me.”
“Yes! Still, swordsmanship is the only thing we magic rejects have to compete with nobles. And you took that from me. Fair and square!”
Leonia remained silent.
“Even so, I have no regrets.”
“What do you mean?”
“I worked my ass off, you know?” Brika smiled as if recalling old memories. “I ran until I collapsed, threw up, trained like a madwoman. Both before losing to you and after.”
“After… losing?”
“That’s right! Even after losing, I swore I’d win next time! Even though I knew it was impossible, I still trained like hell!”
“What meaning does that have?”
“Of course it has meaning! If I say it has meaning, then it damn well does! At the very least, you should do everything you possibly can before losing so you have no regrets!”
Selene gently separated the two. “Meaning… that is something Leonia must decide.”
She looked at her student. “Leonia. I don’t want you to lose on purpose. If you want to do it that way, I will let you.”
“But…”
“After that, do whatever you want.”
“I…”
“Whatever you choose. I will cheer for you.”
“Cheer for me?”
“Leonia is…” Selene quietly pulled her into a hug. “Leonia. My student.”
Leonia stayed silent.
“Students are precious. When my nest from five thousand years ago disappeared, when my belongings were destroyed, I was sad. If I lose my student, I will be sad too. Because you are my student.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Because you are my student. I will cheer for you. Mona said so. A student is a teacher’s responsibility. I will cherish you. Because you are mine.”
“…Professor.”
Leonia stared at Selene and her own sword with a complicated expression.
“I have no idea what you’re saying… but I guess we’re good?”
Brika picked up her sword again. “I’ll beat those habits out of you until you’re half-dead, so prepare yourself.”
Leonia quietly raised her own blade in response.
“Understood. I’ll be in your care.”
For the next several hours the two of them continued their brutal training. Selene occasionally offered advice from the side.
“Investigator Brika!”
The training was interrupted by a member of the security force.
“Hm?”
“Goodness, what are you doing here so late at night?”
“What? I don’t have any work today.”
“This isn’t the time for that!”
“What?”
The guard whispered something in Brika’s ear. Her expression changed instantly.
“Hey.” Brika looked at Selene and Leonia. “Want to come with me once?”
“Hm? What’s going on?”
With a deadly serious face, Brika dragged the two into her work.
“Another murder has occurred.”
“What?”
“Another security officer has been killed.”