New Semester (2)
So how had Yushin been living in the Liberia Elf Kingdom up until now? That was what Allen wanted to know. She busily observed him.
It had been a fortnight since Yushin became a slave in the elf kingdom. Meaning, a fortnight had passed since he'd been hauled to Pamplona as a war prisoner and bought by Ardena.
Allen had worried that maybe he'd suffered some awful treatment at the hands of those wicked elves, but he was living so abundantly it embarrassed her concern.
“Haaah!!”
Alonne let out a mighty shout and swung her real sword at Yushin. It was a sharp slash—fierce for a beginner—but to Allen's eyes, it was yawn-inducingly slow.
Why the hell is he even teaching her? She's got decent talent, sure, but she's not at a level that needs Yushin stepping in. Even after learning Sir Heinkel's mana breathing technique, if that's all she's got, it'll just tarnish his reputation.
Allen had heard the full story from Yushin. That high elf whose name she hated uttering—Ardena—had bought him as a slave because she needed a swordsmanship instructor for her little sister. Unlike other elves, this pint-sized high elf couldn't sense mana through her skin. A so-called defective product. A congenital flaw.
The idea of teaching her human mana breathing instead of elven methods was brilliant in itself, but how much she'd grow remained to be seen.
“Hup! Haaah! Haaaaap!!”
Alonne swung her sword in rapid succession. Sweat beaded and trickled down with every rough motion. She was so immersed in her swordplay it wasn't an exaggeration to call it a trance. Her eyes locked on her opponent, her body wholly devoted to swinging the blade. And with each swing, Alonne grew a little faster.
I just don't get why he's wasting his precious time on a brat like that. Money or no money, he could've said no easy. Damn it, Yushin's such a busybody. W-well, that same personality got him to teach me too...
Allen muttered to herself. She'd been dozing off while watching Yushin, but now she focused on Alonne's swings.
Alonne was a genius with both potential and effort. But that alone wouldn't cut it. Sparring honed experience, sure, but real experience demanded the blood-and-rot stench of the battlefield.
“Short break.”
The moment Yushin spoke, Alonne tossed her sword aside and collapsed onto the ground. Her fragile focus shattered. Only then did she feel her muscles screaming in protest. She panted raggedly, wiping away the sweat pouring down like rain with both arms. Sweat-soaked golden blonde hair clung to her sweat-drenched clothes. At first, she'd been embarrassed to show Yushin her disheveled state, but now she acted like it was nothing.
“I-I'm... gonna die...”
“Everyone says that.”
Yushin glanced at Allen as he replied to Alonne's muscle-cramp whimper. Allen clicked her tongue. She bristled at Yushin's gaze lumping her and this high elf chick together. That fledgling and I are worlds apart! She'd been a powerhouse in the kingdom with few rivals when she first met Yushin—unlike Alonne, who was barely past crawling and learning to run.
“But what's that? New sword.”
Alonne pointed at the Lightning Sword Karus hanging at Yushin's waist.
“When you're appointed to the Kingdom's Seven Swords, you inherit the royal sword from your predecessor. Got this from mine when I joined up.”
“So it's hand-me-downs.”
“Pretty much.”
Alonne was entering her final semester before graduation exams. The new semester had finally arrived. Most students looked forward to it—new term, new class, new classmates. The popular kids were probably already buddying up on day one. Of course, Alonne was light-years from that crowd—an utter outcast.
“New semester with no break? They work you hard.”
“We had break.”
“Break? Didn't you just go to the academy for 'vacation crash course' classes?”
Alonne explained that her visits so far had been for holiday intensives. Seniors prepping for graduation exams had classes even during breaks. No different from Korea, really. With family prestige and future prospects riding on academy graduation, throwing everything into exams was only natural.
“School? Graduation?”
Allen, knowing little of Valencia family affairs, was clueless about graduation exams or Alonne attending the elite high elf-only Bria Academy.
Yushin decided to explain later. Helping Alonne pass her exams was priority now.
“Academy? No clue. Never went.”
Allen shook her head. Yushin replied with pity.
“If you'd gone, you'd have made friends. School teaches more than just studies.”
“You went to school, right bro? Lotsa friends at the academy?”
“...”
Allen asked. Yushin turned away.
“Alright, back to sparring.”
“Master's dodging by working me to death...”
Despite grumbling that Yushin handled her too roughly for a high elf, Alonne hauled her heavy butt up, snatched her discarded sword, and pointed it at him. Sparring resumed.
Alonne swung again. A faint blue glow emanated from the blade. Mana Blade. Barely there, flickering only during swings, but the aura was unmistakable.
Crack.
A hairline fracture appeared on Yushin's wooden practice sword. Continuous blocks against Mana Blade attacks had worn its durability to nothing.
This bokken... Chinese knockoff or what?
Yushin glanced at his sword, dousing his second disciple's rapid progress with cold water.
Liana Linehold. At twenty-nine, she was a rookie warrior captain.
She'd crossed paths briefly with Yushin. Liana Linehold—the elf warrior captain who'd surveilled him in Laseu.
After safely evacuating the delegation and Urhel villagers down the mountains, her merits earned her a posting as swordsmanship instructor at Bria Academy.
Bria Academy! The legendary school for high elf nobility! They say even the instructors are top-tier masters, and now I'm one of them! They must've recognized my skills from above! Mom, your daughter's finally made it!
Liana hummed cheerfully, slipping into her black leather jacket from the closet—her go-to outfit. Elves favored free attire, so no one batted an eye at leather jackets for academy.
“That's our girl!”
“You, teaching at Bria Academy?!”
“Students count too. Seduce one, and your life's set!”
Family and friends celebrated wildly. Nothing more honorable than Bria instructor status. True to its prestige as the elf kingdom's top academy, pay was insane. Liana planned to milk it for all it was worth.
Warrior captain or not, I'm just an elf. Not like senior Ardena the high elf. With high elves monopolizing politics and business, elves have few paths to success here.
She'd vowed in the mirror: Climb as high as possible despite being born elf. Unlike defeated losers despairing over status limits, she burned with near-obsessive ambition. That's how she'd clawed to warrior captain—and she wasn't stopping there.
“Greetings! I'm Liana Linehold, newly assigned swordsmanship instructor at Bria Academy. Honored to hold the 11th warrior captain seat.”
First class. Greeting students brightly upon arrival, but reactions sucked.
“Self-study okay?”
“11th? That's low.”
Students bailed en masse. High elf brats cited private tutors from home. Then Liana got it—the pitying stares from other instructors on her first day. These spoiled high elf kids had zero manners. They disdained her as elf despite her rank.
“What, you're the new teacher?”
Yushin poked his head in. He'd heard about the poor elf on debut and came to gawk. Liana's predecessor was Leonard, a sword instructor he'd known. Curiosity about the replacement brought him.
Never dreamed it'd be his Laseu stalker.
“Yushin Gilliard! Why's a lowly human scum in this academy?!”
“'Cause I'm Valencia property.”
“Trailing Lady Alonne Valencia, Ardena-senior's sister?”
“Servant credentials got me in.”
“I... see...”
Liana nodded. The human intruder was legit.
“Students though? Tradition to ghost new teachers among high elves?”
“Kuh!!”
“Tough for good eval scores like this. Looks like temp staff too.”
“Even at the bottom, I'm a full elf kingdom warrior captain!”
Liana was dispatched as 'special instructor'—temp gig. Her plan to leech comfy academy pay suddenly shaky.
“Got a student I want you to teach.”
“Student...?”
“The lady I'm handling. Alonne Valencia. Your 'senior' Ardena's sister, as you know. I'm clueless on elf sword styles, hitting limits.”
Yushin scratched his head. Guide Valencia lady? Liana feigned hesitation, delaying. Truth: She couldn't be picky. Students vanished day one. Desperate for evals, even one student was a blessing.
Elf Kingdom Warrior Captain (11th Seat)
Luck:E-Rank
Born with misfortune so bad, falling backward breaks her nose.