The Human Who Wants to Be Sold Off (1)
Yushin was able to join the students' classes thanks to Ardena putting in a word with the academy. Every lesson from the teachers—except one part-timer—was so top-notch it stuck in his ears like glue. It was no wonder they called it the premier academy of the Elf Kingdom.
"Our elves fled human persecution and crossed to the Liberia Peninsula. Tens of thousands of elves, escaping oppression on the continent, gathered at Zaragoza after crossing the Akiteon Mountains. Scholars call this the Zaragoza Great Migration. Our ancestors who migrated to the peninsula waged a fierce war lasting decades against the native Demon King Army forces and finally claimed the Liberia Peninsula, founding the Elf Kingdom."
An elderly elf man, his face so wrinkled it was hard to guess his age, glared with his bleary eyes as he spoke. It was a mental and history lesson designed to instill patriotism and pride.
Yushin, deeply interested in the Elf Kingdom's history and current affairs, listened intently. But the other students, having heard it all multiple times before, were sprawled over their desks sleeping or nodding off. A sleep gas had swept through the classroom, leaving it a total wasteland with not a single student properly awake.
"Kuu... kuuuu..."
Alonne let out bizarre snoring sounds as her head bobbed. Her wandering head finally settled on Yushin's shoulder. Whether because a master's shoulder made the perfect pillow, she passed out cold right there.
"Teacher, our ancestors back then were slaves to the humans. Shackled with handcuffs and leg irons. So how could tens of thousands make it safely to the Liberia Peninsula, escaping human persecution and abuse? Logically, that part doesn't make sense."
Leticia Santander, the sole survivor amid the sleep gas victims, raised her hand and asked. The elderly teacher answered her. History class was practically a private session between the teacher and Leticia—no exaggeration. The other students never intruded on their territory. They were all lost in dreamland anyway.
They'd spent half the day swinging swords single-mindedly, determined to pass the graduation exam, so collapsing from exhaustion was only natural. Knowing that, Yushin didn't wake Alonne, who was drooling on his shoulder.
"Uu, uuung..."
He poked her cheek. It was as soft as silk. Hard to believe she'd been training under the blazing sun—her skin was like flawless white jade. Elves indeed. Known as the race of beauty, elves boasted stunning looks from birth. Especially the women; ugliness was a rarity among them. Sure, they had their own standards of beauty and ugliness, but to Yushin's eyes, every elf woman was an outstanding beauty or cutie.
"Heehee, that tickles..."
He kept poking her cheek. Alonne reflexively raised a hand and scratched at it. She was deep in sleep. No surprise, after all the forced marches lately. The drool trickling from her mouth was annoying, but he endured it.
"The vast realms known as the demon world are ruled by archdukes whom we elves and humans call Demon Kings. There are six in total. These six Demon Kings seized over half the continent's territory."
At some point, the lecture had shifted to the demon world and the beings called Demon Kings. Leticia's eyes sparkled. The terrifying notoriety of the six Demon Kings ruling the demon world was more than enough to pique her curiosity.
The Demon Kings' alliance, collectively known as the Demon King Army. Having absorbed the southern continent, northern plains, and even the ancient lands once held by the Holy Empire, the Demon King Army controlled territory vaster than all human nations combined. Knowing their terror firsthand—and having experienced it—Yushin found the name distasteful.
"Then... is it impossible to beat the Demon King Army?"
Leticia asked. The Demon King Army occupying the southern Liberia Peninsula had its sights on the Elf Kingdom. Her anxiety was understandable. The fools snoring away without a care right now were the real udon filling. The Demon King Army eyed the Elf Kingdom's capital, Maherith, with unbridled ambition. Without the sacrifices of the Twelve Warrior Captains, the knight orders, and the rangers, the Elf Kingdom might have fallen long ago.
"Don't worry, Miss Santander. Demon Kings are not invincible. They bleed and wound like mortals. In the war between the human alliance led by the Holy Empire as its hegemon and the Demon King Army, one of the six Demon Kings fell."
One of the six Demon Kings had died. The history teacher emphasized it as a highly encouraging turning point. A major shift had hit the front lines, where they'd been pushed back relentlessly. If the elves held the Liberia Peninsula and humans repelled the Demon King Army's repeated western advances, they could smash the Demon King Army, he hinted with optimism.
"That one who died back then was the Tyranny Demon King, Agares, right?"
Yushin asked. The teacher nodded.
"Human, you know your stuff."
"I served on that front."
"Valua Kingdom is quite far from Demon King Army territory..."
"I fought them as part of the reinforcements dispatched at the Holy Empire's request. I still remember it vividly. Battling countless demons and monsters."
The teacher's eyes widened at Yushin's words, as did Leticia's—she'd been listening raptly. The demon world front, known as the fiercest battlefield. Local skirmishes between the Holy Empire—liege to human nations—and the Demon King Army claimed thousands of lives daily, earning its brutal reputation.
Yushin opened up, sharing his frontline experiences as someone who'd been there.
* * *
For academy students, history lectures were prime naptime. The class ended. That meant resuming hellish training.
The students trudged after the instructor, griping like recruits fresh from indoctrination, their steps heavy. Muscles screamed in agony, bodies felt like lead, but failing the graduation exam meant dismemberment by their parents—no choice but to drag themselves along.
"What was that long chat about? Never seen that old geezer look so interested."
"Watch your mouth with elders. Wanna die right now?"
"Learned it from Master."
"Don't sass your elders."
"Th-the age gap isn't that big!"
The academy had provided a private training ground. Thanks to sword instructor Liana Linehold personally intervening for Alonne. If Yushin had asked, she'd have nitpicked and settled old scores from past humiliations, but since it was a request from Alonne—the only student in her classes—Liana permitted access to the instructors' exclusive training ground.
"She seemed super wary of Sis."
"I'd be too. Ardena's been a warrior captain for 300 years, right? Liana's a fresh newbie. How huge is the seniority gap?"
He couldn't know exactly, but it felt like an insurmountable master-apprentice divide. Thanks to that, they had a private training ground. No mixing with academy students squabbling over slots.
Leticia would arrive soon. Yushin planned to teach Alonne and Leticia together. With results showing, they could shift from intense spars to focusing solely on maintaining Mana Blade.
"Hello, Teacher."
Leticia arrived, changed into training clothes. She greeted Yushin as she approached, exchanging glances with Alonne. They'd grown fond despite the rivalry, but friendly hellos were still a stretch. Their bickering tone masked an honest bond.
"You can't call yourself a knight until you wield Mana Blade like a limb. You have to maintain it anytime, anywhere."
Yushin drew his sword. He let the training blade at his waist drop, manifesting Mana Blade along the edge. A brilliant blue glow shimmered radiantly. Alonne and Leticia gasped at the sharply defined sword aura. Its perfection screamed sharpness and keenness even to the eye.
"Cool, huh? Watch closely. You need sword aura to brag about swinging a sword anywhere. Without it, you'll get ignored everywhere."
Alonne and Leticia responded.
"It's not like we're learning it to show off."
"I heard sword aura mirrors the swordsman's heart. But Teacher, your pure aura clashes with your impure mind."
Just a joke, and his two disciples' sharp tongues left Yushin speechless. But inspired by his sword aura, Alonne and Leticia drew their swords and began forming Mana Blades.
Leticia shaped hers effortlessly. Not quite Yushin's level, but top-tier among academy students in purity.
Alonne, who'd barely managed it mid-swing before, now formed it freely at will.
Right, the one gripping southern Liberia Peninsula from Granata was the Raging Flames Demon King. A Demon King in title—no pushover.
As the two trained their auras, Yushin recalled his chat with the history teacher, pondering the threat to the elves.
The Raging Flames Demon King. Archdemon of fire and scorching heat. Exiled with his cronies to the southern continent after elves seized the Liberia Peninsula. To reclaim his lost land, he'd launched war, landing with tens of thousands of troops, using ports as bases for total war against the elves.
"Master."
"Yeah? What?"
"Isn't it noisy outside?"
Alonne said. Leticia had heard it too, pausing her sword. Lost in thought, Yushin hadn't noticed the racket.
He headed out to check. Outside the training ground, students were quarreling. On the verge of fists flying, the mood was tense and hostile.
"Get lost! This is my training ground!"
"Who're you telling? Back off now, and I won't tell Father!"
About five students, late and missing their slot reservation. Seeing the training ground empty—Alonne and Leticia's—they were fighting over it.
Spotting Yushin peering out, they froze.
The punks who bullied Alonne? Explains why they look familiar.
He'd once beaten seventeen high elf attendants in front of these brats, hanging them from trees. The incident remained infamous terror among students.
"A human?"
"Black-haired human. Ah, that human..."
Trident Company instructors watching the pathetic scene reacted, murmuring among themselves with interest in the black-haired human.