37. Acquaintances
37. Acquaintances
"I guess you could call it the political climate these days. It's better than it used to be. Ten years ago, things were pretty busy. Even inside the Academy, well...."
"That's fascinating...."
"Of course, it's much better to live like we do now. It's so peaceful compared to the past that it's almost strange."
I continued the conversation while eating with Noah.
Old stories—the kind of things that only happened back when I was attending the Academy.
"Hmm.... Who are the celebrities at the Academy these days?"
"Celebrities?"
"Yeah, celebrities. You know, students from super high-ranking families or those really impressive types. Like, you know, someone like Katrina?"
"Ah.... I think I know what you mean. Aside from Katrina... I guess you could say they're popular. There are a few people like that. I don't really know them, though."
"Hmm...."
"But I don't think there's anyone... like, royalty, or anything?"
"Is that so? Then I guess Katrina is the most famous one."
Even though I run a business inside the Academy, aside from that, I wasn't really interested in the Academy.
I wasn't a student attending it like before, and as long as my goods sold well according to the semester or the changing seasons, that was enough for me.
"Geez, anyway. Is it good?"
"Yes, it's delicious. I wanted to treat you...."
"What are you talking about? It's fine. Eat more. Don't just eat a little and then collapse while training under that old geezer instructor."
"...Yes."
An instructor, huh.
By the way, I've heard quite a lot about Noah's instructor.
I've definitely heard a lot, but I don't actually know exactly what kind of person they are.
Of course, I wasn't that interested, but... since the topic came up....
"Noah, what kind of person is your instructor?"
"My instructor?"
"Yeah, the person among the Academy teachers who teaches you Swordsmanship."
"Ah.... my instructor...."
I got a little curious.
Since around the final exams, I'd definitely heard a lot of stories about Noah's instructor, but I didn't really know what kind of person they were.
Just... someone who makes them train like hell.
Some stuck-up old geezer, maybe...?
I just thought they were like those jerks from the Swordsmanship Department back when I attended the Academy.
Those types who are crazily obsessed with effort, training, and passion, grinding their bodies down every single day.
That was the image I had, but I didn't know what they were actually like.
After all, what I'd heard from Noah was...
"...Now that I think about it. It was your instructor who gave you that scar on your back, right?"
"Ahaha...."
"What kind of person are they?"
"Hmm... they're a good person. They teach really diligently even to commoner students, and they teach Swordsmanship well, too. They help me when I hit a wall in my growth, and sometimes they point out incorrect postures."
"Hmm.... I guess they're not entirely a bad person."
Everyone has good points and bad points.
From that perspective, they wouldn't be a completely bad person.
To begin with, they were a professor at the Academy, and like Noah said, someone who teaches Swordsmanship... to commoners?
And a high-level expert who teaches them directly, one-on-one?
That rarely happened.
Because that's their livelihood.
Even if you teach at the Academy, your own Swordsmanship and the Swordsmanship you teach generally are different things.
Thinking about it in that regard, you couldn't just dismiss them as a bad-tempered old geezer.
I had to admit that much.
Generally, those old geezers in the Swordsmanship Department or the incredible swordsmen are actually... the types who raise their disciples like that, and when they reach a great level later, they're the ones who enjoy fighting them, right?
"Yes, and personally, I think they use the coolest Swordsmanship among all the swordsmen I've seen so far."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
"Yes, the movements are clearly close to the basics. But when they do it, the sword path is incredibly complex and hard to read. I hope to reach that level someday, too."
They grind their disciples down like crazy, but at the same time, they're skilled enough for such a disciple to respect them.
Well.
When I heard all this, I didn't immediately think they were a bad person.
If anything, I predicted they were a better person than I thought.
I thought, 'So there are good teachers like that at the Academy, too.'
"I thought the Academy was full of nothing but old geezers. That's a good instructor."
"Uh... they're not particularly old."
"Huh?"
"Actually, they're quite young. Younger than you, Noona."
"...Huh?"
I was surprised by the sudden, baffling statement.
I mean, I hadn't expected them to be young, right?
Why would someone working as an instructor at the Academy be young?
Plus, from what I'd heard, they definitely had that old-fogey vibe, being quite obsessed with the theory of passion.
"Young?"
"Yes. Maybe... were they twenty-three this year?"
"...What?"
"Or maybe not. I wasn't really interested in my instructor's age, so I'm confused. Anyway, they're not an old person like that."
"...Huh. That's impressive."
I wasn't saying it in a weird way; I was saying it because it was genuinely impressive.
It makes sense, since they're someone working as an instructor at the Academy at twenty-three.
Of course it was impressive.
Seriously, to reach that level... you'd need skill, luck, and someone backing you up.
And to be a Swordsmanship instructor at the Academy, at that.
"That's incredible. They probably attended the Academy, and after graduating... at twenty... they became that in just about two to three years."
Even a rough estimate showed it was an impressive career.
It was almost fascinating.
Back when I was an Adventurer, I hadn't met many swordsmen that skilled in their early twenties.
"I understand now why you keep learning from your instructor even though they make it so hard for you. If they're at that level, it's definitely worth learning from them."
"That's right. Although... it is a bit tough."
"Learning from such an incredible swordsman is a rare opportunity. You should be grateful and learn from them instead."
I had given them a poor evaluation before, but now I had no choice but to say this.
Actually, doing so would help in the future.
It wasn't just anyone; someone overflowing with that much talent and skill was teaching Swordsmanship to a commoner student.
Isn't that an incredibly good person?
I thought they were a genuinely decent person, not just some 'noblesse oblige' type.
"Is there anything else besides that?"
"Hmm...."
"I don't know much about Swordsmanship, though. Well, tell me anything. I usually only hear about your friends, so hearing this is quite refreshing."
It was a story I didn't usually get to hear.
Just like how I, for some reason, told my old stories.
Noah was telling me things like that, too.
"Ah, I heard they're the youngest female Sword Master."
"...Wait a second."
"Yes?"
"The youngest... what?"
"Sword Master."
"......."
"Why are you acting like that?"
I was a bit flustered by Noah's follow-up explanation.
Because it was a familiar term.
Because it sounded like a woman I had definitely heard of...?
"The youngest... black hair... is she a broad with yellow eyes?"
"...Uh, yes? Since her features and colors are similar to mine, right?"
"......."
It wasn't that she didn't come to mind at all.
But I hadn't thought she would be working at the Academy.
Besides, she wasn't exactly a common woman to begin with.
Naturally, I couldn't have predicted it.
No, is she really working at the Academy?
And teaching kids, at that?
"...By any chance, does your instructor usually walk around wearing sleeveless clothes?"
"...When doing Swordsmanship lessons, she says she hates having anything uncomfortable on her shoulders or arms, so she always does, right?"
"...Is it Morgan?"
"Do you know our instructor?"
"......."
Fuck.
For a moment, my worry about Noah had disappeared, but in an instant, that worry increased.
"......."
"Noona?"
It wasn't just any woman, but her as his instructor?
My worry increased beyond imagination.
And for good reason....
"...It's nothing."
There were many worrying aspects, but anyway.
She had become a woman who teaches students at the Academy, and several years had passed now.
I thought she wouldn't do anything stupid.
It also felt wrong for me to say too much to Noah.
I thought it would be better not to unnecessarily increase his distrust of his instructor.
...Not that I wasn't worried.
"Hmm.... Yeah, Morgan. She's a broad who sure knows how to wield a sword."
"Right?"
"Yeah, I have no disagreement on that part."
If you look at it solely from the aspect of Swordsmanship, there weren't many skilled people that decent.
Like Noah said, the youngest Sword Master.
She was a woman who reached that level at twenty, the moment she graduated from the Academy.
"By the way, I didn't know you knew our instructor, Noona."
"Why wouldn't I? We worked together a few years ago."
"Really?"
"...Something like that happened. It's nothing special."
"...Is that so?"
"Yeah. Hmm."
...Should I go visit her?
Anyway, since we're acquaintances, it might be good to meet her once.
But it's obvious it'll be annoying when we meet.
It's weird for me to say this while I still have my male ego remaining, but that Morgan broad is truly strange.
She was a strange woman in a different way than Vivian.
Things might be different now compared to then... but I didn't have high expectations.
Vivian was interested in other things like romance while doing business or her own work.
But in Morgan's case... she was a broad who focused 130%, not 100%, only on the sword.
Even when doing quests, she was always... a bit strange somewhere.
Aside from the fact that she became a Sword Master, I knew she was quite self-centered.
So, feeling a bit flustered at the news that she was Noah's instructor... was only natural.