The End of the Recess
The class suspension had finally ended. The tea party Mikaris planned had wrapped up successfully. Furthermore, my relationships with the ladies had been neatly sorted out—though Line still seemed somewhat dissatisfied. Ariel Royce, on the other hand, looked ready to grind her teeth to dust as she plotted her revenge. Well, I doubted anything major would happen. No matter how powerful the House of Royce was, what could they possibly achieve on their own against four great families?
With that minor yet sharp incident behind us, the academy's suspension of classes came to an end, and we gathered in the grand auditorium. Up on the stage, Apel Cloud was delivering his inaugural address as the new principal.
"It is an absolute honor to serve as the principal of Estrada Academy, the finest institution in the Empire. Looking toward our future..."
I had expected a somewhat different, more dynamic speech from someone as relatively young as Apel Cloud, but I was dead wrong. His exceptionally soothing, monotonous voice was a potent sedative. If an insomniac were to listen to this, they would be instantly cured.
As I sat there nodding off, drifting in and out of consciousness, the speech finally drew to a close.
"With this, I conclude my inauguration ceremony. Thank you."
Apel Cloud's lullaby had finally ended. I blinked my eyes open and looked around to see the other students filing out of the grand auditorium in an orderly fashion. I hurriedly stood up to make my exit as well. Just then, someone approached me.
"It is good to see your face after all this time, Hero Sir Johannes."
"It is Count Johannes now. It has been a while."
It was Lutera Edelian. He offered a bright smile and extended his hand for a handshake.
"Haha, quite right. Count Johannes. Tell me, is there some sort of magic cast upon your career path? Rising through the ranks this quickly is the sort of thing one only reads about in history books."
"Perhaps I am simply writing a new page of history myself."
"Indeed. I am truly proud of you, the youngest Sword Saint and the sword that represents our Empire."
Why are you proud of my success? What is wrong with this guy?
"But tell me, what brings Young Lord Edelian to see me?"
"Call me Young Lord Lutera. 'Young Lord Edelian' sounds far too distant for the two of us, does it not?"
What is with him? Lately, the male leads in this world are acting incredibly bizarre. First the Crown Prince, and now him. What do you mean, 'between the two of us'? It's giving me goosebumps. It's honestly a bit creepy.
"Ahem. The reason I sought you out is because I have a small favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"Would you care to spar with me? I wish to test my skills against a Sword Saint."
"If that is all, then gladly. My body has been itching for a good workout anyway."
Lutera's face lit up instantly.
"Splendid! Do you have a class right now? I would love to head straight to the training grounds."
"Well, I do have a morning lecture, but it should be fine to skip. I will make sure to tire you out quickly."
"Haha! Your confidence never fails to pierce the heavens. A quick spar should be over in no time. Come, let us go."
With that, Lutera and I made our way to the training grounds. Along the way, he brought up an interesting piece of gossip.
"By the way, have you heard the rumors regarding Young Lord Arcadia?"
"Has something happened to Young Lord Arcadia?"
"Well... some rather unsavory rumors are circulating. It seems he proposed to Lady Verdia but was flatly rejected. Apparently, he is not taking it well at all."
Is Winston Arcadia still following the original plot? Lutera has clearly diverged from his original path. What exactly is the correlation here? What kind of influence causes some characters to change while others remain exactly as they were written?
"What do you mean by 'not taking it well'?"
"Well, it is a bit delicate to speak of... but his personality has supposedly done a complete turnabout since then. Because of that, his standing within his own family has plummeted."
As expected. Winston is following the original novel's trajectory. Is it because Lutera and the Crown Prince had significant contact with me that they changed? Since I barely had any interaction with Winston, that hypothesis makes perfect sense.
"Ah, we have arrived at the training grounds. Come, take up a sword. I have been looking forward to this so much I could barely contain myself."
"Understood."
I had a mountain of questions and theories to ponder, but... I decided to fulfill Lutera's request first. I picked up a decent wooden sword lying around the training grounds.
"Shall we go all out? Or would you prefer me to go a bit easy on you?"
"Now, now. Even in training, one must be serious. And have I not always said? A knight must always remain humble. Furthermore, you must keep in mind that you are now a high-ranking noble."
"...I suppose you are right."
For once, Lutera was absolutely correct. I was no longer Hound Egil, the reckless commoner, but Count Johannes. My behavior had to adapt to my new status.
"Then, please, show me what you have."
Hmm... No matter how strong Lutera has gotten, there's no need to use the Flowing Water Sword. I'd like to test out a few of my new techniques, but... I settled for taking a standard stance of the Edelian Swordsmanship.
"Ha! Can you actually use the Edelian Swordsmanship properly now? Before, you were merely mimicking it."
"I learned it just by watching. I figured this would be more beneficial for your training, Young Lord."
"Thank you for the consideration."
Thud! Lutera lunged at me. As always, the Edelian Swordsmanship was fluid, but its patterns were predictable. It felt like an incomplete style. I easily deflected his blade, preparing to execute a counterattack. But then... I realized his swordsmanship was different from the traditional Edelian style. The seamless connection between the sword paths and trajectories—the hallmark of his family's style—remained. However, his attack patterns had shifted. Something was distinctly different.
"Has there been an evolution in the Edelian Swordsmanship?"
"As I focused on my training, its weaknesses became apparent. I decided to introduce a few modifications of my own."
Seeing this firsthand, I realized just how terrifying noble bloodlines could be. Hound's talent was extraordinary, but Lutera's was easily on par with mine. After all, in the original story, Lutera was destined to be the youngest Sword Saint, not me. The only reason I achieved that title was because I compressed five years of training into one, and then bought the Path of the Sword Saint package to secure overwhelming results. On top of that, I had the Realm Ascension Package. If Lutera ever found out about this, he would probably flip a table in outrage over how unfair it was. But what could he do? I was the only one with access to the Special Shop.
After clashing swords with Lutera for quite some time, we paused to catch our breath and strike up a conversation.
"You are definitely different from before. Both in your swordsmanship and your Aura."
"Is that so? I have formed six stars. Surprising, isn't it? Well, though it pales in comparison to you."
"How is that pale? Reaching the 6-Star rank at eighteen is an incredible feat. You could join the First Imperial Knights right this instant without any issue. In fact, you would likely be appointed to a fairly high position."
Lutera let out a small, genuine smile.
"I suppose so. I used to consider you my rival. But I simply cannot keep up with you. What is your current realm?"
"Eight stars."
"Ha! I had my suspicions, but still... Why on earth are you not the principal of this academy instead?"
He can actually crack jokes now? It feels like we're getting closer, which is oddly ticklish.
"To think the Young Lord would crack a joke. That was actually quite amusing."
"Haha, is it? But look at the time. Is it not time for you to head to your lecture?"
"Ah, indeed it is. This was a fun session. Until next time."
"Yes, go on ahead. I shall swing my sword a bit more before I leave."
No longer an obsessive madman, Lutera was now a diligent youth focused entirely on his training. Had I unintentionally rehabilitated him? For some reason, my heart felt a strange, ticklish warmth.
And so, I made my way to the classroom. The lecture I was attending today was Imperial History. Since all the professors specializing in swordsmanship and magic had been summoned to the Imperial Palace, the only available classes were general electives. It was material I didn't particularly need to listen to. Naturally, I turned to strike up a conversation with Mikaris, who was sitting right next to me.
"Mika, how did things wrap up with that incident from before?"
Mikaris kept her eyes on the lecture but quietly responded to my whisper.
"Nothing major. In fact, I received an apology from the head of their house."
"An apology directly from the patriarch?"
"He sent a formal letter apologizing for failing to properly educate his daughter."
At least the head of the House of Royce had a functioning brain. The mineral distribution coming out of the House of Merian was incredibly lucrative, after all. It was a wise decision on his part.
"Did Lady Line have anything to say about it?"
"Hmm, nothing so far. I assume she accepted the outcome to some extent."
There is no way that lady would accept this so easily. Did some other conversation happen behind my back while I wasn't around?
"Anyway, we should focus on the lecture. Midterms are just around the corner."
"Already?"
"Because the Contamination practical was postponed, midterms were moved up. Did you not see the announcement posted in the lobby?"
Wait, then what happens to the Comprehensive Ability Evaluation? Moving midterms up doesn't ruin my cramming plans, but still...
"Then what happens to the Comprehensive Ability Evaluation?"
"The midterm exam scores will carry over directly to the Comprehensive Ability Evaluation. This time, the evaluation is only being held for the first-years."
"Oh, great."
I had planned to casually cram for midterms and then secure the top spot in the Comprehensive Ability Evaluation to get exempted, but this was an unexpected wrench in my plans.
While Sojeon was sorting the laundry in Room 501, someone spoke to her.
"Do you have a moment?"
"I am terribly sorry, but Count Johannes is currently..."
Sojeon's eyes widened in shock. Standing before her was someone who had absolutely no business being here.
"...Why are you here?"
"It is time to return home. We still have need of our shrine maiden."
Sojeon drew a dagger from the sheath strapped to her thigh. Her eyes darkened as she glared coldly at the old man.
"Drawing a weapon in such a public place. Our shrine maiden has grown quite bold."
"...Against the likes of you, I must do whatever it takes."
Whoosh. A dark, swirling mist began to envelop the old man's hands.
"The damage caused by the Contamination in the East is currently severe. It is safe to say your presence is absolutely vital. Will you not return quietly?"
"I am afraid that will not be happening."
Outside the door of Room 501. It was unnaturally quiet. A thick, heavy fog began to flood the dormitory hallway.
"Have you... isolated this space?"
"A simple trick like this is child's play."
Sojeon's brow furrowed. Her eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings. She was searching for a way to escape his unique barrier, but there was not a single gap to be found.
"I suggest you do not harbor any foolish thoughts."
"..."
Dash! In a flash, Sojeon lunged at the mysterious old man. Swish! She slashed her dagger horizontally. However—
Yin-Shadow
The dagger never connected with the old man. Physical attacks were utterly useless against a dark mage of his caliber.
Gate of the Black Wing
The mysterious old man cast a mental-type dark magic spell. In response, Sojeon began to channel her purification arts.
Purification Rite: Light of Purity
Flash! The black mist surging toward Sojeon was instantly vaporized by a brilliant, pure white light.
"As expected of our shrine maiden. To dispel that so effortlessly."
"That is simply how desperately I wish to never return."
Sojeon channeled her arts once more. This time, she began to form a circular barrier of blue talismans.
"Not so fast!" Whoosh. A dark mist shaped like human hands lunged at Sojeon. They swarmed her in such overwhelming numbers that her vision was completely obscured by the shadowy, grasping hands.
"Ugh!"
"Now, let us return. You must prove the reason for your existence."
Trapped in the grip of the shadowy hands spewing dark mist, Sojeon squeezed her eyes shut. She would rather die than return to that living hell.
"Why look so despairing when you are merely returning home? You make it feel as though I am the one in the wrong here."
"You miserable old bastard."
"My, you have learned to speak like that. It seems many things have changed during your time in the West."
Due to the unique barrier isolating the space, the hallway was cast in deep shadow, save for the faint moonlight filtering through. That very moonlight was soon trampled by sharp, heavy footsteps. With her silver hair—as beautiful as the moonlight itself—fluttering in the wind, Sojeon was dragged away.