The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster Only Inside Dungeons (2)
The training ground stretched wide under the academy’s clear sky, the air thick with the scent of sweat and polished steel.
After the team assignments were finalized, every cadet had paired off and begun their Magic Weapon Arts practice.
“Come on, come on, please take it easy on me…”
“Please don’t go too hard…”
Under the deep violet hair pinned with a skull-shaped hairpin, a crestfallen expression flickered across Violet Blackgarden’s face.
When she glanced at her partner, the other female cadet in their group shivered violently, sweat pouring down her back in sheets.
Ever since the start of the first year, the rumor had spread like wildfire among the first-year cadets: if you were chosen as Violet’s training partner, you might end up as a corpse.
Violet herself had no idea how the rumor had started.
But thanks to its influence, she had become the living embodiment of fear.
Of course she understood the cadets’ feelings. After all, black-magic users were still looked upon with suspicion in this world.
Still, it couldn’t be helped…
In any case, as long as she ended up paired with Ron Hazley, the one cadet who treated her without hesitation, she would survive this.
It was a selfish thought, but Ron was unpopular and at the very bottom of the rankings—everyone weaker than him had already been expelled. No one else would want to be stuck with him.
Except that…
Why her…!
Ron had been chosen by none other than the top-ranked, famous genius Elise Lorendia of the first years…!
Don’t tell me she actually wants to be friends with Hazley-kun!?
Violet’s eyes and hands trembled uncontrollably. Her partner noticed and recoiled in terror.
Ron, with his dark aura, probably would have been happier spending time with a bright, cheerful, popular girl like Elise, right…?
A bright, overflowing image suddenly flashed into Violet’s mind: Elise and her group having fun together while Ron stood off to the side.
Violet, you’re too gloomy. I’m going to hang out with these people now. Stop trying to talk to me from now on.
In the imagined scene, Ron turned his back on Violet with a cold, determined look and walked away.
In Violet’s imagination, she reached out desperately toward Ron’s retreating figure, only to collapse onto the ground in utter frustration.
Violet felt her chest tighten painfully, as if something vital had been ripped away.
If that really happened, I’d be devastated…
She was still herself.
Still the same girl.
She knew deep down that it was nothing more than a childish fantasy.
But the mere existence of a friend had become so precious to Violet that she could never risk losing it.
So she narrowed her eyes and kept stealing glances at Ron and Elise.
It was unavoidable.
On the opposite side of the field, Elise Lorendia stood with her sword drawn, watching Ron with a playful smile.
“Ron Hazley, may I ask you something directly?”
“What is it?”
“Are you really hiding your true strength?”
Ron frowned, confused by the question.
“If I had any real strength to hide, I would have kept it secret…”
He suddenly understood. “You picked me because of the extermination test, didn’t you?”
“You noticed, huh~? Correct. That’s why I asked. I didn’t believe it at first.”
“It just happened on a whim. I didn’t even realize I could do it.”
“Really?”
Elise’s eyes curved into a bright smile.
Whoosh!
Mana surged along Elise’s blade.
Silver lower mana—the exact limit set for first-year Magic Weapon Arts training.
There were two reasons the academy refused to allow higher output: the first-year practice blade could not endure it, and the risk was simply too great.
“Then how about we try it on each other?”
Ron drew his sword, half-breath caught in his throat.
“I’ll give it my best.”
Whoosh!
Silver mana bloomed along Ron’s blade as well.
It was a pitifully weak level—far below even the official training limit.
A confident smile curved Ron’s lips.
This might actually be fun.
Ron had been training with Turak and felt more confident than ever.
Now he would finally get to spar against the world’s main character, Elise, and gain some real experience…
…Big mistake.
Flash!
Eh? It’s gone…
Clang!
“Kyaaaak!”
Ron had never imagined he would suddenly act like a third-rate extra and collapse.
Thud!
Ron floated upward for a split second before slamming onto the ground. The bright ceiling spun above him.
Despair crashed over him like a tidal wave.
Oh heavens…
I was so arrogant for a moment…
“Oh, are you okay?”
“I-I’m… fine.”
Ron gritted his teeth and waved his arms, forcing himself back up.
Really, this school never gives you a moment to feel arrogant…
Ron’s conditions for successfully executing the Opening Wing in Light Wing Sword were strict.
Light, direct, not too fast, and delivered with enough weight.
The golem from the extermination test, and the barbarian Turak who had helped him train, both met those requirements perfectly.
But Elise’s sword was different. It was swift, graceful, and terrifyingly fluid.
With his current skill, Ron judged it impossible to land the Opening Wing against her.
So…
I won’t rely on the Opening Wing.
Whoosh!
Ron poured silver mana back into his blade.
No arrogance. He would do his absolute best and land one solid hit.
That was his resolve.
“Again.”
“Sure, here I come. Go easy on me.”
Flash!
Elise charged like a cheetah on the hunt. Ron’s eyes still couldn’t follow her movements.
But there was one thing Ron knew very well about Elise.
Elise’s first attack is always a left diagonal overhead strike.
It was her ingrained habit, something he had witnessed in both the game and real training.
Ron shifted half a step and raised his sword.
Clang!
The two blades met. Sparks of silver mana exploded outward.
“!”
Elise’s eyes widened for a moment. The corner of her mouth lifted into a grin.
Shing!
Ron drove his sword into her guard, scraping along the inside. Their blades scraped together with a sharp ringing.
Then Ron shoved her blade away roughly.
Sling!
His follow-up strike slammed toward her shoulder blade.
It was sharper than Elise had expected. She twisted backward to dodge, the tip of her sword brushing her magenta hair.
Ron, having expected this, closed in and unleashed a barrage of strikes.
“What?”
“O…”
The surrounding cadets who had been watching with mixed feelings had fallen completely silent, mesmerized by the clash between Ron and Elise.
Elise, who usually played around while matching her opponent, and Ron, who was giving it everything— the gap between them was enormous. Yet they all wondered, Was Ron really that strong?
Instructor Rachel watched Ron with a smirk.
He’s a rare species.
After noticing Ron’s potential, Rachel had been monitoring his growth for a while.
Ever since he began formal knight training, his rapid progress had been obvious. And so had his strength.
Moreover, Ron’s current offense was the closest any cadet had come to mastering the intricate flow of Light Wing Sword.
He just couldn’t keep up with his own body and mana.
It was obvious.
Who else had shown such flashes in the past? None that Rachel could recall.
Clang!
Thud!
Between every exchange, Ron rolled his head at lightning speed, desperately trying to read Elise’s eyes, shoulders, waist, and feet.
His mana output was at maximum. He channeled every Light Wing Sword technique he knew.
His heart pounded wildly. Mana surged through every part of his body faster than ever before.
Then it happened.
Ever since he had caught the blue slime and his mana quantity had spiked, his training had pushed his heart’s mana circle to the breaking point.
And now, with nothing but the single-minded desire to keep up with Elise driving him, the circle finally split.
Whoosh!
The circle that had been expanding to its limit divided in two.
Ron’s mana began to rage with even greater intensity.
Mana level surpassed.
Circles increased.
Mana tier upgraded: 「1」 → 「2」
It’s visible.
Elise’s movements, which had only left afterimages before, were now faintly traceable.
The sword style she had perfected was Flower Dance Sword—fluid, spinning movements that controlled the battlefield like a dance.
Right now she was mostly using Light Wing Sword due to training, but between those sequences she sometimes wove in Flower Dance Sword movements.
Ron had seen both many times in the game and in actual training.
He followed the rhythm of Flower Dance Sword, clashing or dodging, and slipped into the gaps she left open.
“Hmm?”
Elise narrowed her eyes.
Ron’s speed increased. The silver mana swirling around his blade grew thicker.
Sssshh…
Elise activated Fairy’s Eye and laughed softly. Ron’s mana circles inside his chest were multiplying.
That’s…
Instructor Rachel, who had noticed Ron’s sudden change, also smiled in admiration.
His tier has risen?
Now even his circles have increased.
Rachel chuckled.
If he keeps growing like this, he’ll be a target for many in the future. Ron Hazley.
Magical knights always eyed outstanding apprentice knights with interest—precisely because they wanted to recruit them as personal squires.
Excelling students were directly tied to a knight’s honor and future.
Elise was a particularly popular candidate, but Rachel thought Ron could also become a strong contender.
Especially for herself…
That’s tempting.
At least her taste buds were stimulated.
Of course, whether Ron’s growth would have a true limit was the real question.
A cadet showing such rapid progress right after receiving a proper opportunity was unlikely to hit a wall soon.
Whick!
Elise spun her body, trying to swing her sword.
Instead of Light Wing Sword techniques, she slipped in a Flower Dance Sword movement.
Ron had memorized the pattern countless times. He predicted it and stabbed forward before her spin even finished.
Elise’s eyes widened slightly.
Before Ron’s sword tip could reach her, her blade shot up with blinding speed.
It was the sincerity she had thought she had hidden.
Clang!!
“!”
Ron’s sword finally deflected. Then—whish!—Elise’s blade stopped right in front of his neck.
“Hah… hah…”
Only then did Ron release the breath he had been holding.
Elise’s eyes curved into crescents.
“I saw your trap.”
“You did, huh…?”
Even though Ron hadn’t managed to hit her, Elise’s turquoise eyes now sparkled with far more interest than before the training began.
***
“Great work.”
“Great work.”
The training session ended.
The cadets exchanged formal greetings by pairs.
“Hah… hah…”
Ron knelt with his upper body slumped forward, desperately trying to catch his breath.
His eyes dropped to his hands.
I made it to the second tier.
Tier was the growth rank of mana.
It was determined by the number of circles in the heart—the pumping source and origin of mana.
The more mana increased, the larger the circles became. Once they reached a critical point, they split and multiplied.
Like splitting a stock after it splits when it rises too high.
…Whether comparing mana to stocks was appropriate was debatable, but either way.
With more circles, one could handle far more mana efficiently and unlock higher-level techniques.
Well, that’s good…
He was genuinely happy, yet he had still failed to land even a single blow on Elise.
The gamer instinct that flared when trying to defeat a tough boss in the game after a long time had burned hot… yet he felt quite disappointed.
“Great work.”
“Great work, hah, hah….”
Ron barely managed to accept Elise’s greeting.
“Hmm…”
Click-clack.
Footsteps were approaching. What now?
Before he could lift his head, Elise leaned in with her adorable, turquoise-eyed face.
Leaning her upper body sideways to look up at him up close.
“Why…?”
Elise stared at him, then narrowed her eyes and gave a mischievous smile.
“Because I chose the right partner.”
“What are you talking about…?”
Even if he had given his all, Elise would only think he was not helping her in any way.
She had probably already sensed his tier rise intuitively and distanced herself further from the candidates.
So Elise’s true meaning was likely that she was interested in his talent for using the Opening Wing of Light Wing Sword.
“Please train with me again, Ron Hazley. Oh, your tier went up, right? Congratulations.”
Elise smiled brightly and walked away.
From the surrounding male cadets came a storm of mixed emotions aimed straight at him.
What are you staring at?
He was too tired to care about them.
***
Today Lara was on cleanup duty with Ron.
So after exchanging greetings with Elise, she crossed the courtyard alone.
Ron Hazley… suddenly reached second tier?
If the mysterious strong person she had been searching for had been hiding real mana by any means, he never would have risen to the second tier.
Ron was probably not the one she was looking for.
But she couldn’t be certain. After all, the opponent had hidden his identity through unknown means. She would have to consider all possibilities.
In short, the chance that Ron was the existence she sought had decreased, but he was still one of the suspicious targets.
Still…
While sparring with him, she had felt something clear.
Every single attack of his was beautiful.
During training, Ron’s Light Wing Sword had been smooth yet sharp, constantly probing Elise’s gaps.
If Ron’s body and mana were similar to hers, the unique flow of Light Wing Sword would have perfectly complemented her movements, right?
Her understanding of Light Wing Sword seemed to lag behind Ron’s.
She had only felt unease when he was still first tier, but after he reached second tier, she was certain.
I never imagined I would be the one to teach him.
Elise whispered to herself, the corner of her mouth lifting. She looked forward to their next training session.
It was almost time for the fifth act of Chapter 1 dedicated to Elise.