Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Unlike his usual frivolous words and actions, Marius’s swordsmanship contained every fundamental principle it should. There were no meaningless movements. Yet his speed was impressive. The freshmen, still unpolished, struggled to follow his blade with their eyes. His opponent, Altair, seemed to be having difficulty holding out and appeared to be playing a purely defensive game.
So that’s Professor Marius’s real ability.
Students who had never thought much of him were shocked by the display. It was clearly not a level any student could hope to challenge.
Not only that, but she’s countering that aura like it’s nothing.
Of course, it was only possible because of the potion. The sole person aware of that fact was Marius himself. As a result, opinions of him were slowly beginning to improve.
Was this really all he had?
Rilke pushed her lips out in clear disappointment. The professor called Marius was no pushover, but her expectations for Altair had been far higher. Still, she gradually sensed something was off. Despite Marius pressing the attack at every moment, he wasn’t landing any meaningful damage. On top of that, Altair’s expression remained perfectly serene.
No way.
Rilke unconsciously clenched her fist. Only then did she realize how the match would end.
Just as I thought.
Ditrua felt the same. From the very beginning she had never doubted that Altair would win. Marius? She had never heard the name before. As a professor at Delphiana Academy he would possess basic competence, but that alone could never make him a match for Altair. After all, Ditrua had witnessed with her own eyes how Altair had subdued two knights.
Then why?
Why was she pretending to be pushed back? Was she simply toying with her opponent?
Contrary to such speculation, the reason Altair had chosen a defensive stance was because she was still deliberating.
This is the perfect chance to promote the Night Sky Sword Style!
The golden opportunity to spread her master’s swordsmanship throughout this era! By revealing her blade, she could bring the forgotten name of Vega back into the world. She had used the Night Sky Sword Style once in Rosenburg, but only its most basic elements. It could hardly be called a true display. Besides, she had spent most of that fight battling alone.
But should I really use it?
The Night Sky Sword Style had belonged exclusively to her master. Yet because of the curse, Vega’s legacy had been disparaged and occasionally vilified. Showing it here without good reason might invite unnecessary trouble.
Let’s wait a little longer.
There was plenty of time. No need to reveal her sword to the world just yet.
Besides, I’m still lacking.
She believed she remained far from her master’s realm. It would be better to present it only after she had perfected it further.
Having made up her mind, she turned her gaze to Marius’s face. He was smiling as though victory were already in his grasp.
What an unpleasant face.
Marius was not actually ugly. If anything, he leaned closer to handsome than plain. But after everything he had done, his features could not possibly look appealing to her.
Wearing a dissatisfied expression, she took one step forward.
Marius was visibly startled by the movement. He was the one on the offensive—how could she even think of advancing?
She’s a wench who hasn’t even learned the basics!
To be ignorant of something so fundamental! Such arrogant movement deserved to be punished with a sharp counterattack. Yet Marius found himself continually allowing her to press forward. It defied all common sense.
It’s a fluke!
No matter how desperately he denied reality, the situation refused to change. Marius continued to be driven back. Even though he was still the one attacking.
The bizarre spectacle left many spectators bewildered.
“Why is Professor Marius being pushed backward?”
Meanwhile, the professors secretly observing the duel were stunned.
This is impossible.
No matter how they looked at it, the scene before them could only occur with an overwhelming gap in skill. It was true that Marius’s ability was not particularly high for a professor, but that was only because the standard among Delphiana Academy’s faculty was exceptionally elevated. The skill he had displayed was by no means something to be dismissed anywhere else. For him to be dominated so completely…
The wide-eyed professors soon recognized one another.
That man is Professor Etueng!
Professor Rivel. Claiming you have no interest in a mere duel because you’re not a child…
The two men stared at each other for a moment, then abruptly turned their faces away. A silent agreement passed between them.
We did not see anything here.
We were never interested in this sort of duel.
They immediately returned their attention to the fight.
As more time passed, even those with relatively shallow understanding of swordsmanship began to grasp what was happening.
Professor Marius is being toyed with.
The only person who failed to notice was Marius himself.
Altair still found that overconfident face of his extremely irritating.
If it’s come to this…
She had no choice but to use that sword style. It was only proper to teach someone who didn’t know their place exactly where they stood—even if the method lacked elegance.
Altair drew a deep breath. An old melody began to play inside her mind.
“Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!”
“Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!”
“Knees, head, shoulders…”
A familiar melody filled the area, carried by Altair’s beautiful voice. Using the flat of her blade, she struck the exact body parts mentioned in the lyrics.
Even as he was being beaten, Marius’s mind kept working. He knew the song as well, so he could predict where the next strike would land.
After the knees come the toes—AAAAAACK!
But his predictions were meaningless. His body simply could not keep up with his thoughts.
Good heavens…
Jean-Louis Lopez, still perfectly disguised and unrecognized by anyone, stood with his mouth agape. He had never seen a sword move that fast.
She’s overwhelming Marius with pure speed?
That stubborn Marius had always prided himself on his speed. For him to be so utterly outclassed in his own specialty—the outcome was obvious. Lopez knew he ought to intervene. A one-sided slaughter was about to begin.
Yet his feet refused to move.
Just a little longer.
Before he realized it, the corners of Lopez’s mouth had risen.
It’s not proper to interfere lightly in a duel. Who knows—perhaps a miraculous comeback is still possible.
Thus he rationalized his inaction. Watching Marius get thrashed filled him with strange delight. It felt as if all the stress accumulated from his days as department dean was being washed away in a single stroke.
Others in the audience shared similar thoughts. Fellow swordsmanship professors, teaching assistants who had suffered his endless scolding, and even the students—all of them began to smile.
“Head, shoulders, knees, ears, nose, ears!”
The moment the song ended, Marius collapsed with a heavy thud. A new tale—one that would be remembered at Delphiana Academy for a long time—had just been written.
*
After a rather lengthy duel, Ditrua and Rilke’s match had concluded. In the end, their fight proved to be nothing but a waste of time. Thanks to their absence, first place in Group E went to an unexpected candidate.
Clement Sanpierre.
He had been evaluated as upper-tier, yet among the top students of Group E he had been overshadowed by Ditrua and Rilke and received little attention. Moreover, his twin brother Bastien was one of the most highly praised freshmen. Clement occasionally basked in reflected glory, but more often he remained hidden in that shadow.
Not many had predicted he would claim first place in Group E.
Yet while the two girls dueled, Clement had diligently hunted monsters and steadily accumulated points. Rather than venturing deep into the center, he had focused on quickly eliminating weaker creatures. The first-place ranking he earned through such steady effort left him staring at his results with an excited face.
Me? In first place?
The smile refused to leave his lips.
Teacher Altair.
The female instructor wrapped in endless rumors. To him, however, she was practically a lucky charm. He had therefore signed up for her unpopular class without the slightest hesitation. The aura did weigh on him, but having experienced it firsthand, it was not as unbearable as rumored. With enough effort, he believed he could focus on the lessons properly.
His brother had seemed slightly worried upon hearing the decision, but Clement harbored no regrets.
And now she had achieved a flawless victory against Professor Marius as well.
I was right after all.
Choosing her class had undoubtedly been the correct decision.
Brimming with anticipation, he headed toward the lecture hall for Altair’s first lesson.
But…
“What is this?”
The small classroom was packed full of students. During registration it had definitely been unpopular—so why the sudden crowd?