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“What should I do about this…?”

Professor Rex Morpheus of the Swordsmanship Department looked at the training grounds with a perplexed expression.

At the end of his gaze stood the most notable figures at the Academy, all armed with swords.

Perhaps because their parents had connections, there was a strangely familiar atmosphere to them. However, that feeling only served to heighten his anxiety, preventing any nostalgia or fond memories from surfacing.

In fact, knowing this feeling all too well made him worry more about the events that would unfold rather than the original purpose.

According to the longstanding tradition at Estellia Academy, all departments in the Knights Division, except for the Theory Department, would hold sparring matches in the training grounds on the first day. This was a sort of orientation, and the professors would decide on the class structure based on the students’ performances on that day.

Although he would receive all the available information about the students before admission, such bare details were insufficient for making decisions about the curriculum. Nothing could replace the educator’s direct observation of the students’ skills.

While a common curriculum existed, providing proper guidance tailored to the students was fundamental to being an educator at a prestigious academy.

In this sense, the tradition of the Knights Division was beyond reproach.

There was no one in this academy who would fail to grasp the students’ abilities by just watching their sparring. While it might be sudden for the students to be asked to use their swords on the first day, there was significance in it.

Rex Morpheus, a graduate of Estellia Academy and now a professor, called the students to the training grounds with the same thought as the previous professors.

The grandson of a mentor, the son of a comrade, and finally, the children of nobles.

This year, an unusually large number of such key figures had enrolled all at once, but Rex didn’t pay it much mind. Was this negligence, or was Rex Morpheus simply an ordinary human? He didn’t want to treat students he hadn’t seen with his own eyes any differently based solely on stories he had heard.

He had heard rumors about them, but they were just that—rumors.

Of course, Rex had been of the same generation as the so-called geniuses, including Arthur, so it was true that he held high expectations for them. However, that was where it ended. He decided to judge based on his own observations, just as he had always done.

Having witnessed two Sword Masters of the age, Rex was confident that his perspective was broader than that of the average person. He thought that only exceptional talent would catch his eye, and he might have brushed these perceptions aside too easily.

And then, on the day of the first class of the Swordsmanship Department.

Rex took in the sight of these three and immediately thought to himself,

‘This is a bit much…’

It’s no exaggeration to say that someone who has reached a certain level can gauge whether their opponent is a novice or a master just by looking at them.

It was similar to looking down from a high tower; the higher one rose, the more precise the gauging became.

And Rex Morpheus was someone capable of objectively viewing his own level.

His rank was by no means low; while he might not be among the top ten in the Empire, he believed he could at least rank in the top twenty.

This was not arrogance.

Being a war hero from the Holy War and now a professor at Estellia gave some validity to Rex’s self-assessment.

However, upon seeing those three, the first words that came to his mind were, ‘What are those guys doing at school?’

No matter how unfairly regarded the geniuses might be, Rex was also someone who had been called a prodigy during his school days.

Considering that he came from commoner origins, that was an extraordinary talent. To rise above the nobles who had multiple advantages was evidence of a talent that diverged from the norm.

Of course, he couldn’t compare to someone like Arthur Kraus, the ‘real deal,’ but the three he was looking at were undoubtedly at least on par with Arthur at his best.

First was Reinhardt Cromel.

The moment he stepped into the training grounds, a jolt ran through Rex; he thought the Sword Saint had arrived. It took him a moment to observe the source of the immense energy, but it was clear that the unique aura of Cromel had reached a fever pitch similar to that of a Sword Saint.

Just that fact alone was enough to qualify him as a strong contender, but since Rex could vaguely see that level, he decided to reconsider.

It didn’t stop there. The young princess, who was now smiling gently and looking at the podium, had honed her sword energy to the brink of mastery.

It puzzled Rex how she could achieve such strength while having lived her entire life within the imperial palace. He realized that this could only be explained as raw talent. Two individuals with abilities greater than what he thought would never again be seen seemed to be right in front of his eyes.

‘That aside… what in the world is that monster?’

While the first two were remarkable, there was still one left.

Though he had only thought it internally, Rex inadvertently described a student as a monster. Though the intention was closer to praise, it was one of those words he would generally never use for a student. Rex stifled his emotional turmoil and slowly turned his gaze toward Damian.

Blood really doesn’t lie; the images of Arthur and Damian in Rex’s memory were remarkably similar.

So much so that he almost mistook himself for a student instead of a professor. While this was due to appearance, the aura that Damian exuded felt strikingly similar to what Rex had sensed from Arthur back then.

How could so much time have passed, and he felt this way seeing not Arthur himself but his son? It felt like a divine prank; what in the world was happening?

‘Whether then or now, the Kraus family consists of monsters.’

After Rex thought this about Damian, he shifted his gaze elsewhere.

Was further evaluation even necessary? Regardless, those three were now his students, and he was their instructor. Even if doubts about the significance of this thought lingered, they weren’t his only students, so class had to proceed.

“Then everyone, draw your swords.”

Although saying this, Rex’s expression still wasn’t very pleasant.

*

“Are you feeling unwell?”

I mumbled at Professor Rex, whose face looked somewhat uncomfortable. Since entering the training grounds, he muttered something upon entering and has since kept the same expression. While this might just be his usual demeanor, I couldn’t help but feel anxious as his gaze frequently turned toward me.

Could it be related to my father again…?

Perhaps because of the conversation I had with Adelia the other day, I couldn’t shake the idea that Rex Morpheus was looking at me because of my father. Unlike the professor in the story who was humiliated, he appeared to be roughly the same age as my father, so it was unlikely, but still, I could not help but feel uneasy.

As I focused on the podium, a chilling sensation suddenly brushed down my spine.

“Right, this isn’t the time to be worried about that.”

As murderous intent from different directions closed in, my mind sharpened. It seemed the two didn’t like that I was distracted.

The sparring organized by the Swordsmanship Department, led by Rex Morpheus, wasn’t a typical one-on-one bout; instead, it was a team match where the students were divided into four groups, forming teams to battle each other.

With such hastily formed teams, it was unlikely they would have any synergy, but Rex was probably more interested in the duels happening amidst the chaos to glean a broad and quick understanding of the students’ abilities. Indeed, one-on-one matches would take too long, so if he had confidence in his vision, this method was not a bad choice.

Coincidentally, the two sending murderous intent toward me were from different teams.

The only solace was that Hailey was on the same team as me.

“Everyone’s atmosphere is so intense. I don’t remember Princess Noel having such a mood the last time I saw her.”

“That’s incorrect; Noel has always been like that.”

Now it’s just that her sword is sharper.

“Alright, everyone, begin!”

As Rex announced the start, Hailey quickly distanced herself from me.

She must have known what would happen next and hurried to leave. I thought having her by my side would have been a help, so I felt a bit disappointed by Hailey’s silent exit.

Clang-!

Before I could even create space from the surrounding students, sparks flew from the sword in my hand.

I hadn’t moved a step from where I had declared the start. Nonetheless, this occurred because the two of them charged at me the moment the declaration was made. For them, a distance of about a hundred meters was probably just a breath away.

“Isn’t two against one a bit unfair?”

“…?”

“Ah!!”

The owners of the swords colliding against mine exchanged glances at my words.

Fully focused on me, they didn’t seem to think they would collaborate. They looked a bit flustered, but I seized the moment, applying force to my sword, pushing them away.

Since they had each been sent flying in different directions, I swiftly turned toward Reinhardt first. Well, a preemptive strike is still a strike, so the order worked out.

Reinhardt had already assumed a defensive posture before even landing on the ground, easily brushing off my surprise attack. Though we only tangentially clashed swords, it revealed how well he understood the weapon.

Truly, a future Sword Saint.

After our swords met once, Reinhardt and I were locked in combat to the point that the surroundings faded from sight. With my past experiences factored in, I should have had more experience, but perhaps due to Reinhardt’s talent, landing a hit became surprisingly challenging. While not impossible, it stemmed from his innate physical abilities, so there was no fault in the techniques he possessed.

“Hup!”

Reinhardt took a deep breath and swung his sword, and a blue flash erupted from the path of his strike.

In an instant, a speed akin to lightning surged toward me. Yet, my keen senses reacted before my body touched the blade’s path, and I hurriedly maneuvered to avoid it. During that moment, I managed to deflect a few blows with my sword, the residual energy sending a thrilling jolt through me.

As I evaded, Reinhardt also adjusted his position, and I paused mid-movement, slightly bending my head.

If I were to swing my sword now, I would surely leave myself open to Reinhardt’s strike, but just before his sword could reach me, it was blocked by Noel’s sword.

“Why are you two unfairly teaming up?!”

Noel would not be the type to immediately seek a different opponent after being temporarily sidelined. I leveraged the opening in Reinhardt’s defense and struck his abdomen with fully charged energy, sending him flying off.

Since I found a suitable opening this time, I inadvertently made it a combined attack with Noel.

“Nice assist…”

“It’s unfair!!”

“Ugh!”

As I tried to compliment Noel after successfully landing my attack, she immediately unleashed Divine Power and swung her sword at me. I thought she might have shifted her target to Reinhardt, but realizing that if I hadn’t ducked, it would have been me receiving her blow, it seemed her target was indeed still me.

Since I was positioned below her, I raised my arm that had launched the attack to deflect her swing, narrowly avoiding her sword path.

Now that I had knocked Reinhardt back, Noel was intent on sticking close to me.

This is dizzying.

 

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