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The date for Prince Richard’s inspection was confirmed not long after. The prince of the empire, no less, was personally visiting the academy for an inspection, and no one except the emperor had the authority to stop him.

Even though he was second in the line of succession, the world was full of uncertainties.

After all, wasn’t he the famous Prince Richard of the new generation?

Even Marquis Lucas, the head of the Demia Empire Academy, had no right or reason to prevent his visit.

In fact, considering the recent unprecedented attack on the academy, the prince’s inspection was only natural.

This was the place where his younger sister, Princess Seraphina, was currently enrolled to prove her royal lineage. As her elder brother, it was perfectly reasonable for him to inspect the academy’s safety.

However, from the academy’s perspective, they couldn’t simply welcome the prince’s inspection with open arms. The fact that a prince who had already proven his royal lineage was coming to inspect the academy under the pretext of safety suggested that the imperial family doubted the academy’s stability.

Because of this, not only the student council but also the professors of the Demia Empire Academy were closely monitoring the prince’s visit.

The academy’s defense facilities were being overhauled for this very reason. Once a security system has been breached, no matter how much it’s reinforced, its reliability inevitably drops.

The professors in charge of security were repairing the defensive magic circles and had doubled the usual number of guards.

It was a bit like covering one’s eyes and pretending not to see, but it was also an effort to avoid being held accountable by the imperial family.

“Why hasn’t the repair over here been completed yet?”

“And what about over there? The inspection team will point this out!”

The place was bustling like a marketplace. Fixing one thing revealed another, and addressing those two brought up yet another issue.

That’s just how security systems are. No matter how much you prepare, there’s always something lacking.

While the security personnel were running around, Briana, revered as a Swordmaster, was also preparing for the prince’s inspection.

Though she was usually indifferent to such matters, she couldn’t remain complacent about the prince’s visit.

Since Academy Head Lucas had personally asked her to be attentive, she couldn’t refuse, having once served as his deputy.

Even without his request, Briana, who always gave her best, would have done so anyway. Neglecting one’s duty was unbecoming of a soldier and a knight.

As she prepared for her class, Briana suddenly reflected on the past.

It had already been several years since she left the battlefield with the goal of nurturing the next generation.

Having made it her life’s mission to see the edge of the sword rather than the bloodshed of the battlefield, she had been invited by Academy Head Lucas a few years ago to teach swordsmanship to cadets.

Teaching at the academy suited her well. Guiding talented cadets on the path of the sword was a joy.

Although there hadn’t been any cadets who met her high standards in the past few years, it wasn’t a big issue.

But this year was different. There were many talented cadets who met her exacting criteria, with Gilbert being the foremost among them.

Physically, he was already near perfection, and he embodied the aesthetic of the sword she pursued.

Of course, she hadn’t liked him at first.

Gilbert was a notorious troublemaker in the empire, and to Briana, who loved the empire, he was like a parasite draining it.

But the real Gilbert was different. Regardless of the rumors, his character and talent with the sword had won her over.

He was an honorable man who wouldn’t bend to external pressure and wouldn’t hesitate to draw his sword to protect the people.

A man of courage who could face dozens of colossal mechs alone.

These were all words that described the recent Gilbert.

Even Briana, who initially didn’t think much of him, had chosen him as a companion on the endless path of the sword.

His talent and character had won her heart.

Of course, Gilbert wasn’t the only cadet she was fond of. Her standards were high, but there were other promising talents besides him.

One such person was Ian Tigress Line Barrel.

Though he hadn’t stood out much at the beginning of the semester, his potential had begun to explode as time went on. Recently, even Briana had given him a passing grade due to his rapid growth.

If she hadn’t seen Gilbert, a once-in-a-generation genius, she might have considered taking Ian as her personal disciple.

But all that was hypothetical. Even though Ian was showing explosive growth, he still fell short when compared to Gilbert.

Briana recalled the perfect Iaido technique Gilbert had demonstrated recently as she entered the duel arena.

Today’s class would involve duels based on the imperial swordsmanship they had learned so far.

“I will now call attendance.”

She mechanically checked the attendance of the cadets lined up in formation. No foolish cadet would miss a class taught by a Swordmaster.

Considering that many would pay a fortune just to learn a single move from her, receiving her swordsmanship lessons as an academy cadet was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Professor, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

“How do you know that?”

“If you respect the Swordmaster, you just know.”

“You’re crazy. That’s what we call a pervert.”

Briana noticed the whispering cadets but chose not to reprimand them.

In fact, her mood had been good lately. No, it had been consistently good for a while now.

After all, what master wouldn’t be happy to see their personal disciple growing by leaps and bounds?

Meanwhile, Ian, watching Briana from a distance, was in awe. Having undergone rigorous training with Fressia, he had come to realize just how unfathomable Briana’s level was.

Every movement of hers was precise, with no wasted motion. Everything was restrained, with no unnecessary actions.

He couldn’t even imagine how many years of hardship Briana had endured to reach this level in her daily life.

Even now, as Fressia nagged him about not letting his breathing falter, Ian could only marvel at Briana’s greatness.

And she’s beautiful too.

Ian wasn’t a woman-crazy lunatic, but he was still a man. Like most men his age, he had a healthy interest in women and was drawn to beauty.

Briana’s reputation as a Swordmaster overshadowed her looks, but her cold demeanor and piercing gaze made her popular among the male cadets. Though no one dared to flirt with an academy professor, many secretly harbored feelings for her.

Ian also felt his heart race when he saw her. Having trained hard under Fressia, his standards had risen, and he admired Briana’s appearance, which matched her title as a Swordmaster.

She had a different charm from Seraphina.

A human who had trained to become the embodiment of martial arts and the sword.

That was Ian’s assessment of Briana’s beauty.

“Today, as previously announced, we will conduct duels based on imperial swordsmanship. The sword is not perfected through training alone. As I’ve said many times, do not forget the essence of the sword. Now, I will announce the duel pairs.”

Ian, who had been staring blankly at Briana, suddenly snapped back to attention. The duels that had been预告d during the last lecture were proceeding as scheduled. Since the duels were meant to gauge each other’s skills, the pairs were matched with cadets of similar abilities.

Ian’s gaze naturally turned to one man. A figure standing quietly with his arms crossed.

Gilbert.

Having been chosen as the Swordmaster’s personal disciple, he was said to have surpassed the level of an academy cadet in swordsmanship. Especially after the recent exchange meeting where he dueled 100 opponents in a row with a single sword, he was writing his own legend.

Even Fressia, with her discerning eye, admitted that while she wouldn’t call him anything but a ruffian, she acknowledged his skill. She also added that the effort he had put in to reach that level shouldn’t be mocked.

Thus, he began to be called by a different title within the academy.

Swordmaster.

A person who had mastered the art of the sword.

“Finally, Gilbert and Ian will duel.”

As expected.

Ian’s eyes now held a serious glint.

He had anticipated this. After the last swordsmanship lecture, Fressia had put him through harsher training than usual, planning for this duel.

He was already recognized as the top swordsman among his peers. In such a situation, the only one who could match him was the one hot on his heels.

After all, duels should be between people of similar skill.

[Don’t be nervous. It’s still too early for you to beat that ruffian.] ‘Got it.’

Ian answered inwardly, conscious of the surrounding gazes.

It was true that before getting Fressia, he had been looking the other way, but Gilbert was stronger than him.

At first, it was hard to admit, but once he did, the jealousy that had been clinging to his heart every day began to subside.

He acknowledged that Gilbert was stronger, but he didn’t think it would always be that way. He had talent, and Fressia was there to guide that talent.

In the end, everything depended on his mindset.

This time, he might lose as Fressia had analyzed, but as long as he learned something from this defeat, it would be enough.

He quietly composed himself and engraved Fressia’s advice in his mind.

The duels continued without pause. The cadets, eager to get good grades, did their best to defeat their opponents.

Seraphina, after each duel, pointed out the mistakes and areas for improvement with precise advice. The cadets listened with shining eyes, cherishing her invaluable advice.

As the number of remaining cadets dwindled to ten, then four, and finally two.

The only cadets who hadn’t dueled yet.

It was Gilbert and Ian’s turn.

“Cadet Gilbert.”

“Yes.”

“I will limit the amount of mana you can use to half.”

“Understood.”

Ian’s eyebrow twitched. Briana, who hadn’t said anything before the duels, had imposed a restriction on Gilbert.

Even though Gilbert was stronger, such treatment was something Ian couldn’t tolerate. He considered himself the protagonist of the world, and his pride was high.

While he had accepted defeat as a foregone conclusion, dueling under such restrictions was a slight to him.

“Professor.”

“Speak, Cadet Ian.”

“Please allow Cadet Gilbert to use his full strength.”

“Cadet Ian, I highly value your competitive spirit and desire for improvement. But this is for fairness.”

Briana, though partial to Gilbert, excluded such bias in her teaching. Favoritism breeds complacency, and complacency leads to stagnation.

Wanting Gilbert to reach a higher level, Briana didn’t favor him on the path of the sword. For that reason, she didn’t favor any cadet.

The reason she restricted Gilbert’s mana usage in this duel was for fairness, not favoritism.

A duel between someone who could split an old-model colossal mech in half and the cadets wouldn’t benefit either side.

Even Ian, who acknowledged Gilbert’s superior skill, was no exception.

A duel between them was mismatched.

It’s like an adult sparring with a child.

“Professor. I beg of you. Even if I lose to Cadet Gilbert, I will learn something from it.”

Briana hesitated for a moment.

The intention to learn from the stronger was commendable.

But that was for instructional duels. If the skill gap was too wide, the only thing to gain from the defeat was a sense of inferiority from an insurmountable wall of talent.

Briana had seen too much of that. Those she had faced when she first picked up a sword were like that.

Would it be any different for Ian?

She didn’t think so.

“Cadet Ian. This is a decision I made to evaluate the cadets fairly.”

“I understand. But I need to see where my peer, Cadet Gilbert, stands.”

At this point, Briana could only sigh. She couldn’t break Ian’s firm resolve.

On the contrary, if she forced the issue, he would suffer a blow to his pride. Having seen many like him, Briana couldn’t easily make a decision.

“Please, Professor.”

As Ian bowed his head, Briana looked at Gilbert. Her personal disciple showed no change in expression, as usual.

Briana made her decision. It was impossible to stop him at this point. She could only hope her disciple would hold back and nodded.

“Very well. I commend Cadet Ian’s unyielding spirit. Then, let the duel commence.”

Ian, with shining eyes, stood before Gilbert.

Gilbert, still with his arms crossed, looked at Ian indifferently.

Seeing this, Ian’s competitive spirit flared, and he drew his sword. Only then did Gilbert uncross his arms and lightly grip his sword hilt with his right hand, taking a stance.

Iaido?

Ian’s eyes twitched.

Using Iaido in such a duel was an insult to him.

While it excelled in concentrating power in a single strike, Iaido was at a disadvantage at such close range.

After all, the reaction speed of someone who has drawn their sword and someone who hasn’t can’t be the same, right?

Ian gritted his teeth and waited for Briana’s signal.

“Begin!”

As soon as Briana’s signal to start the duel was given, Ian quickly closed the distance to Gilbert. Fressia had also advised him to take advantage of Gilbert’s carelessness.

By the time he reached Gilbert, Gilbert’s sword was still sheathed.

“Ha!”

With a shout, Ian swung his sword. No matter how fast Gilbert was, at such close range, he couldn’t block without taking damage.

Ian didn’t think this move would end the duel, but he believed it would at least give him an advantage.

However.

**Winter Sword – Iaido**

**Winter Sky Cleave**

Ian’s eyes widened as he saw the sky split.

Of course, it was an illusion created by Gilbert’s mental image, but for a moment, it seemed real.

**- Clang**

[That bastard?!]

At Fressia’s shocked cry, Ian came to his senses.

Looking around, he saw everyone with their mouths open, watching their duel. With difficulty, he looked at his hand holding the sword and saw that his longsword had been cut in half.

Why is this?

Ian’s thoughts were in disarray.

Before him, Gilbert was sheathing his sword.

A single strike.

Gilbert had ended the duel with one Iaido slash.

***

After the class ended, Ian immediately headed to the academy lakeside, leaving even Fressia behind in his dorm. His mind had returned, but he wanted to be alone.

Though his dazed mind had returned, Ian still felt disconnected from reality. The duel with Gilbert had been too much of a shock.

From what he could tell, Gilbert hadn’t used his full mana. He had only channeled the necessary amount into his sword for the Iaido strike, and with that, he had cleanly cut Ian’s sword in half.

Is that even possible?

Fressia, seeing this, admitted she had misjudged. Since she hadn’t been observing him closely, she lacked accurate data and might have made a wrong assessment.

Fressia was omnipotent, but she couldn’t predict or foresee things she hadn’t seen.

In reality, such a feat was possible, but only with sufficient data, similar to predicting the future. Without any data, it was impossible.

Her misjudgment of Gilbert this time was due to his growth rate exceeding her predictions.

So that’s it.

Ian’s pride was wounded once again by this duel.

He had confidently requested Briana to let Gilbert use his full strength, only to lose without even crossing swords.

He knew it. Fressia had confirmed it.

In his current state, he couldn’t beat Gilbert.

He knew that all too well.

But he hadn’t expected the gap to be this wide.

At the very least, he thought he could put up a decent fight.

But the result was an overwhelming defeat. It was the first time he had suffered such a crushing defeat in his life.

It felt like facing a natural disaster.

Something beyond human power to overcome.

Ian shook his head as he found himself crushed under Gilbert’s shadow. With this sense of defeat, he couldn’t possibly win.

Hadn’t he proudly declared himself the protagonist of the world?

To keep that promise, he couldn’t afford to break.

Because it was a fact, and because it was the right thing to do.

Damn it.

Yet, he couldn’t completely shake it off. The jealousy and other sticky emotions that had been dormant now gripped his heart.

Defeat, self-loathing, jealousy, resentment.

Various emotions churned in Ian’s chest and mind.

“Are you Cadet Ian?”

In the midst of his torment, Ian reflexively turned his head at the sudden voice calling him.

There stood a middle-aged man with a well-groomed beard, looking at him.

“Who are you?”

In his worst mood, Ian’s eyes narrowed fiercely, and his voice was sharp. Yet, the man smiled as if he had finally found what he was looking for.

“There is someone who wishes to see you. Could you spare a moment?”

“Me…? Who is it?”

“You’ll know when you see them. It’s not permitted to speak their name carelessly.”

Someone whose name shouldn’t be spoken carelessly.

Ian’s interest was piqued.

His mood was already in shambles.

Being alone would only plunge him deeper into self-loathing, so he decided to follow the man.

With a light heart, Ian followed the man.

 

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