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Professor Marea doesn’t use a prosthetic arm.

Because I, Murmur, need to be tested, she absolutely refuses to use her right hand.

“Show me your true strength…! Murmur!”

But the strength of the woman who was once a knight commander was not something a 5th grader in the elementary section could handle.

This event was something the elementary section could witness, but it wasn’t something they were meant to see.

Scoring two perfect scores in a stamina test is something even a perfectly raised character could only achieve by the middle school section.

That’s why Professor Marea’s stats are always fixed.

If you want the skills she offers, the standard approach is to fully develop your character and then tackle her in the high school chapter. That’s how strong Professor Marea is.

“Murmur always does her best!”

“Even today, during the test, you tried to deceive my eyes twice!”

“Murmur wants to say that was an accident!”

Professor Marea smirked and swung her wooden sword at me, Murmur, like lightning.

I barely dodged that attack.

“You dodged my attack just now.”

“Because Murmur can’t block it with her own strength.”

“That’s right! Exactly! Murmur, you understand exactly which attacks to dodge and which you can handle with your own strength.”

Marea pointed her wooden sword at me, Murmur.

“That talent… is not something a being destined to become the Demon King should have!”

“Murmur doesn’t want to become the Demon King! Murmur wants to be a hero…”

—Bang!

Professor Marea’s sword cut through the air, shining like lightning.

The first strike, I dodged by pulling my body back. The second, I dodged by throwing my body to the side.

By the time the dirt from the ground covered my face, the third strike came, and I barely blocked it by summoning a spirit.

“It seems you plan to keep running away…”

Professor Marea stepped back and spoke.

The easiest way to defeat Professor Marea with my lacking stats was to buy time.

No matter how strong someone is, they’ll tire if they keep moving.

And Professor Marea is only using her left hand to test me, Murmur.

It’s like carrying a heavy iron weight on her right shoulder for no reason, so of course she’ll tire over time.

“Murmur, if you truly want to become a hero, I hope you can prove it.”

Professor Marea gripped her wooden sword and took a stance.

“P-Professor Marea, isn’t this too much?! Why are you attacking Murmur?”

“I-I’ve never heard of such a sparring match! Nicasia! Let’s go stop her right now!”

“Everyone, calm down… just a little!!!”

Unlike Nicasia, who knew the situation, Esme and Citrine were making a lot of noise.

Amidst the noise, Professor Marea’s eyes flashed, and she moved.

“M-Monica!”

“That’s totally unfair…!”

Professor Marea aimed straight for Monica.

“Monica! Give Murmur a blessing!”

I, Murmur, threw myself to block that attack.

With my small, soft hands, I roughly grabbed the wooden sword and deflected the deep thrust aimed at Monica’s neck.

—Clang!

“Murmur…!”

Monica, with perfect timing, gave me, Murmur, a blessing with both hands.

—Crack!

Thanks to that, even with my pitiful strength stat of 6, I could barely match Professor Marea in a contest of strength.

“Not bad for a hero wannabe.”

“Murmur will become a hero. So this isn’t just pretending.”

“Unfortunately, you’re of the Demon Race, Murmur.”

Professor Marea quickly stepped back and swung her sword again.

Fast as lightning, precise as a flash!

Following the trajectory of the swinging sword with my eyes was impossible, but I, Murmur, knew.

Exactly how Professor Marea swings her sword.

—Slash! Bang!

“A hero is chosen to kill demons!”

“Murmur thinks differently!”

“Thinking differently by yourself won’t change anything!”

“Murmur will still do it!”

Every time I blocked Professor Marea’s one-armed wooden sword strikes, my wrists tingled.

With each block, my body was pushed back further.

“You’re just a child, Murmur. There might be people who find you cute, but no one will see you as a hero.”

“Murmur already has someone who does.”

Professor Marea smiled faintly and swung her sword like lightning.

I barely deflected that attack and thrust the wooden sword deep toward Professor Marea’s chest.

—Thud!

“…!?”

“Murmur already has friends who believe in her as a hero!”

Professor Marea deflected the wooden sword and took a step back.

“You can’t save the world by playing pretend!”

“Murmur knows that! That’s why I’m properly learning magic.”

“You’re not learning magic! You’re just copying and stealing! You have that kind of eye!”

Professor Marea’s sword swung again like lightning.

—Bang!

“Ugh…!”

“Murmur!”

As Monica screamed, the wooden sword in my hand flew far away.

“Copying my swordsmanship is the same. Seeing through it in one go is the same.”

“Ha… ha…”

“You’re just copying us. You copied because you thought it was fun.”

Professor Marea pointed the wooden sword at me, Murmur, and simultaneously at Monica behind me.

“Murmur. If I hit Monica even once with this wooden sword from now on, the spar is over.”

“Murmur will never dodge.”

“Then I’ll keep swinging this wooden sword until I can hit Monica.”

Professor Marea took her stance again.

“Dodge. And…”

“Murmur…”

“Run away! Prove that you’re nothing!”

Professor Marea swung the wooden sword.

“Monica! Make a weapon for Murmur…!”

“B-but!”

“It’s fine! Murmur is a hero!”

Monica hesitated but quickly created a ‘blessed weapon’ for me, Murmur.

The sword created by Monica’s blessing emitted a pure white light. At the same time, the palm of my hand, being of the Demon Race, burned from the holy energy.

But there was no other way.

—Clang!

“What… is this?”

“Murmur…! Said she would never dodge!”

Professor Marea’s face twisted.

“Don’t talk nonsense!! Your hand is…!”

“Murmur can’t fight the professor bare-handed!”

I forced my body weight to push Professor Marea’s sword away.

“This is… a spar, Murmur. Do you really think I’d seriously hit Monica…?”

“Murmur knows.”

“Then why don’t you dodge? Why don’t you run away?”

I, Murmur, gripped the shining sword tightly and spoke.

“Murmur can’t abandon Monica, who believes in her as a hero… even if it’s a joke, even if it’s during a spar.”

“That’s… something a hero would say.”

Professor Marea slightly raised the corner of her mouth and finally smiled.

At the same time, with her left hand holding the wooden sword, she slammed her prosthetic arm with a bang!

White smoke began to pour from the prosthetic, and Professor Marea gripped the sword with both hands.

“I-Isn’t this really dangerous?”

“N-Nicasia! Let go! At least let’s get Murmur to a safe place…!”

“It’s fine, everyone…! Just trust Murmur a little more!”

I could hear Nicasia groaning.

I roughly understood the situation, so I, Murmur, also let out a small smile.

“… … I only heard rumors about your eyes that can copy martial arts and magic.”

“Murmur wants to say that there’s no eye in this world that can copy the heart of a hero.”

Professor Marea laughed and unleashed lightning from her fingertips.

The flashing light instantly became one, flowing along the sword, and was swung at me, Murmur, in an instant.

The slash, impossible to block, was aimed at me, Murmur, to test me.

“A hero wields the sword justly…”

To protect Monica behind me, I couldn’t dodge that attack.

But I couldn’t block it either.

So I, Murmur, gripped the sword that burned my palms with both hands and deflected the lightning diagonally.

“Ha…! Haha!”

With Professor Marea’s laughter, my body tilted greatly.

This isn’t an attack I can withstand.

It wasn’t a sword strike a 5th grader in the elementary section could handle.

But I have no intention of falling.

“Murmur!!!”

Monica’s hands supported me, Murmur, who was about to fall, so I absolutely couldn’t collapse.

“Ugh…!”

Thanks to that, with my knees half-bent, I could barely keep up.

Just a little…

I, Murmur, could faintly, clumsily copy the swordsmanship left in my heart.

“Never spill innocent blood!”

I gripped the sword I had tilted to block the lightning.

Monica’s warmth reached me from behind. At that moment, I swung the sword with all my might!

The light that was meant to crush me, Murmur, instantly turned back toward Professor Marea.

“Ugh…!”

Professor Marea, accurately hit in the chin by the blessed weapon, spat out a small amount of blood and rolled on the ground.

“Huh…?”

“My goodness… w-what did you just do?”

Esme and Citrine were stunned in admiration.

It’s a real shame I can’t see their faces with my own eyes.

“Mur… Mur… will never… run away.”

“Mur, Murmur!”

Monica hurriedly dispelled the blessed weapon and hugged me, Murmur, from behind.

Then, frantically, she examined my red, burning palms and cast healing magic while fussing over my entire body.

“Ha, haha… Unbelievable… This is, truly unbelievable…”

Professor Marea wiped the blood from her mouth and spoke.

Even after that counterattack, she was fine, which shows how pathetic my swordsmanship skills really were.

“Ha… Murmur… You’re truly an absurd student.”

Professor Marea slowly approached me, Murmur, and knelt on the ground.

“Murmur doesn’t like this—”

“You beautifully countered this mock trial of strength… You really intend to become a hero, don’t you?”

“Murmur wants to be a hero but absolutely doesn’t want to take Professor Marea’s special classes.”

“Hahaha!! What are you talking about? I’ll teach you everything from start to finish, so from now on, expect special guidance even during regular classes!”

Nooooooo!!!!

This is a direct ticket to hybrid hell!!!

『You have acquired a new skill!』

〈A hero wields the sword justly, never spilling innocent blood.〉

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“It would’ve been better if you told me beforehand, Professor Marea. If I hadn’t known about the trial of strength, I would’ve broken down the door and grabbed you by the collar.”

“That… I admit I wasn’t being very mature. I’m ashamed to say I kept doubting Murmur.”

Professor Marea smiled bitterly as she spoke.

“Murmur is truly amazing!”

“How did you do that at the end? It wasn’t magic, was it?!”

“Murmur is just like the heroes in fairy tales!”

Murmur was being swarmed by Monica, Esme, and Citrine.

“Did you think Murmur was a dangerous demon?”

“… As Her Highness knows, the knight order I led was slaughtered by a single changeling’s ‘fun,’ leaving only me alive.”

“So you were worried Murmur might be like that changeling, attending the academy with bad intentions, possessing the ‘Eye of Argos’?”

Marea sighed.

“Yes. Looking back now… it was a baseless suspicion. Even if Headmaster Cosmos had punched me in the face, I wouldn’t have had a word to say…”

“No, it’s natural to think that way. This time, Murmur suddenly displayed swordsmanship she had never learned before.”

“That was probably… the swordsmanship Seren once showed. She cleverly compensated for her lack of strength with magic.”

“Seren? Ah… could it be that Murmur… …”

At Nicasia’s cautious question, Marea nodded.

“She even said the exact same words.”

“… … Are you satisfied now?”

When Nicasia’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, Marea nodded.

“It wasn’t a perfect match, but… you recreated the ‘Trial of Strength’ as much as possible, didn’t you?”

“Shamefully, yes.”

“Murmur didn’t run away. She threw herself to protect her comrade in front of the terrifying and powerful ‘Demon King.'”

Professor Marea nodded.

She wanted to perfectly judge Murmur through this crude trial.

And she got the answer she so desperately wanted.

“She wasn’t just a child spouting grand, fancy words.”

“Murmur could’ve abandoned Monica, and even if she had, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but she fought the professor even while hurting her palms.”

“… … That action was as swift as lightning, a judgment that instantly revealed the nature of how she lives her life.”

Professor Marea finally smiled bitterly as she watched Murmur start to run away.

Esme, Monica, and Citrine were begging to see more swordsmanship.

“To think such a child has been rotting away in the academy… I’m ashamed to introduce myself as a professor in front of Her Highness.”

“No, I only became friends with Murmur this year.”

“… Professor Aiaie said the same thing. That Murmur changed this year.”

Nicasia stayed silent for a moment, watching Murmur, a 5th grader in the elementary section, scream and run away.

Unlike the worries of Her Highness, who lives a bit in the adult world, today’s events were set to resolve in a ‘very good direction’ for Murmur.

Nicasia knew that, so she couldn’t help but smile.

“Perhaps it was around last winter when she visited the hero’s grave. I heard Headmaster Cosmos put in some effort.”

Nicasia nodded, recalling a story from somewhere in her mind.

Murmur rarely talks about the past.

Knowing how the ‘failed hero’ met her end, Nicasia didn’t pry into the past.

“Professor Marea, you won’t torment Murmur anymore, right?”

“… Yes, now I want to teach her as much as I’ve neglected her.”

“Did you suddenly find a new goal?”

Professor Marea stroked her faded hair, recalling a certain demon who said it was all just fun.

She remembered Murmur, who boldly spoke of her dreams to her, who only spoke harsh words.

“Cosmos Academy is a place to nurture heroes.”

“Murmur seems to hate that a lot, though?”

At Nicasia’s joke, Professor Marea smiled.

“At first, she’ll say she hates it, but eventually, she’ll like it.”

“I… don’t think so, Professor Marea. Maybe you should reconsider.”

Nicasia, who thought she knew Murmur better than anyone, awkwardly laughed.

“Alright. Then let’s do it this way. I think Her Highness will like this approach too.”

“Think more about Murmur than me.”

“Instead of preparing special classes, I’ll teach her specially during regular class time.”

Nicasia didn’t answer and smiled, thinking to herself.

‘That’s… what Murmur hates the most, Professor Marea.’

 

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