“Maintain your composure. What kind of disrespect is this in front of our guests?”
“Sir Pjol, but those bastards—”
“Ahem!”
At Pjol’s sharp tone, the knights immediately shut their mouths.
The instructors, seeing this, snickered.
But their amusement was short-lived.
“What the hell do you think you’re glaring at? Eyes down, now!”
Lowell’s roar.
Not only did the instructors lower their eyes, but they also hung their heads deeply.
Becoming an instructor at Annwood Academy was no easy feat, and they carried a certain pride because of it.Moreover, Lowell was only a temporary instructor. As full-fledged instructors, they had no obligation to obey her.
And yet, they submitted like obedient lambs.
Partly because of the age gap, sure, but…
“Senior, can’t you let this slide just once?”
“Who the hell is your senior? How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?!”
“Not being able to call my senior a senior… This world is truly, deeply flawed!”
“…Just die already.”
Lowell began stomping on the instructor who had insisted on calling her senior.
That’s right.
Lowell was once an Annwood Academy instructor herself.
Though she had been fired after an incident, she was still their senior.
It was only natural they couldn’t defy her.
“Urgh! No matter what you do, you can’t shake my admiration for you, Senior!”
“We heard about it yesterday too. Your legendary feats!”
“We truly respect you!”
“Oh yeah? Keep talking. I’ll make sure to kill you all.”
One by one, the instructors started soaring through the air.
Literally.
Lowell was throwing them around like sacks of rice.
It was baffling how such a small body could produce that much strength.
Oh, and the legend of Lowell they were talking about?
Of course, I knew what it was.
But that wasn’t important right now, so let’s move on.
After knocking out all the instructors who had dared to call her senior, Lowell brushed back her hair.
“Sigh… Where the hell is that bastard Caron?”
If this uproar was loud enough to shake the village and Caron still hadn’t shown up, the reason was obvious.
He wasn’t here.
Realizing she was now the highest-ranking authority present, Lowell clicked her tongue.
“Anyway, everyone back off. Fighting in front of the kids… What kind of disgrace is this?”
“It wasn’t a fight. It was merely an opportunity for skill exchange.”
“Skill exchange?”
“That’s right, Senior. When will we ever meet such skilled knights again? We can’t miss this golden opportunity.”
“Oh~ So you stirred up this mess just to have an excuse for a duel?”
“Exactly!”
“Exactly, my ass! You just wanted to pick a fight!”
Knights and instructors—
All of them were obsessed with getting stronger.
Sparring with people they knew was good, but dueling against someone new was an even greater opportunity for growth.
There was no way they’d let a chance like this slip by.
Of course…
“‘I’m stronger than you. So shut up and sit down.’ That’s not the real reason, is it?”
“Of course not. We’re not children, after all.”
“…Then why don’t you look me in the eye when you say that?”
Not a single instructor dared to meet Lowell’s gaze.
Ironically, the knights were behaving the same way.
“Sir Pjol, are you really going to let those brats run wild?”
“As adults, we must set an example and teach them a lesson.”
And with that, they slowly started advancing.
Lowell and Pjol were gradually pushed back until their backs were nearly touching.
“Weren’t these guys just fighting a second ago? Why are they suddenly in sync? What’s next? Holding hands and getting married?”
“…This is bad.”
“Hey, old man. Should we just let them go at it? Convincing them one by one sounds like a pain.”
“Unlike you, Lady Lowell, I’m not a supervisor. As a mere knight, I cannot make that decision.”
“If people respect you, that’s enough. Don’t get all technical about it.”
“For now, you should handle your instructors and step back. I’ll take care of the rest—”
Pjol was in the middle of persuading Lowell when—
A melodious voice rang out from somewhere.
“What exactly is going on here?”
Just listening to it felt like it was cleansing my ears.
And the owner of that voice was even more beautiful than the sound itself.
The son of Baron Kelven, Nade.
“A man… can be that beautiful?”
“Aah, just looking at him makes me feel happy.”
The girls whispered their admiration in unison.
Some were so overwhelmed that they even fainted, claiming to have met an angel.
Well, even as a fellow man, I had to admit he was ridiculously good-looking.
Not quite on my level, though. Just slightly below.
“Keke, are you alright, Luna?”
“What’s there to be ‘alright’ about? He’s not an actual angel.”
Surprisingly, Luna seemed completely unaffected.
Had she built up immunity from always being around someone as handsome as me?
“I mean, I’ve been walking around with someone uglier than a demon, and I’m fine. So this is nothing.”
…Oh.
So it was the opposite.
But wait—uglier than a demon?
How do people in this world even perceive my face?
At this point, it was almost weird that Luna and Rezé were still willing to be seen with me.
“H-Hiiiiiik!”
Rezé quickly hid behind Luna.
Not because she made eye contact with me, of course.
…Really.
“Oh-ho… What an interesting proposal.”
Had he already been briefed on the situation?
After listening to a report from one of the knights, Nade turned toward Lowell, flashing a radiant smile.
“What do you think about holding an exchange match, as they wish?”
“You sound confident.”
“Haha! Do you really think country knights can stand against the great instructors of Annwood Academy? We merely wish to learn from them.”
“Hmm~ Or maybe you’re just clinging to past glory? Acting out without knowing your place—it fits perfectly.”
Twitch—
At Lowell’s blunt provocation, the knights frowned. Even Nade’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“See? This isn’t about skill exchange. You just wanted to win. And relive your so-called glory days while you’re at it.”
“…That’s a misunderstanding.”
“Well, not that I care. Our guys don’t know their place either. Fine, I’ll grant your wish.”
At Lowell’s approval, the instructors erupted in cheers.
But their excitement didn’t last long.
“Just remember one thing. If you lose, you might as well die on the spot.”
Because if they did—
“You’ll die by my hands.”
The duels didn’t last long.
“Ugh…”
“Victor of Annwood Academy, Victor wins!”
“Wooooaaaahhh!!”
“Victor! Victor!”
The instructors and students cheered at the top of their lungs.
“That’s already the sixth victory. They’re dominating.”
“Of course. Do you even know how hard it is to become an Annwood Academy instructor?”
Exceptional skill, vast knowledge, strong social connections—
Only well-rounded elites could become instructors at Annwood Academy.
Even during their academy days, most instructors ranked between 1st and 20th place. That alone showed just how exceptional they were.
“I thought the difference in practical experience would make it an even match.”
“They’re deployed on dangerous missions every school break. The mortality rate is nearly 20%. That’s more brutal than most territorial wars.”
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason the knights of Trash Village were being crushed.
Lack of skill, bodies in decline, outdated combat techniques, and of course, the Mad Lion’s enthusiastic encouragement(?) fueling the instructors’ morale.
There were many factors, but one was decisive.
“Ugh!”
“Old man, don’t overdo it. I don’t go easy on injured opponents.”
Injuries.
That was the problem.
Every single knight of Trash Village carried severe wounds.
Some were missing hands, arms, or other body parts.
Scars and lingering injuries they had suffered from past battles.
“Damn time.”
“Getting old isn’t the problem. If only we weren’t injured…”
“I didn’t think the gap would be this big.”
“Yeah… Looks like it’s time for us to step back.”
The knights lamented their situation.
Seeing this, the Trash Sprout Defense Squad smirked and taunted them.
“Hmph! Serves you right! Skipping training all the time—this was bound to happen.”
“This was bound to happen!”
“Oh, it was? I had no idea…”
Six straight losses for the Trash Village knights.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, one man shoved his comrades aside and stormed forward.
The knight with Anger Control Disorder, Bickerd.
“You. Get out here.”
The rule of the duel was that the losing side got to choose the next opponent.
“Me?”
As luck would have it, Bickerd pointed at Ron.
Ron, infamous for being so lazy that people added Half-Assed to his name.
“Eh? I don’t really want to fight… Can’t you pick someone else? There are plenty of people here eager to go at it.”
“Get out here.”
“But it’ll hurt if I get hit.”
“I said get out here!”
With a sigh, Ron reluctantly stepped forward.
Given his personality, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he immediately declared, I give up.
But he didn’t.
Grrrr…
Because the Mad Lion Lowell was watching him with a terrifying intensity.
Ron let out another heavy sigh and drew his sword.
“Hold it properly! Do you even know how to grip a sword?!”
“Yeah, yeah~ I’ll do my best.”
Bickerd charged in immediately, and Ron lazily swung his sword in response.
Their blades clashed wildly, signaling the start of a fierce exchange.
“…He’s strong.”
Luna reflexively covered her mouth. She had muttered without realizing it.
But no amount of self-control could deny what was happening before her eyes.
Yes. He was strong.
Not Bickerd.
Ron.
“You little bastard!”
“Old man, you need to control your strength. What’s the point if you just keep charging in blindly?”
“You arrogant brat!”
A blue aura flickered to life along Bickerd’s sword.
Aura.
The defining ability of knights—sometimes considered their very essence.
“Aura is forbidden!”
“Damn it! That idiot Bickerd!”
Ron’s expression darkened.
Subduing Bickerd had been easy thus far.
But now, it was different.
He couldn’t afford to hold back anymore.
It was either kill him… or at least take off a limb.
Making up his mind, Ron’s face hardened for the first time.
Fwoosh—!
A brilliant blue flame burst forth from his sword.
The movement was so swift and precise that it almost seemed as if he had been using aura from the very beginning.
His strike was too fast to be seen.
By the time one could even perceive his sword’s trajectory toward Bickerd’s leg—
CLANG!!
The air trembled.
Not from the impact of Ron’s and Bickerd’s swords colliding.
There was a third blade wedged between them.
The sword of the composed knight, Pjol.
“Pjol! Stay out of this! How dare you interfere in a knight’s duel?!”
“This isn’t a duel. It’s a spar. The moment you forgot that, the match was already decided.”
“Damn it!”
Crash!
Bickerd’s sword struck a nearby building.
He had lost control, and now the poor structure bore the brunt of his frustration, a deep gash marking its wall.
Without another word, Bickerd stormed off.
Pjol watched his retreating back and let out a long sigh.
“My apologies. I hope you understand. Ever since he took a blow to the head during the territorial war, he’s struggled to control his emotions.”
“As I expected. He’s an incredibly skilled warrior… It’s unfortunate.”
Ron gave Pjol a measured look before lowering his sword.
The motion wasn’t entirely smooth.
His arm was trembling.
But almost no one noticed.
Because everyone’s attention was focused on Pjol instead of Ron.
“Is Sir Pjol up next? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him wield a sword.”
“I’ve never seen him fight before.”
“The knight who supposedly cut down a high-ranking demon in a single strike… We’ll finally get to witness it today!”
It wasn’t just the knights who were eager.
The villagers were watching with hopeful eyes as well.
“The time has finally come! The great knight, Sir Pjol, takes the stage!”
“A knight among knights!”
“A-Ah! Sir! Good luck!”
Even the children of the Trash Sprout Defense Squad were cheering excitedly.
The knights of Trash Village, the villagers, the Trash Sprout Defense Squad—
Everyone’s expectations were centered on one man.
And the opponent Pjol chose was…
Click—.
No one.
“The sparring is over. Everyone, return to your places.”
–TL Notes–
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