027

For a few days, I went back and forth between only the library and the dormitory, refining the manual.

‘It's a learning experience.’

The swordsmanship I had created before wasn't bad either.

No, to be honest, it was much more elaborate and better than the content of the current basic swordsmanship manual.

But it was just as abstract and difficult.

Not only were the sentences hard to understand, but at the student level, it might even lead to various debates with two or three different meanings.

‘Pan was amazing.’

There were a few students who followed my teachings, including Pan.

It was possible not because they were diligent, but because they were talented.

Without realizing it, I had been discriminating against only the talented students with my educational curriculum, just like Avril.

‘I knew so little about my students.’

Thinking that, the swordsmanship began to break down.

‘It's not just about taking one step forward; a systematic explanation of what kind of posture and muscles to use is needed.’

I erased ambiguous sentences and lowered the level a little more.

As a result, what was originally a third of a book's volume thickened to the size of a full book.

‘Let's throw away what's unnecessary.’

I removed the messy, archaic, and frankly unnecessary content from the sentences.

My old notes had contained various thoughts on swordsmanship in an essayistic way.

I had contemplated and reverse-engineered why the swordsmanship of excellent swordsmen, knights, or students had to move in such a way.

Because of that, there were many sentences mixed with the desire to encompass everything in the world.

‘Good.’

And so, on the seventh day.

A single, satisfactory book was completed.

I left the library and headed for Rozalin.

However, only Sordian remained at the guard post with hollow eyes.

He looked at me with a somewhat tired expression.

“Where is Rozalin?”

But instead of answering, Sordian stared blankly at me.

Wait, why…….

“Hey, Teacher Cassian.”

“Yes?”

“……I thought it was all a lie.”

What's with the sudden confessional mood?

I blinked and looked at Sordian.

Judging by the dark circles under his eyes, he seemed to have had a few sleepless nights.

“It doesn't make sense, does it? Suddenly regressing or what not, demons are invading. The northern mountains are the mouth of a giant and we're all going to be eaten—! Roar! Ha. It's not even childish.”

Could it be, Sordian, that you fell into despair after hearing Rozalin's story about the future a week ago?

Come to think of it, it wasn't just his dark circles.

His skin was also strangely dry, and his posture was hunched over, giving off an air of despondency.

“The young master going crazy and investing in a third-rate academy like this and poking my eye out, some 15-year-old girl wielding insane swordsmanship, a thirty-five-year-old man calling that girl ‘big sister.’ I just thought it was all like a play.”

Being placed in such a sudden change of situation, it was understandable to be bewildered.

I approached him to comfort him as much as possible, and.

“But I've decided to believe it all. Damn it, a swordsmanship like this.”

I heard something strange.

“Pardon?”

“I hear the Lionheart Captain is your master, right? Ha…… so that's how a swordsmanship manual like that could come to be. Just reading the text, I felt like a great swordsman was blocking my path and sneering at me.”

“A swordsmanship manual, you say? Whose……”

“It's arrogant, and haughty. It keeps throwing questions. A good sword has a clear destination. That is decided before it even starts. Right. But is it really only the starting and ending points that are meaningful in all swordsmanship? I was captivated by that question and fought with Hati for three days and nights.”

“Wait, w-w-w, no, that sentence just now……”

In an instant, a few assumptions flashed through my mind.

That sentence was from my old notes.

I threw my old notes in the trash can.

It was a trash can for incineration, located outdoors behind the dormitory.

And of all people, the guards patrolling the area must have…….

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

“Ack?”

“S-s-s-sorry, where is Rozalin right now?”

Startled by my shout, Sordian looked at me with a confused expression.

“The Class B training ground is empty right now, so Hati and the young master are there……”

I immediately left Sordian behind and ran to the Class B training ground.

No.

No, really, that's not okay.

Hati and Rozalin were one thing, but even Avril seeing those ridiculous sentences?

‘Uwaaaaaaaah!’

I thought I saw students greeting me, but I didn't have the mental capacity to care.

I ran towards Building B at the fastest speed of my life, and.

“So I'm telling you, this sentence doesn't mean that! The destination doesn't necessarily mean the opponent.”

“It's more important that the destination is set from the start. It means the body is fixed the moment the sword is used.”

“No, I tell you! Don't you know the Teacher, who emphasized footwork? Rather, the body should move first, then the sword should be swung, hmm?”

I met the gazes of the people who were holding a meeting with my notes spread all over the floor.

Rozalin, Hati, and Avril.

Ah.

For the first time, I wanted to die.

“What have you done……”

“Perfect timing! Since the Teacher is here, let's ask him! You guys, do you know how many years I've spent with the Teacher? I'm the one who can read his true intentions!”

“Tsk, this swordsmanship seems to aim for optimal efficiency, but we must consider that it's the theory of that romanticist.”

“Real combat! Isn't it all about real combat?”

“So, Teacher!”

Rozalin abruptly thrust my notes close to my face.

“This sentence here! What does it mean? What were you thinking when you wrote this? What enemy were you thinking of? What image did you have in mind?”

Kill me.

* * *

“Whaat, this is a failure?”

At my words, Rozalin stared at me as if she couldn't understand.

Even Avril had a face tinged with a subtle anger.

“Are you planning to be aware of your talent and appeal it? It seems you're trying to bargain to raise your own value. Ha. I've seen people like you a time or two.”

No, you're mistaken.

I bowed my face to the floor and covered my ears, prostrating myself.

I didn't want to hear anything.

“Bro. But for something you called a failure, the level is too high.”

“That's right!”

I slowly raised my head.

Rozalin pointed to my notes (I really didn't want to see them, but I had no choice but to look after hearing that these people had spent several days transcribing my notes and had made about ten copies, so I gave up on everything).

“If it were really a messy piece of writing like you said, Teacher, we wouldn't be agonizing over it like this. Rather, we looked at it because it was so difficult, and at the same time, amazing. As expected of the Great Master.”

“Everything you're saying right now sounds like you're teasing me, so please bear with it.”

Above all.

“Here.”

I took out the book I had kept in my arms.

“The real basic manual is right here……”

“Oh, it's the annotated version!”

Seeing the book come out of my arms, the three of them's eyes flashed as they took it again.

In the process, it seemed like they were having a power struggle over who would read it first, but in the end, the owner of the book was Rozalin.

‘If you look closely, it feels like Rozalin is leading the whole mood.’

And Rozalin, after reading the entire basic manual.

“Huh?”

She looked at the book with a dubious expression, her eyes half-open.

“Uh?”

“Hm?”

The other two were similar.

So I, too.

“Uhm?”

Looked at the three of them.

“This is, uh, well, it's not wrong, but isn't it too basic, universal, and obvious?”

“Right. You're exactly right.”

“The book you said was a failure, Teacher, is much better.”

Judging by the other two's expressions, they seemed to agree with Rozalin's words.

Great.

That's exactly what I wanted.

It seemed I had set the right direction for my revisions.

“Why did you lower the level?”

“In the first place, I was trying to create a basic swordsmanship theory. Not to raise a great sword master.”

“Hmm, but this is too basic.”

“For a basic, it's pretty good. No, it's quite excellent.”

Hati said, scratching the rough beard on his chin.

“I can definitely see the direction you're aiming for, Teacher. This one book has all the stories my mercenary guys used to live by.”

“You mean it's a hodgepodge?”

“No. It's a compilation of what you've verified and felt was right among the many theories established by many people.”

“Theorization.”

Avril snatched the book from Rozalin's hand and began to examine it carefully.

“……Indeed. This would certainly be a textbook that could be used anywhere. If you were to make this swordsmanship manual into a basic manual and take it to the military or the royal family, it would be priceless.”

Ahem, ahem.

Even if you praise me like that, I won't forget how you tormented me earlier.

Still, my heart had calmed down a bit, and I was about to get up.

“Hmm…… but I still like your first draft, Teacher.”

Rozalin held up the old notes again.

“I get that it helps people get into swordsmanship well. It’s good to learn the basics properly. You don't pick up bad habits either. But that doesn't mean everyone becomes a good swordsman, right?”

“This could raise the average swordsmanship level of humanity by nearly three times.”

“So what, if something like a Sword Eater, World Eater, or Eternal Nightmare appears, everyone will be a single bite. Isn't it better to have a swordsmanship that can pull up talented and outstanding people like this?”

“Big sister. One or two heroes can't face all the demons. This time, even I agree with this money-grubber's words.”

“Don't a handful of geniuses sometimes advance the discoveries of all of humanity by more than 100 years? Right now, what's important isn't the general level of swordsmanship. We need a swordsmanship that will create a Sword Master.”

“In any case, neither this manual nor that manual has any content related to mana. As long as a method to fuse the sword and mana doesn't come out, there's a low probability of innovation no matter how much you refine swordsmanship to its limits.”

“You don't know until you try.”

“I would like to say that the opposite holds true as well.”

“W-wait a minute.”

I forcibly separated the two who looked like they were about to grab each other by the collar.

So these two, they're fighting over my old notes and new notes right now, right?

And it's about which one will be more helpful to the development of human swordsmanship?

It was a very strange feeling.

“Over something like this……”

“Teacher, step aside for a moment! This is an important matter related to the survival of humanity!”

“Those who don't even know their own worth should stay out of it.”

“What? Did you just tell our Teacher to stay out of it?!”

But the situation didn't seem like it could be stopped just by me intervening.

After all, the two of them, who seemed genuinely angry, were glaring at each other without a word.

“That, that proof or whatever, can’t you do that again?”

Hati broke the standoff between the two.

“Oh, good. Proof. Let's do it, let's go! I'm saying I'll take my guards and our Pan and teach them this swordsmanship!”

“Understood. Then I will take Teacher Cassian, who has integrated all of Classes A, B, and C, and teach the basic swordsmanship manual. And we'll put forward a representative.”

“Good. This year is almost over, so the winner gets the final say in the operational policy of Akarind Academy for this year, right?”

“Excellent. I hate it when others meddle in my plans with their foolishness. Even if it's you, Rozalin.”

“Hmph, you think I liked it? Fine. Let's have a go! I'll give you three weeks!”

“The final evaluation period is coming up soon. Good. We'll decide by the scores then.”

Why did the situation turn out like this?

Why did Rozalin take Pan and is over there?

“So, Teacher Cassian. I ask you to conduct your classes with this manual starting today.”

Why do I have to be treated as being on the same side as Avril?

I was planning to teach with this manual anyway, but for some reason, I didn't feel like teaching anymore.

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