When faced with an overwhelmingly strong opponent, the difference in level is sometimes so great that it’s impossible to even gauge.
That was the case for Lady Caspera.
In front of the nobility, she faced a commoner who professed to be a professor, one without any detectable mana or aura.
Thus, she likely assumed her victory would be easy.
However, to Luciana, it was clear.
“He’s strong…!”
A veteran knight seasoned in countless battles for the family.
His aura, rising from his iron fist, was formidable enough not to be overshadowed even when compared to those elite knights.
The wand was merely decorative.
Clearly, he was a warrior.
But soon, she realized her own misconception.
“Please, spare me! I surrender… Ugh, ughhh!”
“Oh, as nobility, you should stand by your words to the end.”
Lips tightly sealed.
His outstretched hand slammed down to the floor with a thud.
It wasn’t force that silenced him.
The old professor stepped back, smiling.
‘This is surely…’
A miracle that summons phenomena that do not exist in this world, using mana as a price.
It was clear that the magic had prevented Lady Caspera’s surrender.
‘I’ve heard it’s inefficient to walk two paths at once…’
A warrior in appearance, Who wields magic.
Sure, in terms of aura and physical combat alone, Speda family’s elite knights are superior.
But what if such well-mastered magic is added to the mix?
And if one is deceived by his appearance and believes him to be merely a warrior?
The outcome of the match was hard for Luciana to predict.
“Wow… I don’t know if I’m at the professor’s level, but may I dare to challenge him?”
Therefore, when the servant she cherished fearlessly rushed in to challenge,
The most shocked was Luciana herself.
-Thud.
She instinctively grabbed his collar forcefully.
“Hans, stop it now.”
Taking the pendant seemed easy at first glance, but considering his level, it was nearly impossible.
Hans surely knew this.
“But how can I miss this opportunity?”
“You could achieve the grades in other ways. With your skills, you don’t need to take such risks…”
“That’s not it. Professors, especially those ones, tend to be quite biased.”
Hans lowered his voice, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.
So faintly that even she, standing closest to him, could barely hear.
He knew.
It was Hans who had revealed Professor Marks’s true nature and warned to be cautious.
-Most professors will be favorable to Lady Luciana, given her capabilities and her background as part of a ducal family. All except one.
“Is that the one in charge of ‘combat and dueling’?”
“Yes. He is of common birth and dislikes noble students.
No, it goes beyond dislike; he despises them.
Then,
Why not take the time to show sincerity and win him over?
At least, once someone holds the title of professor, they may be biased but cannot reverse the results in front of their eyes.
If so, then Luciana’s skills were certainly sufficient. She thought, ‘If it’s too tough, I could knock everyone down and win by myself…’
But before even a few hours had passed since she voiced that thought, Hans’s actions, contemplating provoking the professor’s temper, gave her a headache.
“Your eloquence might even make a professor who dislikes nobles see you differently. So don’t unnecessarily embrace such risks.”
Despite her discouragement, he merely smirked.
“It’s no problem for me. But Lady Luciana, merely because you are a duke’s daughter, you might be neglected.”
She gasped at his remark. At the same moment, she caught sight of Lady Caspera being hastily carried out on her sister’s back. The punishment seemed excessive, more like a brutal assault. If such outright violence was unhesitatingly employed, how easily might biased scoring occur?
“Just watch me closely. And as soon as my match is decided, you can challenge for a duel.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“You’ll understand when you see it, Lady Luciana. There’s no time to explain now, but I’ll show you the professor’s weakness.”
Leaving those cryptic words behind, he strode towards the professor.
***
“…You are indeed brave to challenge me after witnessing that duel.”
The old man’s eyebrows twisted in displeasure. Despite leading his beloved commoner mercenaries to the top of Class A and having amiable conversations, his suspicion and hostility did not wane. Perhaps he was still upset after seeing the Caspera twins, or maybe it’s just that all nobles, even from the Baron families, are the same to him. Maybe professors, with their fickle hearts, are no more reliable than reeds.
‘I still have to do what I need to do.’
“Isn’t it obvious?! That overwhelming duel! Even though Lady Caspera is among the top students in Class A, you subdued her effortlessly. I was amazed by your prowess!”
Even the watching students, and the professor who had been glaring fiercely, were momentarily taken aback by my resounding voice.
“I am also a student of the martial arts department! I too wish to experience even a fraction of that duel!”
Professor Marks, forgetting to respond, closed his eyes and maintained his silence.
A top student, filled with passion and a fighting spirit. Acting the part wasn’t hard for me. In fact, the real challenge was suppressing the laughter bubbling up inside me.
A noble who relies on his position to act arrogantly or a noble who humbly seeks instruction despite the humiliation?
Or even a noble who just passively attends classes without much thought?
He must have encountered countless such types over the years.
However,
A student seeking instruction from a ‘professor’, particularly one of common birth, might just be the most tiresome type to deal with.
‘A noble student coming to a commoner professor in such a humble manner must be a first for him.’
“Very well. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a passionate student.
“Come up to the dueling arena.”
“Yep!”
How could he spit in the face of someone smiling?
In the end, his only choice was to accept my challenge.
***
“The conditions are the same. If you can take my pendant, I promise you the highest grades.”
“Ha ha. More than such a reward, the duel itself holds greater value for me!”
I raised my dagger, taking in my opponent carefully. The old man with wispy white hair held nothing but a small wand. With the pendant jingling temptingly, it seemed too easy, almost as if he was inviting me to take it.
But I knew.
I knew it was a poisoned apple.
“I’ll give you the lead. Come on in.”
“I’m sorry for being passive after speaking so boldly. I just don’t want to follow in Lady Caspera’s footsteps.”
This was no joke.
He was also boss-level, one of the infamous mid-bosses that made many players groan in frustration.
‘Warden Marks, I too struggled with him initially.’
I still remember.
The first help request I ever posted in the community.
[Help… I can’t progress the story…]
[I thought I was fairly confident in my control? But after defeating all enemies, it was game over the moment I made a mistake with him.]
[What’s the problem? I dodged every pattern.]
[The problem is you dodged everything LOL]
[(My comment) Blocked]
[No, seriously; this boss requires you to get hit on purpose.]
If ‘Bastard Lexton’ was a typical boss testing physical strength,
‘Warden Marks’ was the first gimmick-type boss you encounter in the game.
Commonly known as the ‘invisible trap.’
Marks, who used both magic and aura, had a unique gimmick. He used mana in a form that required a wand and aura in a form that involved knuckles or bare fists.
When in aura form, only attacks using aura were allowed, and when in mana form, only magical attacks were allowed.
If you ignore this and try to attack in the opposite form?
An instant, unavoidable counterattack happens, similar to what Lady Caspera experienced—a sudden death.
The reverse was also true.
Moreover, if the player and the boss stayed in the same form without engaging in combat for a certain period, the same instant death occurred. Both aura and magic stats had to be carefully balanced.
Dodging was limited, and a direct confrontation meant I was overwhelmed.
He was one of the worst bosses for me in terms of compatibility.
‘I hope Luciana recognizes this.’
However.
Such gimmicks were not something I could explain to Luciana.
Isn’t it strange?
No matter how knowledgeable or adept at navigating politics one might be, it was odd to know a method to handle a professor that even older academy students didn’t know.
So, the only option was to show her directly in action.
“Then I’ll take the lead.”
His leap was agile, not typical for someone of his age. Closing the distance in an instant, he threw a punch wrapped in aura, similar to what he had done to Lady Caspera.
-Ching!
The sound produced by the clash of my dagger and his fist was unexpectedly clear and resonant. My arm trembled from absorbing his attack.
“Quick reflexes,” he noted.
“It’s a duty of a servant from the Speda Ducal House to be skilled in swordsmanship,” I replied, smirking instinctively and regaining my stance.
But with that one clash, I had an intuition.
‘Incredibly heavy.’
Where did such strength come from in this old man? Pushed back bit by bit due to the sheer aura and raw strength disparity, I thought.
“Much better than the student earlier.”
“……”
“You’ve gone quiet. What happened to the bravado you had just a moment ago?”
His relentless attacks flowed like water, leaving me no chance to act; I gritted my teeth.
‘Damn. If only I hadn’t entrusted my dagger to Oparn… My gear is my life. Without most of my power now, I can’t assure victory. If I could use a counter-attack, maybe I could have tried something. A method to strike a vital point or to target a blind spot could have been possible.’
But…
I glanced briefly at Luciana. She seemed not to have forgotten my earlier instructions, her eyes sparkling like sapphires fixed on me. The only thing I could reveal was ‘Hans Byron.’ Even if I had the golden dagger, I couldn’t use it.
Wouldn’t there be suspicion as Frost Mane again?
‘Tch, even better. After all, I have only one goal. The pendant? Top grades? Of course, those are tempting, but the moment Marks senses his magic has been figured out, his alertness will increase, preventing Luciana from having a chance.’
-Ching!
So, I steadied my breath and took a step forward. Dodging was not an option. Simply avoiding attacks wouldn’t give Luciana any hints. I plunged relentlessly toward him, channeling all my force into the northern standard-issue dagger and swung it towards Professor Marks.
-Ching!
“…ugh.”
‘Ah, I should have brought the Raven claw!’
***
The first thought that struck her while watching the battle was dissonance.
‘Why isn’t Hans dodging the attacks?’
Luciana, who had sparred with him the most, knew well. His strength lay in his nimble footwork. His forte was neutralizing the opponent’s attacks entirely through evasion and creating unexpected opportunities to strike vulnerabilities.
However, the Hans before her now was markedly different. Even as he heaved rough breaths, he desperately charged at Marks, seemingly willing to fight to the death.
‘It’s like he’s determined to fight to the death.’
Avoidance seemed non-existent in his dictionary.
– Suddenly.
It was then that his true nature shone through most vividly in her mind. The moment he completely abandoned the attack and instead gracefully dodged his magic.
That was the Hans she knew best.
‘Why did he dodge only that?’
His ability to narrowly avoid attacks and then counterattack was Hans’s forte.
Even now, his actions were out of character.
“I recognize your tenacity. You were thinking only of the duel with me, not the pendant from the beginning… Truly a rare student these days.”
“…”
“Still, I do wonder. You ranked third in the entrance exam. I’m not sure if that was your true level, or do you have a talent for leadership?”
Even as he complimented, there was a subtle insult mixed in his provocation, but Hans remained unfazed.
Rather,
“Heh. Giving me a moment to breathe. You truly are a professor.”
Hans expressed his gratitude.
But having sparred with him often, she knew his habits.
His statement had a hint of sarcasm.
‘It’s sarcasm.’
That was also one of Hans’s strengths—provoking his opponents to distract and disrupt their concentration.
Unlike his usual aggressive self, he seemed to have no intention of attacking at all.
‘…Hans, what are you trying to show?’
There was definitely something more.
That even the renowned Lady Caspera from Class A, known for her skill, had been subdued instantly.
And that Hans was persisting with such an uncharacteristic combat style.
Suddenly, their eyes met as he turned his head. It was as if they understood each other without words. He nodded once towards her.
-Watch closely.
He signaled with his lips, then abandoned his evasion-focused stance and charged directly at the professor.
“Cough!”
“It was just a fluke.”
The cost was severe. Immediately, Hans’s arms, legs, and back twisted grotesquely—a clear result of magic.
‘How dare he harm my servant!’
She barely suppressed her rising anger. Surely, Hans’s intent wasn’t merely driven by emotion
She analyzed meticulously.
What Hans had been trying to show by sticking to such an unsuitable combat style was…
…just then.
Luciana noticed something odd in the professor’s actions. Hans had only truly exchanged blows with the professor when he was clenching his fists.
Conversely, when the professor held the wand, Hans dodged without striking any fatal blows, similar to when Lady Caspera had been rendered powerless.
And similarly, when Hans charged at him boldly only to be subdued instantly.
She could definitely see the pattern.
Clearly, it was when the old man held the wand.
As the professor again lifted his wand and moved forward,
“-That’s enough. It seems the duel is decided.”
-Swish-
Luciana drew her sword, declaring an end to the battle.
As Lady Caspera had been treated, she had no intention of leaving Hans in a humiliating position.
“This time it’s the champion, huh? Very well. Since the duel with student Byron has concluded, there’s no need to continue.”
“Eliza, take care of Hans.”
“Huh? Oh, alright!”
She had always been perceptive to her emotions. Perhaps she had noticed the icy anger, and after all, Hans was also her fiancé…
‘Enough, now is the time to focus on the professor.’
“Then let’s start the duel again. Come on in. I’ll give you the lead.”
“Drop the petty tricks.”
The old professor with the wand lounged back casually. Who would he fool? Hans had already proven what was necessary. Whatever magic he used, the moment he held the wand had to be avoided. Now was the time to focus solely on evasion. How would Hans have handled this moment when he couldn’t attack?
“…You speak harshly.”
“Well, what can’t I say to a commoner? Especially to one who doesn’t know their place.”
She mimicked him, forcing a smirk.
‘If the soldiers from the North heard this, they’d surely be shocked.’
She doesn’t despise commoners. They are either comrades-in-arms or those under her protection. But this commoner, who had harmed Hans, was definitely her enemy.
“…So you’ve seen through it. Certainly, a champion stands apart. But that changes nothing.”
Aura flared around his fist. In response, she summoned aura around her ancestral sword, a relic of pride and heritage.
-Bang!
Luciana’s eyebrows shot up instantly. She poured strength into both hands and swung her sword, only to be blocked by a single punch.
“Ho, this is the strength of a champion… Strong, indeed, but it feels too reliant on aura.”
“Shut up. I don’t want your opinion.”
Apart from that, he had touched a sore spot. She was a woman. Sne doesn’t possess the primal strength that emanates from the muscles like her brother or father. That she relies solely on aura is her weakness, something Luciana knew all too well.
“If you can’t achieve harmony, you’ll eventually fall.”
“Bitter advice, but I’ll take it into consideration.”
With each exchange, she was pushed back step by step by the professor who drew upon his hidden strength.
“Whew. But to achieve this much at your age. It has been a pleasure to see a pupil. In return, let me show you this.”
He planted his right foot on the dueling floor as if anchoring a pillar.
Using it as a support, he summoned all his strength from his core and swung his fist.
A punch compressed with aura.
Unable to withstand the impact, she inadvertently dropped her sword.
“What happened just now…”
“Not all auras are the same just because they have blossomed. There are higher stages too.”
As he casually dusted off his hands, acting as if it were no big deal, Luciana knew better.
‘I was completely mistaken. He’s beyond the level of elite knights.’
The evolution of aura.
An expert who has reached such a state could easily surpass even the most renowned knights of her family. The fact that he used high-level magic effortlessly without incantations, and now this display of his aura mastery, was telling.
“Today, we’ll end the class here. Everyone, prepare for the next lesson…….”
“Wait a moment, professor. Isn’t there something still to be settled?”
“What are you talking about..?”
Luciana could see it. The old man, glancing at his hands and then fumbling at his chest, displayed a look of confusion.
“If I may offer some advice, using big moves tends to leave you vulnerable.”
Luciana confidently reached out to pick up her sword. In that moment, a blue light flowed from the sword, shaping itself into the form of a small dagger, floating in the air.
Indeed.
It was a small aura formed by the ability of her ancestral sword. The moment Luciana seemingly ‘dropped’ her sword was calculated. From the professor’s blind spot beneath his chin, her aura had already severed the string of the pendant.
What followed was simple.
Catching the falling object with the hand that had dropped the sword was something anyone with good eyesight could do.
‘I tried mimicking Hans’s levitation magic, and it turned out quite useful.’
This was based on how he had secretly levitated an artifact to disarm her in the past. Her experience in the martial arts tournament shone through once again.
“Didn’t you promise top grades? I’ll attend all classes, so don’t worry too much.”
Luciana flashed a victorious smile towards the bewildered old man.
Cliche Novel 