The privileges held by those in a different class are immense.
From the freedom of wearing uniforms to the quality of food and dormitories.
In a place where living conditions depend on academic performance, it was natural for students to be obsessed with it.
One of the privileges of Class A is the freedom to use the training grounds, which other students can only access by making a reservation.
Even now, returning late from a dispatched lesson when the use of the training grounds is restricted, this privilege applied.
While other students could only suck their fingers due to curfew, we could freely open the well-prepared training grounds.
“It’s deserted because there’s no one here. It’s perfect for clashing swords.”
Theodore Treja.
The nickname “Sword Saint” was given to his daughter, Luciana.
Though the lower title of “Sword King” was also taken by the crown prince.
“Show me your skills, friend.”
His fighting spirit was not inferior to either of them.
Hence, he was called a Sword Hero, a nickname given to the tragic genius who could not become either a Sword Saint or a Sword King.
In the game, Theodore was not particularly fond of this, but that’s beside the point.
‘I have to fight someone like that now, huh?’
Calming my slight nervousness, I stared at him as he confidently smiled.
Even though I managed to elevate my abilities through various means, Hans Byron’s body was originally a talentless, useless entity.
However, as with short and long things, you can’t tell until you measure.
I had also built up a considerable amount.
Srrrng-
“Though my connection with Lord Treja is short and my qualifications are lacking, I will do my best in this match.”
My cherished blade, with a clear blue steel color, contrasted with his dark, ominous one.
But then.
“Hoo. At first glance, it’s an exceptional sword.”
Though his words were praise, his expression held the opposite emotion.
Furthermore, he did not hide it.
“…It seems I’ve been underestimated. I must have lacked in my training. I didn’t expect to be looked down upon by my sparring partner.”
“Haha, did you notice? As expected, you’re very perceptive. That’s why you’re serving Lady Speda, after all.”
The formalities lasted only for a moment.
He resumed speaking with the fierce air of a warrior.
“But seriously, Byron, a dagger? Is that your main weapon?”
“Yes, it is.”
“A dagger… It’s a good weapon, but only as a secondary one.”
The question in Theodore’s sharp eyes was clear.
Is a dagger really your best choice?
I understood why he was reacting that way.
The East had a culture that seemed to transplant martial arts directly into fantasy.
For someone like Theodore Treja, who was born and raised there, a dagger was merely a secondary weapon for emergencies or a tool for crafting leather.
As if to demonstrate this, Theodore Treja, wearing a mask of exuberance, offered advice.
“In every military book from the East, it always says that the spear is the king of all weapons. Do you know why they say that?”
“Is it because of its reach?”
“You understand very well.”
Reach.
The range where one could attack the enemy while ensuring their own safety.
The longer it is, the more advantageous it is.
In the first place, isn’t a battle between a mage and a warrior decided by whether the distance is closed or not?
The same logic applied here.
Among weapons, the spear with the longest reach is the king of all weapons.
The dagger with the shortest reach is the weakest.
Such a plausible piece of advice.
Hah, look at this guy. Who’s he lecturing?
If provoking was his goal, he achieved it splendidly.
Disturbing an opponent’s composure is part of battle strategy.
But there was something that arrogant Theodore Treja overlooked.
Even setting aside the assaults I faced as Frost Mane and with the Kerzo Cult.
I am the one who officially defeated Luciana Speda, the Sword Expert.
“Haha. That’s an interesting theory. But there are truths in this world that cannot be found in military texts.”
Moreover, no one could match me in provoking an opponent with words.
“According to Lord Treja’s logic, a dagger can never beat a spear. Yet, we often see exceptions to this.”
“Exceptions?”
“For example, there’s the bow. Or more commonly here, where most members are nobles, magic.”
The spear? It does have the longest reach among weapons.
But what about the bow, which has a longer range?
Or even more so, magic, whose range is immeasurable?
“Do you believe that having a longer range means it’s impossible to defeat an archer or a mage?”
…Huh.
Theodore Treja let out a dry laugh, at a loss for words.
Generally, having a longer range is advantageous in battle.
That’s nonsense.
A spear has a long shaft, making its preparatory movements long.
A bow needs to be loaded with an arrow.
Magic, compared to aura, is less effective in close combat and has lower output.
Every weapon has its strengths and weaknesses.
The same goes for the dagger.
As he pointed out, it has range issues, but its destructive power and potential for creating unexpected situations in close combat are immense.
I smiled broadly at him, adding a clearly proven “truth” to my own ‘advice’.
“If you only focus on the disadvantages like that, how can you develop an eye for assessing the battlefield? Step away from books and gain more experience in actual combat.”
A mockery disguised as advice.
Seeing Theodore’s face deteriorate in real-time was a sight to behold!
The face of a handsome man full of exuberant spirit wilted like a pickle left to rot for months.
“Kuh, hahaha! Well, I gave you unnecessary advice! If you’re ranked third in the entrance exam, you’re a better warrior than I am!”
“Additionally, I have a record of defeating Lady Luciana, whom Lord Treja has never bested.”
But stopping here would be unworthy of the nickname Frostmane.
I maintained decorum, yet still cut down his pride as much as possible.
The result was…
“As much as your eloquence is excellent, I hope your swordsmanship is too!”
Though he tried to mask it as a spar, his hurried steps forward proved otherwise.
That guy was truly pissed off.
‘Why poke at someone who’s just standing still?’
When the guilty party gets angry, how astonished must the innocent bystander be?
Just as the sages pointed out about impudence.
Instead of reflection, Theodore Treja chose to attack.
– Clang!
The black dagger and the steel phantom sword clashed.
“Hahaha! For all that big talk, your strength is rather disappointing.”
“Unfortunately, strength and aura are not my specialties.”
As expected of a main character candidate, his strength was immense.
However,
“It’s not so weak that I can’t endure it.”
As I slightly lifted the corner of my mouth, a crack appeared on Theodore Treja’s smooth forehead.
While passion and competitive spirit are excellent fuels for growth, they can sometimes dry out one’s rationality.
He pushed forward, swinging his sword again.
I narrowly retreated, kicking off the ground.
‘Hmm, not bad.’
Even in his heated state, his fluid movements and light steps were commendable.
But his limits were clear.
In terms of speed, Luciana was more troublesome, and in terms of power, demons like Iskadel and Lexton were more daunting.
Though he shouted with determination and swung his sword with all his might, he was still lacking.
His attacks were easy to dodge and parry.
He was the perfect training dummy for me.
‘Is this all he has?’
Honestly, I was a bit disappointed.
It was the same when I faced the crown prince and now as well.
Their abilities were far below my expectations.
I could handle them without using my strengths in evasion and counterattack.
Maybe I overestimated them, having seen their grown-up versions in the game.
I sighed, dodging his sword strike, and whispered in his ear.
“Passion is good, but don’t get fixated on immediate moves.”
He glared at me with a flushed face.
“In this losing position, you have the nerve to lecture me?!”
“That may be so, but…”
“There’s nowhere left for you to run! I’ll finish this!”
He abandoned his formal tone and swung his sword.
The diagonal slash intended to cut through my dagger and reach my body.
‘He’s blinded by arrogance and humiliation.’
I clicked my tongue and corrected my stance.
It was true that I had been retreating the entire match due to my lack of strength.
However, the battlefield is not something that can be decided by a momentary advantage.
Especially with someone who recklessly charges forward like this, it’s much easier to turn the tide.
‘Clashing head-on like before is impossible.’
Considering the gap between us and the reinforcement from the drop.
Taking his attack head-on would mean my defeat.
In that case, I just needed to deflect it.
Moreover,
‘To prepare him for the unpredictable enemies he will face in the future, a bit of a lesson wouldn’t hurt.’
I abandoned the idea of parrying with my sword and took a step forward.
A reckless charge, ignoring defense.
An outrageous attempt only possible with a dagger made Theodor widen his eyes.
“Huh! Are you willing to take an injury! Fine, such passion! I’ll meet you… no?!”
His sword sliced across my chest.
No.
It cut through the shell covering my chest.
[Activating Stone Skin]
[You have deflected Theodor Treja’s sword attack.]
‘The Gargoyle trait is really useful in fights between real warriors.’
Seeing his dismayed face, I swung my leg.
“Ugh!”
“Stop whining. How painful can it be to get kicked by me?”
Seriously, whether it’s the crown prince or the main character candidates, what on earth did they eat to grow like this?
‘It hurts like hell… these monsters.’
Even though I hit his vulnerable body precisely, I felt more pain in my foot than he did in his abdomen.
Trying not to show it, I gave him a sly smile.
“However, you must know yourself. If I had used my dagger a moment ago, I would have won.”
“…Kuh!”
His hand holding the sword trembled.
His eyebrows furrowed, and his lips were tightly clenched.
Clearly, his competitive spirit made him resent his defeat deeply.
Considering how much he prided himself on his knowledge of weapons, this lesson must sting even more.
And so, it was a face I rather liked.
If I were to describe it doppelganger-style, it was like a bag of essential mixed nuts.
Theodore’s frustrated expression was sweet, salty, and even savory the more I savored it.
‘…Oops! This isn’t the time for that.’
Was I really basking in the satisfaction of landing a good hit?
The fact that the main character candidate I had to face calamity with was subpar was alarming in another sense.
Facing calamity alone is absolutely impossible.
In the end, I had to nurture these individuals with the greatest potential in this world.
Like it or not, they were my teammates.
“…I’ve learned something. As expected of the third place in the entrance exam. I haven’t felt this kind of wall since Luciana.”
A wall, you say?
To me, it seemed more like a wall made of wax.
Honestly, my current specs aren’t that great.
Didn’t I just hurt myself by kicking Theodore?
To be frank, if he had responded a bit more calmly, I would have struggled quite a bit.
“Lord Treja, do you remember what I said?”
“You said not to fixate on immediate moves.”
“Exactly.”
Just now too.
It’s usually the disadvantaged side that throws a gambit.
Theodore, who was in a favorable position, had no obligation to accept it.
Well, that’s that.
It’s a habit typical of an aggressive warrior.
The problem is what comes next.
“Before getting caught up in the opponent’s moves, you need to think about your next move. At the very least, to prepare for it.”
He showed no such movement at all.
He just relied on his reckless charge, only to helplessly accept defeat.
“The next move, huh.”
“No matter how the opponent neutralizes your attack, you must always consider your next move. Whether you abandon your sword and retreat or engage in a physical struggle with a broken stance.”
In fact, either way, there’s a loss.
It’s just about preventing a complete defeat.
‘In any case, he needs to abandon that reckless aggression.’
Well, I’ve given him something to think about.
Whether he takes my advice seriously and grows from it, or lets it go in one ear and out the other and falls behind, is entirely up to him.
I watched him silently with his mouth firmly closed.
“Thanks to my dear friend today, I’ve learned a valuable lesson.”
Fortunately, he proved himself to be a main character candidate.
He sheathed his sword, bowed respectfully, and then stepped forward to shake my hand.
“May I request another sparring match in the future?”
“I would welcome that.”
“Haha! You take it so well. Just watch, next time I’ll defeat you, Hans.”
‘Hans?’
Not Byron, but Hans.
After just one match, Theodor changed the way he addressed me.
‘Come to think of it, he did that in the game too.’
In private, he always called those he considered friends by their names without hesitation.
Even during the northern dispatch, if he hadn’t been an outsider, he would have called Luciana and Camilla by their names.
Now, I was also within that ‘friend’ category.
[The perception of the Treja Ducal House has changed]
[Neutral -> Interested]
Along with his change in attitude, the status window confirmed it.
As I wiped off my sweat with a towel from the training ground and reorganized myself, Theodore approached.
“Hans, since you’ve given me such valuable lessons, let me treat you. How about a drink?”
“I must decline. I have to attend to Lady Luciana afterward.”
“Huh, that’s unfortunate. When will you be available next?”
Seeing Theodore, I could understand how Camilla felt about him in the north.
‘This guy, trying to casually put his arm around my shoulder.’
It was quite bothersome to fend off his attempts to drape his arm over my shoulder.
Sorry, but I draw the line at men.
The only person who can touch my shoulder is Luciana.
“Well, if not a drink, then at least let me treat you to a meal. Please, let me repay the debt I owe you!”
“That’s…”
“Great! I know a fantastic restaurant on the academy’s main street. Follow me!”
What a bothersome hot-blooded guy.
Shaking my head, I followed him.
‘No need to refuse a free meal.’
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot on gathering information, leaving my pockets empty.
A nice meal on the young duke’s tab doesn’t sound bad.
***
However, that meal never happened.
“Are you Sir Hans Byron?”
As we stepped into the marketplace, a sturdy man approached us and blocked our path.
A uniform adorned with elaborate golden embroidery.
A blue tassel symbolizing the imperial family’s hair on his chest.
There was no need to ask.
Nodding to the summons of this high-ranking guard, I replied.
“Yes, but what is this about?”
“His Highness, the Third Prince is looking for you. Could you come with me?”
Stunned by an unexpected summons, I could only blink in surprise.
Cliche Novel 