The Academy’s Hard-Headed Swordmaster

From the day after I collapsed while swinging my sword, I devoted myself to training every single day.

Sir Leon watched me with an intensely peculiar gaze as if he found my diligence strange.

‘Is this guy gay?’

Around the time that thought crossed my mind, Sir Leon called me over, saying he wanted to show me something interesting.

Just as I suspected that my doubts might turn into reality—what he showed me wasn’t a hidden dragon in his pants, but something else entirely.

“There are four powers in this world. Are you aware of them?”

“Like, gravity and stuff?”

“Gravity…? No, Aura, Force, Magic Power, and Divine Power.”

Quite familiar words flowed from Sir Leon’s mouth. Aura, Force, Magic Power, and Divine Power. The four powers players could choose from in the game.

The powers that allowed one to cleave rocks with a sword and make people fly in the sky.

“Young Master Kyle, as the eldest son of a knightly family, you will learn Aura.”

“Can’t I learn the others?”

“Well, you could learn magic, but… it would be difficult. Unlike Aura, it requires a lot of talent.”

He said that to become a magician, one needed not only talent in Magic Power but also the intelligence to understand spells and the perseverance to study for 10 or 20 hours at a time.

In other words, unless I was born a mutant genius, magic was a pipe dream.

“What about the others? Like Force or Divine Power?”

“Force is an innate superpower. It’s a kind of power that can’t be learned or taught. As for Divine Power… Do you wish to become a priest, Young Master?”

“No, not really.”

“Then, in the end, all that’s left is Aura.”

At Sir Leon’s words, I expressed my disappointment.

Looking at protagonists in movies and comics, they often had hidden bloodlines or something, allowing them to wield all sorts of powers—I seemed to have none of that.

As if reading my mind from my expression, Sir Leon chuckled.

“The environment and talent to learn Aura are remarkable in themselves. It’s not inferior to Magic Power, Force, or Divine Power.”

“No, it’s not that I dislike it.”

“Your perspective will change once you see it. I’ll show you myself.”

Saying so, Sir Leon drew his wooden sword.

Gripping the sword, he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and began to emanate something.

“Knights who wield Aura are divided into three stages.”

The something that was fluctuating around his body was suddenly absorbed into him with his breath. In that state, Sir Leon swung the wooden sword.

A speed so fast it was almost invisible. A swing so fast it seemed physically impossible whizzed past me.

“First, the Aura User stage, where you can strengthen your body with Aura.”

“Oh, is the next stage Expert, and the final stage Master?”

“……Where did you hear that?”

“No, it’s just too obvious.”

I recalled the settings I had seen in the game. The settings, seemingly copied from some generic fantasy novel, were maintained in reality.

‘Even so, the names are so uninspired.’

It was just Beginner, Expert, Master translated into English.

I almost burst out laughing. I managed to suppress my snort and looked at Sir Leon.

Sir Leon realized I knew about Aura, but he didn’t stop his lesson.

“As you know, when you can imbue Aura into things other than your body, you become an Expert.”

*Bam!*

After shattering a log with a swing of his wooden sword, Sir Leon sheathed it.

“And when you can project Aura outside your body, you become a Master.”

“Aren’t you going to show me the projecting part?”

“Hahaha, you’re quite funny, Young Master.”

Sir Leon averted his gaze, scratching his cheek as if embarrassed.

“I apologize, but I haven’t reached the Master level yet. It’s not that easy.”

“Are Masters that rare?”

“Among knights, of course, and even the Count hasn’t reached the Master level.”

“Huh, not even Dad?”

“Yes. Reaching the Master level isn’t something anyone can easily achieve. If Young Master were to reach the Master level, you would earn the title of Sword Saint, and at the same time—”

At the same time— As if imagining the ideal existence he only dreamed of, Sir Leon looked up at the sky and spoke.

“You would be able to achieve anything you desire, Young Master.”

“Could I even become a King or Emperor?”

“Hmm—Emperor is a bit… Perhaps the king of a small country might be possible.”

“What, so it’s not anything?”

Hearing my grumbling, Sir Leon just chuckled and looked at me.

I hopped off the log I was sitting on and said,

“Well… I guess I’ll have to work really hard to get there, right?”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Then let’s go train—right now.”

I started running, leaving Sir Leon behind.

There was nothing new to the training anyway.

That’s what effort is. A series of painful routines.

Even though success isn’t guaranteed at the end—I pushed myself into the pain.

* * *

Three months had already passed since I started pestering Sir Leon for training. During that time, the territory had become strangely busy.

Feeling puzzled, I asked my tutor, and he looked down at me with surprise.

“Isn’t the Head of the family returning from the expedition soon? Did you not know?”

“Uh… This is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

“—I told you a month ago, before the start of the lesson. It seems you weren’t paying attention in class.”

“Oops.”

In the end, I was caught for spacing out and even had to take a pop quiz reviewing past lessons.

Realizing that I remembered almost nothing from the quiz, the tutor started fuming, vowing to make me study again.

I skillfully dodged his rage and escaped, heading towards the training ground.

“Sir… Leon?”

Unfortunately, there was no one at the training ground.

Well, it was true that the Count was returning soon.

It would be strange for the Count’s knights, his vassals, not to go and greet him.

Staring blankly at the deserted training ground, I strapped on the wooden sword Sir Leon had made for me and started running around the training field.

What does it matter if I’m alone?

What does it matter if things are this way or that? Life is lived alone anyway.

“Let’s goooo!”

After running alone and desolately around the training field and finishing my wooden sword practice, I returned to the mansion.

The Count, who had returned at some point, greeted me.

* * *

“Welcome back, Count.”

“Hmm.”

The Head of House Meyer, Carl Meyer, received a report from his knight and vassal, Leon, about what had transpired in the territory during his absence.

The territory was peaceful, with no damage from monsters or bandits.

In a way, it was only natural.

He had set up the system so that the territory would run smoothly even without him.

“Anything unusual?”

“The Young Master has begun learning the sword.”

“Kyle has?”

However, things don’t always go as planned.

Hearing that his son had started learning the sword, the Count began to smile.

Like father, like son, perhaps.

He had thought Kyle would want to play for at least a few more years.

“Does he have any aptitude?”

“……It’s surprising.”

“Oh? You say that?”

Carl looked at Leon as he spoke.

Leon nodded seriously.

Leon was the most skilled knight, trusted by the Count.

He hadn’t left him in charge of the territory for nothing.

For such a knight to say it was surprising… he couldn’t even imagine the level of skill.

“What have you taught him?”

“Just the basic cuts, swings, and thrusts.”

“Didn’t he complain?”

“I told him you would teach him.”

“He still could have whined about wanting to learn other techniques.”

The Count said he would see for himself and headed to the training ground with Leon.

More precisely, to the corridor overlooking the training ground.

In the empty training ground, due to the welcome ceremony for the Count’s return, only one person, Kyle, was swinging a sword.

He could have been displeased that his son was swinging a sword instead of coming to greet his returning father, but the Count was rather pleased with the sight.

“……Sir Leon. How many months has it been since you started teaching him?”

“It’s been three months now.”

Three months… Recalling the time when he learned the sword, the Count watched Kyle’s swordsmanship and groaned.

He had reached that level in just three months?

Even if he had been learning the sword for three years, not three months, it would have been unbelievable.

His swordsmanship was impeccable.

While the Count was expressing his admiration inwardly, Leon, who was also watching, delivered even more shocking news.

“He’s been like that since I first started teaching him.”

“……What?”

When he looked at Leon in disbelief, Leon simply nodded slightly, as if to confirm he wasn’t joking.

Realizing his son’s talent, the Count abandoned the idea of teaching him himself in a few years.

With such talent, a second Master might appear after the first Head of the family.

A Sword Saint who would make the family great…

“I must see his face.”

“I’ll bring him.”

“—Don’t interrupt his training. Bring him after he’s finished.”

The Count left those words and headed to the dining hall.

He had a mountain of work to do, but… how could he not throw a party on a day like this?

* * *

While I was swinging my sword in the training ground, I felt someone watching me. It was Sir Leon, and as soon as my training ended, he took me to the Head’s office.

Dragged to the Head’s office without even washing off my sweat, I faced the Count who was waiting for me.

Realizing belatedly that I hadn’t greeted the Head of the family upon his return from the expedition, I hurriedly bowed.

“Kyle, how have you been?”

“Fine, Dad.”

The Count, back from the expedition, looked quite tired, but the smile never left his face.

He ruffled my hair in a manly way, and as if he had seen me swinging my sword earlier, he mentioned the training I would have starting tomorrow.

“From now on, you’ll learn swordsmanship from me.”

“Uh… Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.”

The Count and I had a common, un-noble-like father-son conversation.

Mid-conversation, as if remembering something belatedly, the Count let out an “Ah,” and dropped a bombshell.

“Come to think of it, your fiancée will be visiting tomorrow.”

“……Excuse me?”

I tilted my head as if I had misheard the Count. But the Count just grinned without correcting himself.

Staring blankly at him, I let out a hollow laugh.

Count, no, Father. A fiancée at this age…?