Episode 20: The Path of the Graduate (4)
Two weeks ago.
I tried to ‘reproduce ability’ against Viola Orius of Black 6th class.
Since Viola is a supporting character who appears frequently in novels, I had a good understanding of her.
The skill I acquired from Viola was the A-rank Orishio hunting technique… a hunting skill belonging to the Orishio family, the monster hunters of the north.
This is because Orishius’ hunting skills also included the skill of finding monsters that were hiding their bodies.
‘Because Leicester always has Yussir by his side.’
Yusser, Lester’s confidant, uses stealth techniques of a fairly high level despite being a student.
However, even Yusher’s stealth skills are useless against Viola’s Orisius hunting skills.
Knowing that, I obtained the Orisius hunting technique from Viola.
‘With this, I took down Yusser, isolated Lester, and got my hands on the sword.’
Right now, I’m holding in my hand the real sword that Lester secretly smuggled into the Academy.
Because I had usually left it in the hands of Yuser, I was able to take it away like this.
and…….
[The abilities currently acquired through ‘Ability Reproduction’ are as follows.]
[Lancaster Sword Technique (S Rank)
[Bastian Knight Swordsmanship (A Rank)]
[Lichtenauer Renewal Technique (A Rank)]
[Orishi’s Hunting Technique (A Rank)]
[Eastern Magical Training Method (B Rank)]
Today, by shaking hands with Lester at the training grounds for a long time, I acquired the S-rank Lancaster shortsword technique.
Lancaster shortsword fighting is the pride of the Lancaster family, one of the six great swordsmanship families, and is considered to be one of the most perfect non-graduate swordsmanship techniques that do not use magic power.
It has become possible to use this type of swordsmanship with a proficiency level of S-rank.
“Ernest Landstein! What the hell is going on?!”
Lester shouted, his eyes wide open.
“That’s the sixth form of the Lancaster shortsword technique! How are you holding that stance?!”
“You have so many questions, Lester.”
I answered in a cool voice.
“Try to reason with your smart head.”
“Answer correctly!”
Lester glared at me with a scary look.
“The Lancaster shortsword is a sword technique that is only taught to those within the family! Did you bribe someone from a branch family?!”
“If you’re that curious, should we have a duel?”
“what?”
duel.
Lester’s face changed at those words.
“The Lichtenauer Academy of Swordsmanship does not encourage duels. When conflicts arise, they are to be resolved cleanly through swordplay.”
“That, so… … .”
“If you win, I’ll tell you how I learned the Lancaster shortsword.”
“… … !”
As the heir to the House of Lancaster, you will want to find out how your family’s unique swordsmanship was leaked.
Leicester can never refuse this offer.
“Instead, if I win… … .”
I said, raising a short sword about 60 centimeters long.
“I wish you would hand me this sword.”
“What, what… … !”
Lester opened his eyes wide.
“You, do you know what that sword is and say such things?!”
“This sword was made by the Speert workshop, which has produced numerous famous swords. Judging by the elaborate structure, it is the work of the first-class craftsman Trotz Speert.”
“… … !”
Lester looked surprised when I guessed correctly.
“That’s right. I paid a lot of money for the sword, so I can’t give it to you.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. We have no choice but to report to the instructor that Lester Lancaster smuggled the real sword.”
“… … !”
Lester’s face changed color at my threat.
“Of course, even if it is confiscated like that, you can recover it using your family’s power… but it would be quite a sight.”
“Ugh… … !”
Lester’s face trembled.
“Was this what you were aiming for from the beginning? To corner me and take my sword away from me?”
“Then what should we do?”
“Okay, Ernas Landstein… … .”
Lester raised his wooden sword, glaring at me with intense eyes.
“I was planning to use this exam to get my hands on you. I was planning to make you fail the exam and get you kicked out of the academy.”
Lester took the same stance as me.
Since his wooden sword was also a special wooden sword measuring 60cm long, our appearances were exactly the same.
“I won’t spare you, Ernas Landstein.”
“Thank you for giving your all to someone like me.”
“Don’t show off… … !”
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A forest at dawn with pouring rain.
In it we moved simultaneously.
The first attack was the same for both sides.
“Ugh… … !”
“… … !”
The real sword and the wooden sword clashed.
That doesn’t mean the wooden sword was cut off.
Because it is a wooden sword that has been magically processed, it will not break or anything even if it collides with a real sword.
It’s just that it doesn’t have a blade, so it can’t cut people.
“This guy… … !”
Lester swung his sword quickly.
It was a unique and versatile movement characteristic of the Lancaster shortsword.
‘Each attack is short and quick!’
If it were like before, I would have been attacked in an instant and suffered a decisive blow.
But now I could perfectly understand Lester’s every move.
Because I had mastered the Lancaster shortsword technique to the same level as Lester.
“You, you really know the Lancaster shortsword… …!”
Using the Lancaster Shortsword, counter Lester’s Lancaster Shortsword.
My physical abilities are weaker than Lester’s, but I can more than make up for it by utilizing my magical powers.
‘Besides, unlike Leicester… I still have my stamina intact.’
Meanwhile, I was hiding in a cave, resting leisurely.
Viola also filled her hunger with the rabbit she caught.
Unlike Lester, who continued to wander through the mountains in search of me, I was still in good physical condition.
“Ugh… … !”
But Leicester was no pushover either.
He gritted his teeth and launched successive attacks, thoroughly exploiting my weaknesses.
If I let my guard down even a little, Leicester’s quick attack will hit my weak spot.
“I can’t lose to someone like you!”
Lester shouted in the pouring rain.
“I am the successor to the Lancaster family! I am the man who will rise to the top of the six great swordsmanship families!”
“So what, Lester?”
I responded by parrying Lester’s attack.
“There are many people in this Lichtenauer Academy of Swordsmanship who think exactly like you.”
“You… … !”
“You will never reach the top of the six great swordsmanship families anyway.”
bang!
Lester’s eyes widened as he saw the wooden sword denting.
No matter how magically enhanced a wooden sword is, it is inevitable that it will get scratched if it collides with the famous sword made by the Supert Workshop so often.
“That position will be taken by Ernas Landstein.”
“cheeky……!”
Leicester roared and showed off more flashy skills.
It was a swordsmanship that was almost like dancing with a sword.
But I noticed that Leicester was being pushy.
‘You’re not distributing your stamina properly.’
You’re so excited by my provocation that you’re attacking too hastily.
The usual Leicester would not have done this.
If I can defend that attack here properly, I can drain Leicester’s stamina even more.
“… … !”
Papa Pot!
He perfectly deflected Leicester’s successive attacks.
It was the moment when the S-rank Lancaster short sword technique shone.
“You… … !”
I could feel Lester breathing heavily.
It was hard to see because of the pouring rain, but he must have been sweating profusely all over his body.
“What the hell is going on? I thought you were good at surprise attacks, but your Lancaster shortsword skills are on par with mine… … .”
“… … .”
“Are you saying that you’re some kind of… swordsmanship genius?”
Hearing that question, I smiled bitterly.
“Well, not quite there yet.”
Fake genius, fake genius.
Like Ernas Landstein in the novel, I am not a real genius.
“But… I plan to reach that level someday.”
Not a fake genius, but a real genius.
That is my goal in being reborn as Ernas Landsstein.
* * *
‘What an impertinent bastard… … !’
Lester gritted his teeth.
‘I too am a man who was praised and called a genius. I can’t lose to someone like you!’
However, it was true that Leicester was at a disadvantage.
Ernas was holding a real sword and seemed to have plenty of stamina.
Meanwhile, Lester’s wooden sword was getting more and more scratched, and his stamina was running low.
‘How to get out of this situation… … .’
A few secret techniques of Lancaster swordsmanship came to mind.
But if Ernas knows all those techniques and even knows the destruction method… Lester will completely lose confidence.
‘So… this is the only way.’
Lester concentrated in the rain.
And activated Mana Heart.
‘I’m blowing my magic power into the wooden sword!’
In order to infuse magic power into a blade, two conditions must be met.
You must be skilled in controlling your magical power, and the magical power itself must be sufficiently large.
Lester thinks he already has good control over his magical powers… but his magical powers are a little lacking.
This is because only about 70% of the red elixir’s magical power was absorbed.
‘Still, that’s the only way here!’
Originally, Lester had planned to slowly reach the graduate level.
But now that it’s come to this, there’s nothing we can do about it.
We must challenge the graduate level here and now.
“Phew… … .”
He concentrated the magical power flowing through his blood vessels into his right hand.
And then, paying careful attention, he channeled his magical power towards the wooden sword.
‘The flow of magical power must not be interrupted! If it is, the magical power will disperse, and you will lose the magical power you have gained by taking the elixir!’
A white light slowly began to flicker on the wooden sword.
Lester smiled in satisfaction as he watched the magic being applied smoothly.
‘Yeah, if this is it… … !’
Lester raised his wooden sword with a confident expression.
“How is it, Ernas? I have already reached the level of a graduate… … .”
But, at that moment.
Lester was breathless.
Even the real sword that Ernas was holding… was imbued with white light.
“what…….”
Feeling dizzy, Lester opened his mouth.
“What are you doing, Ernas… … .”
“What are you doing?”
In the raindrops, Ernas answered with a steady voice.
“Didn’t you just say that?”
“Me, me?”
“Yes, Lester.”
Ernas changed his posture.
The 7th form of the Lancaster short sword.
A stance taken when you are confident that you can deliver a decisive blow to your opponent.
“This is the realm of graduates.”
“… … !”
Lester felt his head heat up.
No matter how I looked at it, the magical power that Ernas had deployed seemed more evident.
“That can’t be true! How could someone like you… … !”
It was ridiculous.
Are you saying that Ernas has better control over his magic?
Are you saying that Ernas absorbed more magic power from the elixir?
That couldn’t be happening. It shouldn’t have happened.
“There’s no way someone like you could be better than this so-called ‘genius’ Lester Lancaster… …!”
Right then.
As Lester’s concentration was disrupted, the flow of magic was interrupted.
Then, the magical power that had been deployed in the wooden sword began to disperse to the surroundings.
“oh……!”
The magical power you gained by taking the elixir will disappear.
Lester Lancaster, the ‘genius’ of Class 5 White…was not yet at the level to challenge the level of a graduate.
“… … !”
And then, finally, Ernas moved.
Leicester tried desperately to defend, but it was no use.
The blade wrapped in white light completely cut off Lester’s wooden sword.
‘That is the proof that you have reached the level of a graduate… sword spirit!’
Ernas’s sword energy flashed towards Lester, who was feeling a sense of hopeless defeat.
