Chapter 308: Kang Geom-Ma, the Star Instructor (1)
tMdcSaki Ryozo and Princess Victoria. From the beginning, the tension between the two women was palpable.TlV8
wKLlKEven with the director seated, the student Victoria looked down on her with disdain, creating an atmosphere thick with hostility.ICCg98
QdWT“Princess.”oIL
EN9N527It was the director who broke the silence. A deep sigh brushed against the tip of her pen.FbDxMZD
e30zG“Showing up unannounced in the director’s office is a violation of the rules.”vdX
VLSwIpE“Even if I had requested a formal audience, you wouldn’t have granted it. I believe you’re the one neglecting your staff. I said I wanted to come in and they let me through without question.”vGmeB
RU37J“…”ntrL
scYSaki glanced at the closed door. A moment later, the hinge trembled slightly. Choi Seol-Ah, who had been pressed against it, flinched.iyDcA4
fyLrIeHer paycheck would be docked this month. Pretending to nod in resignation, Saki turned her attention back to the princess.8bsu1h
UoIk“In any case, someone of your status can’t be bound by regulations. After all, you’re the princess of the British Empire.”RiLJO
N7nH0A wrinkle formed between the princess’s refined brows.3hm
JEHW7dg“…Since the entrance ceremony, you’ve shown blatant disregard for people, Director. And you don’t even hide it. Don’t you think that shows a lack of social maturity?”4gob
nNz7“Victoria, student.”T6w
3cvl3Ryozo’s eyes widened slightly, issuing a warning.dRuv
TFJ0“Don’t cross the line.”gIy0
obTaIVAt that moment, the window hinge creaked. Victoria’s proudly raised nose, as if it might pierce the ceiling, lowered slowly.u03Iw
VRptkpL“Perhaps I’m not ready to be an adult either,” Saki murmured, holding back her anger.cjTQ
1YRjU“Hik, hek!!”K6wH
AhKFinally, Victoria exhaled the breath she’d been holding and coughed heavily, clutching her chest.Bsyzd7
44DGzU3Saki observed in silence, and only once the coughing subsided, she spoke again.JucYogd
T2SiO9g“You know perfectly well that the measure against Marquis Sard wasn’t a personal punishment, Princess.”4QTI
utfxplH“Krrrk…”EfNARoI
NFSw3xyVictoria ground her teeth, glaring fiercely.4G4t7S
dApqi“I understand your stance completely, Your Highness. But that was a legitimate sanction. It was the shadow clan Auditore themselves who intervened.”DMQ2a
esRTnTB“Are you saying the Auditores are above the system?”R2aug
P8DJThe director replied coldly.24B
lSnn“Let me turn the question back to you—are you above academy regulations, Princess?”MB6
dc9RM9“…”7DDIZ
GLA“Then close the door and leave.”eYlE4E
3CYn7Saki pointed her pen toward the door.62UnBG
JZ8QVictoria opened her mouth, but finally clenched it shut and turned abruptly, sending a gust of air through the room.5aQyme9
s9V“Princess.”fsMwI
DoRuSrJSaki called just as Victoria grabbed the doorknob.Al1U
Fdq8n0“Even if I don’t particularly like you, there’s one obligation every student must uphold.”Q4iM
gV9yN“…It’s hardly appropriate for someone who releases spiritual energy at a student to speak of obligations.”esWN
yART95Victoria slightly turned her head to retort.iv8zg
Hk44“If that’s the effect my presence has, then…”JmQYPaN
g3r8zjThe sharp gaze of an archer locked onto her profile.MOu
iyPZUSt“If you meet Heavenly Sword, you might die.”rO95F
kTsUkfVictoria swallowed hard. She knew the current director didn’t joke.IN7
pb6WTy***Bz3p
XHyQ9pAt the same time.5C2yX
7KXYDfElsewhere on the Joaquin Academy campus, a national-level meeting was underway.oeUv
GnMdaThe exact location was a secluded path near the special building.M9mbKZg
ZPDFmV7More precisely, beneath bare branches trembling in the March cold.FAvmKS
uLUMjn9There, like a plague of rats… no, rather, like tiny shadows the size of acorns, several figures gathered.Z48kiKr
HdJThey formed a perfectly orderly line. At the center, a squirrel proclaimed the meeting open.L8ko7
Xagz5m“(Did everyone sleep well during hibernation?)”EpIDMf
gd7QfQThough it was actually a rodent’s squeak, we’ll translate it into human language for convenience.XRfEZT
jVRmyWa“(Yes, sir. Did you have a peaceful night as well, Commander?)”G5z9
Mjk“(Hehehe.)”sEcgp
V3ZfThe lead squirrel smiled proudly.Lj4
Rp1z7“(I’m free from hibernation. While you all slept, I stored enough acorns to welcome spring.)”OZwWn
jf4c2Y“(Ooooh! Our worthy king!)”9ODdO
96vj“(Only you do we revere. Ramen.)”L4RuiSW
hqAsJBasking in the praise, he smiled.5nx0
cRbHis identity was… the ancient founding hero who once fought Balor Joaquin as an equal.LZEU
FWPdEEUThe only mortal recognized by the Sword God, the First Corps Commander, Lycan.avmh
jz26Once, Lycan had it all—a demon, a swordsman, a name of glory.UBc73h
Gw8A14NNow, he lived a new life as Ramzy Thunder, a squirrel.FbRT
H50bkWhat began as a hobby had become second nature. It was no longer a disguise; it had become his skin.7Ms
4BN“(Lord Lycan.)”tmDOF
wtMnkA squirrel approached with a bow. The distinctive stripes on his back marked him as the secretary.zmUOQ
pbfeeYV“(What is it?)”o7eQ
Q0NfGw“(It’s not major, but we’ve received reports that some acorns in this area are showing anomalies.)”qq7
RCa“(Hmm? Show me.)”MTW0c7
0qVD“(I anticipated this. I brought one to confirm.)”xIui
66gRMThe secretary pulled an acorn from his mouth, cheeks deflating instantly.wHPNhP
HtPNQCc“(As you can see by the color, it’s not a typical acorn. But it’s not rotten either.)”9kE2WXz
36L6Y“(Hmm…)”Rnm5
3jSLwHLycan rotated the acorn between his paws, examining it.PqqdGV
jPdVQ9m“(This is…)”iar1ha
Mhv“(Have you discovered something?!)”i16OxQ
EEGZe“(Ohhh! Lord of Acorns! Only ramen, ramen eternal!)”7gFt
HoiY4Yd“(Silence.)”yWG
HGqJyWith a solemn voice, he brought calm. An owl took flight, and some leaves fell from the tree.ad0
IDkzey“(It’s tainted with demonic energy.)”jMx0d
UK5“(Demonic, you say…?)”zs8HI6f
bQ2Qhm“(It means there’s energy here that shouldn’t be.)”53fEO
1UNThe squirrels trembled in fear. They didn’t fully understand, but if their lord was serious, that was reason enough to be afraid.ITNPTlH
USeu9“(W-what should we do?)”bCEe5
21W“(Please, give the order… a command!)”tgRSu
dNYl“(I will issue my decree.)”6rtYD5
AmP7lAll the squirrels snapped to attention in unison. More orderly than any army.17K
xraOp“(From now on, if you find an acorn like this, report it immediately to the secretary. Specify exactly where and from which tree it was taken. And above all, under no circumstances are you to eat it.)”nSHM
Mwak1Eu“(Yes, sir!)”tvQL
Yvbnvd“(Good. Dismissed.)”mMHrLU
WpyWThe group of squirrels scattered nimbly.FewqAP
y6b“(Lord Lycan.)”N7gY
LQpCB“(I want to be alone for now.)”VLw
fKOaBThe secretary was the last to leave. Seeing Lycan’s serious expression, he saluted respectfully and vanished into the underbrush.AhY
D2r4NEH“(Something is not flowing as it should…)”G0A
qMDCqqOHe murmured while staring at the crescent moon hanging among the clouds.qX0
yu0“I’d better check for myself.”eXs
o8W8oWhoosh—oCX
heKISgtA sudden wind blew. In the next instant, the branch Lycan stood on charred slightly, leaving only a trail of golden particles.dB2V
2Zdd3He recalled his past.
The time he was thrown alone into a strange world.PfX
XHJCompared to those days of absolute suffering…v0tr
wEChHe now lived a comfortable life.EuIqOTp
jRuStep by step, we’ll uncover this new mystery.Y0l4HGN
UeQJv***ETau4O
gg0Yu Sein, with a serious expression, said she would handle the investigation. She told me to focus on my current life for now. So, I decided to follow her advice.P24
1C9The next day.7r8Hf
3I3V“Good morning.”hzFBnW
yTVcAs in recent days, I stepped up to the podium. I glanced broadly across the classroom.VoyD0Fb
PljOO7“Hmm.”aV8v
nw9xThe numbers had dwindled significantly. On the first day, you couldn’t even squeeze in a pin, but now there were so many absentees that it was possible to memorize who was who.3Yn
Q4wWzbRMy teaching style had been so harsh that many students had dropped out.GPf
JOy‘Maybe I overestimated them a bit.’qll
FWgKHeroes are tough folks. And even more so at Joaquin Academy, where the toughest among the tough are trained. I thought they could take it.kYY19Fk
ihONz“G-good… morning, Mr. Heavenly Sword…”08ajBP8
FYHIBREveryone greeted me instinctively, but their voices sounded like the sigh of a terminally ill patient.udPwG
iVTAfter dying several times in subspace, they seemed withered. Their pupils were so dull they looked like the undead.oZStg9d
063Z7cSeeing them like that reminded me of what Ryozo told me last night.swOpG9L
LTx— Kids these days can’t be treated that harshly.eXk
A8ykUvSThe fact that she said it with that scolding tone while being part of “kids these days” herself was kind of cute.YEoYg
M2kqAnyway, I decided to take her advice. It was time to change the class approach.EIx
MTDDGBesides, I didn’t have many days left with chalk in hand. Maybe about fifteen?V8BKs5
4mPzCdAfter that, I’d return to my real job.limhE
L0oIfV1Monitoring the situation between the Demon Kingdom and the human world.Zkrk4sT
gEDlSm‘Since it’s the final stretch of the course, I’ll leave a good impression.’AehZvP
h4GAI spoke casually.APi
BVRL7cM“There won’t be a dying-in-subspace class today.”MshM0L
ezFK9Og“E-excuse me… what?”RXr
X5C6ABEveryone blinked, confused.XGr
vutacgBut soon, color returned to their faces. It was like watching the undead come back to life.slT
uWcZweM“R-really?!”dXAq
AMmeqCg“Yes. I think my special training was too intense.”FbEbWZN
SLIF“Sniff, f-finally…!”ZegpNf
wCLDhR“Though I still don’t think it was wrong.”lSqXLwL
iLx“Hearing someone say they’re never wrong… but coming from you, sir, it sounds almost convincing.”UsAxFv
O7Z0RrAmid all kinds of emotional reactions, I continued.gBJH4
mZw“Today, I’ll just be doing a demonstration.”SDdXnhY
iYcWith those words, the room nearly erupted with joy. The atmosphere heated up.Was
U3drZF0Clap.EcacZP
ckPI snapped my fingers to cool things down a bit. At the same time, I deployed the subspace.sMweGH
dDQuXiM[May the Hero’s Blessing be with you.]hSpc
sGQX3By now, they should be quite used to the purple veil.qK9x
CEdAfter dying so many times here, some could no longer tell it apart from reality.9Baw
VlfClap.kMKfg
3NodyrGI snapped my fingers again. The environment vibrated.n8yG1aL
dIXqTiIA dark mass began to take shape—a group of humanoid enemies.TDOkC
aadB“Ah!”3nCkpB
AyJR“K-Kentarous!”EzYHq6V
ZGUn1I had generated a projection—or perhaps a summoning—of Kentarous within the alternate space. Though illusions, they felt incredibly real.DmO
n2IBeThe Kentarous group surrounded the students, wielding cold weapons with menacing intent.0l7e
qbSytThey weren’t real, but their eyes glowed with a sinister light from the shadows. Maybe that made them even scarier.Q9C
L882s“……”M4SirPD
DGh0“…..”9Kjb
2QbFGZEven so, the students kept their composure. As I said, this was a training center for the toughest.E0g8J
qtHcsThey were no longer like before, when they died without strength.67B1v19
5LvPMThey could now clearly recognize humanity’s enemy.IkuBzk
tVkOAnd from their gazes, I could tell—they were even sharper than ten years ago.H8zA
xrmLThat was thanks to how well the academy was functioning today. And the ones who made that foundation possible were Ryozo and Abel.cUpv
BahpWCAs a husband, I had to live up to their efforts. My instincts told me so.SHC
GKM“I see that most of those who remained use swords.”QkaeB
CZ0oi07Probably why they clung to this class with sheer will. Because they admired swordsmanship.XIIRG1
wgoWUgN“I-I used a shield, but after seeing Mr. Heavenly Sword…”64JH
kBc7M“Me too! Same here!”Bvwoa
CXl3fl“Good posture.”iIb
eemNI smiled a bit and reached for my waist.eRjdF
TgUChiing.Fhq
vK1SbhMurasame slid from its sheath like shedding skin.mtll
Ka3KFutThe impact was immediate. A thunderous roar filled the classroom, like a swarm of bees approaching.7Dli4C7
rNa[The Blessing of the Sword God manifests.]gaAdz
7KnMy world lost its color.Rfq5
iUUquI love this moment. When I hold the sword, I feel cut off from the world.XTszExr
tD3QYTThe students’ cheers fade one by one. I focus entirely on the inner voice.5o2pCTu
bzI++++++++++++VaIA
Chm3AZ4《May God’s blessing be with me》j57oT
xjs++++++++++++PWjD5
0jtzfWCSashimi released a flash of cutting light.dI4du9t
qFWFlash!P5Afz4a
KkTwjLfA lightning bolt exploded in the students’ vision.okFM
P37nhThey couldn’t see a thing.qeuX7H
hgyxSlash—z1WonM
Lqrqe83A slicing sound slammed into their eardrums. A sharp buzz followed.3q50t
QQys32“Uuugh…”xZO
F5srEveryone felt their ears go deaf, like they were submerged underwater.MseP
iqgcHAnd when they finally opened their eyes…hXeertq
SoMP6p“Ha… ha, haha…”zh6
SbvDozens of Kentarous lay in pieces.ZL7
eLb6ZThe entire subspace had been cut through.SI33
7zbhk“T-this is what they meant by…”7VGZMvX
jNP7“The Heavenly Sword.”PNMEpdl
Wp86KA sword capable of cutting through dimensions, just like the myths say.VzFpE0d
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!