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The sparring didn't end until almost noon.
Only a little over half of the students had finished their matches.
Following Professor Stella's instructions, the students headed to the student cafeteria for lunch.
Branton, who had filled his plate and sat down, asked Rex,
"Rex, why did you tell me not to go out when they called for 1-star swordsmen? I didn't go because you told me not to. I passed the 1-star swordsman test years ago."
"Because I have something for you to do."
"Something to do?"
"When they call the apprentice swordsmen forward for the last time in the afternoon..."
Rex pointed with his chin to the group of Davian sitting over there.
"Go stand next to Davian."
"And then?"
Rex, who was cutting his goose meat, slammed his knife down and glared at Branton.
"Just get it, you idiot. I'm telling you to mess that bastard up, Branton. Make it look like you're just slightly below a 1-star swordsman to Professor Stella."
Branton asked in surprise,
"D-Davian? Me?"
Rex grabbed Branton's shoulder tightly.
"Be quiet, you idiot. Everyone will hear."
Branton, who frowned as if his shoulder hurt from Rex's grip, whispered,
"How can I mess with Davian? He's the representative of the male students."
"You stupid idiot. We were hit by magic back then. Remember him swinging that ice club? Was that the movement of someone who learned swordsmanship?"
Branton, who was recalling the memory, began to nod.
"Come to think of it... yeah. That was just the movement of a local thug."
"That's right, you idiot. It's a swordsmanship match, so he can't use magic or anything. So I'm telling you to completely mess him up. You saw what I did this morning, right?"
"Ah."
"You have to get revenge for getting hit too. Don't you?"
"Yeah, that's right. Getting hit by a wizard or something. I have to get revenge."
"Yeah. Of course. You're finally making sense."
Meanwhile, Bonita Fortis was sitting at Davian's group's table.
It was because Bellum had forcibly dragged her to their table, saying she was too cool.
Bellum, who seemed to have overwhelmingly higher human affinity than mana affinity.
Davian imagined that if he continued to be close to Bellum like this, he might become friends with all the students in the academy.
Davian, who wasn't interested in making friends or anything, shook his head, quickly erasing the imagination.
But Bonita, whom Bellum had brought now, was an exception.
Bonita Fortis.
She was someone he had to make friends with, even if he had to force it, even if it wasn't for Bellum.
The ace of the swordsmanship department, who used swordsmanship more perfectly than anyone else with her bloody efforts.
She was an essential presence for the various quests that would follow.
He was almost grateful to Bellum for naturally connecting them from the beginning of the semester.
Bellum asked in her usual bright voice.
"Bonita! When did you start handling swords so well?"
"I've never thought I handle swords well yet. I'm just working hard enough to die to handle them well."
"Why? Why do you work hard enough to die?"
"To become the best swordsman."
"Why? Why do you have to become the best swordsman?"
Bonita, who had been looking at Bellum for a moment, replied in a stiff voice.
"I don't think we're at the point where I can tell you all that one by one."
Of course, Bellum wasn't one to be discouraged by this.
"Really? Then you're saying you'll tell me later? I'll listen slowly. But you know, Bonita, do you know how to manifest an aura too?"
"A little."
Nubes, who was focused on eating, reacted in surprise.
"Wow, really? What attribute?"
"A few simple ones."
"That's amazing. We're in the same freshman year..."
"Wow. As expected of Bonita Fortis."
Bonita said, holding her plate.
"I'm done eating, so can I get up first?"
"Why? Where are you going? Let's go get dessert. Let's go to the store."
"There's still more than thirty minutes left of lunchtime. I'm going to go to the training grounds and practice."
"Now? Suddenly?"
"Suddenly what. You have to practice whenever you have time. I'm going first."
Bonita got up from her seat and left the cafeteria.
Davian also got up from his seat.
"Let's go too."
"Are we going to the training grounds with Bonita?"
"No. Teach me how to hold a sword, Nubes, Bellum."
"Ah, okay. Got it! Let's go! I'll help you."
Bellum also hurriedly picked up her plate and got up.
"Yeah! That'll be fun! Let's go!"
After Davian's group all left the cafeteria.
Rex Flumen smiled and said.
"Did you hear that, Branton?"
"Yeah. I heard it. A guy who doesn't even know how to hold a sword. I'll give him a proper education."
Nubes adjusted Davian's posture for holding the wooden sword and said.
"Relax your wrist. Grip the sword just enough so you don't drop it."
"Like this?"
"No. But you can't drop it either. You have to grip it with the minimum amount of force that matches the situation. Uh. That's good now, about that much force. Now swing it."
Whoosh.
Davian's wooden sword moved in a large arc.
"Oh, you're pretty good, Davian? You have talent for a first-timer."
Although it was the first time he had swung a sword himself, Davian had crossed countless battlefields where life and death were at stake for ten years.
The movements of the swordsmen he had seen during that time were naturally ingrained in his mind.
Nubes stood in front of Davian and began to demonstrate.
"Vertical slash! Then upward slash again! Diagonal slash!"
Bellum, who was carefully watching Davian, who was imitating it pretty well, adjusted his posture from time to time.
About 20 minutes passed.
Bonita Fortis walked out from the corner of the building next to the training grounds.
"Geez, you're trying hard."
Bellum, who heard Bonita's voice, skipped over to Bonita.
"Bonita! How is it? Our Davian's doing well for a first-timer, right?"
"I don't know about that. You're going to learn for 30 minutes and beat someone who's been training swordsmanship their whole life? No way."
Davian turned his head, looked at Bonita, and said.
"I still have to try."
"I'm telling you, you can't. Just by looking at the flow of your wooden sword moving, I can tell."
"Okay. Then what do I do?"
"What do you mean, what do you do?"
"I mean, what do I have to do to win?"
"Are you really thinking about winning?"
"Of course."
Bonita stared at Davian for a moment.
"Then either dodge around and get beaten to death when you get tired."
"What?"
"You get beaten to death, and when you see an opening, you counter. Just one chance. That's the only way you can win."
Nubes asked.
"What if you take a critical hit and the match ends before that?"
"Idiots. Just make it so that the opponent doesn't feel like landing a critical hit."
This time, Bellum asked.
"How?"
"Haa, how much do I have to explain? Of course..."
Davian interrupted Bonita.
"You mean I have to excite the opponent. So much that they don't want to end the match easily."
"At least you understand a little."
"But do I really have to get hit until then? Can't I just dodge appropriately and aim for an opening?"
"Looking at what you're doing now, it won't work unless it's that much of an opening?"
"...I see."
The afternoon class of the swordsmanship department proceeded.
Before they knew it, all the matches of the 1-star swordsmen were over, and now it was the turn of the last apprentice swordsmen.
It sounded good to be an apprentice swordsman, but it was the turn of all the students who hadn't come forward until now.
The number was ten.
Davian and Branton were among them.
Branton stood next to Davian, carefully reading the situation as Rex had told him.
Davian, who noticed something, frowned and looked at Branton, but Branton pretended not to know and stood there.
The matches, which were held in pairs of two, ended more quickly than the previous matches of the 1- and 2-star swordsmen.
Before they knew it, it was Davian and Branton's turn.
"Hey, male student representative. Shall we see some of your swordsmanship skills?"
[Quest: Win a match against a 1-star swordsman with swordsmanship alone.]
Reward: 1,000 Mana Points
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"You're not an apprentice swordsman, are you?"
Branton, who was startled, said in a loud voice.
"Wh-Who says that? I haven't taken the 1-star swordsman test yet."
"Tsk. I know what you guys are up to. Okay, come at me."
"Cocky!"
Branton narrowed the distance in an instant.
Clang!
The wooden sword that Branton swung collided with Davian's wooden sword.
'Ugh.'
Davian's hand throbbed.
It was definitely different from the feeling of matching swords with Nubes for practice.
If he hadn't allocated mana points to external force last night, he would have already dropped the sword.
Davian pushed the wooden sword that was in contact with all his might.
Branton didn't resist Davian's strength and willingly stepped back.
One side of Branton's lips curled up.
"Oh? You're pretty good."
Now was the time to start provoking him.
Davian held up one finger and pointed at Branton, saying.
"If I could use magic, I could kill the likes of you with just this one finger."
"What? You little bastard!"
Whoosh.
Branton lunged again.
This time it was a horizontal slash.
Davian desperately put the sword to his side and blocked the attack.
"See how long you can keep blocking!"
Branton rotated his body a full circle and slashed in from the opposite side.
A faster and lighter movement than expected.
On the other hand, Davian was off balance after the first defense.
It didn't seem easy to block Branton's sword, which was quickly attacking from the opposite side.
Davian hurriedly ducked his head and avoided Branton's sword.
At that time, an opening in Branton's attack, who had swung his sword wildly in excitement, came into view.
Is it now!
Davian quickly thrust his sword into the opening.
But then Bonita's advice came to mind.
"Looking at what you're doing now, it won't work unless it's that much of an opening?"
Bonita was a bit blunt, but she wasn't the type to make empty words.
And now, as a swordsmanship chick, it wasn't a situation to ignore the advice of such a skilled person.
Davian withdrew his arm and quickly stepped back.
One side of Branton's lips turned up.
"If you had stabbed just now, I would have broken your arm. Too bad. By the way, you're so bad and scared that you don't move as I expected? Why didn't you just stab me? Coward."
The opening just now was a calculated trap by Branton.
Davian turned his head and looked at Bonita outside the training ground.
"Pfft."
Bonita chuckled.
It wasn't a smile to make people feel good, but it wasn't a mocking expression either.
Davian also answered with a chuckle.
'So I have to get beaten to death to win this match.'
"Are you looking somewhere else during a match? You're really doing all sorts of things, you swordsmanship loser."
'Then I have to provoke him more.'
"Wasn't it just three days ago that you got beaten with a club and cried, Branton?"
"Wh-When did I! Bullshit!"
Branton swung his sword again.
Branton was also not giving his all, worrying about Professor Stella's gaze.
His sword path was clear to Davian's eyes.
If he thought about the time he was surrounded by gray wolves in the Northern Ice Zone, this was just child's play.
'But I have to get hit a little. To excite him more.'
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