Chapter: 309
After returning from the system, the pastry club room has turned into a multifunctional room.
It was already being used as a multifunctional space because of the members who had lost their minds, but at least you could have a chessboard or poker cards stashed in a drawer, right? Now, massive tools unrelated to baking have proudly taken residence in the pastry club room.
“If we grind the scales with the existing herbs… no, how about soaking them in potions for aging? That wouldn’t be bad either.”
“That’s a good idea. With such high-quality materials clumped together, the effect should be amazing!”
Marcilio spoke as if he were asking for my agreement. Of course, as an ordinary swordsman, I couldn’t say if it was good or bad. I just replied casually because Marcilio looked excited.
“Hehe, look forward to it. Something unimaginable will be created.”
At that response, Marcilio wore a deep smile and dipped the scales into the potion.
‘Soaking scales in liquor.’
That thought instinctively came to me. It’s quite rude to think that way about something precious given to us by a dragon, but what could I do when it looked like liquor? The 78-year-old golden dragon scale, just hearing its name makes my chest swell—
‘Swelling? More like ridiculous!’
Shaking off the crazy thoughts, I gazed at the precious scales and claws laid gently on the table. After the mansion tour, Marcilio was practically floating with excitement at seeing even the dragon’s byproducts. For a wizard, dragon byproducts are top-tier materials. Plus, unlike blood, which can be extracted regularly, these items are even rarer.
Receiving such precious items out of the blue made Marcilio flap his ears with joy, combining the perfect combo of ‘a gift for me + experimental materials igniting a wizard’s passion,’ and he set up all sorts of experimental tools in the pastry club room.
Fortunately, the other members didn’t seem to mind much. In fact, Lather seemed thrilled to witness Marcilio’s experiments in real-time. Even the manager, Louise, showed some interest since she’s a wizard too.
‘He’s making accessories with that?’
It still felt absurd. Making accessories out of materials that even Marcilio was handling carefully? If he actually succeeded, wouldn’t he just go down in history as a madman?
At least he came to his senses before handing it over to the artisan. It would be cooler to have a sword made from dragon claws rather than jewelry from dragon scales.
On one side, magical experiments were happening, while on the other side, baking was still ongoing. At first, I worried if that was sanitary at all.
“Nowadays, the history exams are all focused on the North.”
“Let’s think positively. Where else can we learn about Northern history if not in the academy?”
Thankfully, the academy headed into exam period, avoiding simultaneous experiments and baking sessions. Had it not been for the exams, the members would have likely conducted experiments only during class hours.
“The theoretical exam is just a hassle. For a swordsman, isn’t it enough to do well in the practical exam?”
“Good point. Knights should be talking with their swords.”
Erich muttered in annoyance, and Rutis seemed to agree as he vigorously nodded.
Meanwhile, the notebook in front of Rutis showed no signs of turning to the next page. Villar would probably feel gloomy upon seeing how little Rutis had written.
‘This blockhead.’
It was tragic. No matter how important physical strength is for a knight, basic intelligence is still required. If you’ve got nothing in your head, then you’re not just a knight; you’re a fool.
Seira seemed to share the same sentiment and kept glancing at Erich. She couldn’t say anything openly to a foreign prince, but it seemed she couldn’t bear the thought of her childhood friend turning into a dimwitted knight.
“By the way, Erich, have you decided who your sparring partner will be?”
When Rutis spoke first, I noticed Seira flinch a little.
Don’t worry; just because he said something doesn’t mean he’s suddenly intelligent. And surprisingly, while Rutis’s actions are bizarre, his intellect is decent. The problem is how he seems to invest that intelligence in eccentric behavior.
Anyway, at Rutis’s question, Erich shook his head lightly.
“Not yet. I don’t have anyone in mind, so I’ll wait and see.”
That’s saying he’s leaving it to fate, not actively choosing a partner. In the first year, students don’t really know each other’s skills well, so they follow the academy’s decisions. But by the second year, everyone figures out their strengths and weaknesses; they know who’s strong or weak compared to them. It seems that the academy views this understanding of strength as part of skill, allowing for mutual agreement for manual pairing.
Thus, by the second year, an intense game of whack-a-mole for a sparring partner kicks off, but Erich seems confident and has relaxed. Showing Crasius’s confidence makes this guy happy.
“Have you decided for yourself?”
“Hmm, I’ve already chosen.”
And unexpectedly to Erich’s question, the answer came back. If anything, Rutis seems even more confident; how could he fight with the awareness of who he was going to face?
“Charles Oléid, he’s a truly exceptional knight. I signed up right away to face him again this year!”
Ah.
At those words, I and a few other members who knew the situation were left speechless.
This cruel bastard, why pick him of all people?
*
For students in the swordsmanship department, practical exams are more important than theoretical ones. Therefore, finding a sparring partner for a smooth and easy examination is essential.
Of course, you should avoid blatantly choosing someone who’s clearly weaker than you. Regardless of whether the opponent accepts or not, overly obvious tricks are actions that would catch the teacher’s attention. Disturbing the teachers who evaluate could lead to more trouble than anticipated.
So I was carefully choosing my opponent, and then—
“Teacher, I’m sorry, but could you repeat that?”
I didn’t expect that carefulness to turn poisonous.
I was startled by the sudden call from the head teacher of the swordsmanship department while preparing for the theoretical exam, but upon hearing the reason for the call, I was left not just surprised but aghast. Thanks to this, I even committed the rudeness of questioning the head teacher, who was also a noble.
“Rutis has selected you as his sparring partner for the practical exam.”
But still, the head teacher kindly replied as if understanding.
Honestly, at this point, I hoped for anger, not a polite response. Please.
“I’m lacking in skills. I’m not fit to be Rutis’s opponent.”
I barely grasped hold of my slowly fading sanity and countered back.
Right, I am lacking. What chance does an ordinary student have to spar with the prince of a knight kingdom? This is obviously a high-level player picking on a low-level one. It should never happen.
“Such humility is excess. If you’re lacking, there aren’t many students willing to be called people.”
Yet, for some reason, the head teacher seemed to appreciate my valid argument and began explaining why I should be the chosen opponent.
I didn’t need any justification, I wanted him to say, “Let’s just drop this.” I have no intention of fighting the prince for a second year in a row.
‘Is he doing this on purpose?’
I suddenly had a rational suspicion. Since the prince has to spar, it might be that he’s trying to pass this off to someone with experience rather than assigning it to someone else.
No way. That’s not happening. I didn’t roll around like a dog last year for nothing. What if he accidentally gets a scratch on the royal body? How much I worried that my quick loss wouldn’t become evident? I got lucky and managed to lose without getting caught, but there’s no guarantee that luck will follow this year.
Damn, if I’d known this would happen, I would’ve just picked Erich. At least I could take some consolation points for challenging a strong opponent and losing in glory.
“…I’ll think about it a little longer.”
“Sure. Selecting sparring partners demands careful consideration. I wish you a good conclusion.”
“Yes, thank you.”
The ‘good conclusion’ the head teacher mentioned likely meant me accepting without a fuss. But isn’t it a bad conclusion if someone else ends up sacrificing themselves?
Before long, I received another call from the head teacher – or rather, ‘Sir.’ I hadn’t even devised a proper excuse yet, and it was troubling.
“If you show a great performance against a challenging sparring partner, you’ll receive a high score.”
He even dangled the score as bait, but it didn’t pique my interest.
Of course, if the head teacher himself is talking about scores, it would probably mean a high score. A level of score that’d be hard to gain with normal effort.
“I don’t have confidence in showing a great performance.”
I still hated that idea. I’d rather take lower points than compete!
“You’re underestimating yourself too much. As your teacher for a year, I can assure you that you will certainly show good performance. It wouldn’t be embarrassing for me to introduce you as my student.”
At that remark, I flinched momentarily. To be introduced as his student means I’d receive a recommendation from a well-respected figure in the swordsmanship world.
…No, no way. Even so, that’s not happening. While it would be great if I received the head teacher’s recommendation, I’d be fine without it. I can’t let greed cause me trouble.
“I’m honored, but I worry I may tarnish your reputation—”
“And there are many others who share the same thoughts as me.”
Before I even finished, the head teacher interrupted me with something he was about to hand over. His determination not to accept a refusal made my teeth gnash, but I fell for the silent ‘see it before talking’ look.
I didn’t have high hopes. It was probably other teachers’ recommendations from the swordsmanship department. If the head teacher’s recommendation was backed by those from other teachers, it would imply that I’m a talent certified by the entire swordsmanship department.
But if it’s not from the swordsmanship department, I’d rather not…
‘Am I dreaming?’
The moment I saw the scrap of paper the head teacher handed me, my eyes widened. It was a recommendation, but not from a teacher.
Just two recommendation letters. But each one of them carried significant names.
‘Director of the Information Department?’
First of all, one was from the Director of the Information Department. The rumors about the Director are well-known. It’s said that outstanding students are remembered by the Director and snatched up right after graduation, a legendary tale rather than a rumor. In fact, the student council officers from last year entered the civil service and military without any exam thanks to the Director’s backing.
Honestly, if I said I wasn’t expecting anything from such rumors, I’d be lying. A recommendation from a head teacher is simply the endorsement of a famous person in the swordsmanship world, but the Director’s support is backing from a current heavyweight. The level matters.
And the other one is—
‘Rutis.’
I was surprised for a different reason upon receiving the recommendation from the Director. I never thought I’d get a recommendation from Rutis.
Formally, the endorsement of a foreign prince wouldn’t have political weight in the empire. However, that’s only the formal stance. For an imperial noble to earn acknowledgment from foreign royalty carries implicit merit. People would wonder what kind of mystical charm this fellow possesses to be recognized by royalty.
Moreover, it allows me to flaunt a deep relationship with royalty in social circles. Even if I’m not dreaming of a career in civil service or military, it’s something I could use in various ways.
‘…This bastard.’
At the same time, I was overwhelmed by feelings I couldn’t put into words. Did he just ask for a sparring partner while casually offering me these recommendation letters? He knows how desperately I want to avoid fighting, right?
Then did he pick me knowing that? Does he think that if I get those recommendation letters, I’d forget all about my struggles and be happy?
“I can’t betray their trust. I’ll do my best.”
That’s right. I’ve forgotten my past self. The cowardly me who tried to dodge challenges is gone, and now only the knight willing to accept a challenge remains.
Rolling around for free isn’t much different from rolling around for a price.
I’m ready to stake my soul for the sake of Rutis.
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