A monk’s day is tough.
Wake up early for dawn prayers, read and study the Bible all day. Copy texts and do translations. For a monk, mastering the complex and long swordsmanship is a luxury. Unless they learned it outside. If a monk ever had to fight, a blunt weapon that poses a threat just by swinging it would be more advantageous than a tricky sword.
– I read that somewhere on the internet, but honestly, I’m not a historian and wasn’t deeply invested in the topic, so whether it’s true or not, I can’t say.
Still, I can agree that a blunt weapon is much more suitable for beginners than a sharp one.
Sure, its lethality is much weaker than a sword or spear that can cut or stab, but it’s much easier to use a weapon that delivers energy fairly regardless of where or how you hit it, compared to those two, which depend on entry point, direction, and angle.
And assuming I can swing it strongly enough, it wouldn’t necessarily lack the lethality of a sword or spear.
Well, I wouldn’t say I didn’t want to wield a sword. It looks cool, right? A big, shiny, beautiful sword. The knights here actually use holy swords forged with holy water that can directly channel holy power. If I knew how to use one, I would have chosen that.
But honestly, if I awkwardly swing it and fall, how embarrassing would that be?
Better to choose something safer, even if it looks a little less flashy.
The weapon I brought isn’t especially weird. They called it a custom weapon, but that just means it wasn’t blessed; this morning star was exactly what the Combat Nuns used.
No one usually swings it with one hand like I did.
Many people think the Combat Nuns are a rabid faction charging at the front lines due to their combat style and name, but in reality, they play roles like healing injured knights, transporting them back, and managing supplies. They take on the role of defending themselves with holy water splashed on them and their pre-blessed morning stars when the situation becomes critical.
Generally speaking, the demons pushing into the rear are usually not sturdy, so it was made to be swung down hard with two hands.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t be swung with one hand.
Ah, well-developed muscles can’t be distinguished from faith.
[Not at all.]
I wouldn’t say that.
*
Rina was in a state of utter confusion.
There were no rules or systems to Clara’s swinging morning star. It was like a little child swinging a toy sword with no clue, just flailing around.
But that was only true for the trajectory of the swinging morning star.
No matter how clumsy and nonsensical the path, if the speed is so fast that it can’t be visually captured, it becomes a significant threat.
SLAM!
The horrifying sound heard occasionally since earlier as the morning star swung. The sound of air splitting and coming back together, like a sonic boom.
In other words, this lunatic could swing a massive morning star, which usually causes a massive weight shift, at sound speed. Or maybe even faster.
What kind of monster is this?
In reality, as a succubus and perceived as a monster from a human perspective, Rina felt a chill just from competing against Clara for a few rounds.
She had always been told to infiltrate the Academy as soon as she was born, so she prepared thoroughly. She researched past alumni, incoming students, and their families. She classified their potential and picked out those she shouldn’t mess with.
Among the graduates each year, there were only a handful of truly great heroes.
Those born with extraordinary strength or outstanding magic or divine powers. Those who had exceptional talent in specific magic or swordsmanship.
Such individuals could usually be identified to some extent before entering school.
‘But what the hell is this? No one told me about this!’
Rina clenched her teeth and diligently avoided the wildly swinging morning star. One good thing is that the opponent didn’t seem to predict her own movement. They had no skill wielding a weapon, swinging purely out of brute strength. Since the opponent didn’t know how to handle swordsmanship, they weren’t predicting or attacking.
‘Then, it’s not impossible to win.’
The opponent may have quick attack and response speeds, but that’s it. If Clara’s ability is just a moment behind, Rina can use her knowledge to be three steps ahead.
Rina leaped back to create as much distance as possible. As expected, Clara rushed in without catching her breath.
With wild and reckless fervor that reminded her of a wild boar or rhinoceros.
Rina felt like a hero standing before a formidable monster.
‘But in reality, it’s the exact opposite!’
No matter how fast, closing the distance takes time. In that time, Rina quickly assumed a stance, leaned her body forward, and thrust her sword upward.
Upon seeing this, Clara instantly turned her foot sideways to halt her movement and swung the morning star toward Rina’s sword.
‘Why even hold the shield then?’
Rina scoffed. Clara had been so focused on swinging the morning star that she completely ignored the massive shield in her other hand.
This was a common mistake that beginners often made.
They had something in both hands but would forget what was in the left because they were solely focused on the weapon in their primary hand.
Furthermore, while swinging a weapon at sonic speed is terrifying, it’s not something one can sustain indefinitely. Clara’s shorter swings were indeed threatening but did not create a sonic boom. This indicated that such speed was only achievable when the weapon was moved effectively with enough distance and power. The swinging weapon might be fast, but that doesn’t mean the power delivery and posture preparation are equally swift.
Clara raised her right hand. It seemed like she was going to use the remaining energy in her upper body to swing her arm. It looked like she intended to settle this with this swing.
If it connects, it might break my sword. Rina briefly thought about this.
And then, she grinned.
But that wouldn’t happen.
Rina held the sword firmly and quickly pulled both hands upward to the right. The previously straight sword instantly turned to the side.
“Ah!”
A bewildered sound escaped Clara. The morning star swung with immense speed. It passed through the space where Rina’s hand had just been.
Clara and Rina’s eyes met.
Seeing Clara’s eyes widen, Rina felt a sense of relief.
And with that, Rina drew her sword sideways.
“Oops.”
This time, Rina let out a surprised sound.
Just as she was about to draw her sword, Clara had pulled back with all her might. Although she felt something snag at the tip of her sword, it wasn’t a critical hit.
Clara rolled backward and stood up in one fluid motion, a clear indication that her fall wasn’t intentional.
Clara’s face was filled with bewilderment.
A shallow but horizontally long cut had formed on Clara’s bridge, bleeding slightly.
‘She looks just like my homeroom teacher.’
For a moment, Rina wondered if her attack had worked, but it seemed to have been an optical illusion. The bright red blood flowed from Clara’s beautiful face, causing gasps from the students below the podium.
“Teacher, I think I won.”
Rina told the teacher, who had been silent, watching all this unfold.
“Well, let’s see. It seems like there’s not much of a serious injury?”
“Huh? What do you mean,”
“Just because you landed a hit doesn’t mean you won, right?”
The teacher grinned, pointing at the scar on his bridge. Then he angled his finger towards Clara and added,
“Besides, aren’t you forgetting something?”
While Rina and the homeroom teacher were conversing, Clara was silently touching the blood flowing from her nose. She raised her left hand to cover her face. The enormous useless shield dangling from her left arm completely shielded her upper body.
But raising that shield now…
“Heal.”
…A brilliant light shone from behind the shield.
Rina felt her body stiffen upon seeing that. Chills ran down her spine.
This isn’t good.
Clara’s shield slowly descended.
Although there was still some blood on her face, the cut on her bridge was completely gone.
As the shield fully lowered, Clara’s face revealed a blazing determination.
This, this, this…
“This is cheating!!”
Unable to hold back, Rina exclaimed, but her complaint fell on deaf ears.
*
The result was a draw.
It was powerful, but the untargeted flailing versus the known, but not the finest swordsmanship couldn’t be distinguished.
Moreover, Clara’s cowardly battle style of immediately casting healing magic on herself whenever she took even slight damage led Rina to despair even after she had made several successful hits.
After fiercely exchanging blows for quite some time, both of them ended up completely exhausted.
Huff… Huff…
Hearing the ragged breaths of the two girls mixing together felt rather strange. Clara’s nun’s outfit was torn and tattered, revealing patches of her white skin which was glistening with sweat. The boys from their class were swallowing hard as they stared at the scene without realizing it.
But Clara herself, showing no sign of caring about any of that, was fixated on Rina. In her challenge today, not a single attack of Clara’s had reached Rina. Rina had thought she could land at least one solid hit, but she was desperately realizing that if she lacked the skill to wield a weapon, nothing good would come of having a strong base.
Moreover, divine power was not all-powerful. It excelled in healing wounds, and while continuous use didn’t seem to tire her more, it couldn’t restore a fatigued body back to perfect health. If she pushed herself to her limits and lost consciousness or became unable to speak, it would surely be a dire situation.
On the other hand, Rina was incredibly frustrated too. No matter how many times she landed hits, they were all rendered moot, and with her swordsmanship, she couldn’t even inflict meaningful damage. She could understand the teacher’s response to some extent. As long as the opponent moved to attack, her own strikes could never be deemed successful. She wouldn’t be able to let her guard down, or a hit from that morning star would likely mean a dented skull.
She needed real, decisive blows that could lead to instant death or near-death experiences to beat Clara.
“Alright.”
As they both glared at each other, mulling over these thoughts, Seo-A stepped up onto the podium.
“You both gained a lot from this draw, right? Looking at your faces, it seems you already figured it out without me pointing it out.”
Saying this, Seo-A nodded alone to herself, satisfied with the realization.
“Then, that concludes your match. I’ll arrange for you to face off again next time, so be prepared to settle this then. That will be this homework.”
Clara and Rina stumbled to their feet. They descended from the podium without exchanging a handshake, both deeply engrossed in their thoughts.
As soon as Clara stepped down, Aurora and Linea rushed over. They stood next to Clara while subtly glancing towards Rina, trying to shield Clara from view. Given the numerous holes in her clothing, it was likely an effort to protect her.
Then Selena and Satsuki came running up, holding their uniform jackets, joined by a few kids from their group playing nearby. In an instant, Clara was completely obscured from sight.
No one came for Rina.
That was expected, since she had explicitly rejected everyone that came near her.
Of course.
“……”
Yeah, that’s how it should be. I’m not at all concerned.
“Do you need help?”
In that moment, while I was trying to think otherwise, someone spoke. It was a familiar voice.
“Why don’t you go over there? Isn’t that the guy who was playing on that side?”
Rina pointed with her chin toward Clara, where the commotion about how her outfit was being damaged was ongoing.
“There are plenty of people over there already. Besides, they told me not to come. I understand, though.”
Lee Ji-An had a slightly disappointed expression as he spoke. Rina sneered in response.
“So, you’re feeling sorry for her since she’s a poor girl with no friends and thought you’d go help?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Rina glared at Ji-An, who had a slightly awkward expression while holding out a towel. He was indeed sweating quite a bit.
“……”
Rina felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks.
She snatched the towel from Ji-An’s hand, turning around in a hurry. She buried her face in the towel and said,
“Get lost.”
Looking a bit surprised, Ji-An stood there blankly before smiling and heading back toward his spot.
How annoying.
Rina thought that, while a little voice in her head questioned if she really felt that way, she simply ignored it.
*
And Rina regretted saying that.
Immediately following Rina and Clara’s duel was Lee Ji-An and Selena Lowell’s match.
Selena’s weapon was a bow. Not just any bow, but a magic bow that processed mana into arrows. To use it, one needed a certain level of magic ability, but more importantly, they needed the concentration to remain focused even in combat.
In contrast, Ji-An wielded a weapon that wasn’t his.
It was a training two-handed sword piled up in the corner of the training room, with no special equipment—it was just plain iron.
Rina’s thought of whether he had confidence in his skills was instantaneously dismissed.
The duel began, and just one exchange determined the victor.
As soon as it started, he dodged the shot from Selena’s magic bow while smoothly transitioning into a step. He closed the distance to his opponent with minimal movement, finding the optimal range for attacking with his sword—
He weaved to the side, dodging Selena’s weapon while pressing the blade against her neck.
It was a matter of mere moments.
It wasn’t just impressive reflexes. To Rina, who had some skill in swordsmanship, Ji-An’s movements held no waste.
He wasn’t just moderately skilled.
He possessed complete mastery.
Selena, shocked, stumbled backward and fell, landing hard on her rear, while Ji-An extended a hand with a smile. Selena blushed as she took his hand and stood up, creating a scene worthy of a youth drama, but Rina didn’t care at all.
After the match ended, the students surrounding Ji-An as he descended the podium were pushed aside as Rina forcefully walked toward him. Complaints rose from the students she shoved aside, but she paid no heed.
When she reached Ji-An, she spoke plainly.
“You.”
With that swordsmanship,
“Your swordsmanship,”
even if I can’t fully replicate it, if I could at least learn a fraction of it,
“Teach me.”
I can win too.
*
Aurora held the position of Miracle Investigator’s aide. Of course, the role of a Miracle Investigator involved quite a lot of nothing, which meant the aide, Aurora, had even less to do.
Yet, Aurora loved her position.
Being there meant she didn’t have to endure the glares she received at the convent. There was no longer a need to adhere to the strict prayer times or sit and copy or translate the Bible against her will. Most importantly, just by holding the title of Miracle Investigator’s aide, the number of people who looked down on her, despite being only 15 years old, decreased markedly.
Often lecturing her about being a priest and prayer times, Matthew lectured, yet Aurora also cherished this laid-back time.
And being close to Clara was nice too.
Even knowing she was practically acting as a monitor, Clara treated her with no discomfort at all. Not only did Clara not deny calling her a friend, but she also accepted it as if it were the most natural thing.
Of course, as much as she didn’t relish having someone from the Inquisition hanging around,
She didn’t feel a murderous hate towards them either.
However, Aurora couldn’t fully embrace the people of the Inquisition. They believed they thoroughly filtered things by using only evidence and testimony—
As Aurora thought about that, she shook her head to clear her mind.
Linea was a good person, though. She must have received Aurora’s information from the Inquisition, yet she still treated her without any bias. It was admirable. She hadn’t rashly told that to anyone else either.
Maybe it was just that she had undergone enough training not to disclose such things.
[You don’t need to be so formal. If it’s cumbersome, just skip it.]
Matthew’s voice came through the phone, sounding quite tired.
Regular reports.
Aurora and Linea spent nearly the whole day by Clara’s side, yet they still had moments each day to themselves. That time was during the regular report hours. Right before bed, they stepped out briefly to retrieve their personal cell phones and report to a superior.
That was precisely why Aurora had been assigned to Clara.
Ever since she had heard the word “friend,” Aurora found it difficult to remain at ease during reports, yet rules were rules.
[So, is school life enjoyable?]
Her superior, of course, showed no sign of thinking that way.
“Father, I called to report now,”
Even when Aurora said this, a yawn could be heard through the phone, revealing his lack of tension.
[So let’s keep it short. It’s time for bed.]
As a lecture almost escaped her lips, Aurora swallowed it down. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but today was different.
“I have some news to report.”
[Huh?]
Matthew made a sound reflecting his surprise.
[News? What, have you observed a miracle?]
“No, it’s not that…”
Aurora took a moment to catch her breath. Was what she was about to say permissible?
It seemed Linea still had no idea.
Did Clara know?
Was there a way to find out?
Though she had never seen a stigmata or a miracle unfold, Aurora somehow felt Clara could rise to the level of a saint. This thought was more based on her trust as a friend than rational judgement.
If that were the case, Clara might already know. Even if she didn’t, it had already become too entangled.
If Linea got to know, she would surely inform the Inquisition.
Aurora didn’t dislike Linea; she just couldn’t fully trust someone from the Inquisition. Therefore, she didn’t want to doubt her either. But still.
“I smelled something.”
[Something? Within the Academy?]
Matthew’s voice, which had sounded as if he could fall asleep at any moment, now grew sharp and alert.
[Are they possibly targeting Clara Anderson?]
“I don’t know about that.”
She didn’t know. She really didn’t. No matter how much she thought, the answer eluded her.
However, the perfectly black sword that Clara wielded,
Aurora had seen that sword in her very early childhood. Back when her mother was still alive, during the time her father used to lift her up and hold her close.
And then, there was a smell.
A nostalgic smell.
But it was a scent she must never miss.
“I smelled something.”
Aurora muttered once more.
“It smelled a lot like the fragrance my mother used to wear…”
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