Chapter: 36
Anton, an old veteran and professor of Combat Studies at the Soul Academy who once roamed various battlefields as a knight, chuckled as he watched the fight unfold in the sparring arena.
The dynamics of the battle were one-sided.
The one attacking was Lady Meryl Baines of the Baines family.
And receiving those attacks was Lady Lucy Arlen of the Arlen family.
Generally, in combat, the one who holds the initiative is the attacker.
However, in this case, that rule was turned on its head.
Lucy Arlen was toying with Meryl Baines without having launched a single attack herself.
This was an outcome no one had anticipated.
After all, Meryl Baines had proven her martial prowess on multiple official occasions.
While she might not match the contemporaneous geniuses, she certainly had the talent to be called a prodigy.
Moreover, driven by an immense desire for self-improvement, she was one of the promising rookies whose future was highly anticipated.
On the flip side, what about Lucy Arlen?
The tales that circulated about her were rife with negative critique.
About her character. About her skills.
Such were the rumors that the evaluation of her was so dismal that some nobles openly questioned whether that young lady was truly the child of the Iron-Blood Duke Benedict.
Though Duke Benedict was known for his fondness towards his daughter, everyone harbored a small doubt in the back of their minds every time they witnessed Lucy’s mischief, wondering how it was possible for this girl to be his offspring — the very same man who once instilled terror across the continent.
With that in mind, when Anton heard the news last night that Meryl Baines had challenged Lucy Arlen to a fistfight and lost, he suspected there was some other factor at play.
For there was no reason for Meryl to lose otherwise.
Yet, the other weapon studies professor, Luca, who witnessed the scene firsthand, spoke with fervent enthusiasm at the faculty meeting.
“Everyone! We should have a showdown tomorrow between Lucy Arlen and Meryl Baines. By pitting the two against each other, they will surely be able to assess one another’s capabilities!
With the hatred between them palpable, they will have no reservations in harming each other, and while Lucy Arlen has superior talent, Meryl Baines has far more experience, so it’s bound to be an interesting bout!”
The other professors of weapon studies, including Anton, were skeptical about his proposal.
Even if they conceded that Lucy Arlen had talent and had improved recently.
Could someone who had wielded a sword and accumulated countless hours of practice and experience since infancy truly face off against someone who had just recently picked up a weapon?
Thus, a sparring match would only turn into a one-sided bullying, wouldn’t it?
“I’ll take responsibility! So please trust my words!”
If it turned out he was wrong, not only would he face punishment, but he also promised to find a new opponent for Meryl and Lucy, convincing the other professors to eventually nod in agreement.
They couldn’t deny the fact that Luca had proven his insight over the last few years.
And now, Anton was witnessing that Luca was, indeed, right.
No, to be precise, even Luca was mistaken.
He had claimed that Lucy and Meryl’s skills were comparable.
Lucy’s natural talent…
The talent engraved in the bloodline of the Arlen family!
It could not be gauged by the professors’ superficial understanding.
As Meryl swung her sword, Lucy deftly maneuvered her shield. The strike from someone who had honed their skills over a lifetime was anything but light.
Yet, Lucy’s shield remained steadfast.
With yet another block of Meryl’s sword, a smile spread across Lucy’s face.
“Remarkable.”
Luca broke the enveloping silence among the interviewers.
His eyes, fixed on the sparring match, sparkled with palpable joy that anyone could recognize.
“Look at how that shield moves! Typically, those unskilled in combat assume a shield is merely a tool for blocking attacks.
But Lady Arlen operates differently. She actively maneuvers her shield.
She mitigates the impact of attacks, uses the opponent’s strength against them, and at times even deflects attacks to create openings for herself.
That cannot be chalked up as merely learned behavior! That’s talent!”
“Calm down, Luca. We’re all thinking the same thing,” remarked another professor, attempting to temper his enthusiasm.
“How can you expect us to stay calm when witnessing such a display?”
“I appreciate your excitement, but this is an examination hall. We shouldn’t show bias toward one side.”
“…Ah. I apologize. I lost sight of my duty,” Luca said, closing his mouth upon receiving criticism.
But that was all it was.
His excessive elation was kept in check, but no one contradicted his opinion.
Everyone resonated with his emotion.
Just last year, Lucy Arlen sauntered into high society with perfectly pristine white hands.
Those hands spoke volumes; she had never even practiced once, let alone faced real combat.
That Lucy Arlen could exhibit such prowess in just a year.
How on earth had she become so overwhelming that she could eclipse Meryl Baines’s experience?
What on earth was the magnitude of the talent she possessed?
How astonishingly radiant was that raw gem of hers?
What marvels were inscribed in that bloodline of Arlen that could produce such a transformation in a person?
“On the contrary, Meryl Baines is proving to be disappointing today.”
As one of the interviewers voiced that opinion, agreement rippled through the room.
“No matter how deep their enmity runs, she’s far too emotional.”
“It seems like she’s unaware that she’s being toyed with.”
“Instead of thinking ahead and swinging her sword, she’s just recklessly attacking.”
One by one, interviewers began expressing their thoughts.
While their points varied, they all converged on a singular issue.
She couldn’t manage her emotions.
Someone so easily thrown into emotional turmoil would create undesirable variables in real combat.
Especially if a single mistake might lead to the annihilation of the party during a dungeon excursion.
“Is there any need to watch further?”
As if to represent everyone’s voices, Luca posed that question, and all nodded in agreement.
Having confirmed their consolidated opinion, Anton stood up and strode toward the center of the sparring arena.
“Rookie. Are you already fatigued? Even dogs have better stamina than you!”
“Shut… up!”
“Is that all you can muster? A big head but a tiny brain? It must be pretty similar to a dog! Fascinating!”
“Shuuuutt uuuuup!”
While she had managed to unearth her inherent talent, it seemed her hot temper still reigned strong.
It was almost predictable for her to still fumble against an opponent she had likely been able to defeat long ago, but hearing it up close made it almost dizzying.
“I’ll conclude this skirmish with my authority as an examiner.”
As Anton raised his voice, both combatants turned their gazes towards him.
The first to react was Meryl Baines.
“No! I can still go on!”
“Lady Baines, I explicitly stated that I’m finishing this.”
“But I want to take care of that damn girl!”
“Meryl Baines, if you wish to be disqualified for misconduct, drop your sword.”
Meryl let out a haggard breath while chewing on her lip but, lacking the courage to defy the examiner’s orders, lowered her sword.
Upon witnessing that, Lucy did the same with her shield.
It was then…
Meryl, spotting Lucy in a moment of vulnerability, charged forward at her.
It seemed she had lowered her weapon solely to catch her off guard.
However, what Meryl had overlooked was that Anton, standing beside her, was a force she could never hope to contend with.
He twisted Meryl’s wrist, causing her sword to clatter to the ground, and exhaled a heavy sigh.
“Meryl Baines. I’ll say this once more. If you do not cease now, I’ll have no choice but to mark you as disqualified.”
“I’m… sorry…”
*
[Girl, that was excessively over the line.]
‘…Yes, you’re right. I clearly overstepped my bounds this time.’
The old man’s words rang true.
Just now, I had indulged in the euphoric highs of the Mesugaki skill and crossed the line with excessive provocation.
No matter how deep the grudge from yesterday was, there was no need to torment a lady to that extent.
If I sought to deliver humiliation, merely granting her a proper loss would suffice.
Back when dealing with goblins or orcs, this indulgence was not an issue.
They were the enemy of humankind, and creating a grim fate for them bore no moral repercussions.
But now, the situation was different.
When facing ordinary individuals, one must never succumb to indulgence.
Being overly exuberant and acting out of turn simply makes one a ticking time bomb, likely to cause problems down the line.
Even today, I pushed that lady far enough that I nearly landed her in hot water.
What if my opponent had been from another noble family?
Or a formidable adversary I couldn’t possibly handle?
The outcome might have spiraled into disaster in some direction.
[The blessings you carry harbor as many issues as they do advantages.]
‘Indeed.’
Though I need a way to counter the rush induced by the skill, I currently couldn’t acquire one.
Mental-related skills just weren’t available in the early game.
The only options currently feasible were low-tier versions like Fear Resistance or Indomitable Will, which weren’t worth the time and resources to pursue.
For now, I could only exercise restraint.
Sigh Regardless, my first practical exam had gone well enough.
According to the old man’s account, that lady had proven she wasn’t weak either, so having faced her with ease should allow me to duly convey my innate capabilities to the interviewers.
What remains is the final hurdle.
Conquering the dungeon crafted by Soul Academy.
Under normal circumstances, I would have thought my life depended on tackling this dungeon; however, that was no longer the case.
Thanks to the old man’s assistance, my exams seem to have gone smoothly.
I probably scored high on the first practical evaluation as well.
Even without aiming for special admission, perhaps I could get into Soul Academy on merit alone.
Of course, that’s not to say I intend to slack off in tackling the dungeon.
After all, I am a product of Soul Academy’s corruption.
I can’t bear the thought of falling behind in the records compared to others.
It would be wonderful if decent teammates were selected.
The dungeon exploration for the academy entrance exam is conducted in teams of three, drawn randomly.
Thus, to set a record in the dungeon exploration, it’s vital that the party members drawn are competent.
As the vanguard, I could take up that role, so I expected someone to provide fire support from the back.
A versatile mage would be ideal.
That would definitely speed up the raid.
The heavens answered my prayers.
They granted me a versatile mage capable of performing multiple roles as a teammate.
“Young Lady Badass, it seems our ill fate runs deep.”
The issue being, that young lady in question was the one I had a bet with.
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