...A strange silence lingered over the Swordsmanship Department's training grounds.
"Ahem..."
"Mmm."
"W-what is this?"
They wanted to say something, but at this moment, even coming up with a proper greeting was too burdensome.
These were their department peers returning after a whopping 29 days.
To the Swordsmanship Department cadets, who were essentially competitors to one another, camaraderie was a faint emotion at best; however, since it had been a while since they last met, there was still some sense of gladness.
They at least wanted to exchange pleasantries or inquire about each other's well-being, but looking at them right now, even speaking was difficult.
And for good reason.
'W-why the bear pelts?'
'They... seem to have caught those themselves...'
'Their bodies have swollen immensely. Just what did they do? Hmm.'
Eighteen people wearing bear pelts.
They were the weaklings once called 'sprout cadets.'
If 29 days ago they were merely ordinary cadets you could find anywhere, now they were exceptionally peculiar.
The part that changed the most was, first of all, their impression.
They had become sharp.
The somewhat frail feeling was completely gone, replaced by an intense aura that felt as if it could cut at any moment.
But what captured their gaze even more than their impression was their 'physiques,' which had grown at least three times sturdier.
Rrrrip...!
The Academic Institute cadet uniforms were on the verge of bursting.
It wasn't because they had gained fat, but rather their muscles and bone structures had grown larger overall.
However, rather than feeling like they had simply bulked up their muscles indiscriminately, they had only grown what was necessary while maintaining agility—a level of perfection that could elicit admiration.
Aura and physique. Even their posture showed no openings.
Warriors—no, 'fighters' ready to leap into battle at any moment, came to mind.
At that moment.
"R-Revi Volt? Is that Lady Volt?"
"Yes, Lady Luno. Have you been well?"
"I-I was fine, but y-you have changed quite a bit, Lady Volt."
The noble lady called Luno stared wide-eyed, sweeping her gaze from the tip of Revi Volt's feet all the way up to her head.
A discourteous rudeness.
As nobles who valued etiquette, it was an act they should never dare commit, but right now, it was unavoidable.
It was simply too hard to believe that a person could change so much in less than a month.
And the other young ladies were no different.
"M-My goodness, haven't your hands become far too rough?"
"My, a scar...! Y-You must treat it immediately!"
"But why is the skin on your face and other areas so moist and pretty? Lady Irene too..."
Revi Volt was a girl more petite than the other young ladies.
That didn't mean she was frail; it was just that she was a bit thinner than the others.
But not anymore.
She was still thin, but seeing her body clearly much more toned than before, one could no longer use the word 'frail' to describe her.
Instead, she exuded a healthy beauty that wasn't overly bulky.
She had also grown a bit taller.
Her 150cm height now looked to be around 160cm.
She had grown a whole 10cm taller...
No matter how much she was in her growing phase, did it make sense for a person to grow this much in a short period of less than 30 days?
'H-How did a chick suddenly turn into a swan?'
Borrowing the instructor's words, the girl who was nothing more than a chick had transformed into a swan.
An extraordinary aura emanated from her, and a sense of maturity lingered about her, causing the observing young ladies to steal glances at Revi Volt with slightly flushed gazes.
For an attractive woman could draw out admiration even from the same sex.
"...The stares are a bit burdensome."
Perhaps embarrassed by those burdensome stares, the girl showed her shyness.
Seeing this, it was definitely Revi Volt.
However, the girl with the timid and frail voice was no more.
A steadfastness capable of confidently expressing her own opinions now resided within her.
"Compared to my senior martial siblings, I am nothing."
"Senior martial siblings...?"
"Four days ago, we decided to form a senior-junior relationship. I am the youngest, and since my training is still lacking, I became the youngest disciple."
"I-I see."
"...T-then, Lady Volt, if you don't mind me asking, why are they wearing such grotesque things?"
"Are you talking about those?"
Revi Volt smiled bitterly as if she had expected such a question.
And the young lords and chicks who found it difficult to speak to the others softly focused on their conversation, and Revi Volt answered as if to resolve their curiosity.
"Well, they are the pelts of monsters we encountered during our return march."
"M-Monsters!?"
"Yes, it seemed to be a mutant. You know how it is sometimes? Animals that eat monster flesh undergo mutation."
"My goodness..."
They knew it well too.
For humans or flora and fauna to consume unrefined monster flesh or blood was no different from consuming poison.
In other words, instant death upon consumption was the norm.
However, occasionally, animals or plants with robust vitality endured the poison; in such cases, they would degenerate into violent and cruel monsters.
This series of processes created monster disasters, which were also the most dreaded catastrophe for territory residents.
Yet those monsters...
"Fearing they might head to the village, the instructor gave my senior martial siblings an order. To hunt all the monsters."
"...A-And the instructor and the others didn't step in?"
"Yes. You know how strict he is. He put all the experts on standby, let alone Young Master Loen."
"......"
Then, did that mean those bear monsters were hunted by them—the weak commoner cadets who were mocked as sprouts?
...Without the help of the instructor or other experts?
"There were exactly eighteen monsters, and my senior martial siblings were also eighteen, so the numbers matched perfectly. And because their clothes and baggage were all torn from the battle, they had no choice but to return wearing bear pelts. It's not like they're doing that to intimidate you or anything."
"...Why are they still wearing them now that they have their cadet uniforms on?"
"Their armor broke as well. Those bear pelts are quite thick and sturdy, so they're good to use as makeshift armor."
"......"
"Why the silence? Is there anything else you're curious about...?"
"N-No."
...This girl seemed to have become a bit strange as well.
No, if they lost their armor, they could just inquire at the Academy to get a replacement, so why would they continue to walk around wearing bear pelts?
'The way those people think is strange, but Lady Volt has become strange as well.'
Should I say their common sense had slightly warped?
They had changed irrationally.
"-Don't misunderstand. That pelt is truly incredibly sturdy, just as I said. Twice as much as the armor provided by the Academy. Even in the Artisan Guild, it's difficult to obtain armor that sturdy."
"Instructor..."
The instructor appeared in the middle of their conversation.
He had just returned from being called in by the Academy Head again because of the bear pelt incident.
"If you're nobles, you should know, right? The worth of a single top-grade piece of armor."
"...It is a bit pricey."
"Right, even you admit it's expensive. But do you think it's easy for them to get good armor with their status?"
"Ah..."
"Right, as long as you understand."
It was a refreshing explanation, and they admired it, finally realizing that the pelts were of such high quality.
...At the same time.
'Then, does that mean they won against bear monsters with defense equal to top-grade armor?'
'They said it was 1-on-1, but how?'
'At that level, they would at least be mid-to-high rank monsters...'
The fact that 'they' won against such monsters was admirable.
It was visible at a glance that they had gotten stronger, but it was astonishing that they had reached a level where they could fight and win against mid-to-high rank monsters 1-on-1.
Intensive enhancement training.
It wasn't just called enhancement training for nothing; it was clear they had returned with truly immense results.
And in such a short period at that-!
'Should I have forced myself to go?'
'What a shame.'
The cadets who remained at the Academy due to unavoidable circumstances felt envy, regret, and jealousy.
They must have been envious of their rapid growth.
However.
"Ah, still, don't wear your armor during class. You've returned now, why are you still wearing that?"
"...W-We're fine. This is comfortable for us."
"It's uncomfortable for the instructor and the people looking at you. Take them off immediately."
"......"
"-Are you defying me?"
"A-Ack! W-We will take them off!"
Education is scary.
The moment Lee Han lowered his voice, all their rebellious spirit vanished, and they immediately threw off the bear pelts.
And...
"...Bald?"
"Huh? Why is their hair...?"
"Did they not have hair originally...?"
-......
The sprouts—no, the baldies—teared up.
They couldn't bear to show this appearance to others...
Especially not to the girls.
Their eyes grew moist, and Lee Han continued speaking as if making an excuse.
"Ahem, it's merely a minor side effect. Those who learned the Aura Technique were fine, but those who didn't learn it lost their hair after learning the sutras. Well, it's not a permanent condition. It'll grow back later."
"T-Then what about Lady Volt...?"
"I taught her a bit more kindly, so she's fine. The ones I taught 'aggressively' ended up like that. It's a minor mistake; they just won't make that mistake next time, haha..."
"......"
"...Sorry. That was a slip of the tongue."
"...Please don't even apologize, so I can at least hate you to my heart's content."
The bald ones sobbed wretchedly, while the rest looked on with sympathetic eyes.
Also.
'Thank goodness I didn't go.'
They felt relieved, thinking staying behind was the best thing they could have done.
* * *
The Swordsmanship Department dismissed early.
Classes or whatever, tomorrow was finally the War Game.
Condition was important, and they needed to relieve the fatigue from their arduous journey, so he gave them free time.
He was worried that some guys might come back having exhausted all their energy doing 'that.'
'Forcing young males into a month of forced celibacy, jeez.'
He had been harsher than when he put them in a Temple Stay, giving them pain every day, so if they went to relieve their urges, he had to understand.
...However, if they didn't just relieve their fatigue lightly, but came tomorrow in a groaning state, he wouldn't stand for it.
He would surely roll them over and over again to punish them!
'It's definitely not because I'm jealous.'
Others can do what I can't.
I'm making it clear that this is not because of such filthy jealousy.
...Though I can't deny that 1% of sourness is mixed in.
"Jealous bastards..."
Lee Han inwardly ground his teeth.
As if vowing to never let them off if they lost tomorrow.
Before he knew it, he was burning with unjustified anger towards the cadets, and was about to go mess with the assistants who would be doing the instructor duties that had piled up for a month.
"Sir Knight!"
"...Milady Maid?"
Layla Winter.
She came running with her signature energetic, nasal voice.
'...Uh, if she does that.'
Smack!
...As expected.
The maid showed off a wonderful slapstick routine without betraying expectations.
A fall that naturally drew admiration.
Truly, an impact severe enough to break a nasal bone was conveyed.
Well.
"Are you okay?"
"Hehe, yes. It doesn't hurt."
"...It has to hurt."
"Huh?"
"......It's nothing. Never mind."
Our maid without a single scratch.
Amazing.
Truly an astonishing toughness.
'What really is this kid?'
Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since they started living together, she remained an incomprehensible mystery.
In reality, she was more wondrous than a regressor or a possessor.
Lee Han tried hard to hide such feelings and asked the reason she was looking for him so urgently when they would meet at home anyway.
"Is something the matter?"
"It's nothing else, the Princess is coming!"
"I already know."
"Really!?"
"I got called by the Academy Head and heard it."
The news he heard while getting scolded by the Academy Head.
It was the story of Isis, that sister, visiting the Academy, and the notification that she would be observing the War Game.
To Lee Han, irreverence toward the royal family naturally arose, wondering if she had nothing better to do, but since it wasn't the first or second time that sister acted as she pleased, that was just that.
'If she comes, she comes. Why should I care?'
From the perspective of the Academy staff and cadets, it would be an issue on the level of a three-star general's unit inspection, but.
To Lee Han, it was just a slightly annoying acquaintance visiting.
Other people would do the work anyway.
'I'll just hide, whatever.'
The cadets were going to fight anyway, what would he have to do?
"It's not that big of a deal. Let's just do what we need to do..."
"But the Duke is coming too!"
"......?"
"Duke Galahad! He said he's coming to observe too!"
"...What?"
He thought he heard something strange.
Did he hear that wrong?
Lee Han tried to open his mouth to say something, but...
"Ah, and besides the Duke, Grand Duke Lionel is coming too! I heard it clearly at the Royal Castle today!"
"...What?"
"Since all those important people are coming, even the King might come! Hehe, it seems like there'll be a lot of guests!"
"...What?"
...With a dumbfounded expression, he kept asking back.