Chapter 28. 13. It's a Misunderstanding (3)
"They're Karl Krone's fans."
"What? Fans?"
Lumian asked back with an expression as if he'd misheard. Theoro answered again with a serious face.
"That's right. Fans."
"They're seriously creepy bitches. It's gotten worse than last year, ugh."
Boomer said, hugging himself with both arms and shuddering.
That sight was even creepier, but Lumian didn't bother pointing it out.
He was more interested in the current conversation.
"No, but why does he even have fans? Is he a Knight King or something? Or a wandering knight with over ten songs about him?"
"Well, not exactly that... but at least within Tarazan Academy, that's his position. No, looking at it now, it might be even worse than that."
Theoro said with a sigh.
He also seemed to find what just happened absurd.
Of course, Lumian was the most bewildered of all.
He closed his eyes to recall the original owner's memories, and fragmented information about Karl Krone surfaced.
'Not as handsome as Theoro, but quite good-looking. Unlike me, there was a huge fuss everywhere saying he was the greatest talent in the academy's history since enrollment...'
That was the limit. Nothing else came to mind.
Well, there was no way Lumian, dead last in his year, would have any connection with the top ranker.
Boomer added some explanation for him.
"That guy is somewhat similar to you."
"Me? Similar to me?"
"Yeah. Not as openly as you... but I guess you could say he manages his popularity, or enjoys being looked up to... anyway, he's a guy who's made showing off a habit. Of course, he actually is talented... pah."
Boomer spat on the ground.
His feelings toward Karl Krone didn't seem good, his mood apparently twisted.
Theoro continued speaking in his place.
"No one can deny he's talented. He's the eldest son of the Krone Marquis family, famous as a knight household, and he's never lost the top rank since enrollment. Also, like Boomer said... he is a guy who likes attention."
"That bastard, he's even played with me on purpose to look cool in front of women!"
'So that's why he didn't ask Karl Krone for help.'
Lumian recalled the past while watching Boomer snort and huff.
Boomer was the type passionate enough about learning to ask for teaching the day after getting beaten up by him.
He had wondered why such a guy hadn't made a similar request to the year's top ranker, but there was a reason.
'But Boomer is actually pretty good as a supporting role.'
Lumian looked at Boomer and let his imagination unfold.
Rather than showing off skills against a freckled guy, showing off a flashy and cool appearance while facing the large, fierce-looking Boomer seemed like it would make a much better picture.
Karl Krone probably knew that and did the same.
'He's a capable guy.'
He didn't know about swordsmanship, but he could feel considerable experience in image management.
If he watched and observed, there would probably be quite a lot to learn.
While having these useless thoughts, Theoro spoke to him.
"Anyway, be careful."
"Yeah, got it. I shouldn't talk about winning outside. The fans are terrifying."
"The fans are one thing, but be careful of Karl Krone too."
"Huh?"
"You haven't faced him yet."
"..."
"That guy... is strong beyond compare to me."
Suddenly the atmosphere turned serious.
Lumian hardened his expression and examined Theoro and Boomer's faces.
Both were guys with pride in their own skills, yet showing this kind of reaction.
"How strong is he?"
"Well, I wouldn't know. Are there any people who've seen his full power besides the graduating seniors?"
"They say even the graduating seniors aren't a match for him..."
"Anyway, he's definitely the greatest talent in Tarazan Academy... no, in Tarazan's history. No matter how much stronger you've gotten, it'll be tough... you need to be careful."
"Hmm."
Lumian made a serious expression after hearing all of Theoro's words.
From Theoro's tone, and from Boomer's face, he could feel it. How highly these two evaluated Karl Krone.
But.
'It doesn't make sense for me to worry about his skills.'
Of course, he would be amazing.
They said he's overwhelmingly stronger than the two of them, who are promising young people in their own right.
He guessed he would be one of the top talents in the Jenas Kingdom. That level would be truly outstanding.
However, Lumian was the one who had personally raised Knight King Philip III.
That meant he was the very person who had taught the continent's greatest talent since childhood.
'Still, if I say it too easily, these guys will be hurt.'
Lumian glanced at the two.
He judged that belittling someone they thought was excellent enough to humble their own pride wasn't wise.
He nodded heavily.
"Alright. I'll work hard."
"...Though the one who needs to work hardest is me."
Theoro said bitterly. Boomer also nodded with a serious expression.
They were stimulated by the two experts who were on a different level from themselves.
But they didn't know.
What Lumian meant by 'working hard' wasn't training swordsmanship to defeat Karl Krone.
It meant researching and practicing 'how to stand out more on stage.'
'I'll win this swordsmanship tournament and achieve popularity on Karl Krone's level!'
Lumian nodded while looking at the sky.
At his appearance filled with determination, the two also nodded.
***
Clang!
Clatter-!
"Good work."
"Damn... I thought I held out a bit better this time."
Luke Kelton, a senior, said while massaging his sore wrist. The sword he had been holding had long since flown far away.
He was talented enough to receive a scholarship, but this sparring match was his complete defeat.
Moreover, his opponent was a second-year student with much less experience than himself.
At this point, harsher words could have been poured out, but Luke didn't feel that frustrated.
It couldn't be helped.
When the opponent was Karl Krone, a being who shattered the academy's common sense.
"Sigh, looks like I won't get to win even once before graduation. I should have beaten him right when he enrolled."
"Haha. That would have definitely been difficult back then."
"Back then? This kid doesn't even consider his senior's feelings..."
"Ugh, sorry."
"Hey, if you're sorry, at least act like you're sorry. How can you just pretend to be slightly surprised and call it done?"
"That's because if I played along with every single one of senior's jokes, there'd be no end to it..."
"Let's stop talking, stop talking."
"Then instead of talking, shall we spar one more time?"
"...I'm sorry."
Karl Krone and Luke Kelton exchanged casual jokes for a while.
Not only were they quite close, but this place was also a training ground not open to regular students.
His hardcore fans couldn't enter this training ground open only to seniors and Karl Krone, who received special treatment.
For Karl Krone, who always paid attention to image management, there was no place more comfortable than this.
"Your fans should see this."
"Hey, it's not like I act that differently."
"It is different, man. I heard you struck all kinds of poses during this midterm evaluation too? The humanities department girls were absolutely swooning?"
"No, saying it like that..."
"Tsk tsk, you're not even going to date them anyway, why live so hard."
"Hmm, it's not particularly hard. It's just like a habit..."
Karl Krone answered with a grin.
It couldn't be helped.
He was born that way. He had liked swords since childhood. And he liked receiving people's attention just as much.
Adults widening their eyes at his sword-wielding figure, ladies making ecstatic expressions, peers making frustrated expressions—he couldn't help but like all of it.
Each of their reactions gave Karl Krone a thrilling pleasure.
Moreover, lately that tendency had grown stronger, and receiving attention from others was more enjoyable than swordsmanship itself.
Unfortunately, there was no one in swordsmanship who could entertain him.
'Of course, I'm no match for formal knights or professors...'
That was just because his aura reserves were insufficient.
He thought that given a little time, surpassing them wouldn't be difficult either.
The same went for his classmates. They were all beneath him.
Theoro Sootgarn and Boomer Simpson were somewhat usable among them, but still far from comparing to himself.
He thought there probably wouldn't be anyone to entertain him with swordsmanship until he joined the Royal Knight Order or went to study abroad in the Knight Kingdom Jenas.
Until he heard about Lumian Callad.
"Oh, by the way, I heard there's a swordsmanship tournament this semester."
"I heard. It's for 1st and 2nd years, right?"
"Yeah. You're participating, right? Well, an attention-seeker like you wouldn't miss it."
"Haha, for someone aspiring to be a knight, higher fame is naturally good. It makes joining knight orders easier too."
"You could get in easily without that."
"Haha, that's true. But this time, there's another guy I'm curious about besides that."
"Ah, that kid who tied for first place with you? Lumian... right?"
"Yes. He was famously last place until last year, but it's fascinating."
Karl Krone smiled broadly.
He had heard about the midterm evaluation from some kids.
That Theoro and Boomer's skills had improved tremendously. That they were originally strong, but seemed to have grown much more compared to last year.
But there was someone who showed even more absurd growth than those two.
'Lumian Callad... just how strong did he become to cause such a commotion?'
His expression hardened.
Though a smile still hung on his lips, his eyes weren't smiling, giving a slightly frightening feeling.
'Does it matter.'
"Let's go again, senior."
"Ugh, let me rest a bit more..."
"Hey, the swordsmanship tournament is coming up soon, help me out. Hurry."
"Brat, why are you worried about a tournament only 1st and 2nd years participate in..."
He forcibly pulled up the grumbling Luke Kelton and restored his fresh expression.
Right, the midterm evaluation wasn't enough.
The swordsmanship tournament, where only one champion shines brilliantly and ties are impossible, was the perfect stage to imprint his authority.
Raising his real sword, Karl Krone thought.
'It seems time to show the gap properly once more.'
Attention scattering here and there wasn't what he wanted.
Having finished his thoughts, he swung his sword powerfully.
***
At that same time, Lumian Callad was greatly surprised looking at the booklet he received from Boomer Simpson.
"What on earth is this!"
Thwap!
He was so surprised that he threw the book without realizing it.
After taking a deep breath, he muttered to himself.
"No, what is this? What is this?"
The cover alone was unusual.
A picture that far transcended what he had imagined, something that couldn't even be described as high-level.
And the contents were even worse.
It was enough to make Lumian, who had reached Sword Expert, feel dizzy for a moment.
He shook his head vigorously and muttered.
"Boomer, you perverted bastard, how can you have something like this, tsk."
But contrary to his words, Lumian slowly walked toward the thrown booklet.
Then he picked it up and headed back to the bed.
'Still, it's a waste to just throw it away... should I look just once?'
That night, Lumian couldn't sleep.
Seeing him come out for class with bloodshot eyes, the professor looked satisfied.
'He must have stayed up all night doing aura cultivation.'
Unlike with Tania Eloyse, it wasn't a bad misunderstanding.