Chapter 98. <38. She is the Best Disciple (4)>
"W-Wooooaaah!"
"What! Just now!"
"Against Professor Barrett, launching consecutive attacks……."
"He even made him draw out his Aura Sword!"
The third-year A-class cadets exclaimed in unison, a beat late.
Their reaction bordered on astonishment.
Of course, it was only natural. They had barely managed to last 2 minutes at best, with the average not even properly enduring 1 minute against this opponent. Yet Tania had pressured him strongly.
Not only that, she had made him use his Aura Sword.
What did this signify?
Did it not mean that even the professor had to go all out to handle Tania!
"This is no joke."
"So, wow…… isn't this stronger than Karl Krone?"
"To think his skill is at a level where the professor has to go all out……."
"Seems like he's broken through the lower barrier too? Just now I saw a blue light on the blade……."
"No, more than that, isn't it even more ridiculous that he's learned intermediate swordsmanship in just one month?"
"Right. How in just one month……."
The cadets' conversation gradually shifted toward Tania's talent, particularly her talent for intermediate swordsmanship.
Her swordsmanship talent itself was remarkable, but intermediate swordsmanship seemed especially suited to her, it was far more powerful than her previous style, while the first-semester Tania was one thing, standing before her now was daunting, she said she learned from Lumian Calad and that guy is really amazing too.
Having listened to these conversations, Professor Ben Barrett trembled with shame and humiliation.
Though they weren't openly speaking his name, the cadets were essentially cursing his lack of discernment.
For it was he who had pushed technique-centered swordsmanship onto Tania.
Moreover, just one minute ago, he had openly mocked her and Lumian Calad, telling them to prove it if they were confident.
Yet despite that, he had suffered public humiliation before everyone's eyes, so even if he had ten mouths, he had nothing to say.
"……Quiet. The mid-term evaluation has ended, so everyone dismiss!"
"Yes, Professor."
The students, sensing the heavy atmosphere, answered quietly.
However, their gazes had changed. They were eyes that seemed to mock him.
Yet Professor Ben Barrett had no choice but to suppress his anger.
If he exploded in anger here, he would look even more ridiculous. Though he was stiff and inflexible, he had at least that much awareness.
Thus he remained silent with a sour expression until all the children had disappeared.
And about 5 minutes later.
"Kuaaaaaaaaak!"
Kwaaang!
The suppressed anger burst forth at once.
Professor Barrett strongly raised his aura, then infused it into his sword and struck the ground. A roar erupted as a pit formed in the floor.
He repeated that action. Kwang, kwang, kwaaang! Only after venting his anger ten more times did he sheathe his sword while breathing roughly.
Not because his anger was fully resolved.
But because he was exhausted. Being merely at the early stage of Expert, he could no longer maintain his Aura Sword.
"Heok, heuk! Heok! Keueuuaaak!"
Clatter-!
Professor Barrett threw his sword onto the ground.
Only then did he calm down somewhat. He walked to the bench, picked up a water bottle, and drank.
Then he picked up the grading sheet and began to ponder.
Having suffered humiliation was one thing, but there was still an important matter remaining.
It was the request he had received from the Southway family.
Worry and concern began to settle on the professor's face.
'Damn it, what should I do…….'
The head of the Southway family also knew the situation at the Academy.
That Professor David Karen was away. That he held all authority regarding the mid-term evaluation, and that there were no obstacles to manipulating the test content and grades.
Yet despite that, failing to give Logan Southway the top rank?
Ending up as runner-up again this time too?
After being treated to a meal and even receiving a famous sword as a gift?
'It's over!'
It wasn't simply a matter of returning the received gifts.
The power of the Southway Count family was strong. At the very least, they could easily block the future of someone who was merely a single knight.
That couldn't happen. Having gained backing to become a full professor and dreaming only of rising further, he couldn't endure a bleak future.
Right, there was no helping it.
Professor Barrett nodded his head heavily.
'Joint 1st place…… let's make this mid-term evaluation have two top rankers.'
Not all classes had been evaluated yet, but there would be no one who could break Logan's record. Therefore, in terms of records, Logan Southway would be 1st.
However, he couldn't place Tania Eloyce, who had made him draw his Aura Sword, below him. It was also a matter of his own pride.
'But Tania Eloyce's case is an exception. In other words, it means comparison with other children who properly recorded time is impossible…….'
Therefore, he would make these two outstanding cadets who couldn't be simply compared into joint 1st place!
It didn't seem bad. Though it wasn't without forced reasoning, he thought he could somehow smooth this over.
Having finished his thoughts, Professor Barrett took out a pen from his pocket. Then he marked '1' next to the names of Logan Southway and Tania Eloyce.
It meant that among the cadets evaluated so far, these two had the highest grades.
After that, as he was recording the children's grades one by one, suddenly a woman's voice came from behind him.
"Is that the grade report?"
"Heok!"
Greatly startled, Professor Ben Barrett shot up from his seat. Then he turned around.
Rhodesia's dispatched professor, Irene Curtis, was smiling brightly. Professor Barrett's face hardened as he looked at her.
'Since when without any presence…….'
His pride was wounded.
He intensely disliked Irene Curtis, who was much younger than him and a woman at that, yet showed overwhelming skill. Having just taken a big hit from Tania Eloyce made it even worse.
However, he didn't show it.
She was a figure backed by the powerful nation of Rhodesia. Though he outranked her in position, he couldn't treat her carelessly.
Moreover, with something weighing on his conscience, his attitude became even more cautious.
He forced a smile and spoke.
"Ha, haha. I wondered who it was, it's Professor Irene Curtis. My, it would have been nice if you'd made some sound when coming……."
"Ah, sorry. I'll do that next time. But you know. Thanks to approaching secretly, I think I saw something interesting?"
"……What do you mean?"
Professor Barrett lowered his voice, pretending to be nonchalant.
But it was useless. His trembling eyes revealed his anxious heart.
Moreover, Irene Curtis had already seen Professor Barrett's grade report. She had even seen everything he had shown while dealing with the A-class cadets.
She opened her mouth while still smiling.
"Surely, Logan Southway and Tania Eloyce's grades aren't identical, are they?"
"This is not your concern. I have full authority over this evaluation……."
"Is that so? Then it has nothing to do with the meal you had with someone from the Southway side a few days ago?"
"......."
Professor Barrett's complexion turned deathly pale.
He glared at Irene Curtis. With an expression asking how she knew that. With an expression asking what exactly she wanted.
She snickered.
Then she approached the professor with casual steps. She draped an arm over his shoulder and quietly whispered in Ben Barrett's ear.
"Tania Eloyce is a student Rhodesia is also keeping an eye on. I hope she doesn't receive disadvantage from unsavory matters."
"......."
"Well, if you can handle the aftermath, do as you please."
With those words, Irene left.
She didn't bother looking at Ben Barrett, who stood with a dumbfounded expression. He was too pathetic a man to warrant any more attention.
'I thought it was strange that such a small country had so many decent talents, but indeed trash is scattered around too.'
Irene Curtis smirked.
In her home country, he would have been treated as defective. Not just his skill, but his character was severely lacking.
For someone like that to serve as an Academy professor. It was absurd.
'David Karen, whom I briefly saw, seemed like a quite excellent person though…….'
Outstanding skill, impeccable character. Firm conviction.
He was truly the epitome of a knight.
Perhaps because such an excellent person was in charge, the second-year cadets at Tarajan Academy were particularly standing out.
Karl Krone, Theolo Shutgarn, Boomer Simpson, and Lumian Calad.
In particular, the evaluation of Lumian…… had risen even higher through this incident.
Irene knew better than anyone where Tania Eloyce's growth originated from.
'Not only is his skill remarkable, but his conviction is solid, and his character is upright as well. On top of that, even the ability to pass on his knowledge to others…….'
"Ha, haha."
Was this really making sense?
He had seen and felt everything directly. Yet still, a hollow laugh escaped him.
He didn't feel like a 15-year-old brat at all. Even if one had practiced aura cultivation from birth, it wouldn't be to this extent.
'Perhaps, is an old knight inside that young shell?'
Not being able to accept it, such thoughts even occurred to her.
As Irene Curtis walked while thinking of the unsolved mystery.
"Aura Sword?"
"Yeah. It was so satisfying. He looked down on both of us, but the moment he used his Aura Sword, his face completely froze……."
"Too bad. I should've gone to watch."
"Didn't you have the liberal arts exam in the morning?"
"For my disciple, skipping one exam is nothing……."
"There you go saying strange things again…… oh, Professor?"
Across from her, Lumian Calad and Tania Eloyce were walking toward her.
She spoke with a bright face upon encountering the two.
"What is this, a campus date?"
"N-no!"
"Haha. It's not that. The master was encouraging his lacking disciple…… ugh."
Tania jabbed his side with her elbow. After making an exaggerated grimace, Lumian spoke to Irene.
"Anyway, please take care of me during the evaluation."
"You don't even need to take the evaluation, do you? I'll just leave the top spot empty."
"Thanks even if it's just words. Then we'll be going."
"We'll be going, Professor."
"Go ahead."
The two, having finished their greetings, passed by Irene Curtis.
Still bickering with each other.
But on their faces as they looked at each other, not even a hint of irritation showed. A cool breeze brushed past their hair.
Watching that sight, Irene Curtis quietly murmured.
"Youth, it's youth."
She sighed, having already taken their relationship as a given.
Her ambition to recruit Lumian and achieve merit had already flown far away. As the matter grew larger, higher-ups had begun to step in.
'Soon there'll be some movement, won't there? I don't know. Let them handle it.'
She shook her head. No need to borrow trouble.
In the end, what she was doing now was only finding other talents, and even that was going nowhere. Aside from the second-year quartet and Tania Eloyce, no particularly useful figures were visible.
In other words, she was in an extremely bored state.
"Ah, I want to date too."
She inadvertently murmured.
Even though she had escaped Rhodesia where women swarmed, she still felt pathetic for being alone.
Yet finding a decent partner was also difficult. The male professors at the Academy were too far apart in age, and anyone below professor didn't catch her eye.
A sigh flowed from Irene's lips.
'Is there no decent man anywhere.'
She wandered the campus with lonely eyes.
The autumn that had come upon them was planting solitude in many people's hearts.
***
While Irene suffered from suddenly visiting distress.
Lumian and Tania were heading to lunch with bright faces without a single worry.
It wasn't strange. Tania had performed admirably in the swordsmanship mid-term evaluation, and Lumian was virtually assured the top rank.
Unlike other children, there was no way they had any anxiety. The two exchanged miscellaneous conversation as they made their way to the restaurant they frequented.
However, the peaceful time didn't last long.
New content was updated on the large notice board in the Academy plaza. It was about the Swordsmanship Festival.
Having checked this, Tania read through the content with a surprised expression.
"This Swordsmanship Festival, together with third and fourth-year students from this Academy…… apprentice knights of other countries in the same age group are also participating?"
Lumian's eyes widened.
There had been no such case before. Why would other countries even participate in an Academy event of a small nation like Tarajan?
As he was thinking that, suddenly an aged voice came from the sky.
It was the voice of the Knight Faculty Head. Having received the help of voice amplification magic, he spoke gravely.
—Cadet Lumian Calad within the Academy. Knight Faculty second-year E-class cadet Lumian Calad. Come to the Knight Faculty Head's office immediately. That is all.
It seemed to be because of the Swordsmanship Festival.
Lumian frowned.
"No, the Swordsmanship Festival is for third and fourth years, why call me? I'm a second year."
Though he said this, he also roughly knew what was going on.
Lumian read the content on the board again.
The countries participating in the Swordsmanship Festival totaled four, including Tarajan itself.
Among them, two were Rhodesia, and Xenas.