9. The Haughty Owl (1)
After accomplishing an unbelievable feat in his fourth year, Jayden finally became a fifth-year.
At a glance, the fifth-year program, situated in a habitat for aerial-type monsters, seemed like the sort of place where extremely dangerous mistakes would happen often.
In fact, the fourth-years had also been based in a large monster habitat, making it extremely dangerous, and as shown when they fought the trolls, they had risked their lives in battle despite their young age.
But contrary to his tension, life as a fifth-year was mostly ordinary.
Most aerial-type monsters were upper-tier monster species, so it was nearly impossible for students to hunt them.
Perhaps because their lessons ended with theory classes and observing from afar where aerial monsters lived and what characteristics they had, most of the students’ tension eased.
Thanks to that, unlike his eventful fourth year, Jayden was able to enjoy a fairly comfortable student life as well.
In truth, they could have lived that way in their fourth year too; it could be said that Jayden was the reason things had become so difficult.
Normally, practical training with large monsters only happened a few times a year, and even then, the students merely put the finishing touches on monsters the Rangers had already subdued.
And so, after becoming a fifth-year, he spent three months truly savoring a life that felt like that of a student.
“Number 1 trains the basics like his life depends on it.”
“I know, right?”
The students watching Jayden from the side wore expressions of incomprehension.
Unlike before, from the fifth year onward, training in the basic sword forms and the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship was no longer mandatory.
Unlike in the fourth year, fifth-year students were allotted a great deal of personal time, and the reason was to raise each student’s individual ability.
First-years learned basic common knowledge and the fundamentals of combat methods, while second- and third-years learned more advanced strategy and tactics.
Then, in the fourth year, they were taught methods for fighting large monsters, and throughout that entire process, most of the curriculum was built upon cooperation, a soldier’s mindset, and strategy and tactics centered around the basics.
But from the fifth year onward, things were different.
Since they would go through an apprenticeship process for actual combat in their graduating year, all time outside of theory and practical courses on aerial monsters was guaranteed as free time so they could improve their personal skills.
Moreover, the fifth-year library was quite unusual, as it contained high-level swordsmanship manuals from the Empire’s major families.
There were even magic books, spirit tomes, advanced shamanic arts, books containing information on divine beasts, and even the combat arts of monsters.
No matter what they chose, the school had done its utmost to allow the students to grow stronger through their own choices.
The Northeastern Academy, in particular, was famous for having many high-quality martial manuals, and as if to prove it, it possessed everything from the basic Lion Sword Forms of Leonhardt to high-level Leonhardt swordsmanship manuals that had been famous several centuries ago.
Though the secret techniques of each family were absent, it meant that everything needed, at the very least, for the children to grow had been provided.
Yet Jayden had cast all of that aside and was only training in the basic sword forms and the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship, so from the students’ perspective, it was baffling.
“Hoo……”
Today, too, Jayden finished training in the basic sword forms and began practicing the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship that was now ingrained in his body.
Seeing that, the students all shook their heads and began training in the swordsmanship or martial arts they had newly found for themselves in the library.
‘No one practices the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship anymore.’
With a bitter expression, Jayden looked at the students training in the swordsmanship and martial arts famous throughout the Empire.
Those who continued training the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship to the end, like him, were extremely few.
Even the children who had followed his example no longer trained in the basic sword forms, and Number 2 was also training in the swordsmanship of the Divine Sword Family.
As if making up for all the time he had stopped to train in the basic sword forms, he was training even more fiercely, while Number 3 was also training in a sword art famous for its heavy sword.
That was why, despite being the most fundamental sword form of the Empire, Jayden was rare for continuing to train in it.
“Everyone has their own path that suits them, I guess.”
Jayden looked for a moment with envy at Number 2’s swift sword and Number 3’s heavy sword, then lowered his gaze to his own sword.
The Imperial Basic Swordsmanship, created upon the foundation of the basic sword forms.
He liked this simple sword path, and it suited his body. Though the Imperial Basic Swordsmanship was simple, easy to counter, had all sorts of methods to break it devised against it, and was practically obsolete, only by training in this simple sword path could a body with such miserable talent adapt.
As if to prove it, unlike in his previous life, where he had barely managed to grow by embedding mana stones in his body and forcibly overloading his mana circuits, in this life he was somehow keeping up reasonably well among monsters.
“It really is a sword art made for those without talent.”
Looking at this great swordsmanship, made so that even people like him could endure among geniuses, Jayden tightened his grip on his sword.
And today, too, he swung his sword like a madman so he could gain the upper hand among monsters.
After Jayden trained in swordsmanship until he was utterly exhausted and returned to the dormitory, he saw the crow-tit, as usual, singing while playing with the owl.
“Hey, how long are you planning to stay?”
-Hoot?
The owl tilted its head and looked at Jayden. At a glance, the owl staring at him with its large eyes looked innocent, but judging from the past few months, that bastard was the rudest creature under heaven.
Even Jayden, who had taken good care of it because it might be his second divine beast, had become fed up enough to tell it to get lost already. It was a creature that had swallowed its manners in soup.
“Leave already. You’re all better now.”
-Hoot! Hoot~ hoot~.
Seeing the owl tell him not to spout useless nonsense and hurry up and bring that over, Jayden’s face crumpled.
“Am I your servant? Huh? Make it yourself.”
-Hoot!
The owl’s eyes gleamed as it looked at the smoked meat in his hand.
Its eyes were already so big that they were frightening, and with light shining from them too, it became even more frightening.
“Hey, hey! Stop that.”
-Chirp!
Only after the crow-tit fluttered up and bonked the owl on the head did the owl quiet down and urge Jayden on.
-Hoot!
“Sigh…… here.”
When he threw the smoked meat, the owl flew up, skillfully caught it, and swallowed it down with a satisfied expression.
Looking at the creature’s peculiar appetite—an owl that liked smoked meat more than raw meat—Jayden shook his head.
When he first fed the owl, it ate anything well, but after he happened to give it smoked meat once, it had whined for only that ever since.
Thanks to that, he had to struggle to procure smoked meat from the academy every time.
“Are you really not going to leave? If you’re not going to leave, then at least make a contract with me.”
-Hoot? Hoohoohoohoo~.
The owl laughed like mad, sneering with an expression that seemed to say, “As if someone like you could make a contract with me.”
At that, the crow-tit beside it pecked the owl on the head with its beak once again.
-Hoot…….
-Chirp!
-Hoot, hoot.
Feeling vicarious satisfaction as he watched the crow-tit harshly scold the arrogant owl, Jayden lay down on his bed.
He could not keep that owl with him forever.
He had thought that if he made a second contract, his divine beast power might increase enough to open a subspace, but looking at that haughty owl, a contract seemed out of the question.
“Tsk! I’ll have to keep it with me somehow until fifth year is over.”
Though its body had recovered, it did not seem as if even its minor wounds had completely healed.
It seemed to still have internal injuries as well, because every so often when it used its strength, he could see it grimace in pain.
As for how he knew that, it was because the owl was helping him with his training every night.
-Hoot!
“Let’s rest just a little before we go.”
-Hoot!
Because the owl was urging him to come out quickly, Jayden sighed and got back up.
Now that regular hours were over and it was individual free time, some children were resting, while others were studying.
But most of the children remained on the drill ground, training in swordsmanship.
“Shall we begin?”
-Hoot!
At Jayden’s words, the owl answered energetically, its eyes gleaming.
In that instant, the owl’s feathers turned black, and it shot toward Jayden in the blink of an eye.
It was so fast that he could barely perceive it, but the black mist forming around the owl was also interfering with his mana detection.
Clang!
“I blocked it this time.”
-Hoot? Hoohoohoo!
The owl mocked Jayden for getting excited over blocking it just once, then swiftly flew at him again.
As if it intended to increase its speed this time, the owl flew chaotically around Jayden, aiming for an opening.
Clang! Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Jayden, who had blocked dozens of attacks in an instant, lightly shook out his hand.
From the owl’s perspective, it seemed to be merely playing with him, but even though Jayden had strengthened his body, the impact was enough to make his wrist ache.
“I’m not done yet.”
-Hoo-hoo~.
Toward the owl that came flying at him again with an expression that seemed to say, “Not bad,” Jayden met it head-on with the basic forms of Imperial Swordsmanship.
The children around him watched the sight with envy.
It looked as though he were fighting a real battle.
They felt that if their swordsmanship training were conducted like that as well, they could grow stronger quickly.
It was the creature Jayden had rescued in his fourth year, and at some point it had begun living with him, but strangely enough, it never helped anyone with their training except Jayden.
So they thought perhaps it had made a contract with Jayden, but they said that was not the case either.
According to what they had confirmed directly with the professors, even the professors found it strange that an owl with no contract would stay by Jayden’s side to this extent.
Even so, since Jayden might someday contract with the owl, everyone refrained from giving them any pointed looks and did not approach when the two were together. They worried that because of them, the bond forming with the owl might be severed.
Perhaps thanks to his comrades’ consideration, recently Jayden had grown, if only by a rat’s tail, closer to the owl.
Its nasty attitude was still the same, and its haughtiness was unchanged, but it was undeniable that Jayden had gotten closer to the owl.
Of course, that was what the people around him thought. As far as Jayden himself was concerned, it was simply an obnoxious owl.
“Haa…… haa…… Stop! I’m exhausted.”
-Hoo-hoo-hoo!
The owl clicked its tongue as if calling him a weakling, then flapped off toward the parrotbill.
Watching the owl, Jayden shook his head from side to side.
“Good work.”
“Thanks.”
He thanked the child who handed him a water bottle, brushed off his backside, and stood up.
“But seeing how kids like you and Numbers 2 and 3 still haven’t reached the third stage, I guess a wall really is a wall. Whew…… When will I ever reach the third stage?”
“Who knows…… I don’t think there’ll be that big of a difference.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. In fifth year, there’s that, isn’t there?”
At Jayden’s words, the student sighing beside him trembled slightly.
“That’s true, but…… I heard it hurts.”
“That’s what they say.”
“Ugh……”
At Jayden’s words, the young student shuddered faintly.
“I don’t want to do it.”
“You still have to. It’s better than being held back.”
“That’s true. Sigh…… I’ll have to endure it, right?”
“Of course.”
At Jayden’s words, the young student firmed his resolve and nodded.
“All right, let’s give it a try.”
“There isn’t much time left until we have to do it, so let’s focus on getting our bodies ready.”
“Yeah.”
The two gave small nods, finished the stretches that concluded the day’s training, and dragged their weary bodies back into the dormitory.
Even after Jayden, who was always diligent, had gone in, a few students still remained on the training ground, continuing their personal training.
They, too, knew that day would soon come, so they were giving it their all one last time in order to get their bodies into the best possible condition.
And so the days of training filled with the children’s earnest effort continued, until at last the most important moment for all the students drew near.