Sword Emperor, Becoming the Young Lady of a Viscount House

Chapter 22: Torze Military Academy (4)

Beatrice, maintaining her graceful demeanor, habitually flicked the wooden sword into the air.

Reiser, who had been staring blankly at her, barely managed to speak.

“Ca-Cadet Cenci is the victor.”

‘Something impossible just happened.’

Reiser knew about Ren Severance.

He wasn’t someone with extraordinary talent.

However, even if Ren had formed a contract with a spirit, Beatrice was different.

She was merely an ordinary girl without any powers.

Her appearance confirmed it, and so did the aura emanating from her.

Thus, Reiser had believed Ren’s victory was guaranteed.

But.

‘How on earth?’

The victor was Beatrice.

She had utterly crushed Ren with overwhelming force.

In a single strike.

With an attack that didn’t even seem particularly strong, Ren was rendered unconscious.

The problem was that even Reiser couldn’t precisely figure out how Beatrice had achieved her victory.

All he could recall was the faint movement of Beatrice’s body and a dim blue light.

Though he recognized it as mana…

…Mana’s power couldn’t compare to the strength of a spirit.

Defeating someone wielding a spirit’s power with mere mana was incomprehensible.

And in just one strike, no less.

‘There’s something here.’

-Gulp.

Reiser swallowed dryly, staring at Beatrice.

Beatrice yawned lazily, blinking her eyes.

Her demeanor perfectly matched that of a typical 16-year-old girl.

And yet, this delicate girl had instantly knocked out a man over 180 cm tall.

Even after witnessing such a striking scene, it was impossible not to feel any emotion.

‘I need to keep an eye on her.’

Reiser, the original commander of the Royal Knights, had taken on the role of overseeing Torze Academy at the Crown Prince’s special request.

While his duties included training the incompetent noble offspring into capable leaders…

…It also involved recording and reporting their abilities.

He mentally marked Beatrice Cenci as a person of interest.

“That was amazing, Beatrice.”

Argos expressed his genuine admiration.

“How did you do that? What just happened?”

“I dodged and slashed.”

“I know that much.”

“…Oh, I see.”

‘Tch, how dependent on spirits must he be not to know even something so basic?’

In truth, the method Beatrice had used was nothing special.

She simply took one precise step forward just before Ren closed the distance.

That movement caused Ren’s sword to lose its proper impact point, weakening the force of his attack.

From that position, she used his weight against him to strike his abdomen.

Of course, she had used mana to strike faster and harder.

“…Amazing. I never would’ve guessed. Honestly, I thought you’d lose.”

Argos admitted with a tone of admiration.

‘He looks like a thug, but…’

It was a remark filled with respect and appreciation.

Despite his red hair giving him a rough appearance, Argos was surprisingly polite.

Beatrice found his candid nature appealing.

At that moment, Reiser approached, clapping slowly and addressing her.

“An impressive duel, Cadet.”

“It was nothing.”

“Remarkable. I’ve witnessed countless sword techniques, but this is the first time I’ve encountered something like yours. May I ask where you learned it?”

The question wasn’t particularly difficult. Beatrice answered honestly.

“Self-taught.”

Murmurs arose among the onlookers.

Reiser’s expression grew even more serious.

“Self-taught… Are you certain?”

“Would I lie?”

“…If that’s true, you possess exceptional talent. Very well. Let’s move on to the next duel. The rewards will be announced after all the duels conclude.”

‘Now I just get to watch?’

Beatrice’s eyes glinted with interest.

Watching fights was, after all, the most entertaining thing in the world.

“Argos Cadet wins.”

“Luce Cadet wins.”

The duels progressed quickly.

Beatrice had only taken note of two individuals—Argos and Luce.

They were as Solid had described.

The rest were unimpressive.

‘That Luce guy is peculiar.’

[Hmm, I can’t say for certain without forming a contract, but his aura suggests he’s partnered with a high-rank spirit.]

‘What about that Argos guy?’

[Since he carries Argos’ bloodline, it’s natural for him to be high-rank as well.]

‘I thought only rejects came to this place.’

Beatrice had initially considered this academy a kind of exile.

Judging by the students’ lack of confidence and general demeanor.

[There are always exceptions. Take young Argos, for example. He might have been overshadowed by a more talented sibling.]

‘Even with those abilities?’

[Argos’ family is full of monstrous talents. Who knows how things stand now, though.]

Although the duels continued for some time…

Beatrice lost interest in the rest.

Most of the matches were just pathetic brawls.

Eventually, the final duel concluded smoothly.

“The last duel is over.”

The students were clearly divided into two groups—victors and losers.

The results were straightforward, with no exceptions.

It was even evident from their expressions.

Among the losers, many were still unconscious.

“So, what’s the reward?”

The victors perked up their ears in unison.

While winning was satisfying on its own…

…The promise of a reward piqued their curiosity.

Beatrice, too, watched Reiser with a subtle gaze of anticipation.

“The winners will have the right to sleep in the better rooms of this mansion.”

“…What? That’s the reward?”

The noble students collectively frowned.

Sleeping in better rooms?

For those born as nobles, this was an expectation, not a reward.

Their confusion was understandable.

But.

‘I see. Thirty-two people. Even if the mansion is large, it wouldn’t have enough good rooms for all of them.’

Beatrice alone understood the logic behind it.

Even if they included the servants’ quarters, accommodating all 32 wouldn’t be an issue.

However, the problem was that all 32 were nobles.

There likely weren’t 32 high-quality rooms.

She thought it was a decent reward. Beatrice liked good beds.

People needed a comfortable night’s sleep, after all.

‘If I hadn’t shown my skills, I’d curse Solid for eternity.’

[That’s a chilling statement.]

Beatrice also resolved never to follow Solid’s advice again.

“Wait, then what about the people who lost the duels?”

Someone else raised the opposite question to Beatrice’s thoughts.

Reiser replied in a flat tone.

“They’ll sleep in the servants’ quarters.”

“That’s outrageous! We’re nobles!”

“…There aren’t enough rooms, Cadet. Please take your seat.”

But Beatrice suddenly had a thought.

Even if there were enough rooms.

Would they have given all of them a nice place to sleep?

“Is that all for the reward?”

Beatrice asked Reiser.

Her sharp instincts told her there was more to this.

It didn’t feel like a reluctant reward, but rather the scent of a real “reward.”

No, it felt more like a “special privilege” being offered.

“No, you won a duel, so this alone wouldn’t satisfy you, right? There is more.”

“Oh, really? What is it?”

“Tch, how are losers supposed to endure this?”

Reiser slightly raised his head and spoke slowly.

“Though it’s more of a punishment for the losers than a reward… it’s still a reward in relative terms.”

“…Punishment?”

The losers widened their eyes in surprise.

Beatrice calmly watched the scene unfold.

“Cleaning. Laundry. Cooking. Other miscellaneous tasks.”

Though the announcement was somewhat surprising, it caused Beatrice to idly twist her hair—a new habit she’d developed since coming to this world.

She tended to do this whenever something seemed entertaining.

“All of these tasks will be done by the losers. Now that I think about it, this might not feel tangible enough. Let me rephrase it in a way that the cadets will find easier to understand.”

No one had failed to grasp the meaning, but.

Reiser’s additional explanation struck like a dagger.

“The victors can simply continue doing what they’ve always done. As nobles, you already know this better than anyone. However…”

Reiser gave a quiet smile.

“The losers will become servants for the victors. Everything they’ve enjoyed until now will be taken away. Doing everything on their own is a given, and they’ll also have to take care of all the victors’ chores.”

‘He’s ruthless.’

But, I like it.

Beatrice began envisioning the events to come.

Winners and losers.

And training.

Growth in skill.

Competition. …Conflicts and quarrels.

All of it.

These were the things she loved.

**

“Official training will begin tomorrow. Since today is the first day, you may rest as you please. The winners should head to the third floor, and the losers can rest in the small rooms.”

“This is unacceptable!”

It was during Reiser’s additional explanation.

Someone stood up and shouted.

“If these are the consequences of the duels, we should have been informed beforehand.”

He was filled with anger.

“If I’d known, I would never have lost.”

Reiser’s eyes twitched slightly.

He approached the complaining cadet.

“So, are you saying you lost on purpose?”

“I was just careless. If I duel again, there’s no way I’d lose! Especially not to someone like that.”

“What? Someone like that?”

The person he had dueled against stood up.

He was visibly furious.

“How dare you run your mouth after losing? Is this how the Lux Viscount family raises their children? A loser who can’t accept defeat.”

“Don’t insult my family!”

“Then don’t do anything that invites insult, you idiot!”

‘How childish.’

The inability to accept defeat.

Well, she thought it was understandable.

After all, even she might have thrown the match if she’d followed Solid’s advice.

-Heh.

Beatrice glanced to the side slightly.

Reiser was smiling.

“…You. Are you smiling right now?”

Nobles and knights.

While knights weren’t exactly in a position to be looked down upon,

Even a cadet from a viscount’s family ranked above them socially.

Of course, this only applied because they didn’t know Reiser was the commander of the Royal Knights.

A commander ranked higher than a viscount.

But to the ignorant noble, this seemed highly insulting.

“I already didn’t like you. How can someone lowborn treat someone of higher status so rudely?”

The situation was escalating.

Beatrice thought to herself.

‘He’s a very disgruntled fellow.’

[Because he was born a noble.]

‘I was born a noble too.’

[Young Beatrice is an exception.]

‘Why?’

[Because you’re Beatrice.]

Beatrice chuckled internally at their petty banter.

When bored, Solid wasn’t half bad.

He felt like someone you could talk to anywhere.

Maybe that’s why, although she had initially loathed the idea of a spirit companion, she didn’t find Solid so unpleasant now.

She had grown much more tolerant.

“Answer me. I was taught that status comes before any rules or regulations. What right do you have to treat me this way?”

“Calm down, cadet.”

“Ha, there’s that ‘cadet’ nonsense again…”

Reiser didn’t bat an eye.

It was understandable.

He was the commander of the Royal Knights, after all.

For someone who had survived countless battlefields, the outburst of a barely adult viscount’s son was nothing but a trivial nuisance.

However, he was a rational man.

Rather than using force, he preferred to persuade.

So he spoke calmly.

“You make a valid point. Perhaps it was just bad luck that caused you to lose the duel.”

Of course, Reiser didn’t truly think so.

If the gap in “caliber” was so vast, as with Beatrice—who couldn’t stop yawning even now—

One simply couldn’t lose, even if they wanted to.

Above all, Reiser believed that luck was a skill in itself.

Excuses like “bad luck” or “carelessness” were meaningless to him.

After all, such people were already dead on the battlefield.

Nonetheless.

“I’ve prepared measures for that, naturally. Unlike reality, here at this academy, nobles and servants can switch roles at any time.”

The essence of this “game” was the rapid growth of one’s abilities in a short period.

The deliberately discriminatory treatment was part of the system.

Competition always drove human growth.

“The earlier duels were merely a warm-up—a practice to set the initial standard. Therefore…”

Reiser met the gaze of each individual in the room as he spoke.

“Regardless of time or place, if you can subdue your opponent, you can switch roles with them. This is the fundamental rule of Torze Military Academy.”

“By… subdue, do you mean…”

“Yes, I mean by any means necessary. Ambushes, underhanded tactics—it doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t kill them, anything goes.”

Hearing this, Beatrice thought.

Looks like getting a good night’s sleep is out of the question.