The Academy’s Hard-Headed Swordmaster

As if this were a common occurrence, Ruby quickly changed her clothes inside and returned. Having changed in an instant, Ruby greeted Kyle once more.

“Ahem, sorry about that earlier… Nice to meet you, Kyle Meyer. I’m Ruby Alderica, the club president of our Swordsman Club.”

“As you know, I’m Kyle Meyer.”

Kyle shook hands with Ruby and then blew his nose into the tissue he’d been holding.

After throwing the blood-stained tissue in the trash, Ruby scratched her head, seemingly embarrassed by the earlier incident.

“Ahaha, these things are inconvenient for women, you know.”

“I doubt any man dislikes them.”

“It’s not like I grew them for men’s pleasure.”

“……Are you, by any chance, a lesbian?”

“What!? No, that’s not what I meant—!”

Misunderstood, she quickly waved her hands, denying his assumption.

Watching her breasts sway as she waved her hands, Kyle thought that they must indeed be inconvenient.

‘Yuri’s weren’t this big.’

The size itself seemed similar to Yuri’s, but unlike Yuri, who didn’t move around much, Ruby was an active knight, so they seemed larger.

Perhaps sensing Kyle’s lingering gaze, Ruby let out a hollow laugh and looked at him.

“By the way, you—you really have no intention of hiding anything, do you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your gaze, and various other things.”

“Hiding isn’t knightly.”

Hiding and not standing proudly before others was something a cowardly assassin would do, Kyle justified his actions.

Ruby found it absurd that he was openly staring at a woman’s chest while talking about chivalry, but she was used to the attention, so she let it slide.

Most of the club members couldn’t help but sneak glances anyway, so it was better that he was being so blatant about it.

“……How long are you planning to stare?”

“Oh, my apologies.”

Kyle, who had only looked up when Ruby, now seated on the sofa, stopped him, met her eyes and asked,

“I heard this club has Secret Swordsmanship?”

“Yes, we do. Secret Swordsmanship left behind by our seniors.”

“I’m rather interested in that.”

“Why? Do you want me to teach you?”

“It would be nice if you did.”

However, Ruby scoffed a few times and shook her head.

“Do you think Secret Swordsmanship is some swordsmanship manual sold at the local general store? It’s not something I can teach just anyone.”

“Then?”

“You have to join the club, contribute for a long time, earn the trust of the other club members, become an executive, and only then can you even lay eyes on it.”

That was the secret to how the Swordsman Club had been maintained for so long.

Students who made it into the Academy would have learned one or two of their family’s Secret Swordsmanship techniques, but it never hurt to learn more.

Because it wasn’t their family’s secret technique, they could readily use it on the battlefield, and experiencing Secret Swordsmanship created from a completely different perspective could be a stepping stone to reaching a higher level.

Secret Swordsmanship was like that; the more, the better, never a detriment.

“Is it really real?”

“What?”

“It’s suspicious. I wonder if you’re luring club members with a non-existent bait…”

“Haha, if anyone else had said that, I would’ve beaten them to a pulp—but it exists. I swear on my name and the name of my family.”

Kyle, seeing Ruby pledge her and her family’s honor, dismissed his suspicion.

He didn’t know whether it actually existed or not, but continuing to doubt someone after they’d sworn on their honor was no different from picking a fight.

He hadn’t come here to fight. However, if he couldn’t learn the Secret Swordsmanship right away, there was no need for him to be in this club.

“I’ll visit from time to time.”

“Uh, uh? What? You’re not joining our club?”

“Huh? Well… I don’t think it’ll be particularly helpful.”

“W-Wait. Wait a minute!”

Ruby stopped Kyle.

Until Maya had told her about him, he hadn’t been of much interest, but after fighting him directly, her thoughts had changed.

He was a talent she absolutely couldn’t lose.

Having been called a genius since childhood, she immediately recognized Kyle’s talent.

And above all…

‘He’s actually quite handsome…’

She had a preference for men stronger than herself.

Until now, there hadn’t been any men her age who were stronger than her, so she had given up on everything and lived like a tomboy.

Because to find a man stronger than her, she would have to look for old men more than ten years older.

But now, Kyle, younger and stronger than her, had appeared. She couldn’t let go of this lifeline sent from heaven.

“……I can’t teach you the Secret Swordsmanship, but.”

“But?”

“Ahem, ahem—yes. As the club president, I can give you personal tutoring. One-on-one.”

“I have a fiancée.”

“Yes, you have a fianc… You have a fiancée?”

Ruby looked at Kyle, stunned by the unexpected news.

Her love had been nipped in the bud.

* * *

It seemed like there were no gains, but in the end, I joined the club.

On the condition that I only attend when I want to, and that they don’t interfere with me.

‘I was curious about what kind of Secret Swordsmanship it was.’

There are two types of Secret Swordsmanship.

Secrets created by those who haven’t become Masters after long research and,

Secrets that are simply records of Masters casually swinging their swords for their descendants.

The former has a higher degree of completion.

It’s only natural, as it’s a recreation of a Master’s strike after long research.

However, the latter is superior in power and efficiency.

Just as a wingless human flapping their arms to imitate a bird’s flight can’t compare to a real bird flapping its wings—imitating a Master can’t compare to a single swing from a real Master.

‘I think there will be something to learn.’

Naturally, the Secret Swordsmanship created by the Swordsmanship Club was likely to be the former.

It was highly unlikely that there was a Master among the Academy students, and even if there was, they wouldn’t leave their swordsmanship in a place like the Swordsman Club.

And the swordsmanship perfected by ordinary people who haven’t become Masters often exudes a geometric beauty just from watching it.

Swordsmanship imagined by ignoramuses who don’t know the relationship between swordsmanship and Aura.

I thought there would be something to learn.

‘If it doesn’t work out, it can’t be helped.’

If I have to regularly attend the Swordsmanship Research Society, contribute to swordsmanship research, build friendships with club members, gain political trust, and become an executive just to learn that?

It’s too much trouble.

It wasn’t worth that much effort for an Aura Master.

Satisfied with having made a connection with the club president, I immediately headed to the dormitory.

As I jogged, leaping over and past the Academy park, I heard singing from somewhere.

It was a melodious song that made me stop in my tracks.

“—La lalala♬”

Like Odysseus drawn to the Sirens, my steps led me towards the singing. I wasn’t the only one drawn in; I could see quite a few students gathered there.

Beyond the crowd, I saw Aria singing.

After finishing her song with her eyes closed, she cleared her throat and bowed to the students gathered for her.

At her precise movements, the students began to applaud.

Aria, who was about to move to another location while receiving the acclaim of the people, made eye contact with me and ran straight towards me.

“Kyle—!”

Catching Aria as she charged at me, I spun her around and stopped her, then looked down at her and opened my mouth.

“You sing well.”

“Huh? What, did you think I couldn’t sing?”

“I’ve never heard you sing before.”

“I may look like this, but I’m a promising vocalist. The Professors praise me every day.”

“That’s impressive.”

Even after becoming an Aura Master, I was terrible at singing, so I couldn’t help but admire those who could sing well.

With the thought, ‘How can they do something I can’t so easily?’

But perhaps it’s only natural. Just because I’m good with a sword doesn’t mean I’m good at magic or studying.

“By the way, Kyle, do you have any plans now?”

“I was on my way to the dormitory.”

“Perfect. Then, how about a date with me?”

Aria said so, clinging to my arm and pressing her chest against me.

Weak against a woman’s advances, I shrugged as if there was nothing I could do and accepted her offer.

Just as I was about to go where she led me, some Art Department students started approaching from afar.

“Hey, what’s that commoner girl doing with such a big guy?”

“Does she think she can moan under a big guy just because she’s a girl? Such a whore.”

Frowning at the guys who picked a fight as soon as they saw us, I couldn’t immediately understand the situation.

You wouldn’t hear such abusive language in the Knight Department.

If anyone did that, a fist would fly immediately, providing them with a natural dental implant installation.

“Hey you, do you know who I am?”

“Who are you?”

“This is why swordsmen are… I’m Robert Mardok of the Mardok Marquisate.”

“Oh, really?”

“Are you some nameless country bumpkin?”

Hearing their words, Kyle grinned and started to approach them.

Despite being within arm’s reach, they smirked without a care.

“I’m a dentist.”

“What?”

“Judging by the stench, it seems your teeth are all rotten. Don’t worry. I’ll treat them perfectly.”

In the next moment, a fist flashed, and dozens of teeth began to fly through the air.