Chapter 26 : Fifth Inevitable (3)
by AfuhfuihgsMeanwhile…
Amid the fierce battle, a father and daughter were attempting to reconcile—though, for them, that often meant resolving their conflicts through real “combat.”
“How many have you defeated, Akina? This old man has taken down five.”
“I’ve taken down six.”
“Don’t lie. I personally confirmed you were at four just a moment ago.”
“Then why ask if you’re not going to believe me?”
The Crowflin family was the kingdom’s foremost in swordsmanship, known for never turning away from an upcoming fight and always charging head-on into danger. Despite their positions as the mission commander and support personnel, which would have allowed them to stay back, the two chose to draw their swords and lead the knights on the frontlines.
Their exemplary leadership and dazzling swordplay lifted the spirits of the squad members sky-high.
Duke Crowflin swung his sword effortlessly, offering a small compliment.
“Your blade is as sharp as ever.”
“What are you trying to say this time?”
“Haha, no, I mean it. Watching you fight brings back the feeling of the kingdom’s brightest star returning. Truly, Akina, you belong on the battlefield.”
“I’m happy with my current profession.”
“Understood. I won’t push.”
The discussion about Akina’s career had long been settled. Though the duke had once vehemently opposed her choice of becoming an instructor, he now respected her wishes. Despite the frequent minor squabbles, he was, after all, just a father, unable to quash his daughter’s strong will.
Clang! Clang, clang!
Even as they exchanged brief remarks, the battle continued.
Under the Crowflin Swordsmanship, renowned as the kingdom’s finest, the Hellhounds surrounding them fell one after another.
Not only that—the senior knights fought fiercely, while the rear magic tower personnel provided support. Although a high-ranking monster had appeared from the start, which could have been overwhelming, the kleppe Royal Knights dispatched them with surprising ease. The battle was progressing in an overwhelmingly one-sided manner.
“However… it seems there’s a swordsman here who fights even better than us.”
Amid the clash, the most dazzling hero emerged—a swordsman holding a glowing blue sword, cutting down Hellhounds without hesitation. Duke Crowflin glanced at him and remarked, prompting Akina to nod in agreement.
“His abilities at the start and his unique swordsmanship now… It’s a highly aggressive fighting style. This is my first time seeing Instructor Edgar battle monsters.”
Akina had seen Edgar Mulick’s Vallut Swordsmanship a few times before. She had even evaluated it during a demonstration for a new course to be offered this term, finding it revolutionary and well-suited to practical combat.
Yet now, Edgar’s swordsmanship had evolved into something even more diverse and aggressive.
‘Truly… he’s a peer with nothing left to learn.’
Creating a sword style is something any hero-level swordsman can accomplish, combining and adapting existing moves. But creating a style that works effectively in battle is no easy feat. It requires a special talent. In that respect, Edgar Mulick was already a fully developed hero, even as a swordsmanship instructor.
“I’d argue that his swordsmanship is actually defensive.”
Akina tilted her head at Duke Crowflin’s surprising remark.
“That?”
“Hmm. There are many evasive maneuvers between each move, and his attacks flow together very smoothly. In short, it’s an attack-based defense. It seems like… he’s wielding his sword for survival. Almost as if it were born from…”
“A war?”
“Exactly. It feels like a style born from war. Haha, though Edgar himself has never experienced one.”
Today, Edgar Mulick’s battle performance had indeed been astonishing. First, his extraordinary Tidal Slash at the start. Second, the swordsmanship that had decimated the enemy formation. And lastly, the poise of Edgar himself, embodying all these skills as a true sword hero.
Rumors about him reaching the fabled fourth threshold no longer seemed unfounded. Perhaps… just maybe, he had gone beyond the fourth threshold altogether.
While such words were too bold to voice, it was impossible for all who witnessed his battle not to wonder.
Even Duke Theodore Crowflin, known as the Sword of the Kingdom, shared these sentiments.
“Without a doubt, he’s a talent we should bring into the knights.”
“Absolutely not.”
Yet Akina was firmly resolute; despite her admiration for Edgar’s skills, he belonged to the Tristan Swordsmanship Academy.
“Battle over! Casualties: one serious injury, seven minor injuries, no fatalities!!”
The intense battle had come to an end. While the knights and supporting personnel had essentially overpowered the monsters, it had been a challenging battle on the surface, and it ended well.
Zero fatalities among the knights, and all monsters annihilated. Even for the kleppe Royal Knights, it was a resounding victory.
‘I’ve acquired some impressive abilities.’
I nodded in satisfaction. The combination of Tidal Slash from Galid and my main sword style, Vellum Swordsmanship, proved unexpectedly effective. It restricted the enemies’ movements and disrupted their fighting, allowing me to execute a series of attacks tailored for one-against-many scenarios, maximizing efficiency.
In total, I had cut down twelve Hellhounds, achieving the highest score among the fighters.
‘With good timing, this will be useful against monsters more often.’
Tidal Slash couldn’t be used whenever I wanted—it required a six-hour cooldown, allowing for up to four uses per day. I’d have to time it well between battles.
‘If I come across a good sword, I should acquire it.’
Although this ability required a cooldown, Resonant Strike, another of my special techniques, didn’t. With multiple swords, I could rotate through them, maximizing my skills. Though I’d never desired legendary swords before, it might be worth collecting a few now. In the end, of course, what truly mattered was swordsmanship itself.
“Instructor Edgar.”
“Ah, senior.”
The battle had ended, and I was greeted by a familiar face.
With a rare smile, she looked at me.
“Everyone’s in awe, only watching you, Instructor Edgar. That swordsmanship was truly remarkable. As a fellow swordsman, I greatly admired it.”
“Thank you.”
No need for modesty.
It was a genuine expression of admiration, something to simply accept with a gracious nod.
“So, it seems you keep your promises?”
“Of course. When else would I have the chance to boost the instructors’ reputation?”
“Pfft—you really are an amusing person, Instructor Edgar.”
Truthfully, I had been a bit concerned. Officially, I was a newly-minted hero, recently graduated from the School of Magic with the title of Swordsman. And yet here I was, single-handedly taking down twelve high-rank Hellhounds, displaying overwhelming combat prowess. Surely, people might wonder if this was truly the level of a new instructor.
Yet, rather than raising questions, those around me showed only admiration. The reason was simple.
Because… I am a hero.
Since heroes first appeared on the continent, the boundaries of what was “normal” had shifted. There were geniuses who grew at unbelievable speeds, and others who displayed multiple abilities with destinies tied to several powers. While doubts were natural at first, witnessing it firsthand left only awe.
“This should make the investigation a little easier from here on out,” she noted.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. In monster dens, it’s common for the strongest ones to appear at the start. It usually gets easier in the later stages.”
Just as she said, once the kleppe Royal Knights resumed their march, we found the path easier than expected. The concentrated demonic energy led us straight along a simple path through dense underbrush, with the surrounding terrain being rather manageable. Best of all, fewer monsters appeared. Although we were ambushed a few times, the monsters were of moderate rank, nothing too threatening—mostly mid-rank fiends, such as Kelleil, similar to what we’d encountered before.
The Hellhounds we fought at the start were the strongest monsters in the area, making it swift for us to reach the ‘source’ of the red-thicketed monster den.
“We’ve reached the source! All units, switch to defensive formations!”
The source marked the center of the monster den, where the core entity and the leader of this lair resided. The thickened miasma and unknown dangers called for caution, especially given a den of this level—it was entirely possible a Demonic Beast, a far superior threat to regular monsters, was lurking here.
“Commander! There’s a trail here!”
One of the knights investigating the source raised his hand. Duke Crowflin immediately moved, and Akina and I followed closely behind him. There, in an area resembling a large crater, we found the “trail” as reported.
“Hmm…”
“0124…”
Scattered remnants lay strewn about—tattered hides, broken weapons, shields, and armor scattered chaotically across the ground. But above all, an exceptionally potent miasma surged from this place, stronger than one would expect even for the source of a monster den.
Without a doubt—
“These are traces of a Demonic Beast, Commander.”
The signs of a Demonic Beast were something everyone had somewhat anticipated. But there were only traces—it was nowhere to be found in the source itself.
“The Demonic Beast… escaped from the den?”
“What…?”
This was an entirely new phenomenon, something never before encountered.
And then—
“It’s time to get to work, Instructor Edgar.”
“…”
The new semester had finally begun at Tristan Academy of Heroes.
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