Chapter 7: The world is wide and there are many experts (3)

Rewinding a bit, to the time of the academy entrance ceremony…

Right up until the entrance ceremony, I diligently played my role as the prince’s sparring partner, ensuring I didn’t tarnish the kingdom’s reputation. I spent every waking moment being pummeled by the kingdom’s renowned swordsmanship instructors and consumed the maximum amount of performance-enhancing elixirs my body could handle. Thanks to this, I managed to achieve the miracle of defeating the prince once out of thirty matches. In other words, even after all that hardship, only once in thirty tries. And even that was due to sheer luck.

How should I describe it? It was like encountering a professional gamer in the famous RTS game, Space Wars, in my past life. I’d have a 9-to-1 advantage in the early game, but then, I’d find myself utterly crushed. I’d win the psychological warfare, but somehow still lose the match. I wasn’t lacking in stats. Thanks to the doping, I was even stronger! But whenever our swords clashed, I was always the one on the losing end.

It was a difference in technique and instinct. Even if I had an advantage in the early game, I’d fall behind in the mid-to-late game. Even if I managed to maintain my advantage, I’d often lose to Prince Ellen in a war of attrition.

How could I put it? I had a larger mana pool, but our mana efficiency was different. Mana wasn’t something that could be precisely quantified, but it felt like Prince Ellen could block my attacks using only 30 to 40 percent of the mana I expended.

It was insane. Easy to say, but if he miscalculated even slightly, he would be overwhelmed. A high-wire act for victory. And Prince Ellen performed that high-wire act flawlessly, every single time. A one-in-thirty chance of failure. The scary part was that the more we sparred, the lower his failure rate became.

Geniuses were truly terrifying creatures. The more I learned about swordsmanship, the more I realized the difference in talent. And that realization reached its peak at the academy entrance ceremony.

“I am Aren, the head professor of the Swordsmanship Department.”

A single sentence, and the quiet hall erupted in cheers. Moments ago, there was only polite applause, but now, some were even shedding tears.

Aren. A name less known than his title, the Sword Emperor. Born a commoner, he rose to the top through swordsmanship alone. And even at the pinnacle, he remained dedicated to the sword, earning him even greater respect.

For young swordsmen who still held onto the ideals of chivalry, he was an object of worship, more so than any goddess. I was probably one of the few in the hall who wasn’t awestruck.

But that allowed me to see something others couldn’t. I could objectively evaluate the Sword Emperor, not as a legendary figure with admirable achievements and character, but as a single swordsman.

“…”

He was a monster. Even the Commander, the strongest swordsman I knew, was no match for the Sword Emperor. I wondered how such a difference could exist between two Sword Masters, but then I recalled the gap between myself and Prince Ellen, despite our seemingly similar levels. So this was why they said becoming a Sword Master was just the beginning.

Our Commander still had a long way to go. As I thought that, our eyes met. The Sword Emperor’s and mine.

“Adam. The Sword Emperor is looking at us.”

Prince Ellen, his face flushed like a teenage girl, whispered beside me. Normally, such behavior from a guy would be creepy, but his good looks made it somehow… picturesque.

“He’s probably just glancing around.”

“We really get to learn from the Sword Emperor, right?”

“He’s the head professor.”

As head professor, he would be teaching at least two mandatory courses. A prince of the Leon Kingdom wouldn’t be denied access to his classes. In fact, with Prince Ellen’s talent and skill, he could attend even without his royal title.

“Yes!”

After a week-long trial period following the entrance ceremony, Prince Ellen and I successfully enrolled in the Sword Emperor’s classes.

Fundamentals of Combat, five credits.
Fundamentals of Practical Swordsmanship, five credits.

Two five-credit courses. Fundamentals of combat and swordsmanship. At the Imperial Academy, which gathered talents from across the continent, offering fundamental courses was like telling students not to bother, but since it was the Sword Emperor, students were excited, interpreting it as a profound opportunity to relearn the basics.

“Solid fundamentals are essential!”

Prince Ellen agreed. Honestly, I didn’t understand what more he could learn there, but it was his choice. With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, the day of the first Practical Swordsmanship class arrived.

“First, it’s important to understand your current position.”

As soon as he entered the classroom, the Sword Emperor declared a free-for-all.

“You will duel each other randomly, based on a lottery.”

The rules were quite detailed, but essentially, it boiled down to “fight according to your opponent’s level.”

The format was a one-on-one duel with no restrictions. Lose, and you’re out. Win, and you immediately face another winner with the same number of victories. My first opponent was defeated in a single strike, and the second was the same. By the third match, I exchanged a few blows, but the fourth opponent was weaker than the third, ending quickly. Thanks to my swift victories, I had the privilege of watching others duel.

“Adam Smith, is it?”

A familiar face approached me.

The Little Sword Emperor, Aslan. The royal family’s designated rival candidate for Prince Ellen. He looked at me with a friendly, yet intensely competitive gaze.

“That’s me.”

“I’m Aslan, your next opponent.”

“Already?”

“They said to start quickly once we have enough winners.”

True, the weaker students had been eliminated. The remaining students were all relatively skilled. It was natural for their duels to take longer.

“Good.”

I was lucky. I could assess the Little Sword Emperor’s skills earlier than expected, and I could avoid facing Prince Ellen, who was guaranteed to defeat me. Even I lost confidence after consecutive losses, and the skill gap between us was so wide that even my inner spirit would tell me to give up.

“Hahaha, indeed.”

Aslan chuckled, pleased at the prospect of a fight. A beast restrained by rules, finally baring its fangs. In a fleeting moment, our swords clashed. And then…

“Th-The winner is Adam Smith.”

“…”

This was the result. Thirty-four exchanges. I was the victor. I’d been cautiously probing his skills in the beginning… and that was the end of it.

“That’s Adam for you!”

Except for the familiar voice from behind, no one spoke.

Understandable. The Little Sword Emperor, Aslan, a rising prodigy renowned across the continent, had been soundly defeated. I would have felt the same if I were a bystander.

“Whoa, what was that?” I would have thought, observing the scene.

“Holy crap. What was that?”

Being the one involved was even more bewildering than being a spectator. But I had won, so I tried to analyze the reason.

First hypothesis: The gossipmongers of the continent had exaggerated his reputation. This was common. Some even inflated achievements for money. The problem was that it concerned Aslan.

His title, Little Sword Emperor, derived from his grandfather, the Sword Emperor. Others might exaggerate their skills, but I doubted Aslan, who even discarded the nobility title his father received because of his grandfather, would do so. According to the Leon Kingdom’s intelligence, Aslan wasn’t that type of person.

Then, the second hypothesis: Aslan wasn’t in top condition.

That was possible. I could even defeat Prince Ellen if he was bedridden with the flu. The problem was that Aslan showed no signs of illness before the duel. Maybe he suddenly had a bathroom emergency? That didn’t seem likely either.

-“Well, I also thought I was weak until I entered the academy.”

Then, I remembered Senior Lucia’s words from a few months ago. She’d thought she was weak because she kept losing to Princess Hestia, but she turned out to be one of the strongest in the academy.

The third hypothesis emerged: I was actually incredibly strong. I had trained intensely before entering the academy. It wasn’t impossible that I’d become one of the strongest in the academy.

And that led to the question:

“The winner is Ellen Leon!”

Just what kind of monster was our prince, who consistently defeated me, someone who’d effortlessly defeated the Little Sword Emperor? I thought the world was vast and filled with skilled individuals, but it seemed the strongest one was right beside me.

****

“That’s what happened.”

-“I see.”

I briefly reported the day’s events to the Commander. The Commander’s face, visible through the crystal ball, looked like it had lost about seventy percent of its usual energy.

-“Even the Little Sword Emperor is no match.”

The Commander had learned swordsmanship directly from the Sword Emperor. He’d believed that the Little Sword Emperor, inheriting his grandfather’s name, would be a significant influence on the prince. He’d considered Aslan Prince Ellen’s strongest rival.

-“He’s still a student. He might improve with time.”

He said that, but the Commander knew. If Aslan improved, Prince Ellen would improve even more. He’d witnessed Prince Ellen’s growth up close, second only to me.

“I hope so.”

-“…I look forward to your regular report next week.”

The Commander sighed and ended the call with an expression devoid of hope. I looked out the window at the sunset sky.

“Time for dinner.”

I was doing all this to make a living. I left the dormitory and headed towards the academy cafeteria. Naturally, I attracted attention. The murmurs grew louder. I’d become a celebrity at the academy in a single day, but I felt uneasy.

That Little Sword Emperor… betraying our trust.

Perhaps due to the sting of betrayal, I craved something spicy. But would they even have it? Fantasy worlds were great, but finding spicy food was a challenge. As I was about to enter the cafeteria…

“Adam!”

A familiar voice called out, and someone grabbed my hand. I was dragged towards a secluded spot behind the cafeteria by a grip I couldn’t resist.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

“D-Don’t call me that. No, that’s not important right now!”

I turned to face the culprit. Prince Ellen, his face strangely flushed, was looking at me. Why that expression? If this turned into some BL scenario, I would beat him up, prince or not.

“I… I think I’m in love.”

Damn. Just try saying it’s me. I’ll seriously beat you up.

“I just met her today!”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a BL scenario. But still, damn.

“Tell me more.”

This prince was already thinking about causing trouble on his first day.