Second Semester Classes (1)

Although Ethan and I decided to join Seraphine’s Student Council, it didn’t immediately bring about any significant changes to our daily lives.

First of all, the Student Council President Election period refers to a period of about two weeks, from the Student Council candidate registration to the campaign period and the voting day.

Even if the Student Council activities were to start as soon as possible, it meant that things would only truly get busy about two weeks later.

And unless there was a particular upset, Seraphine’s election as Student Council President this semester was practically a foregone conclusion, and as someone who knew about that potential upset, I had no reason to worry about the election.

‘The basic plot when the protagonist doesn’t intervene in the election is Seraphine’s confirmed victory.’

In line with Seraphine’s Student Council President Election, the protagonist could choose one of three options for Seraphine: cooperation, non-intervention, or competition.

Cooperation naturally meant joining the Cabinet of the next Student Council that Seraphine would form.

Non-intervention meant neither participating in the Student Council’s Cabinet nor hindering it.

And competition meant joining another candidate’s Student Council Cabinet or putting one’s own name forward as a candidate.

‘Among these, only the competition route interferes with Seraphine’s election.’

Conversely, unless someone with protagonist-level abilities and connections caused trouble, the Student Council President Election was structured such that Seraphine was bound to win.

In the first place, while it was called a Student Council President Election, when you got down to it, it was merely an election to see the proportion of one’s followers within the Academy.

As Prince Machart, the Fourth Imperial Prince, was not participating in the election, most of the votes for the president election were bound to go to Seraphine, the only Imperial family member among the candidates.

It was correct to assume that Seraphine would be elected Student Council President for at least this year and next. Although in the election of the second semester of the third year, there would be quite a few election-like events.

So, there was no need for Ethan and me to be called upon for campaigning to widely publicize Seraphine’s name, nor was there any need to manage internal affairs on her behalf while she was busy with the campaign.

Thinking about two weeks later when the Student Council would begin and things would get truly busy, for now, I simply focused on my classes as usual.

For example, like in today’s class.

“…….”

“…….”

In a suffocating silence, a single Sword Master quietly faced me, maintaining a distance.

With his hand on the sword hanging from his waist, it was Harold, waiting for me to approach.

“Come whenever you’re ready, Lillith.”

“……Yes.”

With the start of the second semester, Harold’s Magic Swordsmanship class curriculum also became a bit more systematic.

And one of the changed class contents was a practical opportunity to directly clash swords with a Sword Master.

The regular sparring matches, which had previously only been given to the top four students-the protagonist, Ethan, Karaham, and Natalie-now meant that ordinary students also had a chance to participate about once a month.

Of course, it wasn’t the kind of sparring where a Sword Master’s full power and my full power actually clashed, as there was a slight Handicap involved.

‘If it were a real fight against a real fight, my wrist would be severed by his aura alone.’

Harold, as the professor, would only respond with pure swordsmanship, without using mana or magic, and the students’ task was to land an effective hit using whatever means-stamina, magic, or any other miscellaneous techniques-which was the evaluation method for the second semester’s Magic Swordsmanship class.

From the perspective of an ordinary student, if they could somehow land an effective hit on Harold, it was an automatic A+.

Since it was an opportunity that came around about once a month, each chance had to be treated with caution.

‘It’s fine. I’ve seen Harold wield his sword many times before.’

Although it wasn’t by choice, the swordsmanship I had seen most, after Ethan’s, was Harold’s.

Although most of what I observed was when Harold was fighting Ethan, compared to other students who didn’t even know that, I was in a much more advantageous position for the test.

With a Blackwood Dagger engraved with the Twin-headed Eagle crest in my left hand, I launched myself towards Harold as if springing forward.

-Pababak!

The moment I took my first step, a Shockwave activated from my toes helped accelerate my body.

Although I couldn’t overuse it as it would strain my ankles if used too many times, it provided sufficient assistance for quickly covering the first few steps.

I, who instantly closed a distance of about 5 meters, immediately swung the Blackwood Dagger in my left hand once in front of Harold’s eyes… but that was a feint.

-Hwaek!

“Blur!”

After intentionally approaching to a distance where Harold’s blade was just barely out of reach, I first blocked his vision with Blurred Light.

Why would I be crazy enough to go sword-to-sword with Harold? That’s absurd.

In pure close combat, my current skill level honestly made it difficult to even contend with Luke. But would I, who had cleared 『Luminor Academy』 24 times in my previous life, not know Harold’s stats?

“Mana, pierce the enemy!”

After blocking his vision with Blurred Light, I first generated Magic Arrows with Triple Casting, which could be considered my full power.

With my current improved Accuracy Rate, I should be able to hit at least two out of three shots without difficulty.

If, by luck, all three shots flew towards Harold, a fleeting expectation arose that I might be able to inflict a slight injury….

-Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!

…Yes, I actually knew it. That Harold wouldn’t fall for such a cheap trick.

Even if his vision was blocked, Harold, who could read the flow of mana, would never be hit by a low-level spell like Magic Arrow.

I heard the sound of him deflecting three Magic Arrows at once with a single swing of his sword, but I didn’t feel particularly despairing.

After all, even the Magic Arrows were just a feint for me.

-Shwiiik!

The real attack was this dagger hidden among those Magic Arrows.

It was ‘Dagger Throw’, a technique I had learned previously when dealing with the Demon Tribe bastards in Grainstone Village. It was also the same technique Luke used.

No matter how sensitive Harold was to mana, there was still a non-zero chance that he might let his guard down if an attack completely unrelated to mana was mixed in.

The Blackwood Dagger that flew from my left hand flew in a straight line towards Harold’s silhouette within the Blurred Light.

-Kkagaak!

…This time too, as if it was futile, it bounced off his sword just like the other Magic Arrows.

‘It’s still fine.’

If the previous attack had landed properly on Harold, it would have been the cleanest and best finish, but expecting such a small trick to be effective against a Sword Master would be shameless.

In the end, thinking that I had no choice but to finish it by clashing directly, this time I pulled out Seraphine’s dagger from my pocket and rushed at Harold.

Within the Blurred Light, I confirmed the trajectory of Harold’s sword that had just been swung, and then, holding the dagger in my right hand with a strong reverse grip, I stabbed at his thigh….

-Kkaaang!

“Keueuk…!”

Yes, even this far…. I had predicted that he would respond sufficiently even to this.

Although the moment I let go of the sword was delayed, causing me to take damage.

Since I had parried Harold’s longsword with a dagger less than 20 centimeters long, the impact on my hand was no joke, and although I belatedly let go of Seraphine’s dagger, it seemed my already numb arm would need some time to recover.

Still, fortunately, Lizzie’s silver dagger was still in my possession, so I had a last resort remaining, and my real goal with this attack wasn’t to land a decisive blow anyway.

The reason I intentionally closed the distance and charged without magical assistance wasn’t because I was foolish.

It was because I was chanting Mana Chains, ready to activate them with my other hand at any moment.

-Chwarrrreureureuk!

“……!”

‘Got him…!’

This time, I could guarantee in many ways that it would definitely work.

As my Mana Chains wrapped around Harold’s longsword, I didn’t miss the way his expression slightly stiffened in surprise.

No matter if he was a Sword Master, fighting without magic or mana was tantamount to binding himself with restrictions.

Especially for a skilled individual like Harold, he would actually have to consciously suppress the mana leaking from his body, and if he focused his attention elsewhere like that, he wouldn’t be able to fully display his original skill.

Since I had subdued the Sword Master’s sword, it was my turn now. That is, if I could stab the last silver dagger into the completely open space even once.

…And then, at the very moment I thought I had completely subdued Harold’s sword.

-Chwarrrreureureuk!

“……Huh?”

Contrary to my expectation that I had naturally eliminated Harold’s longsword by binding it with Mana Chains, it was my Mana Chains that were being pulled by force.

Harold, who swung my Mana Chains along with his sword as if drawing a vortex in the air, then used the Mana Chains to wrap around my right wrist, which held the silver dagger, in reverse.

“Aaaah!!”

“Lillith!!”

Since my left wrist, which was holding the silver dagger, was completely subdued, it was an immediate defeat.

My right hand still had a tingling sensation, so I couldn’t even use the option of switching swords.

I then fell to the floor, still bound by the chains I had cast.

-Teolseok.

“I, I lost….”

“Well done, Lillith.”

“…You worked hard, Master…Pro, Professor-nim….”

Belatedly, I chanted the spell again to release the Mana Chains binding my arm and got up from the spot.

…If possible, I wanted to pass on the first attempt, even if it meant using every trick in the book, but life doesn’t always go as planned.

He wasn’t the final boss of Part 2 for nothing. Trying to defeat Harold with my current skill, which couldn’t even beat Ethan, the mid-boss, was truly a pipe dream.

“That was an excellent battle, Lillith.”

“…Thank you, Professor-nim.”

“However, it would be good for you to learn how to fight while conserving the cards in your hand. Even though you fought by switching between three daggers, your defeat was due to consuming them as if they were cards to be discarded from the start. Of course, in some situations, it’s useful to follow a new strategy without hesitation, but in your case, you were so focused on following the pre-planned strategy in your mind that you didn’t consider situations where you didn’t need to discard them.”

“…That is correct.”

“I hope you show a better performance in the next sparring match than this one. …Only then can I wholeheartedly approve of your relationship with Ethan, can’t I?”

“……Huh?”

“…Next. Martin Chenverner Clinton, step forward.”

While wondering about the inexplicable words Harold added, I first picked up the dropped daggers one by one and returned to Ethan’s side.

As soon as I returned to his side, Ethan examined my left wrist and asked worriedly.

“Lillith, are you alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“I am fine, Ethan-doryeonnim. There was only a slight pressure; it wasn’t a battle that would leave any external injuries.”

“When you fell earlier, did you scrape yourself anywhere….”

“Only a bit of dust that can be purified with Clean, Ethan-doryeonnim.”

“If that’s the case, then that’s good, but….”

…What did Harold mean by saying he would approve of my relationship with Ethan?

Right now, Ethan and I are nothing more or less than an Exclusive Maid and her Master.

‘Could he mean that if I can’t win even once in sparring, I should quit being Ethan’s Exclusive Maid…?’

…Surely not.

Hoping that Harold wasn’t such a narrow-minded person, it was at that moment I felt the need to approach this semester’s Magic Swordsmanship classes a little more seriously.