episode_0003

Leaving my spot, I headed not to the training grounds, but to the nearby restroom.

“Ugh-!”

As soon as I reached the toilet, I threw up everything inside me. The vomiting didn’t stop and continued to pour out.

“Haa, haa…”

Unwiped fluid trickled down my mouth. But I didn’t wipe it away, leaning against the wall as I was.

“…Damn body.”

Having controlled it with all my might, all the strength drained from my body. I don’t even have the strength to lift a finger. I spat out a short curse and calmed my breathing.

I wonder why I’m going through this, but I know the reason.

In possession stories, the original owner’s memories are deleted when being possessed. However, even if the mind disappears, the body remembers, and the memories embedded in the body do not disappear in this process.

A good example is the scene where ‘the possessed person is thrown into a new world and quickly adapts.’ Although I am unfamiliar, the body remembers and is adapting.

And the feelings I felt when facing Ariel Trianis are embedded in my body, causing this mess.

But actually, such reactions disappear in a few days. Eventually, the owner of the body is me, so the body adjusts to the current soul.

However, there are exceptions. If negative emotions such as resentment or hatred are mixed in, they do not disappear easily and cause more intense reactions. I am in that state now.

“This can’t be all…”

Besides the princess, I can guess a few people who would cause this reaction. The first person that comes to mind is probably my sister?

Of course, the solution is to release these built-up emotions. Then you can be completely liberated and obtain a complete body.

However, immediate resolution is impossible, so I have to control the reactions that occur whenever I see the object of hatred one by one. Fortunately, my mental strength is strong enough to block them easily.

I cleaned up around me and got up. And the moment I saw the clock hand pointing to 9:06.

“…I’m screwed.”

My mind went blank. I was going to get through it without any problems, but I’m late on the first day.

“Just don’t let my score get deducted…!”

Hoping the professor would be flexible, I hurried to the training grounds.

***

When I arrived, the professor had already finished taking attendance. And nothing caught the professor’s attention more than that.

“You skipped the first class, and now you’re late… you’ve improved a lot.”

The professor’s words give me a headache.

This professor named Mylon is famous for giving generous grades. But this idiot ruined the relationship.

“Attendance score deducted. Stand in the back.”

The price for being late was high. I sighed and stood in line. The professor continued.

“As I said, we will be holding ranking matches starting today. The match opponents are as announced, and next week’s opponents will be determined by today’s results. And the scores will be calculated based on the results of the mid-term and final rankings. Any questions?”

There were no questions because it was the content heard in the first week. Of course, this is the first time I’ve heard it.

“Hmm, what should I do with you…”

The professor’s eyes met mine.

“You don’t have a match opponent, and we can’t decide on one now…”

Professor Mylon was troubled by me.

“Alright, you will have a 1-on-1 match with me, and I will evaluate you directly. Any objections?”

“…No.”

I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Tsk, why did I skip the lecture.

It seemed difficult to refuse, so I accepted it for now. In addition, I heard giggling from the side.

With that, the situation was settled, and the ranking matches proceeded.

“Let’s start the sparring. The first one is…”

At the professor’s call, two people came out, stood apart in the center, and took a stance.

Ting—

As soon as the professor flipped a coin, the two rushed in.

The sparring ended quickly. Then the professor tells each of them their strengths and weaknesses, and the students go through the process of correcting their problems through that.

Martial arts are ultimately something done with the body. Unlike other departments that focus on theory, you must gain experience with your body. Therefore, the Department of Knighthood had many lectures focused on sparring and practical training.

‘Hmm…’

Having nothing to do, I unwittingly fall into watching the sparring.

“Haaat-!”

The sword penetrates sharply. The spear uses the weapon’s advantage to strike and attempt a thrust. Wounds appear, and blood scatters.

Clatter!

The swordsman creates distance to catch his breath. But the spearman did not miss the gap and charged. An attack imbued with mana. With a crack, something breaks.

As it went into the later stages, the combat became quite intense, making the word ‘sparring’ seem out of place. Even if they were seriously injured, the magic installed in the training grounds healed them, so the students participated without hesitation.

The training ground was filled with fervent heat.

As it went to the top-ranked sparring, the students’ concentration also increased.

‘Haaahm~’

Apart from that, I let out a yawn.

My ears hurt from the echoing metallic sounds, and I’m indifferent even when I see the techniques being displayed to the fullest. Even if passion and fighting spirit filled the surroundings, I didn’t feel much stimulation.

‘What’s the point of looking at the kids’ level.’

Considering their age and talent, they are fighting well according to their level.

In particular, the main character who will be called the Sword Empress in the future, Princess Ariel, was the owner of talent worthy of a main character. I was greedy enough to want to nurture her myself.

But still, she’s just a student. The mindset of working hard is commendable, but watching it is just boring for me.

That’s how the sparring of the 1st and 2nd place ended. The first place in the ranking match is Princess Ariel, the top student last year.

And the purpose of the sparring is over.

“Kyle Arden. Come out.”

When he called my name, I stood in the center without saying anything. The professor was on the other side.

The weapon is a practice longsword. The professor also held the same thing.

‘Master, huh…’

For reference, only a master knight can hold a professorship here.

“Are you ready?”

Feeling the weight of the sword, I recalled Arden’s swordsmanship. It’s faint, but my body remembers the swordsmanship, so I think I can follow along somehow.

‘Let’s just do it roughly for now.’

I have to show my bad side first for the sake of points. That way, I’ll get good grades later.

Besides, this is sparring. It’s not a life-or-death battle. I can approach it with a light heart.

“I’m ready.”

“Okay, attack as much as you want.”

Professor Mylon flicked his hand.

I grabbed the sword and kicked off the ground.

***

Clang!

The swords clash. The professor retrieves his sword and continued the attack. The target is Kyle’s stomach. It was a slow movement, but Kyle had no time to react.

“Keuh─!”

His face was full of pain.

Professor Mylon did not stop. Once again, the blunt tip of the sword pierced his stomach. Kyle, groaning, collapsed. He clutched his stomach and leaned his face against the floor.

“Get up. I didn’t hit you hard enough to fall.”

Professor Mylon looked at Kyle with a pathetic look. He didn’t even load mana into the sword, and he was matching Kyle’s level.

But to show such a reaction. It would have been better to rush in full of anger to get a good evaluation.

“……”

Kyle pursed his lips and stood up, using the sword as a support. The students burst into laughter as if his appearance was amusing.

“It’s just like the rumors. Even the last place in the rankings wouldn’t be at that level.”

“I could last longer than that even if I did it.”

“Is he really a bastard?”

Such conversations were exchanged in the laughter. Once it started, it didn’t subside easily. That’s because it wasn’t a scene they could see often.

The sight of him being hit, falling, and collapsing, and the sight of more and more wounds and dirt on his face. It gave a sense of exhilaration to the students who hated him. On top of that, the professor’s scolding added to the tremendous pleasure.

But Princess Ariel couldn’t smile and watch.

Pity? No. The princess was confident that she wouldn’t care when, where, or how Kyle died. That’s why she didn’t expel him and left him at school, hoping that he would disappear buried in his karma.

There was another reason why the princess was glancing at the good-for-nothing.

The blood of the royal family, like a stigma bestowed by God, awakens special abilities when they turn 13.

The ability she gained was [Sensory Transcendence].

It is an ability that enhances and assists special senses such as intuition and sixth sense, including the five senses, to a higher level.

Ariel has gained many abilities based on that. One of them is telepathy.

That’s why she can tell.

Suffering, anger, shame. The emotions that he should have felt were not felt from him.

What is felt is nothingness.

He had no emotions in this sparring.

‘Is that the good-for-nothing…?’

The princess couldn’t believe this situation.

His heart was always filled with darkness. Jealousy, envy, anger, etc. Such emotions gathered together to create darkness.

Didn’t she see it even after the trial? His heart was steeped in anger and inferiority instead of remorse. He was such a person.

But to have such emotions.

‘Nothing’s changed…’

His actions, tone, unique habits, and atmosphere. Everything is unchanged.

But the sense that the princess trusts and relies on the most says. The man in front of her is Kyle, but he is not Kyle.

It was the same with the conversation today. He, who is always wearing a mask of pretense, would never say that about himself.

And what about the yawn he showed because he couldn’t stand the boredom throughout the sparring?

‘I should have read him just once…’

Abilities like telepathy consume a lot of energy, so they cannot be used often. In the first place, reading his mind would only make me feel worse.

The princess was deep in thought, wondering what had happened. And she came to one conclusion.

‘Could the trial have been that shocking?’

The princess does not believe in turning over a new leaf.

That a long-held nature changes for some reason. That’s absurd.

Unless the soul is swapped or there is a big shock that tears apart the brain… the person itself never changes. That was a conviction born from experience.

But, maybe, just maybe, she thought such a thing could happen.

Because she actually saw him faint during the trial.

‘He might have really changed.’

She didn’t know what kind of process and thoughts went on during the weekend, but it was certain that a change of heart had occurred.

Even so.

‘Even if he’s changed, nothing changes.’

The sins he committed do not disappear. And if he really changed, others would notice and be forgiven for his sins.

The princess filled her mana and focused on the sparring. It was a one-sided sparring, but there were many things to learn from the master’s movements. Before long, the sparring ended.

Of course, the loser was Kyle Arden.

And he was not interested in defeat.

***

“Good job.”

“Thank, you…”

I spoke, gasping for breath.

As expected, the limitations of this body are quickly revealed. There were many gaps in between, but the body didn’t keep up, so I couldn’t even counterattack properly….

‘It’s such a pain.’

Still, I showed a bad side, so now all I have to do is show myself improving.

I took a moment to catch my breath and relax my muscles. The healing magic of the training ground helped with recovery.

“It’s time, so that’s all for today’s lecture.”

With the words to see you next week, the professor finished the lecture. The students also cleaned up the weapons they were using and left the training grounds.

The last person to leave was the princess, who stared at me so intently that it was burdensome, and then left.

“Did I talk too much…”

I was trying to create distance, but it seems I attracted more attention than I thought. I should have rambled appropriately. It’s better to avoid her for the time being.

I looked at the empty training grounds and lay down as I was. There are no schedules left for today, so I don’t have to rush like in the morning.

“Is it almost lunchtime…”

The wristwatch pointing towards 12 o’clock. It’s already lunchtime after only two lectures.

“Lunch, what should I eat.”

I brought an apple, but filling the spent energy with fruit is a bit much.

“If only I had silver coins, no, copper coins…”

I think of the menu at the student cafeteria. Among them, the cheapest menu. School food worth 10 copper coins.

Originally, it was a menu that Kyle would not have looked at, but I am desperate even for that.

“Oh well, what can I do. I’ll have to fill up on apples until I earn money.”

I shook off my thoughts and got up. Then I found a figure at the entrance of the training ground. It’s Ellaim.

It would be boring, but she faithfully guarded the place and watched.

I wanted to tease her for no reason, but I didn’t have the friendship to do so, so I held back. Instead, I made a request.

“Ellaim. Do you happen to have any money…”

As soon as I said that, she turned away and moved far away. I guess it won’t work.

Feeling a little disappointed, I took out an apple and munched on it.

Today’s schedule is over, but there are some miscellaneous tasks left.

I went straight to the student center.