Ch.359359. The Intent Behind Early Graduation (4)

In the official duel rules, the conditions for victory are simple. Either seize all of your opponent’s badges, or induce them to continuously activate the defensive formulas engraved on their badges until the mana within is completely depleted.

Inside the field, those without badges are naturally expelled, and the same happens when the magical power imbued in a badge disappears and loses its light.

Thanks to the simplicity of being able to determine the outcome either magically or physically, there isn’t much to think about.

However.

‘This is impossible.’

—Kyaaak!

—Two people got eliminated, but I deflected it! If I bind you together, you won’t be able to move… huh?

“Feeling dizzy? Go outside and take a short break.”

Not just one or two, but several people were retiring simultaneously in an instant. Despite so many people rushing at once, they simply couldn’t handle that one person.

I had my suspicions, but…

Could it be possible that all the students would be eliminated like this?

That one person facing so many opponents alone?

Is that even possible?

‘That can’t be right!’

Kiara shook her head. With this many people, all of them accepted students of Levrant Academy. Could they all be defeated and retired by a single professor?

“Vanguard unit. Form a line in front as a wall.”

“Kiara?”

“Have you seen that professor use any magic so far? No, right? He’s someone skilled in close combat, enough to jump into the center, subdue people with physical techniques, and seize badges. For someone like that, having our vanguards face him gives us the best chance of winning. If other positions try to interfere, they’ll just get in the way.”

The remaining students nodded at Kiara’s command.

Looking carefully, the opponent hadn’t used any magic at all, and he wasn’t holding any auxiliary tools that mages might use.

All Junon had was a pair of gauntlets. Though they looked a bit unusual, they were clearly vanguard weapons, distinctly different from staffs, wands, whips, or orbs.

“We have to acknowledge the truth. That professor isn’t someone we can face one-on-one.”

Everyone had to agree. If several allies were completely retired every time he cut through a group, he was too formidable an opponent to face individually.

“Um, so what should we do?”

“Should we surround him and drain his strength with a Nonggae strategy?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? We should treat the opponent like an elite-class, no, a champion-class large magical beast!”

“Large… magical beast?”

“Yes! Our only advantage is numerical superiority. If we’re thinking of facing magical beasts, we need to utilize this to the maximum!”

Numerical superiority means formation creation. Formations are the human way of facing powerful enemies.

Kiara was trying to approach this battle with a cool head.

‘Not bad. Quite a rational judgment.’

As the students stalled for time and became less vulnerable than before, the number of dropouts decreased exponentially.

Though hastily assembled, her classmates were following Kiara’s instructions, buying time and taking their positions one by one.

But it was too obvious. Junon wouldn’t just let that happen.

Clank!

“What is this?”

“Chains?”

Two metal chains flew from the front, each grabbing the wrist and ankle of the two students at the very front.

The chains didn’t seem meant to cause damage, as they had no effect. They weren’t even restraining movement effectively, since they only caught one wrist and one ankle each, rather than both.

They must have wondered what the point of this was.

It even seemed like they could pull the professor in if they tugged on the chains.

‘Chains…? Why?’

These mere chains could be broken easily.

Suddenly, Kiara’s gaze turned to Junon holding the chains. He was already…

“D-danger! You need to remove those immediately…!”

“Too late.”

—Kyaaaah!

—Uwaaaaah!

After restraining parts of their bodies with chains and slipping into the center where the formation wasn’t yet complete, the formation Kiara had created instantly collapsed.

Bodies collided with each other, and with their vision momentarily blocked, they couldn’t counter Junon’s movements at all.

“Cut the chains first! Just cut them!”

“Th-they won’t cut. These aren’t ordinary chains…!”

“They’re infused with so much mana, it’s impossible…!”

They had assumed they were just ordinary chains, but their oversight resulted in them being bound together. The formation collapsed like dominoes, and the gaps grew uncontrollably.

“When did he…?!”

“We need to block him! The spell isn’t complete yet…! Ah?”

“I-I’m out… my badge was taken.”

Dropouts fell outside the field one after another as the man who had penetrated deep into their ranks seized their badges.

Hastily cast spells were blocked by allies bound in chains who became Junon’s shields, and as the collapsed formation turned into a melee, few remained.

A divided formation. Disconnected coordination. Tangled roles.

The remaining new students were all headed for elimination.

They couldn’t stop his breakthrough, and the decisive moment came in an instant.

“Looks like it’s over, doesn’t it?”

“This… can’t be…”

Kiara, having lost her fighting spirit, slumped to the ground.

Only one person remained on the field.

Of all those allies, not a single one remained near her as she sat there.

Thud.

The last badge fell, confirming Junon’s victory.

“Wow…”

“My goodness. Is this for real? Defeating so many people single-handedly?”

“Is he a student? Who on earth is he?”

“Not a student, he’s a professor.”

“Eh? Such a young one? What does he teach?”

“Who else could it be! It’s that young professor who saved the duchy!”

“Do you think… he’d give me an autograph if I asked?”

“Why are you looking at him like he’s some model?”

“Kyaa— Professor, you’re so cool!”

As people realized the duel was over, spectators gathered one by one, applauding and expressing their admiration.

On the other hand, some were jeering.

“Hey, Junon! Aren’t you being too harsh on the new students?!”

“Somehow it seems like he’s teaching more strictly than in our time. Phew, I’m glad I’m a graduating student and won’t have to learn from him.”

“Right. That guy never does anything in moderation.”

—Booooo.

The gathered spectators joined Jon and Noel in their jeering. It wasn’t real jeering though; everyone seemed to have a playful attitude, as if this was just typical of Junon.

***

“Haaah.”

Lenias stretched out as if finally able to catch her breath. The maids, seeing an opportunity to dress up their young lady as they pleased, swarmed around her, forcing her to run and run again to escape the pursuit of these energetic maids.

How was this running for health? Looking at them converging from all directions, they seemed like a pack of wolves seizing an opportunity they’d been waiting for.

All they wanted was to spend hours in the dressing room, changing her into clothes they liked while squealing with delight, but since Grandmother had permitted this strange hobby… it seemed she would have to keep running under the pretext of health management for a while.

But the carrot that followed the whip was unbearably sweet.

“Hehe. But if I go now, I’ll get to see big brother, right?”

No matter how tired her body was at the moment, just a little wait and she’d be arriving at Levrant by carriage. The thought of seeing Junon, newly appointed as a professor, and watching him conduct his lectures in a splendid manner, already brought a broad smile to her face.

Of course, at first, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Early graduation? What nonsense was that?

The man who saved the duchy was barely maintaining a normal school life as an academy affiliate, hiding from others’ eyes, but with the sudden recommendation for early graduation, he would lose his student status and inevitably be exposed to the press and reporters.

Many people might have imagined situations where it would be appropriate to make such a suggestion to the man who single-handedly defeated Ashpern and Feltiburugos to save the duchy.

In other words, this was precisely the kind of suggestion that Junon found most annoying. In fact, avoiding such attention was the main reason he chose to re-enroll at Levrant Academy, so it was puzzling why he would choose early graduation that would sever his academy affiliation.

However, early graduation was also a stepping stone to maintain his academy affiliation.

As soon as the recommendation for a suitable position as a professor followed, Lenias’s lips curled up in a broad smile.

“Big brother as a professor… he must look amazing, right?”

Junon standing tall in the position of an academy professor, admired by all. He had the qualifications, skills, and justification, plus he would receive appropriate honors while maintaining his academy affiliation.

Setting everything else aside, she was genuinely happy that he, who had declined all honorable rewards offered by the Emperor himself, had been given a position of recognition.

—Young lady, we have arrived!

“Ah, finally!”

The carriage stopped with a soft rustle. Along with the coachman’s voice announcing their arrival at Levrant, the bumping also ceased.

Imagining the splendid sight of him lecturing in front of students, she had been grinning so much that the time to reach Levrant had passed quickly.

“Hehe, thank youuu~.”

Greeting the coachman, Lenias jumped out of the carriage without even using the steps.

The coachman was momentarily terrified, thinking she might hurt herself jumping down like that, but the person herself seemed to have an even lighter step due to the great expectation swelling in her heart.

All that remained was to see him in his role as a professor. With uncontainable joy, Lenias headed toward the academy with a bright smile.

However, some time later.

“…Ugh.”

Her upturned lips, which seemed to have no limit, were now hidden by her puffed-up cheeks.

***

A one-versus-many duel. For a first lecture, it was quite reckless and aggressive.

But what was the result?

An outcome no one had expected appeared before their eyes, clearly showing the gap between veterans and newcomers.

The students who were about to leave the classroom felt it deeply, without exception. The gap between them and that professor was as vast as heaven and earth, even with so many people on their side.

He seemed like an insurmountable, solid wall. Nevertheless, all the students present vaguely realized:

Ah, there’s a mountain of things we can learn from this professor.

However, they couldn’t step forward readily because of their own disrespectful behavior—having listened to just a few minutes of the lecture in the classroom and deciding it wasn’t worth attending, intending to cancel their enrollment.

“…I’m sorry, Professor. It was my ignorance, arrogance, and rashness that was at fault.”

Though she hadn’t lost her last badge, the match was already decided.

Kiara, who had slumped to the ground, tore off her badge herself to declare surrender. Immediately after, with her head bowed, she acknowledged her defeat and was the first to ask for forgiveness from Junon.

She had spoken carelessly without listening deeply to the lecture.

She reflected on her arrogance in looking down on a professor despite having just entered Levrant Academy.

She repeatedly pointed out her own attitude, failing to show basic courtesy despite the other being a professor, and expressed it directly.

It was a sincere apology from any perspective.

Junon smiled slightly and asked.

“Kiara, was it? How old are you?”

“Four…teen, sir.”

“Fourteen? Hmm.”

He murmured quietly, “So that’s it.”

“For now, would you take my hand and stand up? It’s a bit awkward with you sitting there like that.”

Junon extended his hand to Kiara, who was glancing at him curiously, wondering why he suddenly asked about her age. Now aware of the many eyes around her, Kiara carefully took Junon’s hand and stood up.

“For a fourteen-year-old, I think you’re quite impressive. It’s understandable that you’d have that kind of confidence.”

“P-pardon?”

And an incomprehensible answer came back.