Chapter 2: The Road to the Academy (1)
by fnovelpia
I gazed endlessly at the feather that fluttered alone in the blue sky.
For about 15 years, I had trained in the art of the sword draw.
Seeing the falling feather, I first wondered if I could cut it rather than what kind of bird it came from.
Could I cut it?
I would soon know the answer to that question.
One hand moved to the scabbard, and the other to the hilt. I took a deep breath and assumed my stance.
The feather, falling to the ground, swayed gently before my eyes without getting caught in a strong wind and drifting somewhere far away.
As the feather came within range, I did not miss the moment and drew my sword.
My sword, drawn at lightning speed, advanced straight towards the feather without a single deviation.
“Whew….”
A moment later, I looked at the ground and smiled in satisfaction at the feather, cut cleanly in two as if it had been that way from the start.
“Hahaha!!”
After several attempts, I finally succeeded!!
Cutting a feather, which is harder than cutting steel because it easily flutters away with even the slightest breeze from the sword swing.
After many attempts to cut this feather, I finally succeeded today.
As if to bless my success, a message appeared, announcing the birth of a new trait.
[The trait Swordmaster has been added.]
[Swordmaster] [Grade: A+]
[A trait given only to those who have reached a higher level among warriors. If you hadn’t wasted time on stupid things like Baldo, you would have obtained it sooner.]
Ignoring the second sentence, I had obtained a pretty good trait thanks to my Baldo training.
The Swordmaster trait is a very useful trait that not only the main character of the original story but also any named swordsman in the story possesses.
From the moment you acquire Swordmaster, the proficiency of all skills related to the sword increases to an incomparable level.
If your opponent is a swordsman below the level of Swordmaster, you can see through their movements as if you can read the future, according to the novel’s description.
The difference between an ordinary swordsman and a Swordmaster is as overwhelming as the difference between Baldo and other sword techniques.
‘Anyway, I didn’t expect to gain the Swordmaster trait so soon….’
As expected, Baldo.
If it were any other sword technique, I would have only reached this level around the age of thirty.
As I sheathed my sword and admired the Swordmaster trait, I sensed someone approaching from afar.
“Ha…! Young master!!”
When I turned my head at the familiar voice, there was Paul, the butler.
“What’s the matter? Your knee isn’t well, yet you’re running like that.”
“Well… madam is urgently looking for you….”
“Mother is? Alright, I’ll be there soon.”
Wondering what it could be, I hurried back to the mansion.
My mother, unable to wait for me, was already at the front door.
“Mother, I heard you were looking for me urgently. What’s the matter?”
“What’s the matter… Ian!! Is it true that you applied to the Royal Academy?!”
My mother said, waving a letter presumed to be from the academy in front of my face.
“Yes? Yes, I did, but why?”
Come to think of it, I had yet to tell my mother that I had applied for admission.
It seemed the reply had already arrived, though it hadn’t been long since I applied.
“Then you should have told me first! Do you know how much we have to do, like greeting the Count, whose daughter is also entering this year?!”
“Ah… it’s about politics. I’m not really interested in that, so I wasn’t paying attention.”
Even in the original novel, there was a political part, but it was boring, so I skimmed through it.
But why the hell is a baronet, something like a lesser baron, playing such political games?
This territory is called a territory, but it’s just a rural backwater with only two or three small villages.
“That greeting is a bother, can’t we just skip it? Anyway, they wouldn’t even remember a baronet.”
“No! What if we fall out of their favor?!”
“Then I’ll just send a letter or something. They wouldn’t want to waste their time on a baronet anyway.”
My mother seemed worried about falling out of favor with the count’s family, but honestly, they probably never cared about us from the start.
Moreover, if any nonsense were to happen, I could handle it with my Baldo diplomacy.
“The academy is not just a place to learn academics! It’s also a place for social networking! Making connections that will be helpful in the future is important! Do you understand?!”
“Yes….”
I couldn’t understand why I had to bow to someone who couldn’t even use Baldo, but I nodded my head because refusing would only make the conversation longer.
But which family was that count’s house again?
I had heard the name from my mother, but it wasn’t a significant family in the novel, so I forgot.
“Mother, what was the name of that count’s family?”
“Ian, really…. It’s the von Grund family. The lady’s name is Jessica. It’s rude not to know, so remember it well!”
Jessica von Grund, a name I’ve never heard in the original story.
Even after hearing it again, it didn’t ring a bell.
They aren’t closely related to the original story, so just a simple greeting should suffice.
“But Ian….”
“What is it, Mother.”
“Why do you want to enter the academy? Honestly, I thought you weren’t interested in academics.”
“Oh, that. It’s because I have a mission that can only be accomplished at the academy.”
“Mission?”
When the grand word ‘mission’ suddenly came out of my mouth, my mother looked surprised.
“Yes, I have an important mission to showcase Baldo at the academy and let the world know about the strongest swordsmanship, Baldo.”
Training in Baldo every day for 15 years, I realized something.
Is it okay for me to monopolize such strong and beautiful swordsmanship?
No, such a heinous act cannot be forgiven.
Good things are meant to be shared by everyone.
‘…To spread Baldo widely, I will defeat the protagonist, the sword saint!!’
I will defeat the protagonist, the next sword saint born into the family of the sword saint, who becomes the strongest swordsman in the world by the end of the story, and prove that Baldo is the strongest.
If necessary, I will also defeat the protagonist’s sister, the prince, and the next commander of the knights who guards the prince.
Spreading the greatness of Baldo to the world by any means necessary, I genuinely believed that was the reason I was given life in this world.
“For that reason, I must go to the academy!!”
“……Hmm.”
A few days later, the day I secretly wished would never come arrived—
Ian’s departure for the academy.
I left my room to see Ian off, who would be waiting at the front door.
But what is this? With each step I took toward the entrance, an ominous unrest built up inside my chest.
Is it the sadness and loneliness of parting with the son I’ve given birth to, and who has spent his entire life with me, for the first time?
No, it’s slightly different from those feelings. If I had to describe it, it’s anxiety.
Like a child who accidentally broke a treasured item of his father’s and is worried about when he will be scolded.
Why do I feel this anxiety about my son going to the academy? If you ask if I have any clues, I’d say I don’t.
‘He’s not a bad kid, but he’s a little… no, very strange.’
I knew a bit about magic but I didn’t know anything about swords, so I couldn’t gauge Ian’s level of swordsmanship.
What I did know was that one day, with an almost drunken glee, he said he might become a sword saint someday.
But honestly, compared to true masters, he wasn’t that strong, so I didn’t know how credible that statement was.
‘What if….’
What if Ian’s skills aren’t that great and he ends up frustrated?
On the other hand, if Ian’s skills were too great and he attracted the ire of high-ranking nobles, what if our family was crushed?
Ian wasn’t good at politics or socializing, even as a polite statement.
Moreover, he had a strange obsession with Baldo, so he might end up in a conflict with nobles who valued chivalry.
‘He’s talking about spreading Baldo as if it’s some kind of mission….’
I wouldn’t know about other kids, but with Ian, all sorts of ominous imaginations kept popping into my head.
If there’s any way to stop Ian now…
“Mother?”
“Huh?”
When I came to my senses, I was no longer on the stairs but standing at the entrance where Ian was waiting.
How deeply had I been lost in thought? I gathered my wits and looked at Ian, who was waiting for me.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Ian….”
Ah…! What should I say?
Should I grab his pants and beg him not to go while crying?
No, knowing Ian’s stubbornness regarding anything related to Baldo, such actions would be meaningless.
“Haah… Ian.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“When you enter the academy, buy a gift first and go greet Lady Jessica. A small dessert like a piece of cake would be good.”
“Isn’t sending a letter enough?”
“It’s not enough! I’ve sent a letter asking you to accompany Lord Victor to greet him in the neighboring territory. You will go with him! Understand?!”
“Got it….”
Seeing Ian nod reluctantly, I barely held back a sigh.
All I could do now was pray.
I just pray that the crazy things only Ian does are things I can understand with common sense, at least.
From tomorrow… no, from today, I will pray as desperately as Ian practiced Baldo.
If God truly exists, He will surely look upon me kindly and prevent Ian from doing anything foolish.
‘Pray, pray….’
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