Chapter 20: Students (3)
by fnovelpia
I was in the worst mood.
Just a moment ago, I had felt the exhilaration of taking a step toward my grand plan to spread the art of Baldo.
But to feel this bad in such a short time was beyond unpleasant; it was astonishing.
“You coward, did you use magic?”
The nameless man who had a sword pointed at his neck spoke, his face showing frustration.
“Hah… magic?”
What I had done wasn’t magic. It was merely an application of Baldo, drawing the sword quickly.
Originally, Baldo was a technique for a fatal strike, but its speed could be applied in this way as well.
“I didn’t use magic, but even if I did, calling it cowardly only shows your level.”
“You bastard…!!”
Did he momentarily forget his situation?
To remind him, I lightly slapped his cheek with the sword, and he glared at me with eyes filled with rage.
“If you’re so upset, why don’t you try using Baldo too?”
Even if it’s called cowardly, using magic or whatever to win is the natural course of action.
After all, I, too, use the most efficient and strongest sword technique to win, partly because of my passion but primarily because it’s effective.
‘But why are these guys talking about cowardice when they came at me three to one?’
Considering the difference between someone who had mastered Baldo and those who hadn’t, it wouldn’t be odd even if they came at me with thirty men instead of three.
In fact, I should commend their wisdom for not coming alone.
“As you might have guessed, it’s best not to expect that I’ll let you go from this distance.”
“What’s your objective…?”
“My objective? I’m just planning to do to you what you intended to do to me. And you two rats back there, follow me.”
With that, I sheathed my sword and headed towards the training hall, following the path described in the novel.
Though I felt their glaring eyes on my back, they showed no intention of attacking, so I ignored them.
If I were in their position, I would have struck from behind immediately. These guys were surprisingly naive for a lynch mob.
As soon as I arrived at the training hall, I turned my back on the nameless trio and approached the weapon rack in the corner.
This rack held practice swords provided by the academy, but I was disappointed upon seeing them.
‘As expected, there’s none….’
I hadn’t hoped for much, but there wasn’t even a single katana, let alone a blunt one.
There was a practice sword similar to a katana without a blade, but it lacked a proper scabbard.
And they call this the kingdom’s top educational facility? Even a passing dog would laugh.
‘This is why the reverse-edged sword is needed….’
Thinking that beggars can’t be choosers, I tried to place the blunt sword in my scabbard after removing my katana, but…
‘Damn, it doesn’t fit….’
As expected, the practice sword slid in smoothly at first but got stuck halfway.
“…This is crap.”
I was furious at the fact that my Baldo had been hindered, something I despise the most.
Reluctantly, I set both the katana and the scabbard against the wall and fastened the practice sword at my waist.
This setup would reduce friction and thus, not provide the same power as a scabbarded draw, but it would mimic true Baldo to some extent.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
When I spoke to the guys waiting behind me, they looked at me with displeasure.
“What have you been doing?”
“What do you think? Preparing to fight. Stop whining just because you had to wait a bit.”
Ah, maybe they felt insulted that I wasn’t taking them seriously.
I also wanted to show them true Baldo with a scabbard, but if anything went wrong, it could lead to irreversible consequences.
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Baldo couldn’t bring the dead back to life.
“Heh, I understand your desire to see Baldo, but using that against you guys would be…”
“Are you mocking us by preparing to fight with a sword not even in a scabbard, but just hanging at your waist?”
“…What?”
I couldn’t understand what this guy was talking about.
Even if the power wouldn’t be the same as drawing from a scabbard, it was still much better than just swinging the sword.
“From your appearance, I thought you were in the Knight Department. Do you not know what Baldo is?”
“Of course, I know! That’s why I call it an insult! Using a technique specialized for ambushes and assassinations in a frontal fight is an insult!”
“Ambushes and assassinations…?”
Sure, Baldo could be used that way, but that wasn’t all it was.
Thinking about it, these guys in this world had a very fragmented understanding of things.
They only saw part of the whole and never tried to understand the essence.
“Haah… Let me educate you ignorant folks. Baldo is…”
As I explained what Baldo truly was, their expressions gradually twisted.
Just when I thought they had finally grasped some new knowledge, their expressions changed again.
“…It seems you’re a lunatic.”
Their words shattered my thoughts and expectations.
“Hah… Looks like words won’t work on beasts like you. Violence is the only way.”
I decided to show them my pseudo Baldo.
‘This crazy bastard….’
When that Ian guy mentioned Baldo, I immediately knew he wasn’t sane.
“So, by converting the friction of the scabbard during drawing into kinetic energy…”
His eyes, while spouting such basic scientific knowledge, were unwavering.
It felt blasphemous to say, but he seemed to believe in his theory as devoutly as a saint believes in their god.
I couldn’t think of him as merely stupid; he was a person with a broken mind.
Unfortunately, that broken-minded person was quite skilled.
Even though his actions were ridiculous, he wasn’t an opponent to be underestimated.
‘…Why do I have to fight someone like this?’
Stories about fortunate events turning out to be misfortunes are common.
I instinctively knew this was misfortune the moment he took his stance.
The pressure felt like a massive lump of iron was placed on my shoulders. Frankly, I wanted to run away immediately, regardless of Lady Jessica.
Even knowing it wasn’t a real sword and I wouldn’t die, I couldn’t shake that feeling.
‘Can I escape…?’
If Jun and Larry could buy me some time, maybe I could escape alone.
No, if I escaped, we should all escape. I couldn’t cowardly flee alone.
So, the only option left was to fight.
Fight, earn Lady Jessica’s trust, and survive this.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, that lunatic truly believed Baldo was the ultimate technique.
If he didn’t use aura to extend his range, his reach would be limited to the length of that practice sword.
If we surrounded him, with one of us taking his attack head-on and the other two attacking, we might have a chance.
‘The opening created during the re-sheathing… That’s the answer!’
I signaled to the two behind me that I would block from the front, and they should go around him.
From a young age, the two who had been with me understood the signal and moved immediately.
“Hmm… You thought a bit. Believe it or not, I won’t use aura for this game. Of course…”
When he added that it was okay for us to use it, I clenched my teeth.
‘You bastard…!’
Even if I fell, I was determined to land a hit, so I leaped into his range….
“What? Why isn’t it coming out…?”
He made a foolish remark, struggling to draw the sword at his waist.
‘This is…!’
Instinct, not reason, told me this wasn’t an act.
There wasn’t any concrete evidence, but the oppressive aura that had weighed down on my shoulders just moments ago had vanished.
Trusting my instincts over reason, I shouted to the two who had moved behind him.
“Attack! Now’s our chance!!”
The two reacted immediately to my call.
I charged from the front, and they attacked from behind simultaneously.
‘Crazy bastard… I’ll smash his head in!’
Just when I thought his obsession with Baldo would be his downfall.
‘He… vanished?’
The person who was just in front of me disappeared, leaving only a faint cloud of dust.
“Young master! Above! Look up!!”
Reflexively raising my head at Jun’s shout, I saw Ian, like an elegant crane from the East, flipping through the air and landing behind us in one swift movement.
He landed softly, assuming a stance similar to before but more aggressive. I thought to myself,
‘It’s over.’
With an attack at a speed beyond comprehension, my body and the two others were lifted into the air.
By the time we hit the ground, he had already moved to the opposite side, whispering quietly.
“Baldo: One Slash.”
[Baldo: One Slash] [Grade: B+]
[A technique where aura is concentrated in the legs for an immense leap, slashing the enemy in one stroke with Baldo. Using a katana imbued with the power of lightning makes it even faster. Needless to say, there’s no real advantage to performing Baldo. There are no benefits.]
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