Chapter 31: Duel (6)

The staff pointed at me contained mana, though not enough to be a real threat.

I couldn’t understand why she was so hostile towards me, someone she’d never met before.

What mattered now was the reality that an Archwizard, not just any wizard, had her staff aimed at me.

‘Can I draw my sword faster than she can cast a spell?’

As one of the few Archwizards in the kingdom, she had extensive combat experience.

Although in the original story, her power was rarely used against intruders in the Academy, her status never diminished.

“I’m honored that the Headmaster remembers the name of a newly enrolled student like myself.”

“It’s only natural to remember students’ names. Besides, rumors about you have reached even my ears. More importantly…”

Marina infused more mana into her staff, urging me to answer.

“Ian, answer my question quickly. What did you do?”

“Well… I was just minding my own business when I was attacked. Shouldn’t you be more concerned about a student who’s been assaulted?”

“A student who’s been assaulted doesn’t wear such a delighted expression. Besides, I saw everything from the middle.”

“…From the middle?”

Come to think of it, wasn’t there a setting where Marina could immediately detect any significant destruction in the Academy through a barrier?

I’d momentarily forgotten about this setting, which had become practically useless in the original story due to Marina always being away on business trips or the barrier being tampered with whenever the Academy was attacked.

‘Why is she so incompetent against enemies but so capable when dealing with students?’

If she’d been this competent in the original story, half of the Academy attacks would have been thwarted before they even began.

“…From which point were you watching?”

“From the moment you were blown into the fountain by Sir Peter.”

If it was from the fountain, doesn’t that mean she doesn’t know what I did wrong yet?

Feeling framed by Marina, who was accusing me without knowing the full story, I responded curtly:

“How can you tell I did something wrong if you only saw that much? With that level of deduction, shouldn’t you be a detective instead of a headmaster?”

“I wouldn’t do this with other students, but in your case, Ian, it’s a natural course of action considering your usual conduct.”

“What’s wrong with my usual conduct?!”

I was someone who was praised for being diligent even at cram school, where only model students gather.

How could she say my conduct was poor when she hadn’t even observed me for a week?

Although I had to drop out disgracefully after debating Baldo with a professor, this was still unacceptable.

“Even excluding the incidents before enrollment and those that could be considered self-defense, your conduct can hardly be called good, even as a polite lie.”

“What exactly are you talking about?!”

“During sparring sessions, you emanated killing intent towards students, showed hostility towards teachers, and attempted to commit violence under the guise of sparring. And although this hasn’t been confirmed yet, there’s a report of a loud noise when you went out to the city…”

“Attempted violence?! I merely requested a duel with the teacher!”

“We received testimony that before requesting the duel, you said you’d break your opponent’s ribs in the last match. How is requesting a duel after saying that any different from threatening to break your teacher’s ribs?”

“That’s an exaggeration! And about that unconfirmed noise…”

I was about to speak but remembered the incident at the blacksmith’s shop where I split the ball, so I shut my mouth.

Seeing me suddenly fall silent, Marina sighed deeply and said:

“…It seems something comes to mind.”

“…Yes.”

However, this couldn’t be entirely my fault as I only did it because Otar told me to.

But Marina, not listening to my circumstances, continued:

“As far as I know, you’re the first student to receive demerit points just two days after enrolling in the Academy.”

“…Doesn’t everyone get demerit points at some point?”

“Between a student who received those demerit points in just two days and Sir Peter, who led the 4th Royal Knight Order and is renowned as an honorable knight.”

Marina then asked if it wasn’t obvious which side to suspect when a problem arose between the two.

“…Head of the 4th Royal Knight Order?”

“That’s right. Although he retired last year.”

I thought he was too strong for an Academy teacher even as a Swordmaster, but I never imagined he was the head of a Royal Knight Order.

‘Then is his skill similar to or slightly above Jessica’s father?’

The Royal Knight Orders symbolized the power of the royal family, so not just anyone could become their head.

In the original story, Vector, the next head of the Knight Order who stood by the Second Prince’s side, was skilled enough to subdue demons alone.

With such a background and being called an honorable knight, even I would suspect myself first if I were in their shoes.

“But how can a teacher not trust their student?”

“If you want to be trusted, build trust first before speaking.”

“Huh…”

For someone who probably doesn’t have many friends to talk to, she sure knows how to speak…

“Headmaster, you’re really good with words. How can one speak so well? Is it by talking a lot with friends during school days?”

“…Be quiet.”

As we were having this conversation, the very person who had sent me flying here slowly approached.

‘Was he waiting for her to come out?’

Or was he worried I might use my status as a student as a shield?

Either way, seeing him wait for me to come out strengthened the hypothesis I had earlier.

As Peter approached me with a murderous look, I assumed a stance. Marina stepped forward and said:

“Sir Peter, calm down. Under no circumstances can I allow a teacher to kill a student.”

“He’s an exception!! He’s the one who killed a student under the pretext of a duel!!”

“Killed a student…? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but my barrier detects student deaths too. No student has died.”

Was there such a setting?

But even with such a setting, I thought it wouldn’t be helpful in crucial moments.

“Ian, answer me. What happened?”

When Marina questioned me, I played dumb and said:

“I never said I killed anyone.”

“Who the hell are you trying to fool?! Didn’t you say you bashed her head with a katana?!”

In response, I slowly drew my katana from my waist and showed it to Peter and Marina.

“What? That’s…!”

“The blade is on the opposite side.”

Shadowstrike was a non-lethal sword that can maim but not kill – a reverse-bladed sword.

Seeing the reversed blade, Peter and Marina narrowed their eyes. I calmly said:

“Do you think it’s possible to kill someone with this kind of sword?”

“…You’ve been fighting me with that sword all this time? No, more importantly, what about the hair you showed me?”

“I just picked up what fell during the duel, with Jessica’s permission.”

“…You picked up her hair? What on earth are you talking about…”

Both of them stared at me with dumbfounded expressions.

I took out Jessica’s hair from my pocket and showed it to Marina, who still hadn’t fully understood. She frowned and said:

“So… to summarize what you’ve just said, you claimed to have struck Jessica’s head with that katana in front of Sir Peter, and then showed off that hair as if boasting?”

“Yes. But even so, is it right to attack a student with killing intent without confirming anything?”

Marina was about to say something in response but then nodded and said:

“That’s correct, Ian. Sir Peter?”

“Yes…”

When Marina called, Peter answered with his head bowed like a criminal.

“Sir Peter, I’m not unaware of your connection with the von Grund family, but I cannot overlook favoritism towards a single student.”

“…Yes. I will reflect on my actions and restrain myself for the time being.”

I thought he was just someone who had learned from them, but could there be something else I didn’t know?

Anyway, as the situation seemed to be settling, I stepped forward from Marina’s side and said:

“Peter.”

“…What?”

Peter raised his head and glared at me as he spoke. His misunderstanding was cleared, but his hostility remained undiminished – a truly satisfying sight.

“Shall we continue?”

“What–?”

Before he could finish speaking, Shadowstrike drawn from my waist struck Peter’s empty abdomen.

“Ugh!!”

Just as I had earlier, Peter was about to be sent flying far away, but he managed to avoid being pushed out of the main building by concentrating his aura in his legs.

“Ian!! What madness are you committing now?!”

“The misunderstanding is cleared, but the match is still on. Feel free to shoot from behind if you want.”

Leaving those words behind, I approached Peter, who had already returned to a combat stance, ignoring Marina behind me.

“You crazy bastard… You think I’ll go easy on you just because we’re in front of the headmaster?!”

“I didn’t want it to come to this, but… Don’t worry about me and just come at me.”

Thinking my words were mere bravado, Peter snorted and charged at me again.

Once more, the hammer swung towards my head.

The trajectory of the attack was still laughably simple, but its speed and power were commendable.

I dodged the hammer aimed at my head by a hair’s breadth and instantly drew Shadowstrike, which I had been charging with aura since the earlier draw.

Shadowstrike, drawn from its scabbard, headed towards Peter, but knowing it was a reverse-bladed sword, he didn’t dodge, seemingly intending to block it with his aura.

‘Got him…!’

I had been aiming for this moment ever since I showed him Shadowstrike earlier.

Just before the instantly drawn katana made contact with Peter’s body, I twisted my wrist to grip it in reverse.

“Urgh…!!”

“Arghh…!!”

Groans erupted from both our mouths almost simultaneously.

Mine was due to the excessive force on my wrist, while Peter’s was from his flesh being torn by the back of Shadowstrike.

Shadowstrike, with aura concentrated on its blunt edge rather than its dull blade side, demonstrated incomparable sharpness.

With that sharpness, it tore through Peter’s aura and ripped through the clothes and flesh it was protecting, scattering a considerable amount of blood into the air.

As expected, he couldn’t use the technique to dissipate the impact as he had shown outside.

“Urghh!!”

As Peter collapsed from the sudden blood loss, I saw this as an opportunity and forgot the pain in my wrist, sheathing Shadowstrike.

And just as I was about to draw it again…

“That’s enough!”

A sword of pure white ice positioned itself between me and Peter, aimed at me.

“If you attack again, I’ll expel you using my authority as headmaster.”

“…”

The neck of a former Knight Order Commander was tempting, but not enough to risk expulsion from the Academy.

Reluctantly, I let go of the sword hilt, and Marina spoke with an uncharacteristically grim expression:

“Ian Barthow. 20 demerit points. And I order you to reflect on your actions for three weeks.”

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