episode_0120
by fnovelpia“Ugh…”
Late afternoon.
Jane pushed herself up from the table slowly.
“Did you sleep well?”
“—Uwaaah!!”
Then, as if she’d seen something terrible, she ran back in terror.
She tripped over a chair, falling dramatically to the floor.
Drool trickled from the corner of her mouth.
“You must have a lot of questions… but I won’t answer any of them.”
“Wh-what…”
“You just need to do what you always do.”
Her pupils dilated wildly.
It was understandable.
Everything must have felt sudden, and even my actions standing before her were probably incomprehensible.
What’s needed in this situation is conversation… or rather, completely conveying my feelings.
I reached out, gently enveloping her body with soft aether.
“This…”
As if her body and mind were completely relaxed, Jane lowered her trembling hands and let go of the tension in her body.
With her tension released, her shoulders slumped, and her thrashing legs settled down calmly.
Then, I asked again.
“Did you sleep well?”
No further explanation was needed.
She quietly wiped away her tears and offered a faint smile.
“Yes… I had a dream.”
“What kind of dream?”
Her gaze was directed not at me, but at the sunset outside the window.
Her blonde, curly hair shimmered brightly under the sunlight.
“A dream from… my childhood. A time where I didn’t need to think about anything, didn’t need to follow any orders… spending time with the maids in a wide, refreshing garden until the sunset…”
Jane’s appearance seemed to change slowly, mirroring her words.
Into that of an innocent, mischievous noble young lady.
.
.
.
Quite some time passed.
During that time, we in 1-A continued various trainings under Aspi’s guidance for the final exams.
Kaang—!
“No! No matter how dangerous the situation, you absolutely must not close your eyes and cower.”
“But…!!”
Some things are just impossible.
Overcoming fear is as difficult as walking a tightrope in pitch-black darkness with your eyes closed.
“It’s not about simply enduring. Believe in yourself. Believe in your comrades!”
Within this training ground, Aspi’s presence was like a light.
A powerful swordsman and knight, not much older than us, generously provided support and advice right beside us.
Despite her outstanding skills, she didn’t underestimate the cadets, kneeling to speak to them at eye level.
That we can do it.
That even if it’s impossible, we can overcome it together.
“Alright… let’s go. This time only, it’s a temporary alliance—!”
“Leaving my back to you is worse than giving you a blowjob… but fine, let’s go—!!”
“Your skinny back is plenty enough for me to rely on—”
“What the hell are you saying you shrimp—”
It wasn’t perfect.
Sometimes (every day), we would bicker a little (a lot), and our intentions wouldn’t always align.
But when facing a common enemy, everyone had the same mindset.
“Until we succeed—”
“Beat the crap out of them—!!”
“We will always find the answer—”
“Just like always—!!”
It was a good sign.
Having already clashed and opened up to each other, they were becoming the best of friends and comrades.
The best combo, supplementing each other’s weaknesses.
Paak- Paak—!
“Oww- what the-”
“No- damn it- not me-”
While they weren’t yet able to stand up to Aspi.
“Good, good. Keep doing just that. Even if we lose, we lose together.”
“Kuuk… Thank you… It hurts, but…”
“Since you’re entrusting your back to your partner, trust just a little more. Your shoulders seem too tense.”
After giving simple advice, she immediately moved to the next person.
“…Hey.”
“…You too?”
“Yeah… Narias’ competition is too high, but with Instructor Aspi…”
“Bullcrap. She’s so strong, would someone like you, a pathetic piece of shit, feel attractive to her—”
…There were other signs as well.
From the start, Aspi had been supported by most of the cadets, but as the time spent training together increased.
Her popularity soared.
Paak—!!
“Keuhuk- I- I got beaten up by the instructor—”
“Damn, you lucky bastard—!!”
Although she herself didn’t seem to notice.
“…Be more serious!”
“Keuhuk- I got scolded by the Instructor—”
“Damn, so freaking jealous—!!”
Those who hadn’t interacted much with me began turning their attention toward Aspi.
And it wasn’t just the male cadets.
“…Ugh.”
“What to do- I’m about to get my period—”
Several female cadets who had been infatuated with me were already wetting their panties—
Kaaaaang—!!!
Suddenly captivated by a loud, intense sound.
Hwik- Hwirik-
Sseung- Sskang—!
“Huu… It seems Yurias’ skills have improved even more…”
“…….”
Yuri’s [Water Jet Blade] became sharper and more intense with each passing moment.
She had always struggled to unleash her full potential due to her lack of spell memorization skills despite her superior mana capacity…but recently, as if her limits were gone, she began to fly around wielding ‘water of cutting blades’ in both hands.
If her only weakness before was her inability to increase her firepower, then she had completely awakened.
And that, unfortunately, was thanks—or rather, because of —me.
Sskang—!
The vibrating blade cut through the air, aimed at me.
“I won’t let you go…”
That night was a long one.
.
.
.
“Aung, Unni—♡♡”
When I went to school the next morning, there was no cadet who didn’t widen their eyes at the sight of Yuri clinging to one of my arms, unlike the previous day.
“How… in just one night…”
“Kuuk, to be honest, I expected a high probability of a breakup…!!”
“Forbidden night techniques… I definitely want to learn them…”
I barely managed to support my achy back and somehow arrived in the classroom.
“I’ve been worried about that girl’s fierce mood lately…”
“Yeah, now that she’s back to normal, it’s much better. Now we can concentrate on the final exams without feeling uneasy—”
Deurureuk-
But upon arriving at the classroom.
That intense dark energy had apparently transferred to someone else.
“…….”
The angel instructor of the training ground had fallen.
.
.
.
“Instructor… there’s only one day left, are you really not coming to the training ground today?”
“There’s still a technique I want to refine a little more…”
Tabak- Tabak-
Standing on the podium in the classroom, Aspi walked slowly.
“Overexerting yourself the day before is the most foolish and stupid act. Now, let’s abandon greed and focus on physical recovery and mental training.”
She added that she’d learned from experience that she always stopped her physical training before swordsmanship competitions and quietly calmed her mind.
“Tsk- How dare you exhaust your body at the last minute when the winner has spoken!!”
“Go—!!!”
After a brief squabble, silence returned to the classroom.
Everyone closed their eyes and began to calm their minds.
Suddenly, one cadet raised their hand.
“Instructor! Tell us about your first love!”
Puhp-
I couldn’t help but be startled.
Partly because the adorable doll clinging to my left arm squeezed me tightly.
But also because a spark had returned to Aspi’s dulled eyes.
Perhaps both were cause and effect at the same time.
“Tell us!!”
“Whew—”
Finally, she begrudgingly brushed some hair from her face and began to speak.
“When I was young, I was an outstanding knight trainee. While other trainees could barely wield a sword, I could use magic as well. Of course, I also won by sheer strength.”
Tabak- Tabak-
Her light footsteps accompanied the beginning of her story.
“But one day, I was scolded by the knight commander. He said my eyes were empty, that my sword held nothing. It was true… at that time, I had simply joined the Knights as my parents told me.”
Bang-
Looking somewhere far off into the distance near the window, Aspi smiled slightly.
“I didn’t know why I was wielding a sword. So even though I easily defeated my fellow trainees, I had never received the weight of the Commander’s sword.”
“It was when you were young…? Wasn’t it too much to ask, to you…”
The cadets were gradually drawn into the story.
Even though it started not with a first love story but with a story about a sword, they were completely absorbed, breathless with anticipation.
“Age isn’t important. What’s important is understanding. Why you cultivate strength, how you will use it. And I suddenly discovered it. One beautifully bloomed, pure white lily.”
Several male cadets felt PTSD from the word “lily” and trembled.
And contrary to their wishes, Aspi finally blurted it out.
“After meeting Princess Narita, my whole life changed. With the weight of her gaze on my back, I vowed to become a sword that could cut down any mountain. The moment I pledged to be a knight who would protect her, I truly opened my eyes!!”
Revealing her sexual orientation.
A gasp erupted from various places.
But Aspi continued her story.
“Until then, my sword had only been about pushing with brute force, but I constantly researched. How can I protect her! That’s why I decided to hone my ‘techniques’. Gentle techniques that can protect someone over raw power.”
The cadets immersed in the story gradually came to understand its essence.
“Let’s all think about why we’re striving to grow stronger! It isn’t only the people with strong firepower who are strong. Sometimes, soft grass can overcome a hard sword.”
Because Aspi, telling her first love story, had already become a proper instructor.
The conclusion of the story inevitably became a ‘lesson’.
“Ugh… another lesson…”
“Damn it, I got ‘lessoned’—”
“It was interesting, but…”
Even during this short moment of chat, everyone in the classroom gained something new.
We achieved mental growth without expending any physical or mental energy.
The next day, the morning of the final exams, dawned.
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