Chapter 12 — Swordsmanship Class
I glanced at the three noble students one by one.
The first to catch my eye was a large, broad-shouldered boy carrying an enormous two-handed sword on his back.
'Derek Bonhart.'
He looked quiet and composed at a glance, but his swordsmanship was actually quite aggressive and driven by emotion.
Later on, when he failed to control those emotions, he even became a boss monster in the story.
'That'd be troublesome if it happens here. I should probably do something about it in advance.'
I figured I'd need to have a few words with Derek sooner or later.
Then I looked toward the other two nobles.
Both were very familiar faces.
'Sara, Cedric.'
As I'd mentioned earlier, they were also taking swordsmanship as their afternoon practical class.
When I entered the gym, Cedric waved at me cheerfully.
Sara, on the other hand... glared at me again with a look of displeasure.
'She really is arrogant.'
Even considering this was a society with a noble class, Sara was exceptionally prideful.
That made her one of the hardest characters to befriend in the game.
I wondered whether I could get close to her again this time.
'Well, the ducal heir I really need to befriend isn't Sara—it's Eleanor.'
My goal was to become a knight.
There were several routes toward knighthood, but I planned to take the so-called Disciplinary Committee route—through Eleanor Blackwell.
'Eleanor should be arriving here soon.'
I needed to think of a few ways to make a good impression on her.
But before that, it looked like the class was about to begin.
Since I'd arrived just on time, Lucas would probably show up any moment now...
"Everyone's here? Then let's get started."
Right on cue, Lucas appeared—ever punctual, as expected of a model teacher.
For reference, the instructor in charge of the first-year swordsmanship class was none other than Lucas himself, the homeroom teacher of Class 1.
'Lucas Thorne... one of the top swordsmen in this world.'
He wasn't on the same level as the three ducal families known as the Swords of the Empire, but Lucas was among the few who could rival them.
I'd learned that from the story—and even the proud Sara would bow her head in front of him.
That alone showed how formidable he was when it came to swordsmanship.
"There are quite a few first-years this year. Last year there were only five. Now then, everyone, gather around. My name is Lucas Thorne. Some of you may have heard of me, some may not. So, to introduce myself briefly..."
Lucas gave a short, simple introduction about himself.
After that, his gaze naturally drifted toward Sara and Cedric.
"So you two joined this year as well."
"Lucas. Oh, I mean... I should call you Professor here, right?"
"That's right. At least while you're in this academy, you should."
Lucas chuckled lightly in response to Cedric's words. Then he looked to the girl standing beside him.
"Sara. I saw you earlier in the classroom, but how have you been?"
"Well... I suppose fine."
Sara scratched her head awkwardly.
Lucas smiled again at that.
"Last year I taught Eleanor, and this year it's you two. It's the first time I've taught heirs of ducal families two years in a row."
"Is Eleanor doing well these days?"
"I wouldn't say well, exactly. I heard she's been stressed lately because of her work with the Disciplinary Committee."
Lucas shrugged as he answered Cedric, then turned back toward the rest of the students.
"Anyway, let's stop chatting among ourselves... Let's see... Oh, Alex. You're taking swordsmanship too, I see."
"Yes, something like that."
"So from Class 1, we've got Alex, Cedric, and Sara. Looks like the rest of you are from other sections."
Lucas nodded to himself.
"Good. Normally, in a class like this, we'd start with introductions. But as you all know, this is swordsmanship class, right? Here, things like social rank or lineage don't matter. The only thing that speaks for you is your sword."
Then, with that meaningfully said, Lucas continued,
"So let's see everyone's skills firsthand. Pick up your swords and show me what you've got."
"Lucas—uh, I mean, Professor. What exactly do you mean by show?"
"It's simple, Sara."
Lucas glanced at the students one by one.
"You'll come out one at a time and spar. Or, if you don't want to spar against me, you can form pairs and spar with each other."
"So it's fine for two students to duel each other?"
"Yes, that's fine. Why?"
Sara stepped forward, walking past the other students—then raised her hand and pointed straight at me.
"Alex Vanehart. I hereby challenge you to a duel—no, a spar—right here and right now."
"…Me?"
"Who else? Let's finish the fight we didn't get to finish earlier."
After saying that, Sara turned to Lucas again.
"May we, Professor?"
"I don't see a problem. Though, just out of curiosity, is there a reason you chose Alex?"
"…Not really—"
"Sara had a brief clash with Alex before the entrance ceremony," Cedric cut in with a sly grin.
"And apparently, Alex blocked every one of her strikes. I think that might've bruised her pride a bit."
"Shut it, Cedric. But…"
Sara bit her lip for a moment, hesitating before speaking again.
"He's not wrong. That guy really did block all of my attacks. As a member of the Isrinbloom Ducal Family, I can't just let that go—especially not against someone from some no-name house I've never even heard of…"
"Sara, no talk of family status. Not here, at least," Lucas interrupted calmly. "But Alex blocked all your attacks, you say?"
Lucas looked at me with genuine curiosity.
"If that's true, I'd like to see it for myself. So, Alex—are you willing to spar with Sara?"
"Hmm."
I shifted my gaze slightly.
Up on the second-floor gallery of the gymnasium, several people had arrived.
'They're here, as expected.'
They were second- and third-year students—specifically, upperclassmen who had chosen swordsmanship as their specialization.
They had come to see the new first-years for themselves.
And among them, I spotted one particular person who caught my eye.
'Eleanor Blackwell.'
A girl with striking red hair—hard to miss.
She was the daughter of the Blackwell Ducal Family, one of the three ducal houses known as the Swords of the Empire.
And the path I'd chosen to become a knight centered around earning her recognition and support.
In other words, I needed to make a good impression on her.
'I need to leave a strong, favorable first impression—something that'll stick.'
Honestly, I wasn't confident I could defeat Sara here.
But at the very least, I had no intention of losing disgracefully either.
[To be Continued]