#101
Helmut
Episode 101
After all classes were over, Helmut, who was returning to the dormitory, encountered Xian at the entrance.
“Asuka, Helmut, I heard you guys sparred today. “Everyone was making a fuss about that?”
It looks like they already got some information from the guys from the swordsmanship department who came back first.
“I wish I could have seen it too.”
Sian expressed regret.
“You said it was a very high-level sparring? “Why didn’t I think about joining this whole time?”
“I’m going in.”
Asuka abruptly cut off Xian’s words and took a long stride toward the dormitory. He seemed to be in a low mood.
We sparred three times in a row in the morning and lost three times in a row. Instead of giggling or losing his temper, he became sullen and lost his ability to talk.
Xian looked at his back and made a strange expression.
“What’s going on? That simple guy. “I guess you hit me a little too much?”
“I didn’t really hit you.”
Because the sparring ended with almost a win. It may have hurt since I was hit with a wooden sword, but I was able to heal afterward.
In other words, there was a difference in skill between Helmut and Asuka that made it unnecessary to cause injury.
“In life, you can win and lose.”
Sian muttered. A swordsman who valued winning and losing and a wizard who valued individual achievement had slightly different thoughts.
Although magic can determine superiority or inferiority in battle, it is not an absolute standard.
“Like you always lose to Area?”
“Everyone else except Area won, so that doesn’t mean I’m in second place.”
“That’s true if you change your perspective.”
It was new. But Helmut did not want to lose. To anyone. Even second place is unacceptable.
There were many powerful monsters in the forest of Pahe, and Helmut, a human, was a weak being. He didn’t want it to be like that, even in the human world.
I want to be strong in the human world. A man so strong that no one can underestimate him.
Because he has already escaped someone’s shadow.
“I think I’m a little upset, but it won’t last long, right?”
Helmut returned to his dormitory room, leaving Xian muttering. Area’s class would be taking place soon.
*
“I guess he’s not coming today?”
After seeing Xian carefully lock the door, Area rested her chin and asked.
Not long ago, Area’s followers burst open the door and stormed in.
After barely pushing them out and closing the door, everyone had been keeping a close eye on the door.
“Asuka is at the training center. He said he won’t come today. “I guess it’s really poisonous.”
“That’s a good thing.”
It became desirable because one of the two people who had been clouding the mood was gone.
If Asuka doesn’t study writing and focuses only on training, the probability of Helmut becoming the top student also increases.
“Don’t let down your guard. “I said I had studied all the notes, so now I just need to take a quick look at them the day before the exam.”
“Whether you let your guard down or not, the fact that you have to run 100 laps around the playground doesn’t change.”
“Do you feel confident? “Has Helmut’s answer sheet improved a lot?”
Sian reached out and grabbed the answer sheet that Helmut was looking at. Helmut, who had just been looking at Leah’s editing, frowned.
“this… … what. “How can a person develop so much in such a short period of time?”
Sian muttered. He is also the Vice President of the Magic Faculty. I know how to distinguish between well-written and poorly written answers. Although the expression was crude, it was beyond reproach. This is an answer that can easily be ranked high.
“You’re a bit of a deceitful guy too.”
I thought Area was the only scam, but one more person appeared. Sian felt that he was rapidly becoming ordinary.
I’ve always heard that he’s a genius, but I can’t even show him a business card here. For some reason, I felt bitter.
Area cut off the conversation mercilessly.
“I’m going to start, so shut your mouth.”
“yes yes.”
Class began in the study room. It was the night before the midterm exam.
*
The second-year students of the swordsmanship department were especially noisy from the morning. The long-awaited showdown with the first graders has finally arrived.
“Today is against the first graders.”
“Wow, I’m nervous. “If you win, you’re in the thick of it, and if you lose, isn’t it a loss?”
“I heard that this year’s first-year students look down on us because they have good skills.”
“I have to show them my true worth!”
“But actually, we underestimated the second graders last year. “I came to my senses after I broke down.”
“Shouldn’t we break them first?”
“You’re sure it’s not that you’re not confident, right?”
“I am confident, but you are the problem.”
“What, dude? “Are you kidding me because you’ll be behind me in sparring matches?”
“Whether it’s 4 wins and 5 losses or 5 wins and 4 losses, it’s there.”
“I’m worried about you both. “If you can’t win, at least pretend to be someone.”
“Even if you lose, try to last 5 minutes!”
“The one who loses doesn’t even deserve to be in the dormitory, so he sleeps on the playground!”
There was loud laughter. The atmosphere was pretty good. Appropriate tension. Moderate liveliness.
It certainly looks like the students are becoming more united ahead of the sparring match with other grades.
“Who will get along with that first-year girl? “I had a cousin in first grade, so I asked him a question, and he seemed to be pretty good at it.”
“I heard that she is likely to be the valedictorian of the first year?”
“No way, she’s a woman. “The swordsmanship department is different from other departments.”
Once one could properly handle vis, gender differences did not matter much. Like wizards.
Of course, it is very difficult to reach that level. There were many instances where I could not endure the process of training my body and making Vis vessels.
“For a girl, she must be a beginner to enter the swordsmanship department at our academy. “There are only a handful of women in our department, right?”
“Are you just going to train with a straight sword in a harsh environment?”
“I guess so.”
“I heard that that first-year girl comes from a famous family.”
“Do you know anyone at the original academy? “I know all that.”
“The way you speak, your actions, your swordsmanship. “That’s enough to know.”
“I can’t wait to see who will face her.”
“I don’t want to.”
“me too.”
Even though I show my curiosity, I can’t help but feel reluctant for fear of losing.
No one would want to suffer the embarrassment of losing to a pretty girl.
“More than that, I heard that Asuka sharpened her sword and lived at the training center?”
“I’ve never seen him so serious about sparring.”
To be exact, sparring for the purpose of winning, not for the purpose of harassing anyone. And it was the first time I saw sparring focused on one’s own development.
As the instructors instructed them to alternate their sparring opponents, Asuka and Helmut have not been able to compete since that day.
Asuka, who rapidly became quiet, was unfamiliar to Helmut as well. Even on holidays, she was told, she was confined to the training center all day.
“You must have been quite upset because you lost, right?”
“Asuka has never lost, probably never before.”
The guys who were talking about Asuka all closed their mouths. Because Asuka just happened to appear.
Only when class time was over did he leave the training room where he had been staying since early in the morning.
Asuka looked around and approached Helmut.
“Hey, good morning!”
He seems more energetic today than before, as if he is in a mood to talk.
“Sian asked me to tell you to study your handwriting.”
“What do you know? Something like that. “Anyway, it’s him who runs the playground, not me.”
His tone was that it didn’t matter whether it was a bet or not. Asuka let out a noise that would make Xian scratch his head and continued to stretch.
“Ah, I hope I find a decent opponent. “Are there any first-year students like that?”
“I heard there are some good guys in the first grade.”
“What are you doing if it’s okay? “Most guys are boring anyway.”
Seeing how confident he was, it seemed like his practice had achieved some results. Of course, Helmut also had some results. The problem was that it was about essay writing.
Instructor Alan showed up on time, lined up the students and called attendance.
“Everyone is present. “Move right away.”
He gestured and took the lead. It seemed like they would probably join the first year class and have a sparring match.
The second-year students of the swordsmanship department followed instructor Alan with great expectations.
The place they arrived was another campus where first-year classes were held.
Greta Academy is a large academy. The Department of Swordsmanship consisted of a total of 7 buildings for each grade, including the main building.
Since it is of this size, you will not encounter students from other departments unless you are taking a liberal arts class.
There was not much interaction with students from different grades within one department, let alone students from other departments.
Although we meet each other as we come and go, the class spaces are separate and the dorms are separate.
The atmosphere is such that it is inevitable that students from the same department and grade will naturally come together.
It wasn’t common for me to hang out openly with students from other departments like Sian.
“There are first graders over there.”
I saw Instructor Patricia and the first graders lined up in front of her.
Either way, it’s a swordsmanship department. Although they were generally the same size, the age difference made the first graders look a little younger.
The first graders looked at the second graders who arrived with some excitement. It was difficult to say that the atmosphere was very good.
Helmut and Asuka especially felt the gaze directed at them. Eyes with a mixture of curiosity and contempt, as if looking at a spectacle.
“Are those commoners?”
“Be careful what you say, commoner ‘seniors’.”
“Should I call someone crazy or a commoner my senior?”
At first glance, I heard a whispering sound. It’s a familiar atmosphere. Asuka held her wooden sword tightly. He grinned.
“I’ll take back what I said earlier. This sparring won’t be boring. Because it’s going to be fun.”
It sounded like the intention was to make it fun. The atmosphere among the second-year students naturally became strange.
There was a time when they looked down on them as commoners, but Helmut was recognized and Asuka was the same in terms of skills.
Normally, it’s okay for people to curse, but they feel bad when others curse. Aside from feeling bad, I also felt a little sad.
“Hey, look at Asuka’s expression.”
“I’m going to have another accident.”
“My condolences to the guy I’m dealing with.”
The second graders felt sympathy and at the same time strengthened their fighting spirit. It was natural that I couldn’t lose in the first year.
“Everyone pay attention! You do know that starting today, first- and second-year students will be competing against each other, right? “I explain the sparring method!”
Instructor Patricia, who greeted Instructor Alan, briefed as usual. We were given some time before sparring.
“Before sparring, warm up lightly for 30 minutes and practice basic movements!”
Asuka stretched her arms and legs as if doing gymnastics. He was ready to start sparring at any moment.
The first-year students stood a little away and glanced at the newly arrived second-year students. It is not a favorable view.
The conversation, which had subsided for a moment, continued again. They don’t make much noise and talk arrogantly as if they are showing off to each other.
“The second year seniors don’t seem to have anything special?”
“Because the overall level is low, it is rumored that the commoners are the most talented in their grade. Does that make sense?”
“It’s pathetic to lose to a commoner.”
“What a crazy dog in the swordsmanship department! Crazy dogs have to be beaten to be obeyed.”
“Our commoner seniors are perfect for cornering girls with one face.”
“Isn’t the order of ability determined by face?”
From what I’ve heard, it seems like it’s going too far. The expressions of the second-year students hardened.
Although each grade was taught separately, the senior-junior relationship was usually respected. This situation is rare.
It all started when instructors said that the first-year students’ skills were better than previous years.
In addition, the atmosphere became even more strange as the commoners Helmut and Asuka were highlighted as talented second-year students.
Two people who are well-known not only in other grades but also in other departments.
I thought it would be true in the upper grades, but the first-year students who entered the academy after treating commoners like servants could not accept the fact that commoners were in any sense higher than nobles.
Naturally, I came to look down on the entire second grade class.
