Episode 2: A Master Doesn’t Blame His Equipment (2)
Joaquin Academy. The school’s ostensible motto was to nurture heroes.
Why do we need heroes? It’s simple.
Because there is a demon king.
The founder of the Academy and its ancestral hero.
Although it had the bright pretext of producing heroes who would continue the legacy of ‘Balor Joaquin’, in reality it was a social gathering place only for the noble children of the corrupt forces.
However, its reputation was not entirely in vain, as its status as an educational institution was also the best in the world, and many special class applicants wanted to cross the threshold of the school. The competition rate was accordingly fierce.
It is worthy of praise that Kang Geum-ma succeeded in entering the academy on his own. But I wonder why it was me, who wanted to live an ordinary life, who was the target.
So the entrance ceremony was canceled. It would have been a waste of time on boring lectures, so I decided to efficiently look around the school I would be attending for the next three years. There was only one hour left until the class placement test anyway. I had plenty of time.
“… It’s cool.”
I expected it since it was basically a school for upper class people, but the scale was ridiculous.
First of all, the site felt more like a small city than a school.
The buildings that filled the area were also a delight to the eye. The Victorian-style outbuildings were lined up beautifully, and the landscaping was alive with the hard work of gardeners.
Above all, the top of the main building, which could only be seen after tilting one’s head upwards for a long time, pierced the clouds like the Tower of Babel.
I sat on a shaded bench under a tree.
As I looked at the fluffy clouds floating by, I longed for the nicotine that would relieve the tension in my stiff neck.
Even apart from being a student, there was no concept of cigarettes in this world. Well, in a game where the main stage is an academy, if teenagers were to all smoke cigarettes, it would probably be frowned upon.
I leaned back on the bench, propping my head up with my arms as if I was lying down. The smell of spring drifted in the cool breeze. The tip of my nose tickled at the thought of a scene from a youth drama.
The spring breeze made my eyelids heavy, so I closed my eyes for a moment.
Come to think of it, I don’t have any notable memories of my teenage years in my previous life. My family, which was doing okay, went bankrupt because my father made a mistake in guaranteeing a loan.
When I was faced with the developments I had seen on TV or in comics, I had to face the cold, harsh reality at the young age of seventeen.
So I dropped out of high school and started working at a Japanese restaurant. I didn’t have any grand vision, it was just because the restaurant was close to my house.
I picked up a knife at an age when I should have been holding a pencil. At the time, I think I envied my peers, but I was more attracted to the smell of fish than the smell of ink.
He used to be called the best swordsman in the country, hehe.
I opened my eyes halfway and checked the time.
There were 30 minutes left until the class placement test. It felt like I had just turned on for a moment, but time had passed so quickly.
At this point, I wanted to take a deep breath and let out a lullaby under the sunlight, but when I thought of my parents’ faces, who had silently supported my enormous tuition, I found myself getting up.
I left my regret behind and touched the bag that was like a bundle.
I left my carrier containing clothes and necessities at the dormitory as soon as I arrived.
Inside this bag are a few 5kg dumbbells and a bundle of knives I bought in a hurry.
‘A test is a test, so you have to get used to it.’
Come to think of it, I haven’t even touched water, let alone a knife, since I came here.
I’ve been eating only knife-cut rice for nearly 20 years, so do you think my skills would have rusted because I took a year off?
Another phrase from my first teacher came to mind.
‘You must not let go of your sword even for a day. Hold it while you sleep. Do you understand?’
Of course I’ve never slept with it. What if I accidentally get stabbed while sleeping?
Well, I guess that’s what you say.
I unwrapped the bundle inside and took out one piece of sashimi.
As I hold the hilt of a knife for the first time in a while, the feeling of being uneasy somehow disappears.
I looked at it from different angles. I raised my index and middle fingers and swept the handle once, and I half-opened the scabbard and held the blade to my ear, hitting it with my fingernail to make a metallic sound.
The refreshing sound of the ting- ting completely swept away my drowsiness. Considering the cost-effectiveness, the finish wasn’t bad, and I also quite liked the wooden scabbard.
‘It’s better than I thought?’
I was satisfied with the purchase, considering it was on sale. If it gets caught on something hard like a bone, the blade will go out quickly, but for the price, it was great.
A smile appeared on my face as I felt a sense of satisfaction. While I was at it, I took off the scabbard and took out the sharp blade to cut a leaf.
Then there is a pop-up sound and messages appear.
[The equipment meets the conditions.]
[The protection of the Sword God is manifested.]
“What, all of a sudden without even blinking?”
[The level of the flesh is too low.]
[The level of the weapon is too low.]
[Use the suppression to start syncing for the user.]
Jiiing―
[Synchronization completed.]
Following the last message.
++++++++++++++++++++++
《May God bless you.》
++++++++++++++++++++++
A sweet woman’s voice whispered in my ear.
Immediately afterwards, a burning sensation as if my brain was being burned by a hot lump of iron sent shivers down my spine.
“Kkaaaaaaaaaah!”
A series of actions called perception are endlessly repeated, reflected, and reversed. It feels like information that far exceeds human tolerance is crammed into your head in an instant.
The smell of burning protein lingers in my nostrils, and the heat that tore through my brain spread to my forehead. I was unable to even utter a single scream due to the pain I had never experienced before.
As I began to think that I might really fall over, I opened my eyes with force, my eyelids gradually becoming heavier as if something was running down them.
‘!?’
A bluish vision, as if paint had seeped into the eyeballs. A world with red streaks like chains on a landscape shattered into shards like a broken mirror. Fragments of the shattered space floated in the air.
I dropped the sword I was holding due to the overwhelming sense of powerlessness I had never felt before. Then, as if nothing had happened, the world that had been torn apart was put back together in an instant and restored to its original state.
After a few seconds, my rapid breathing stopped and my blood flow, which had been drying up, returned to normal.
I sat down, clutching my head as if it was going to burst. It still felt like someone had torn my head apart. The joints of my trembling limbs jerked in strange directions.
“… What the fuck.”
A pain that goes beyond the concept of pain, a pain I never want to experience again. The after-pain of the previous ‘Painless Protection’ was only mild muscle pain.
It seemed like the ‘Sword God’s Protection’ had its own special characteristics.
If this happens every time I activate the protection, I don’t think I’ll be able to use it.
This is all I’ve gotten from holding the sword for a short while, but if it had been longer, it wouldn’t have ended with just passing out.
I thought it was a special privilege because it had a grand name, but isn’t it worse than a dud?
In the first place, I couldn’t even guess what kind of ability it was. Is it some kind of protection from the swordsman that the world is just split into small pieces and projected onto the retina?
When I was shaking my body with a pale complexion.
‘Hoo- hoo- ah. ah. Mic test.’
A noisy voice pounded my eardrums.
‘Exactly 10 minutes from now, we will be conducting a class assignment test in the practice field in front of the main building. All cadets are requested to assemble.’
When I came to my senses, twenty minutes had already passed. I swept the items scattered on the floor, showing signs of struggle, into my bag.
Just one thing, I had quite a long agonizing over whether or not to pick up the knife with its packaging torn off.
But what if, what if, it’s just like that at first?
I hesitated and then cautiously reached out my hand.
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee, sh-s …
It wasn’t Gi-woo.
* * *
The circular arena surrounding the common area was reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome. The stands were packed with people waiting to watch the class placement test, the first official event of the world’s greatest hero training institute.
Among them, those who filled the upper part were VIP seats for noble bloodlines.
A plump, middle-aged man speaks timidly to a white-haired man.
“Huh, huh. Your Majesty has taken difficult steps.”
There was no answer in return.
Sword Emperor Siegfried von Nibelung.
He is the descendant of Aaron Nibelung, the disciple of the hero of the time, Balor Joaquin, and the current head of the Nibelung family. He is the favorite of the heavens and is currently called the strongest man among humans.
“… … .”
As the shining golden eyes glanced at the plump man, sweat began to form on the man’s forehead.
“Ha, ha. Then have a nice time.”
The man quickly walked back to his place, his belly rippling.
“…under.”
A sigh lingered in Siegfried’s mouth. He had come to attend his only granddaughter’s entrance ceremony, but the crowd of people steeped in the idea of chosen people made him feel sick. His white eyebrows furrowed as he watched them humiliate the glory of their ancestors.
Someone was approaching him from the other side.
A beauty with long green hair that reached down to her waist and mint-colored eyes, wearing a dark robe like a bathrobe over her bare body. Her deep cleavage was fatal enough to draw attention.
“Oh my, Zeke. Long time no see?”
“Ha, Media, is that you? I told you not to call me that. And what’s with the way you dress, even though you’re the head of the academy? You’ve wasted your seventy years.”
As the swordsman frowned and clicked his tongue, Media smiled seductively and patted his side.
“Isn’t it a woman’s heart to want to stay young and beautiful until she dies? Just say the word, Zeke. With my protection, I can make you ten years younger.”
“The outer shell is not important to me. Since ancient times, the character of a human being is important.”
“Oh my, you old fart. How come you’re the same now as you were half a century ago?”
“Even after half a century, you still seem immature.”
“Oh, okay. What can I talk to an old man who has lost all his black water?”
“… Is that something you should say when you turn 70 in a day or two?”
She snorted in response and sat down next to Siegfried.
“By the way, Zeke, you’ve changed a lot too.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You, you never used to come to places like this. You’ve never been flexible at all. You say things like you don’t want to talk to those kinds of people.”
Media gestured with her chin to a pot-bellied man babbling in the distance.
The inspector simply responds with silence.
“I guess my granddaughter is quite pretty. I think I’ll get married while I’m at it. I’ll start a nice family and have some kids.”
“you?”
“Oh my, look at her. Why me? What’s wrong with my looks? What’s wrong with my body? And I’m the headmaster of the prestigious Joaquin Academy! Where else can you find a woman like me? Huh.”
She lifts her black robe slightly to show off her smooth, white skin.
“… I say this as a comrade who shared life and death with you.”
The inspector said with a sigh.
“Old age is bad for your health.”
“This little shit! Want to lose!?”
As Media blushes and grabs him by the collar, the sword master lets out a dry laugh.
This petty argument continued for several minutes, and then Media, exhausted, collapsed on the floor.
“What is the placement test like this year?”
“What, you came here without even knowing that?”
Media raised her voice in response to the sword master’s question. The sword master’s brow furrowed.
“Did you think I was like those scumbags who took bribes? In an equal education system, it’s natural to not know the content until the day of the test.”
“Ha- You idiot. Well, you’re right. Rumors spread among the families of heroes as is the natural custom, but it’s time for me to correct them.”
Media’s nails tapped the armrest.
“This year, it’s a battle royale format. We split into groups of 10, and the order in which they survive the longest is determined.”
“… … .”
“You… don’t know what a battle royale is?”
There was a brief silence. Media crossed her legs and sneered.
“embrace.”
“Then what is it? Tell me. If you don’t know, you’ll be called a fool for a while.”
The inspector lowered his voice to the floor.
The occasional dry cough is a bonus.
“Battle and Royale. So, it’s a king game that’s popular among college students.”
“…Idiot.”
In the midst of an argument between two giants.
[The test will begin now, so students are requested to prepare their weapons.]
The alarm sounded to signal the start of the test.
