Academy’s Genius Swordmaster - Chapter 62

[ 62. Interim evaluation (4) ]

#62

Ronan seemed unwilling to back down. Adeshan looked into his eyes for a moment before lowering her head. Her mouth fell open.

“…there was a war.”

“War?”

“huh. Strictly speaking, it is not a war. Have you ever heard of canine night?”

Ronan nodded. I had heard of it a few times when I was serving as a punishment soldier. It was an incident in which the Northern Prisoner Union led a large army and invaded the Marquis of Barsa.

It was also famous for being spearheaded by Zaifa, who has now risen to the position of Swordsman. Ronan nodded.

“To some extent.”

“okay. the story will be fast My hometown is the Marquis of Barsa in the North. I lived there until Fang Night happened.”

The two walked slowly through the woods and talked. With every step he took, the accumulated leaves crunched and crumbled.

“My father was a tailor. He settled in the North following his mother, a sergeant in the Imperial Army. I had two older brothers with a big age difference.”

“I guess I also learned to sew from my father.”

“huh. My father was a good tailor. They dealt not only with cloth but also with leather, so the business was quite good in the North. He asked me to do a lot of small tasks, so I was completely familiar with sewing. haha.”

“What was your mother like?”

“Um… He was a very strong, pretty and kind person. Should I say the ideal soldier? He often rode a wooden horse, and he was tall, so his eyes were happy.”

Adeshan spoke of childhood memories in a voice full of joy. Her meticulous and friendly personality seemed to have been acquired from her father, and her tall height and beautiful appearance from her mother.

Adeshan had two older brothers, almost ten years apart. Both of them were interested in martial arts and said that they took good care of her.

“I was really happy. During the day, he helped his father sew, and at night the whole family, including his mother, ate together. My brothers always cut their portions of meat and put it on my plate. They said that since it’s time to grow up, you need to eat a lot. I thought those days would last forever…”

Adeshan dragged on. The shadow cast over his face was thick.

“Until Fang Night happens.”

Finally, the story that made her dream of becoming a general began.

“I still remember. I was having dinner on the weekend when I suddenly heard the sound of a horn from the wall. Mother, who had been silent that day, took her sword and left the house as if she had waited. With a kiss on the cheek of each family member.”

“Your family knew.”

“huh. everything except me Next, the older brothers followed their mother out of the house. Without fail, I put my share of food on my plate. That was the last time I saw my mother and brothers.”

It was said that there were signs that things would happen in the north in relation to the Beasts from a long time ago. It has improved a lot now, but many of the northern beasts, who value wildness and tradition, extremely loathed being involved with other races.

However, the empire did not stop expanding northward. Friendly tribes sent envoys to appease them, and the opposing tribes were killed or driven out by troops.

When even the Holy Land, Jube, was taken over by the Empire, the anger of the prisoners of the opposition reached its climax. In the end, the beastmen who gathered under the flag of Zaifa caused a night of fangs.

Ronan clicked his tongue. Ronan, who had been fighting Werewolves in the North at the time he met Count Armalen, or Marja, was well aware of their danger.

‘There are few guys as annoying as the furry ones.’

The basic physical abilities of beastmen are far superior to humans. Not to mention Wear Lions and Wear Tigers, who were treated as biological weapons, even a Were Wolf or a Wear Fox could deal with five or six human soldiers who couldn’t handle mana.

The Night of the Fang was an incident in which 10,000 such beastmen invaded the Marquis. The walls of Barça allowed wild beasts to invade in less than three days. Adeshan said.

“My father picked me up in a panic and put me on a cart. We climbed the evacuation route as it was. When I was about to settle down in a refugee camp near the islands, an obituary came. The blood-soaked dog tags belonged to my mother and… my two brothers.”

Most of those who died at that time were soldiers. Most of them were soldiers of Marquis Baekryung.

They had to become a wall instead of a wall that had become obsolete. It was their mission to buy as much time as possible for the main force to come from the rear by building a defensive line.

Unfortunately, the unit to which Adeshan’s mother and brothers belonged also took on that role.

“My mother and brothers died like soldiers on a chessboard. The horse was the line of defense, but it was just a meat shield. Everyone says it was inevitable, but I don’t agree with that.”

The one who delivered the obituary was a defeated soldier who belonged to her mother’s unit. The soldier whose right arm and left leg had been cut off told the truth and horrors of the day.

“I could live. Not just my mother and older brothers, many more soldiers didn’t have to risk their lives. In the obituary, there was a noble sacrifice and all, but in fact, they were all people who did not have to die.”

The defeated soldiers explained that they had been driven to death without a plan. Soldiers and noncommissioned officers said that there were many strategies that were much better.

However, the command did not change the order until the end. In any case, they achieved their goal, and after the incident, they wore medals on their chests. Still ringing in Adeshan’s ears were the words that the defeated soldier had muttered as he left.

– Why did we have to die…

Adeshan continued in the main voice.

“Every year, I visit the memorial stone in my hometown to find out the names of my mother and older brothers. The writing is small and engraved high up, so it is hard to see.”

“Adeshan.”

“I will become a general. There is no need for memorial stones in this land anymore. At least the memorial stones covered with the names of those who should have lived…”

Eventually, a tear fell down her cheek. Ronan naturally looked away as if admiring the forest.

It was a very embarrassing scene to see the boss crying in the past and now. Before long, Adeshan, who wiped his eyes, smiled briskly.

“…sorry. It wasn’t fun either.”

“It was not a pleasant story.”

“Ahaha. Yes, it is more comfortable to show that kind of reaction.”

Ronan sighed. Even though she was different from her previous life, she was so different.

Who is General Adeshan? Wasn’t he a great man who took it for granted to sacrifice a cow for his generation and changed the imperial army into legion units for the sake of one Ronan?

‘What the hell happened.’

I couldn’t believe it was the same person. At this time, Adeshan still harbored jewel-like hope and goodwill. In a way, it was just table talk, but Ronan thought it wasn’t too bad. Ronan, who had been touching his chin, opened his mouth.

“What about your father?”

“He went back to his hometown and is working as a tailor. On the spot where the original house was.”

“okay. Aren’t the beasts scary? Right now, there are a lot of them in Phileon alone.”

“I can’t say I’m not scared at all, but it’s okay. The ones who killed my mother and brother were in fact incompetent commanders. And when you enlist, you have to interact with the prisoners.”

“It’s nice to be positive.”

The two walked for a while in silence. Soon the trees began to thin out and a gentle but high hill appeared. Adeshan spread his arms to face the wind blowing straight ahead.

“Oh cool.”

“Iknow, right.”

“Don’t you think you can see the island at a glance if you go up there?”

“hmm?”

Adeshan said, pointing at the hill with his index finger. Looking at the shape that stretched all the way up, it seemed to be the highest place on the island at a glance. Ronan suddenly looked at the top of the hill and frowned.

“What is that…?”

“huh? I know. What is built?”

I couldn’t see it well because it was far away, but there was something like a structure built. Ronan nodded.

“You’ll know when you go.”

The two climbed the hill slowly. The sky was getting closer with each step.

Ronan didn’t speak the whole way up the hill. The image of Adeshan and the conversation he had with her were floating around in his mind. A girl who is not discouraged in the face of adversity. A future general who hates worthless death.

‘I don’t know.’

The long agony that had been going on since I finally returned back in time was over. Ronan’s mouth fell open.

“Adeshan.”

“huh?”

“It’s not that you don’t have a talent for mana.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Senior mana is special. I think it was called shadow mana, but it said it needed a separate awakening. It is said to have the most secret, secret, and elusive power among all mana.”

“…what?”

Adeshan stopped in place. Ronan, who was going ahead, also stopped. A confused voice came out of Adeshan’s mouth.

“Who did you hear that from? The mana of the shadow…?”

“I heard from someone who knows. I don’t even know what shadow mana is. I remember that the ability to manifest there was incredibly strong.”

I couldn’t bear to say that I heard it from my future self. A strong wind tossed both of their hair. Ronan looked at the girl wearing his overcoat and opened his mouth.

“And I will help you.”

“uh…?”

“Let’s try something. General.”

Ronan admitted his weakness. He couldn’t tell Adeshan to go home and cut the cloth. I probably wouldn’t have been able to say it in the future. If so, it would have been the right decision to help her now achieve her dream.

“You…”

Adeshan stood still, facing Ronan’s face. Numerous emotions were swirling in her gray eyes. Then I heard someone’s voice from behind.

“I finally met you. Ronan.”

“Fuck.”

It was a familiar low-pitched tone. Ronan frowned. When I turned my head, the familiar top surface appeared. Schlieffen stood with his back against an unknown building.

“I was looking for it for a long time. To the point of cutting down all the other competitors.”

“Sch Schlieffen…!”

Adeshan’s face went pale. Ronan sighed, rubbing his forehead. Just looking at his face seemed to make him tired.

“You really are a crazy bastard…how many did you catch?”

“It is 51 people. A few of them weren’t bad, but you’re the only one worthy of being matched.”

“Don’t move, wait there. Let’s take a look at the summit too.”

Ronan climbed the hill with the hesitant Adeshan. Indeed, as Adeshan said, this was the top of the island. I could see the dark blue sea surrounding the narrow, dense forest and the slope of the small plain. said Ronan, stretching himself.

“The scenery is nice. Right.”

“Uh huh…it’s good…that…are you okay?”

But Adeshan had no time to pay attention to the scenery. She was watching Schlieffen as if she had encountered a beast.

The worst opponents one could encounter on this island surrounded her. Schlieffen, who had his arms crossed, glanced at Adeshan and said.

“Nabirose-sama’s assistant. I am always indebted.”

“Oh yes…hi.”

“Seeing that you’ve survived so far, you must have some skills in your own way. But the coat over your shoulder doesn’t look like yours.”

“That’s…”

Adeshan blushed. Schlieffen did not inquire further. Ronan, who was looking around, opened his mouth.

“But are you sure these three are the last?”

“Yes.”

“good. Senior, come and take a look at this. What the hell is this building doing?”

Ronan called Adeshan with his hand on an unidentified building. The building in the shape of a thick cylinder could not guess the purpose.

“Yes? So… wait a minute.”

There was interest in Adeshan’s eyes. Leaving Schlieffen behind, she began examining the building. The roof was covered with a dome to be a beacon tower, and the height was low to be a lighthouse. The smooth outer wall was made of an unknown metal.

“It’s amazing… It’s really a style I’ve never seen before?”

It was the moment when Adeshan forgot the existence of the two, even for a moment. Ronan’s whisper came from beside her.

“I’m sorry, Adeshan. Still, third place isn’t bad, right?”

“to?”

squeak. Ronan swung La Mancha. Adeshan’s shape distorted and disappeared. Schlieffen said.

“The two of you didn’t come together.”

“Because it’s a rough place for a senior to join in.”

“It is a fair decision.”

Sureureung! Schlieffen drew his sword. Come to think of it, it was a different sword from before. Unusual anticipation was rising from the sword body engraved with unknown characters.

“The knife is nice. Did Doron make it?”

“Yes. Although not as good as a fail load.”

“That’s enough.”

They retreated at intervals of 10 steps, just like when sparring in an arena. Ronan pulled the hilt, revealing a blade as thin as a dragonfly’s wings. After turning La Mancha around, Ronan opened his mouth.

“Then do it.”

There was silence for a moment. In an instant, the two figures disappeared from sight. Ronan and Schlieffen, rushing toward each other, collided exactly at the midway point. Kaaaa!! A sharp metallic sound rang through the wind.

“Show all of yourself this time.”

Schlieffen said. The two blades were still in contact with each other. Ronan didn’t answer. Schlieffen’s mouth fell open again.

“I will too.”

At that moment, mana in the form of wind came up, wrapping around Schlieffen’s sword. Ronan, who noticed the storm sword, spat out a curse. Kang!! Schlieffen, who opened the distance with a strong slash, fired his sword at Ronan.

“Crazy…!”

Ronan swung his sword obliquely. The two sword blades fell at his feet. Quaaaa! A whirlwind of blades with a radius of up to 5m surged from both sides of Ronan.