Became a Tutorial Scarecrow

Chapter: 27

People crave exciting stories, whether in fiction or reality. The only difference lies in the details.

When it comes to viewing art, people tend to have varying tastes. However, when limited to reality, most prefer a clear distinction between good and evil.

A place where the good can be thoroughly protected, and the bad can be mercilessly cut down.

“Everyone run away… I’m being controlled…!”

I halted my fist aimed at the terrified academy student right in front of his face.

Then, trembling as if resisting something, he spoke in a painful voice.

I am a good scarecrow who poses no danger. The bad one is the wicked lady lord who wears a cursed necklace.

“Are you okay…?”

It seems I picked the right, innocent student, as worries glistened in his eyes.

That emblem… is it from the young marquise? Right, this should suffice.

“Ugh, ugh!! Hurry up, go…! Come back to your senses…”

“Oh, the professor will be here soon. Just hang in there for a bit…!”

My hands and feet were trembling, but I managed to hold on; it felt like the act was working.

That’s it. Once the ruckus dies down, that girl will come to my defense, claiming I’m just a victim.

The vivid testimony of the scarecrow trying to resist, together with the evidence of the necklace of subjugation.

With this, we can clearly divide good and evil. All the arrows will point at the lord.

“Is this where the scarecrow is causing trouble?”

Just in time, the professor appeared!

I was pondering if I should frighten the remaining students who couldn’t escape during the break.

Only one professor showed up at the training grounds: a black-haired man, seemingly majoring in swordsmanship.

‘It’s not like I went on a rampage to the point of overthrowing the academy; I guess I just happened to be here at the right time when the professor had a free class.’

Let’s delay other professors’ classes and make sure no one else comes in. We’ll just buy some time and play around a bit.

In response to the opponent drawing his sword at his waist, I gripped my soul weapon, the scythe, and the torch I’d snuck down to the basement of the Imperial Palace library.

Paaaaah-!!

The sudden surge of immense stats erupted as energy and radiated outward.

My opponent, a professor at a prestigious academy teaching the children of nobles who would later become pillars of the empire. In contrast, I’m merely a training tool deprived of even my basic rights at the academy.

What a perfectly fitting buff—almost like it was made for my current situation.

“What? You want me to subdue that thing without killing it, just to remove its necklace? It’s a student’s request, but seriously…”

Wow. He even went that far with his request. I’m touched.

I never planned to cause him harm, but I guess I should at least try to keep that professor from getting hurt.

Hwaruk-! Boo-boo-boo- Kwaang-!!

Since it would look weird if we stood still, I made the first move with an impromptu torch dance.

‘Seems like I can handle this without much hassle. On the other hand, I don’t have to worry about being pushed around either.’

The professor lowered his sword, briefly dropping his guard. He then lunged in, spinning his sword violently and striking down from above.

Kaang-!

Judging from this, my evaluation of him would be around mid to lower-class A adventurer.

It feels like he’s simply filling the role of a combat gauge meant to highlight the main and supporting students in an academy story.

Chuck, flash-

I slipped the curved blade onto the sword and flung it behind me, flipping the professor off.

Even if he’s an academy professor, there’s no way he’s ever faced a scarecrow wielding a scythe.

His astonished expression was comical as it fell face-first to the ground.

Boom-!

“Ugh…!”

The professor collided with the ground but gracefully twisted in midair to regain his stance.

There wasn’t a drop of blood mixed with the spit he roughly coughed up. Let’s keep this momentum going.

While the students didn’t dare intervene, it seemed necessary to sacrifice the professor to escalate the gravity of the situation.

Here was my chance to learn a thing or two from a former S-class adventurer while getting to punish some villains. It’s a win-win, right?

“Phew…”

After taking a deep breath, the professor drew another sword from his other side.

He hadn’t exerted himself to accommodate the student’s plea, but now he seemed to realize the weight of the situation.

‘Come to think of it, do bonus effects from weapon combinations affect even non-users?’

That piqued my curiosity, and I rushed in again.

Clang- Clang- Karang- Kaang-!!

Definitely more aggressive than when he only wielded one sword.

As if proving that offense is the best defense, he kept attacking nonstop with both hands, eliminating any need for defense.

One reason was that the torch, which I couldn’t even use as a weapon, occupied one of his hands.

‘I should drag this out a bit more.’

This level of combat was just right for me; I had to wait for Maria to come pick me up.

As the brawl dragged on, everyone would naturally begin revealing their hidden skills, escalating the intensity. If that happened, the risk of injury would spike dramatically!

If that kid decided to risk it for a decisive blow and ended up hurting himself, it would cause significant issues in maintaining the subjugation act.

‘I’m not planning to kill him, but it would be impossible for the controlled guy to just go easy all of a sudden.’

For now, it’s best to maintain this pace for a little longer.

Moreover, in the professor’s memory, it would simply be a sparring session rather than a battle for survival with a strange man. I think that impression should be preserved.

‘But this kid?’

Just as I started to feel comfortable, I picked up on a sudden urge to take a risk and land a decisive blow.

This situation almost made it seem like “I felt threatened and decided to dodge right from the start,” prompting me to retreat and smooth things over.

If you merely hold on, support will arrive inevitably, so why rush? It appears everything is going according to plan, yet there are still pesky details causing trouble.

Looking closer, it seems he concluded, without realizing it, that he had to defend alone while considering all possible scenarios.

‘This won’t do.’

I’ll have to flip the script.

Before that impatient fool rushed in again, I sharpened my senses and observed the atmosphere around me.

‘Most people are barely reacting. Classes are proceeding as normal.’

After confirming there were no unusual circumstances, I bent down and thrust the scythe into the ground.

“···!!”

Kuguaaaaa-!

The flat ground heaved up dramatically, crumbling as it did. The professor was caught in the swirl and tossed around chaotically.

Flipped, crashed, bounces—he dared not meet the wall that resembled a calamity.

Snap-

I grabbed the face of a man flailing like a butterfly caught in a tempest.

Thanks to that, his chaotic ascent halted, and oddly enough, he seemed more stable, which clearly illustrated his predicament.

Kwaang-

Can’t protect him forever like a parent, so I had to be strict.

Don’t hold too much resentment. I was trying to take it easy, but you brought this on yourself.

It’s safer to get hit in a one-sided manner than to unexpectedly sustain a critical injury.

I yanked him up and tossed him away like pulling carrots from the ground.

Despite flapping around like a rag, I had carefully controlled my strength, so his condition was still intact.

“Hoo… Hoo…”

‘…I’m coming.’

The professor was panting heavily, but he still gripped his sword tightly until the very end.

I sensed it was time to conclude this fight.

Tap- Tap-

We charged toward each other as promised.

Circumstances may differ, but he too instinctively knew we were nearing the climax of the battle.

Ka- Kang-

Two swords struck by the scythe fell side by side.

The swordsman, stripped of his weapon, humbly accepted his defeat and awaited his end.

Fighting-

The scarecrow, having seized the opportunity, was propelled away by a sudden strike from the white knight, wearing a sly grin.

Kwaang-

“···?”

Through the gradually settling dust and sand, a girl who had swiftly subdued the scarecrow advanced toward us.

The professor, unable to grasp the sudden change in circumstances, stood frozen, staring in a daze at the girl.

‘She really arrived faster than I expected. The entry procedures for outsiders must’ve been quite the hassle…’

It was evident she rushed to help, leaving me feeling impressed and grateful.

At long last, the girl stood right in front of me. Maria seized the necklace of bondage and forcefully broke the contract.

Clap-

“Thank you for saving me, Maria.”

With the restraints lifted, the scarecrow, now devoid of any will to live, warmly embraced the girl.

“One problem solved, Maria.”

Maria turned around, still in my embrace, and flashed a ‘V’ sign at the professor, still in shock.

Thus, Maria emerged as the heroine who thwarted the evil lord’s invasion of the academy. The main character of a moving tale, defending her precious family against adversity.

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