chapter 17
* * *
Joshua Frenhal was a student at Privia Academy until four years ago.
It wasn’t surprising that the disciple who had returned successfully came to the teacher, but the problem was that it was at this point.
‘Is it spying? No, it can’t be.’
It was unlikely that a professional would come to spy on an amateur to help him practice.
‘Did I just come to see my brother?’
It was most likely, but the evidence was weak. There was no need to aim for class times with a lot of people.
You can wait until class is over before calling.
Heading to the undergraduate room with Annis Praline, Philip noticed that there was a commotion inside and looked around for a moment.
“That Joshua Praline is returning to the academy. This is a big deal. I don’t think I have very good memories here.”
It was the voice of Head Professor Emile Panoy. It’s very rare for him to come to the undergraduate room, so Philip tilted his head.
“… I have a job that needs to be done. Head Professor. If I don’t get over it, I’ll become nothing.”
It was the first man’s voice. The owner of this voice must have been Joshua Praline.
“It was seven years ago. Joshua. Was it such a terrible experience?”
“Professor, you can’t imagine. The helplessness and despair I felt then, although it changed me into a better person, left indelible scars. I am here to acknowledge and overcome my fears.”
Having heard this far, Philip turned his attention to Anis.
Perhaps because she was the daughter of a merchant, she was paying attention to Philip. Philip smiled and knocked on the door as he looked like he wanted to ask why he wasn’t going in now.
“May I come in?”
The head professor agreed immediately.
“It’s your workplace, so what are you asking? come in.”
Upon entering the undergraduate room, there was a head professor and a young man in a white knight’s uniform in the spacious undergraduate room.
Since it was in the middle of class, all the other faculty members seemed to be busy.
“brother?”
Anise Praline called to him in a wet voice, but strangely the young man’s gaze was fixed on Philip.
‘Why are you looking at me?’
“brother!”
It wasn’t until Anis called again that the young man, Joshua Praline, looked at his brother.
“Annis. my beloved brother I heard that you are still in class, but you seem to be in a group again.”
As he opened his arms, Anis Praline rushed over and jumped into his arms. Joshua Praline stroked the hair of his younger brother whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
“I couldn’t bear to hear the news that my brother was here… .”
“You should have been patient.”
Saying that, Joshua put his brother down. Anis lowered her head with a sullen expression.
“Go back and prepare for class. After class, submit your pass and come out the front door.”
“… okay.”
As Annis Praslin passed away helplessly, Philip met Joshua’s gaze. He clenched his teeth to the point where he could hear a sudden, snapping sound.
“… Right? Philip Oswald.”
“yes. That’s right.”
Philip nodded. Then Joshua Praline took a few steps forward.
“Of course you remember me, right?”
Philip thought for a moment before answering.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t remember.”
Here he felt it. It seemed that there was some kind of bad past between him and Joshua.
Soon, Emile Panoy’s boisterous laughter reverberated through the faculty room.
“hahahaha! Ha ha ha! yes! I don’t remember who hit me in the first place. Only the beaten ones suffer for days and days.”
‘This can’t be… .’
After listening to the head professor, Philip came up with a hypothesis.
‘… Is he the one who was hit by Philip?’
It might have been someone who had fought with Philip during his time as a rogue on active duty, or who had been beaten by Philip.
He turned his quivering eyes to Joshua Praslin.
Raging breathing and bloodshot eyes.
If he had a sword at his waist, he looked as if he would pull it out right away.
“me… you don’t remember? nonsense. You should have been kicked out of the academy for what you did to me. There’s nothing different about doing vulgar tricks.”
At that moment, lightning struck Philip’s head.
‘The senior two years above that Philip said was beaten to death was that person.’
Philip sighed inwardly as he felt the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Facing karma that he hadn’t accumulated would be more troublesome than he thought.
‘It’s not something I did, but I’m sorry for nothing.’
“wait a minute. I remembered now. Joshua Praline. At that time, I was really sorry about that. It was something I shouldn’t have done.”
Philip, who hit Joshua, had already disappeared, so Philip had no choice but to deal with it.
“Sorry? okay. I should be sorry.”
The young Silver Knight exhaled deeply, as if he had managed to control his emotions.
Philip felt a little uneasy. It was because I had seen it many times.
“… I want to say sorry too. I thought I had overcome it, but the moment I saw your face, I became angry. Actually, I should thank you. Because thanks to you, the person I am has completely changed.”
Joshua Praline let out a self-deprecating laugh as he said that.
“If you hadn’t made me that way, I would have lived my whole life in arrogance. But for the rest of my life, I will never forgive you for cutting the laces of my pants. Because of that, I had to be made fun of for a while.”
Philip smiled awkwardly.
‘I’ve been through that kind of thing, how can I do that?’
Joshua Praline was undeniably a great person.
“I am really sorry.”
At Philip’s apology, Joshua bit his lip.
“I wanted to meet you again ahead of the exchange couple. Philip Oswald. Before I beat you in Dalian, at least once. You have changed quite a bit too.”
“It’s because time has passed.”
“… yes. Seven years is a long time.”
After saying that, Joshua Praline bowed his head to Head Professor Emil.
“I’ll just go. professor.”
The head professor waved his hand and answered roughly.
“I guess.”
As soon as Joshua left the undergraduate room, the head professor looked at Philip and smiled.
“Hey, he couldn’t look you in the eyes.”
“yes?”
“Why do you think that guy is here? to be anxious I came to see you in advance because I was afraid that if I faced you with a sword, I would get scared and not be able to show my skills.”
Philip tilted his head.
“Did you even say that?”
“No way. It’s obvious what cowards think. Of course you wouldn’t understand. Anyway, that poor guy is just a dog with a tail down after all. I’ll take the 1st win easily.”
The head professor walked out of the faculty room with brisk steps, perhaps in a better mood.
‘… I’ll have to prepare harder than I thought.’
Philip made a quiet decision.
* * *
The exchange match between Silver Knight and the Freevia Academy was quite a big event, but unfortunately it was not an event that would be open to the outside world.
The academy didn’t care, but the Silver Knight side seemed to be wary of spreading the level of military power of their knights.
Therefore, on the academy side, only a few trustworthy professors, including the dean, and only the leader and captain level from the Silver Knight decided to observe the Dalian.
At the swordsmanship principal, where access was restricted due to instructors and rank knights, Philip faced Silver Knight.
“Long time no see. head professor. I think the last time I saw you was five years ago.”
The leader of the Silver Knights and one of the Aura Masters, the leader of Faion Bluset, greeted Head Professor Emil.
“Trying to beat the educators by bringing in active players, the rim has improved a lot while I haven’t seen it.”
The head professor replied bluntly as if he was dissatisfied with the situation itself.
Although he accepted it out of pride, he was also aware that the faculty members were at a disadvantage.
“How am I going to deal with young people these days? I didn’t know what he was talking about, so I said yes, yes, so I ended up here. Now that this has happened, ask the young people to see each other.”
Fayian Blasset was a middle-aged man with a light-looking appearance.
However, like Professor Emile Panoy, he must also be a sword master who knows how to handle sword steel, so there was no way the knights he taught were weak.
“Who are you going to send out? Why don’t you lead your old body and compete with me?”
The head professor asked in a calm voice, but Fairon Blusset chuckled and waved his hand.
“I’ve been sharpening my sword on the battlefield for twenty years. But I don’t have the confidence to beat you, who has spent ten years comfortably. Fighting a losing battle is for a young man, not for an old man like me.”
“Then I will die of old age. Shouldn’t you beat me once before dying of old age?”
The head professor provoked again, but he did not go over.
“Wouldn’t your bones get sore if you wait another twenty years or so? That’s when I’ll have to take on the challenge.”
Philip looked at Felicia, who was sitting next to him, feeling his heart grow louder at the childish fights of the sixty-year-olds.
“… I can’t live because I’m ashamed. really.”
She, too, seemed to have thoughts similar to Philip’s.
“Professor Cumbell, will you go first? Originally, the elders are the first to step forward in such matters.”
When the head professor called, Professor Fraser Combell, who was waiting, answered immediately.
“I will. Head Professor.”
After thinking about it for a while, Faeon Blusset called out a knight.
“Brian.”
“yes.”
“Sir Cumbell has been away from the scene for a long time, so be careful not to get hurt.”
“I will take note. Captain.”
The knight stepped forward. Judging from the blue epaulets attached to the knight’s uniform, he was the leader of the ordinary knights.
“… .”
Professor Cumbell didn’t open his mouth to say anything, but he seemed quite upset, judging by the blood vessels around his temples.
It would be rare for a prosecutor to like being treated as a waste.
The head professor instructed Professor Kumbell.
“Don’t kill me.”
Swallowing down his anger, Professor Cumbell answered.
“… All right.”
Since it was a real sword sparring, the two swordsmen began to wear equipment.
Silver Knight’s knight, Brian, wore a silver breastplate, pauldron, boots, and gauntlets, and Professor Cumbell wore gold equipment as if he had brought equipment from his active duty.
After the inspection, they faced each other in the center of the gym with their swords.
“It’s only sparring, so if you think you’ve lost, admit it cleanly.”
The two swordsmen nodded at the words of Faeon Bluset.
“Then let’s begin.”
As soon as he announced the start, Professor Cumbell attacked first.
It was a stab to the left chest, and Brian twisted to avoid it, but the strap holding his pauldron slightly caught in the stab.
It was like one of the armor was blown off in just a few seconds.
It seemed like a coincidence, but Philip knew. It was aimed at expecting that the opponent would avoid it.
“Sigh.”
The knight, Brian, twitched his eyebrows as if he was quite surprised. And Professor Cumbell didn’t stop attacking.
The professor’s sword, covered with sword blade, pierced the space between him and Brian several times.
Brian also struck back with swords, and a heavy roar erupted whenever swords collided.
‘… That’s great.’
Philip admired Professor Cumbell. His count was one more than Brian’s.
Originally, it would have been a match that would have ended with only a few points, but the knight, Brian, surprisingly responded to almost every attack.
‘It’s not that I know how to block it, it’s because I feel it.’
Whether innate or learned, Brian’s sense of crisis was beyond imagination. In addition, his reflexes and other physical abilities were superior to Professor Calbell’s.
And then dozens of agreements went on.
“Huh!”
Anticipating that he would lose due to lack of stamina at this rate, Professor Cumbell raised his aura. I hate to admit it, but with just two weeks of special training, I couldn’t get my stamina back.
He was thinking of throwing a winning number.
In a very short moment, Professor Cumbell’s swordplay swayed several times.
Brian knew the next attack would be a stab.
But I couldn’t figure out where I was aiming. Originally, I was ready to respond wherever I was aiming, but this attack didn’t seem to be the case.
The professor’s swordplay whispered that he was aiming for the arm, and the shoulder said he was aiming for the chest. And the professor’s toes and pelvis assured that the last attack would definitely be directed at the lower body.
In the midst of everything he learned and learned, each conveying different information, the young knight decided to close his eyes.
He chose to believe in the feeling of cutting the demons in the dark.
And the match was decided in the next breath.
“… I lost.”
With a miserable expression on his face, Professor Cumbell raised his hand.
The victory belonged to the knight Brian.
His sword made contact with Professor Compell’s stomach, and Professor Compell’s sword only cut Brian’s thigh lightly.
“Tsk, come in.”
The head professor clicked his tongue and summoned Professor Cumbell.
“I’ve done enough, so I can’t curse at you. That’s because you’re out of luck. That knight, I couldn’t read your attack after all. It was lucky.”
“I agree. professor. But how can we talk about winning without luck?”
“Shut up that muzzle, Faeon. If you don’t want me to step in and turn your knight into a half asshole next time.”
Silver Knight’s captain knew very well that Emil Panoy was a person who could do that, so he immediately shut up.
“Next you go out. Instructor Oswald.”
While watching Dalian, Philip sighed at the voice calling him. I wanted to refrain from fighting in this atmosphere.
‘I wanted to fight after winning.’
“All right. professor.”
But it was unavoidable. Philip slowly warmed up and prepared for the sparring.
I’ve prepared enough for the past two weeks. Whether that would work or not would have to be known by directly facing the sword.