I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

“What is your name?”

Duke Eustia asked the young man with messy black hair standing before him.

“…Zeke, Zeke Clayman.”

“Hmm, at your age, they call you the Ghost of the Arena…?”

“…”

The Duke’s crimson eyes scanned the skinny, diminutive physique of the boy.

He was clad in rags, stained with dried blood that had turned brown and clung stubbornly to the fabric.

Yet, none of it seemed to be his.

Duke Eustia had discovered Zeke during his visit to the underground arena, a colosseum of cruel entertainment enjoyed by certain nobles in the back alleys.

There, in that arena, Zeke Clayman, utilizing his small frame to his advantage, fought tirelessly against grown men and occasionally, even captured monsters.

With only a small sword in his hand, he fought as if each fight could be his last.

But with an almost supernatural talent for the blade, he survived every encounter.

It was in this way that the name “Black-Haired Ghost” began to spread through the arena’s whispers.

Unknown origins, unknown age, unknown identity.

He was a boy with black eyes and black hair, presumed to be nothing more than a stray from the North.

To use him as a dagger against Yohaiden, Duke Eustia had his background investigated, but nothing came of it.

It was as if the boy had simply tumbled out of another world.

But in a way, that was precisely what Duke Eustia found appealing.

It saved him the trouble of silencing anyone connected to the boy.

“Your fights were impressive. Hmm, though I doubt anyone here would recognize you once you’ve washed away that grime. One less troublesome task for me.”

“…”

The black-haired boy, however, glared at the Duke with unconcealed hostility.

“Tsk. Such a ferocious look. I wonder how long you’ll be able to maintain that gaze. Captain Crimson, prepare the magic inscription for him.”

Leaving those words behind, Duke Eustia concluded his brief first encounter with Zeke.

Zeke Clayman was then dragged away by Captain Crimson to a mage, who carved an inscription into his very soul—a precaution to prevent him from defying the Duke’s commands.

The inscription took a month to complete, a testament to its complexity and exorbitant cost.

But Duke Eustia believed it to be a worthwhile investment.

An organization that would stop at nothing, not even death, to fulfill his commands.

The Crimson Blood Squad would be the dagger that would pierce the heart of his greatest obstacle: Yohaiden.

Zeke Clayman resisted relentlessly.

Though bound to obey commands by the inscription etched onto his soul, he endlessly sought ways to sabotage his missions with creative, if not infuriating, methods.

Despite the considerable investment, the Duke began to question if discarding Zeke altogether might be the better option.

It was then that Zeke Clayman became entangled with Iriel, Duke Eustia’s daughter.

“Zeke Clayman, you’ve seen me operate. I am a man who utilizes everything at his disposal, even family, to achieve my goals. If you continue with this rebellious charade, well, I’m sure I could find ways to make Iriel’s life… quite interesting.”

It was the first time Duke Eustia witnessed a flicker of fear in Zeke Clayman’s eyes.

While the thought of anyone, let alone his future pawn, developing feelings for his daughter was hardly pleasing, the Duke saw it as a small price to pay for a leash on a mad dog.

Using Iriel as leverage, he gradually began to break Zeke, and the boy’s true potential began to shine through.

His achievements dwarfed those of his peers.

Had it not been for his rebellious nature and volatile temper, Zeke would have been a shoo-in for the next Captain of the Crimson Blood Squad.

Thus came the mission: infiltrate the military, rise through the ranks, catch the eye of the Imperial Knight Commander, and secure a position closest to the Emperor.

Though he was granted the fabricated identity of a Northern noble, infiltrating the Emperor’s inner circle was no mean feat.

The Imperial Knights were notoriously thorough in their background checks.

Such an important task, yet when the Duke received news of Zeke becoming an academy instructor, his blood ran cold with fury.

However, he couldn’t help but concede when he learned that Zeke had done it all to protect Iriel.

The infiltration of the Imperial Knights had been a contingency plan.

A slight adjustment to the plan wouldn’t hurt.

If anything, this whole ordeal proved that the leash still held. He could use this.

While the news of Zeke becoming an instructor had initially shocked him, it was nothing compared to the spectacle unfolding before his eyes.

Could this be real?

Duke Eustia had gone into hiding with Hela the moment Zeke and the Demon King clashed.

They huddled beneath a large boulder, taking refuge in a small crevice.

The very landscape buckled and warped under the sheer force of their powers.

To say it was a miracle they had survived the ensuing destruction was an understatement.

Firstly, their hiding spot had remained untouched by the brunt of the battle.

Secondly, the protective magic tool Duke Eustia always carried on his person had activated.

However, the artifact had shattered into useless trinkets, its magic spent in its entirety against the onslaught.

Though it had been worth hundreds of gold coins, it had bought them their lives, making it a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

Like rats in the walls, they huddled together, their eyes glued to the unbelievable scene unfolding before them.

When Zeke swung his sword, mountains crumbled.

When the Demon King’s eyes flashed, ancient trees were wiped from existence.

It was a battle worthy of legends.

All they could do was watch in stunned silence.

“Y-your Grace… What in the world…”

Hela stammered, her voice trembling with disbelief.

But Duke Eustia had no answer for her.

He, too, could only gape at the spectacle.

‘Zeke Clayman… possesses such power…?’

“…Duke Eustia. Explain yourself. Does the entire Crimson Blood Squad possess such might? What have you been hiding from me?”

Hela pressed.

“Preposterous. If every member of the Crimson Blood Squad were like him, we wouldn’t need to waste time conquering the Empire. How in the world…”

Even if he summoned the Crimson Blood Squad now, they would be fortunate to survive the residual energy of this battle.

They were assassins, skilled in the art of silent death, not warriors bred to face such monstrous beings.

That was precisely why he had stopped himself from sending the signal to call them, despite the numerous times he’d considered it.

“He intrigues me… He truly does…”

Duke Eustia muttered, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple as he witnessed the battle raging before him.

Despite the fear and apprehension gripping his heart, the corner of his lips curled into a predatory smile.

* * *

“Zeke Clayman… What have you done…?”

Duke Eustia stepped forward, his voice taut with barely suppressed tension.

“I overlooked your desertion of your post, your decision to become a mere academy instructor… But to interfere here? You’ve crossed a line. I gave you no orders to come here, Zeke Clayman.”

His luxurious attire was caked in dirt and dust, reduced to tattered rags by the residual energy of the battle. Yet, his voice held an undeniable weight.

“However, fulfill my next command, and I will overlook this transgression. I may even find further use for you in the future.”

He fixed his gaze upon Zeke, his eyes alight with a burning ambition.

“Hold a moment… Duke Eustia. What are you implying?”

The voice that cut in belonged to Duke Yohaiden.

He knew of Zeke Clayman’s fondness for Iriel Eustia.

They were student and teacher, and he had even saved her life at the Eustia family banquet.

It was understandable, even.

But the Duke’s words suggested that Zeke Clayman was his subordinate.

Duke Yohaiden, who had received countless favors from Zeke, couldn’t accept such a notion.

“Ah, Duke Yohaiden. It’s been a while.”

Duke Eustia spoke as if noticing him for the first time, despite being aware of his presence all along.

The two heads of their respective families locked eyes, their gazes heavy with animosity born from years of rivalry.

The air crackled with tension as the two titans faced off.

“Explain yourself. What did you mean just now about Zeke Clayman? I demand you repeat yourself!”

“…Hah, Duke Yohaiden. You really haven’t changed, have you? Use that thick skull of yours and think. What could I have possibly meant?”

“…”

“Still haven’t figured it out, I see. Fine, let me enlighten you. Zeke Clayman has been my pawn from the very beginning. He bears a mark that compels him to obey my every command. He belongs to the Crimson Blood Squad. I raised him to be the dagger that would pierce your heart.”

For Duke Yohaiden, the revelation was incomprehensible. It took him a moment to fully grasp the implications of Duke Eustia’s words.

“Hmm, Zeke Clayman, it seems you’ve embedded yourself quite deeply within Yohaiden’s ranks. Well done. And to think, you did it all to protect my Iriel?”

“W-what are you…?”

“Ah, enough of this tedious talk. This little escapade has cost me dearly. To think I would be subjected to such… unpleasantness. Don’t you agree, Duke Yohaiden?”

“…”

“This debacle has cost me ten thousand soldiers of Eustia, not to mention their loyalty… My, are those swords scattered below the ones they abandoned…? Such a waste of good steel.”

Duke Eustia picked up a discarded sword from the ground, examining it with a critical eye.

“Hmph, I’ll deal with those deserters later, but to think I’d be the only one suffering losses… wouldn’t you say that’s unfair?”

His gaze shifted to Zeke.

“So, while it’s much earlier than I anticipated… I suppose taking Duke Yohaiden’s head would be a fair trade. Don’t you agree, Zeke Clayman?”

He raised his hand, the ring on his middle finger flashing a menacing red.

Duke Yohaiden, his son Sedan, and the handful of loyal Yohaiden knights who had risked their lives to accompany them, all turned their eyes to Zeke.

“Zeke Clayman, kill Duke Yohaiden.”