The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 24

Go, go, go!

Amon’s favorite word.

‘Are you trying to cut off the rope that I have raised with so much care for that?’

The first step is always the most important.

Students are insulted in front of you, but as a teacher, you just let it go quietly?

They might harbor a grudge because of this and later cut the rice cake they were going to give to their teacher by half!

‘I’m sick of eating potatoes three times a day! Let’s raise our children well and make a living!’

With a transparently selfish motive, he swung the branch fiercely at Reinbelt!

It was almost a surprise attack, but who was the target?

It was none other than the Grand Sword Master, one of the four great knights of the empire, the one hailed as the Azure Sky Sword King!

‘He even provoked me by telling me to come, so I’m sure he can block this easily!’

With that thought in his mind, he swung the branch with all his might!

Seeing that, Reinbelt smiled and swung the branch back at him.

Kwajik-!

The branch that Reinbelt swung was instantly broken, and Amon’s branch struck Reinbelt squarely in the head.

“KUCK……!?”

The branch that hit him in the head was also smashed and shattered into pieces, and Reinbelt let out a groan and collapsed to the ground!

Amon’s mouth dropped open as he stretched out on the ground.

‘……No, no, no.’

What is this?

He looked back and forth between the broken branches and the fallen Reinbelt, then his eyes widened in realization.

‘Oh, right.’

It was a fake.

‘You cowardly impersonator!’

Otherwise, the so-called Azure Sky Sword King would not have fallen from a branch like this!

Boris shouted.

“Lord, he’s dead!”

“Sir, what can we do?”

Amon calmed the panicked, chirping students.

“Guys, it’s okay, he’s not dead!”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah, and he’s a fake!”

Chloe pointed to the fake Azure Sky Sword King, who was twitching and writhing as if in postmortem convulsions.

“Sir, the fake is about to die.”

“Well, it’s not fair for a fake to die, so we’ll have to move him.”

“Sir, the fake’s mouth is dripping with brain fluid.”

“It’s saliva, Chloe.”

Amon dragged the stunned fake along.

‘Woohoo, I’ve captured the impersonator of the Azure Sky Sword King, so maybe I’ll get a reward for my efforts!’

No, maybe the Azure Sky Sword King himself will be overjoyed when he finds out about this, and he’ll even reward me separately!

‘Maybe he’ll even try to take me as his disciple!’

Amon smiled and headed towards the headmaster’s office.

* * *

Anar’el’s ears pricked up in fury.

“Hey, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Amon was hanging his head.

“It’s obviously fake…….”

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? He’s someone I’ve known for a long time!”

That made her sound even less credible.

“……Does the principal trust her own judgment?”

“Kak! Shut up!”

After scolding Amon harshly, Anar’el scurried over to Reinbelt, who was lying on the couch.

She pushed Raymond out of the way as he clutched his leg, his face pale with disbelief…and just as she was preparing her magic to heal him.

“Ugh! My, my, my head…….”

Reinbelt scrambled to his feet, holding his head as if it was about to fall off.

“Mr. Reinbelt, are you okay?”

“Ha, Principal, is my head still attached or is it broken?”

“Yes! It’s attached! It’s not broken!”

“Uh, I think my crown is bald…….”

“It was always bald!”

Reinbelt, who had been fiddling with his hair with a sad face, turned his head.

Realizing that he was looking at Amon, Anar’el blurted out.

“I’m so sorry.”

“…….”

“Please forgive Amon for his rudeness, I’ll reprimand him harshly…….”

“…….”

“No, this is my displeasure as headmaster, so…….”

If it became known that he had dared to touch one of the Four Imperial Knights, the Academy would be torn apart.

Therefore, despite Anar’el’s desperate pleas for forgiveness, Reinbelt, who had been silently looking at Amon, spoke up.

“It’s not your fault, Headmaster.”

“It’s……?”

“I brought it on myself to see what he was capable of.”

Reinbelt continued.

“Amon Drake, get up and come here.”

Amon approached, and Reinbelt closed his eyes.

‘I don’t know.’

After all, he was no expert with a sword.

The branch he’d swung a moment ago had literally just ‘swung’.

‘But I could feel it. He is strong.’

It was pure, unadulterated strength.

Physical discipline, deep mana, or something else, Reinbelt couldn’t tell, but he was certain of one thing.

‘Even though I didn’t use mana and intentionally took the hit while defenseless, it possessed such a powerful force that it could boil away my consciousness in an instant. If someone with such an outstanding body were to learn my swordsmanship…….’

He will surely become a knight who will leave a huge mark in the history of the continent.

“……You said Amon Drake?”

“Yes.”

“You are strong.”

Amon replied curtly to the unexpected compliment.

“Thank you.”

“But…….”

Reinbelt drew up mana on his finger.

At that moment, an aura blade surged through his fingers.

Goooooo-!

Reinbelt lifted it up to look at it, shining brightly, like a small blue milky way, and spoke.

“What you possess is nothing more than pure physical strength. You will be at a disadvantage against the mana and swordsmanship that the knights have accumulated through countless training sessions.”

The question of whether such a great person had been knocked out after being hit by me was on the verge of my throat, but I had superhuman self-control and blurted out a different answer.

“Of course not. I’m a little strong, but I’m nothing compared to your swordsmanship.”

“Mm.”

Reinbelt nodded quietly.

“For that reason, I have an offer for you.”

“……An offer?”

Reinbelt nodded.

“Would you like to learn swordsmanship from me?”

“……!”

Amon’s mouth dropped open.

“You mean, you’re going to take me as an apprentice?”

“Yes. It’s a little late for you to learn the sword, but with your qualities, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Reinbelt smiled as he extended his hand.

“What do you say, will you be my apprentice?”

Amon shuddered.

‘Oh, no…….’

Since he had just captured the impersonator of the Azure Sky Sword King a moment ago, he had jokingly and vainly hoped that he might be able to become a disciple of the real Azure Sky Sword King.

‘But I can really become a disciple of the Azure Sky Sword King…….’

He had long since abandoned his suspicions that the old man in front of him was a fake.

He had Anar’el’s assurance, and the aura blade that resembled the Milky Way was the exclusive property of a Grand Sword Master!

‘If I become his disciple, I’ll be destined for greatness!’

If I can go out on the battlefield and win, even the Emperor who is a mere pupil of the Grand Sword Master won’t be able to say anything against me!

“Master!”

I called out his name at the top of my lungs, and he chuckled.

“Kahahaha, yes, yes. But it is not yet time to call me Master!”

“If I don’t call you Master, what can I call you?”

Amon’s sly exclamation made Reinbelt laugh even harder.

“Kahaha, boy, I like your attitude, but to become my disciple, you must swear an oath!”

An oath?

He had tried to ask Sloth to teach him swordsmanship time and time again, but each time he had been met with a cold rebuff!

So Amon wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass him by.

“This disciple is already ready to swear!”

“Kahaha! Alright, alright, then I’ll recite the oath, and you must repeat it!”

“Yes!”

“I will become the disciple of the Azure Sky Sword King and devote myself to the sword!”

“I will become the disciple of my master and devote myself to the sword!”

“I vow to abstain from my lusts and worldly desires and focus on my own cultivation!”

“Abstain from lust and worldly desires…….”

Amon stopped talking and looked at Reinbelt.

Did he hear wrong?

“……What?”

“Huh? Didn’t you hear me? I swear to abstain from the lust of the flesh and the desires of the world and focus on my training!”

I did hear him right!

‘Wait a minute. That doesn’t sound right.’

Amon glanced over at Reinbelt, who was grinning from ear to ear, obviously pleased to have a new apprentice, and realized.

‘Why are the clothes of one of the four great knights of the empire so tattered?’

So were Raymond’s in the first place.

That way, his fake identity as a ‘commoner’ wouldn’t be discovered at the tournament.

“Master……Reinbelt.”

“Huh? What?”

“Excuse me, sir, but I was just wondering……what’s the status of your title?”

Reinbelt snorted.

“Hmph, a title? That’s just a pretense. The Emperor once offered me a marquisate, but I refused.”

Amon lamented.

“And what of your fortune……?”

“Fortune? Ha! Of what use is that to me in my sword training, when all I need is a small piece of land on which to wield my sword!”

“…….”

“If you try to become my disciple and harbor such desires, I will strike you dead with my sword, so remember that!”

“……….”

Reinbelt’s sword, concealing its true power!

Such was his swordplay, such was his disposition.

He was a natural born martial artist who turned his back on the world and immersed himself in swordsmanship for the sole purpose of self-satisfaction!

At that moment, Raymond’s stomach rumbled.

Looking at his appearance, it seemed that he had no money and even his grandson and disciple Raymond was starving.

‘I see.’

Amon had an epiphany.

‘This guy is pretty crazy.’

Amon fled without looking back.

***

Amon, who ran away like lightning, disappeared without a trace.

Considering that Reinbelt was searching the Academy, and he wasn’t there, it seemed like he had completely fled out of the Academy.

“Looks like he hasn’t decided to become a disciple of this body yet!”

Anar’el said.

“And I don’t think he ever will.”

“What do you mean by that, Headmaster?”

“……No. More importantly, what are you going to do now?”

“Hmmm……I was originally going to go back, but I’ve changed my mind a bit.”

A smirking Reinbelt said.

“I think I’ll stay here and wait for him to make up his mind.”

Reinbelt chuckled.

“Kahaha, I know that much, I’ll be the swordsmanship teacher here, then I’ll have every chance to convince Amon!”

Recruit the Grand Sword Master, the Azure Sky Sword King, as a teacher!

Any other academy would have bitten the bullet and agreed, but Anar’el narrowed her brow in embarrassment.

“Mr. Reinbelt, we have three students, including Raymond, and we already have a swordsmanship teacher.”

“……ah.”

“Besides, by regulation, the number of teachers per subject is limited by the number of students, and with the number of students we have now, we can only have one teacher per subject.”

Clearly, there was no reason to add more teachers.

And she couldn’t call for Sloth’s dismissal.

After all, she was the Lady of the Marquisate of Pid, so she couldn’t just dismiss her.

“……What subject is he, then, Amon?”

“He’s an aspiring history teacher. I’m sure he’s shed his new-teacher look, and I’m sure we’ll be giving him a permanent position soon.”

“…….”

“Or do you have a flair for other subjects, like math or humanities?”

It’s impossible for a mere man who has only ever eaten wild plants and wielded a sword to have an aptitude for such things.

After all, the teaching profession has wings!

Closing his eyes tightly, Reinbelt said.

“Are there no jobs left……?”

After a moment’s pause, Anar’el clapped her hands.

“Oh, we do have some openings, but there’s a guy who quit a few months ago when we were advised to shut down.”

“Oh, oh, oh, what?”

Anar’el replied with a wry smile.

“The front gate guard!”