The Academy’s Hard-Headed Swordmaster

Monsters are supernaturally born, inherently hostile to humanity.

Like cockroaches, they relentlessly attack and kill humans, reappearing no matter how many times they’re exterminated.

Realistically, their existence defies explanation.

However, in the context of a game, it becomes remarkably simple: respawning monsters.

This straightforward game mechanic, when applied to reality, becomes a significant headache.

“Don’t worry! The third-year students partnered with you are all veterans!”

Knight Department instructors and Professors offered words of encouragement as they moved among the students.

However, no student was naive enough to find comfort in their words.

At this moment, only two types of students remained unfazed: those excessively confident in their own abilities, or those whose third-year partners possessed exceptional skills.

Kyle fell into both categories.

“Fancy seeing you here, Kyle!”

“Indeed.”

Kyle’s partner was Ruby Alderica, the president of the Swordsman Club and an Expert-level master.

Kyle found the Professors’ decision to pair them together peculiar.

Even if they were unaware of his Master status, the instructors were well aware of his Expert-level abilities.

Considering he routinely trounced the self-proclaimed Expert, Hundred, it was hardly surprising.

Yet, they paired two Experts together? This implied a hidden agenda.

‘What is it?’

Though puzzled, he wasn’t particularly worried. A Master and an Expert?

They were strong enough to handle themselves against almost anyone.

Ruby, who considered herself an Expert, if not higher, seemed to share the sentiment. She quickly unfolded the mission briefing.

“……Hmm, they want us to go ‘there’?”

“Where?”

“Troll Mountain.”

“Trolls?”

The quintessential fantasy monster.

Commonly known as the Knight Slayer.

* * *

Trolls are massive creatures.

Their strength allows them to uproot trees and wield them as weapons, while their skin is thick enough to deflect most blades.

These traits pose little threat to Aura-wielding knights, capable of cutting through even a troll’s tough hide.

The moniker “Knight Slayer” stems from the troll’s unique ability: instantaneous regeneration. Wounds close as quickly as they’re inflicted, rendering knights’ attacks seemingly useless.

‘Wouldn’t it be easier to bring a Magician…?’

A Magician could easily incinerate, freeze, or curse the wounds to negate the regeneration.

A single Magician could trivialize the hunt, yet they sent only two knights. Ruby voiced her confusion.

“What is this?”

She approached an instructor to question the assignment, but he dismissed her concerns.

He claimed the designated locations were chosen based on the students’ abilities.

The answer was laughable, but Ruby turned to Kyle.

“Do you, by any chance, have some hidden Force ability?”

“No.”

“Then what the hell is this? I’m going back.”

Cursing with an uncharacteristic vulgarity for a noble lady, Ruby stormed back to the Professor. She returned, defeated.

“……They said we can handle it. What does that even mean?”

Had any other Professor uttered those words, she would have retorted.

However, it was Gawain who spoke.

The Academy’s sole Aura Master, the paragon of all knight students.

Unable to challenge Gawain’s judgment, Ruby reluctantly boarded the carriage bound for Troll Mountain.

“Ugh… Is this really happening? For real?”

Ignoring Ruby’s whining, reminiscent of a veteran sergeant facing unexpected field training, Kyle pondered Gawain’s reasoning for sending him here.

While trolls were called Knight Slayers, that applied only to Experts—for a Master, it was a different story.

The radiant blade of Aura could sever even regenerative abilities. Wounds inflicted by an Aura Blade wouldn’t heal.

‘Does he want me to use the Aura Blade?’

However, the principal and the Duke had instructed him to conceal his Master status. Perhaps the intent was to eliminate the trolls without resorting to the Aura Blade.

Or perhaps neither.

The destination was Troll Mountain, but the objective wasn’t explicitly stated.

A new monster might have taken residence there…

“Kyle?”

“—Ah, yes. Senior Ruby.”

“What are you thinking so hard about? Are you that worried?”

“No, not really.”

“Haha, don’t worry! This big sister will protect you, just watch my back.”

Ruby playfully put Kyle in a headlock.

He could have easily resisted, but he allowed it.

Her chest pressed against his head.

As Kyle savored the sensation, the carriage abruptly halted, jolting them forward.

“What’s going on?”

[We have arrived.]

The spirit driving the carriage announced their arrival, and Ruby flung open the door, stepping outside.

Troll Mountain. A special zone near the Academy’s territory.

The reason for a monster-infested mountain near the Academy was twofold. First, the game centered around a player character attending the Academy. Thus, greater dangers lurked closer to the Academy.

Second, troll blood was a valuable magical reagent, highly coveted by the Academy’s Magic Department Professors.

The Academy intentionally maintained the mountain’s ecosystem for this reason.

Both in-game logic and real-world practicality ensured Troll Mountain’s continued existence.

“Kyle, open your mission briefing.”

“Yes.”

“What does it say? Sending us to Troll Mountain probably means they want us to collect troll blood.”

“Something like that.”

Kyle quietly closed the briefing after reading Ruby’s words.

The mission objective:

[Eliminate the experimental subject at the summit of Troll Mountain.]

—Use of Aura Blade recommended.

—Incinerate this briefing.

‘So it’s a cleanup job.’

Having deduced the reason for his assignment, Kyle gave a wry smile.

* * *

Magicians were often eccentric, driven by experimentation.

They held a keen interest in the trolls near the Academy, including their crossbreeding potential.

What would happen if a troll and a goblin were crossed? An orc and a troll? An ogre and a troll?

The troll’s regenerative abilities were highly desirable.

The Magicians believed that incorporating this trait into other species could lead to the creation of the ultimate monster.

Putting aside the purpose of such a creation, they had succeeded.

They combined the ogre’s strength, the troll’s regeneration, the cyclops’ magic resistance, and various other monstrous traits to create a chimera.

‘Its name was… Hecatoncheir, wasn’t it?’

Named after the giant from Greek mythology, this chimera was monstrously powerful.

Sending a mere Master and an Expert seemed absurd.

‘Do these guys even realize what they’ve created?’

Even after a decade, Kyle vividly remembered Hecatoncheir’s grandeur.

He recalled his meticulously developed player character and companions being swept aside like leaves.

He couldn’t count the number of attempts it took to finally defeat the creature.

The effort required dozens of Masters, a number the entire Academy, perhaps even the entire Empire, couldn’t muster.

‘They can’t expect us to just die… can they?’

Of course, if Hecatoncheir had always possessed such power, it would have obliterated everything from the game’s start.

The fact that it hadn’t implied one thing: Hecatoncheir hadn’t reached its full potential when the player was a first-year student.

‘Can I defeat it now?’

If not, he could always run.

With that thought, Kyle began ascending Troll Mountain, Ruby trailing close behind.

On the mountainside, Kyle spotted a troll blocking his path and charged.

A swift swing of his sword cleaved through the troll’s neck. Before it could regenerate, he struck again, severing the head completely.

Regeneration was useless against decapitation.

Leaving the fallen troll behind, he was about to continue his ascent when Ruby tilted her head in confusion.

“……What the… Kyle.”

“Ah, Senior. This is, well…”

“Where are you going?”

“……Pardon?”

“We’ve collected enough blood, haven’t we? Do we need more?”

Kyle belatedly realized he hadn’t informed her of the ‘real’ mission.

Unable to simply abandon her, he explained the actual objective.

“……What?”

“So, it’s not regular troll blood—they want the blood of the chimera troll at the summit.”

“What kind of mission is that? What do they think you are, a Master?”

“……Right?”

Kyle broke out in a cold sweat, stung by Ruby’s pointed remark.