Chapter 41. The Uninvited Guest of the Academy (2)
'With so many eyes watching, shouldn't he at least say it's for the imperial family's sake, even if it's just lip service?'
Rinne inwardly marveled at Yulian's blunt tone.
What a straightforward, or rather, shameless man he was.
"Then let me ask you again. Lady Rinne, for what purpose have you honed your swordsmanship?"
Faced with a question that was difficult to answer once again, Rinne hesitated slightly.
However, as everyone's gaze gradually turned toward her, she eventually opened her mouth.
"...... To train my mind and body and achieve my goals."
To be precise, it was for revenge.
Nevertheless, the words she uttered weren't wrong, so her expression remained unchanged.
"Not bad. It can serve as the driving force to achieve your goals."
After listening to Rinne's words, Yulian resumed his lecture.
"The reason I brought up this topic is because of this."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was strangely clear.
It was enough to capture everyone's attention.
"Well-honed swordsmanship is as difficult to correct as the time it took to build it."
As he moved his hand to his waist, the students tensed up, their gaze focusing on the simple-looking sword sheath.
"Taking on a special lecture as a guest instructor now, it's almost impossible to adjust your swordsmanship in the limited time available."
Swordsmanship is something built up over time.
Regardless of how exceptional one's talent may be, to see it shine, one must devote a long time to practicing swordsmanship.
His words were indeed very true.
The fact that such correct words came out of Yulian's mouth was astonishing, but Rinne nodded.
"In that sense, today I won't be talking about swordsmanship, but rather about aura."
As the word "aura" came from his mouth, a small ripple started to form in the previously quiet classroom.
Among the imperial swordsmen, when it came to aura utilization, he was one of the top.
The fact that such a strong individual was sharing his know-how surprised everyone.
"Every human being has a mana vein. One of the ways to utilize it is to strengthen the body or tools with it, which is known as 'aura'."
He was saying something everyone probably knew, but the speaker was none other than Yulian.
The students listened intently, not wanting to miss a single word.
'Well, isn't this all something we already know?'
Just as Rinne started to get bored with Yulian's mundane talk.
"In addition, this 'aura' lets you know the gap between yourself and your opponent clearly."
Clang──!
Yulian grabbed the sheath at his waist and infused it with aura, extending it forward.
'Wow... it's beautiful.'
The sword, known as the 'Moonlit Sword', was indeed famous for its elegance among auras, and it was extraordinarily beautiful.
"Can you see what color my aura is right now?"
Currently, Yulian enveloped not only the sheath but also his right hand with a faint 'aura'.
It was so faint that one wouldn't see it without really focusing.
Most students in the lecture hall probably didn't notice this faint 'aura' around his right hand.
'...... So this is what he meant by the gap between him and the opponent?'
As she grasped Yulian's intention in delivering the lecture, Rinne couldn't help chuckling a bit.
"What color is it?"
In response to Yulian's question, the students answered in unison.
"Gray, gray."
"A gray close to moonlight."
"Isn't it silver......?"
Like the other students, Rinne also stated the color of the 'first aura.'
"Silver."
And she continued her sentence with a confident smile.
"And a faint cobalt color."
Rinne added an extra word compared to the other students.
With her words, the surrounding gazes shifted from Yulian to Rinne.
"Sir Yulian used two auras. A silver aura on the sheath, and a cobalt one on the right hand. Am I right?"
"Yes, you are correct, lady Rinne."
With Yulian's confirmation, Rinne slightly shrugged her shoulders. She had accurately spotted the 'second aura' he tried to hide.
That meant the gap between her and Yulian wasn't as large as she thought.
After marveling at the sword marks Yulian left in the forge before, Rinne had painfully realized her shortcomings.
Afterwards, with painstaking efforts, she managed to narrow the gap between herself and Yulian to some extent──.
"And there is one more."
With Yulian's calm continuation, Rinne's eyes widened.
The aura wavering behind him.
It was neither the 'first' nor the 'second' aura she had seen earlier, but clearly a 'third aura'.
'Impossible.......'
She hadn't noticed the 'third' one. When exactly did he hide such a substantial aura?
"No student seems to have noticed this 'third aura'."
His emotionless slit-eyes displayed no sign of feeling, no joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure, he merely listed facts as if they were obvious.
"In this manner, you can gauge the difference in rank with your opponent. Being able to emit an 'aura' your opponent isn't aware of means you hardly have to worry about losing to that opponent."
Rinne realized how arrogant the thought that she had narrowed the gap with the man even a little actually was.
***
"Ah, as expected, you were extraordinary, Sir Yulian."
Principal Allom Chorni crossed paths with Yulian as he exited the lecture hall after the special lecture. His face bore a bright smile.
Did he watch from outside the lecture hall?
How did he appear the moment the lecture ended?
"I never imagined the students would listen so enthusiastically to a special lecture! Although I had some doubts when I heard Sir Yulian would be lecturing... Ahem!"
Allom, who was excitedly speaking, hurriedly covered his mouth after realizing his blunder.
Well, it wasn't entirely inaccurate.
After all, who would have thought 'Yulian' of all people would be involved in teaching others?
'Even I was doubting myself, so this reaction is only natural.'
The good news was that judging by the atmosphere at the end of the lecture, it didn't seem like a failure, at least.
With this, no one should have any doubt about his performance capability.
"Well, I look forward to your assistance in the practical exams too. Sir Yulian."
Wearing an awkward smile, allom turned and made his way further into the academy. I suppose I should head home as well.
As he was about to start moving, a rather familiar landscape of the academy caught his eye.
Such a meticulously and neatly decorated setting should have felt unfamiliar.
However, perhaps due to the memories of playing the game, I felt a sense of familiarity.
- 'So it was you—the Black Knight. The fallen hero, Hayden Reich.'
Ugh.
As I waded in thoughts and reminiscences, a scene from the trailer flashed in my mind.
A scene where I, 'Yulian', had a sword at the throat of the protagonist, Hayden Reich.
'Maybe this time, things won't turn out that way.'
Thinking that, I once more surveyed the academy landscape with my eyes. It was indeed scenery that evoked nostalgia.
'Shall I take a little look around?'
Perhaps that's why? Suddenly, a whim struck.
***
"... Why isn't he coming back?"
Muttering to himself, with a face full of discontent, Joshua sat on the sofa.
Surrounding the sofa on which he sat were bizarre artworks.
Incomprehensible marble sculptures.
Strange paintings of a sun with eyes shining over barley fields.
Joshua, who considered himself to have conventional artistic sensibilities, found these artworks utterly incomprehensible.
'... And why are there so many orchids?'
Numerous pots around the drawing-room.
He knew they couldn't understand the owner of this mansion, but he never imagined they harbored such strange hobbies.
"Young master, I've set up the barrier you mentioned. If you give the order, we can immediately deploy a barrier to block the flow of mana."
A young man approached Joshua, whispering in a trembling voice.
A knight from the Cryphart family.
He wasn't overwhelmingly intimidating like Alphas, but he was skilled enough to be competent anywhere.
"Are you scared?"
"Yes?"
"Are you afraid of Yulian?"
At Joshua's question, the knight hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth as if making a decision.
"Currently here, at Yulian's mansion, we have, including myself, two knights with experience hunting bi-horned demons, six soldiers from the Cryphart family, the young master. And a barrier to block the flow of mana and a 3rd-circle mage, 'Kensha' grade."
"So?"
"It's a lot considering it's just to deal with one knight, but considering it's 'Yulian', it's definitely insufficient, young master."
Keep talking.
Joshua continued to fix his gaze on the knight.
"Moreover, the atmosphere of the mansion feels strange, too. Young master... it's late, but no attendants are visible..."
"They must've left early."
"That would be fortunate, but if Yulian anticipated our coming and...."
Slap──!
Joshua gave the fearful knight a resounding slap on the cheek.
The knight, whose head snapped to the side, momentarily wore a blank expression before quietly lowering his head, realizing his mistake.
"Cowardly fool! Are you that afraid? After all, are you a knight of the Cryphart family?"
"... I'm sorry, young master."
"You all won't even have to fight directly. Just make sure to properly set up the barrier when I command!"
"Yes, understood."
The knight who had been slapped, lowered his head politely before turning around to set up the barrier.
A knight who was that cowardly; where could he possibly be useful?
Considering Yulian relies heavily on aura, he wouldn't be able to wield his full strength if the barrier is activated.
If that's the case──.
"With the 'power' that I've obtained, winning against him is a given."
Joshua's gaze turned to the case beside him.
There was a mysterious object emitting an ominous aura, but the moment he laid eyes on it, Joshua felt an inexplicable surge of confidence.
The confidence that, with 'this', he could defeat Yulian.
"Young master Joshua! There's a presence approaching from outside."
"Heh heh."
The time for revenge was drawing near.
Joshua chuckled menacingly.
***
At a secluded mansion.
Since late evening, not a single sign of life could be felt here, where starlight and moonlight poured down.
Rustle──!
In the surroundings of such a mansion, a foreign presence began to emerge.
Men, pushing through the foliage.
"At this hour, Yulian should probably be heading to bed."
The one leading them was named William Hyrans.
"Even though he's the archbishop of the order, the treatment that person gave Yulian is something I can't wrap my head around."
"Maintaining such arrogance despite violating the rules."
"Moreover, granting him a bishop's rank from the start is something I can't comprehend!"
The individuals gathered here all belonged to the Dawn Society and held personal grievances against Yulian.
"All of those incomprehensible things end today. By cutting off Yulian's windpipe!"
Observing the comrades united for the same purpose, William felt a sense of fortitude.
'If only you hadn't judged the Hyrans family... I could have reached the 4th circle and wouldn't have been expelled from the Magic Tower!'
Thinking about personally beheading Yulian, known as the 'Smiling Executioner', made it hard for William to suppress his grin.
"Ahem."
He was almost about to lose his composure amidst such intense emotions.
Even though he was acknowledged in the Magic Tower, William, as a once-regarded mage, cleared his throat and calmed his heightened emotions.
A first-rate mage should not act without composure.
"Then let's infiltrate the mansion. Everyone gather around me."
As William, who had calmed his emotions, quietly chanted a spell, the cult members began to gather around him.
William concentrated all his attention on the staff he was holding.
Before long, the gemstone at the end of his staff began to emit a faint light.
"Within a radius of 5 meters from the staff, I've managed to suppress sound and presence to some extent, so Yulian won't wake up because of our presence."
"...... Oh."
"Amazing, as expected, Sir William!"
William's original magic, 'Imperfect Silence'.
Though not learned specifically to infiltrate the mansion, he was pleased to realize it had such uses.
"Let's begin."
After William and the cultists opened the magically locked door and entered, a profoundly quiet interior of the mansion greeted them.
Their investigations on Yulian's mansion revealed that all the servants would go home before sunset.
In other words, Yulian was alone in this mansion.
Though they knew that.
"... Ugh."
It was then.
While concentrating on his unique spell, 'Imperfect Silence', William frowned as he felt a strange energy closing in.
"What's wrong, Sir William?"
"Is there a problem?"
The cult members, recognizing the unusual air, inquired about William's condition. Meanwhile, his complexion began to worsen.
His eyes turned to the gem at the tip of the staff.
The glow indicating the activation of the magic.
Though faint, the vibrant light began to dim, like with thick clouds.
'The flow of mana is starting to get strange!'
The slowly disappearing glow of the gemstone.
Watching it, William was stricken with dread.
"Sir William?"
One cult member inquired, eyes wide with suspense, causing William to look around tensely.
"Yulian, that bastard, he anticipated us coming and set a trap!"
Clacky's Corner:
I just realized, on the first chapter, Yulian called Hayden Reich a fallen hero. And now again. It means he should have lost his way.
Or did the Empire get controlled by the Dawn Society?