Chapter 58

As instructed by Professor Monica, I changed into comfortable clothes and gathered at the outdoor training ground. By the way, I'm just wearing some cheap, casual clothes.

I thought about wearing the clothes I use for exploring the labyrinth, but they are of such good quality that if a commoner wore them, it might attract unnecessary trouble.

While stretching and waiting, a dense killing intent suddenly flew towards me, and almost reflexively, I pulled out my sword from storage.

"Whoa...!"

Looking in the direction from which the killing intent came, there stood a man I absolutely did not want to see and Professor Monica. There was nothing unusual about Professor Monica, and there was nothing unusual about Ray and Marco, who were around me.

It seems he directed the killing intent only at me, and he did it without anyone else noticing.

There's no way I can do such a skillful move...? What is he?

Mob A: "Hey, hey! Isn't that Yornard of the Thousand Swords standing next to Professor Monica?"

Mob B: "Really? I thought his job as an examiner was over. What is he doing here?"

It seems they had been listening absent-mindedly during the self-introduction, and there are Mob A and B in Class 10. I was impressed by their ability to explain, even during the exam.

...What about Mob C, guys?! I'm really curious! Did he fail the exam? Or is he in a higher class? I've been most curious about this recently! Weren't they a trio?

While thinking about such trivial matters and looking at Yornard, he approached me with a smug look on his face.

"Hey, we meet again. But saying 'Whoa...!' is a bit rude, isn't it?"

"Are you a mind reader?"

Hearing from that distance is totally unfair...

"Just teasing. I thought you'd make that face if I saw you from a distance. You're still a kid when it comes to such mind games!! Hahaha!"

...Damn. I can't tell how old he is, but he's quite troublesome. I really don't want to get involved with him.

"Hey, let's start the recreational activities. In the afternoon, we'll see how much you can move. By the way, Yornard will be your opponent. Give him a round of applause."

The introduction of Yornard ends with sparse applause, but my classmates seem to be excited and floating around.

...Well, he's a famous S-rank adventurer with many heroic tales. I would have reacted differently if it were anyone else.

"Hahaha, I'm Yornard, and I'll be teaching you martial arts from today. I'll train you for the next year, so be prepared! If you can last until the end, you might become a C-rank adventurer... though it seems there are already some who can match me."

His gaze moved as he said the last part, and I instinctively looked away. ...Because he's definitely a battle junkie, and getting involved with him would be troublesome.

Professor Monica is sitting on a bench, watching the mock battles. Is she watching? Her eyes are... not open! And she seems to be dozing off. I wonder if she's okay.

In exchange, Yornard seems to be doing a 1-on-5 mock battle. He seems quite enthusiastic, but why is an adventurer and mercenary like him pretending to be a teacher?

Before I knew it, the mock battle had ended without me. Everyone must have been defeated quickly. The students are all lying around, apparently unconscious. Even Ray and Marco fought without me. I'll have to see their skills another time, I guess?

Leaving me out means... it's probably what I thought...

"123, Owl, right? I never intended to become a teacher, but there are various reasons on my side. Besides, I can settle things with you, so it's a win-win. Come on, let's do this. You can use magic if you want. I won't use it."

"Really?"

I instantly spread magic power throughout my body and activated Body Enhancement. I further sharpened my senses with Sensory Enhancement to deal with Yornard's incredible attacks. I could use a super-sized spell, but it wouldn't help my training.

I could fight without using magic power, but showing my strength to some extent would be the quickest way to silence him. However, I won't go all out right away; I'll start with about 50% of my power.

I closed the distance of over 10 meters with one kick and drew a wooden staff from storage. It's a quick move, but he responded properly, as expected.

"Hey, you can use magic proficiently, can't you? I haven't seen such a well-trained Body Enhancement in a long time, man!"

Yornard, with a "man!" at the end, skillfully deflected and created distance.

"I take back what I said. I'll use magic too, but only Body Enhancement. You made me use Body Enhancement at your age, so you can be proud. However, it will be harder for you to keep up with me from now on. Here I come, Gear 1."

I chased Yornard with my enhanced dynamic vision and responded with my staff. Yornard's wooden sword didn't break instantly, but it was already damaged after one hit. Is he incredibly strong?!

"Oh? You don't seem to use magic infusion, do you? Hmm."

Magic infusion? I do channel magic power through my weapon for attacks, but is that called magic infusion? Thinking about it, I might only have done it when using staff techniques.

I used a technique I had seen through once, but this time I infused it with lightning attribute magic.

"Staff Technique: Sword Form - Purple Lightning" *Crack!*

"Wha...? Can you use magic infusion too? You're a teachable kid. And you can keep up with my Gear 1, really. What are you? But I can get faster. Gear 2."

Immediately after, Yornard disappeared. I fully utilized spatial awareness and presence detection, and with Sensory Enhancement, I focused on touch and hearing. Relying on sight alone is no longer an option, as his speed is too fast even for spatial awareness.

While tracking Yornard's presence without letting my guard down, a sudden chill ran down my neck. I instinctively extended my staff to protect my neck, but the sound of the sword clashing was right in front of my face.

I thought he would attack from behind, but it was a frontal slash. ...If it weren't for the automatic barrier from the ring, I would have been completely defeated.

"What? The magic power waves from that ring... it's a magic item! To block my slash with a wooden sword, that magic item must be incredible! But this is my win. You would have died without the barrier."

...It's frustrating, but Yornard is right. I thought the attack would come from behind, but it was actually from the front. I don't know how he did it, but he probably wasn't even serious. He said Gear 2, but he can get even faster.

I started with about 50% of Body Enhancement, but I quickly went all out. Still, losing means he's clearly above me. Using magic might give me a better chance...

"You have a good sense, but you rely too much on magic and lack experience. You can handle monsters, but you have almost no experience in human combat."

"...It's frustrating, but I agree."

"Hmm, you're surprisingly honest. I like that. However, I'll train you for the next year, so you can relax!! ...It's been a while since I've had such an interesting and durable toy."

Hey! You were trying to speak softly at the end, but I still heard it with my enhanced hearing! Toy? You're a pretty dangerous guy!

What are the academy and Professor Monica thinking...?

While fuming and looking at Professor Monica, she had completely fallen asleep. I've never seen a beautiful woman snoring, and it's more than disappointing.

The battle with Yornard lasted about 2-3 minutes, but I'm as tired as if I had fought for half a day. This is what real combat feels like.

...Thinking about it, I rarely had fights where the outcome was uncertain. I was usually in the "I'm OP" category. But my weaknesses are becoming clear through the battle with Yornard, which is a significant growth.

If I can have more mock battles with Luna and Yomi to gain combat experience, I can become even stronger.

There's no choice but to take the classes seriously from now on!

Looking around, the students are staring at me with sparkling eyes. It's a bit uncomfortable, but at least I'm not being treated like a monster.

...Ray's eyes were especially sparkling, but I'll leave that alone for now.

After a simple cooldown with Yornard, the other students woke Professor Monica, and they all ran to her.

"Alright, I've got a general idea of your strengths and characteristics. I'll decide the future teaching plan after checking the magic aptitude parchments you'll submit later. In the morning, we'll cover basic subjects like the kingdom's history and arithmetic, and in the afternoon, we'll focus on the basics of magic and martial arts. I'll inform you of any changes, so listen carefully. That's it for today, so you can change and go home."

It seems today is over, but I'm quite tired. However, it was a fruitful day. Ray and Marco must have been quite tired too, as they seem to have already gone home. I really want to spend some time in the library, reading books, drinking tea, and eating snacks.

...Yeah, what a luxurious time.

The first year might be tough, but I'll definitely slack off in the second year! I need to finish my credits quickly, though...

When I got home, Luna and Yomi were already there and starting to make dinner. From the smell, it seems we're having bread tonight?

The kitchen is also filled with the delicious smell of grilled meat.

"Welcome home, Master! Thank you for your hard work today!"

"Hehe, dinner will be ready soon, so please wait in the living room."

From what I can see, it looks like we'll be having freshly baked bread with grilled chicken and leafy vegetables. And probably a vegetable soup?

They seem to be using the secret original sauce I taught them, made with soy sauce and vegetables. Whether this is a dinner menu or not, it will definitely be delicious.

However, if they're making sandwiches, we'll need mayonnaise soon. ...But I haven't found any vinegar yet, so I'll use wine vinegar as a substitute. We have wild duck eggs and oil, and I've already bought salt and pepper, so it should work.

While they make dinner, I mix the ingredients and carefully make the mayonnaise. Stirring is tough, but Body Enhancement makes it easy.

Since the eggs are from a monster, it's hard to judge, but I'll activate the holy attribute purification just in case. It might be a waste of a rare holy attribute magic, but...

"Here you go, Master!"

"...Oh, what's this white sauce?"

"This is mayonnaise. I want you to try it as an accent on the sandwiches you made."

As instructed, they spread the right amount and bit into the sandwiches.

"Delicious!!!"

The aromatic smell of the grilled meat and the secret sauce blend perfectly. The refreshing taste and richness of the mayonnaise, which might be from the monster eggs, are amazing. It's light and smooth, and the crunchy texture of the vegetables further stimulates the appetite.

"I thought sandwiches for dinner would be weird, but they're so delicious!"

"No, everything is thanks to what Master taught us, and this mayonnaise really brings out the flavor!"

"Hehe, it's worth the effort, Luna. I'm glad Master likes it."

They seem to have worked as adventurers today. Recently, Lebrant has been offering various gathering quests, and since they are all high difficulty, they are almost all direct requests.

Well, I told them they can do what they want with the money they earn, but they don't seem to have much to spend it on, so they're saving it at home. It might come in handy someday.

After finishing dinner and taking a deep breath, the door was knocked on late at night. I asked Yomi to handle it, and it turned out to be a knight I recognized.

"Owl, it's... been a while."

The visitor was Salrard Illria, the deputy commander of the 2nd Knight Regiment.

"Um, what are you doing at this hour?"

"...The king... has something... to say... so I came. The two... of you... can come too."

This guy really has trouble speaking. I understand, but can't he improve? It's a shame with such a beautiful face.

I have no choice but to meet the king, but I'll gather information first.

"Let's not stand here. Please come in. We have new pastries too."

"New pastries? Of course I'll have some. The king's talk can wait."

...Is that okay as a knight? Well, it's convenient for me, but... The pastries are the leftover fruit tarts I made for the princess and Alice.

...He started speaking fluently as soon as we talked about pastries. Does he have a special brain circuit for pastries?

As soon as he sat on the sofa, he started devouring the fruit tart, savoring every bite.

"This is the fruit tart the third princess talked about. I've been curious because she always boasted about it. It's as good as the cookies. The crispy crust, the not-too-sweet cream, and the sweet and sour fruits blend perfectly. And the best tea to go with this pastry. The brewing is perfect. It's so delicious that I'd pay 5 gold coins to eat it every day."

He's really fluent. Still, people in this world are really good at food reviews... I'm happy, but I wonder if they practice.

Right, I should have asked what the king wanted to talk about beforehand.

I'll update bit by bit.

I'd be happy if you could rate and bookmark it.

It's getting busy at the end of the year, so updates will be...