The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 46 21. A Genius Who Transcended Walls (2)

The second-year first semester swordsmanship final evaluation was simple.

In front of Professor Karin, the examiner, show your greatest strength. That was all there was to it.

Unlike the midterm evaluation, there were no class victory bonus points, and since there was no opponent, the burden was also lighter.

However, as the evaluation that would mark the end of the semester, it was impossible not to have concerns.

Rather, some found their minds more complicated than during the midterm evaluation.

‘What is my strength?’

‘Defense is somewhat better, but it’s far from adequate to call it my greatest strength.’

‘I’d rather have a duel with clear victory or defeat. My head is going to explode!’

The Academy cadets lacked both experience and thought. The difference between them and active knights who had walked their own paths for a long time was severe.

Therefore, most of the children only hurriedly looked back at themselves after the evaluation criteria were announced.

Some asked their friends about their strengths, while others tried to find their own style and aptitude through duels. There were quite a few who shut themselves in their dormitories to meditate.

Professor Karin, who felt the changed atmosphere, smiled slightly and thought.

‘Around now would be the time for them to slowly decide their own path.’

A knight must have their own center.

Of course, it shouldn’t become so excessive that it transforms into narrow-mindedness, but advancing blindly without one’s own philosophy was never a good thing. This was nothing more than a wanderer drifting aimlessly without a goal.

Through this evaluation, he hoped the cadets would seriously contemplate their own paths.

After setting clear goals, he hoped they would advance without wavering.

That was Professor Karin’s wish.

With such pleasant anticipation, the time for Class A’s final evaluation soon approached.

Professor Karin maintained his usual stern expression as he looked around at the cadets.

“Is everyone ready?”

“Yes! Professor!”

“Good voices. Let’s start right away. Come out in the order I call your names. Derick Carter!”

“Y-Yes!”

“Begin. It doesn’t matter what you show me, so relax.”

“Yes! What I will show you is consecutive slashing.”

“Consecutive slashing… It would be better to have an opponent rather than swinging at empty air. Begin.”

“H-How could I dare against the Professor…”

Derick Carter showed a hesitant expression.

To attack a professor who was a veteran knight. It was too much of a burden.

However, he breathed a sigh of relief at the professor’s following statement.

“Isn’t it better than receiving my sword? It would be better than for cadets whose strength is defense, wouldn’t it?”

“Gasp!”

Several of the watching cadets sucked in their breath.

Come to think of it, that was right. To prove defensive skills, there inevitably had to be someone attacking.

However, these were children who hadn’t thought that the professor would attack directly. They thought at most he would pair them with a classmate…

“Surely there aren’t any guys changing their minds now, are there? Don’t think it won’t be obvious.”

“…”

In the instantly subdued atmosphere, Professor Karin grinned.

He raised his sword and said to Derick Carter.

“Come.”

* * *

‘Were my expectations too high?’

Almost all the cadets’ evaluations had ended.

Professor Karin looked at them with a displeased expression. The children avoided his eyes with shamefaced expressions.

Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.

Understanding oneself might perhaps be much more difficult than figuring out others.

However, he hadn’t expected that those who should have been seriously contemplating themselves would be so lacking.

‘They’re all busy trying to show off on the surface…’

Cadets who hadn’t pondered what their real strengths were, but had been thinking about how to create a more flashy and impressive appearance.

He couldn’t help but be disappointed.

‘No, let’s not be disappointed.’

Professor Karin shook his head.

These were children with bright futures ahead. Perhaps this exam topic had been too early for them.

If they could seriously contemplate their own paths through this experience, that would be enough. They would probably show much more mature appearances in the future.

And the evaluation wasn’t completely finished yet.

Professor Karin, who had paused for a moment, called the last student of Class A.

“Cal Krone, come out.”

“Yes.”

The hall became quiet.

It had to be so. Cal Krone’s presence was originally unrivaled.

He was so brilliant that it was hard to believe he was the same age, and his skills were so outstanding that they even overwhelmed such an atmosphere.

Everyone had no choice but to close their mouths and concentrate.

However, this case was even more special.

The intimidating aura emanating from Cal Krone’s body was making the surrounding cadets tense up naturally.

Like a single sharply forged sword.

No, seeing him transformed into something even more majestic than that, Professor Karin opened his mouth.

“I heard you even skipped liberal arts classes to train for the swordsmanship evaluation, and you have improved a little.”

Quite a stingy evaluation compared to the momentum Cal Krone was currently showing.

This was due to Professor Karin’s personality.

No matter how important swordsmanship was for a knight, he thought neglecting basic classes was the wrong attitude.

‘Actually, I wasn’t going to give even a bit of praise.’

He couldn’t bring himself to do that.

The growth Cal Krone had shown was too amazing to do so.

To think he had come this far when not much time had passed since the Swordsmanship Competition ended.

But this wasn’t the end.

In the middle of the silence, Cal Krone’s sword began to glow blue.

“Whoa!”

“What’s that!”

“Is that an Aura Sword?”

“No, it doesn’t seem like an Aura Sword…”

“Then what is it? The light is much more intense than surface enhancement?”

‘This guy, he’s broken through the lower gate!’

Even the composed Professor Karin couldn’t help but be surprised this time.

What Cal Krone was currently showing was a technique that could only be demonstrated when one had broken through the first of the three gates to becoming a Sword Expert.

And there were no more than ten people across the entire Continent who had reached that stage at age 15.

The genius who had been crouching had finally spread his wings and completed preparations to soar into the sky!

Clap clap clap!

“This… I cannot help but acknowledge.”

Professor Karin applauded.

He had lost. He had no choice but to give high praise for this.

Of course, breaking through the lower gate alone was dangerous, so he planned to give separate warnings, but there was no need to dampen his spirits even in this place.

The future of the Kingdom of Tarasan was here!

But then.

“Professor.”

“Hm?”

“What I will show you is something else.”

Even this wasn’t the end.

“I, who am still quite immature, humbly request the opportunity to swing one sword… Please grant it to me.”

“….”

Whoosh!

Professor Karin silently raised his sword.

The other cadets couldn’t even breathe as they watched the two. It felt like watching a life-or-death duel rather than an evaluation.

What exactly was he trying to show?

No matter how excellent his swordsmanship might be, wouldn’t it pale in comparison to the brilliant sword technique just displayed?

Everyone thought so. Even the professor.

But Cal Krone was no fool.

He was confident enough to overturn everyone’s expectations, which was why he dared to tell Professor Karin to draw his sword.

Swiiiiish—!

Professor Karin’s eyes flashed open.

It was instantaneous. In the blink of an eye, the sword that had reached its peak came crashing down at a terrifying speed.

To block the curved movement that flew faster than a straight line, accelerating as it descended, Professor Karin had to hastily draw up his aura.

That force was no less than what he would use against an official knight.

Crash!

Sizzle—!

Immediately after the collision, Cal Krone was pushed back, his feet carving long furrows in the ground.

But his face was filled with smiles.

The technique he had realized during his sparring with Lumian, but hadn’t fully mastered.

For the past week, he had worked tirelessly to recapture that sensation. And finally, just before the evaluation, he had achieved the desired result.

“Huuu.”

He let out a long breath.

It felt like breaking out of a shell.

Composing himself, he stood before the professor with a dignified attitude.

Blood was flowing from his hands, but he didn’t care.

Professor Karin spoke.

“It was like the sword of a heavenly emperor.”

“Thank you.”

“Like an eagle diving down to catch its prey… It feels very different from before, but this is much better. Congratulations, you’ll be first place in this final evaluation too.”

It was high praise.

The evaluations for other classes hadn’t even begun yet.

Despite that, he spoke of first place. Considering Professor Karin’s cautious nature, this was hard to believe.

But no cadet objected to his words.

Most of them hadn’t even properly seen Cal Krone’s sword.

They had only caught sight of something flashing and Cal Krone being pushed far back.

However, Cal Krone once again contradicted Professor Karin’s words.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.”

“Hmm?”

Professor Karin made a puzzled expression.

He didn’t think it was arrogant. Cal Krone’s performance today had been too remarkable to nitpick about talking back.

Seeing Professor Karin’s reaction, Cal Krone smiled.

It was a smile tinged with slight bitterness.

‘Not yet… I can’t reach him.’

This semester, Cal Krone had undergone many changes.

During the finals of the Swordsmanship Competition, he had acknowledged another’s greatness for the first time.

In front of the Subculture Research Club building, he had truly felt his own inadequacy for the first time.

And a week ago in the training grounds, he had overcome that burden and achieved tremendous progress.

He, who had been nothing more than a greenhouse flower despite his flashy exterior, had achieved inner growth.

‘And all of this… yes, it’s thanks to Lumian.’

Without him, his current self wouldn’t exist.

Therefore, he couldn’t yet claim to be first place.

Until this semester ended, he had to acknowledge that Lumian was above him.

‘But I’ll catch up later.’

Finishing his thoughts, Cal Krone grinned and shook his head.

Then he politely answered Professor Karin.

“You might take back those words during Class E’s evaluation.”

* * *

“…That’s the story I heard.”

“I see.”

“So my expectations are very high right now. Cal Krone has never praised anyone else like that before…”

Professor Karin’s eyes held equal parts expectation and doubt as he looked at Lumian.

Seeing his explosive growth made him nod, but seeing Cal Krone’s tremendous display made him shake his head.

Would he really have a move that surpassed the shock Cal had shown?

‘That guy seems to be doing fine now.’

Lumian briefly looked away from Professor Karin’s burdensome gaze and thought about Cal Krone.

Not only had he shown excellent skill, but he had also demonstrated the attitude of acknowledging others.

Even so, he didn’t seem dispirited either.

It seemed safe to say he had achieved perfect inner growth.

It appeared he no longer needed to worry about him.

‘Then, I can comfortably display my skills too.’

Originally, he had planned to match Cal Krone’s level.

But with everyone having such expectations, wouldn’t it be wrong to betray them?

With that thought, Lumian raised his sword and considered.

‘Should I go a bit stronger?’

Immediately after, Lumian’s sword came down, and all the cadets wore expressions of shock.

Professor Karin couldn’t even offer words of praise.

He simply lost sleep that night, belatedly thinking about the talents who would support the Kingdom of Tarasan.

* * *

A few days later, the rankings for the first semester final evaluation were announced.

The children who looked at the top of the ranking chart showed surprised expressions.

However, they soon nodded and took the attitude that it was understandable.

It could no longer be considered a coincidence.

It could no longer be considered an upset either.

What this final evaluation’s first place had shown throughout the semester was remarkable enough to make everyone nod in agreement.

[1st Place: Lumian Calard]

[2nd Place: Cal Krone]

[Tied 3rd Place: Teoro Shutgarn, Bumer Simpson]

[5th Place: Bairen Sigal]

…

[51st Place: Lena Willington]

Lumian Calard, the disgrace of Tarasan Academy.

Finally, it was the moment he stood alone at the pinnacle.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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