The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 98

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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 98 38. You’re the Best Student (4)

“Wo, woaaaaaaah!”

“What! Just now!”

“Against Professor Baret, continuous attacks…”

“He even made him draw his Aura Sword!”

The 3rd Year Class A students burst into exclamations a beat late.

It was a reaction close to shock.

Of course, it was natural. They had strongly pressured an opponent whom they could barely last against for 2 minutes at best, averaging less than 1 minute.

Not only that, but made him use his Aura Sword.

What did this mean?

Wasn’t it saying that even the professor had to give his all to face Tania!

“This is no joke?”

“Right, wow… Isn’t this stronger than Cal Krone?”

“To think he has skills that require the professor to give his all…”

“It seems like she broke through the Lower Gate too? I saw a blue light on the sword blade earlier…”

“No, more than that, isn’t the fact that she learned heavy swordsmanship for only a month even more ridiculous?”

“Right. How could she in just one month…”

The students’ topic gradually flowed toward Tania’s talent, especially her talent for heavy swordsmanship.

Her swordsmanship talent itself was amazing, but heavy swordsmanship seemed to suit her particularly well, it was much more powerful than her previous style, if it were Tania from the first semester it would be one thing but now even standing in front of her felt burdensome, they heard she learned from Lumian Calard and that guy is really amazing too.

Professor Ben Baret, who was listening to these stories, trembled with shame and humiliation.

Although they weren’t openly saying his name, the students were essentially cursing his lack of insight.

It was he himself who had pushed technique-centered swordsmanship on Tania.

Moreover, it was just 1 minute ago that he had openly mocked her and Lumian Calard, telling them to prove it if they were confident.

Yet he had been utterly humiliated in front of everyone, so even with ten mouths he had nothing to say.

“…Quiet. The midterm evaluation is over, everyone disperse!”

“Yes, Professor.”

The students who sensed the heavy atmosphere answered quietly.

However, their gazes had changed. They were looks as if mocking him.

But Professor Ben Baret had no choice but to suppress his anger.

If he exploded in anger here, he would look even more ridiculous. Though he was rigid and inflexible, he had that much sense.

So he maintained silence with a disgusted expression until all the children disappeared.

And after about 5 minutes passed.

“Kraaaaaaaaaak!”

Kwaaaaang!

The suppressed anger exploded all at once.

Professor Baret strongly drew up his aura, then put it into his sword and struck the ground. A roar erupted and a crater formed in the ground.

He repeated that action. Kwang, kwang, kwaang! Only after venting his anger ten more times did he sheathe his sword while breathing heavily.

It wasn’t because his anger was fully released.

It was because he was tired. Being only at the beginning of Expert level, he couldn’t maintain his Aura Sword any longer.

“Huff, huk! Huff! Kruuuuaaaak!”

Clang-!

Professor Baret threw his sword to the ground.

Only then did he calm down a bit. He walked to the bench, picked up a water bottle and drank water.

Then he picked up the score sheet and began to worry.

Being humiliated was one thing, but there was still an important matter remaining.

It was the matter of the request he had received from the Soudway Family.

Worry and concern began to appear on the professor’s face.

‘Damn, what should I do…’

The head of the Soudway family also knew the Academy’s situation.

That Professor David Caren was absent. That he had all authority over the midterm evaluation, and that there were no obstacles to manipulating the test content and grades.

Yet despite that, he couldn’t give Logan Soudway first place?

This time too, again, ending in second place again?

After being treated to meals and even receiving a famous sword as a gift?

‘It’s over!’

It wouldn’t end with simply returning the gifts he had received.

The power of House Soudway was strong. At least enough to block the future of someone who was merely a single knight.

That wouldn’t do. For him who dreamed only of gaining backing to become a full professor and rise to success, a gloomy future was unbearable.

Yes, there was no choice.

Professor Baret nodded his head heavily.

‘Joint first place… This midterm evaluation will have two first places.’

Not all classes had been evaluated yet, but there would be no one who could break Logan’s record. So in terms of records, Logan Soudway was first place.

But he couldn’t place Tania Eloise, who made him draw his Aura Sword, below him. It was also a matter of his own dignity.

‘However, Tania Eloise’s case is an exception. In other words, she cannot be compared with other children whose times were properly recorded…’

Therefore, make the two excellent students who cannot be simply compared joint first place!

It didn’t look bad. Though it wasn’t without forcing, he thought this much could somehow be smoothed over.

Professor Baret, having finished thinking, took out a pen from his pocket. Then he marked ‘1’ next to the names of Logan Soudway and Tania Eloise.

It meant that among the students evaluated so far, these two had the highest grades.

Even after that, as he was recording the children’s grades one by one, suddenly a woman’s voice was heard from behind.

“Is that a grade sheet?”

“Huk!”

Startled, Professor Ben Baret jumped up from his seat. Then he turned around.

Irene Curtis, the dispatched professor from Rodigia, was smiling brightly. Professor Baret’s face hardened as he looked at her.

‘Without any presence…’

His pride was hurt.

He greatly disliked Irene Curtis, who was much younger than him and even a woman, yet showed overwhelming skills. It was even more so because he had just been thoroughly beaten by Tania Eloise.

However, he didn’t show it.

She was a person backed by the powerful nation of Rodigia. Though he was higher in rank, he absolutely couldn’t treat her carelessly.

Moreover, since there was something he felt guilty about, his attitude became even more cautious.

He forced a smile and spoke.

“Ha, haha. I wondered who it was, it’s Professor Irene Curtis. Really, it would have been nice if you had made some noise when coming…”

“Ah, sorry. I’ll do that next time. But you know, thanks to sneaking up, I think I saw something quite interesting?”

“…What are you talking about?”

Professor Baret lowered his voice pretending to be calm.

But it was useless. His trembling eyes revealed his anxious heart.

Moreover, Irene Curtis had already seen Professor Baret’s grade sheet. Even everything he had shown while facing the Class A students.

She opened her mouth with a still smiling face.

“Surely Logan Soudway and Tania Eloise don’t have the same grades, right?”

“That’s none of your concern. The authority over this evaluation is entirely mine…”

“Is that so? Then it has nothing to do with your meal with someone from the Soudway side a few days ago, right?”

“…”

Professor Baret’s complexion turned deathly pale.

He stared at Irene Curtis with wide eyes. With an expression asking how she knew that. With an expression asking what exactly she wanted.

She chuckled.

Then she approached the professor with a swaggering gait. Putting her arm around his shoulder, she whispered quietly in Ben Baret’s ear.

“Student Tania Eloise is a child that even Rodigia is paying attention to. I hope she doesn’t suffer disadvantages due to unsavory matters.”

“…”

“Well, if you can handle the consequences, feel free to do as you please.”

With those words, Irene left.

She didn’t look back at Ben Baret, who stood there with a stupid expression. He was too pathetic a man to give any more attention to.

‘I thought it was strange that a not-so-large country had so many decent talents, but as expected, there’s also trash scattered around.’

Irene Curtis let out a snicker.

In her home country, he would have been treated as a failure. Not just in terms of skill, but his character was severely lacking.

And yet someone like that was playing the role of an academy professor. It was absurd.

‘Professor David Caren, whom I briefly saw, seemed like a truly excellent person though…’

Outstanding skill, flawless character. Solid convictions.

He was truly like a model knight.

Perhaps because such an excellent person was in charge, the second-year students at Tarasan Academy were particularly standing out.

Cal Krone, Teoro Shutgarn, Bumer Simpson, and Lumian Calard.

Especially the evaluation of Lumian… had risen once again through this incident.

Irene knew better than anyone where Tania Eloise’s growth had originated from.

‘Not only is his skill amazing, but his convictions are firm, and even his character is upright. On top of that, he even has the ability to pass on his knowledge to others…’

“Ha, haha.”

How could this possibly make sense?

Everything was what she had directly seen and felt herself. Yet it was still enough to make her laugh in disbelief.

He didn’t feel like a 15-year-old kid at all. Even if he had been practicing aura cultivation since birth, it wouldn’t be to this extent.

‘Maybe there’s an old knight inside that young shell?’

Since it didn’t make sense, she was even having thoughts like this.

It was while Irene Curtis was walking down the path, thinking about this unsolvable mystery.

“An Aura Sword?”

“Yeah. It was so satisfying. He was looking down on both of us, but as soon as the Aura Sword came out, his face completely stiffened…”

“What a shame. I should have gone to watch.”

“Didn’t you have a liberal arts exam this morning?”

“For the sake of my disciple, I’d give up one exam…”

“There you go with weird talk again… Oh, Professor?”

Lumian Calard and Tania Eloise were walking toward her from the opposite direction.

Facing the two, she said with a bright expression.

“What’s this, a campus date?”

“N-no!”

“Haha. It’s nothing like that, just a teacher encouraging his lacking disciple… Ugh.”

Tania jabbed his ribs with her elbow. Lumian made an exaggerated grimace before speaking to Irene.

“Anyway, please go easy on me during the evaluation.”

“You don’t even need to take the evaluation, do you? I’ll just keep the top spot empty for you.”

“Thank you for saying that at least. Well then, we’ll be going.”

“We’ll be going, Professor.”

“Go ahead.”

The two who had finished their greetings passed by Irene Curtis.

They were still bickering with each other.

But there wasn’t even a hint of annoyance on their faces as they looked at each other. A cool breeze brushed through both of their hair.

Seeing this, Irene Curtis quietly muttered.

“Youth, ah youth.”

Having already accepted their relationship as a foregone conclusion, she let out a sigh.

Her ambition to recruit Lumian and make a name for herself had already flown far away. As the matter grew bigger, higher-ups had started to take action.

‘Won’t there be some kind of move soon? I don’t know. Let them handle it themselves.’

She shook her head. There was no need to create unnecessary worries for herself.

In the end, all she was doing now was looking for other talents, and even that was going nowhere. Except for the four second-years and Tania Eloise, she couldn’t see anyone particularly useful.

In other words, she was in a very bored state.

“Ah, I want to date too.”

She muttered unconsciously.

Despite having left Rodisia, which was crawling with women, she felt pitiful being still alone.

But it was also difficult to find a decent partner. The male professors at the academy had too big an age gap, and among those below professor rank, no one caught her eye.

A sigh flowed from Irene’s lips.

‘Isn’t there a decent man anywhere.’

With lonely eyes, she wandered aimlessly around the campus.

The autumn that had arrived was planting loneliness in many people’s hearts.

* * *

While Irene was suffering from suddenly arising troubles.

Lumian and Tania were heading to lunch with bright expressions free of any worries.

It wasn’t strange. Tania had performed excellently in the swordsmanship midterm evaluation, and Lumian was practically guaranteed the top spot.

Unlike other kids, there was no reason for them to feel anxious. The two exchanged casual conversation as they walked toward their usual restaurant.

However, the peaceful time didn’t last long.

New content had been updated on the large notice board in Academy Square. It was about the Swordsmanship Competition.

Tania, who confirmed this, read through the content with a surprised expression.

“This Swordsmanship Competition will include not only 3rd and 4th year students from our academy… but also apprentice knights of the same age from other countries?”

Lumian’s eyes widened.

There had never been such a case before. Why would other countries bother participating in an academy event of a small country like Tarasan in the first place?

Just as he was thinking this, suddenly an aged voice came from the sky.

It was the Knight Department Head’s voice. With the help of voice amplification magic, he spoke solemnly.

-Student Lumian Calard who is within the academy. Student Lumian Calard of Knight Department 2nd year Class E. Come to the Knight Department Head’s office immediately. That is all.

It seemed to be because of the Swordsmanship Competition.

Lumian frowned.

“Why are they calling me when it’s a competition for 3rd and 4th years. I’m a 2nd year.”

Though he said this, he roughly knew what was going on.

Lumian read the notice board content again.

The countries participating in the Swordsmanship Competition totaled four, including Tarasan.

Among them, two were Rodisia and Jenas.

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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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