Chapter 35

‘What kind of guy is he?’

That was the thought Aiden had when he first saw Serpens.
Aside from the fur garment meant to block the cold, he literally looked like a beggar.
Old clothes and a faint stench.
A sword scratched here and there, as if it had been struck hundreds of times.
And yet he had entered the Academy confidently.

Was it because of the man beside him?
But that seemed unlikely, since that man’s appearance did not look good either.
On top of that, the greatsword was so large it could be mistaken for an ornament.
Aiden had thought he was trying to show off.

But the Academy’s foremost figure treated them with courtesy.
It was not simply a matter of honorifics.
Because Principal Frost used honorifics even with students.
She had literally shown respect.
He had been taught since childhood that outward elements were not everything.
But even if they were not everything, were outward elements not the most basic stage of describing a person?
That was why he had worked hard to present himself properly.
Because that was courtesy to himself and to others.

Just before the sparring match began.
He learned the boy’s name for the first time.
Serpens.
It was strange that he did not give a family name.
Was it because he was not a noble?
Well, it didn’t matter.
After all, after today’s sparring match, there would be no reason to see him again.

Aiden stepped onto the training ground and thrust his sword at him.
It was bewildering.
The guy easily dodged the attack Aiden had put a fair amount of force into.
It was not a coincidence. It was not even close.
He already knew where the sword was heading.

The sword was blocked, and an opening was created.
He did not miss the opening.
His attack was heavy.
It was skill beyond his age.
How many years had he practiced?

Still, it didn’t matter.
Because Aiden had also worked hard for years.

Thud-!

Thanks to that, he was able to seize the moment the guy let his guard down and kick him in the abdomen.
Even in the middle of that, that little kid twisted his body and minimized the impact.
What kind of reflexes were those?

“He is not…… disappointed, is he……?”

Serpens muttered.
Aiden could tell.
That those words had not been meant for him to hear.

He thought it was arrogant.
Aiden had not shown his full strength either.
And yet Serpens was worrying about someone else’s gaze.
It reminded him of himself as a child.

‘I was like that too, before I felt the wall.’

Even before entering the Academy, he had been trained since childhood.
He thought it was natural, and because he did well, he worked even harder.
And before long, people called him a ‘genius.’

Fifteen.
Four years after entering the Academy.
He began defeating upperclassmen.
Because of that,

‘Maybe I’m a genius too.’

he had once thought that.
Until he felt that damn wall.

“You really are a guy born with talent. How old are you?”

That guy was different.
Even though they were the same age, he had defeated not just upperclassmen, but knights.
A genius recognized by the world.
Compared to a monster like that, his own talent seemed pitiful.

“Thirteen.”

It was the same for that side too.
To aim for a knight examination recommendation letter at the age of thirteen.
Then what did that make Aiden, who had worked hard for nearly ten years?

“Damn gifted bastards.”

He had once heard such words.
Was it that those who had worked hard recognized geniuses at a glance?
Aiden was feeling those words to the bone.

“Just grip your sword and come at me. Unlike you, I have more people I need to face.”

Those words provoked Aiden.
He knew it in his head.
That he must have worked himself to the bone too.
That was why he had this level of skill at that age.
But Aiden could not accept it.
If it was effort, Aiden had worked like mad too.
That passion, the sweat and blood he had shed, could never have been lacking.
Then why?
Why did people superior to him exist?

Clang-!

Aiden’s sword became faster, and heavier.
He felt the boy struggling to block it.
The more that happened, the faster Aiden’s sword became.

Kang-!

At some point, the sounds from the noisy audience seats could no longer be heard.

Clang-!

The only thing he could hear was the sound of swords scraping against each other.

“Haa…….”

And his own quickening breath.

Kang! Kagang! Takang!

The speed of their swords gradually increased.
To Aiden, victory or defeat in the sparring match was no longer important.
He had to do it now.
Even if he looked ugly, even if others frowned at him.
He wanted to trample that sprout that would become a giant tree looking down on him.

When Serpens created distance, he chased.
When Serpens seemed strained, he pushed even harder.

For now, for now, he could still overwhelm him.
Aiden felt relieved by that fact.

Clang!

A few minutes after Aiden thought that.
As their offense and defense continued, his expression gradually began to distort.

‘Why……?’

He was clearly the one pushing.
But there were no effective hits at all.
Serpens blocked or dodged the attacks.
From the beginning until now, Aiden had not succeeded in landing any attack worth mentioning.

‘I am the one pressing him…… right?’

Doubt bloomed in his heart.
And that doubt led to hesitation in his judgment.

Aiden’s breathing grew rough.
Serpens was still not breathing hard.
He merely moved his body little by little while maintaining his defensive posture.

‘I’m the one being pushed……?’

No. That couldn’t be.
That couldn’t happen.

Aiden increased his speed once more.
A sword strike swung with all his strength.
But unfortunately, that attack did not reach Serpens.
Each time his sword flew in, Serpens dodged and blocked it naturally, as if water were flowing.

A fierce shout burst from Aiden’s mouth.
Perhaps it looked a little pathetic.

At that moment, an opening appeared in Serpens’s eyes.

“What……?”

Serpens, who had been focused on defense, moved his sword.

Step.

His foot moved forward as if sliding, and no sooner had Aiden’s sword cut through the air than Serpens’s sword was raised.
A counterattack that was far too fast.
Before Aiden even had time to react.

Clang-!

Serpens’s sword struck Aiden’s sword away with precision.
His hand went numb.
He felt his balance collapse.

“Kheut……!”

The moment Aiden tried to regain his posture, the sword flew in again.

Kgeugeuk.

Fortunately, he raised his sword and blocked it.
But the attack did not come only once.

“Ugh……!”

He was gradually pushed back.
He had to focus on defending.
His breathing grew more and more labored.
Serpens didn’t slow down.
Instead, he became faster.

Tat.

Serpens suddenly changed direction.
It was an unexpected movement.
The sword went for Aiden’s side.

‘I have to block this-’

But at that moment.

Thud-!

An impact struck him hard enough to stop his breath.

“……Kheok!”

He had been struck in the abdomen.
It was not a sword, but a foot.
Even while focusing on his sword strikes, Serpens kicked precisely the moment an opening appeared.
His body staggered. He lost his balance and nearly dropped to his knees.

‘Damn it……! This is……!’

It was the exact same method Aiden had used to push Serpens away.

If he was pushed back like this, it was over.
When Aiden clenched his teeth and tried to counterattack.

Pabat.

Serpens closed the distance in an instant.
His sword came at him.
He had to block it.
He had to block it.
He had to…… could he?

Clang-!

Aiden’s sword was knocked away.

“Huh……?”

At the sudden impact, the sword slipped from his hand.
He instinctively moved in the direction the sword had flown, but it was already too late.
Serpens’s sword stopped right in front of Aiden’s neck.

“……It’s over.”

Serpens’s words held no emotion.

Aiden was at a loss for words.
He only breathed hard and looked at the sword aimed at his neck.

“It seems the match has been decided. Both of you did well.”

Frost said as she slowly descended from the air.

Serpens blinked.
As he sparred, he had forgotten that others were watching him.

“Are you all right?”

Violet descended after Frost.
She supported Aiden and helped him stand.
Perhaps many thoughts had filled his mind, because the focus in Aiden’s eyes seemed blurred.

The audience’s reaction was divided in half.
One side applauded Serpens, while the other mocked Aiden, saying he had disgraced the Academy’s reputation.
Either way, it was despair for Aiden.

“You did well, Aiden. Go to the infirmary and receive a brief examination.”
“……Yes.”

Aiden trudged out of the training ground.
At the sight of his lonely-looking back, Serpens only scratched the back of his head.

“Now, we will proceed with the next sparring match immediately.”

Frost didn’t even give Serpens a single glance.
The boy didn’t care.
What Lucas had called fighting efficiently.
He felt like he understood that method a little.

Tension hung over the training ground again.
As soon as the sparring match between Aiden and Serpens ended, Frost gave the signal.

Serpens steadied his breathing and gripped his sword again.
He had used up some stamina in the match with Aiden, but there was still no major difficulty in moving.
He felt that steady running and the life-or-death sparring matches with Lucas had been a great help.

Violet drew her sword and fell into thought.

Aiden’s despairing expression, and the complicated feelings she was only now beginning to feel.
The cause was the boy before her.

Serpens took a short breath.
He could feel that this would be a different kind of fight from the one with Aiden.
A sword with a thin, long blade.
He had seen a sword like that before.
Was it a rapier?
It was the sword the elf had used in the Apex Tournament.

Serpens recalled the elf’s swordsmanship.
There had been many attacks focused on thrusting rather than cutting.
Most of the defense had been deflecting rather than blocking directly.
The matchup was not good.
In his sparring with Lucas, he had relatively few memories of blocking thrusting attacks.

Rather than dragging out the match, it would be advantageous to decide it with short, powerful attacks.

“As I said before, I will personally intervene when necessary. Do your best in the match.”
“Yes!”
“Yes.”

Frost rose into the air again.

“Sseup. Huu…….”

Serpens bent his upper body and steadied his breathing.
Strangely, his mind was clearer than ever.

At the same time, the starting signal was given.

No sooner had the signal been given than Violet moved.

Pabak!

Violet kicked off the ground and rushed forward, closing the distance to Serpens at high speed.
In the blink of an eye, her sword flew in.

Clang!

Serpens instinctively twisted his sword and blocked it.
But at the impact, stronger than expected, he frowned.

A tingling passed through his wrist.
It seemed fatigue from the previous match had accumulated.
He thought it would be better to mix dodging and defense rather than blindly swinging only strong attacks.

The two exchanged quick attacks.

Kang! Kang! Clang!

The sound of sword striking sword continued to ring out.
Violet didn’t lose the flow for even a moment.
Even amid continuous fast attacks, she maintained her balance and pushed Serpens back.
However, Serpens did not panic.
The boy deflected attacks with small movements while searching for an opening.
And finally, the moment Violet swung her sword, he twisted his body and attempted a counterattack.

Swaek-!

As Violet’s sword cut through the air, Serpens did not miss the opening and dug forward.
The boy’s sword moved quickly toward her waist.

However-

Kang-!

“Tch.”

Violet took one step back and blocked the counterattack.
It was a fast reaction speed.
But Serpens also closed the distance again, as if he had expected it.

‘A little more…… a little faster……!’

When he moved, he felt discomfort in his abdomen.
This too was the influence of the previous match.
It had happened because he had allowed Aiden’s attack to reach him.
That was why he had to end this match all the more quickly, and carefully at the same time.

Takang-!

The sparring match between the two grew even fiercer.
Fast, powerful attacks collided with flexible, deflecting defense.
Serpens moved his body more and more lightly to keep up with Violet’s speed.
Rather than receiving attacks head-on, he changed the direction of their force and attempted counterattacks.

‘Left again this time……?’

When Serpens aimed at his opponent’s shoulder.
Violet twisted her body to the left and counterattacked.
It had been the same the first time, the next time, and the time after that.

Kgeuk-.

As he deflected the attack, Serpens thought.
She was a strong opponent, but he could handle it.
Even by his own judgment, he had exposed several openings.
If it had been a sparring match with Lucas…… he would surely have already fallen several times over.

Kang-!

Was always dodging to the left a trap?
Or was it a habit?

Serpens decided to bet on the latter.
He swung his sword widely and induced Violet to create distance.
Violet stepped back exactly as he had intended.
Serpens thrust his sword while aiming for her shoulder.

The moment Violet’s body turned left to avoid the attack.
Serpens’s sword drew a diagonal line and headed toward Violet’s neck.