Chapter 25 : Magic Tower City (2)

“From today, I will be your temporary combat instructor, and my name is Haru.”

The students gathered in the training ground murmured. They say it’s the best magic school on the continent, but their faces all look so young.

These kids are supposed to be future great magicians?

“Excuse me… Instructor?”

A boy in the front row hesitantly raised his hand. He looked like a typical student from the Magic Tower city.

“You’re saying someone who doesn’t even know the magic amplification coefficient… is going to teach us?”

It seems that what happened in the principal’s office has already spread.

“Then, shall we give it a try?”

I drew my sword. It was a regular wooden sword, not a holy sword. This was actually more convenient for teaching.

“Huh? What do you…”

“Anyone, try to attack me with magic.”

The students stirred. They exchanged glances, and one boy stepped forward.

“I’ll give it a try!”

With blue hair and a confident expression, he must be a top-tier student.

“I’m a 4th-grade mage. I’ve also studied combat magic…”

“Start.”

Before the boy could finish his sentence, I raised my sword.

“Huh? Oh, okay. Watch closely!”

A dazzling magic circle unfolded. Ether crystals glimmered in the air as they gathered magical energy.

“Spirit of Fire…”

Whew, this is complicated. In games, it’s just one button press.

“With eternal flames…”

While he chanted the long spell, I simply stood and waited.

“Explosion!”

Finally, the spell was completed. Brilliant flames surrounded me.

I could have easily avoided it, but I deliberately took the hit head-on. For educational purposes.

“How about that? My magic…”

The blade of my sword touched the boy’s neck.

…

“What… How did…”

“Too slow.”

I withdrew my sword and said.

“When fighting demons, you won’t have time to chant such long spells. You’d be dead at least five times in that time.”

The students’ eyes widened.

“But the textbook says…”

“Textbooks won’t defeat demons. The real world is different.”

I slowly walked around the training ground as I continued.

“Demons instinctively use magic. No incantations, the moment they think it, it’s activated.”

I raised my sword again.

“Now, let’s all try it. Use your strongest magic.”

The students stirred. They exchanged glances and simultaneously activated their magic circles.

Fireballs, ice spears, lightning arrows came flying from all directions. There were so many spells, they could block the sky.

But…

“Too slow.”

The sword gleamed as it cut through the air. One by one, the spells were neutralized.

“Magic is flashy and powerful. But it has just as many openings.”

As I finished speaking, all the spells disappeared. The students’ mouths fell open.

“Impossible…”

“That’s cheating…”

“The textbook never said you could block magic with a sword…”

I could hear murmurs.

“Well, shall we start the real lesson now?”

I raised my sword again.

All the students’ eyes focused on me.

In battle, theory is useless. Of course, that doesn’t mean I can’t teach theory…

“Get ready. I’ll help you develop your real combat senses.”

“Huh?!”

“Real fights don’t follow the textbook. You only learn by clashing directly.”

I raised my sword.

“Now, come at me. Oh, and really try to kill me. I’ll dodge anyway.”

The students’ faces turned pale. But soon, as if making up their minds, they activated their magic circles.

“Start!”

A feast of magic began. Flashy spells filled the sky.

But I just smiled. Magic like this? I’ve seen it thousands of times in games.

“Now, let me show you what real combat is like.”

The sword flashed as it sliced through the air. Today might be fun.

“Ahhh!”

“Run away!”

“Please, save us!”

The training ground turned into chaos. As I chased after the fleeing students, I thought.

“Now, where are you hiding?”

I slung the wooden sword over my shoulder and walked around the training ground. I could hear the trembling breaths of the hidden students.

“Well, they need this kind of hardship to understand what real combat is.”

And so, the day began. Until I got permission to access the Arcana Archives, I’ll have to entertain these kids.

By the way, I hope no one becomes obsessed again.

It was nearing the end of the morning training.

“U-um, Instructor…”

A girl approached. The first thing I noticed was her neatly tied black hair. Her white school uniform was flawless, and her ribbon was tied at a perfect angle.

“Serena, was it?”

“I’m honored that you remembered.”

She was the class president, after all. Her tone was different from the others. She greeted me in a polite voice, an exemplary model student.

“What’s the matter?”

“Um… could you teach me swordsmanship?”

That was an unexpected request. I opened the attendance book and checked Serena’s details. From the prestigious magic family Alterion? But swordsmanship?

“Magic would suit you better.”

“I like the sword.”

Her voice was firm. Her gaze was unwavering.

“You’re an interesting student. So, what does your family think about this?”

A brief silence followed.

“My father… says the sword is a lowly weapon.”

Serena’s voice became softer.

“But I know. That there are strong swordsmen like you, Instructor.”

Her eyes sparkled.

“I really want to learn. Please.”

A sigh escaped me. It’s hard to reject such passionate eyes.

“Alright. But there are conditions.”

“Anything!”

“First, start from the basics. Swordsmanship is all about posture.”

Serena nodded.

“Second, keep practicing magic too. If you’re good at both, you’ll become even stronger.”

“Yes!”

“And lastly…”

I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully before speaking.

“Never… fall for me.”

“Huh? What do you mean…”

Serena’s face turned red.

“I’m just joking. Now, shall we begin?”

I handed her a wooden sword. Serena carefully grasped it.

“First, let’s try the basic stance. Spread your feet like this…”

“Excuse me, Instructor.”

“Yes?”

“About what you said earlier… is something going on?”

It was a sharp question.

“I told you, it was just a joke.”

“But…”

“Focus on your stance. Don’t grip the sword too tightly.”

I changed the topic. Serena didn’t ask any more questions, but I could feel her eyes still watching me closely.

“Now, let’s work on the basic swing.”

“Yes, Instructor.”

The lesson proceeded smoothly. Serena was quick to learn.

“Wow!”

The wooden sword cut through the air. Her stance was perfect from the start.

“Nice job. So, you’re not just a genius at magic?”

“No, I’m just…”

Serena’s face turned red.

“Everyone calls me a genius, but I just… work hard.”

Her humble attitude made me smile.

“Still, this is impressive. To be this good on the first day. You must practice with a sword regularly?”

“Actually… I’ve been practicing in secret.”

Serena nervously fiddled with the wooden sword.

“My family opposes it, but… I love the sword. It calms my heart when I hold one.”

There was sincerity in her voice.

“Alright, since I have nothing else to do, I’ll teach you seriously for a while.”

“Really?”

Serena’s eyes sparkled.

“But remember the promise?”

“Yes?”

“Never fall for me.”

Serena smiled.

“Don’t worry. I understand the teacher-student relationship.”

“Good to hear.”

But for some reason, there was something suspicious in her smile.

‘It’s probably just my imagination.’

The training resumed. Yet, an unease crawled up my back for some reason.

After the magic lesson, swordsmanship resumed. And once again, it was swordsmanship training.

Every day, she appeared. Even after class ended, I would see her practicing alone.

“Instructor, how is this stance?”

“Mm, it’s fine. But try to straighten your elbows more when you swing.”

“Instructor!”

“Yes?”

“Could you teach me on the weekend too?”

Uh-oh.

“That’s…”

Just as I was about to refuse, Serena’s serious gaze stopped me.

Her love for the sword, her desire to grow stronger, and most of all, her humble attitude to learn.

‘Ah, this is the real deal.’

This was different from the dangerous obsessions I had seen before. It was the pure passion of a disciple who simply loved swordsmanship.

“Alright.”

The answer slipped out of my mouth without thinking.

Serena’s face brightened, and her smile was completely genuine. There was no trace of anything suspicious in it.

…At least, that’s how it seemed for now.

“I’m sorry, but the review is still ongoing…”

The words of my assistant, which I heard every morning, lingered in my ears. It wasn’t just bureaucracy typical of mages; it was excessively persistent.

‘How long are they going to keep reviewing? Are they just making excuses until I can get into the lab assistant position?’

Growing weary of being a teacher, I walked through the streets of Arcana, the Magic Tower city. The crystal towers pierced the sky. The streetlights powered by magic started to flicker on one by one.

“Wait, something feels off.”

It was a secluded alleyway.

“Where is such a rare person walking alone…”

A few men surrounded a female student.

The student, wearing a school uniform, had a sword strapped to her back.

It was Serena.

“You’re walking around such an alley at this time of night. Dangerous, isn’t it, young lady?”

“Excuse me… could you step aside?”

Serena’s voice trembled, unlike her usual confident self.

“Why’s your skirt so short? These days, students are something else…”

One man reached out his hand. Serena instinctively tried to grab her sword.

“Carrying a sword too? Is this some kind of fashion…?”

“Want us to teach you what a real sword is? Swordsmanship is good, but you should learn other things too.”

Another man grabbed Serena’s wrist.

“Let go of me!”

Serena resisted, but she couldn’t overpower the man’s strength.

“If you keep resisting, we’ll have to be a little rough, you know? We’d prefer to keep it gentlemanly…”

The men’s filthy laughter filled the alley.

This was enough.

“Hey.”

The men turned toward my voice.

“What? Don’t interfere! You want to die?!”

Before he could finish his sentence, a punch flew. I’d been irritated by them for a while.

“Ugh!”

The thug grabbed his nose and collapsed. The sensation of crushing bones was clear in my fist.

“Instructor!”

Serena’s eyes sparkled.

“You shouldn’t be hanging around at night like this. It goes against the city’s morals.”

The thugs rushed at me.

“You little…”

“Beat him!”

The biggest guy charged forward. His stance was sloppy. It looked like the kind of fight you’d see in a neighborhood brawl.

Sigh, how tiresome.

“Serena.”

“Yes?”

“Watch the stance.”

I subtly shifted my foot. One thug flew through the air, hitting the ground.

“Lower your center of gravity and use the opponent’s strength…”

I grabbed the man’s arm and gently twisted it. It didn’t matter how big he was—his center of gravity collapsed, and he fell hard to the ground.

“That’s how it’s done.”

“Let’s… run!”

“It’s a monster!”

The remaining thugs quickly fled, abandoning their fallen comrade.

‘Even on a night like this, I’m playing the hero.’

I shook my head at the thugs lying on the ground. No matter how much of a magic city this was, once night fell, these trash types still slithered around.

I stepped on one of the fallen thugs again. If these kinds of people worsened the security, the property values in Arcana would drop.

‘Well, I guess I can consider this part of being a hero. I need to protect the residents’ real estate too.’

Monsters and demons are outside the city walls, but these human scum live right next door.

“Instructor…”

Serena called me with a trembling voice.

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Her eyes were red. Her usual confident demeanor was nowhere to be found.

“What are you doing here at this late hour?”

“Well…”

Serena fiddled with her sword hilt, hesitating.

“I was practicing. I want to get stronger… like you, Instructor.”

A sigh escaped me.

“Your passion for swords is good, but you need to pick the right time and place.”

“I’m sorry…”

Serena’s shoulders trembled. It seemed the fear from earlier hadn’t left her yet.

“I’ll take you home.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine…!”

“This is an order. Instructor’s orders. You should listen well, you being the model student.”

Serena smiled faintly.

‘…Thank you.’

We walked through the night streets. The magical energy from the spires faintly lit our path.

“Um… Instructor.”

“Mm?”

“Could you teach me the stance you showed today during the next lesson?”

Sigh, this kid…

“Even after what just happened, you’re thinking about swordsmanship?”

Her gaze was still serious. It seemed like she had returned to her usual self.

“But promise me.”

“I got it. I said I wouldn’t fall for you, didn’t I? You’re too good-looking for your own good.”

“What are you talking about? I was suggesting that you promise not to practice alone late at night from now on.”

“Ah… Ah! That, that’s… I’m sorry!”

Serena nodded, her face bright red.

“I promise. But…!”

“But?”

“You have to keep teaching me, okay…?”

This girl, even in this situation, still talking about lessons…

“Alright, alright.”

Serena’s face lit up brightly. Her smile sparkled under the moonlight.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling. That look… I’d seen it somewhere before.

‘No, it’s just my imagination. There’s no way someone as pure as her…’

But the chill running down my spine didn’t go away easily.