Swordsmanship Genius Sees the Future

Chapter 44 - Below the Pit

At the time of the inter-class competition finals, the 1st Year Class B classroom was empty.

Even the usually quiet students were enthusiastically cheering from the grand auditorium's spectator stands.

For some reason, just leaving the classroom made them feel brighter.

However, there was one student who wasn't like that.

Eunice Doffenhauser.

The long-haired girl who was always lying down or looking out the window.

Even now, she remained alone in the empty classroom, lying face down.

"..."

She wasn't asleep.

Had the inter-class competition ended by now?

Wind blew in through the open window.

Her long hair swayed, revealing and then hiding her half-closed eyes.

Just now, someone else's fate was toyed with by the ley lines.

The ley lines are the source of power by which the Sword King Families dominate the world.

Most people think of them as something like underground water where Aura flows.

But the world wasn't that simple.

The ley lines were a grand principle of the world that mere humans couldn't even imagine.

She knew.

Borrowing the power of the ley lines meant getting caught up in that principle.

Once you fall in, you can't escape.

The stronger the Aura you borrow, the deeper you get entangled.

Deeper.

Even deeper.

And Eunice had fallen deeper than anyone else.

Aura 8-star.

It was a cursed talent.

She was recognized by the ley lines from the moment she was born.

At this point, it wasn't just borrowing the power of the ley lines.

She herself already functioned as a branch of the ley lines.

A living ley line connected to the world.

The ley lines watched her.

The ley lines wanted her to solve their problems.

The ley lines wanted her to enter them.

To fill the void left by someone who had messed things up and then left as they pleased.

So this was inevitable.

Eunice had difficulty communicating with others since childhood.

Because her mind was always drawn to the ley lines, wandering deep underground.

She spent more time immersed in the ley lines, flowing through them, than interacting with humans.

Humans cannot resist the ley lines.

Her fragile mind was soon to be swallowed by the massive wave, disappearing without a trace.

Then the wind blew again.

Whoosh.

Eunice stared at her swaying hair and opened her mouth blankly.

"No one..."

But no one heard her voice.

"No one... No one can save me..."

The classroom was empty.

Eunice thought she would soon be like that too.

***

The place I opened my eyes to was filled with the scent of herbs.

It was a room I'd never seen before.

I was lying on a narrow cot, wearing white clothes that looked like a patient's gown.

"..."

Where was this?

And who changed my clothes?

It didn't really matter, but the clothes felt comfortable.

Could I keep them?

They'd make good pajamas later.

Then a voice came from beside me.

"...Yes! That black snake swallowed my friend! Die, villain! I will avenge the grudge of our blue frog tribe! Take this, frog punch! Yah!"

It was Froggy next to the bed.

He was shaking a doll in his hand, playing by himself.

"Yah! Ugh! How dare you! But I, the black snake, will not die from such an attack! You pathetic fool. I'll swallow you too, just like your friend! Hahaha!"

Was he performing a one-man play?

He was deeply immersed in his acting, unaware that I had woken up.

This wasn't good.

If I spoke now, an awkward situation might arise.

I closed my eyes again and pretended to have just woken up.

"Ugh... Cough! Cough! Ugh..."

"Shut up! I won't die! My friend's life depends on me... Ray!"

He finally turned to me, holding the doll high.

"You're awake! Good thing I did this!"

"...This?"

"A charm. When I was little and sick, my mom used to do this next to me. She said it helps ward off illness."

"It seems to really work. Thank you."

Of course, I wasn't sick, but I was grateful for his thoughtfulness anyway.

"How do you feel? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"I don't hurt anywhere. But my throat..."

My throat felt so dry it might crumble.

Froggy immediately brought a glass of water from the nearby table.

"Thirsty, aren't you? Neither humans nor frogs can live without water."

It was true.

Drinking water made me feel alive.

Froggy picked up the water bottle and refilled the empty glass.

"Drink a lot. This is the infirmary."

"The infirmary... The one on the 3rd floor of the main building?"

"Yup. And it's been two days. You've been unconscious for two days. You woke up after two days."

"What?"

My head went blank for a moment.

Unconscious for two days?

That's absurd...

No, perhaps it was natural.

The final match squeezed everything out of me.

It wasn't strange to be exhausted and pass out after using Illusionary Sword so much.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I don't seem to be hurt anywhere."

"That's a relief. The healers visited a lot while you were unconscious. But what did you do at the end?"

"Huh?"

"The transparent swords you poured down like rain. People were calling them Illusionary Swords, but are Illusionary Swords normally like that?"

Froggy's question felt strange.

He saw that?

"You saw the Illusionary Swords?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"Clearly?"

"Yeah. Very clearly. Why?"

"It's normally a technique that can't be seen."

But why was it visible?

I don't know.

Illusionary Swords are only visible to the target.

So to someone who doesn't know, it just looks like the user is flailing around by themselves.

"Really? I don't know, but I definitely saw it. It was really spectacular. Anyway, we won, so hurray! We even got an extra point. Hehe!"

Froggy shook the doll as if it didn't matter.

I briefly looked around the empty infirmary, where only the two of us were, and then bowed my head.

"Thank you, Froggy."

"Huh? Why suddenly?"

"You stayed by my side. And did things like warding off bad luck. All while I was unconscious."

"No, I didn't? Phil was here on the first day."

Froggy drew a scar pattern on his face and laughed.

"When he came to visit after class, he said he was bored to death and asked to switch. So I said okay. Hehe! Now I can go home too! No, before that, I have to go see my frog. Wait for me, Antoarica! By the way, aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten for two days. I brought some snacks..."

And then he started rummaging busily through the bag next to him.

Now that he mentioned it, I was hungry.

Incredibly hungry.

I felt like I could even eat pickled potatoes right now.

Creak...

Just then, the infirmary door opened, and someone backed in.

"Yes. I'll take over here then. I'll stay by his side until tonight and..."

It was Professor Totten.

The professor, who had been talking to someone outside, turned around and smiled broadly.

"Ray! You're awake!"

"I apologize for causing you worry."

"No. It's a relief. It really is a relief."

The professor sighed in relief.

And he patted Froggy's shoulder, who was rummaging through his bag.

"Well done, Froggy. You stayed by his side well. Good job."

"I just sat still. Hehe."

That was a lie.

He was happily playing with dolls by himself, but he was pretending otherwise.

"Still, good job. The sun will set soon, so it's best you head back."

It was a signal to leave.

Froggy wasn't completely oblivious and nodded.

"Yes, Professor. I'll head back first then. Take care, Ray. I'll be waiting in the pond."

And then he pressed something into my hand and hopped out.

I opened my hand to find a white bead. Was this candy?

"Pond?"

"Ah, that's his frog's home."

"...Frog's home?"

"Before, Froggy said he wanted to raise a frog. We dug a pond near the dormitory and he is raising frogs in it."

He didn't mention that the frog in question was a poisonous frog the size of a small calf.

The professor finally seemed to understand and gave a wry smile.

"Froggy really seems to like frogs. Before, during our consultation time, he kept talking about frogs, which made it a bit awkward. It's not like I know anything about frogs. But it's a relief that he seems to have a kind heart. He must have been bored just sitting there. You have a good friend, Ray."

"Thank you, Professor."

"And that Phil from Class C too, you're lucky with friends. Anyway, it's a relief you woke up safely. By the way, you..."

"Ugh."

"It's a punishment. Stay still."

The professor suddenly ruffled my hair and sighed.

"You scared me half to death. Did you really have to go that far? It's a good thing both of you are safe... It could have been a big disaster."

"I'm sorry, Professor."

"I didn't think it, but your competitive spirit is incredible. As expected, blood doesn't lie... Sigh."

The professor sighed and shook his head.

Competitive spirit, huh.

That's not it.

But there's no other way to explain it.

It was true that I wanted to win no matter what.

And in the end, I won.

Conversely, if I had lost, the academy would have been destroyed.

Why that would happen, I still don't know...

Indeed, I really don't know.

Why on earth did the Black Luna family attack the academy?

And so desperately, even to the point of annihilation, as if they were sworn enemies?

"Anyway, a win is a win. Congratulations, Ray. Thanks to you, we defeated Class A and won the inter-class competition. You've made history for the academy."

The professor finally withdrew his hand and smiled.

"Watching you made my blood boil. To think that someone who only just experienced Illusionary Sword a few days ago reached the final stage of Illusionary Sword... Well, I guess that's what a genius is. You worked hard."

"Thank you, Professor. But usually Class A wins, right?"

"Of course. There hasn't been a single exception in the last five years. By the way, do you know the name Ansbach?"

"Are you referring to Professor Ansbach of the Highwind family? Wind God?"

The answer came immediately.

The professor nodded as if he had expected it.

"Yes. You know him."

Of course, I know him.

Ansbach Highwind.

An unparalleled sword genius and war hero produced by the Highwind family, known as a prestigious swordsmanship family alongside Granvelle.

He's also famous by his nickname, Wind God.

"He was an elder professor here until a few years ago. He retired, citing his age, but I brought him back. He's a great elder of the Swordsmanship Faction. Do you remember me talking about the Swordsmanship Faction before?"

"Yes, Professor."

The Swordsmanship Faction, huh.

I just heard that such a thing existed.

To be precise, he just yelled something about me being the successor to the Swordsmanship Faction or something, without explaining it.

"The name is grand, isn't it? It's just a gathering of people who believe that swordsmanship is the most important thing for a swordsman."

"Isn't that just how it is?"

"Huh?"

"What's more important than swordsmanship for a swordsman?"

"Indeed."

The professor nodded with a pleased expression.

"You are indeed qualified, Ray Granvelle. These days, there aren't many people who think that way. Everyone thinks Aura is more important than swordsmanship."

Aura, huh.

That's true.

You can fight without swordsmanship, but if you can't use Aura, it's impossible to even go to the battlefield.

The enemy uses poison, and Aura blocks poison.

"Of course, no one can deny that Aura is important. Nevertheless, the Swordsmanship Faction is a group of people who believe that swordsmanship is more important than Aura. But there's no need to feel pressured. I'm not forcing you to join the Swordsmanship Faction right now. Most of all..."

The professor touched the back of his head and gave a wry smile.

"...Nothing really changes even if you join."

"Doesn't it?"

"No."

"What exactly does the Swordsmanship Faction do?"

"It's a gathering of like-minded people who exchange swordsmanship techniques. Sometimes they lament about the world too. Anyway, the reason I brought Professor Highwind back is because I wanted you to receive his teachings."

My ears perked up instantly.

Receiving direct teachings from the Wind God? Really?

"It would be an honor for me. But I heard he doesn't take on disciples separately?"

My brother Rajiks had mentioned that before.

The professor cleared his throat and nodded.

"Ahem. That's usually the case. He's quite an eccentric person... Still, after seeing your match, he said he definitely wanted to meet you. He seemed to like you. But yesterday, he received an urgent telegram and returned to his family home. He said something happened in his family."

"That's a shame. If I had woken up sooner, I could have met him."

"No need to be disappointed. He'll be back in two months. Anyway, it's a relief you woke up safely. How's your body? You were unconscious for two days."

"I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine."

"The healers said similar things. That you weren't hurt at all. They said you'd get better with plenty of rest. Professor Highwind was also surprised. He admired that you seemed to have no after-effects despite using the Illusionary Sea."

"What's Illusionary Sea?"

"He also said you'd ask that."

Professor Totten continued with an amused expression.

"It's the name of the technique you used. I don't know the details myself, so it would be best to ask him when you meet him later."

I nodded silently.

Illusionary Sea, huh.

So that technique already existed in the world.

"Anyway, it's best you return to the dormitory today. Don't be complacent just because you're not hurt, and get plenty of rest. Can you come to school tomorrow?"

"Yes. I've already missed two days."

"Don't worry. I've marked it as sick leave, so you won't lose any credits. Oh, and it would be good if you came a little early before class tomorrow. You have to stop by the Dean's office first."

"Why the Dean's office?"

"The Dean will present you with a trophy and give you some words of encouragement. It's an academy tradition. It's usually done right after the inter-class competition, but it was postponed because you passed out. Do you like cookies, by any chance?"

"Yes, I do."

It wasn't because they were cookies.

Anything edible right now would be good.

But why cookies?

"That's good. Then I'll see you tomorrow, Ray. Go back carefully."

The professor waved his hand and left the infirmary.

I belatedly looked down at the candy in my palm.

Did he bring up cookies because he saw this?

This isn't a cookie, it's candy...