An Old Man from the Countryside Becomes a Swords Saint: I Was Just a Rural Sword Teacher, But My Successful Students Won’t Leave Me Alone! - CH 133

“Beryl. I heard you went through quite the crisis.”

“Thank you. Yeah, it was really rough,” I said.

A few days have passed since the turmoil in the basement of the Magician’s Academy.

I was summoned again by Lucy, the Academy’s headmistress, and went to her office there.

After killing that gigantic shadow wolf, the shadows above ground seemed to disperse as expected, so I think we should be happy that no more damage was done.

Ms. Quinella and the other teachers asked me about the details of the incident, but I just told them that it seems to have been resolved for the time being, and kept the details confidential.

I did this because I was unsure of how much I could talk about what happened down there.

Since Thyssel knew about the existence of the basement itself, it wouldn’t be strange for the teachers at the Academy to also know about it. However, no one seemed to know what was going on there.

Even Deputy Headmaster Brown, who is probably a top-level executive of the Academy, didn’t know about it at all. I’ve been silent until now because I thought that mentioning that giant shadow wolf in that situation would cause unnecessary repercussions for the academy.

“That Faustus kid, I thought he was sneaking around doing something behind my back but to think…” Lucy muttered.

And now, I had given Lucy the general run-down.

When she heard my report, she let out a sigh and I quietly asked her this:

“Did you guess he was up to something?”

“Well,” Lucy said. “I didn’t think he would do something like this. It’s ruined my business trip.”

“I’m sorry to hear about that…”

Yes. Lucy had cut short her business trip to the Empire and returned to Rebelis in a hurry. She must have heard about the incident somehow. I still don’t know how, though.

In general, I think that even a fast horse could have flown across the roads from here, but we’re talking about Lucy Diamond. I was confident that no matter how outlandish the manner the information was obtained, I wouldn’t be so surprised.

“So what was that thing in the basement?” I asked.

“Hmm, that’s right,” Lucy said. “Now that matters have played out like this, you have the right to know.”

Well, it doesn’t really matter how Lucy got the information. The important thing is that she’s here now because she knows everything.

Looking at the reaction to the question, Lucy knows about the basement of the Magician’s Academy. I was a little worried about how far I should ask her, but honestly, since I was personally involved in an incident like this, wouldn’t it be better if she told me the identity of that monster?

“That was Lono Ambrosia,” Lucy said. “It was a Named.”

“A Named…” I said.

I thought it wasn’t just any monster, but it turned out to be a Named. That’s why it was tough.

“Why is there a Named in the Academy’s basement?” I asked.

It was the question after that. Why was such a powerful and dangerous thing sealed in the Magician’s Academy, of all places?

“There were two purposes,” Lucy said. “Sealing and research. Since you’ve faced it, you should know it’s impossible to kill it.”

“Hmm……” I hummed.

It’s true that the giant shadow wolf… Lono Ambrosia couldn’t be killed, even with Thyssel’s maximum firepower. As expected, it’s impossible for Lucy to be able to use magic weaker than Thyssel’s, so it must be true that even Lucy can’t kill her.

“It’s easy to get rid of the shadows,” Lucy said. “But even I can’t destroy its core. No matter how much I get rid of the smaller shadows, if I leave that thing alone, it will regenerate again from the core. That’s why I sealed it away.”

“So it was the easy way to deal with it…” I said.

Lucy is explaining all this casually.

She speaks like it was so easy to imprison that shadow, I really felt that she was a special magician. I didn’t feel like I could defeat it by myself no matter how much I slashed at it.

Theoretically, it’s probably possible to shave off that shadow with physical attacks alone, but I don’t even want to imagine how much effort would be required. If you think about it normally, I think it’s a level that requires siege engines.

No, wait. Aside from that.

I had a bad feeling about the explanation right now, or rather, I feel that I’ve put myself in danger all over again.

Could it be that I’m carrying around the core of a Named?

“Umm, speaking of which… what did its core look like?” I said.

“Hmm? Oh, did you see it too, Beryl? It’s a jet-black crystal,” Lucy said.

“I wonder if it’s this thing…”

Rattle-rattle, I put down on Lucy’s table the broken black crystals I stored at my and Miu’s house than constantly carrying them around.

It wouldn’t be good if something like that spontaneously appeared in our house. Good thing this Named didn’t screw around when Miu was there. I’m so relieved right now.

“……Huh?”

As Lucy saw the crystals, she gasped with a rare look of surprise.

Oh, somehow this expression is so precious. She was always easy-going, and Lucy seemed to always be relaxed to the point that I started hating her, and now she seemed genuinely surprised. Somehow, just seeing this face makes me feel like it was worth coming to the Academy today.

“Beryl, did you… break this…?” Lucy said.

“Ah, yeah,” I said honestly. “Was that a bad thing after all…?”

Was I in the wrong for shattering it? From what I’ve heard, it seems that this Named was also a research subject.

Well, no, but it was hard to take the option of leaving this as it was down there. Please accept my apologies for how I acted in a crisis.

“Kuh… kuhahaha, HAAAH-HAHAHAHAH!”

“Uoh?!”

Contrary to my bracing myself and trying to dodge punishment, Lucy started roaring with delight.

“Kuh-kuku…!” Lucy snickered. “I see, I see, you broke it! Beryl, you’re still so impressive!”

“Eh, huh…?”

With tears in her eyes, Lucy continues to laugh and pats my shoulders. It hurts a little.

No, I would like an explanation as to why she suddenly burst out laughing. But at least it didn’t seem like something that would make her angry, so I was a little relieved.

“This one, even I couldn’t break it. Do you know what that means?” Lucy said, tapping at the crystal pieces on her table.

In other words, this core could not be destroyed even by Lucy’s magic.

Thyssel also said that this crystal is terrifyingly hard, so it’s probably insanely durable. The response when I cut it was also quite significant for such a small target.

“Haa…” I said. “You mean I cut something incredibly tough?”

“What in the hell is with that attitude? take pride in yourself,” Lucy snapped.

“No, even if you say that…” I said.

I slashed what neither Thyssel’s magic nor Lucy’s magic could break. I think it’s certainly amazing.

However, Lono Ambrosia’s crystals could simply have high magical defensive power, and if it’s a physical attack, it’s possible that it could be broken if you try hard enough, how should I put it, I was feeling like “That did it!” The current situation is only because my partner was what it was.

“I think it’s thanks to this guy that I was able to do that,” I said.

“Hmm, you mean that sword with a red sheath?” Lucy said.

Besides, the biggest factor is probably this sword made from Xeno Glaive.

Even if this sword had been wielded by Thyssel instead of me, I think the result would have been the same.

Because the sword was made from the material of a Named, it was able to cut the core of another Named. If you explain it that way, it’s far more convincing for me.

“Could you let me keep that sword for a while so I can study it?” Lucy asked.

“No, I will not,” I said almost reflexively.

“Tch,” Lucy went.

Well, if there is such a thing as the hidden power of this sword, I would like to know it. But I only have one, and I’m a little scared that if I leave it with her, she’ll disassemble it.

For now, this is a superb sword with terrifying sharpness and toughness. That much recognition will suffice. I just hope that I will never need more information than that.

“Hmm… the remnants of magical power are almost completely gone,” Lucy said as she holds the black crystal pieces in her hands.

I don’t know anything about the remnants of magical power, but if it’s gone, does that mean I was able to kill this thing completely?

“It’s hard to imagine that it will regenerate from here, but it would be better to seal it again for the time being,” Lucy said. “Is it okay for me to keep these things, instead?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said. “That’s what I was thinking of doing from the beginning.”

I didn’t even plan to protest. I had always intended to give Lono Ambrosia’s core pieces back to Lucy.

For the time being, there is no concern about it regenerating, but it would be a problem if something like that were to spring up again. I thought it would be the most certain thing to have Lucy seal it back in its old prison.

“Ahh, that you can cut even this… you’re amazing, Beryl,” Lucy said.

“You’re exaggerating,” I said. “If anything, I think it’s the awesome might of this sword.”

“It’s not the same as before, Beryl,” Lucy scolded me.

I can’t really take credit for this, anyway.

It was thanks to Thyssel’s magic that she was able to erase almost all of that giant shadow wolf, and it was this sword that was able to cut through the crystal core.

That’s I cut it, so it will be the result I report. However, as I said earlier, if she had this sword, I think the same result would have happened to Thyssel, and I think it would be the same for Alexia and Selena.

Ultimately, if someone with a certain level of skill wields this sword, they should be able to achieve similar results. I myself don’t think my skills are low, but I don’t think I’m too conceited to become a sword saint or something of the sort.

“Well, compared to before, I think I’ve gained a little more confidence,” I said.

“I see. That’s a good thing,” Lucy said.

From the time I was half-forcibly taken out of my village by Alexia until now, various events have happened at a dizzying pace in this brief period of time. All of them made me feel like it was a heavy burden, I think it’s okay to be proud of the fact that I’m still living like this.

Well, even so, I don’t think it’s good to call myself a sword master or be too self-conscious, so I’d like to remember to exercise self-restraint.

I’ve been using swords for many years, but it’s still hard to say that I’ve mastered swordsmanship. From now on, I would like to continue to devote myself to what I am capable of.

“By the way, what about Deputy Headmaster Brown?” I said.

“We’ll need to discuss his treatment, but whatever the decision, I don’t think he can stay at the Academy,” Lucy said.

“I see……” I said.

Of course, it is unlikely that Deputy Headmaster Brown, who could be said to be the main culprit of this incident, will be acquitted.

In the end, after Lono Ambrosia was dead, the Kingdom Garrison and the teachers who responded to the commotion tried to settle things down, but even then, it seemed Brown was arrested by the Garrison as a key witness to the incident.

We will have to wait a little while to see what kind of judgment will be given in the future, but as Lucy said, it will be difficult for him to remain the Academy’s Deputy Headmaster like before. As a result, there were no noticeable injuries, but the magnitude of what happened cannot be ignored.

“Hah, goodness,” Lucy said. “So much to think about and so much to do.”

“Haha, thank you for your hard work,” I said.

Finally, after listening to Lucy’s complaint-like murmuring, I cut off the conversation.

Since she is the Headmistress of the Magician’s Academy, there should be a lot of things that need she needs to answer to, as well. I can understand emotionally that she doesn’t know because she wasn’t there, but it just doesn’t make sense logically. Her responsibility for her lack of oversight will also be interrogated to some extent.

In that respect, I’ve never really thought about it, but the title of Special Instructor of the Knight Order and Temporary Lecturer of the Magician’s Academy are pretty cushy titles after all.

Regardless of your position, you should be held accountable for your actions.

However, in terms of not having to take responsibility for the actions that your organization’s people did without your knowledge, I felt that these positions were the most suitable for me.

I don’t want to be in a position that only increases my standing and responsibilities. I want to do my best for myself and only within my short reach.

“I can’t stop worrying about that girl… well, there are times when I’m glad I summoned you,” Lucy said, peering out at the school grounds from her office window.

“I see. I’m happy if I can continue to be of help,” I said as I looked down, as well.

There we saw Thyssel wielding a wooden sword against about 30 students.

“I won’t force you, but it would be helpful if you could continue to come to see how things are going. That would make her happy, too,” Lucy said.

“That’s what I’m going to do. I don’t want to see it this far and then jump out in the middle of things,” I said.

After that incident, the number of students taking the Sword Magic Course increased considerably.

Ms. Quinella’s testimony is that while I and Thyssel were doing our best underground, the five members of the Sword Magic Department were also dealing with the shadows that crawled out to the surface.

I scolded them for sticking their noses into something so dangerous, but on the other hand, it was understandable.

After all, it’s a swordsman’s nature to want to demonstrate it as long as you’re learning the sword. Even if you know it’s dangerous, they want to realize how far they can reach now. It is very difficult to escape the temptation.

In that sense, the five of them are technically immature, but mentally they are becoming full-fledged swordsmen.

I can’t accept the actions they took, but if I think that it led to the popularity of the Sword Magic Department as a result, I think it’s not bad, but it’s just in hindsight. If one of the students got hurt because of this, I couldn’t even look them in the eyes.

However, the results that can be seen in such situations are easy to convey.

I think it’s because of Ms. Quinella and the other teachers’ protection spells, but the way they fought bravely with wooden swords in one hand might have looked like they were glowing from the perspective of their fellow students.

“Thyss’s eyes seem to have changed, too,” Lucy said. “Those are the eyes of someone who wants to teach and lead.”

“Do you see it too, Master Lucy?”

And the big thing is that Thyssel’s attitude has changed greatly.

Up until now, she hadn’t said that she disliked teaching others, but she seemed to find it annoying somehow.

Since she herself is excellent, there must have been some stress in the act of teaching immature children.

However, given the opportunity to actually teach people like this, she struggles to find her own way of teaching, even though she continues to struggle at times.

It will be difficult to do it perfectly. It takes time to get used to teaching. When I first stood as a master at a dojo in the countryside, I remember feeling more anxious than she did..

I think I’ve gotten quite used to the act of teaching by now, but I still don’t think the path I’ve shown is always correct and perfect.

“Can I open the window for a moment?” I asked.

“Mm, I don’t mind. Are you curious?” Lucy said.

“Well, yeah,” I said.

With consent, I open the window of the Headmaster’s Office. A refreshing breeze that didn’t contain much humidity rushed through the room.

“–That is why magical ability is important, but in order to use Sword Magic properly, you should learn the correct form in swinging your blade. The basics are like this, and like this.”

Thyssel’s voice faintly reaches through the opened window.

“Kukuku, if you’re so worried about her, you’re free to join them,” Lucy said.

“No, I’m sure I’ll get in the way when she’s about to change,” I said.

Unlike at the beginning, Thyssel was also trying hard to teach her philosophy. She’s also pretty smart, to begin with, so once she gets the hang of it, she’ll be fast from there.

Excessive interference sometimes hinders growth when you’re trying hard to get someone out of their comfort zone. Of course, I’m curious about it, and as I said earlier, I don’t intend to leave her alone, so I’m going to have to show my face from time to time.

However, I still want to avoid hijacking the class as it happened in the beginning. Besides, as far as I can see, I have a feeling that she doesn’t need much of my guiding hands anymore. Lucy wanted me to oversee it in the future, but most of it is my selfishness.

It seems that the initial goal of increasing the popularity of the Sword Magic Department has been achieved. It’s hard to teach if the number increases so much, but on the other hand, it will also give you a sense of fulfillment.

And as with anything, when the numbers rise, we’ll have people rising to the top and falling to the bottom. As an educator, this is also a problem. How will Thyssel clear these issues that are expected in the near future? I’m still interested in the growth of the next generation.

“That’s it. Do you understand?” Thyssel said.

“Yes!”

Oops, it seems that Prof. Thyssel’s explanation has come to an end.

Just as Lucy commented that her eyes had changed, she seemed to enjoy making mistakes about teaching, which was great.

In the near future, if the number of first-class sword magic users like Thyssel increases to two or three, the synergistic effect will increase the popularity of the lectures.

I am honestly happy that I was able to be involved in the starting point of that glorious future, even if it was at the very end of the process. I hope that they and their teacher will be able to witness further growth and development in the future.

“Then let’s actually put it to practice,” Thyssel said. “All of you take out your wooden swords. 1,000 strikes.”

“… Are you sure you don’t want to interrupt?” Lucy said.

“No, well, hahaha… for now, I’ll watch over them…”

On the sunny school grounds of the Magician’s Academy:

The energetic voices of the students echoed.

“Yeah, it feels good. Nice. Good,” Thyssel called out.

“Because she’s doing her best too, isn’t she?” I said. “It’s not my place to interfere now.”

I try to listen to her faint voice amid the swings and the battle cries.

T/N: This is now the end Book 4.