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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Skill Reveal (2)
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After finishing our meal, Shin Se-hee and I returned to the training ground.
"Wow…"
"Huh…"
Swish, swish—
Whoosh!—
A sword danced through the air, carving graceful arcs.
It was sharp, dazzling, and beautiful.
At the same time, the sword strikes ruthlessly aimed for the opponent's vital points.
In the center of the training ground, the instructor was wielding a sword alone.
'Ah, so the instructor specializes in swordsmanship.'
I knew it the moment I saw her.
This person was a master, possessing greater skill with the sword than even I did.
*Clink.*
Perhaps noticing Shin Se-hee and my arrival, the instructor sheathed her sword.
Then, with an impassive face, she spoke.
"Are the others not here yet?"
"Ah, Do-hee is on her way."
*A quick glance.*
The instructor turned her gaze to the clock and said,
"From 12 PM to 6 PM is individual position training. Those who don't arrive on time will face the corresponding penalty."
It seemed she intended to treat the two quota students as if they weren't even there.
"Student Jin Yuha."
"Yes."
"You have admirably kept up with the basic training for the special admission students."
"Thank you."
"No, to be honest, it was unexpected. I didn't think you'd truly be able to complete all the training. I commend you."
"Th-thank you?"
I'd felt it since I first met her, but she was an incredibly blunt person.
Who praises someone with such a stone-faced expression?
"Originally, I had intended to skip the skill assessment for the quota students, but… given the ability you displayed this morning, I'm curious."
The instructor picked up two wooden swords lying on the floor.
She then tossed one of them toward me.
*Thwack.*
The wooden sword landed safely in my hand.
"Male quota. Student Jin Yuha. Your position is a dealer. I heard you use a sword as your weapon. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I also use a sword. So, this time, let's spar without using magic. Is that acceptable?"
It was certainly a well-timed offer.
If I could show my true skill here and now, I might be able to somewhat dilute Kang Do-hee's preconceptions about male quota students.
I nodded.
"Yes, please."
"Begin when you're ready."
The hilt felt snug in my hand.
Of course, it didn't feel as good as Wolkwang.
However, even if it was made of wood, this was still a sword.
My lips curled into a smile without me realizing it.
As I gripped the sword, it felt as if the resolution of the world around me had sharpened by a level.
A sensation I hadn't felt during basic training became keenly honed.
"Then, I ask for your guidance."
"Hmm."
*Whoosh!—*
I pushed off the ground and charged at the instructor.
* * *
*Swish!*
Jin Yuha's sword moved smoothly, painting arcs in the air.
The series of continuous movements—slashing, thrusting, striking down—were as natural as flowing water.
Flowing so smoothly, yet changing unpredictably into powerful, fierce swings.
*Whoosh!—*
The sound of the wooden sword cutting through the air sent a chill down her spine.
"…"
The instructor, Baek Seol-hui, felt a strange sensation as she watched the sword bearing down on her.
As the Velvet Academy Director's direct secretary, she didn't typically serve as an instructor.
Her primary duty was to assist the Director.
And her more fundamental task was to eliminate the fiends and scoundrels who targeted the academy from the shadows.
However, this time, the Director had unusually exercised her authority to ask her for a favor.
—Seol-hui! Are you preparing well for the basic training speech?
—Yes.
—You know those special admission students coming in this time? They say some truly incredible kids have joined after several years. Hmm, Cheonhwa and Tukyeon, I think their names were. Just look after them during basic training.
—I'm busy.
—Oh, come on~ I don't think anyone but you can properly test them. Huh? Please? Oh, and the male quota students too!
—I have a mission to attend to.
—Seol-hui, Seol-hui! No, no!!! If we don't properly look after the male quota students, those old hags will go ballistic! Who else can I trust but you?!
—I have a mission to attend to.
—Alright, so that's how you want to play it, huh? Then, I'll use my authority as Director!
It was a task she had been forcefully pushed into.
Indeed, Cheonhwa and Tukyeon lived up to their names.
Cheonhwa's magic held the potential to wipe out common monsters in one go,
and Tukyeon's combat skills were on par with her own, at least in terms of hand-to-hand combat.
However, those two weren't all that surprising to her.
She could roughly estimate their skill levels by observing the results they achieved.
But Jin Yuha.
She hadn't held even a speck of expectation for him, a student admitted through the quota system.
She had always thought the quota system itself was a half-baked policy created by half-baked individuals.
Forcibly bringing in unqualified individuals wouldn't help anyone.
That's why she had only assessed the special admission students' skills on the first day.
But then,
'Huh, what in the world is this guy…?'
She was truly surprised.
To the point where her normally expressionless eyes widened.
*Thwack!—*
*Click!—*
She parried and flowed around his sword strikes, impressed.
First, his stamina, willpower, and mental fortitude all passed.
Not only had he completed the special admission students' training schedule in a male body, but he had also achieved better results than Shin Se-hee, even though she was a mage.
That alone was more than enough for her to remember his name and look at him differently.
It made her wonder if, by some strange chance, this ridiculous male quota system could actually yield someone worthwhile.
Yet, this was too… strange.
*Thud.*
*Clatter!—*
*Thwack!*
A lifelong swordsman, she found their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they had practiced together.
When she attacked, he would read the opening and thrust.
When she parried and counter-attacked, he would retreat a step, then immediately launch a flurry of strikes.
It was as if he knew in advance where the next attack or defense should be.
'Every single sword path he wields is incredibly precise.'
It was like watching a sword manual brought to life.
And now that their bodies were clashing, she understood.
'This kid… he wasn't even fully utilizing his physical capabilities during the basic training earlier.'
Jin Yuha seemed unable to properly leverage his innate physical specifications.
Of course, even if he had fully utilized them, it would have been difficult to beat Kang Do-hee in basic training,
but he would have been able to follow her closely, just a step behind.
'That's probably due to a lack of experience.'
He possessed superior physical specs, but he had never used his body.
He had never used his body, yet the sword paths he drew were precise.
A naturally gifted body that had never been properly used,
and the ability to execute such swordsmanship immediately without any prior experience.
That is what one called a 'genius.'
'What an absurd individual.'
It was enough to make her let out a small, incredulous laugh.
However, he was different from the perfect, complete geniuses born into the world.
Flaws became clearly visible to her eyes.
'His breathing is unstable. His posture isn't habituated yet, as he only recently picked up a sword. His sword paths are precise but too formalized. He lacks versatility. And…'
Before she knew it, Baek Seol-hui was observing Jin Yuha's flaws and imagining how to correct them.
If Jin Yuha were to correct all these things and properly wield a sword, what would happen?
*Shiver!—*
Baek Seol-hui imagined that future on her own, and felt goosebumps prickle all over her skin.
*Thud.*
"Let's stop here."
She knocked away a thrust aimed at her face and spoke.
This was enough for her to understand.
*Gasp—*
*Gasp—*
Jin Yuha was breathing heavily, wiping sweat from his brow.
Shin Se-hee and Kang Do-hee were doubting if what they had just witnessed was real.
Their expressions were even more astonished than when he had completed the morning's training schedule.
'Of course. Even I was this surprised.'
However, what she was about to say would be even more astonishing.
Baek Seol-hui felt a slight anticipation for how those haughty special admission students would react.
"Student Jin Yuha."
Baek Seol-hui met his gaze calmly.
"Gasp. Yes."
"Is this your first time wielding a sword?"
At that, Jin Yuha flinched, his face showing surprise.
'Just as I thought.'
"First, judging by what's visible, there isn't a single callus on your hands. And your will and body are mismatched. Your movements lack any ingrained habit. You know it in your head, but the execution is unnatural."
"Ah…"
"That's not to say your physical specs are lacking. Quite the opposite, they're considerable. However, you fall far short in natural talent for swordsmanship."
"…Yes."
"You also seem to not know how to use your body. Have you only recently started using your body?"
"…Yes."
Baek Seol-hui even felt a sense of amusement, and she smiled.
"Ha, truly. This is a very interesting young man."
She had never imagined in her life that she would want to play the role of an instructor.
Wasn't this truly a desirable rough gem?
'I should request the Director to open a swordsmanship class.'
* * *
Wow. Crazy.
It really seemed that Velvet Academy instructors weren't just for show.
I had thought that my S-rank in swordsmanship meant that the sword I wielded proved that level of skill.
However, the instructor said.
It looked as if I was wielding a sword for the first time today.
And that I didn't know how to use my body either.
Her words were precise.
In my case, neither was something I gained through training; they were more like a starting package, a stroke of luck that had suddenly boosted me overnight.
'But she's really amazing. What kind of person is she, anyway…?'
My original goal was to show off my skills in front of Kang Do-hee, but…
She could hold her own against Kang Do-hee in hand-to-hand combat, and she could not only withstand my S-rank swordsmanship but even overwhelm me.
I hadn't been particularly curious about the instructor until now, but at this point,
I couldn't help but wonder.
'Her face didn't even appear in the game…'
Sharp, blunt-cut black hair.
A pale face with a cold, expressionless demeanor.
She definitely had too strong a presence to be just an extra.
As I stared at the instructor, she opened her mouth.
"Starting tomorrow, I will arrange a separate basic training schedule for Student Jin Yuha."
A separate basic training schedule?
Was she going to make it lighter than the special admission students' schedule because I supposedly couldn't use my body well?
"Don't worry. It will be harder, not easier, than the special admission training."
The instructor seemed to read my mind, scoffing as she said that.
Indeed, she didn't seem like just an extra.
"What's your name, Instructor?"
I asked, somehow thinking I might recognize her name.
"…Baek Seol-hui."
It was an unfamiliar name.