30 Years Have Passed Since the Prologue

39 – 9. An assault always happens during the academy field study. (3)

*

There is a saying, “Hide in the forest to hide the leaves.” This is an ancient proverb about camouflage techniques. (Not really.)

Therefore, a stealth unit infiltrating the forest becomes a master of setting traps using leaves. The installation method may vary depending on the season, but since Krassilope only has summer and winter, it is relatively easy.

-Ting—

“Ah!!”

Isabel wrapped her head with her hands and rolled her body when she heard the sharp sound of the string snapping. Soon, with a familiar explosion, Isabel stood in the spot where the explosion occurred.

“Really! This is almost deadly!”

“Weren’t you the one who asked to be taught in a real fight?”

“That’s not what I meant! It’s different!”

Isabel stood up and immediately swung her sword in the direction of the sound.

-Kaang!

“Kill your emotions.”

“I want to kill that man!”

A total record of 17 matches, 0 wins, and 17 losses. Isabel bit her lip and swung her sword.

Kang, kaang. Sparks flew, and the axe blade flashed in the shadows. By now, it had become a kind of routine.

After dodging gunfire, avoid booby traps and traps, then launch a counterattack in the direction of the evasion.

Ivan’s pattern was devilishly clever. It was a clean skill that even guided the direction of avoidance into a series of traps.

At the moment of realization, traps that were either deadly or planned for severe injuries were awaiting.

After four days passed, Isabelle had reached a point where she could anticipate the timing of an attack even with her eyes closed.

“Well done.”

Ivan smiled faintly, sheathed his axe, and stepped back. The cool breeze in the forest teased Isabelle’s bangs.

“Indeed, people become stronger the more they endure.”

“The people I know and the people you know seem to have slightly different concepts.”

“At least not you. You’ve followed well.”

Ivan was not one to spare compliments. He had faced warrior parties directly. Naturally, his standards were excessively high, but ironically, this meant that the criteria for dealing with “trainees” were extremely low.

It was impossible to move like a warrior no matter what, as everyone, except for the real strong ones, was just about the same there.

Being slightly better than the average dog was sufficient. It was due to his familiarity with the way of teaching soldiers rather than heroes in the first place.

A soldier only needed to demonstrate average performance. As long as it didn’t hinder the operation, that was enough.

But not anymore. Ivan adjusted his stance with the axe in hand.

He had taught all the basic techniques needed for ambush response. Now it was a matter of senses and mastery.

So, the remaining time was…

“Take up the sword.”

Teaching the realm of giants.

Ivan’s eyes deepened. Magic surged, and his beard fluttered in the air.

Real strong ones, those stepping into the battlefield of giants, had a different ‘class.’

To the place where Isabelle must reach someday, he would teach her, even if he had to engrave it into her mind.

‘The Academy is dangerous.’

How dangerous could a university be, you might wonder, but at least it’s not an ‘Academy.’ An Academy is no different from the front lines.

That’s ‘common sense.’

“Extend the blade.”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

Isabelle straightened the sword. Flawless posture. From the grip of the sword to the toes, the balance from abdomen to shoulders to wrists was near perfection.

Truly the daughter of a warrior. Her innate talent for using her body was already perfected in instinctive areas.

So, all that was needed was learning and experience.

“Endure.”

“…Yes?”

It’s a truly reassuring phrase. The moment she chuckled, trying to joke.

-Clang—!

Ivan’s arm seemed to blur, and in an instant, the blade flashed like lightning.

Even though the axe had cleaved through the sword, the impact didn’t register. The axe sliced through the blade effortlessly, as if cutting through tofu.

“What in the world is this…”

Isabel chuckled in disbelief. She stared blankly at the shattered sword fragments, mumbling to herself.

“This is really expensive… No, what on earth…”

“Did you see it?”

“What? My sword transforming into something else…?”

“Temporal disjunction.”

Ivan twirled the axe and adjusted his stance.

“The human auditory nerve takes 0.1 seconds, the tactile nerve takes 0.25 seconds. It’s a clearly defined area of training limits.”

It was a limitation of the human body’s structure. Since neural response speed was the electrical stimulation transmitted from sensory organs to the brain, there was a physical limit to speed.

In the pre-modern fantasy world, anatomy hadn’t advanced to that extent, but surprisingly, in this world, magic existed.

A universal resource that turned into earrings when worn on the ears and nose rings when on the nose, this magical substance could directly interfere with the human nervous system, pushing transmission speed to its limits.

In simple terms, it was temporal disjunction.

“By enhancing nerves with magic, a new world unfolds, Isabelle. There’s a realm beyond the limits of seeing, feeling, and moving.”

That place was the battlefield of the extraordinary.

Those who could reach that location were very limited, but with enough talent and accumulated experience, they would eventually reach their destination.

The first button of the struggle of those with ‘class.’ If you couldn’t reach it, you could never escape the life of an ordinary soldier.

But Isabelle was not a supporting character. She was clearly one of the protagonists in this world. Therefore, she had to be prepared. This was an advantageous position that could be reached quickly.

If it wasn’t something she could always rely on, the best Ivan could do was push her forward. That was the best he could do.

“Even if you suddenly tell me to do that…”

“You will.”

“Yes, of course, um, if you teach me, I’ll do my best.”

“Experience it until you do.”

“Huh?”

Ivan held the axe upside down. Not the blade, but with the blunt side, as if it wasn’t threatening at all. He maintained a harmless expression.

“Survival instincts are the foundation of growth.”

“You talk about crazy things so naturally…”

Isabelle cursed her past self who had asked this madman for training, raising the broken sword.

That was the last sight Isabelle saw.

– Kwang!

“Isabella, Isabella? Isabella!!”

“Huh?! Yeah?”

Isabella jerked her head up in surprise. In front of her, Esidisi was looking at her with a worried expression.

In the warm spring courtyard, Isabella and Esidisi were having lunch together, eating their packed meals.

Ah, thank goodness. It was just a dream. (No, it wasn’t.)

Isabella, feeling a shiver crawl up her arm, looked up.

“You’ve been acting strange lately. What’s going on?”

From Noble mtl dot com

“Oh, just… studying for exams, you know. That’s all.”

“What are you studying that’s… mm… making you like this? Is it because of the Knight Studies? You seem unusually absent-minded.”

As the daughter of a hero, Isabella enjoyed all sorts of privileges. For instance, being appointed as a priestess exclusively in the Tylis Kingdom.

Even though she’d return nearly shattered every night, she’d miraculously show up the next day at school looking perfectly fine.

But the human body doesn’t work that way. Sadly, injuries and fatigue accumulate. The dark circles under Isabella’s eyes were evidence of that.

“And you’ve been rather suspicious lately. Who have you been meeting?”

“Meeting someone? Who would I meet?”

Perhaps due to her noble background from the Tylis court, Isabella’s clothes and accessories were all high-end, but still… There seemed to be more strain than usual…

Esidisi wondered if there was a decent guy in the Knight Studies and then thought of her uncle, furrowing her brows.

The Knight Studies were a dreadful place.

“Do you think Yuri knows something? Maybe a guy Isabella’s close to?”

“Isabella is kind to everyone. Mm, these days, though… not sure. Maybe it’s Oscar?”

“Goodness! Oscar!?”

Esidisi chuckled and prodded Isabella’s side.

“Hey, what’s going on with you and Oscar?”

“Esidisi, there are things people joke about and things they don’t. Honestly, Oscar is just too… how can I say it? A bit too sensitive.”

“Why? He’s quite popular.”

“I prefer someone sturdy and reserved… um, a bit bear-like…? Like that. I like someone reliable. He’s too delicate.”

Delicate… Was Oscar like that? Esidisi smirked. She hadn’t paid much attention, but having received knight training since childhood?

As Esidisi found herself in confusion, Isabella stood up and stretched.

“Well then, I’ll go do some more training!”

“He’s trying to take away even my scholarship!”

“Well, would you rather be the top student for the rest of your life?”

Isabel chuckled lightly, walking away with a smirk.

*

“Mister!”

“Yes?”

“Ahahahaha… When will you ever say ‘hello’ to me?”

Ivan, holding scissors, turned his head to see Isabel running towards him with a playful expression.

“Let’s go train again today! Tomorrow is the exam!”

“No.”

“Huh?”

Ivan scanned Isabel up and down. The fatigue from a week of training was evident. Despite efforts to treat it, he was far from perfect.

“Rest today. Prepare for tomorrow.”

“Um… Then, uh…”

Isabel conflicted, touched the ends of her hair. She rolled her eyes slightly and bit her lip.

“Have you had a meal…? Um. Or, if you have time today…”

“I’m busy.”

“Ugh.”

Ivan was an efficient person; he didn’t repeat himself.

He briskly walked away, leaving Isabel standing there dazed.

Tomorrow was on-site training, an exam held outside the university. Given that attacks were expected from unknown enemies, there were many preparations to make.

In the academy’s field training, it was common for attacks to occur.

Ivan was a practical person. If anticipating an attack, eliminating the target before the assault was common sense for the extermination unit.

“I feel like I’m losing my mind…”

Isabel muttered, watching Ivan leave.

*

“Wow….”

Yuri and Echidna, from a distance, spilled their coffee while observing the scene.

“A man… a gardener…?”

“A man… with a crazy John Wick beard…?”

“Who is that?”

“Well… there’s, um, someone like that….”

*