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Volume 9 Chapter 251

The Sage’s Swordsmanship

Led by Seira, we arrived at the training ground where Elmia was practicing swordsmanship.
Peeking inside—-
「Come on, get up! Don’t give up so easily!!」
Around Elmia, several male students were lying on the ground, all in a sorry state.
W-what kind of training are they doing!?
「Good grief…… none of you can land a hit on me even when you all come at me together」
It seems they were practicing a one-versus-many combat format where several students simultaneously attacked Elmia.
By the way, Elmia was using a wooden sword, while the students were using real swords.
Despite that, none of the attacks reached Elmia, and she was effortlessly overwhelming all the students with just a wooden sword, indicating her combat sense is not lacking.
Truly worthy of a third-tier Holy Knight.
Well, there’s also the possibility that the students’ levels are just too low.
Although they passed the entrance exam, they likely have some talent in magic.
However, even though only those interested participate in Elmia’s swordsmanship training, it’s unlikely that those born with sword talent are here, considering it’s a magic academy.
「Oh! Seira, you came. And Haruto too」
Elmia noticed Seira and me near the entrance of the training ground.
「Elmia, good work」
「Good work. So Elmia, you’re working at the academy too?」
「Huh, yeah…… didn’t I tell you?」
「Yeah. I didn’t know about it」
「I-Is that so? Sorry about that. I guess I should have gotten permission from… my, um, husband……」
Although Elmia referred to me as her husband, she blushed deeply even though she said it herself.
It seems she’s still not used to various things.
Well, it’s kind of charming in its own way.
「Since you’re just doing household chores at my mansion every day, it’s fine for you to work at the academy. Also, Tina knows that you’re working here, right?」
「Oh, yes. I’ve informed Tina-sama. Besides, I was able to work here because she wrote me a letter of recommendation」
While Elmia addresses Tina and other family members with honorifics, she refers to me casually.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing.
According to Seira, it’s Elmia’s way of hiding her embarrassment. It’s kind of cute in its own way.
「Well, if Tina knows everything, then there shouldn’t be a problem」
If Tina knows everything, then it should be fine.
If I leave it to my overly capable maid, most things should work out somehow.
「Um, Instructor Elmia…… who are those people?」
One male student, supporting himself on his sword, stood up and asked.
「Oh, you finally woke up. Let me introduce you. He’s actually the monster I always talk about, the one who can defeat me, a level 160, without using any magic」
「 —-W-what!? Y-you mean him? But that robe, isn’t he still a second-year student?」
The student looked at me with a shocked expression.
Hey, what kind of introduction is that!
And she always describes me as a monster!?
「Oh, right! If everyone here manages to land a hit on Haruto in a fight, then I’ll treat you all to a meal as you’ve been persistently asking」
「「「R-really!?」」」
All the collapsed students looked up.
「……Elmia, what do you mean by meal?」
「These guys keep persistently inviting me to meals. We agreed that if they could land a hit on me during training, we’d go out. But, no one has achieved that until today」
Well, it’s no wonder if they’re up against a Level 160 Holy Knight.
「So, all we have to do is land an attack on him?」
「Yeahhh! Let’s do it!!」
「I don’t want to hit Instructor Elmia with a real sword, but…… well, he’s a man, so……」
「Hehehe, I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him for the sake of a date with Instructor Elmia!!」
The students seemed all fired up.
No, they seemed like they were ready to kill me.
Even though I never agreed to this……
Well, I don’t want my wife Elmia to go on a date with other men, and it’s also pitiful for Elmia to be hounded by them, so I’ll be the one to deal with this.
「Haruto-sama, are you really going to deal with them?」
「Yeah. I was actually curious about the abilities of students from this academy」
Since I’ve never sparred with students from other classes in this academy, this seemed like a valuable opportunity.
「Seira, could you please use healing magic on them?」
「Huh… …A-are you sure?」
「Yeah. I want to experience their full power」
It wouldn’t be fair to defeat students who have been beaten up by Elmia and are barely standing on sheer willpower alone.
「Understood. Then—」
Just like in the infirmary, Seira’s Divine Breath was activated within the training ground.
「O-oh, this is!」
「Amazing… …my stamina is fully restored」
「We can do this, we can do it!」
「Thank you so much, miss!!」
Everyone’s morale soared even higher.
「Seira, thank you for healing the students. Now, let me explain the rules. First of all, all of you who are participating in my training can freely use body enhancement magic. However, using any other offensive magic is prohibited. And Haruto, you’re also prohibited from using body enhancement magic」
It’s an unusual rule, but anyway, body enhancement magic is meaningless to me.
「Got it. That’s fine with me」
So I agreed to the rule and received a wooden sword from Elmia.
This is my weapon.
The students also seemed fine with the rule, as they began casting body enhancement magic on themselves and their allies.
After that, seventeen male students armed themselves and surrounded me.
Looks like they’re ready.
And since I’m fine with it, I let Elmia know.
「Then, let’s begin!」
「Attack!」
At Elmia’s signal, a male student who was diagonally in front of me shouted and lunged at me with his sword.
But this was a feint.
My ears caught the sound of a blade coming from my left rear.
「Gotcha!」
I bent slightly, avoiding the attack from the student approaching behind me.
「What!? —-Ugh」
Surprised that his attack was evaded, the student stopped in his tracks, so I delivered a kick to his solar plexus.
Yes, that’s one down.
Elmia’s training has clearly paid off, as there’s no hesitation in her students when it comes to swinging their swords without hesitation.
There’s no holding back at all.
And they’re coordinating quite well.
Is it because they trained with Elmia, who has an overwhelming stat difference?
Thinking about that, I hammered the wooden sword into the arm and ankle of the student who had initially attacked me.
Using his momentum as he jumped, even with my Level 1 stats, I could generate enough power.
Since Seira, the walking hospital, is here, I don’t need to hold back either.
A dull thud echoed.
The incapacitated student sank to the ground right there.
That makes two down.
Fifteen more to go.
Along with the memories of being the Guardian Hero, my combat experience and techniques have returned to me.
Fighting over ten thousand monsters has enabled me to acquire two techniques.
When I was the Guardian Hero, I had to face hordes of hundreds of monsters. I couldn’t possibly sustain my stamina by fighting with my own strength alone.
So I learned the technique of flowing the power of the attacking monsters to slay them.
I would deflect attacks and redirect them to another enemy.
Or intentionally take attacks and use their power to defeat enemies with my own sword.
This allows me to defeat enemies without using much of my own strength.
This power to 『channeling』 is the first technique.
The second technique is『prediction』.
Predicting the next move of the enemy based on their center of gravity, muscle movement, and eye movements.
Because I can anticipate their moves, I can also deflect their attacks.
The stronger the enemy’s attack, the stronger my counterattack becomes.
Moreover, by anticipating the unconscious weak points that the opponent defends, I can strike there with the force of their attack, usually defeating the enemy in one blow.
I’ve slaughtered various kinds of monsters.
All the students surrounding me are humans. Humans have almost identical physical structures in all individuals, and of course, the positions of their vital points do not change.
Unlike monsters, there’s no hassle of dealing with different weak points among individuals of the same species.
It’s easy enough to stop the movements of these human students.
「What’s wrong? You want to go on a date with Elmia, right? Come at me then」
It’s easier if they attack me.
Since I can use their power.
Repeatedly provoking them, I continued to defeat the remaining students with ease.