Chapter 102. And Who Are You? (3)

“Did you hear?”

“I did. About that Patrick Schneider.”

“They say he completely dominated Alex from the 5th year?”

“It’s not even surprising anymore.”

“Well, he beat the professors before, so would a 5th-year be any different?”

“Then who really should be the representative for Arcana?”

“If this is the case, doesn’t it look bad for Alex to go?”

A female student spoke to the students having this discussion.

“Hoh hoh ho. Why even mention it? Of course, my man should go.”

The one who interjected in their conversation was a female student.

Seeing her in the administrative faculty uniform, the other students greeted her.

“Hello, Senior Marianne.”

“It’s been a while.”

“Are you… alright?”

Blonde hair and blue eyes.

A slender figure, a beauty renowned for both her looks and talent, the Flower of the East.

That was Marianne Parmas. However…

“I’m fine. I haven’t slept for about 40 hours, and I’ve only had black tea for 33 hours, but this much is fine.”

‘You don’t look fine…’

‘You don’t look fine…’

That Flower of the East had now turned into a Zombie of the East.

Disheveled hair and rough skin.

Bloodshot, sunken eyes with dark circles that reached down to her chin.

Recently, she had been extremely busy preparing for an assignment for the evaluation exam conducted by the administrative faculty.

In truth, her grades were good enough to advance to the next year without any issues, but recently her goals had been set higher.

As Patrick began to distinguish himself within the Academy, a certain sense of anxiety had arisen.

Isn’t it the way of the world that when a man shows his ability and starts to succeed, money, power, and women follow?

She thought that to take care of her man (since when?) in advance, she needed to secure a position befitting him.

‘Anyway, it’s a pain when a man is too successful. What can you do.’

Thanks to that, she had been holed up in the library as if she were a resident ghost, engrossed in her studies to become the top of her year.

But even to her ears, the news of Patrick reached.

“He fought and unilaterally defeated Senior Alex from the 5th year, didn’t he? So how can they send the loser instead of the winner as the representative for Arcana?”

“But history and tradition…”

“Oh my? If they keep searching for that precious history and tradition and end up with a complete loss in this Arcana too, how will the professors take responsibility?”

“……”

“Well, they’ll figure it out, right? They’ll do well, but if they send a weaker person as the representative when there’s clearly someone stronger, the backlash will be no joke.”

What Marianne said was something others were thinking as well.

Opinions that Patrick Schneider should be the representative for Arcana began to emerge even from outside the Knight Faculty.

A short while later.

To Patrick, who was in his dorm room sipping expensive liquor he’d swindled from Red with peanuts as a snack, April spoke.

“Young Master, you have a visitor.”

“Who is it?”

“He says he is Alex from the 5th year.”

“Huh? Why is that guy here?”

“Shall I send him away?”

“No, well, let him in for now.”

At Patrick’s permission, April led Alex inside.

Alex’s face, seen after a few days, was somewhat gaunt.

“It’s been a while, senior.”

“Yes. May I sit?”

“Please do.”

Alex sat down opposite Patrick.

On the table were leftover snacks and liquor disguised in a water canteen.

After being caught once by Isabella, Patrick had taken to hiding his liquor in a water canteen.

Though, the strong smell of alcohol gave it away anyway.

Faced with his junior’s indulgence, Alex, as a senior, had to say something. But…

‘I suppose I can’t act like a senior to this guy.’

That day, he had felt a clear and perfect difference in skill. So how could he dare to act like a senior?

Moreover, considering the request he was about to make, playing the role of a senior was even more impossible.

He straightened his posture and spoke to Patrick.

“I have a request.”

“No.”

“…I haven’t even said what it is yet.”

“You’re going to ask me to teach you the sword, aren’t you?”

At Patrick’s words, Alex looked as if he had been hit right on the mark. Then, he cleared his throat and said.

“Ahem, yes. That’s right.”

“No. It’s a hassle. I won’t do it.”

Seeing Patrick’s blunt refusal, a vein popped on Alex’s forehead, but he exercised his patience and said.

“I’m asking you.”

“Ah, I said no.”

“Is there no way to persuade you?”

“Nope. I won’t do it. Go back.”

At Patrick’s firm refusal, Alex was flustered.

In fact, he had agonized a lot on his way here.

For him, the top student of the 5th year, to ask a 1st-year student for tutelage was not as easy as it sounded.

But the memory left by Patrick’s single sword strike was too vivid to ignore for the sake of pride.

That single strike that felt like a huge mountain was crushing down on him.

The desire to learn such a sword technique made him put down his pride, and so he had come to find Patrick himself.

In fact, coming here was the hard part; he thought that if he came and asked like this, Patrick would naturally agree.

“I know that the princess and your friend are receiving training from you. So why not me?”

“They can, but you can’t, senior.”

“Why?”

“Because I feel like it.”

“……”

I want to hit him.

If only I could land just one punch on that nonchalant mouth, it felt like a decade’s worth of frustration would vanish.

“Why? Are you salty? Should we go another round?”

“No, that’s not it…”

Undertaking an impossible challenge is not courage.

It’s just reckless.

Alex Rowensky.

He was a rational man who did not challenge the impossible.

“Ahem, as you know, I will be representing the nation in Arcana.”

“I know.”

“Please. For the sake of the nation, for the sake of my family, I must produce results in Arcana. I beg you to teach me.”

“It’s fine because I can win even if you don’t.”

“You are a 1st-year, are you not? And you intend to participate as a representative in Arcana?”

“Why? You don’t think I can?”

“……”

“I beat the top student of the 5th year. No matter how much the old-timer professors blabber about tradition or face, do you think they can stop me?”

“Hmm…”

Even Alex had to admit it didn’t make sense.

Patrick would probably go.

Even Alex thought it was absurd for Patrick not to go as the Arcana representative.

“If you go, you will achieve excellent results. But wouldn’t it be better for two of us to achieve good results rather than just you alone?”

Alex’s excuse was somewhat flimsy.

It was a testament to how desperate he was for Patrick’s teaching. But Patrick smirked and said.

“Senior, how much time is left until Arcana?”

“Two months from now.”

“Right. Two months… Let’s say I teach you for those two months.”

“……”

“What do you think will change with that?”

“That is…”

Alex bit his lower lip hard.

To be honest, two months was too short to show results.

Of course, Patrick thought to himself…

‘There are a few shortcuts to get stronger right away, but… why should I?’

But that’s what he was thinking.

And facing the flustered Alex, he said.

“Ace, the guest is leaving.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

And Ace, just like that, took Alex’s arm and escorted him outside.

“Wait, just a moment… huh?”

“This will not do.”

Alex tried to resist and not leave, but when Ace gripped a certain point on his wrist firmly, the strength drained from his body, making it impossible to resist.

“You?”

“Please leave now.”

Alex could tell.

This butler of astonishing beauty… no, but he really is handsome. No, he’s beautifully handsome.

How can a man look like this?

Ahem, anyway, this butler was stronger than him.

Quite a lot stronger at that.

Realizing that resistance was futile, he had no choice but to leave meekly.

And after the door closed, he looked crestfallen for a moment before speaking as if he had made a decision.

“I can’t give up like this.”

Alex.

He was a man of uselessly good perseverance.

* * *

A few days later.

“Ahem, you’re already out of breath after so little? You’ve only done 500 reps.”

“Kaaaargh!”

“Huuuup!”

Today, too, Patrick was tormenting… training Matthew and Isabella.

The two of them were now repeating basic swings with heavy weights attached to the ends of their wooden swords.

“Slow, slow. At this snail’s pace, are you going to finish 1,000 reps by dinner?”

“Then just a little…”

“Oh, your sword form is breaking down again. Not concentrating, are you? 200 more reps.”

“Aaaaaargh!”

“You devil!”

Matthew screamed and Isabella glared as if to kill him, but Patrick didn’t even bat an eye.

He chuckled and said to the two of them.

“If you don’t finish within the set time, tomorrow’s training volume increases. Ever heard this saying? Do not put off today’s training for tomorrow. You might just die.”

“Who says that?”

“Me.”

“Are you even human?”

Seeing Matthew, who had grown some grit and was talking back, and Isabella, who was glaring with a venomous look, made Patrick think of his hometown.

‘I wonder if Sanson and the other soldiers are doing well. They must be, right? They’d better be, if they don’t want to die.’

He had laid some groundwork, so even without him, autonomous training should be possible.

But he felt extremely sorry that he couldn’t be there in person to push them, to drain their physical strength, mental fortitude, and the durability of their souls to the very bottom.

‘I’m sorry. I’ll work you harder when I get back.’

* * *

At that moment, in the far-off eastern Schneider fiefdom…

“Ugh, goosebumps.”

“You too? Me too.”

“What was that? That chilling feeling just now?”

It is said that a number of soldiers felt an unidentified chill.

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