I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor at the Academy 50

Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy

Chapter 50

After eating dinner, I unconsciously headed toward the dormitory before turning back.

Starting today, there are supplementary classes.

The class starts at 7:30, so there’s still time, but I plan to go early and wait.

It’s a hassle to come back out again.

I spent the entire weekend thinking after accepting the vice principal’s offer.

Unlike regular classes, supplementary ones don’t have a set curriculum.

Now that I actually have to teach, it feels overwhelming, and I wonder if I made the right decision, but I’ve prepared in my own way.

When I arrived at the sword training hall, a familiar female student was stretching.

“Oh? Teacher, hello.”

It’s the student council president.

“Hello. You’re early. Have you eaten?”

“Of course. Third-years eat first, you know.”

Ah, that’s right.

She should rest after eating. Seeing her already here warming up shows how dedicated she is.

“It’s still before class, but would you like to spar with me?”

“It’s not good to move right after eating.”

“I didn’t eat much, so I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine. Call me when everyone else arrives.”

Passing by the student council president, who looked disappointed that I refused, I went straight into the office and turned on the computer.

Supplementary classes aren’t just about teaching students; I also need to submit a separate supplementary lesson plan.

This week’s plan is almost complete since I worked on it during lunch, but having to submit it weekly is slightly annoying.

After finishing the plan, I checked the time: 7:20 PM.

I gathered my prepared materials and left the office, but only the student council president was there; the others hadn’t arrived yet.

There were no applicants from the second-year swordsmanship class, so the supplementary class targets are Eunsu and Eunseo, Jinsu and Minhee, and the student council president—five students in total.

I was planning to discipline them if they were late, but they all arrived exactly on time.

Before starting the main class, I explained how the supplementary classes would be conducted, but everyone except Se-jin had unhappy expressions.

“Every weekday and weekends too?”

“Teacher, isn’t that too intense?”

“We have a lot of homework in other subjects too…”

They all express their complaints… Kids, do you think I enjoy this?

“You get Sundays off. You can do your work then.”

“Um… Teacher, I’d prefer to have classes on Sundays too.”

“S-Senior?”

“Senior, what’s wrong? Don’t third-years have more assignments than us?”

“That’s true, but… Well, I can do them bit by bit. Last year, we had classes on Sundays too.”

This is awkward.

All the kids look exhausted, and even as a teacher, I find it slightly obnoxious.

“I have outside commitments every Sunday, so that won’t work.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped.”

“We’re saved.”

“How will the classes be conducted? I’d prefer more practical training than theory…”

“Since this is supplementary training for the martial arts competition, we’ll focus on sparring, but we can’t completely eliminate theory lessons.”

“I don’t need theory…”

The others don’t seem to have complaints, but only Se-jin is being like this.

She probably thinks it’s a waste of time since she’s a third-year and has already learned all the theory, but…

“Practical training is important, but do you think your skills will improve just by sparring with your mouth shut?”

“Ah… No. I’m sorry.”

She’s reportedly won two years in a row and is considered a top candidate for this year’s championship, but she seems too anxious.

She doesn’t seem like a perfectionist, so maybe she has a rival with similar skills?

“I like your quick apology. I plan to teach only theory that’s essential for practical application, so you won’t be learning things you’ve already learned. Let’s start by taking one packet each of this.”

When I point to the box I brought, everyone’s expression hardens except Se-jin ‘s.

“Teacher, don’t tell me this is…”

“Teacher? You said we didn’t have to take this anymore.”

“I’m going to cancel my—”

“Hey, Lee Jinsu, you can register freely, but cancellation doesn’t work that way. Stop exaggerating and come take one packet each.”

“Why is everyone acting like this? Teacher, what is it that’s making them react this way?”

“It’s very good medicine for growing kids like you. The other kids have been taking it for two months now.”

“Wow. You even prepare special medicine for the students? I’m really envious of the first-years.”

“Senior, what are you saying? This is poison!”

“What do you mean poison? The teacher is taking care of you. We didn’t have anything like this when I was in lower grades.”

“If you try it once, your opinion will change.”

“I’ve taken a lot of herbal medicine since I was young. I’m good at taking it.”

She confidently walks over, picks up the medicine, cuts it open, and downs it in one go.

“Senior, if you drink it all at once like that, you’ll die.”

“Oh, you’re exagger… It is a bit bitter.”

She’s pretending to be fine, but her face shows she’s eaten something unpalatable.

“As expected of the student council president. From now on, we’ll have one packet before every supplementary class.”

“What? We have to take this before every class?”

“To be precise, every day. On Saturdays, take Sunday’s portion with you and make sure to take it.”

“No, there’s really no need for—”

“Hey, if you’ve taken a lot since childhood, you know. Medicinal herbs are effective only when taken consistently. Come on, you all take it too.”

At my urging, they all come forward to take the medicine, but judging by their expressions, they look like prisoners being led to execution.

“This is something you really never get used to, no matter how many times you take it. Senior, you can’t handle it either, right?”

“Ah… No, I’m fine, I’m just worried it might be difficult for you all.”

Even though she’s trying not to show weakness in front of her juniors, I can’t help but smile.

“Then let’s move to our seats to start the class.”

***

The teacher said the class would focus on practical training, but he moved us indoors.

Since it’s the first day, I thought we’d start with sparring to gauge our basic skills, but it seems he’s planning to start with theory.

Does he think my skills are the same as during our last sparring session?

I couldn’t land a single successful attack last time, but I’ve worked incredibly hard since then.

I wanted to show him how much I’ve improved…

“I’ll go get the printouts, so Eunsu, can you come with me for a moment?”

“Yes.”

He went back to the office with Eunsu and returned shortly after.

“Pass these out, one for each person.”

The cover of what appears to be a handmade printout reads “Breakdown Method.”

It’s much thicker than most theory textbooks.

Surely we’re not going to cover just this for two hours today?

He did say he would teach us things we haven’t learned, but I thought we would spar first and then he’d advise us on our weak points…

I know Teacher Kang’s skills are impressive, but honestly, theory is theory wherever you go.

Without much expectation, I turned the cover page and couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Teacher, this isn’t just about swordsmanship!”

“The martial arts competition isn’t just for swordsmanship students, is it?”

“But we can’t possibly learn spearmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and archery.”

“We can learn magic, but can’t we use it because our magic is different?”

The others don’t seem to have figured it out yet.

Teacher Kang isn’t trying to teach us other subjects.

“Why would you learn other subjects? Look carefully at the title again.”

Only then did the other students check the printout again, but I had already realized it.

The title on the cover is exactly “Breakdown Method.”

It contains analyses of not only the swordsmanship taught at school but also spearmanship, hand-to-hand combat, archery, and even magic, along with the best ways to counter them with a sword.

“Um… Teacher, did you make this yourself?”

“Huh? Of course. Obviously, I made it.”

“That’s really amazing.”

“Well, it’s not that impressive. Se-jin seems to understand. As expected of a championship candidate. I worked hard last weekend.”

He’s speaking as if it’s nothing, but it’s absolutely not nothing.

There are some parts I had vaguely felt or thought about, but there are far more parts I never considered.

If I properly master this material, I would never lose to students who can’t apply what they’ve learned, even if I wanted to.

To create something like this in just two weekend days, and alone at that…

I was shocked when I lost in our previous sparring session without landing a single attack, but not as much as today.

Back then, I thought it was due to the difference in experience and age, so I believed that once I reached Teacher Kang’s age and gained similar experience, I could catch up to him.

I’ve been called a genius or talented since I was young, and I thought I had proven it in my own way, but that was just arrogance.

The true genius was someone else.

***

While pondering how to structure the supplementary classes, a brilliant idea came to me.

In martial arts novels, masters quickly find weaknesses in their opponents’ techniques during duels.

In some novels, they even create fighting techniques specifically designed to counter others.

From the occasional stories my master told me, though not exactly the same as the novels, there were many similarities, so wouldn’t my master be capable of this too?

He’s always boasting about being the best, after all.

All practical subjects taught at hunter schools—swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, spearmanship, archery, etc.—follow the same curriculum.

Foreign countries would naturally be different, but all hunter schools in Korea would teach the same content.

So what if I analyzed what’s taught in schools, identified weaknesses, and taught based on that?

Of course, there would be students who go beyond what they’re taught and apply their own variations, but the basics would still be the same.

Even reflecting on my sparring with the student council president, who reportedly won championships two years in a row, she used the school’s swordsmanship techniques without much variation.

Thinking I had nothing to lose, I copied all the practical subject educational materials, including swordsmanship, onto my laptop while on my way to the portal.

In fact, practical subject educational materials are classified as state secrets, and even though I’m a teacher, I don’t have access to materials for subjects other than swordsmanship.

But when I asked the vice principal for cooperation, saying it was necessary for supplementary classes, everything went smoothly.

In principle, these materials shouldn’t be taken out, but they don’t conduct special inspections or anything.

Honestly, even though they’re called state secrets, they’re nothing special.

When I showed them to my master, he clicked his tongue and called them “trash not even as good as third-rate martial arts techniques.”

“Master, is it going well?”

I think I could do it myself if I invested enough time, but I assigned it to my master.

These days, he doesn’t even supervise my training much and just eats my food, so I might as well put him to use somehow.

“Master?”

There was no answer, so I thought he was concentrating, but when I went closer, I saw he was watching an entertainment program instead of the Word file.

“Are you already slacking off?”

“How dare you accuse your heaven-like master of slacking off. I finished a long time ago.”

“What? Already?”

“Breaking down such third-rate trashy swordsmanship takes only half an hour. If I didn’t have to write it in Korean, it wouldn’t have even taken twenty minutes.”

It had been only an hour, so wondering if he’d done it carelessly, I snatched the laptop to check the content.

“How is it?”

“It’s good.”

This isn’t just flattery; it’s perfect, covering not only the aspects I had thought of but also many I hadn’t considered.

The explanations are also very detailed and simple, as per my request to lower the level so young students can understand and follow.

If I just correct a few spelling mistakes here and there, it looks like I can use it as is.

“Ahem, for a master like me, this is as easy as eating cold rice.”

When I compliment him, he shrugs and puts on airs, which irritates me a little.

If only he’d explain his own martial arts techniques this clearly.

Of course, the difficulty level is different, but he always makes his explanations complicated, so I’ve struggled a lot to understand.

“As expected of my master.”

“Heh heh, you should be able to do this too. Of course, not as quickly, thoroughly, and accurately as I did.”

He’s laughing, with his nose so high it could pierce the sky.

That’s even better.

“Of course. Master was the ‘Number One Under Heaven’ in the martial arts world, how could this disciple match your insight?”

“It’s been a while since you’ve spoken such truth.”

“By the way, Master, you faced many martial artists who used weapons other than swords in the martial arts world, right?”

“That’s not even worth mentioning. From those who used fist techniques to those wielding all eighteen types of weapons, I’ve faced them all.”

“Oh, as expected. So, about that… Master, could you please do the same breakdown for other techniques like you did for swordsmanship?”

The reason I flattered my master despite being irritated was precisely for this purpose.

“Huh? No. I told you that you could do it too.”

“As I said earlier, my insight isn’t as good as yours, Master. You said it was as easy as eating cold rice for you. Besides, they don’t use as many weapons now as they did during the Ming Dynasty, so there aren’t many.”

“H-how many are there?”

His expression shows he’s been completely duped.

“Since you’ve finished swordsmanship, just three more: spearmanship, archery, and hand-to-hand combat.”

“Three?”

“Not ‘as many as three,’ but ‘only three.’ I’ll transfer the materials to your laptop. You can finish them by the time I return tomorrow, right?”

I’d like to assign magic too, but since there was no such thing in the martial arts world where my master lived, that would probably be difficult.

Despite showing obvious reluctance, he eventually agreed, perhaps because he’d already made his boast.

Master, you need to earn your keep, don’t you?