I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor at the Academy Chapter 25

Became a swordsmanship instructor at the academy

Chapter 25

“Teacher, aren’t you holding class? Everyone’s already outside.”

Has it already become that time?

I must have been too immersed in the atmosphere.

Right. Duels are duels, but I should start class first.

When I went outside, the children’s expressions were bright.

Of course, not all students liked this weather with rain and strong winds.

They might be excited thinking about going home after a long time since tomorrow is the closing ceremony for the break, but I think it might be because they don’t have to do running drills when it rains heavily?

Because of the typhoon, it rained yesterday too, so we didn’t do running drills.

And since it’s pouring rain today as well, they probably think there won’t be any running drills.

But unfortunately, the items I ordered last week arrived today.

“Teacher, I’ll go in and get the VR equipment.”

Next to the swordsmanship training center office, there’s a small indoor space where training can be done even when it rains.

Yesterday it rained a lot too, so we only did VR practice there, but today is different.

“No, let’s start with stretching first.”

“What? What do you mean… Teacher, you’re not making us run, are you?”

“We can’t, right? It’s raining heavily outside. And today is the last day of the first semester…”

Seeing Eunseo, who usually follows instructions well without complaint, chiming in, I can tell they really hate running drills.

“That’s why I have something prepared. The rest of you do your stretching, and you two come into the office.”

I handed a large plastic box that I had moved this morning to Eunseo and Eunsu, who looked anxious.

“Take this and distribute one to each student.”

“What is this?”

“What else would it be, poncho raincoats.”

“Raincoats, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“Teacher, that’s too much…”

Both of them look at me with faces full of resentment.

Could you please not look at me like I’m a devil?

I’m not really a devil who bought these to make the kids suffer.

There was some budget left for first-year swordsmanship department supplies this semester, and I was told that if I didn’t use it all, the next semester’s budget would be reduced by the amount not used, so after much consideration, I made this purchase.

At first, I was going to buy snacks for the kids, but when I looked into it, I found out that supply budgets can’t be used that way, so I had no choice.

Both of them leave with sad faces carrying the poncho raincoats, and the kids outside are all making a fuss.

“Teacher? This smells weird.”

“It’s too damp!”

“That’s because Group A used them this morning. Just shake them off and they’ll be fine, so if they’re damp, shake them and put them on quickly, and let’s start stretching.”

The budget wasn’t that much, so I could only purchase 40 of them.

Well, anyway, our first-year is divided into Group A and Group B, and there are 40 students in each group, so it doesn’t matter.

Ah, of course, I don’t need one for myself.

Although I sometimes run with them, on rainy days like today, I absolutely won’t run.

“Teacher, we’ve all gone around.”

“Good work… I mean, Eunsu, are you sure everyone has really gone around?”

“What? Ah, yes… Of course.”

“We’ve all gone around, sir.”

Eunseo also backs up her sister, which looks suspicious no matter how I look at it.

It seems like they’ve done one or two fewer rounds, but since they ran in the rain, I guess I’ll let it slide.

A teacher who’s too strict isn’t popular anyway.

“Everyone, shake off your raincoats well, store them in the box, and go inside to prepare for VR training. By the way, even though the semester has ended, your records from today will count toward next semester’s grades, so it would be better for everyone to give up any thoughts of slacking off.”

Of course, that’s a lie, but maybe because it’s the end of the semester, the students’ atmosphere seems much more relaxed, and yesterday’s training was a mess compared to usual.

I understand to some extent since tomorrow is the closing ceremony for the break, but as a teacher, I can’t just sit back and watch.

Still, since today is the last class, I plan to finish about an hour earlier than usual and wrap up by buying simple snacks and drinks from the school store.

I did the same for Group A this morning, and there would be a fuss if I didn’t do it for Group B too.

That’s what happened last time when I bought pizza for Group A students.

Of course, I was planning to buy for Group B as well, but I wanted to surprise them, so I told Group A not to mention it.

But a few of them bragged about it, and I had to face a mob of students during afternoon class asking if I had told Group A students to keep quiet because I wasn’t planning to buy anything for them.

Whew, it’s horrifying just thinking about it now.

***

I open my eyes to the noisy alarm, and it’s already 6:30 PM.

Normally, this would be the time to check out and have dinner, but today I skipped meals.

Being a Peak master, I probably won’t get indigestion, but it’s for conditioning.

After class ended, I kept simulating the fight with the vice principal.

If things go as I think, I believe I have a decent chance of winning.

Of course, if they don’t, it might be a bit difficult, but I won’t lose pathetically.

As it’s almost time to leave, I picked up the sword I had prepared earlier.

It’s not the practice sword I usually use, nor is it the sword that Kang Shin-hyeok originally used.

But it’s the most familiar to me, my master’s sword that I always used when training with him.

Last Sunday, when I was about to return to school, my master gave it to me to use and I brought it.

Since there was no scabbard, I was a bit embarrassed by people’s stares on the way, but having a familiar sword makes me feel less anxious.

Moreover, though this sword is not like some secret manual of our sect, it’s an expensive sword given as a gift by one of my master’s only two friends.

Although it looks worn and dirty from age and handling, the blade is maintained daily by my master, so it gleams with a blue sharpness.

After gazing at the blade once, I quickly left the swordsmanship training center as I might be late.

Today’s duel location is the magic dueling arena, which is some distance from the swordsmanship training center.

The magic dueling arena has various spells cast on it, making repairs easy, and impacts inside don’t leak to the outside.

Though both Kim Man-dong and I aren’t magicians, we’re both hunters who use magic.

Since it’s designed for students, there’s a risk of it breaking if attacks exceed a certain level, so I heard that for safety during today’s match, a few magic department teachers will deploy separate barriers.

I arrived at the magic dueling arena, the site of the duel.

Looking through the gap in the open door, the seats are already packed with people, both students and teachers alike.

During festivals, martial arts competitions are held here, and it can accommodate up to a thousand people. Seeing almost no empty seats, it seems that not only high school students but also many middle school students have come to watch.

The notice posted by the vice principal was only visible on the educational administration system that only teachers can see, but most people at school would know about my duel today.

The practical teachers probably leaked it to the students on purpose.

They would naturally want me to be humiliated in front of as many people as possible, especially students, as they expect me to be utterly defeated.

Of course, it’s only natural for me, a B-rank hunter, to lose to the vice principal, who is an S-rank.

But rumors have spread that I, coveting the title of outstanding teacher, ignorantly made an impossible proposal to the vice principal, leading to today’s match.

This is also probably the work of the practical teachers.

Despite this, I only denied it to students who asked me directly and didn’t actively explain.

The results will prove everything.

And anyway, even without a separate explanation, at least my students believed in me.

How do I know?

Even after class ended, while eating snacks and talking, everyone worried about me.

Not only that, but there’s evidence right in front of me now.

“Kang Shin-hyeok, fighting!”

“Our Teacher Kang is the best!”

“Milk-colored! Kang Shin-hyeok!”

“We love you! Kang Shin-hyeok!”

Having spotted me, students on the second-floor seats are cheering loudly.

Not just class representatives like Eunsu and Eunseo, Jinsu and Minhee, but it seems all 80 students from our swordsmanship club have come.

I don’t know when they prepared it, but they’re even holding a placard that says “Strongest Handsome Swordsmanship Instructor Kang Shin-hyeok.”

It’s a bit embarrassing, but I don’t feel too bad about it.

Of course, the last cheer of “We love you” and the placard are quite burdensome.

I climbed up to the dueling arena, waved once towards our students, and was doing light stretching when, after a short while, the audience became noisy.

“It’s the vice principal!”

“Kim Man-dong! Kim Man-dong!”

“Strongest hunter! Kim Man-dong!”

It’s a much louder cheer than when I appeared, but well… It can’t be helped.

I’m outranked in position, recognition, and hunter rank.

After seeing the cheers from our students earlier, the practical teachers might have told other students to cheer loudly when the vice principal arrived.

The vice principal climbed onto the dueling arena without even raising his hand once, wearing an indifferent expression.

“I didn’t expect so many people to come. Have you prepared a lot?”

What do you mean you didn’t know, you old fart.

“I tried my best in my own way.”

Actually, it wasn’t just “in my own way”—I truly gave it my all.

“Whatever you’ve prepared won’t be enough… If you don’t want to be humiliated, you should give it your all from the start.”

“Of course. Vice Principal, it would be better for you not to be too careless either.”

“Haha, you really are interesting. Anyway, I’ll give you the first move, so when we start, you come at me first.”

Nice.

Usually, in martial arts novels, a master gives a novice three moves, or three chances.

And even in a duel between a high-rank hunter and a low-rank hunter, if not three moves, the high-rank hunter at least concedes the first move.

It’s not legally mandated, but I thought the overconfident vice principal would act like this.

“Um… Vice Principal, there’s still some time left, but since everyone is here, can we start?”

The male teacher acting as the referee asks the vice principal, not even looking at me.

“I don’t mind. Teacher Kang, are you ready?”

“I’m fine with it too.”

“Then I’ll announce the rules one more time and start right away. With the advantage rule applied, if Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok here succeeds in landing even one effective attack on the Vice Principal, Teacher Kang Shin-hyeok wins. Vice Principal, do you agree to these conditions?”

“Of course.”

“Teacher Kang agrees too, right?”

“I agree. Um… But I would appreciate it if the referee could go outside once the match starts. It might be a bit dangerous.”

“What? No, Teacher Kang, I’m an A-rank…”

“Do as Teacher Kang says.”

“Ah, I understand.”

I just didn’t want him to get caught up in this, but fortunately, he immediately yielded when the vice principal spoke.

He glares at me, seeming to have taken a strong dislike to me.

I wonder if I might be judged as having lost even if I win.

After a light bow and standing at a slight distance, the noisy venue became quiet.

TWEET—!

With the male teacher’s whistle, the match began.

As if signaling me to come first as he said earlier, the vice principal gestures with his hand.

I immediately drew up internal energy from my dantian.

I can feel strength overflowing in my body and all my senses expanding.

Also, a blue energy started rising from the sword I was holding.

“Wow! It’s an Aura Blade!”

“Wasn’t Teacher Kang a B-rank?”

I can hear surprised voices from the audience.

Sword energy, a technique known as Aura Blade among hunters, is typically used by A-rank hunters, so they seem surprised.

But it’s too early.

Enduring the tingling in my dantian and drawing up internal energy to the extreme, the blue energy surrounding my sword gradually intensifies.

Soon it completely enveloped the sword, and the sword energy itself took the form of a sword.

“Is… Is that an Aura Blade?”

“What Aura Blade? That’s a technique that only S-rank hunters use! It probably just looks similar on the outside.”

“It looks exactly the same as what I saw on WeeTube.”

The murmuring seems to have grown louder than before.

My master disparaged it as a burden that can’t be used in real battles, but the vice principal’s arrogance has given me an opportunity.

“Ahem, I think it’s about time you attacked.”

The vice principal seems to be trying not to show it, but he looks quite flustered.

Usually, when the first move is conceded, it’s used for light attacks to probe, not to prepare an attack by pouring out all one’s strength like I’m doing.

It might seem a bit cowardly, but honestly, what’s more cowardly is that old fart who made me participate in this public duel despite having made a promise as a man.

“Here I come, Vice Principal.”

What I’ve prepared isn’t just sword energy.

The martial arts of my master’s friend, which my master emphasized, was not just about running, though he stressed this several times.

I was shocked when I heard the name.

Recalling the memory of practice, I rotated the sword filled with strong energy and shot it towards the vice principal.

Heaven Demon Sword Technique (天魔劍法) Fifth Form.

Meteor Burst Demon Energy (流星爆滅魔罡).

Small pieces of sword energy that keep shooting out from my rotating sword begin to scatter like exploding meteors, as the technique’s name suggests, filling the dueling arena.

As can be inferred from the technique name, the owner of this martial art is Heaven Demon, one of the two closest friends of my master.