Chapter 33 : Chapter 33

Rozalin’s body shot forward as if in flight.

She stepped on the orcs’ bodies, and at the same time, leaped between the trees.

Following her movements, the orc warriors let out screams and rushed in, their massive bodies stomping the ground.

“Hyaap!”

A whip-like swordsmanship executed in mid-air instantly tore the orc warriors to shreds.

“That’s……”

I could see why Rozalin used that kind of swordsmanship.

It wasn't a swordsmanship for a noble one-on-one duel while standing in place.

It was a swordsmanship that didn't rely on the ground, but rather one that toyed with opponents at will while airborne.

“Hyaap!”

Every time the trajectory of her arm was swung like an elastic whip, the orc warriors scattered with screams of pain.

In the midst of it, the high orc’s axe charged, aiming for Rozalin.

“Heave-ho!”

Chaaaaaang—!

Hati, who had approached her at some point, struck the axe with his two morning stars.

The crude axe of solid steel made a bursting sound and soared into the air.

A brief moment when its side and armpit were exposed.

Pan, as if he had been waiting, lowered his body and thrust his sword.

Puk—!

Because the grain was slightly off, it only grazed the muscles of its side, causing a bleed.

A rough breath escaped the high orc’s mouth.

Just before it could howl again.

Rozalin, who had just landed on the ground, cut its opposite shoulder with her sword as if sweeping it away.

Kwoooo—!

By the time the high orc’s scream erupted, the three had retreated.

In the meantime, orcs swarmed in to assist the high orc, but Hati and Pan, who had already regrouped, bought time by dealing with them.

The movements continued without a single pause.

It was as if a great river was flowing endlessly.

If there was a rock in the path of the water, the river would swirl around it.

As the current gradually grew stronger, the river would carve away the rock and cover it with water.

The individual attacks were attacks, but what was more important was the organic, unstoppable chain.

That was.

‘Like this……?’

I slightly modified my steps.

From steps that moved one foot at a time to half a foot, no, a quarter of that.

But without resting.

At a fast tempo.

The sword, too, was similar.

‘I go first.’

The tips of my toes must become the trajectory that draws where the sword wants to go first.

The sword is just.

Placed there.

Saaaaak—!

The sword that had merely pierced the neck before, now split an orc in half.

There was no resistance.

It was as if this orc had been originally split in half and had been luckily attached, as it scattered.

The orc’s expression seemed as if it didn't even know it had been cut.

‘Ah.’

My head became hazy.

The tension of being in the middle of a battle slowly disappeared.

‘No.’

It felt like my body was naturally flowing away.

At that moment, I felt a warm hand grab my arm.

“Great Master. I believe a human should have understood the meaning of not overdoing it.”

My hazy, floating body slowly sank.

And with that, I could see the state of my body more objectively.

Thump— Thump—.

My heart was pounding like crazy with excitement.

My body was trembling slightly, and I had even forgotten the pain I should have felt long ago.

My focus returned, and I saw Yuria’s face.

A nosebleed was flowing from one of her nostrils, but her expression was calm.

“If it had been worse, I would have collapsed again. Actually, I wanted to watch over the moment the Great Master had his realization, but I thought it would be a loss to lose one's life over a single realization.”

“A realization……?”

Was what I had just experienced the thing that top-class swordsmen experience only when they surpass their own level?

It seemed I had just let go of an opportunity that was hard to experience even once in a lifetime.

As if she had guessed my thoughts, Yuria shook her head.

“The Great Master’s problem was that his body could not keep up with his realizations and knowledge even now. The Great General went to great lengths to obtain a precious elixir to mend the Great Master’s body, so do not break that balance again.”

“……Right.”

It was an opportunity that was too much for me.

But, having grasped such an opportunity once meant that a similar opportunity might come again.

I let go of my lingering feelings and looked around.

‘Sordian has incredible skill.’

Sordian was sweeping through the area with his characteristic fast sword.

After the high orc appeared, Hati, who had been guarding the rear, moved to the front line, but the empty space was not felt at all.

The empty spaces between the trees were filled with the corpses of orcs.

How many had I killed?

Twelve, thirteen?

The others had wiped out the remaining four hundred or so orcs.

And now.

“Cover me!”

Rozalin took a stance in front of the high orc and inhaled.

It was not the swordsmanship she had used before her regression, but the orthodox sword style of the House of Marquis Vürhelm.

Kwoooo—!?

The high orc, already covered in blood and battered, swung its axe, trying somehow to block Rozalin’s sword stance.

It seemed to have instinctively realized that it was a dangerous sword style.

It used its physique to strike with its long arms, and at the same time, used its strength to grab and swing the surrounding tree trunks.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

It was Hati who received all those attacks.

Hati endlessly crossed his two morning stars, intercepting all of the orc’s attacks in mid-air.

Not a single attack reached Rozalin.

In the midst of it all, Hati also assisted Pan, who was fighting the orc warriors.

When Pan, who was moving passively as his stamina was starting to run low, lured a warrior, Hati would blow its head off in an instant.

“Hmph—!”

Rozalin’s eyes lit up as she pursed her lips and took a deep breath.

The straight-soaring sword drew a single silver trajectory in the dark forest.

A long trajectory that seemed to cut down the entire forest was drawn.

K-o—, o…….

The high orc, deeply cut in the waist by the sword strike, knelt and slowly fell forward.

“Pan! Finish it!”

“Yes, yessir!”

At Rozalin’s shout, Pan moved forward cautiously.

The high orc struggled, scratching the ground in an attempt to resist.

But soon.

Puk.

Pan’s sword plunged into the back of the high orc’s head.

It was the end of the battle.

Chweek—!

The few remaining orcs saw the death of the high orc and turned to flee.

Sordian pursued the orcs that were moving towards the carriage and the village.

“Phew, I really stretched my body for the first time in a while!”

Rozalin sat on the back of the high orc and stretched refreshingly.

Her breathing was stable, and she didn't seem tired at all.

On the other hand, Pan, as if relieved of tension, lay on the ground, panting and catching his breath.

A faint steam was rising from his body, and a white salt residue was on his clothes.

I was the same.

I sat on the ground and stared blankly around.

“There.”

Thump.

“Here too.”

Thump.

Hati went around with Yuria, confirming the kills of the orcs that were not yet dead.

Yuria detected the bio-energy through her holy power and found all the orcs, from those hiding in secret to those on the verge of death.

Seeing a 10-year-old child walking around, pointing her finger at orcs, and Hati smashing them with his mace was truly grotesque.

But.

“Teacher, how was it?”

At Rozalin’s question, I had no choice but to admit it.

“Amazing.”

“Hehe, I’m pretty awesome. A battle of this level is something I do all the time, but my body isn't fully developed yet! I still have about two more years to grow, you know? It's only about 1-2cm, but if you think about the muscles……”

“Pan.”

“Ah, it's not me.”

The exhausted Pan could only move his head slightly at my call.

“I thought you were just a young student, but to grow this much in just a week…… I didn't know.”

Besides, I too.

The difference between simply catching monsters in the village and seeing them move organically in a large-scale battle like this was on another level.

‘And Pan also seemed to be growing in the middle of it.’

How to swing the sword to distribute strength efficiently.

How to shorten the steps to fight concisely.

I could see him accepting and modifying these things in real time.

I had to admit it.

“Practical experience is necessary.”

“Heh.”

Rozalin smiled as if satisfied.

“However, I think some kind of system will be necessary.”

I couldn't have all the students experience such a real battle right away.

I reviewed the battle scene that had happened today.

What if 150 students had visited this place without Rozalin, Hati, Sordian, or Yuria?

And the supervising instructors were me, Gwen, and Avril.

‘No. There would have been injuries for sure.’

It was an impulsive decision, but I was glad I came.

In the meantime, Hati and Yuria, who had finished confirming the kills, approached me.

“Great General. While you were dealing with the high orc, the Great Master almost died once.”

“Pardon?”

“Huh?”

Pan, who had collapsed from exhaustion, shot up.

“Teacher?”

“He entered a moment of realization after watching the Great General’s fight. His swordsmanship was further refined, and his steps became more sophisticated. His physical abilities were enhanced, and he entered a state of immersion, and I barely stopped him from walking towards the orcs.”

“Come to think of it, your nose is bleeding! Ah, Teacher! Are you crazy? What on earth did you do?”

“No, well, just……”

“Uwaaaaaah! I shouldn't have come! Do you know how hard it is to get that one Mandrake! Do you know what kind of Mandrake that is? Huh? But what am I supposed to do if your swordsmanship just gets stronger in the meantime! No, I made your body stronger too! I even got you that trashy swordsmanship! I did everything for you!”

Rozalin struggled on top of the high orc.

Uh, well. I feel bad for some reason.

I looked at Pan, and he was looking at me with a worried expression.

“Hati.”

“What is it.”

“About the orcs that ran away earlier. Can you catch them for me?”

The men of the north are born hunters.

They were skilled in fighting monsters, and the best among them even captured monsters alive and sold them to the nobles of the kingdom or the empire.

With Hati, who has this much power.

“It's possible, but.”

He could surely grant my request.

“Then two weeks later, can you catch about twenty of them and bring them to the academy?”

“I’ll have to tell that money-grubber to get a carriage with a sturdy iron cage.”

It sounded like it was possible.

“For the final evaluation?”

“Yes. Since we came on a survey, leaving our posts, we have to show off a little.”

Even now, the method for the final evaluation was roughly forming in my mind.

Now I just had to go back to the academy, call Gwen and Avril, and have a proper discussion.

‘Gwen, Avril…… will the discussion even go properly?’

I was worried, but it was something I had to overcome somehow.

“Let’s go back for now.”

I wanted to get on the carriage quickly and get some sleep.

So we got on the carriage and once again used the Saint’s(to-be) future technology to return to the academy.

We were away from the academy for four days.

And in the meantime.

“Are you the teacher of Class C? Nice to meet you!”

The new Class A homeroom teacher hired by Avril had arrived.

This time, it was a strange person too.