Part 1: The First Year
Spring comes, the first year has passed. I've gradually gotten used to the way of life here. Even though a terrible event related to a horrific crime occurred in the past, I'm still able to live peacefully.
Speaking of what happened, everything seems to have resolved in the safest way for all parties. House Purplehorse and Prime Minister Darius don't seem to be pursuing the matter. They only reported that two young nobles had gone missing. A few rumors suggested they ran away together for love. The Whitebear family didn't seem too bothered by Henry's disappearance either, so the matter was concluded just like that.
As for the main couple, ever since Ken used his connections to get them away, I've also lost contact. The reason is understandable: they are on the run, so it's best to cut all ties. To be honest, I'm a little sad, but thinking about the bigger picture, I accepted it and added another item to my to-do list: 'Find Henry and Tristina after I'm strong enough to protect them.'
Looking at my growing to-do list, I worry I won't be able to finish it all before I die. Maybe I should start focusing on solving the problems right in front of me: focus on my studies and graduate.
As I was heading to my first class, a clear voice suddenly called out from behind me.
"Oh, Atur, you're up early again today?"
"Oh, hello, Lady Veronica." Recognizing who it was, I immediately performed a perfect noble greeting. "You are as radiant as ever today."
"Heehee. Hello, Atur." Veronica also grasped the sides of her skirt with her fingers, lifting them slightly and lowering her center of gravity, striking a 9/10 greeting pose. "You're always so silver-tongued."
"Oh, what I say is the truth, my lady."
Ah... I want to die. Since Henry and Tristina left, the 'friends' around me are all people like this little girl. Normally I would find a way to keep my distance or ignore her, but since Veronica is Henry's younger sister, I just don't have the heart.
At first, I didn't even remember this curly-haired girl when I saw her again at school. But she, just like her older brother, ran up to me, started a conversation, and praised me endlessly in front of her friends. Things like, 'Lord Atur is so courteous,' 'Lord Atur is so handsome!' or 'Lord Atur is a great dancer.'
And so, before I knew it, I had my own fan club full of pretty young girls, with Veronica as the president.
But they're all kids, so I'm not really that interested.
Come to think of it, I think I'm more interested in the fans' mothers than the fans themselves. I like girls with big breasts who are mature!
Okay, let's put this problem aside before I become an immoral pervert.
Speaking of appearance, for some reason, my hair has turned completely silver-white. My eyes have also changed to a cool golden color. The pupils are also flat like reptiles. I tried going for a check-up, but no one knew what happened or why I look like this. But after a few months of observation and seeing as I have no problems, it's not much to worry about.
Turns out, white-silver hair is quite rare in this kingdom. Excluding the elderly and albinos, of course. So with this appearance, I get a lot more attention, which probably explains why I have a fan club.
"Are you studying Law this semester, Lord Atur? What an interesting choice." Veronica started a conversation, looking at the *Asura Kingdom Civil Law* book in my hand.
This kid is sharp. Just like her brother.
"Yeah, I think law is the backbone of a nation. If I can grasp it, I can advance further."
I'm suddenly talking like a little old man. Sometimes I completely forget I'm only 6 years old.
"Heehee, you're absolutely right." But luckily, Veronica seems pretty smart, too; the kid understood my meaning right away. "You must want to be a judge?"
"Perhaps, or a lawyer," I replied.
"Atur, you really think far ahead, don't you?" Veronica grinned.
Actually, my purpose is to find a way to open a lawsuit to overthrow Prime Minister Darius in the future. In addition, I'll use my position in the legal field to build connections. Plus, having a law degree along with the position of a knight doesn't seem so bad. My status and career path will surely be a red carpet for me to hop, skip, and jump on.
Heh. A Paladin holy knight, skilled in both literature and martial arts... sounds pretty cool.
The reason I'm going this route is that in my first year, I studied the history of Mining and Geography of this world with the intention of understanding them better to check the potential of implementing a crazy plan like... the 'Industrial Revolution'. But unfortunately, that doesn't seem feasible. Because besides the mineral system here having completely different properties from iron on Earth, the biggest problem is the geological history here. Based on research and records, coal mines seem to be non-existent, at least in this Asura Kingdom.
And just like that, there goes my grand dream.
No coal, no hope for oil. And without those two, what are you going to use to start a revolution?
It's true, one shouldn't dream too big.
"Are you attending the Water God Style class this afternoon, Atur?"
Veronica's clear, cute voice pulled me back to reality, startling me. I was lucky not to bump into a young female professor. Ah, but then again, it's a bit of a pity; I wouldn't mind pretending to bump into a pretty girl's thighs...
"Yes." I replied to Veronica with a nod. "Are you in that class too?"
"Uh-huh! I want to learn swordsmanship. So that if we get married later and you turn into a violent guy, I can defend myself. My dad told me so!"
What on earth is Lord Firun injecting into this kid's head?
"Don't worry, I don't hit girls. And aren't we too young to talk about marriage?"
"You are always this thoughtful! That's why I feel safe around you."
"Veronica..." I swallowed, my voice trembling a bit. "You should only say these things to people you like. And maybe when you're a little older."
"But I *do* like you."
For heaven's sake, she's really Henry's sister! I guarantee this kid has no idea what she's saying. And that's exactly why I need to protect her, in case a guy like Darius targets her. That would be a disaster.
Actually, Ken did say that after last time, Darius probably wouldn't dare to make any bold moves. I have no way to be sure, but one thing is certain: I have zero chance of breaking into the Prime Minister's residence a second time. That place is now guarded many times more heavily than before.
Oh, and speaking of 'many times more,' know what else has increased many times over?
That's right! My debt.
A rough calculation of the materials I bought to make gunpowder, compensation for fire and explosion damages (because it blew up the whole house instead of just one floor), money for the carriage (renting would leave a paper trail), initial travel expenses for Henry and Tristina, this and that, blah blah... After adding it to my previous debt, my current net worth is negative two hundred and thirty-seven gold coins.
Converted to Earth money, that's over twenty-three million Japanese Yen. Converted to US dollars, that's somewhere around two hundred thousand dollars.
A six-year-old child in two hundred thousand dollars of debt!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I'm going to die!
I have no idea what black magic Ken used to convince my 'creditors' to let me live on without putting any pressure on me right now or going to knock on Pilemon's door. I heard that they are very much looking forward to my 'development' and plan to collect both principal and interest when I 'make it big.'
And 'making it big' here means I either take the seat of the Notos family head or... some other position of equivalent value. Like a government minister, for example? Ha ha.
My life sure is hopeless.
...
After class, as a habit, I went to the Holy Milis Church in the Upper-Class district to pray.
That's right, look at me, I am a believer of the Milis faith now.
The reason is, after the incident with Tristina, I felt this life was too dark, to the point where I saw bad guys everywhere. With that situation, it was Ken who suggested I go to church to clear my mind. At first, I wasn't very enthusiastic. In my past life, I was a typical atheist; at most, I'd go to a shrine at the beginning of the year out of habit, but I didn't worship anyone. For my own parents, the most I did was light an incense stick for them on their death anniversaries.
To be honest, listening to the dogma was pretty boring. But I have to admit, the priest's voice here really does carry some special power that strangely calms my mind (even if I don't understand anything).
But today, there's no sermon; that's a weekend thing.
It's empty, huh?
I stepped into the church, which, in comparison, must be as large as the only famous cathedral I ever visited in my past life, the Milan Cathedral in Italy. But unlike the usual atmosphere, inside this massive structure, there were only a few figures kneeling in prayer and a few priest walking around, doing their work.
Without a word or wasting much time, I found a suitable spot, one with few people, and discreet. I knelt down and began my most sincere prayers.
"May Holy Milis and all the gods guide Henry and Tristina, so that their future may be smooth sailing..."
"May Holy Milis and all the gods give me faith in life and stop me from punching the evil people who rule this country. I don't want to die yet."
"May Holy Milis and all the gods give Pilemon diarrhea."
"May Holy Milis and all the gods make Darius a eunuch."
"May Holy Milis and all the gods make Darius trip over his own severed cock and smash his face on the ground."
"May Holy Milis make that old king just roll over and die already."
"May Holy Milis..."
Yeah, so, everyone knows the real reason I'm here now. It's to curse the people I think should be punished, for a full hour.
Everyone knows that every person has ugly things inside them, like evil, malice... They are advised to suppress those things. As for me, I choose to vent it in the most harmless way possible—by torturing the ears of some god.
It sounds a bit irreligious, but who cares? As long as I feel better about life and don't go wreaking havoc, that's all that matters.
And so, after my prayer session, I had a smile as bright as the morning sun. Very effective. Everyone should try it.
And don't worry about being punished, I've been doing this for a while and nothing bad has happened—
Thud!*
But just as I stood up and turned around, I accidentally bumped into someone.
Since my body is still too small, I was knocked flat on the ground. It didn't hurt, but I was still surprised enough to stare wide-eyed at the ceiling.
Is this what they call karma? It came sooner than I thought.
I glanced at the figure looming over me, hoping it wasn't some thug. I started to have some unpleasant flashbacks from my past life when I accidentally bumped into a delinquent at school.
But luckily, it was just an old woman.
Wait, am I feeling lucky that I *ran into* an old woman? That sounds awful.
"Oh my. Are you alright, little boy?"
Contrary to the seemingly concerned question, the old woman had a rather… annoyed expression. Ah well… even if she's an old woman, she can still be a *mean* old woman, right? However, thanks to 'Reading,' I could see she had no malicious intent. It seems it was just her facial muscles; I guessed. So I quickly sat up, stood, dusted myself off, and smiled with a light but decisive bow.
"Ah, I'm fine. I'm sorry for bumping into you. Are you alright, ma'am?"
Hey, wait a minute. Why is an old woman carrying a sword like that? And bringing it into a church? Aren't weapons forbidden here?
The old woman's eyebrow twitched for a second, and then her grumpy expression softened a bit.
"I'm fine." Then she narrowed her eyes. I could feel a very deliberate scrutiny in that gaze. "Where are your parents, young man? Letting a child run around in a place like this is very improper."
"Ah, they aren't in the city right now, ma'am," I replied with the bright smile a child should have. "Actually, I'm here to pray."
I didn't intend to complain that my mother died young and I have a pest for a father. Especially not to a stranger. Even if I really want to.
"Praying? I see."
The old woman kept staring, her light blue eyes clearly fixed on my hair and eyes. Occasionally, she would glance elsewhere as if checking something. For a moment, I felt a sense of unease envelop me.
"Ah, yes." Seeing this, I spoke up and bowed lightly. "If you're alright, ma'am, please excuse me."
And I quickly left, not wanting to stay in her line of sight.
For some reason, I felt that old woman was extremely dangerous.
…
After returning to the academy for the afternoon session, I went to the Water God Style sword class.
The Water God Style class was a compulsory elective. To explain, it means every student must spend at least three semesters learning this subject and earn an Intermediate certification to graduate with a supplementary Knight certification. Your rank is assessed in a proficiency test at the end of each semester. If you achieve a rank higher than Intermediate, the value of your certificate also increases. So, if I decide to stay at the academy longer than 5 years and graduate as an Advanced-rank, I could possibly be appointed straight to a Knight Captain position.
However, Ken told me I should graduate early and then work my way up from the low ranks, as it would be easier because those high positions are already reserved for others. I was a bit disappointed, but I understood and decided to try to graduate with an Intermediate rank first.
The school also teaches the Sword God Style, but it's in the free elective category. Meaning, even if you register and achieve a high rank, it adds no value to your graduation certificate. So I have no motivation to learn it.
Since my time is the most important thing, I decided not to spend it on subjects that have no future value. Unfortunately, magic is one of them. In any case, I plan to finish the entire main curriculum in under 3 years, so I can spend the remaining time grinding as many career-related electives as possible. So I'm just staying loyal to the Water God Style (I still learn a little North God Style with Ken now and then, but it's not significant).
"Ah! Lord Atur! Good afternoon."
When Veronica saw me enter the dojo, she immediately waved her hand. Seeing this, I waved back as I approached her.
"Hi Veronica. You're here early."
"Heehee. If I get to study with you, how could I be late?"
"Ah, right..." I forced a smile.
I really can't get used to being hit on by a kid, can I?
Veronica was dressed differently than usual, wearing a neat, unwrinkled martial arts uniform. Next to her were four other girls, also from my fan club. They were clearly here because they knew I was in this class.
A few months ago, I would have found this annoying, but I'm used to it now, so I just let it be. Who knows, maybe in ten years, one of them will grow into a beauty, still admire me, and I'll conveniently marry her, hehe.
"Hm? A new instructor?" Someone spoke up, making me stop my indecent thoughts and look towards the door.
Instead of the usual middle-aged instructor, today a young man in full-necked armor walked into the classroom. He had silky blue hair, and the refined face of someone just entering his twenties, with a mix of scholarly and mature, sturdy swordsman features.
At first, I thought I was seeing a character walk straight out of a shoujo manga. He really made the girls in the class swoon, whispering loudly about which family he was from, whether he was married, and so on. My fan club was among them. For some reason, that made me a little disappointed, but I could understand.
Because this guy is really handsome.
Plus, with the aura of a knight, it's clear this isn't just some random person off the street.
And we didn't have to wait long; he immediately introduced himself.
"I am Tantris Cluel, an assistant instructor of the Asura royal family's main Water God Style dojo. Master Renis has some business today, so someone will be replacing him for today's session."
As soon as he finished, some students immediately whispered even more.
"The main dojo? Don't they train members of the Knight Guard and the Royal Family?"
"Is he that amazing? I wonder if he's strict?"
"I signed up for this class to slack off, but now..."
As for me, I rubbed my forehead, trying to remember where I'd heard that last name before. I think Ken mentioned it once? Let's see... Cluel...
"I think you all have a misunderstanding," Tantris spoke up when he saw the class buzzing. "I will not be the one teaching the class today."
When Tantris looked towards the door, the whole class, including me, turned to look.
So pretty! That was the first thing I thought.
It was a young girl, maybe just over 10 years old. She had the same hair color as Tantris, but longer, more flowing, and it seemed almost translucent under the sunlight. Her round face, combined with her confident aura, radiated an extremely attractive charisma. What set her apart from the other female students in the class was her confident spirit and the full-body training suit with too *many* layers that seemed inappropriate for a young lady.
But her steps were light and graceful, like a stream winding through the forest of scrutinizing gazes directed at her.
"My name is Isolde Cluel," the girl said, standing in the middle of the dojo. "I am a Water Saint. Today, I am here on a mission from the Water God Style to take Master Renis's place."
Hearing the introduction, the entire class immediately fell silent.
"What the hell? Saint-rank?! She looks like a kid!" - I could clearly see that expression on the faces of the other students. Some even said it out loud.
Or… even worse…
"Wow, so pretty! I want to marry her!" - I could hear this from the expressions of a few perverts. Maybe Henry would think the same if he were here. Too bad, Isolde's beauty is only for me to admire now. Stay loyal to Tristina, Henry.
By the way, I don't look very surprised, do I?
It's because that guy Tantris's last name, Cluel, made me realize it immediately.
The reason is, a few months ago, Ken told me that the current Water God had just bestowed the title of Water Saint on a girl only three or four years older than me, who also had the last name Cluel. At the time, I thought Ken was just bluffing to put peer pressure on me to study harder. But when I looked into it and confirmed it was true, I was shocked for a good while. When I found out she was the granddaughter of the current Water God, I kind of understood.
And no, it wasn't a case of nepotism. I even heard rumors that she dueled on par with many other Water Saints without breaking a sweat.
To have a Water God for a grandmother, and now the granddaughter achieving Saint-rank at just over ten years old... this family is truly monstrous.
I'm guessing it's genetic.
Just like the 'big breast' fetish gene in the Notos family.
"..."
Come to think of it, why do I only get stupid innate traits? Nothing like the real genius standing in front of me.
"Tch..."
Suddenly, for a moment, I saw Isolde give a look of contempt at the male students who were staring at her lecherously. But just a split second later, she returned to her calm, pleasant, doll-like expression. It makes sense; a genius, minding her own business, suddenly gets kicked out to teach a bunch of snot-nosed kids... she has every right to be angry. Especially a bunch who are, at best, 'Beginner-rank' like this.
But don't be so quick to judge. I've been training diligently, too. Especially after that incident with the perverted Prime Minister. But because I don't have this thing called 'talent,' at most I've only climbed to the latter half of Beginner-rank and have a rough grasp of 'Flow.' Only when I master it can I move up to Intermediate. According to Ken and the dojo master, I still need about… three more years for that.
Oh well, that still fits my criteria of ranking up before I'm 10. Then, in another 5 years, when I turn 15, reaching Advanced-rank will be perfect. At that level, while it's nothing compared to a genius, it's still a bright future, more than enough to become a knight. Who knows, maybe if I grind for another... few decades, I'll reach Saint-rank, and that'll be great, hehe.
Returning to the class, 'Master' Isolde divided the class into two groups. The newly enrolled group would learn meditation for mental clarity and physical training through exercises like running and push-ups. The group that had passed their second semester or more would start practicing basic sword swings. Of course, the nobles protested. When she said anyone who didn't like it could just leave, a whole bunch of them actually left, so now the class is strangely empty.
So, Veronica and three or four other students started jogging slowly, while I went to practice sword swings. I'd learned these basic exercises since I was three, so they weren't difficult. It felt more like a warm-up.
After another half hour, Isolde called for a break and called up the students who had at least reached the Beginner-rank, one by one, to spar with her.
Of course, all of them got their asses handed to them.
Our young master said she was only using one-tenth of her strength, without Battle Aura, but overwhelming is still overwhelming. It seemed as soon as any of them swung their sword, she would counterattack once, and they'd be down. Until, finally, it was...
"The last one."
The girl with the silky blue hair turned to look at me—the youngest kid to have reached Beginner-rank. Well, time to get beaten up.
I stepped up, wooden sword in hand, and took the basic Water God Style defensive stance, trying to use 'Flow' to block at least one of Isolde's blows. If I succeed, I'll find Ken, brag to him about it, and demand he erase one gold coin from my debt.
Then I waited.
And waited.
Isolde, on the opposite side, also took a defensive stance just like me.
Then she waited.
And waited.
We stared at each other like this for about five minutes before I suddenly realized she only ever counter-attacked when the students charged at her; she never attacked first.
Aha, I get it. So I just have to wait—
Clack*
"Ack..."
Just when I thought Isolde didn't know how to attack, she had appeared right in front of me, delivering a slash to my side. Luckily, I barely managed to block it.
Ack… so strong? This is Saint-rank? This is even scarier than Ken!
I took three steps back, my stance still firm, much to the surprise of the whole class. They must be marveling at how amazing I am to have blocked that attack and are probably thinking I have a chance to avenge the entire class.
But they're wrong. I just blocked it; I didn't use a single bit of 'Flow' to redirect that attack. In other words, I couldn't use any Intermediate-rank Water God Style skills. That block just now was pure luck, thanks to the enhanced reflexes from my 'Reading' luckily activating.
I had no chance of winning this match at this point.
If it were the old me, I would have dropped my sword and surrendered. There's no reason to fight a battle I can't win. Blocking one blow from a Saint-rank swordsman is more than enough to brag about for the next four years, maybe even declare myself the king of the school.
But when I thought back to how an Advanced-rank swordsman like Henry struggled in that sewer, I stood firm, gripping my sword tightly.
I will not run. I promised myself that. So what if I get hit? This isn't a real fight. I won't die. No need to be afraid. If I run now, then sometime in the future, I will abandon my comrades.
I'm not a coward anymore! I told myself, repeating it a few hundred times to stop shaking.
To be honest, now I feel a little excited. I could hear my heart pounding. All my senses seemed to be at their peak. Maybe when all the unnecessary thoughts are eliminated, I feel strangely clear-headed.
Now, it's my turn to attack. I took two quick steps, gripping the sword hilt with two hands, preparing for a direct thrust at her least guarded spot. When Isolde used 'Flow' to block, I immediately retreated.
"!?"
Surprised? That's North God Style footwork, baby.
Isolde's 'Flow' slid right past the tip of my wooden sword, and that's when I accelerated again, thrusting hard straight at the genius girl's chest.
Clack!*
Of course she blocked it.
I don't even know how Isolde blocked it, but my sword was pushed aside, grazing past her waist.
And like a true genius of the Water God Style, she counter-attacked. Isolde's 'Flow' gently moved my sword away and immediately transformed into an upward slash from below.
This time, I also managed to use 'Flow,' neutralizing the slash and turning it into a counter. However, that attack was just a feint. I only used it to create distance to escape the direct engagement.
I retreated, and Isolde did the same. We both immediately returned to a defensive stance.
The Water Saint girl is really cautious. Even when her opponent is just a Beginner-rank swordsman, she doesn't underestimate me one bit. No wonder she reached Saint-rank; her combat thinking is far beyond her age. If I were facing a kid half my age and several ranks below me, I'd have recklessly charged in to end the fight early like a mindless idiot.
Isolde just kept staring, which made my skin crawl a bit. She scanned me from top to bottom, then repeated it a few times to be sure, before directing those beautiful blue eyes straight into mine, as if trying to read my thoughts. That's 'Reading,' but I guess her ability is far beyond mine, maybe even better than Ken's.
Facing an opponent who knows your every move is going to be a pain...
Of course, I did the same, although I couldn't grasp much about her, other than the fact that she was too perfect. From her posture to her technique, everything would get a perfect 100 if there were judges.
However, that perfection gave me an idea.
"The critical weakness of the Water God Style is its 'grasp.' Meaning, the way Water God swordsmen get stronger is by sparring with evenly matched opponents to 'grasp' how to break their techniques, and from there, learn to deal with them."
Ken had told me that not long ago. He didn't tell me the exact reason why he made that remark. However, I understood, somewhat.
I immediately took a step forward. Isolde moved, but I immediately shifted 90 degrees to the right. The blue-haired girl changed her stance, but I immediately jerked left, then moved back and forth.
Right now, I look like a monkey jumping up and down in a zoo, begging for food.
However, it all has a purpose. I'm targeting the critical weakness of the Water God Style: 'The unpredictability of the North God Style.'
And also… a super-confident smile with my chin raised as high as it could go.
"What's wrong? Not going to attack? A Water Saint is scared?"
That was enough provocation to make even a Water Saint flare up and charge at me again.
Clack!*
This slash clearly wasn't just 10% anymore; it must have been 15% or 16%. Although my pathetic strength had no way of blocking it, thanks to 'Flow,' I redirected the entire force to the side, easily escaping.
I retreated again, taking the opportunity to use North God Style tricks to 'exchange blows' with the genius girl.
…
The two of us continued like this for about an hour. While the girl opposite me remained as calm as a cucumber (except for when I opened my mouth), I was panting heavily, my body covered in bruises. One of my cheeks was swollen, a few teeth had been knocked out, and the blood from my mouth had dried. I must look terrible right now. If it weren't for the toughness trained into me by Ken, I'd have been on the ground several times over.
"Hmm..." However, I could see a trace of acknowledgment in those judgmental eyes. "Maybe this is enough. Let's stop."
Isolde dropped her stance, quickly lowering her sword. She could probably see I had reached my limit.
"What's wrong? Scared?"
But I still flashed a crazy smile, revealing my gap-toothed grin, increasing the provocation tenfold.
It's true, every muscle fiber in my body was rioting, preparing to revolt and form a new government. But my brain was strangely clear. Over the past hour, I had 'read' quite a few interesting things and understood Isolde's 10% strength to the maximum.
Ken was right. Sparring with people of the same level is exactly how a Water God swordsman improves. Even though I think I'm only about 2-3% of Isolde's true strength, I still have learned so many of the genius girl's techniques thanks to the past hour.
In other words, this girl is the best experience-grinding machine I've ever met. After today, I probably won't get another chance to meet her, so even if it's just one more block, I'll try my best to receive it.
Besides, I've gradually realized something interesting I have to try.
"You've been using that one taunt over and over." Isolde didn't smile or show any emotion, just shook her head and raised her sword again. "You asked for this."
"Bring it on!"
I flashed a confident smile after regaining a bit of strength during our half-minute conversation.
Naturally, Isolde was the one to attack. She really wanted to end our game as soon as possible.
That's exactly what I want.
Isolde's wooden sword swung out. I also got into a stance and charged.
Whoosh!*
To explain a little, I'm not exactly charging in to get hit. I'm not *that* stupid.
Over the past hour, I've been constantly observing everything Isolde has used while facing me. She wasn't using her full strength, but our genius was using 'Flow' at a Saint-rank level. That means, from the beginning, my countering after defending was pointless. I would never be able to touch her if I just defended and countered normally with 'Flow.'
Thanks to that, I came up with an idea.
Whoosh!*
In response to Isolde's attack, I swung my sword. Instead of trying to block, I struck *directly* at the blow Isolde was swinging.
The two blades met with equal force, at a perfectly symmetrical angle, not off by a single millimeter.
Clack!*
For the past hour, I hadn't once *stopped* Isolde's attack. I had used 'Flow' to go along with it and deflect the blade's trajectory. By extending the interaction time, even for just a moment, I had neutralized almost all the shock transmitted back to her hand. It's like catching a baseball by pulling your hand back; it makes the impact much 'softer.'
A genius's muscles, like Isolde's, had unconsciously adapted to that. Her wrist, her arm, had gotten used to swinging a sword without needing to tense up to resist the recoil.
And that was the trap. It was all leading to this moment.
Instead of deflecting, this time I would *stop* it. A direct, almost perfectly elastic collision with all the muscle strength of a 6-year-old child like me. All the kinetic energy from her swing would be stopped in an extremely short amount of time, just a few thousandths of a second.
According to the law of impulse, minimizing the collision time will cause the instantaneous impact force to spike dramatically. It's not just a normal recoil; it's a shockwave transmitted straight up the wooden blade, focusing all the energy into her relaxed wrist.
A normal swordsman might break their arm. But for Isolde, this sudden and unexpected shock would make her muscles react instinctively—relaxing to avoid injury. Her hand would fly open. And that is my moment.
Clack!*
Both swords flew into the air, much to the surprise of all the eyes fixed on the sparring floor.
"What!?" The whole dojo gasped in amazement.
I had intentionally relaxed my hand so it wouldn't hurt my wrist, and then I lunged, reaching out to grab Isolde's flying sword.
Victory is here!
Or so I thought.
The genius girl had the exact same idea. She lunged forward, her hand swinging out to grab my flying wooden sword.
And *Thwack!* With the superior speed of a Water Saint, she delivered a hard enough blow to my head to knock me out cold.
…
Tantris's POV
When Atur collapsed, the match was over. The entire dojo fell silent; no one could believe what they had just seen. A 6-year-old Beginner-rank kid just knocked a Water Saint's sword away? If this story gets out, it will definitely cause quite a stir.
Compared in strength, speed, and experience, Atur was far inferior to Isolde. His 'Flow' was still too green, his stamina was there, but still only bordering on Intermediate. To be blunt, no one thought a kid like this could even block one blow from a Water Saint, even at only 10% strength.
Even I can't fight her when she's only using half her strength.
However, the thing that surprised Tantris the most wasn't the boy's willpower or his way of integrating the North God Style into his skills. There was something else that made him shudder... when he thought about that last move.
"Atur!"
Veronica immediately rushed over and shook Atur. A few other girls also ran up, extremely worried. A few of the children were already crying as if the silver-haired boy was dead.
Atur? That name made Tantris recall the strange letter that a cousin of his had sent not long ago. Could it be that child? Atur Notos Greyrat? Could this be the reason why Grandmother had assigned me and Isolde to teach this class?
"Allow me, young ladies."
Tantris stepped forward to check. He pretended to touch Atur's neck, but just a glance was enough to know the result. This action was just to reassure those around him more than words alone could.
"He's fine, just exhausted." Tantris didn't think much of it and lifted the boy up. "I'll take him to the best healing mage. Don't worry."
The assistant instructor smiled gently, trying to calm the teary-eyed girls.
Veronica nodded slightly. Seeing this, Tantris also stepped out of the dojo, with Isolde following behind. Although her blue eyes were as calm as ever, Tantris could see something wavering deep in the soul of that invincible genius. A 6-year-old Beginner-rank child had just done something she had never done.
"Brother, you saw it too, didn't you?" Isolde said, her eyes glancing at Atur in Tantris's arms. She seemed to be trying to scrutinize every little thing about the silver-haired child. "That technique?"
"Yeah. It's truly surprising. That was the Perfect Reverse." Tantris nodded, confirming what both siblings had seen.
Perfect Reverse - one of the five ultimate secret arts of the Water God Style, a technique capable of neutralizing any attack by counter-attacking its 'weak point'. It not only neutralizes but can even inflict damage back on the attacker. When mastered, it may 'permanently neutralize' the opponent's combat ability.
It was a skill that many spend their entire lives trying to learn, often without success.
And yet, both Cluel siblings had just seen a 6-year-old kid perform it. Although it wasn't as 'perfect' as its name suggested, it was still the foundation of the secret art, a rare phenomenon.
In other words, a genius.
"We must report this to Master Reida."
Tantris said. Isolde nodded in agreement.
Instead of walking to the infirmary where the healing mage was, they walked to their carriage, heading towards Water God Reida's dojo.