Chapter 35
“Phew…! Haah!”
Angela, the last runner, finally finished the 100 laps.
As she collapsed onto the ground and struggled to catch her breath, I approached her with some prepared ice water.
“You did well.”
“Th… thank you…”
She snatched the water bottle from my hand and gulped it down in no time.
“I thought I was going to die…”
“Even using all the Qi I had wasn’t enough…”
“Did you see that boy? He ran like the wind.”
“Tch… A man, of all people.”
The students who had finished their laps earlier started to regain their senses one by one.
Among them, the ones from the Royal Class glanced back and forth between Angela and me with displeased expressions.
It was clear they were unhappy about losing first place to me by such a wide margin.
“Not only is he of low birth, but a man dares to act so proudly at Polaris?”
“He doesn’t even know his place. He won’t get anywhere with a sword, anyway.”
“Heh, isn’t it obvious? That pretty face of his is just trying to cozy up to the princess…”
Honestly, the content of their gossip was so far removed from my sense of logic that I couldn’t even get angry.
I was about to ignore it, but…
“……”
Angela’s expression became noticeably tense.
Crack!
She crushed the water bottle in her hand, her eyes glaring fiercely.
I prepared myself to stop her, just in case she lunged at them in a fit of rage.
“…Ugh.”
But soon, her shoulders slumped, and she bit her lip in frustration.
‘Looks like she learned something from Fernia’s scolding.’
If she lashed out at them now, it would only create problems for me.
I still don’t have any official authority.
For Angela to act on her own, she needs either a justifiable reason or enough power to back her actions.
But she has neither at the moment.
They weren’t insulting Angela or the royal family—they were mocking me.
And officially, I’m not anything to Angela yet.
So for now, accepting her own weakness and suppressing her anger is the wise thing to do.
‘Good for her.’
Normally, Angela is just like a child around this time.
It feels like she’s growing mentally faster than in the original story.
“You did well holding back.”
“…I’m sorry.”
She lowered her gaze, clearly upset.
“It seems like everyone’s finished.”
Reina, who had been watching from a corner until all the students completed the laps, walked forward. She held a timer in her right hand and looked down at the exhausted students.
“Except for the top three, the average time is about 1 hour and 30 minutes… pathetic. Is this really the result of using Qi while running?”
Her sharp words silenced everyone.
“Listen carefully. Qi is a resource. It should be used at the right time, in the right amount, and in the right place to maximize its effectiveness. Just focusing Qi randomly into your legs won’t yield meaningful results.”
Given how little Qi you have, being able to manage it properly is even more critical.
Reina added as she scanned the group.
“Most of you have completely run out of Qi. This will do.”
“Wait… there’s more training after this?!”
“Of course. The running was merely a method to drain your Qi and stamina.”
“Ugh…!”
“She’s a demon…”
From every direction, exhausted sighs filled the air, as if no one had the energy to even be shocked.
“The task is simple. A best-two-out-of-three, one-on-one combat. From now on, you will spar with each other.”
“S-Sparring…?”
“Hand-to-hand combat. No swords. If you are thrown out of the ring or your back touches the ground, you lose. The winner of the duel can… immediately end the lesson. You’re free to do whatever you like with the remaining time—whether it’s returning to the dorm to rest or grabbing snacks from Building D.”
“Woohoo!!”
A faint glimmer of hope emerged from the despair.
The students lit up like desert wanderers finding an oasis.
“However, losers must spar with other losers. If you lose again, you must continue dueling until you win.”
In other words, if you win quickly, you can escape the training soon, but if you lose, you will have to keep dueling.
With a best-two-out-of-three match, the amount of stamina consumed would be significant.
“I’m going to win fast and enjoy some cold shaved ice!”
The students, who had been nearly dead moments ago, were now burning with determination.
“By the way, the top three finishers are exempt from sparring. Instead…”
Reina dropped her sword to the ground and loosened her hands.
“You will spar with me. That is the promised reward.”
“……”
“……”
“A reward… you say?”
…Yeah, sure.
‘What the hell kind of reward is that?’
She’s offering to beat us up personally.
I’m starting to sweat, even though I didn’t sweat during the run.
“You have no idea how valuable it is to receive personal instruction from a professor.”
Reina threw off her outer garments, revealing her snow-white skin and toned legs.
“If you’re in the top ranks, it means you’ve somewhat mastered Qi efficiency. Sparring with those weaker than you won’t help you learn much.”
“Weak…”
“Oof…”
“And this sparring will be a single-round match. Even if you lose miserably, I’ll immediately end the lesson. Isn’t that a sufficient reward?”
Though I had hoped for something material, what she’s offering is actually a decent reward.
‘Receiving personal guidance from a professor is rare unless you become their direct disciple.’
It’s less of a match to win and more of a chance to receive corrections on your weaknesses, so there’s no need to strain yourself.
In many ways, it’s still a reward.
But…
“Hmm…”
I have a feeling things won’t go so smoothly when it’s my turn.
***
Amid the other cadets watching, the first challenger stood directly in front of Reina.
“My name is Dwena.”
Despite her gorilla-like face and bulky physique, she was more talented than one might expect.
She was the one who finished 3rd in the race.
Dwena, the heir of the Red Forest.
“The rules are the same. Understood?”
The temporary sparring arena was marked with white lines.
Since the area was designed for combat training, there were hundreds of such arenas available.
“For your information, I won’t be using Qi. But you will need to.”
“But…”
“If you’re worried about me, I’d like to inform you that it’s unnecessary. Even if you face me at full strength, I can beat you without using Qi.”
At this point, Dwena had already used half of her Qi and stamina.
Even if she poured everything she had into it, she couldn’t defeat Reina.
‘Well, whether she takes her words at face value is another question.’
I exhaled through my nose, leaning my head on my fist.
Grit!
Dwena ground her teeth.
“Damn it… You’re underestimating me too much, aren’t you?”
“I underestimate you because you deserve it. You should learn to see yourself more objectively, Cadet Dwena.”
“Grr… I don’t care anymore!”
Thinking she was being ignored, Dwena roared and charged forward.
Grass and dirt scattered from the ground as the impact caused small vibrations—proof that she was using Qi.
‘To still have Qi left after all that running… She didn’t place 3rd by luck.’
I was impressed as I watched the scene unfold.
“Hoo.”
Reina let out a small sigh of admiration and raised her hand.
“You spread your Qi across your whole body and then inject it explosively into the necessary parts at the right moments.”
Boom!
Dwena’s large fist slammed into where Reina had just been standing.
“-But it’s crude.”
“What the…?! I was sure I hit you!”
“Your technique lacks refinement. You waste far too much Qi.”
Whack!
Reina, now standing to the side, struck Dwena’s shoulder.
“Aaaagh!”
“You focus too much on your lower body and leave your upper body vulnerable.”
“Damn it!”
This time, Dwena swung her tree-like leg in a kick, but Reina didn’t take the hit.
Jumping high, she avoided the strike and lightly tapped Dwena’s remaining leg.
“Waaaah!”
Dwena lost her balance, flailing her arms.
“You’re using your Qi based on instinct. It’s impressive for something done unconsciously, but…”
Thud!
Dwena fell flat on her back, the ground shaking as her body hit the ground.
A clear signal of defeat.
“You still have a long way to go, Cadet Dwena.”
“……”
“Starting today, practice feeling the flow of Qi. Only third-rate fighters can win by blindly hitting.”
“…Thank you.”
“Your sparring is over. You may rest now.”
In many ways, this was the most typical form of sparring.
‘Actually, it wasn’t even sparring.’
It was more like Reina letting herself get attacked while pointing out the flaws.
Perhaps that’s why the other cadets’ reactions were lukewarm.
“I wish this would end already.”
“Who are you going to spar with?”
“I’ll go for the easiest one.”
As idle chatter flowed among the cadets.
“Alright, it’s time for the 2nd place finisher now.”
Reina called the next cadet.
“Come forward, Lienna. It’s your turn.”
The pink-haired girl wearing an eyepatch stepped onto the sparring ground.
“Yes.”
The Holy Maiden walked forward.
—
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