TGSA 05

Chapter 5

‘Serine is definitely unsettled.’
I knew it not just from her facial expression.
Her entire body, holding the posture of the Bastien Knight Swordsmanship style, had gaps.
‘How did this happen?’
Her stance wasn’t wrong.
She was clearly in the same posture as I was, but I felt openings.
‘Ah!’
I realized it late.
It wasn’t her body that had gaps, but her gaze.
‘She’s flustered watching me assume the Bastien Knight Swordsmanship stance, so her field of vision has narrowed.’
Normally, Serine could defend perfectly with the standard defensive moves, no matter which direction I attacked from.
Her current stance was meant for that.
But right now, she was wide-eyed, focusing on me, so her gaze was not properly managed.
If I attacked, her reaction would be delayed, and she might fail to defend properly.
Just a flaw in gaze handling was enough to create a gap in an otherwise perfect stance.
‘But how did I realize this?’
I was piercing through my opponent’s gaps like a seasoned swordsman.
Is this possible when you reach A-rank in Bastien Knight Swordsmanship?
‘No, this isn’t due to Bastien Swordsmanship.’
It’s unrelated to Bastien Swordsmanship.
It’s the influence of another swordsmanship I copied from Serine… Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship, ranked C.
‘Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship is a Western-style swordsmanship.’
Western swordsmanship values unorthodox tactics.
Especially, it emphasizes targeting the opponent’s weaknesses.
‘My Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship is only at C-rank. With just this level, I couldn’t possibly see through Serine’s gaps. But…’
My Bastien Knight Swordsmanship is A-rank.
By combining Lorelian Practical Swordsmanship with Bastien Swordsmanship, I could perceive the gaps in Serine’s Bastien style.
This was unexpected.
‘Serine probably hasn’t reached this level. Then why can I?’
Combining swordsmanship styles to create synergy.
This was definitely a concept from my novel.
But to do this, one had to reach a very high level.
Even the protagonists in my novel only managed this after the mid-story.
It required a deep understanding of swordsmanship.
‘Could it be…?’
One hypothesis flashed through my mind.
Many of the swordsmanship philosophies in this world were made up by me while writing the novel.
Of course, I was just an ordinary novelist who never trained in swordsmanship.
So all those philosophies were just figments of my imagination.
But…
‘This is the world I imagined.’
This world was created by me, the novelist.
Then… maybe the swordsmanship philosophies I imagined function here as truths.
‘No way.’
If this hypothesis is true, then I have already attained the enlightenment of a Sword Saint long ago.
Of course, in terms of technique and magic, I’m still below that level, so I can’t say I’ve fully reached it…
‘I came to this world already possessing the potential to become a swordsmanship genius.’
My heart raced.
The special ability given to me in this world was not just the power to copy techniques.
“Haah!”
At that moment, Serine, who had been watching for an opening, moved first.
Her stance was perfect, but there was still a gap in her gaze.
“…!”
Smack!
With a firm mouth, I parried Serine’s wooden sword.
Her speed and power were excellent, but it was not an attack I couldn’t defend against.
“Oh!”
Even just this moment of clash drew gasps from those around us.
It was a duel between two A-rank Bastien Knight Swordsmanship users.
It was a feast for the eyes of the swordsmanship-appreciating freshmen.
“Ugh…!”
Serine gritted her teeth and attacked again.
I calmly blocked every strike.
Of course, I didn’t only defend.
Using Bastien Swordsmanship to its fullest, I launched attacks equal to Serine’s.
‘Using the standard, orthodox movements…’
Countless techniques flashed through my mind.
I didn’t need to select them one by one. Bastien Swordsmanship at A-rank reflexively chose the most precise techniques.
‘Strike into the gaps!’
I sensed Serine, trapped in a corner, attempting the signature Bastien technique, Vertical Trinity.
Because Serine wasn’t in a perfect state, she accidentally revealed her intention to me.
Pat-pat-pat!
Serine’s triple strike was all blocked.
I canceled her Vertical Trinity, which was full of gaps, with my own Vertical Trinity.
“…!”
Serine was stunned.
She could feel gaps upon gaps forming in her defense.
‘If you counter with the same technique at the exact right timing, you can maximize the opponent’s disturbance.’
This was a tactic the original protagonist Akandel mastered in the mid-story.
He had to suffer a painful defeat to learn it.
But I don’t need such a process.
I came to this world already possessing that realization.
‘I already know I cannot hesitate here.’
Without hesitation, I thrust my wooden sword into the large gap.
Right after a dull sound, the wooden sword Serine held was knocked high into the air.

The duel ended with Ernas’s victory.

Surrounded by cheers, Serine bit her lip.
Her wrist stung from the recent strike.
‘Have you been hiding your true strength all this time?’
Ernas hadn’t been that skilled before.
Serine had dodged duel requests with excuses and even cheated during the entrance exam.
He was clearly a ‘fake genius’ who only put on airs, so why…
‘He even mastered Bastien Knight Swordsmanship…!’
Serine swallowed her tears.
It was humiliating for Serine, who came from the Bastien family, to lose to Ernas using Bastien Swordsmanship.
‘No, more than that…’
What was more shameful than losing with Bastien Swordsmanship to Ernas…
Was losing to Ernas, whom she had looked down on.
She lacked the ability to truly understand his capability, yet she assumed he was an easy opponent and underestimated him.
That was what Serine should truly be ashamed of.
‘She really was arrogant and self-centered.’
Serine originally disliked Ernas for being arrogant and self-centered.
But did she have the right to blame him?
‘I have to apologize to Ernas.’
The one she rashly tried to break the engagement with was no opponent to be underestimated.

“Ernas-sama, as expected!”
“So that’s how skilled he is!”
“How can he use Bastien family swordsmanship so proficiently?”
“Truly the heir of one of the six great swordsmanship houses… amazing talent!”

Sweat ran down my forehead as I heard the cheers around me.
By the time I blocked Serine’s Vertical Trinity, my stamina had reached its limit.
It seemed Serine had superior pure physical ability.
‘Ernas, you should train your stamina a bit.’
I exhaled roughly.
But I felt good.
‘Somehow… my chest feels light.’
This was a feeling I never experienced writing novels as a writer.
I never imagined that swinging a sword with all my might would feel this good.
Just knowing this feeling made coming to this world worthwhile.
‘Yes, I must keep getting stronger like this.’
Not just copying others’ swordsmanship and imitating them,
but elevating it one step further to become stronger than anyone else.
I have the potential for that.
‘If I have the potential to become a swordsmanship genius… then I will truly become one.’
Changing the fate of Ernas, who was a fake genius in the novel, into a real genius.
This is the path I must walk from now on.