TGSA 66

Chapter 66

Now It’s a Preemptive Strike (3)

The next day, Serine and I helped Schmitz, Chloe, and Viola with their mana training.

Second-stage exam passers receive the blue Elixir, and this was the first time those kids were taking the blue Elixir.

“They need to move past the basics quickly.”

Thanks to Serine and me training them together, they were able to settle a significant amount of the blue Elixir’s power into their mana hearts.

The following day at last, we headed to Ferdinand’s class.

“This is Ferdinand’s class….”

Unlike the newly built Yols class, Ferdinand’s class was housed in an older building.

It didn’t feel shabby, though — rather, it had an antique charm.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes, Ernas.”

We pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.

There weren’t many people in the old manor-like building.

“There’s hardly anyone here?”

Viola looked around.

“You can barely feel anyone’s presence.”

“Right. I heard the full staff — the full professors, associate professors, and assistants — amount to nearly thirty people.”

“They must all be out. Doing work for pay.”

I answered Viola and Chloe’s questions and headed for the staircase in front of us.

“The supervising professor should be in. Let’s go see.”

“Ah, yes.”

We climbed the creaking stairs up to the third floor.

There was a door labeled “Supervising Professor’s Office” in the language of this world.

“Then….”

“Ernas, you can’t just fling the door open without knocking—!”

Serine was flustered by my bursting through the door, but I ignored her and stepped inside.

The supervising professor’s office was quite large and cluttered with all sorts of odds and ends.

“There you are.”

“Ah….”

A gray-haired man sat in a rocking chair.

He wore a monocle over one eye, which made an impression.

He was Professor Ferdinand, the head of Ferdinand’s class.

“He’s… asleep?”

As Viola had said, he was sleeping with his eyes closed.

He didn’t react at all when we entered.

‘Not the kind of behavior you’d expect from a top-tier Graduate,’ I thought.

I approached slowly.

Then I reached for the sword at my waist.

“Who’s there?”

He snapped his eyes open.

This was a man who hadn’t woken at whispers, but he reacted to the faint motion of a hand on the hilt.

“What is it, students?”

“Good day, Professor Ferdinand.”

I bowed in greeting; he frowned and reached sideways.

Watching him fumble across the desk, I remarked, “You’re still wearing your monocle.”

“Damn it.”

Ferdinand slapped his face with one hand and sighed.

Then, still seated, he looked us over.

“One, two, three, four, five… five of you came. It’s rare for trainees to show up this early.”

“Is it?”

“You normally don’t get trainees for at least half a year. Most come to my class only after they fail to get certificates in other classes and are cornered into seeking me out.”

Ferdinand glared at us as he spoke.

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken? Valentiano’s class is the next building over. Kalleon’s is beside that.”

“We came to Ferdinand’s class, Professor.”

“I know. I was just testing you, damn it.”

Ferdinand spat another curse.

“What do you expect from coming here? Haven’t you heard you can’t learn proper swordsmanship in my class?”

“We know that.”

“You know?”

“Yes.”

I looked around.

All the bric-a-brac piled up in the room were ancient relics.

“Professor Ferdinand is the academy’s foremost archaeologist — I know that.”

“…….”

Of course — this was the Richtenauer Sword Academy. Even their archaeology was limited to things related to swordsmanship.

You could call it “swordsmanship archaeology.”

“Ancient sword techniques, ancient spirit medicines, divine swords or demon swords… you’ve left quite a legacy.”

“Hmph, you know your stuff.”

Ferdinand scratched his gray hair and said, “Then you must also know I’m a cruel professor who puts the students through hell to fund my research.”

“It’s expensive research, so it can’t be helped.”

“It’s not the cost that’s the problem. The problem is that meaningful results are hard to get.”

Ferdinand was right: swordsmanship archaeology rarely produces results.

Unlike real-world archaeology, swordsmanship archaeology ultimately seeks “power.”

Imagine finding an ancient sword technique sealed deep in a dungeon after tremendous effort — but then discovering it’s no better than modern techniques. It would all be for nothing.

That’s why Ferdinand’s class often came up empty and had a hard time getting budget from the academy.

“All the professors under me are out on external contracts to earn pay and add to research funds,” he continued.

“I’ve heard that.”

“So there’s no one here to teach you if you join. I’d send you out on contracts as cheap labor to earn money.”

When I was in Yols class, I also went out with the associate professors to exterminate orcs — it was to build the class’s record. But Ferdinand’s class was more about money.

“Know this: even if you go on external contracts, you’re students and won’t get paid a share. Instead….”

“You’ll receive Elixirs as compensation.”

I said calmly.

“That’s enough.”

“You little….”

“No, that’s the most important thing.”

“What did you say?”

“The more external work we carry out, the more mana we secure. If we can obtain enough Elixirs, we can amass power.”

“……!”

Ferdinand’s eyes widened.

The others behind me swallowed hard.

“This kid….”

“Elixirs given as rewards don’t come out of the class budget, right? Isn’t that so?”

“…….”

“Professor, what we want is mana. Please teach us so we can secure enough Elixirs.”

“You think that tactic will work at the academy?”

Ferdinand narrowed his eyes and looked at me.

“Just increasing mana won’t make you a great swordsman.”

“Yes, but doing external contracts would give us real combat experience too.”

I replied without hesitation.

“In truth, I value real combat experience as much as mana.”

“Real-combat experience… did Yols rub off on you?”

“I did just train in Yols class.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Yols was the professor in the academy who valued real combat experience most. Hearing I’d trained in Yols class, Ferdinand seemed to understand.

“What’s your name?”

“Ernas Ranzstein.”

“So you’re the Ranzstein family heir. As rumored, an odd one.”

Hearing that, Viola stifled a snort behind me. I felt Schmitz glare at her.

“Fine. If you insist, I won’t stop you.”

“Then….”

“I’ll take you in. Use them as much as you want.”

Ferdinand accepted us in the end.

With that, we became official trainees of Ferdinand’s class.

“Just so you know, I won’t teach you any proper swordsmanship. You’d get little help from me.”

“You’re a top-tier Graduate — it would be impossible for you not to help.”

“No. My swordsmanship is too unique to teach. I don’t teach it to others, and my generic techniques are worse than others’. Learning from me would be pointless.”

…….

Ferdinand’s primary sword technique was a one-man lineage specialty — he didn’t teach it to the unqualified, and in the novels he never taught it to anyone.

‘I could copy it right away with Yusrecht’s ability, but it’s a technique that would require huge amounts of mana; getting it now would be meaningless,’ I thought.

While I was thinking that, Ferdinand fumbled through papers on his desk.

“Ernas, do you know how to carry out external contracts?”

“Yes, I learned everything in Yols class.”

“Then there’s no need for me to explain. Now then….”

While Ferdinand shuffled papers, I glanced around.

On the bulletin board beyond his desk several old documents were pinned.

As I tried to read the characters, Ferdinand snapped his head up and looked at me.

“What, are you interested in Amrita?”

“Amrita….”

“The ancient spirit medicine developed long before the original Elixir. According to texts, it seems to have effects incomparable to an Elixir.”

“…….”

“I’ve been searching for clues for decades. No results so far.”

I already knew of it from repeated mentions in the novels.

I also knew — from later events — that Ferdinand would eventually succeed in restoring Amrita.

“Tch, I don’t know what to assign you. I don’t know what kind of people you lot are.”

Ferdinand grumbled as he shuffled papers.

“Ernas, what do you want?”

“We’d prefer human-on-human combat.”

“You mean, you want to fight people instead of monsters?”

“That’s the only way to get true real-combat training.”

“Hmph….”

Ferdinand frowned and pulled out a sheet of paper.

“If that’s what you want… this is what I’ll entrust to you.”

Western small city Filchester.

In a dim basement alley, a henchman of the Lancaster family held a secret meeting.

“I think this advance payment should suffice.”

“Ooo….”

Kastaarion, head of the Black Heaven Cult’s Filchester branch, brightened.

The purse of gold coins on the table was surprisingly heavy.

“My, that’s a considerable sum.”

“Is it enough?”

“Such a sum, willingly paid — I’m curious who your elder is.”

“Don’t ask recklessly.”

“I know. It must be included in the amount.”

Kastaarion pocketed the pouch with a serious expression.

“I will cooperate as much as possible.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“Your target is an enemy of my disciple Carlyle, so I’m eager.”

At his words, Kastaarion’s eyes turned fierce.

“Carlyle was killed at the academy… used as practice material for younglings and murdered. It’s shocking.”

Carlyle, a high priest of the Black Heaven Cult, had participated in the academy’s second exam.

He’d been under condition that victory over students would earn him freedom; instead, he tried to kill a student and was counterattacked and died.

Actually, Carlyle had been hired by the Baltfeld family, but Lancaster did not inform Kastaarion of that fact.

“Ernas Ranzstein — is he the one who killed Carlyle?”

“Yes, definitely.”

“Understood. I’ll settle him and avenge my disciple.”

Eliminating Ernas Ranzstein — that was the commission the Lancaster family had secretly asked the Black Heaven Cult to carry out.

Of course, Lancaster’s involvement was kept strictly secret.

“When do you expect results, Father?”

“Don’t rush. We must prepare thoroughly before acting.”

“…….”

“We’ll cooperate not only with our Filchester branch but other branches as well… don’t be hasty. Wait.”

Kastaarion said with firm conviction.

“There’s no need to hurry. Ernas Ranzstein is probably unaware of anything right now.”

“It’s a cult extermination.”

“Right. More precisely, it’s resolving the abduction cases that occurred in villages near Filchester.”

Ferdinand slid a document across the desk.

“We’ll find the cultists behind it and exterminate them. Think you can do it?”

“We’ll take it, Professor.”

I accepted the papers without hesitation.

“We’ll put down those cultists who trouble the Empire.”

“Hmph, bold words.”

I couldn’t help but be confident.

The culprits in this case were the Black Heaven Cult’s Filchester branch.

I already knew where they were hiding in Filchester’s back alleys.

‘I also know they’ve already started targeting me on Lancaster’s orders.’

Before they could move, I would move first.

After catching them, I would drag out the Lancaster family behind them.