The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter
chapter-259

A few days later, during the day.

I called Gerald and brought him to a corner of the Butterfly Garden. Gerald had decided to stay at the academy for a while, so it was easy to find him in the guest lodging.

Gerald and I both held wooden swords. I wasn't much of a swordsman, let alone a match for a Sword Saint, but that didn't matter. This wasn't a swordsmanship duel in the first place.

I stretched my legs out long and pressed down on my knees firmly to loosen up my body.

"You're full of enthusiasm."

Gerald said, looking at me with eyes like an eagle.

I gave a gentle smile.

"I need to hit my father-in-law once."

Gerald's lips twitched. It seemed he found it funny.

Gerald pressed his lips together to pretend he wasn't laughing.

"Don't call me father-in-law."

Gerald said firmly, taking a combat stance with his wooden sword.

Does he have a compulsion to do this?

"Come on."

I took off my glasses and tucked them into my clothes.

I took a deep breath, lowered my upper body, and bent my knees slightly.

I infused mana into my muscles and joints, paying close attention to Gerald's movements.

Silence.

A few seconds passed.

Whoosh!

Gerald disappeared from sight.

I didn't rely on my sight. My eyes couldn't keep up with Gerald's movements anyway.

But no matter how fast he was, it was about the footwork.

The quietly flowing wind. The swaying grass.

I sharpened my senses and instinctively caught the sound of Gerald's footsteps on the grass.

The process of judgment was slow, so I skipped it. I had to move my feet before any thought crossed my mind.

I had to not move my body naturally. I had to abandon the familiar senses.

I focused on the flow of mana and fully understood the structure of my entire body.

There you are.

I leaped with a new sense.

Whoosh!

"...!"

In an instant, Gerald came into view. I caught up with him.

I swung my wooden sword in one go. Gerald had promised not to attack, so he stepped back and easily dodged my strike.

As Gerald gazed at me, a unique light shimmered in his pupils.

Gerald kicked off the ground again.

I pursued him.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

I gave chase and caught up with Gerald's movements again and again, whipping through the grassy field. Once might be a coincidence, but if it happened repeatedly, it was anything but.

My speed was slower than Gerald's. Well, it was clear that Gerald was going easy on me. He was slower compared to our duel.

But the important thing was that I was succeeding in the technique at that moment.

"...!"

At some point, I lost track of Gerald's movements.

Only an afterimage lingered in my sight for a brief moment. It was because Gerald had shown his true speed.

Thud!

From behind, Gerald struck the crown of my head with his wooden sword.

"Ugh!"

It hurt terribly because I didn't have [Basic Protection Magic] active.

I stopped moving and groaned, rubbing the top of my head.

"...Hehehe."

Laughter burst out soon after.

I succeeded.

I couldn't celebrate in front of my father-in-law, but inside, I was cheering loudly.

I looked at Gerald. Since I had succeeded, it meant that he should quickly teach me the proper technique.

Gerald was staring at me silently.

"Isaac."

"Yes."

"Lift up the hem of your trousers."

"...?"

It wasn't sudden. It seemed he recognized it immediately from experience.

I rolled up the hem of my pants. Below my knees were filled with hideous marks spreading like tree roots.

Every time I failed the technique, the mana would burst and leave stretch mark-like traces on my body.

The marks engraved by the bursting mana couldn't be dealt with by ordinary healing spells. Even if my body healed, the marks would remain clear. I heard they would gradually fade over time, so I had no choice but to leave them be.

Gerald sighed softly, as if he expected this, without any sign of agitation.

"It took me a year to learn that technique. It took me well over 20 years to master it. I didn't have the magical talent. You accomplished it in just a week."

Gerald looked into my eyes.

"That's talent, Isaac. It's like iron. Only you can forge that iron into any sword through a period of endurance."

"..."

"But anything in excess will break."

Gerald planted his wooden sword into the grass.

"I'm no expert in magic, so I can't say much about that, but if you push yourself too hard, your body will break down quickly."

"I'll keep that in mind, Father-in-law."

"Don't call me father-in-law."

Soon, Gerald shrugged his shoulders up.

"...You passed."

I had been waiting for those words.

I clenched my fists and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and savored the afterglow.

God, it hurt like hell every time I failed. Later, I got the hang of it and learned to dull the pain, but it still hurt.

So, Gerald trained for over a year to learn this technique…

He's really tenacious.

"I'll teach you 'Shadow Step .' You've crossed the initial barrier, so it won't be difficult now. A day's training will be enough. Mastering it is up to you."

Shadow Step. That was the name of the footwork technique Gerald mentioned.

I laughed.

"It would be great if it's just a day."

"Do you have something to do?"

"I have somewhere to go."

I had an appointment.

The coronation ceremony in Düpfendorf.

Morcan had said that everything was ready, and I just needed to make the journey. It would be best to depart as soon as possible.

"I see... Then it would be good to settle things quickly."

"Settle? What do you mean?"

"For protecting the Duchy of Astrea. May I repay you? You won't be disappointed."

"Oh."

Now that I think about it, he mentioned before our duel that he owed me a favor.

I nodded.

“If that's the case, I'd be happy to.”

There was no reason to refuse something good from my father-in-law.

***Eve Ropenheim was heading to Märchen Academy by carriage.

She was released after a long investigation into the Baron Ropenheim incident. It wasn't psychologically difficult for her because imagining the daily life she would spend with Isaac filled her with happiness.

She had conveyed her honest feelings to Isaac, who came to rescue her, and there was room for conversation. Just the thought of having a normal conversation with Isaac made Eve happy.

"I'm telling you, my brother is amazing. He's the youngest archwizard, has many followers, and even hangs out with the Elemental Kings. Any strong person in this Empire would be finished with just a flick of his finger."

"Well... I'm not well-educated about the wizarding world, but that sounds too far-fetched, Student."

"Why don't you believe me? It's true!"

Eve went on and on bragging about Isaac to the coachman.

With the baron of Ropenheim's confinement lifted and his familiar gone, there was no need for Eve to hide her affection anymore.

Eve bragged about her brother to everyone she met, but no one fully believed her stories.

The coachman could only give a forced laugh. Eve's tales seemed too far-fetched to be true.

"He's grown taller than me now, and he's become so handsome... He was so cute when he was little, and I used to hug him all the time. Those were good times... He's grown up so well."

"You have such profound love for your brother."

The coachman smiled thoughtfully. Listening to Eve's praises about her brother, he could infer that their past had been challenging.

As the carriage arrived at Märchen Academy, Eve's endless bragging about her brother finally came to an end.

Eve gathered her belongings, got off the carriage, and paid the coachman.

"Take care of your brother, Student!"

"Goodbye!"

The coachman drove away.

Eve, humming a tune with a smiling face, entered the gates of Märchen Academy.

If her conversation with Isaac went well, she intended to cherish and love him all the more for the time they had missed each other.

However.

"Isaac is currently away."

"What...?"

"He filed for leave and passed through the gate two days ago."

In the Bartos Hall administrative office.

At the place where she'd stopped to report the news of her return, Eve stood dazed.

She… missed Isaac?

"Hmm? Miss Eve?"

The faculty member waved a hand in front of Eve's face to check if she was fully conscious.

***I was traveling across the territory of the Empire in a carriage.

Flying would have been faster, but I didn't want to violate the Empire's airspace unless it was an urgent matter.

Inside the carriage, Hilde, in her human form, sat next to me, looking out the window. It seemed it was her first time leisurely enjoying the scenery from a carriage.

I had her in human form to avoid drawing unnecessary attention and any trouble it might bring, which might happen if she were in her usual white dragon form. Keeping her summoned was to build her Synchronization.

I was holding a high-intensity magic tool, training in my spare moments.

Well, anyway...

"Dorothy, aren't you uncomfortable?"

"Why? I'm comfortable right now."

Opposite me, Dorothy and Alice were sitting side by side.

Dorothy was clinging to the wall as much as possible. She looked very uncomfortable and was openly avoiding Alice.

On the other hand, Alice remained calm. Whenever our eyes met, she gave me a relaxed and friendly smile.

"Well then..."

If she says she's comfortable, there's nothing I can say.

On the way to Düpfendorf.

I was perplexed as to how Dorothy and Alice ended up accompanying me.