I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

---

“That should be enough.”

Muttering to myself, I checked the camera’s position and angle one last time.

A small camera mounted on the wall.

It was an item so crucial that I needed to give it this much attention.

After all, it was essential for wrapping up the attack scheduled for tomorrow.

“Please do well.”

Satisfied, I moved on.

Since it was made by Hanarin, there shouldn’t be any malfunction.

Aside from the vicious weapons on the castle walls, the streets buzzed with liveliness as usual.

‘Everyone seems a bit tense.’

The citizens bore a subtle tension on their faces, and it was primarily because tomorrow was the day of the attack.

However, their tension didn’t stem from fear.

It was merely worry about facing the monsters or the warriors who would confront them.

Gone was the paralyzing dread that once overwhelmed them.

[Deliver the citizens of the walled city from their fear completely.]

[Progress: 85.2%]

The progress bar was nearing its end.

Looking at the upward trend, it seemed like it would hit 100% soon, and I could clear the quest, but clearing it wasn’t that straightforward.

I had to provide the citizens with a ‘complete’ release from fear.

The fear stemming from the attack had nearly been addressed, but one more remained.

‘The overlords.’

Currently quiet, they were still the reason I couldn’t clear the quest until they were completely driven away.

The problem was that the citizens needed to expel them themselves.

They were still terrified of the monsters’ powers, and they considered their current lifestyle satisfactory.

If things remained as they were, time could drag on indefinitely.

That’s why I prepared that camera. It would serve as a catalyst for the citizens.

A chance to overcome fear and confront beings stronger than themselves.

“Hello!”

While I was lost in such thoughts, a group of students came by, greeting me.

“Yes. Hello.”

“Thanks for today too!”

I nodded my head politely, smiling brightly as they walked away.

It was a strange behavior, but having experienced such things a lot in these past few days, I didn’t think much of it and continued on my way.

‘Why do they keep thanking me?’

What were the reasons they greeted me with thanks every day, and what was the source of the immense favor in their eyes?

I guessed it was due to what Hazuki and I had done for the city, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“…I don’t know.”

It felt awkward to stop passing people and ask why they were grateful.

I shrugged it off and received several more thanks before I arrived home.

*

“Are they still not back?”

Once I entered the house, there was no sign of anyone. It seemed everyone was still out.

‘No, wait. Someone is here. Let’s see… Narin, I guess.’

As I passed through the kitchen toward my room, I sensed a presence coming from behind the door.

Seeing her trying to hold her breath, it looked like she wanted to surprise me, but she was so obvious.

A piece of clothing sticking out from the door crack made it even harder to miss.

sigh.

I chuckled softly, pretending not to notice, and stepped into the room.

“Boo!”

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Hanarin jumped out beside me, exaggerating her surprise by shaking her body.

“…You knew, didn’t you?”

But that didn’t seem enough for her.

The playful smile that had been all over Hanarin’s face vanished in an instant.

“…Yeah.”

“How did you know?”

“The clothes were sticking out.”

“Whatever… Come here.”

Hanarin pouted and grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the room.

“Sit here and wait. Stay still until I come back, okay?”

I let her sit me in a chair, and her hurried departure left me sitting in silence until she returned with something.

A large, oddly-shaped object wrapped in black fabric; it was pretty big for her to carry easily.

“Ugh… I can’t see in front of me…!”

“Do you need help?”

“No! Don’t come here! Just stay seated.”

Hanarin set the object down in front of me and dashed out again.

Next, she brought back a small table and a vase containing three yellow daffodils.

“There… Done. Phew.”

Hanarin placed the table some distance from me and set the vase on top of it.

Then she stood next to me and asked,

“Isin, do you know what this is? If you guess right, I’ll give you a gift.”

“Hmm… I don’t know.”

I pretended not to know even though I felt I had an idea based on the arrangement and shape.

I figured if I got it right right away, she’d sulk again.

“Is it a bit tough? Remember when we talked about working together later? You design it, and I’ll make it.”

“Right.”

“Then you’ll be my assistant.”

“Assistant?”

“Yeah! If you help me with my work, then you become my assistant.”

“Really…?”

“It is!”

It felt a bit forced, but I nodded along.

Hanarin then moved closer to the oddly-shaped object and continued with her words.

“But to use you as an assistant later, I first have to check your skills, right!”

Holding onto the fabric that wrapped the object, she yanked it off.

“Ta-da! So I prepared this!”

What was revealed were a large canvas and art supplies like pens, brushes, and paints.

It seemed like everything was handcrafted by Hanarin herself.

“Now hurry and draw!”

Hanarin cheered and brought a chair to sit right next to me.

She hummed a little tune, and when I sat still, she nudged my shoulder with her head to hurry me along.

“What’s taking so long? Get drawing already!”

Despite the lively tone, I noticed her eyes were trembling with anxiety.

I realized she must have had some thoughts when preparing this.

‘Did I worry her?’

A while back, I had shared my past and abandoned dreams with Hanarin and Hazuki.

I thought everything went smoothly at that time, but it seemed something had weighed on Hanarin’s mind.

As a creator herself, she might have empathized more with my struggles.

That was likely why she was prompting me to draw in such a mischievous way.

Wishing I could shake off the dark memories surrounding art as quickly as possible.

‘Thank you.’

Everything before me was something Hanarin had taken time out of her busy schedule to create for me.

I could vaguely guess what she must have thought while making it, making it impossible to turn her down.

“Thank you.”

I spoke my thoughts aloud while grabbing the pen.

“Hehe. Hurry up and draw! I’ll evaluate it for you!”

The anxiety that had shrouded Hanarin’s gaze lifted as her usual child-like smile appeared.

Watching her brought a smile to my own face too, one I wanted to cherish forever.

“I need to do my best.”

With that, I began to draw, moving my eyes and hands diligently in memory.

I even made some light conversation along the way.

“Oh… You’re doing well. You can totally be my assistant.”

“If you let me, I’ll work hard.”

“Hehe… Focus!”

But as time passed, silence took over the room.

I started focusing on my drawing, and Hanarin was entranced, watching me intently.

“I’m done.”

“Whoa…”

Once it was finished, the picture’s appearance left me quite satisfied.

It wouldn’t seem out of place in a corner of an art gallery.

If I felt that way, Hanarin’s reaction would be even more intense.

“Wow, wow! You’re amazing! Okay! Assistant hire!”

Jumping with her head nearly touching the ceiling, Hanarin beamed with a bright smile.

It felt like she had just won an award for a competition after just drawing one picture.

“It’s thanks to talent.”

But I couldn’t let myself feel overly joyful.

Without the talent I had hidden away, [Artistic Sense (A)], I wouldn’t have been able to create this artwork.

Indeed, it contained a sense of aesthetics and creativity that the old me didn’t possess.

“You idiot.”

A small pain shot through my left shoulder.

I turned my head to see Hanarin punching my shoulder lightly.

Surely my body wouldn’t budge against most attacks, but for some reason, her punch stung.

“Why are you hitting me?”

I asked, knowing full well why, but Hanarin looked at me as if I were foolish.

“You said you have a sense of touch.”

“That’s right. Artistic sense.”

“Hehe, look at this.”

Suddenly, Hanarin grinned and pointed at the completed artwork with her finger.

“You see, sense is just a sense.”

“…Huh?”

“Handling a brush and a pen like this doesn’t just come from sense alone. You can’t draw such lines or express such colors without dedicating countless hours.”

Having pointed out the lines and colors in the painting, Hanarin turned and tapped my chest lightly.

“I can tell. This painting is yours.”

“……”

Though it was a grateful comment, it was hard to readily accept.

Within [Artistic Sense (A)], the sense of touch from my hands might be included.

As I was unsure how to respond, Hanarin sighed softly and asked.

“Can you turn off that talent?”

“I don’t really know… but probably.”

It was a function set for quests that could only begin when certain talents were inactive.

I hardly ever used it.

“Then give it a try!”

I opened my status window to deactivate [Artistic Sense (A)].

“Done?”

“I think so.”

It hadn’t changed much, but it was definitely deactivated in my status window.

“Now draw again.”

Hanarin handed me a pen.

Unable to refuse her touch, I started drawing once more.

‘…Will it work?’

I hesitated but continued to move my hands.

With maximum concentration, I worked on the drawing, yet it took me twice as long to complete it compared to before.

“…”

The finished piece still didn’t satisfy me.

The elegance I had previously seen was absent from this one.

Hanarin seemed just as dispirited, staring blankly at the artwork without saying a word.

“…Give this to me.”

Suddenly, Hanarin spoke words I hadn’t anticipated.

“No need to comfort me. Just—”

“It’s too pretty. Give it to me.”

She looked up at me and repeated herself. She was genuinely speaking from the heart.

“Pretty? More than that one?”

“Yep.”

“…Why?”

“I’m not sure, but it feels like you’re in this painting. Thoughts, worries, and perspectives you usually have. And, um…”

Hanarin thought deeply, tilting her head as if at a loss for words.

“I just think this painting is prettier for me. It feels like it’s your unique work. It’s beautiful.”

Being sincere, she couldn’t take her eyes off the painting.

With sparkling eyes, she concentrated on every part of it.

“…Hehe.”

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Alright. I’ll give it to you.”

“Really?! For real! No take-backs! Stamp of approval!”

“Sure. And…”

I still didn’t fully understand.

What beauty did Hanarin see in this painting? What made it superior to the one that contained talent?

But I found the answer to the long-standing dilemma I’ve faced.

With someone who appreciates it so much, I would continue to draw.

The reason for giving up on painting was that I felt a lack of talent. I had judged that I didn’t possess enough to survive.

‘That wasn’t it.’

My original dream had nothing to do with those.

The reason I had dreamed of becoming a painter was simply to want to paint to my heart’s content.

‘This is the painting I desire.’

A painting to share joy with someone I love. That would be the type of artwork I want to create from now on.

And, perhaps, through this process, I would come to understand what my painting holds.

“…Thank you.”

At my heartfelt words, Hanarin, who had unknowingly held the artwork to her chest, cheerily replied.

“I should be the one thanking you!”

Thud.

“I’m here~!”

It was at that moment when Hazuki arrived home.

“Eek…! I shouldn’t have asked for it…!”

Startled, Hanarin jumped up and began frantically rolling up the drawings to hide them.

“Why won’t it roll up? Ugh…!”

However, the canvas was too big for her small body.

Plus, she couldn’t move quickly, worried that it might crumple.

“Sister, what’s that? What are those things here?”

Eventually, before she could hide everything, Hazuki came through the door.

“So you drew pictures?! …Sister, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well… I’m sorry.”

“…Phew. It’s fine.”

Contrary to Hanarin’s concerns, Hazuki didn’t seem to be coveting the drawings.

Instead, she sat up straight in front of me and said.

“Since you’ve already drawn two for my sister, can you please draw one for me? A portrait, pretty please.”

“Ah…! I want a portrait too!”

“Should I pose like this? I heard my left side is prettier.”

“Me! Me too, I want a portrait…!”

With Hazuki’s entrance, the room grew lively in an instant, and I quickly calmed them down.

“First, I’ll draw Hazuki and then I’ll draw Narin, so wait.”

“Okay!”

“I’m ready!”

Scratch. Scratch.

In no time, only the sound of the pen being drawn filled the quiet room peacefully.

Hazuki was a great model, aside from being a bit worrisome.

“…Should I stick to the right side? Since you just started drawing, I’ll quickly change now.”

“No, right now is pretty.”

“Is it? Ah, okay…”

The strokes that painted Hazuki’s portrait held no hesitation, much like before.

Instead, they were filled with affection and joy.

‘When was the last time I drew with such a smile?’

I couldn’t quite recall. Perhaps it had been long ago when I was very young.

‘It’s okay.’

After a moment of thought, I brushed it aside.

Wasting time trying to remember distant pasts that no longer mattered felt futile.

From now on, I would likely smile so much that even those memories would fade away.