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Connor Lendy, the only new teacher who entered the academy as a swordsmanship instructor last year and did not retire, had a grim expression.

“Sigh, I don’t know how I managed to endure for a year?”

Swordsmanship and the students were incredibly difficult to handle. All the leading practitioners of swordsmanship were high-ranking noble-born students.

Connor himself had rarely faced such difficulties before coming to Ivecar.

Although he was not an Ivecar graduate, he defeated all those who claimed to be talented from other academies and graduated with excellent grades.

After gaining one year of experience in a renowned knighthood, he finally managed to be recruited as a teacher at Ivecar.

Just being a teacher at Ivecar itself was a testament to Connor’s abilities.

But even Connor found it incredibly challenging to handle the upper-class students of the Ivecar Swordsmanship class.

“Mason and his gang are too difficult to deal with. Ha, what should I do? Understanding the Sword Path is in big trouble. Even if it were Teacher Ciron, it would be difficult to handle a class like this, let alone a new teacher like Ethan.”

Due to his peers leaving last year, he was burdened with excessive responsibilities.

Furthermore, without teachers in their first or second year, it was challenging to build camaraderie with the experienced teachers.

‘It’s uncomfortable.’

Connor needed colleagues of similar experience.

‘He must have had a tough day today. I have to help him.’

He had confidence in providing mental support.

By giving various tips and offering assistance, he believed he would be able to endure it.

As the top-ranking applicant who passed, he wouldn’t be weak either.

“Maybe it will be over soon?”

Connor made his way to Classroom 1-1, where Understanding the Sword Path was taught.

Clunk!

As Corner stood outside the classroom, he heard a strange sound.

“What’s that sound of hitting? It can’t be happening on the first day of class.”

On the first day of class, most teachers didn’t conduct actual lessons.

He himself had finished his first class quickly.

“S-Surely there isn’t a fight going on? Those damn fools didn’t hit the new teacher, right!?”

Those scoundrels were the kind who would receive a beating if a teacher came out strong. They could easily make any issue disappear by leveraging the power of their families.

Connor anxiously glanced through the window.

“Huh?”

The sight beyond the window was shocking.

As a swordsmanship instructor, Connor could only stare dumbfounded at the scene unfolding inside the classroom.

* * *

So far, there had been two instances of intimidating the new teachers since Chen enrolled.

Chen, who entered as a freshman, encountered Mason, the eldest son of a duke.

Mason exuded an aura of sophistication that could easily be described as exquisite.

On top of that, the information that he was the heir to a duke’s family added to his air of being from an entirely different world.

Chen was chosen by Mason.

Mason welcomed Chen into his group, and Chen acted as Mason’s acting leader.

In this way, they harassed unqualified new teachers and forced them to withdraw from teaching.

The same was happening now.

‘He’s an unqualified person.’

Since Mason had stamped that label on him, Ethan Whiskers could no longer set foot in this academy.

Just as he was considering how to gradually scratch at him, the new teacher fell into his provocation and the stage was set.

The Garcia family’s swordsmanship was straightforward.

Simplicity was both an advantage and a disadvantage, but being physically strong as a member of the Garcia family allowed him to rise to a fairly high position with this style of swordsmanship.

Chen intended to ‘accidentally’ injure the arrogant teacher. Breaking one arm would be sufficient.

The goal was to undermine the authority of the teacher.

Since the opponent was a teacher, the new teacher couldn’t retaliate against him. If he harmed him, the Garcia family could not stand by idly.

Moreover, mana was restricted.

Outside the academy, it might be unknown, but inside the academy, only limited mana was allowed.

That was why they had been successful in trampling over teachers so far.

‘Who does this provincial noble think he is?’

Someone without the qualifications to teach dared to teach others?

He needed to know his place.

Chen swung his sword with all his might.

“Most likely, all the sword techniques you’ve learned are fixed to a specific path. You all probably swing your swords according to those sword paths.”

Ethan’s eyes sparkled. Chen thought he had surprised him.

But he was wrong.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

“You’re just imitating.”

In an instant, Ethan smoothly dodged Chen’s attack and struck his shoulder with the hilt of his sword.

Thwack! Thwack!

He then swiftly struck Chen’s thigh and side.

The sword was so fast that it was almost invisible.

“Because mana complements your predetermined sword techniques. Mana accounts for half, no, 70 percent. The rest is your own strength when swinging the sword.”

The students, who had expected for him to be heavily injured by the first attack, watched in astonishment as the two clashed.

“Ha!”

Enraged, Chen swung his sword again.

Chen’s sword was clearly a real blade, but Ethan hadn’t even drawn his sword.

Normally, a wooden sword should be used, but since Ethan didn’t say anything, Chen used his own sword.

Excited, Chen swung his sword with the intention of cutting off Ethan’s arm rather than just breaking it.

“Look. It’s not about following the sword paths. It’s simply about unleashing your swordsmanship based on what you’ve become accustomed to. Let me show you how big the difference is.”

Ethan took a step forward and spun around slightly. This time, he didn’t even use his sword.

Swish!

“You’re being pulled along by the sword path. Your physical body is not strong enough.”

“Aaaargh!”

“The body should guide the sword, not mana. Mana plays a supporting role.”

Ethan said as he grabbed Chen by the collar as he tried to retreat and pulled him towards himself, simultaneously swiftly moving backward.

“Train your physical body. Don’t be swayed by the sword. Perhaps you’re sick of hearing it? But while practicing mana and swordsmanship, you’ve forgotten everything I mentioned earlier.”

The students suddenly focused on Ethan’s words.

“From now on, I will teach you precisely how to follow the sword path. I will teach you how to not be swayed by the sword. I will show you what it means to unfold swordsmanship along the sword path.”

Chen was receiving education from Ethan.

It seemed as if he was playing with a toy, but every time Chen swung his sword, Ethan accurately struck his shoulder or thigh, adjusting Chen’s posture.

He was correcting his posture.

Intentionally striking his shoulder, thigh, and waist, Ethan was correcting the sword paths of the Garcia swordsmanship he practiced.

Among the swordsmanship and students present here, not a single student was lacking in swordsmanship.

With exceptional swordsmanship skills, understanding, and the elevated swordsmanship of their prestigious family, they were all gathered here.

Yet they were all captivated by Ethan’s movements.

There was no one here who didn’t know Chen Garcia’s swordsmanship.

But the newcomer teacher was different. Even though he clearly didn’t know Chen’s swordsmanship, he watched, judged, and corrected the posture as if he knew everything.

“This is unbelievable.”

“Is that even possible?”

“He’s seeing Chen’s swordsmanship for the first time today.”

It resonated even more with the students, given their familiarity with swordsmanship.

They couldn’t help but realize.

That Ethan Whiskers possessed incredible skill.

“Keuuuuk!”

However, Chen couldn’t hold on any longer.

His shoulder was completely dislocated from the direct impact.

Given the amount of force applied, it was an unavoidable outcome.

“What are you doing? You’re hurting a student right now!”

“Is this what a teacher does? Hurting a student!?”

The students around Mason immediately stood up and shouted as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Ethan glanced at the student in that direction while Chen, in agony, was left behind.

It was an icy cold gaze, and in addition to the inherent frailty in Ethan’s eyes, there was a trace of melancholy.

When those two elements merged, a sense of terror emanated from his gaze.

The students who had stood up discreetly averted their eyes. They felt that if they continued to stare, something would happen.

“We are in the middle of a class.”

Ethan’s gaze was menacing.

“And who got hurt?”

Approaching Chen in agony, Ethan gently pushed his dislocated shoulder back into place.

“He looks fine?”

Of course, Chen was in great pain, but it was hard to pinpoint any specific injuries.

However, this was nothing more than a wordplay.

“Moreover, it seems like everyone else is diligently listening to my class, and you all caused a significant disturbance.”

“Oh, no, when…”

Ethan’s brief practical lesson seemed to have sparked some inspiration among the other students, as some of them were now taking notes of his words.

Normally, they wouldn’t even be able to look at themselves like this, but they were all staring at themselves, slightly taken aback, as they disrupted Ethan’s class.

When Mason firmly tapped his desk twice with his index finger, those who had stood up awkwardly sat back down. At that moment, Ethan and Mason’s eyes met.

Ethan glanced at Mason and flashed a faint smile. Even that alone would be a significant provocation for Mason.

He had seen many individuals of that sort in other academies on the same turf. Moreover, although Ethan didn’t know Mason in detail, he had a general understanding.

With all the information at his disposal, controlling the situation was an effortless task.

“Chen Garcia, this practical lesson should be sufficient. Have you understood now? My Understanding of the Sword Path will be taught in this manner.”

Ethan glanced at the agonizing Chen while kneeling and raised an eyebrow.

Chen’s face was stained with tears.

It was only natural.

Ethan hadn’t shown any consideration when striking his bones.

‘This bone alignment technique is originally a torture technique.’

-You acquired a new skill!

-You have learned [Bone Muscle Control].

Ethan chuckled inwardly as he read the notification. It was a skill he had been proficient in, but he never knew when it would come in handy.

‘Skills that can’t be learned without complete mastery through repetition.’

Thanks to the knowledge stored in his mind, he was able to learn a key skill that he had been using effectively after a few attempts.

With that in mind, Chen Garcia seemed quite grateful. It almost made Ethan want to give him another piece of bread after giving him an unpleasant experience, even considering taking off another arm and attaching it for him.

‘Although I couldn’t learn other skills due to unfavorable conditions, this one is essential for activities in the academy.’

The Bone Muscle Control would prove its effectiveness not only in class but in various other situations.

Ethan looked down at Chen.

Though he was one of the prominent figures in the Ivecar Academy, he was still just a student.

Lowering his body, and speaking in a whisper-like manner, Ethan addressed Chen.

“The pain is only temporary, Chen Garcia. With time, the pain will fade, leaving only embarrassment behind. When that time comes, think about where that embarrassment came from. If you find out, attend the next week’s class.”

It was still within the period when course registration could be changed.

Ethan deliberately provoked him.

‘It’s better to have more students, even if it’s just one.’

That was how his reputation would grow.

“With that, I’ll conclude the first class. Any questions?”

He gave them a moment, but the classroom was filled with silence.

Ethan smiled and declared, “I guess not. Then, let’s wrap up today’s class here.”