The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 39

“What’s ……?”

“What did you just say……?”

Everyone in the room, faculty and supervisors alike, not to mention Vestric’s students, looked at Amon with dumbfounded faces.

“Zee, what did you just say, abstain?”

Amon nodded confidently in response to the bewildered supervisor’s question.

“Yep. Abstain.”

The answer was met with a shout from Benjamin, the headmaster of Vestric.

“Now what do you mean!”

He shouted as he strode toward Amonis.

“Abstaining? Abstaining from an honorable Academy’s exchange, what kind of nonsense is that?”

Amon smirked at his trembling, outraged face.

“It’s not like we’re going to do something that doesn’t exist, so why can’t we use the abstention system?”

“What, what!”

“We only have three students to compete in the first place, which means that either two students will have to compete in two bouts or one student will have to run the full three bouts, and that’s too much for them, don’t you think?”

“This…….”

“It’s called conditioning for a smooth bout, so to speak.”

Amon said, this time looking at the supervisor.

“Supervisor, I know that there is a system of abstention in the exchange battle, but is it wrong to abstain?”

“Well, it’s…….”

Jericho, a supervisor with close ties to the Vestric side, looked at Benjamin and said.

“I’m sure you’re right, but it’s a great dishonor to abstain from an exchange that is organized by the imperial family themselves.”

“I see, I understand that, but I value students more than honor. I don’t want to put unnecessary pressure on my students.”

“…….”

This is a lie.

There is currently no “math” teacher at the Academy.

That means there are no students to compete in the math tournament!

Still, just to be safe, Amon checked the students’ math level – or rather, their arithmetic before math – and the results were hopeless!

‘Guys, there are five apples, and Boris ate three of them, and then Raymond picked three new apples, and you and Raymond ate one apple each, and Boris ate two more apples, so how many apples are left?’

Chloe answered.

‘Kill Boris, who ate five apples by himself.’

Boris replied.

‘I don’t like apples.’

Raymond.

‘I have three left.’

‘……Why three?’

‘Why not?’

‘…….’

They had no choice but to abstain.

‘There’s no way we’re going to get the entire regular curriculum back when the Academy has only just been revived.’

Rather than compete and be humiliated, they would save face in the name of “protecting the students”!

‘I am a genius after all!’

But the times always persecute geniuses unjustly!

Everyone at Vestric Academy, as well as Supervisor Jericho, were staring at him like he was garbage.

‘It’s okay, I’m used to playing the villain.’

Just then, a quiet voice came from the allies’ side.

“Wow, what a piece of shit…….”

Silent gossip from an ally, Sloth!

It was one thing to be slandered by your enemies, but to have your own allies criticize you was unbearable.

That’s when Marion quietly corrected her.

“Sloth, it’s all been said before.”

“Why didn’t I hear it?”

“You didn’t hear it because you were asleep…….”

“Aha.”

Amon nodded.

‘I’m not trash after all.’

While Amon was celebrating his mental victory, Vestric was in a tactical meeting.

“Oh no. Judging by the way he speaks……”

“Yeah, they’ve already won the first two bouts, which means there’s only one student left, and he’ll probably withdraw from either of the two remaining bouts…….”

The mood on Vestric’s side darkened as they realized this.

They had come here confident of a landslide victory.

But if Amonis Academy were to forfeit one of the two remaining matches, it would mean that there was only one match they could actually win.

‘So, does that mean we can win two matches by forfeiting, and only one match can actually be won?’

‘What a disgrace against a dying academy…….’

If they win two bouts by forfeit and win the other one, it’s a win for Vestric.

But “winning two matches by forfeit”?

How can this be called a victory? It would be more correct to say that he was defeated!

Benjamin gritted his teeth and glared at Anar’el.

‘Damn you……are you going to humiliate me again?’

How humiliating it had been when Amonis Academy had been shut down, leaving him with an empty victory.

And now you’re going to humiliate me with this hollow victory in an exchange?

Finally, an enraged Benjamin shouted.

“Headmaster Anar’el!”

“Oh, why are you shouting?”

“What are you going to compete in next? Are you going to cowardly withdraw from the next competition too!”

At his rant, Anar’el grabbed Amon and whispered.

“What can we do, he’s already noticed?”

“Well……I can’t help it.”

Two abstentions in a row was supposed to be a serious traumatizing blow to the Vestric, but it was so easy to see through him.

“Well……it doesn’t really matter, it doesn’t change the fact that we’re going to win anyway.”

“……Mmm.”

Drooling, Anar’el rolled her eyes.

“By the way, Mr. Amon.”

“What?”

“I’ve heard a little bit about it……Why is Chloe participating in the swordsmanship round?”

The two remaining competitions were swordsmanship and science!

Science is out, and Chloe is supposed to compete in the swordsmanship tournament.

But that worries Anar’el.

“After all, we need three wins to win, so shouldn’t we put Raymond in the swordsmanship tournament after all? He’s a Sword Master, right?”

“Hmm…….”

“Why wouldn’t we play the must-win card…….?”

“Umm…….”

Anar’el wasn’t wrong.

There was just a problem.

“I thought it was a must-win card at first, too.”

“It’s ……?”

“So, I actually wanted to send Raymond in after seeing the situation, but when I actually looked at the cards, the other team’s cards were a bit stronger.”

“……what?”

Amon looked at the boy on Vestric’s side.

‘……Wait, is he really a boy?’

The boy’s face was old, but his sturdy body could have been a young man.

‘He’s a very well-built boy.’

Given the aura of a student about to enter a sword fighting tournament, it was likely he was a Sword Master.

‘If Raymond it’s a flush, they have a full house.’

He’s got a slight edge.

Of course, a difference of that magnitude can change the outcome in a real game, but the problem is that he is physically superior.

‘How old is he? He’s bigger than me, and I wonder if he’s had a face lift?’

Reasonable suspicion!

That’s why Amon didn’t want Raymond to compete.

“But if this was the real thing…….”

“What?”

“I would have played Raymond.”

“……?”

“But this isn’t a real game, it’s a competition, right?”

Amon said, tapping Chloe on the shoulder as she stood next to him.

“Chloe, your turn.”

“Yes, sir.”

Taking a small breath, Chloe swept a hand through her hair and strode forward.

“Bye.”

The supervisor in charge of the swordsmanship tournament stepped forward.

“Students of both sides, forward. Mutual courtesy.”

The two students lightly clashed their swords and took a step back.

The supervisor swung his hand.

“Begin!”

The supervisor signaled the start of the match, but neither Chloe nor Vestric’s students moved an inch.

Oliver, Vestric’s student, was glaring at Raymond with a frown.

‘Raymond, I thought you were the only one who could defeat me, but you ran away like this.’

Oliver clicked his tongue in disbelief and turned away.

‘Chloe, a student of Amonis’.

She was so small that her height barely reached his chest, and her frail body looked like it might topple over at any moment.

‘This kid is my opponent……Huh! This is boring.’

Moreover, considering the momentum she is giving off, could she have even reached the level of a sword user, let alone a sword expert?

As for his opponent who has reached Sword Master……

‘I can’t…..I’ll have to end this quickly, and demand a rematch with Raymond.’

With that thought, Oliver raised his wooden sword.

“Don’t hold it against me. I’ll end this as quickly as I can.”

“…….”

“Here we go.”

Oliver flung himself lightly then swung his sword at Chloe.

Flash-!

A sudden flash of light dazzled his eyes and struck him in the thigh.

“……!?”

Oliver’s eyes widened as he grabbed his thigh, and the proctor raised his hand and shouted.

“Chloe, one point!”

The shout caused Oliver to look at Chloe in confusion.

Before he knew it, Chloe was pointing her sword at him, her eyes cold.

“Do it right.”

“What……?”

Chloe muttered, her voice barely audible.

“Piglet.”

“What, what……!?”

“I’m sorry. I said the wrong thing. You lowly pig.”

“…….”

Gritting his teeth, Oliver glared and raised his sword.

“How dare this tiny girl insult me?”

“A pig talks?”

“I’ll kill you!”

Shouting, Oliver launched himself.

And as he swung his sword, a gust of wind rose up and rushed toward Chloe.

If it hit, it would break her in two.

Yes, if it hits.

Thrrr-

Chloe’s body slid into Oliver’s arms, mirroring the trajectory of Oliver’s sword.

Then, Chloe’s right hand, holding the sword, blurred.

FUBBERBUBBLE-!

In the knee, in the gut, in the side, under the chin.

Oliver staggered back from the impact of the blow, and the supervisor raised his hand, eyes wide.

“Four points, Chloe!”

Chloe scored a five in one fell swoop.

Watching the scene, Anar’el’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh, Mr. Amon!”

“What?”

“Wow, Chloe’s swordsmanship is that good? I’ve heard that she’s good, but I never expected her to be that good…….”

Amon frowned at the question.

“What are you talking about now?”

“What?”

“Chloe actually beat Raymond in the competition, right? It’s just that the rules of the contest made it a loss.”

“Exactly.”

“Right, Raymond?”

“…….”

Ignoring Raymond’s silence, Amon continued.

“Well, of course, Chloe was overstepping her bounds then.”

“Oh, really?”

“But lately, Sloth has been teaching Chloe the proper House of Pid swordsmanship, and what she was learning before was half-assed, lacking the House’s vision.”

Now that the family feud was settled, Sloth had nothing to spare!

“In any case, Chloe’s swordsmanship potential was superlative to begin with, and if she’s taught the proper Pid Family swordsmanship, you can see the results…”

“I see.”

“Besides.”

Amon gestured to the arena with his chin.

“Compatibility is also a problem. Raymond’s teacher, the Azure Sky Sword King……”

Amon glanced around.

Raymond’s bout had ended, and Reinbelt was gone.

“Ahem, his swordsmanship is a sword that hides your own skills. That’s why it’s swordsmanship with great technique, but that’s only great because he’s a Grand Sword Master. Right, Raymond? You still value strength a bit more.”

“…….”

Raymond fell silent again.

In reality, Raymond was still more inclined to emphasize strength over finesse.

“The swordsmanship of House Pid, on the other hand, is all about cunning and deception. A swordsmanship that focuses on pulling the wool over your opponent’s eyes and exploiting their weaknesses. If Chloe’s talents were properly matched with the swordsmanship of House Pid, she would be able to use it to her advantage…….”

Even at this moment, Chloe was dodging Oliver’s sturdy blade and scoring points.

“It’s not unreasonable to play with an opponent like that.”

“I see.”

“Well, but this is a competition, not a real fight.”

“What? What does that mean?”

“It means that the use of ‘aura’ is forbidden in swordplay competitions, so if it’s just a contest of skill, there’s no way Chloe can lose…….”

Amon interrupted abruptly, and Anar’el turned her head.

“……?

Amon, who had been standing next to her just a moment ago, had disappeared.

Anar’el turned her head in confusion.

“……Ah, teacher Amon!?”

Amon burst into the arena, grabbed Oliver by the throat, and lifted him up.