I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

Chapter 72

072. Cadet (3)

Sweat formed on Liam’s palm.

And for good reason, the one who spoke to him was the Grand Chancellor of the Empire.

To him, a mere cadet, this was a person of an unimaginably high rank.

But hadn’t he always longed for such a moment?

Liam’s dream was to become an honorable knight.

At the pinnacle of that dream was the Crown Prince’s Guard, the future of the Empire itself.

It was clear that this man had come here to recruit talent.

Thus, the despair was even greater.

The person he had to impress was right in front of him, yet he would only show his clumsy side.

“…I greet the master of a great house.”

“Not the master yet. Well, nice to meet you.”

Yuren, who had approached, extended his hand for a handshake.

The first thing that rose to the surface was confusion at his informal demeanor.

When Liam didn’t know what to do, Yuren spoke.

“What are you doing, not taking it?”

“I, I dare not…”

“Take it.”

With a flick, Yuren grabbed Liam’s hand himself.

Liam felt a sense of bewilderment and flustered.

It was at that moment.

“Liam Anderson. Top of the second year. Is Sir Corin of the 7th Knight Order your father?”

“Ah, yes…”

“I had quite high expectations for you.”

Liam flinched.

It was because he felt both shame and guilt at the same time.

But there was no worse handshake than saying, ‘Actually, my skills aren’t that great.’

Liam smiled bitterly and bowed his head.

“…I’m just a second-year student. Thank you for the praise.”

He tried to pass it off with humility.

Though it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it wasn’t more important than his father’s dismissal.

Yes, even if not a member of the Royal Guard, one can still become an honorable knight.

Wasn’t that exactly what Father was?

Let’s consider this meeting as a lifelong story to share over drinks.

Perhaps it might be something to regret, but it could also become a cherished memory over time.

Just as he was trying to organize his thoughts, Yuren asked him a question.

“Why did you let it slide?”

“…!”

“I could see you were just going through the motions.”

Liam’s breath stopped.

He cautiously lifted his head.

The moment he faced Yuren, he felt his blood turn cold.

“…Master?”

“Speak. Why did you half-ass it? Out of respect for your senior? Or did you think the duel was a joke?”

Yuren’s expression was indifferent, devoid of any anger.

Yet, the pressure emanating from him was something Liam had never experienced in his life.

It felt like being a herbivore in front of a predator.

Only then did Liam recall a certain fact.

‘The Crown Prince’s swordsmanship teacher…!’

That’s what the rumors said.

A man who, despite mastering skills that reached the heavens, couldn’t become a Sword Master due to an incurable disease.

A master whom the Crown Prince couldn’t even graze despite numerous challenges.

Is this what the pinnacle of refined technique looks like?

Liam’s body was already drenched in cold sweat, realizing that comparing himself to Yuren was an insult in itself.

Yuren didn’t stop even after seeing that.

“Are you the type who doesn’t want to stand out? Or are you worried you might get selected for the Royal Guard?”

He couldn’t ignore those words.

“N-no…! I…”

I want to join the Royal Guard.

More than anyone here, I can proudly say that I am sincere about it.

His frustration pierced through the pressure.

Then Yuren asked again.

“So what is it? Why are you doing it half-heartedly?”

Liam’s teeth clenched.

He knew better than anyone that no answer would be satisfying.

The standoff continued for a while.

Yuren kept pressing Liam with eyes that showed no emotion.

In the end, Liam lowered his head.

No answer came out.

“…Sigh.”

Yuren sighed and let go of the hand he was holding.

His prayer was also collected at some point.

Liam couldn’t see his expression as he had his head down.

But his open ears clearly heard his words.

“If it’s a reason you can’t talk about, I won’t ask anymore. I was just curious.”

“……”

“Sorry for intruding.”

His tone became as calm as when he first spoke.

Liam felt his body trembling.

He couldn’t move his feet right away.

He thought he had left a bad impression, and at the same time, he felt that trying to explain was not the right thing to do.

It was Yuren who left the place.

“I watched the duel well. I’ll probably see it a few more times. I don’t know what you’re thinking… just take it as meddling.”

“…Yes.”

“Don’t try to do something you’re not confident about. If it’s not something you’re proud of, don’t do it either.”

Liam took a deep breath.

He felt like Yuren had seen through something.

So he raised his head, but all he saw was his back.

“A knight knows what to do with a sword. A sword swung without knowing that is no different from a butcher’s knife.”

“Young master…”

“You’re a cadet, aren’t you? Don’t you want to become a knight? Then think about it. Sorry if I was meddling.”

Yuren left the corridor like that.

Liam stood still, guarding the spot where he had left.

For some reason, his words had deeply pierced his heart.

* * *

“Where have you been?”

“Just to the bathroom for a moment…”

“Ah, I see. That’s a relief. The round of 16 is about to start.”

I smiled warmly at my sister’s words.

It was heartwarming to see her enjoying this tournament more than I did.

Of course, it was only a brief moment of peace.

‘……’

My gaze turned to the stage.

But my mind lingered on the previous moment.

One thing, I was sure of it.

‘There’s a rat.’

Someone had tampered with this tournament.

How do I know?

Liam’s expression gave me the answer.

After all, we’ve been through years together.

There’s no way I wouldn’t know what kind of person he is and what habits he has.

―Lieutenant, Liam’s acting up again.

―Peto, what did he do this time?

―It’s not me!!!

That’s how it usually was in the unit.

War is not a fight for justice, but a struggle for survival.

As such, we didn’t always do good deeds, and especially our unit, which didn’t care if we died, often did dirty work.

How many people would want to do such things?

We only did it because we had to be that desperate, and we all found it quite difficult.

Among us, Liam had a particularly hard time with such tasks.

From noble mtl dot com

The reason he became a prisoner was also for avenging his father.

The reason he threw himself into the front lines as a prisoner soldier was because he couldn’t abandon the empire that had forsaken him.

What kind of person would he be if he were that upright?

There were many times during the war when he was mentally pushed to the brink of collapse, and that’s why I instantly recognized when Liam was wavering.

This time was no different.

When he’s not confident, he doesn’t lift his head.

He doesn’t make excuses for himself.

The more cheerful he usually is, the more noticeable it becomes.

The moment he betrays his convictions, he acts like a man destined to die.

So, I had to ask.

It’s not even wartime, so why does he look so grim? The guy who always said he wanted to be like his father, why can’t he give his all in the competition?

The more I thought about it, the more obvious the answer became.

But for now, it was just a suspicion.

So, I began to scrutinize the ongoing matches even more closely.

The more I watched, the more I noticed a few guys who weren’t fully committed to the competition.

I looked at how those guys were connected in the match schedule.

The outline finally became clear.

‘Is it him?’

There was a cadet with neatly groomed red hair.

His skill level was just a fingertip away from being an expert, and his abilities were superior.

This year’s cadet runner-up, Milliam.

He would press his opponent quite one-sidedly and then raise his sword high.

Cheers erupted.

I felt like punching him in the face.

I suppressed that feeling and closed my eyes gently.

I sharpened my senses and began to gather information from my surroundings.

“Huh, as expected, the runner-up is different…”

“If he keeps this up, there won’t be much difference with the top cadet.”

“Then, the winner of this year’s competition…”

“The Imperial Guard…”

A guy playing on a rigged board is in the Imperial Guard?

“Stop talking nonsense.”

I let the irritating words slide.

I confirmed all the conversations that went back and forth, and I was able to grasp the clue.

“…The next match?”

“It’s Liam Anderson. We’ve taken care of this side as well, so don’t worry.”

“Yes, although it deviated from the initial plan, this might actually be a good thing…”

My eyes slowly opened.

I turned my gaze in the direction of the conversation.

A familiar face.

I let out a hollow laugh.

‘Ah, so that’s what it was.’

Now I understood the meaning of what Philia had said.

―The villain is quiet because they have something planned?

Damn kid, couldn’t you have just said it properly from the start.

* * *

Liam was sharpening his sword in the waiting room.

There was no meditation.

He had already passed the point where his mind could be calmed by such means.

But he continued his thoughts.

In addition to his previous worries, Yuren’s words had become a new topic that shook him.

―A knight knows what to do with a sword. A sword swung without that knowledge is no different from a butcher’s knife wielded by a thug.

Is this sword he held a knight’s sword, or a butcher’s knife?

Until now, he would have confidently said it was a knight’s sword.

But at this moment, he couldn’t say that.

“Wow! Already in the semifinals! Truly the pride of the second year! My comrade! I’m proud of you, Liam!”

Rubin, who was next to him, chattered noisily.

Normally, Liam would have scolded him, but at this moment, even those words pricked his conscience.

A bitter smile emerged.

“…I don’t think I’m such a proud person.”

“Huh?”

“`

“……”

It was not honorable.

That much was certain.

If things continued like this, he would lose this black honor.

That moment was approaching fast.

“Ah, it’s your turn already!”

Rubin patted his shoulder.

Liam bit his lip hard.

This time, he had to lose overwhelmingly.

He had to be shattered so badly that it would make his opponent shine.

The way he was worrying about how to do that made him feel like such an idiot.

Liam’s expression grew even more grim.

It was at that moment.

“Liam!”

Thud, Liam stopped.

Rubin was smiling brightly.

But it didn’t seem like his usual thoughtless self.

Strangely, it was because of the calm look on his face.

“Break it. You can beat Milliam and all that, right?”

“Rubin……”

“If there’s any trouble, I’ll take the hit with you. That’s what comrades do.”

Thud—

Rubin hit Liam’s chest.

“Go. The pride of the second year!”

The words and actions strangely touched something inside him.

To be precise, it intertwined with the previous words and shook his heart.

Had his fist reached his worries?

Such a ridiculous thought soon faded away.

―Hold on to your beliefs.

His father’s words.

“`

“You’re a cadet, aren’t you? Don’t you want to become a knight? Then think about it.”

Yuren’s words.

And the worries that had been plaguing him, the self-doubt, and the beliefs that had not yet faded.

All of these things pricked at Liam’s heart.

But they didn’t just prick; they dragged out the questions he hadn’t been able to answer.

Right in front of him, like a huge wall.

‘Should I just lose like this?’

To that, Liam unknowingly answered.

‘…Why should I?’

It’s not just.

It’s not honorable, nor is it steadfast.

At least, that was how the match had been, and the knight Liam envisioned was not someone who would succumb to such external pressures.

Liam knew that too.

In fact, the answer had been with Liam from the beginning.

Liam smiled helplessly.

His fists clenched tightly.

How ridiculous it was to be so scared and searching for reasons.

This too was just a trial, and losing here would dishonor his father. Why couldn’t he admit that?

The moment Liam acknowledged that, he felt a sense of relief.

“Ha, haha…!”

Laughter burst out.

It was funny because he had been worrying about something so foolish until now.

Rubin nodded in satisfaction, saying “Hmm, hmm.”

Finally, shaking off the laughter, Liam spoke.

“…Rubin.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t forget you promised to take the hits with me.”

“Uh…?”

Rubin broke out in a cold sweat.

His smile was becoming awkward.

Leaving behind a rather cheerful demeanor, Liam headed towards the arena.

There was no longer any hesitation in his eyes.

Through the corridor, to its end, onto the stage that unfolded.

As he stepped onto the arena, facing him, Milliam’s lips curled into a confident smile.

“Do well.”

Liam stared straight at him.

Milliam Greg.

Though he was revered as the second in the fourth year, Liam knew.

He was cowardly, lacked conviction, and clung to various sides like a bat to reap benefits.

He was a scoundrel, unworthy of the title of knight, merely lucky.

Responding to those words here would make him the same as him.

At least that much was clear.

Liam took a deep breath.

At that moment, as he lifted his head, he saw Yuren sitting in the VIP seat far away.

Arms crossed and legs crossed, watching him.

Seeing that somehow made him feel strangely calm.

As Liam smiled slightly, Yuren’s eyebrows twitched.

The referee’s hand was raised.

Milliam, with a pretentious stance, raised his sword.

Liam composed himself and took a proper stance.

“Let’s think of just one thing.”

In front of him was a scoundrel to be defeated, and in his hand was a knight’s sword.

Yielding was not the way of a knight.

And,

“I am.”

A knight.

“Begin!”

Boom―!

“Ugh…!”

Liam’s sword slammed Milliam to the ground.

* * *

Milliam momentarily lost consciousness from the blinding pain.

It was a very brief moment, and it was only afterward that he realized he had been “attacked first.”

A sense of bewilderment surged.

“B-betrayal…!”

This was supposed to be a match orchestrated for him to shine.

That guy was supposed to flail and cut through the air, eventually kneeling to his skill.

But to counterattack?

Had there ever been such an audacious case?

Yet, more than that, it was humiliating to have been struck by a mere second-year student.

For that reason, Milliam’s face turned red with anger.

He glared at Liam with bloodshot eyes.

But Liam merely steadied his stance with a stern expression.

“Get up, senior. You can still continue, can’t you?”

It was an oppressive feeling, as if facing a giant.

Milliam desperately ignored the fact that he was scared.

In the midst of it, he noticed.

A glance at the VIP seats revealed the ‘sponsor’s’ face had turned grim.

“No, this can’t be…!”

If this continues, his path to success will be blocked.

He had to come up with a method, and Milliam had one.

He fumbled inside his clothes.

―It’s an artifact. It will temporarily amplify your strength. With your level of talent, you should be able to exert the power of at least a mid-level expert…

It was something he had intended to use in the battle against the fourth-year top student he would meet in the finals.

But finals or not, if he couldn’t win now, it would all be meaningless.

The decision was quick.

Milliam boldly activated the artifact.

The act was indeed discreet, and since the artifact itself focused on the secrecy of activation, Milliam wasn’t worried about being caught.

Whiii―!

“Ugh…!”

* * *

Mana wrapped around Milliam’s body.

His senses became incomparably sharper than before.

The pain from just moments ago had completely vanished.

“Ha, I was careless. Now I’ll get serious!”