〈 Chapter 103 〉 Freira (4)
*
“The Trials can be monitored as long as the Professor has the authority.”
“No, I doubt I can see anything due to the contract I made with God.”
Freira, who decided to teach me Libero’s swordsmanship, asked if it was okay to show me the sword techniques, and once again, I was headed towards a trial.
“So you made a contract with the God of this place? It’s not surprising for you, but…”
She shook her head, as if she understood well my past actions.
“So, you want me to teach you Libero’s swordsmanship?”
“Yes, as long as it’s theoretical, that would be enough.”
“Theory, huh… I didn’t really learn that systematically from Libero either.”
She placed her hand on her chin.
“I’m not sure where to start, but could you just hand me a sword for now?”
She didn’t have an inventory like Libero, nor did she have the ability to conjure a sword from thin air.
I handed her a regular sword that I requested from God.
“It feels a bit long, but this should be fine.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the sword automatically shrank to her desired length.
“Wow, the abilities of these so-called gods are impressive, huh? They’re basically just room-ridden oldies in the end, though.”
I almost voiced that she was also old, but somehow held it back.
“But thanks to the gods, we can use this space.”
“Well, I’m not sure if the gods really created this place or if they’re simply leeches.”
Saying that, she positioned the sword.
“First, let’s see how well you wield Libero’s swordsmanship.”
*
A little later, Freira looked utterly baffled.
“What? You want to learn more swordsmanship at this level?”
In our spar, she hadn’t managed to defeat me even once.
Though her strength and speed stats were higher than mine, the gap in swordsmanship was apparent.
She had gained knowledge of Libero’s techniques but hadn’t reached the enlightenment required to implement them.
“All I have is swordsmanship. No matter how much I improve, it’s still not enough.”
I had raised my archery skills significantly, but that was just for smoke-screening. In terms of facing Demon Kings, swordsmanship was still my only tool.
“Well, that’s certainly true. Honestly, the fact that you’ve been taking down Demon Kings with only swordsmanship is close to a miracle.”
“Yes, to improve that miracle’s odds, I need your knowledge of Libero’s swordsmanship.”
“But right now, you seem more proficient in it than I am.”
I shook my head.
“Implementing Libero’s swordsmanship is merely a trick on my part. Sure, I learned most of the basic techniques, but I haven’t mastered the advanced ones.”
Freira nodded as if she understood that.
“Indeed, if you ask if your swordsmanship was perfect, that wouldn’t be the case.”
That was exactly what I was hoping for.
“What part wasn’t perfect? That’s what I need right now.”
Then Freira started explaining the theoretical shortcomings of my swordsmanship.
I began engraining her critique into my mind.
Her theories were definitely quite helpful.
‘This part, which was developed by referencing Reedval Family’s swordsmanship, is meaningless in Libero’s techniques.’
Of course, there were also parts of her guidance that conflicted with what I had learned from Libero.
Most of those times, she would back off.
“Of course, when I first met Libero, he was excessively strong, but I’m sure he’s grown significantly since then.”
Ultimately, mastering all the sword techniques Libero possessed through her was impossible.
Yet, it was still not unhelpful.
“Speaking of which, when I first met Libero…”
She shared stories not only of Libero’s swordsmanship but also of the time they first met.
The tale was from about 450 years ago, when Demon Kings began to arise and the existence of Demon Kings became known.
“At that time, the main characteristic known about Demon Kings was simply that they don’t age. You might know, but the early Demon Kings were mostly not that strong. The heavy title of ‘Demon King’ was ultimately attached to them due to what the Twelfth Demon King did.”
The actions of the Twelfth Demon King were quite famous.
His notoriety was still passed down through generations.
And his infamy transferred to all other Demon Kings as well.
“Those who do not age. As soon as I heard that rumor, I thought I had to find them. After all, I lost all my kin due to chaos during childhood and realized at some point that while I wasn’t a Demon King, I certainly wasn’t an ordinary human either.”
She smiled bitterly.
“So, after successfully contacting those who don’t age, the Demon Kings, I sought out the sense of belonging I had been lacking in my relationship with them. Even their differing goals struck me as quite impressive. Unlike me, who lived without any purpose, just not aging.”
Thus, she followed the other Demon Kings, trying to experience as much as she could.
She learned swordsmanship from Libero and toured the world with a Demon King named Violet, whom she had just heard about.
It was a period she found quite enjoyable, but it wouldn’t last forever.
“As time went on, some left, and new Demon Kings emerged. The Demon King’s Meeting was established, and the atmosphere among the Demon Kings changed. The image of Demon Kings I knew gradually began to diverge. Then… well, eventually, that incident happened.”
“That incident?”
“The collapse of the Ice Valley. After that event, the direction of the Demon Kings changed significantly, and I began to drift away from them. Ultimately, I even walked into the Church and got caught.”
I had learned from Sigritt that she was locked away by the Church.
But I hadn’t realized it was voluntary.
“Was that when you met Professor Sigritt?”
“Did Sigritt tell you? Yeah, that’s right. He was quite the unexpected stimulus for me, who had lost all will and was trapped in solitude. It was purely coincidental that I taught him swordsmanship. I can’t deny that it’s the reason I’m teaching now.”
As I listened to her, I swung the sword again.
The swordsmanship was improved with all the advice she had given me.
She watched that scene and said, “Libero would be proud.”
But that statement had a slight flaw.
“That may be true, but if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have achieved this level. You are also my teacher.”
“Teacher, huh…”
Her words trailed off, and I continued.
“I’m talking about the task I gave you. You already know the answer, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what you’re doing right now. Ultimately, aren’t you doing it because you enjoy it?”
Freira frowned at that.
“You’re talking about being a professor at Hero Academy?”
“Yes, simply saying you’re disappointed in the current Demon Kings ignores the fact that there are many other good jobs within the Church.”
“Well, I have quite the talent for teaching swordsmanship.”
That was true.
Even Sigritt, who was merely mediocre, managed to reach near High-ranking Hero after some guidance from her, and his training was based to some extent on Freira’s teachings.
But that alone couldn’t serve as an excuse.
“There’s still something crucial left. Why is your desire to die limited to your students if you want to die so badly?”
“…Did Sigritt say that?”
I nodded.
She then lowered her head.
“I regret that. Back then, Sigritt was just an ordinary boy. But the fact that he was my first student was the issue.”
She smiled as she spoke.
“Yeah, the moment I taught him, I realized something. I definitely want to leave something behind. And that’s been my complex for the past 400 years.”
‘You want to leave something behind?’
“I told you, I’m fundamentally different from ordinary humans. So, being a member of a tribe that has been completely annihilated, having children is impossible for me. However, that sense of loss that tormented me for 400 years… was filled by the existence of my students.”
This was something I hadn’t anticipated.
Until now, I only knew she wanted to create students, but I hadn’t understood the reason behind it.
“So, I thought I had found my life’s purpose. That’s why I decided to become a professor at Hero Academy, and I was indeed quite happy in that role… until I made another mistake with a gifted student.”
That gifted student was presumably the one who ranked second currently.
“That kid said to me, ‘Don’t you already know the reality?’ Don’t you know I can’t stay at the Hero Academy forever because of my identity as a Demon King? Assuming it’s another ten years, people will find out I don’t age, and that’s why he asked me to kill him.”
Then she refused to kill him.
After that incident, she realized there was a limit to her life as a professor.
“Despite that incident, I just couldn’t bring myself to give up being a professor. At least until I get found out that I don’t age; I stubbornly wanted to keep teaching. Time flew by quickly, and the day I’d get caught drew closer.”
She looked at me and said.
“Then you appeared. I was looking to end it all. Even though I knew I had an unattainable purpose in life, I was still stuck in this mad play. That’s why I intended to die at your hands.”
“But in the end, I became your student, right? Didn’t you think you’d regret it if you killed me yesterday?”
“Well… that’s true.”
She smiled.
That smile was so painfully tender.
It also felt frustrating at the same time.
“Just reveal that you’re not a Demon King. Then you can continue being a professor, right?”
“If I did that, they wouldn’t let me be among the Demon Kings anymore. Right now, because I’m still a Demon King, a few of the surviving early Demon Kings support me, but if it’s revealed that I’m not one, they’ll use all means to kill me.”
“What if I were to crumble the Demon Kings before that?”
At that, she burst into laughter.
But seeing my serious expression, she stopped laughing.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course. Well, it’s not solely for your sake. As I mentioned before, my goal is to protect this world, and that’s just part of the process.”
“But…”
“I know you’re disappointed in your former student. Still, I hope you can trust me.”
I smiled at her.
“Whatever happens, isn’t it better to try than to die without even attempting?”
Then she finally gave a proper smile.
“Sure, that seems right.”
*
