The day after the entrance ceremony, Arcelia and I went to the academy.
Of course, we weren’t attending any classes; we were each pursuing our own goals.
Arcelia headed to the library, and I went to the training grounds.
Even though we had agreed to spar regularly, we first needed to focus on improving our individual abilities.
So, for now, we were acting separately.
By the way, I plan to register as an adventurer sometime after noon.
It’s still morning, so the Adventurers’ Guild should be packed with adventurers accepting requests.
Registering now would take forever, so I figured it would be better to go after most adventurers have left.
“I’ve memorized the layout of the academy, but I still feel like I’m going to get lost.”
The campus is so vast, fitting for a place called the largest educational institution in the kingdom.
I wonder how many mansions you could fit in here.
“If that happens, I’ll just blow off the roof and head outside.”
“That’s way too extreme…”
“I’m joking.”
It’s hard to tell when Arcelia is joking since she always says things with a straight face.
Plus, knowing her, she might actually do it, which makes me think she’s half-serious.
Maybe I’ll be able to figure out her sense of humor as I spend more time with her, but for now, we’ve only known each other for a short while.
I wonder if I’ll get used to her first or just wear myself out.
Well, as I was pondering that, I heard footsteps approaching from behind.
The sound of those footsteps… that stride…
I turned around, half-sure of who it was.
“—Kraze!”
“…Brother.”
The boy who had once been cute and innocent had completely transformed into a handsome young man.
Yet, his affection for me hadn’t changed, and he looked like he was about to jump into my arms.
Rowen Reynostia.
Without a doubt, my older brother.
“It’s been a while. Has it been two years?”
“Two years and twenty-three days! Ahh, finally, I get to see you again…”
My brother placed his hands on my shoulders and lowered his head as he spoke.
Feeling the weight on my shoulders, I looked him up and down.
There was barely any height difference between us anymore, and I had a slightly more muscular build.
Two years ago, he was taller than me, but it seems I’ve grown quite a bit since then.
“You’ve grown so much. Oh, right, I heard you’re planning to graduate just by taking the practical exam?”
“That’s true, but… where did you hear that from?”
“The teachers were making a big fuss about it, so I couldn’t help but overhear.”
His words surprised me a little.
I didn’t think it was such a big deal to graduate by taking only the practical exam.
But apparently, it was.
“Also, your classroom teacher asked me to try to change your mind.”
“So, you’re here to convince me?”
I shot him a suspicious look, but my brother just chuckled and spoke.
“Haha, no way. I never intended to convince you.”
He removed his hands from my shoulders and continued.
“After all, you’re not doing anything wrong. And besides… I think that’s the best path for you.”
“Oh, really?”
“I mean, come on! Stopping Kraze from doing what he wants would be unthinkable!”
“Uh… right.”
His sudden outburst left me both confused and a little exasperated.
He no longer tries to sniff my head like he used to, but he still has that odd quirkiness about him.
It was cute back when we were kids, but now that we’re older, it’s a bit awkward.
“Anyway—”
“—Hey.”
Just as my brother was about to say something, a voice cut in from the side.
“How long are you going to keep talking to that strange guy?”
Arcelia, with her arms crossed, glared at me.
She seemed quite displeased at having to wait.
“Well, we’re going our separate ways for now, so you don’t have to wait for me. You can head to the library on your own.”
It made sense for her to wait if we were going to be together, but since we were going to act separately until after noon, there was no need for her to wait around.
In fact, I felt bad for making her wait, and I wished she would just go ahead.
However, Arcelia’s gaze grew even sharper as if something was still bothering her.
I braced myself, wondering what kind of verbal attack was coming…
“…Hmph.”
She snorted in dissatisfaction but eventually turned and walked away.
Watching her figure, which seemed visibly annoyed even as she grew smaller in the distance, I pondered.
Was she upset that I was talking with my brother without involving her?
Unfortunately, I can’t read minds, so I had no clue.
“That girl… the genius noble lady. She’s still as intimidating as ever.”
My brother muttered while watching Arcelia shrink into the distance.
“Come to think of it, you fought her three years ago in the Magic Combat Tournament. She seems to have forgotten about you, though.”
“Yeah, it looks that way.”
He responded absentmindedly, clearly thinking about something else.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Well… it’s nothing, really.”
“I see.”
He was definitely thinking about something but chose to brush it off.
Well, I wasn’t particularly interested, so I didn’t press further.
“Oh, I’ve got to go. Class is about to start.”
The clock on the wall indicated that class would begin soon.
“Alright, I’ll see you later. Oh, but before I go—”
“…?”
Just as he was about to turn and leave, my brother glanced back at me.
“Sometimes, it’s important to clash with others—well, see you around!”
With that cryptic message, he dashed off like the wind.
“What… was that supposed to mean?”
His parting words about the importance of clashing with others didn’t make much sense to me.
“Oh, lucky me.”
Seeing the empty training grounds, I muttered to myself.
A lot had happened—Arcelia getting irritated, my brother leaving me with that strange advice—but I decided to put it all aside for now.
I was about to start my training, and any unnecessary thoughts would only be a distraction.
“Alright…”
I sat cross-legged on the ground and closed my eyes.
I focused on improving my strength.
Recently, my progress had slowed down considerably.
It felt like I was nearing my limit.
But I wanted to become stronger.
No, more than just strength—I wanted to become like that swordsman.
So, what should I do?
Honestly, up until now, I hadn’t truly dedicated myself to mastering the sword.
Swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat… everything I did relied on my fighting spirit.
Sure, my fighting spirit was powerful.
As someone who couldn’t use magic, it was my only weapon against mages and monsters.
But up until now, my strength had come from my fighting spirit.
The sword was never the primary focus.
“Fuu…”
I filled my lungs with the fresh morning air, clearing my mind.
For me, becoming stronger meant refining my sword techniques.
That meant I had to set aside my reliance on fighting spirit.
I had to return to the basics.
“…”
Remember it, Crays.
Back when you died in your previous life, you regretted so much.
The broken bones, the burned skin, the gaping wound in your torso.
It’s all etched into your soul as regret.
Tighten your resolve.
Forget about Arcelia and your brother for now.
Just focus on mastering the sword.
“Alright…”
I stood up and drew my sword from its scabbard.
I gripped the hilt with both hands and assumed a high guard stance.
Start with the basics.
That day, I began walking the true path of the sword.
