Chapter 10: With a swordsmanship class and a Radius story

After school, the swordsmanship teacher returned to the staff room and exchanged words with another teacher.

It was after he had already spoken with both Ren and Licia.

“Do you know our new student valedictorian, Ren Ashton?”

“Of course I do. He has been taking my Monster Biology class with great enthusiasm. He almost got a perfect score on the quiz the other day.”

The female teacher was followed by another teacher who was also listening to the conversation.

“He’s very enthusiastic about this class as well, which makes it worthwhile for me to teach it.”

“Speaking of Ren Ashton, he helped me clean up after class the other day. Oh, and the other day he helped me prepare for class, too.”

“I like the fact that he hasn’t let up and continues to be diligent even after his enrollment. I can say that he is an honor student different from the senior students such as Arkheise, Ignat, and His Highness the Third Prince.”

As was said by many, Ren and Licia had a good reputation among the teachers.

“What’s going on all of a sudden? Did he do something in your swordsmanship class?”

“Yes….. a problem has arisen regarding Ashton and Clausel, which I am unable to determine.”

“You don’t think they caused the problem, do you?”

“No, it’s not a fault. I had heard from the director that those two used the hard sword technique, but they were more skilled than I had expected.”

“I see, so you can’t let them have the same class as the other students.”

“That’s right. I can teach them imperial swordsmanship, but that is too different from the other students. It would inspire the other students, but on the contrary, it wouldn’t benefit those two.”

In the second half of the class just now, the teacher instructed everyone in imperial swordsmanship, but Ren and Licia had to be convinced that there was nothing to be gained. Even if those two found it worthwhile to reacquaint themselves with the techniques they also knew, the teacher could not say so.

“Every year, a few competent students should have been mixed in with the upperclassmen in the swordsmanship class. Why not let those two participate in second or third year swordsmanship already in their fourth year?”

But the swordsmanship teacher shook his head and said, “It’s the same thing”.

The strength of those two he witnessed couldn’t be compared even in the highest grades. The two of them were that strong without using hard swordsmanship.

No matter how one looks at it, he doesn’t feel the need for them to take the same class as other students.

“Is it that serious?”

“Ha-ha-ha! That’s amazing!”

“Oh, well, that can’t be helped.”

The shrugging swordsmanship teacher said in a voice that said this was the only way.

“Swordsmanship is a required course, so they have to take the exam. Fortunately, it’s a course that doesn’t have attendance points, so you won’t have any problems there.”

In other words, it’s okay for them to be absent in the normal class?”

“Yes, that is correct. As you all know, this is not a special measure. In fact, there have been students for some time who only participate in the examinations.”

Verlich also told Ren once before.

If there is not a certain degree of freedom, this academy will be handicapped in many ways, considering its nature. Therefore there were so many subjects where exams were more important than class participation.

“Because we are an academy that has to take into account the convenience of the nobles, we can be flexible to some extent in terms of only participating in the examinations.”

Instead, the difficulty level of the examinations isn’t comparable to that of other academies.

If grades are poor, students are flunked without mercy, whether they are nobles or royalty from other countries, so if they do not attend classes, they must have a good reason.

While everyone was talking about Ren and Licia, Klonoa came to the staff room.

The swordsmanship teacher went to her and asked for advice.

“Dean, it’s about the two of them—-“

Hearing the story, Klonoa laughed deceptively, “Tahaha, As expected.”

“Now that you’ve got the exam in order, how are they going to spend their time during swordsmanship class?”

“They said they would still participate because it would be an educational experience for them, but as a teacher, I would like them to have an educational time.”

“Yeah, Me too.”

The teacher has a few suggestions to offer.

As an example of other students, there are a number of students who, like the two of them, participate only in the exam. Many of these students are honors students who boast knowledge equal to or better than graduates in the relevant subject.

In many cases, these students did not attend the relevant classes, but only took the exam.

They often studied in the library or received assignments from teachers of other subjects.

These were common examples of students in special classes who had a high degree of freedom and were in line with the school culture that respected independence.

Klonoa thought it best for Ren and Licia to follow that example,

“I would like you to consult with the other teachers, and if there is anyone who can give Ren and Licia an assignment, please suggest it to them. I want to make sure that we follow all the rules and regulations.”

This is the Imperial Military Academy, which is different from other schools in many ways.

If there are students who want a higher education, and they show the grades they deserve, then they are entitled to advanced classes.

There was no greater folly than to let students waste their time.

“How many classes a week does Ren take in swordsmanship?”

“Since it is only imperial swordsmanship that is a required credit, you must have taken it twice a week in the afternoons.”

The teachers looked at each other to make sure they were spending useful time.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

The glowing red sunlight that illuminated the school building after school was shining down on the three of them as they chatted on the rooftop.

“Ah, so did I.”

Fiona, who had just said this with a tone of voice that she just remembered, also had that sunlight on her back asserting her own silhouette.

“I was also encouraged by my Herbology teacher to get an assignment for another subject during my freshman year.”

Beside Ren, whose back was leaning against the fence surrounding the rooftop listened to Fiona who reminisced about her freshman year.

She had a sickly past and spent a lot of time studying herbology for herself. The knowledge she has developed is already more than that of a student in a special class at graduation.

“What did you do at that time, Fiona-sama?”

“I was given assignments by other teachers. I had to work for the Ignat family every once in a while, so I thought it would be better to do that than to mix it up with other classes.”

“That way, you could make better use of your time outside of your studies.”

“Yes, and the assignments I was given were very informative and the teachers are always willing to help me in their free time.”

Listening to her, Ren looked at Licia.

Licia was sitting on a bench beside her, looking up at Ren,

“Perhaps we should do the same. It’s important to review the imperial swordsmanship, but we can learn that much from Weiss at the mansion. We’ve decided to study ourselves here, so we should make the most of our time.”

“I see. Now all we have to do is to see if we can get the assignment from the teachers…..”

“There have been a few people like you two recently, and in the past, as I recall, there was boy who knew as much or more than the graduates in four subjects right after they entered the school.”

“That’s amazing. What kind of person was he?”

When Ren asks, Fiona laughs and says something that convinces Ren and Licia.

“It was my father…..”

The two weren’t surprised at all when they heard this.

On the contrary, they were easily convinced.

“Ren, it can’t be helped if it was Marquis Ignat.”

“Yes. It made sense to me in an instant.”

In any case, Ren and Licia both want to make the most of their time.

They would later decide which subject teachers would give them assignments, but the other thing they had to decide was where they would study hard.

(Realistically speaking, I would choose to get the assignments….But if the committee members get too busy with their work, I guess it’s okay to do that too.)

On the two afternoons a week when the two of them don’t attend swordsmanship classes, Fiona does not have classes as well. For the reasons she mentioned earlier, she spends her afternoons studying in the library or sometimes in a corner of the gardens on the academy grounds.

When Licia heard about this, she asked, “Well, can I join you?” to which Fiona replied, “If it is all right with you, I would be happy for you to join me”.

Ren could see that the two had become even more comfortable with each other since the Clock Tower fiasco.

Suddenly…

“There you are.”

Radius, who had come to the rooftop, opened the door and called out.

“What? Is it time already?”

“Not yet. I had some free time until my appointment, so I came here and just happened to see the three of you.”

After this, Ren had plans to talk with Radius about how his swordsmanship class went. It was a kind of casual chit-chat.

It would be another twenty minutes before he could get to that appointment.

I had told Licia and Fiona from the beginning, so I told them It was a little early and left them to continue.

“So Radius, you have some time when you don’t have classes, too?”

“There are a few. Like this afternoon, for example. I try not to have classes this afternoon because I have a lot of official business.”

“Well, you’re the same as me in that I don’t have classes in the afternoons.”

Licia and Fiona, who watched them leave the rooftop as they talked, looked at each other with the same thought almost simultaneously.

Fiona was the first,

“……What do you think, Licia-sama?”

“I’m unhappy, of course.”

“So am I! His highness the Third Prince’s is above the clouds! Compared to him, a marquis daughter should be nothing!”

“I’m only a Viscount’s daughter, if you put it that way…..”

The two of them had a mutual thought.

Comparing that attitude with Ren’s attitude toward the two girls.

“”Haa…””

These two women are the ones who once asked Ren for a more open attitude toward each other, but were rebuffed.

They let out a sigh, thinking that, while they are love rivals, they could at least share these stories.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Ren who left their side,

“KUSHUN!!!”

He sneezed.

It was around this time that they headed to the gardens of the academy and enjoyed nature while they talked.

“What happened suddenly?”

“I don’t know, but it came out of nowhere.”

“Even if it’s sunny in spring, don’t catch a cold.”

“Well, I’m not being careless.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But if you catch a cold, I will at least visit you. Then I’ll tell you some of the old stories my father and mother told me.”

I’m not that young anymore, and I can’t let the third prince do such a thing.

When Ren, with a slightly embarrassed look on his face, brushed his hair and said, Radius smiled coolly on his neatly shaped face.

“What kind of old tale is that?”

“Do you care?”

“Well, I’m curious to know what kind of old stories the royal family used to tell the young royal family.”

“Hmmm… then I’ll tell you a few.”

As we proceeded along the shortly prepared grassy ground, Radius let the spring breeze of the dusk take his hair in its stride.

“It is said that once upon a time, in a certain country, a girl was born.”

“Oh, that sounds like a rather common way to start a story.”

“By the way, the title of the folktale is “Eclipse Princess.”

“Wow, that was instantly disturbing.”

Radius laughed at Ren’s stunned appearance.

“The girl who was born, the Eclipse Princess, was said to have magic powers that could consume anyone, even her parents could not touch her.”

The two walked shoulder to shoulder.

Radius began to recount the old tale, recalling the story he too had heard so long ago.

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