The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knightโs Rampage Through Another World
โโฆUm, next, Iโll be explaining the lectures on Monster Studies and Applied Magicโฆโ
A balding middle-aged man who introduced himself as the vice principal for the grade level continued speaking leisurely from the podium.
His name wasโฆ Christoph san, I think.
Also, there were adults who looked like instructors standing in the back of the large lecture hall.
Among them were faces Iโd seen during physical measurements and exams.
The guy who proctored the practical examโI think his name was Lionelโand the woman named Lilia who was there during the magic power measurement, and so on.
I see. It seems Iโd already met about half of the instructors during the exams.
Just as I was thinking thatโฆ
โโฆโฆโฆโฆ!?โ
Whoaโฆ I made eye contact with Lionel.
Heโs clearly directing a sharp glare and a menacing smirk my way.
Could it be that heโs still holding a grudge over me taking a point from him with underhanded tactics during the exam?
If thatโs the case, Iโd hate to have him single me out right after Iโve just enrolledโฆ
I wish heโd just forget about the antics of a nameless, ordinary person like me.
ใโ
โHey, wake up already.โ
โMmmโฆโ
Nora and I were taking notes and listening intently to the explanation, but Twina, sitting next to us, had dozed off partway through.
Apparently, she hadnโt slept much last night because sheโd been taken to the knightsโ headquarters (though she had it coming), but if I left her like this, sheโd probably drift off into dreamland for good, so I had no choice but to nudge her awake with my elbow.
Since we students had been given the lesson plan in advance, she wouldnโt miss anything important even if she dozed off.
But Christoph, who was giving the explanation, surely didnโt think highly of her.
โHeheโฆ Vice Principalโs lectures are just so sleep-inducing, I canโt help it.โ
โWell, I can see that.โ
As Nora gazed at Twina, letting out a quiet chuckle, I sighed and agreed in a low voice.
Itโs true that Vice Principal Christophโs lectures are slow-paced and monotonous, making you drowsy (yet for some reason, he writes on the blackboard incredibly fast. I donโt get it).
His specialty must be hypnotic magic. No doubt about it.
โฆAnyway, to help shake off the drowsiness, letโs briefly summarize whatโs been explained so far.
Iโll probably have to explain it to Twina later anyway.
โThe Kingdomโs Knight Academy is an educational institution thatโs sort of a cross between a typical high school in Japan and a military academy.
Therefore, while there are naturally general education courses, students are also required to take military-related courses.
You can also optionally choose to take courses in Monster Studies or Magic Studies.
Iโฆ am thinking of taking Magic Studies.
Nora will probably do the same.
As for Twinaโฆ Iโll ask her later.
That said, even within Magic Studies alone, thereโs a wide range of subjectsโfrom offensive magic and support magic to magical artifact engineeringโso weโll likely each take the courses we prefer.
Then, of course, thereโs combat training.
From handling weapons like swords to mastering close-quarters combat techniques, as well as mounted combat and unit command training, and so on.
This includes practical training where we clear low-difficulty dungeons located both inside and outside the academy to learn how to fight monsters and demon beings.
Andโฆ to be honest, this dungeon-clearing training is the very event that leads to my death ending.
What should have been a training exercise to hunt very weak monsters and learn the basics of dungeon navigation turned into a catastrophic disaster in which dozens of participating students lost their lives, all because a demon who had been lurking within the academy transformed the dungeon into a demonic realm.
The blackboard and syllabus state that this dungeon-clearing training will take place about a month from today.
My immediate mission is to somehow survive this ordeal.
โโฆโฆโฆโฆโ
Itโs nothing difficult.
Iโve been sharpening my claws and fangs desperately for this very moment.
Compared to the โoriginalโ Gerald, Iโve grown significantly stronger. Thereโs no doubt about that.
It doesnโt matter if Iโm facing a demon or a demon race.
Just like the demons and demon tribes that appeared in the capitalโs dungeon, Iโll simply obliterate them without a trace with my โGodslayer Sword.โ
Itโll be fine. I wonโt lose. I wonโt die. Iโm not afraid of demons or demon tribes. Iโll definitely kill every last one of themโ
โGerald, are you okay?โ
โLord Gerald, are you all right?โ
Just then.
Suddenly, my clenched fists were enveloped in warmth.
โHmm, your hands are really cold, arenโt they?โ
โIndeed. Your face looks grim, too. Are you perhaps feeling unwell?โ
Twina peered at my face with a puzzled expression, while Nora looked worried.
Thatโs when I realized Iโd been clenching my fists so tightly my hands had turned white.
My back was drenched in cold sweat, and I felt absolutely terrible, as if Iโd just woken from a nightmare.
Plus, I must have been so deeply absorbed in my thoughts that Iโd held my breath for a while.
โH-haahโฆ!โ
Overcome by the suffocating pressure, I couldnโt help but exhale sharply.
Looking up at the podium, I saw Lilia explaining the lecture on magical theory while drawing a simple magic circle on the blackboard with chalk.
Glancing around, I saw that everyone else was staring intently at the blackboard and Lilia, taking notes diligently.
The only ones who noticed my state were Twina and Nora.
Judging by the number of magic circles and words on the blackboardโฆ it seems Iโd been lost in my own thoughts for quite some time.
Damn it. I was determined not to miss a single wordโฆ but at this rate, Iโm in no position to lecture Twina.
โLord Gerald, the teachers still need to introduce themselves, but the important explanations are over. Shall we leave first?โ
โNo, I was just lost in thought for a moment. Itโs fine.โ
I appreciated Noraโs suggestion, but I politely declined.
I took a quiet, deep breath.
Then I slowly loosened the fist Iโd been clenching.
I no longer felt that suffocating sensation.
Surely, the warmth of Twina and Noraโs hands had pulled me up from the depths of the water.
โIโm fine now.โ
Expressing my gratitude to them in my heart, I repeated those words.
โHeheโฆ Lord Gerald. Everything will work out just fine.โ
Nora squeezed my hand tightly and murmured that.
The way Nora looked at meโฆ it was as if she were a Bodhisattva, or perhaps in Nirvanaโher eyes held a mysterious quality, as if she could see right through everything.
Perhaps she had already begun to display a glimpse of her power as a โSaint.โ
That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
โAh, yes.โ
I said the same, straightened my back, and gripped my pen once more.
Thatโs right.
This isnโt the time to be cowering in fear of the future.
My death ending isnโt a done deal yet.
I straightened my back, tensed my stomach, and fixed my gaze ahead.
Pull yourself together, Gerald.
Today, starting right here, is the real test.