I Became the Academy Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Clang―

…I had blocked it.

I didn't know how I had blocked it, but I had blocked Sara’s sword.

'What is this?'

It was a mont shorter than a second.

My body had reacted in that brief instant.

Although I had blocked it, I was flustered.

After all, with my reaction speed, I shouldn't have been able to block such a fast attack.

'How did I do that?'

I looked at the sword that had blocked Sara’s rapier.

I didn't know what it was, but my body had instinctively responded to Sara’s attack.

And my body wasn't slow.

It had been fairly fast, and at the sa ti I had felt my muscles were surprisingly well trained.

“…hm.”

When her attack was stopped, Sara showed a montary look of surprise.

But she soon swung her rapier at

again.

An attack that anyone could tell was headed for my right shoulder.

'Huh?'

But for so reason, a red dot appeared near my left waist.

And my body moved instinctively again.

Without my knowing, I had brought the Mistcatcher to my left waist.

Clang―!

Once more my sword blocked Sara’s rapier.

The blade that had been aid at my shoulder had changed direction mid-flight and headed for my waist.

“…What are you?”

Sara looked even more bewildered than before.

Still, she swung her sword again.

This ti I saw a red dot in my sight.

And when I brought the sword to that dot……

Clang―!

I was able to block Sara’s blade.

By now I could tell what those red dots were.

'Predictive Counter Skill.'

When I had leveled up as a defensive swordsman, I had felt sothing lacking from defensive sword arts alone.

So the skill I had mastered was precisely the Predictive Counter Skill.

It was a skill that told you in advance where attacks were going to co from.

'A good skill, but surprisingly few users chose it.'

To block you had to do it at a very precise timing, and predicting and then dodging or blocking an enemy's attack wasn't the main tactic in this ga.

Bosses and monsters had more area attacks as the ga progressed, so the main tactic was to crush enemies with damage during the ti you would otherwise spend dodging or blocking.

The so-called "overwhelm-with-damage" playstyle was what players preferred.

So although the skill that predicted an enemy's attack with accuracy was frankly broken, it didn't suit most gars' tendencies.

'But I had mastered it for the concept.'

Thanks to this skill, I could use defensive sword arts much more effectively.

And because of that, I was sohow holding out against Sara’s assault.

“Phew.”

I exhaled and looked at Sara.

She gritted her teeth and swung her sword again.

Again a red dot appeared, and I brought the Mistcatcher to that red dot.

---

'Who the hell is this man?'

As her attacks kept getting blocked, Sara couldn't help but be puzzled.

Sara had no intention of killing the man before her.

She had only ant to give a warning by inflicting a small wound.

A warning that causing injury to the princess, even by accident, was a grave cri.

So Sara had attempted a surprise thrust at the man’s leg with her rapier, but the man had blocked her attack.

'What on earth is this?'

At first she thought it was a coincidence.

But the man kept blocking her attacks.

As if he could see every one of her strikes all too easily.

'My attacks are being blocked?'

As her strikes continued to be stopped, Sara’s pride began to flare.

Her family was the Isrinbloom Ducal Family, one of the three ducal houses of the Arium Empire — one of the three swords that defended the empire.

And the Isrinbloom family's swordsmanship was the most elegant and precise in the empire.

The Isrinbloom family had a style that was said to be unrivaled in one-on-one duels.

That was true, and Sara had never doubted it for a second.

But now, Sara was beginning to doubt that truth, bit by bit.

'…Why does it keep getting blocked?'

She had never lost in a fight to a swordsman of similar caliber.

Especially, Sara had used cunning swordplay that lulled her opponent into complacency or toyed with them, and she had taken pride in that.

Yet her swordplay couldn't pierce Gideon’s defense.

“…tch.”

Sara had aid her rapier at Gideon’s throat but changed the blade’s trajectory mid-swing toward his wrist.

Gideon had, as if it were natural, blocked her attack.

Seeing Gideon like that started to crack Sara’s pride.

'I don't like this.'

His attitude — as if he could see all her attacks — and the way he nonchalantly blocked them to prove it.

Each detail grated on Sara's nerves.

“…You're annoying.”

She took a step back and settled into her stance properly.

In other words, she decided to face Gideon seriously.

At the sa ti, Sara assessed him.

'What kind of stance is that?'

She had faced countless swordsn.

But she had never seen a stance like Gideon’s.

The sword and his arm were held as close to his body as possible.

An oddly unfamiliar stance for a swordsman.

It looked extrely defensive.

'I don't care. The important thing is winning. As a mber of the Isrinbloom Ducal Family, I can't lose in pure swordsmanship.'

Sara prepared to swing her rapier at Gideon again.

But at that mont—

“Sara! That's an order! Stop there!”

At Leila’s shout, Sara froze on the spot.

---

‘This body… is more capable than I thought.’

I realized it the mont I blocked all of Sara’s attacks as if it were nothing.

This body was more than enough to beco a knight.

It moved through battle naturally, instinctively—as if it had fought countless tis before.

‘I think I even know how to fight now.’

At first, I had moved purely on instinct.

Without my will, my body had simply followed its instincts to block Sara’s attacks.

But as ti went on, I started to grow accustod to combat.

Soon enough, I could fight not just through instinct, but also with my own will.

‘Is this because of the skills?’

Before possessing this body, I hadn’t learned a single thing about swordsmanship or fighting.

Yet now, sohow, I knew how to fight.

And more than that—I felt comfortable in a fight.

Those countless sword arts and skills that had seed to be absorbed into

back in the dormitory…

It felt like I could actually use them all in real combat.

‘And above all, these skills are quite powerful.’

I looked at Sara before .

As her attacks kept getting blocked, she began to look increasingly frustrated.

Then at one point, she stepped back slightly and took a proper stance.

Her blade stood vertically, the hilt lifted to eye level—

The starting stance of the Isrinbloom family swordsmanship, and one I had often seen while playing the ga.

‘So she’s going to fight seriously now.’

The swordsmanship of the Isrinbloom Ducal Family was unrivaled in duels between swordsn, and Sara herself was a prodigy known for her exceptional talent.

The very fact that she was now fighting seriously ant my swordsmanship had been acknowledged.

‘But can I handle Sara when she’s serious?’

When she had fought casually, I had been able to block her with ease.

But when she got serious… I wasn’t sure.

I still hadn’t fully adapted to fighting in this possessed body.

And relying purely on instinct definitely had its limits.

I was deep in thought when Sara once again swung her rapier.

A red dot appeared before my eyes, and just as I was about to move my sword toward it—

“Sara! That’s an order! Stop there!”

The blonde princess shouted loudly.

At her voice, Sara imdiately stopped her attack.

“Put your sword away. I told you not to go around swinging your blade at people without warning.”

“…But, Your Highness, anyone who harms your body must be severely—”

“I said it was my mistake! And I told you to let

finish speaking!”

“…My apologies.”

“You don’t need to apologize to —apologize to Gideon.”

“Gideon? Who—ah.”

Sara turned her head toward .

“…I apologize for my rashness.”

“It’s nothing, Lady Sara.”

I sheathed the Mistcatcher once more.

“Rather, it was an honor to cross blades with you.”

“So you know who I am?”

“There’s no other family capable of wielding such refined swordsmanship except the Isrinbloom family, is there?”

I bowed my head as respectfully as possible.

Having played the ga so much, I knew roughly how nobles in this world spoke.

But even though I bowed my head, I could still sense anger flickering in Sara’s eyes.

No—more precisely, her pride seed wounded.

And at the sa ti, she looked at

with curiosity.

“What did you say your na was?”

“Gideon Kyrgram.”

“Kyrgram… I don’t recall any marquess or count family by that na.”

“I am from a baron family.”

“Ah, then it’s possible I simply don’t know. But among the barons…”

Sara narrowed her eyes.

“…Was there ever a family with such unusual swordsmanship?”

“…It’s a style I developed on my own.”

I answered with whatever ca to mind.

Of course, Sara didn’t buy my clumsy lie.

“You’re saying you blocked the sword of the Isrinbloom family with a self-taught style?”

“Sara, that’s enough.”

“…Yes, Your Highness.”

Sara took a breath, then stepped closer to .

And in a voice only I could hear, she whispered softly,

“It’s a disgrace that the sword of the Isrinbloom family was blocked. This humiliation… I’ll repay it soon.”

With those words, Sara stepped back.

The look in her eyes still carried anger.

Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I couldn’t help but feel unfairly treated.

‘…Well, that’s Sara Isrinbloom for you.’

A character who had earned the curses of countless players.

Self-centered, temperantal, and hot-blooded—that was Sara Isrinbloom.

“Sara, what did you just say to Gideon?”

“Nothing at all. Anyway, Your Highness, the entrance ceremony will begin soon. Shall we depart?”

“Hmm, you go on ahead. I’ll join you after saying a few words to Gideon.”

“But Your Highness, being alone with this man—”

“It’s fine. Or should I make it an order for you to go ahead?”

“…I’ll wait in that building over there. Take your ti, Your Highness.”

After bowing to Leila, Sara left.

But before leaving, she threw a sharp glance at .

I sighed inwardly, but being on Sara’s bad side wasn’t much of a problem.

From years of playing the ga, I had learned one important thing:

‘It’s impossible not to get on Sara’s bad side.’

She had always been wary of anyone outside the few people she had known since childhood.

Her reaction now was natural—and exactly as it had been in the ga.

“I’m sorry, Gideon.”

After Sara left, Leila approached and apologized.

“Sara can be a little overprotective. She’s not a bad person, but sotis she acts before thinking.”

“It’s fine. In fact, I should apologize. I should’ve recognized Your Highness right away…”

“No, it’s okay. And Gideon, you don’t have to be so tense.”

Leila smiled warmly at .

“This is an academy where everyone is equal, rember? You don’t need to treat

so formally—just be comfortable.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Still, from experience, I knew better than to take Leila’s words at face value.

Because in the ga, whenever you got too close to her, you’d always end up dragged into so disastrous incident.

“Hehe, I look forward to seeing more of you, Gideon. With swordsmanship like yours, I feel we’ll be eting often.”

“I will do my utmost in service to Your Highness.”

I bowed my head respectfully.

Well, getting closer to the princess wasn’t a bad thing.

If the family recorded in that ancient docunt as receiving the Record Erasure Sentence truly was the Kyrgram Family, then having ties to the royal family would definitely help uncover the family’s secrets.

“Thank you. Then, if you’ll excuse , I’ll go now. I’d feel bad keeping Sara waiting too long. See you at the entrance ceremony.”

“Understood. Please take care, Your Highness.”

I quietly watched Leila as she left the garden and disappeared into the building.

And once she was completely gone—

“Phew…”

I collapsed right where I stood.

I hadn’t shown it, but I had been tense the whole ti.

“…Not easy at all.”

It hadn’t even been a full day since I had possessed this world’s body, and already I was exhausted.

As expected, this kind of life was tough for a shut-in like .

Still, crossing blades with Sara just now had confird one thing.

‘I can do this. At least, it’s not impossible.’

I looked at the Mistcatcher at my waist.

Becoming a knight, uncovering the family’s secret, and restoring its honor—

With swordsmanship of this level, it seed more than possible.