Chapter 34: After the Sparring (1)
Anna’s perfectly calculated throwing knife techniques defeated Jack, the instructors’ final fighter and hidden card.
The victory went to Evan, witnessed by everyone at the Academy.
“Woooo!!!”
Amid the still-raucous atmosphere,
Evan, who had been sitting on the platform, stood up.
“Let’s go, Miss ris, who didn’t do anything today.”
“Hey, that’s…”
“Just kidding. Get up. We can’t stay here when they’re celebrating us. Co on, everyone.”
Except for Jerito and Leman, still in treatnt, they all descended from the platform.
To savor the victory,
and to claim their spoils by heading to the training ground themselves.
—Step. Step.
As Evan moved, the cheers filling the arena gradually quieted.
…
In the silence, they listened closely.
Everyone was curious about what the dean and Evan, now on the training ground, would say.
It might be the most exciting mont of the day’s sparring.
“Dean! Were you satisfied with today’s sparring?”
“Evan, you’ve won in the end. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
Evan bowed.
“But are you ending it like this? Shouldn’t we now conclude why this sparring happened in the first place?”
“Oh, you an that?”
Catching Evan’s intent, the dean grinned and shouted loud enough for all to hear.
“As you’ve seen, Evan’s side has won. Thus, I will fulfill the agreent I made with Evan beforehand!”
No one had grounds to object to the dean’s declaration.
And the result:
“By the dean’s authority, I appoint Evan Lafard as a special instructor for the Executor program!”
An unprecedented event: a cadet becoming an instructor.
And that honor was given to a cadet who hadn’t even attended for a full year.
“The appointnt will take effect imdiately after the Executor program begins. All instructors and cadets, take note.”
The Executor training program typically selected 10 cadets and 10 instructors across four groups.
But this year was different.
The number of instructors remained the sa, but one of those spots was now held by a cadet.
Moreover, Evan was appointed as an instructor for the Executor program, known as the Academy’s most grueling course.
He was proudly nad to a position reserved for the elite among instructors.
“Welco as an instructor, Evan Lafard.”
“Thank you.”
The dean raised Evan’s hand.
Like celebrating a champion gladiator in an arena.
Seeing this, the instructors and assistants, who had harbored quiet resentnt, had to acknowledge it.
Evan’s monstrous ability.
“Absolutely ridiculous.”
“What can we do? He proved it with skill.”
“We have to admit it. A monster has erged.”
They clapped, recognizing Evan’s true worth.
—Clap! Clap! Clap.
The applause started with them and spread to the cadets,
soon turning into a wave of cheers toward the training ground.
“Aweso, Evan!”
“Whoo~”
Evan, once the Academy’s weakest,
had finally earned the recognition of everyone at the Academy.
‘Now that I’m an instructor, things shouldn’t be too tough anymore, right?’
For Evan himself, personal comfort mattered more than recognition.
***
Right after the sparring,
by the dean and princess’ orders, the cadets were given a day of rest.
“Academy cadets, rest well today! It’s a gift for the fine talents who will protect this kingdom.”
A holiday was as sweet as honey to the cadets.
With today’s training schedule suddenly canceled, instructors and assistants spent their ti freely, awaiting the evening banquet.
Originally, the banquet should’ve followed the candidate selection ceremony, but Evan’s antics had pushed it to tonight.
While everyone took a break from their duties, Evan also enjoyed a rare rest.
Not the kind where he holed up in his room to build qi, but true rest—lying down, doing nothing.
“Aaah~”
Evan stretched, relieving his accumulated fatigue.
‘Tired, so tired. Teaching kids is real work.’
It felt more ntally than physically exhausting.
Training the cadets under him was no small feat.
‘I miss the detachnt guys. They got it done with a single order.’
Evan recalled his old comrades from his past life.
The war machines operating under the na of the detachnt.
Unlike them, the cadets were like wooden puppets that didn’t move as intended.
Teaching such lacking individuals was frustrating for Evan.
If there was one reason he didn’t burn out, it was Anna.
‘Speaking of our princess, they say she’s a magical genius, but she could reach a high level using her body too.’
By Evan’s standards, Anna’s throwing knife techniques were still lacking.
Yet, he had to acknowledge her battlefield awareness and strategic design.
‘Jack moved straightforwardly, but targeting him like that isn’t easy.’
Especially when Jack broke the training ground, creating various variables.
Her ability to handle those showed her exceptional combat intelligence.
Evan found her a talent he’d love to nurture.
If only she weren’t a princess.
‘What a pity. If she were a cadet, I’d have trained her with Jack… Well, the palace probably has at least one decent ntor.’
He didn’t linger on fleeting connections.
As he finished his stray thoughts and drifted to sleep, soone knocked on the door.
—Knock. Knock.
Elliott’s voice followed.
“Evan! You in there?”
“…”
Evan stayed silent.
He listened to the sounds outside.
“No one’s here, I guess?”
It wasn’t just Elliott; others were with him.
“Really? Soone said they saw him go in.”
“For real? Evan~”
ris’ voice joined the murmurs.
‘So annoying.’
It was a rare rest day, and they likely wanted to celebrate modestly before the banquet.
Even if that wasn’t their intent, Evan just wanted peace now.
“Guess he’s not here. Let’s go.”
As they left, peace returned to Evan.
Or so he thought, until another knock ca shortly after.
—Knock. Knock!
This ti, it was Jack.
“Young master~”
Since moving to the upper-tier dormitory after the last monthly evaluation, Jack often visited Evan like this.
“Ugh…”
Giving up on sleep, Evan got up and opened the door.
—Creak.
“What.”
Seeing Evan’s listless expression, Jack apologized.
“Were you sleeping? Sorry.”
“It’s fine. What’s up?”
“The princess wants to hang out.”
“Oh, our princess…”
Even if the world was botherso, he couldn’t defy the princess’ command.
But today, he wanted to.
“Can you pretend you didn’t see ?”
“That’s…”
“Please.”
“If you do one favor…”
Unusually, Jack didn’t agree outright but set a condition.
“What’s that?”
“Well…”
Jack hesitated.
“Spit it out. If it’s not outrageous, I’ll do it.”
“I want to know how strong I’ve gotten through you.”
“Hm?”
“I know it’s sudden. Not now, but whenever you have ti…”
At Jack’s request for a spar, Evan nodded.
“Let’s go. I’m awake anyway, and soone else might show up. I’ll rest at the secret training ground.”
The secret training ground was a spot in the forest, accessible through a doggy door in the wall.
Evan planned to take Jack there.
“Let’s go now.”
“Oh, okay!”
Sneaking out of the dormitory, they passed through the doggy door to Evan’s training spot.
Arriving, Evan brushed aside leaves with his foot and said to Jack,
“Let’s do it here. So, you want to know how strong you’ve gotten?”
“Yes. How strong I am, and how much I’ve closed the gap with you.”
“Hm… It’s a natural thought when you feel you’ve grown. I get it. Co at .”
Evan ward up, barehanded.
Naturally, Jack assud Evan would use a weapon and panicked.
“Now that I think about it, are you okay without a weapon? Should I grab one from the training hall?”
“Worried about ? Thanks. But I’m pretty good barehanded. You haven’t forgotten who taught martial arts, have you?”
“No way.”
Evan clasped his hands, taking a fighting stance.
“Co at , Jack Reed.”
Evan beckoned with his hand.
“Then, excuse , young master.”
Jack raised his hands, slowly closing the distance.
—Rustle.
He sidestepped cautiously, watching for an opening.
“Yawn~”
Spotting a gap as Evan yawned, Jack darted toward his side.
—Pop!
With the sound of scattering leaves, Jack closed in.
He threw punches instinctively, as the dean had taught.
—Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fierce wind from his punches grazed Evan’s ears.
“Oh? Sharp.”
Evan didn’t attack, only dodging Jack’s strikes.
Thinking Evan was holding back, Jack raised his voice unconsciously.
“Young master! I’m serious!”
He punched even more fiercely.
Evan dodged by a hair’s breadth.
—Whoosh!
At the sa ti, he lightly slapped Jack’s forearm and thigh with his palm.
—Slap! Slap!
It didn’t hurt, but it stung Jack’s pride.
“Hah!”
Jack used his recovering qi for a barrage of attacks.
Yet Evan dodged like a leaf in the wind.
—Slap!
The continued sharp slaps were a bonus.
With no progress in his attacks, Jack stomped, kicking up dust.
—Boom!
“Whoa~ Dusty.”
Evan stepped back, fanning the air.
Jack, his flow interrupted, reset his stance.
‘Not like before, but faster…’
Jack reflected on what was lacking.
‘Oh…’
Suddenly realizing sothing, he lowered his stance.
“Young master.”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s stop here. I’ve lost.”
“Alright.”
Jack’s sudden surrender.
Evan responded nonchalantly and lay on the ground.
“Ugh~ Wanna rest here too?”
“I’ll head back. The princess might be looking for .”
“Cool. See you later.”
Evan glanced at Jack’s retreating figure.
‘He’s grown. His instincts have sharpened.’
Jack had gained insight from their brief spar.
‘The spots he hit weren’t vital points. I thought it was just teasing…’
As he prepared to attack again, Jack realized.
Evan’s taps weren’t attacks.
They were corrections to Jack’s form.
Jack imagined punching as Evan had guided,
and realized it was a better approach.
At that point, the spar lost aning.
‘I thought I’d caught up a bit…’
Even during their spar, Evan had the composure to teach.
Jack realized that even if he attacked with those corrections, the outco would’ve been the sa.
Despite such profound guidance, Evan lay on the ground, napping, as if it were nothing.
‘He’s looking much further ahead.’
Jack felt he might never catch up in a lifeti.
But unlike before, he wasn’t discouraged.
‘He’ll surely beco the kingdom’s greatest.’
If he kept chasing,
he’d reach the highest peak under the sky.
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