Chapter 51: Siblings Grow Up Fighting

After parting ways with Lisa.

I was walking back to the dormitory alone.

The sun had already set, and it was late evening.

But the academy was filled with students busily walking around.

Come to think of it, the midterm exams were coming up soon, weren’t they?

Seeing people with arms full of books heading somewhere.

I suddenly remembered that the exams weren’t far off.

As it was the first exam at the academy.

Everyone seemed to be studying hard.

A lot was riding on the midterm exams for various reasons.

Commoner students were usually aiming for scholarships.

Noble students were trying to prove their worth to become their family’s successors.

Of course, I had no intention of studying hard like the other students. Just enough to avoid expulsion was sufficient.

If I got kicked out of the academy mid-way.

Then it was straight to enlistment.

Of course, if I was seriously injured and couldn’t enlist, it would be a different story.

But I didn’t want to go that far.

No matter how much I hated the military, I couldn’t live with a lifelong disability.

So, graduating from the academy safe and sound. That was my goal.

On the way to the dormitory, passing by the gradually illuminating lights.

I spotted a familiar face sitting on a bench and called out to her.

“…Elena?”

“Ah! Louis!”

Elena, deep in thought while looking at something, sat on the bench.

She lifted her head at my voice and looked at me.

“The meeting is over?”

“Yes. I was trying to organize today’s content before going back to my room.”

“Why not do it inside?”

“The breeze feels nice. I was sitting here to clear my head.”

As she said, a cool breeze blew past, brushing against my hair.

The chilly weather had given way to a season of cool breezes.

Enjoying the rare moment of leisure, I glanced at the paper in her hand.

“Is that the meeting minutes?”

“Yes. They were informing us about the changed academic policy. Do you want to see it?”

“I’ll take a quick look.”

I accepted the paper Elena offered and slowly read the contents.

Personnel dispatched from the Imperial Knights and the Magic Tower would conduct special classes for students for the time being.

It seemed the Emperor had taken special measures due to the various incidents that had occurred in the past few days.

But.

‘The Imperial Knights, that’s where Julian is.’

Hearing that name, I suddenly thought of Julian, Louis’ brother.

Julian was indeed a member of the Imperial Knights.

Then he would come to the academy, wouldn’t he?

…Nah, no way.

I hoped not.

Meeting Julian would be a little awkward.

In Louis’ memories I had.

There wasn’t a single positive feeling towards him.

Inferiority, helplessness, jealousy towards his older brother, who had greater talent.

All sorts of negative emotions were quietly simmering beneath the surface.

I wasn’t ready to face those emotions if I met Julian.

As I was staring at the meeting minutes with a serious expression, Elena, who was watching me from the side, spoke.

“Did you show Lisa around the academy?”

“Of course, I just parted ways with her and was on my way back to the dormitory.”

“I, is that so?”

For some reason, Elena started to hesitate after hearing my answer.

What? Did she have something to say to me?

Seeing her hesitant demeanor, as if she wanted to say something but was holding back, I waited patiently for her to speak.

“So…. Are you two friends?”

Elena asked cautiously, glancing at me.

It seemed Lisa’s familiar attitude towards me bothered her.

I thought about my relationship with Lisa.

“Well….”

My relationship with Lisa was a bit unique.

She asked for my help in a dream.

And I couldn’t ignore her, so I helped her.

That was the extent of it.

If she asked if we were friends, I would tilt my head in confusion.

It hadn’t even been a day since Lisa and I met.

“Friends…are we?”

“Hmm…. So that’s how it is?”

Elena, who was carefully observing my ambiguous expression, nodded with a strangely brightened face.

More than a month had passed since I entered the academy. But I still hadn’t made any close friends.

At best, there was Viola, my fiancée, and Elena, who I was currently talking to.

Even with Viola, my fiancée, there was a thick wall between us.

‘My interpersonal relationships are a complete mess….’

Well, I wasn’t particularly romantic about academy life, but this was a bit much.

Currently, Elena was the only one I could call a close friend.

I quietly sighed, looking at the completely darkened sky.

The next morning.

I headed to the gymnasium, not the classroom.

Today was the day of the special class.

According to the information I got from Elena yesterday, the Imperial Knights would participate in the class starting today.

But my good mood as I entered the gymnasium quickly plummeted.

“…Brother?”

“Long time no see, Louis.”

The first thing I saw as I opened the door was Julian’s face, smiling obnoxiously.

I frowned at the sight of Julian surrounded by squealing girls, putting on a fake persona.

Unknown emotions surged within me as soon as I saw his face.

Suppressing the unpleasant negative emotions, I averted my gaze and moved to a corner.

“How old are you?”

“His arms are like rocks…!”

“Do you have a girlfriend…?”

“Now, now, I’ll answer your questions later. For now, please return to your seats.”

Julian calmly brushed off the girls’ advances and firmly sent them back.

Then, standing on the platform, he looked around with a relaxed smile.

“You might have heard, but I’m Julian Vermore, and I’ll be teaching you about practical combat for the time being. Nice to meet you all.”

“Kyaaa!”

“So cool!!”

He didn’t lose his smile, receiving cheers from the girls and wary gazes from the boys simultaneously.

“Vermore?”

“Then is he from the same family as Louis?”

Some students who caught his family name glanced at me, but I couldn’t care less about them.

Of all people, it had to be Julian.

The thought of constantly facing someone I didn’t want to meet at the academy for the time being made my head spin.

“Louis. Come forward.”

But as if not caring about my feelings at all.

Julian called me to the training grounds.

What was he planning to do…?

Feeling like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, I trudged onto the training grounds.

Julian tossed me a practice sword and nodded, looking at my completely sullen face.

“We’ll have a demonstration match. Pick up your sword, Louis.”

…What?

I didn’t mishear, did I?

He wanted me, a freshman, to fight a member of the Imperial Knights?

That was absurd.

But I had no choice.

As I reluctantly picked up the sword from the floor, Julian smiled and said.

“Come at me.”

“Ha!”

Without any hesitation, I kicked off the ground and charged towards him before he could even finish speaking.

From left to right.

And from top to bottom.

My sword rained down on Julian, drawing large arcs. But Julian easily dodged all my attacks.

“Give it your all.”

“…I’m always giving my all.”

“Then that’s all you’ve got.”

Grit

Those words triggered the suppressed emotions of Louis within me.

Inferiority. Helplessness.

I shook off the illusion of hearing Louis’ voice whispering that I couldn’t beat Julian and looked at him.

He still waited for my attack with a relaxed demeanor.

“Ha…!”

I kicked off the ground again and charged towards him.

I unleashed several attacks, but all of them cut through empty air.

Julian, having dodged all my attacks, raised his fist and said.

“Are you not even going to defend?”

His fist rapidly approached my face.

Thwack!

“Ugh…!”

Unable to dodge Julian’s fist aimed at my face, I took a direct hit.

This was infuriating.

The sharp pain in my cheek and my remaining rationality vanished.

Consumed by rage, my mind was unable to think straight.

I’ll cut him down.

With that single thought, I instinctively poured all my mana into my body and swung at Julian.

But.

Thud

Julian easily dodged my attack, grabbed me by the collar, and threw me into the air.

“!”

My vision spun as my body was flung upwards.

And a moment later.

Thump!

When I regained consciousness.

I was already lying on the floor.

“Feeling better now?”

Looking at Julian’s face looking down at me, I squeezed my eyes shut.

I lost.

The cool sensation of the floor against my back brought a sense of reality.

An unpleasant, intense emotion began to blossom within me.

“Your basics have deteriorated since the last time we met.”

I knew.

I had been relying on high firepower until now, but I knew that my foundation wasn’t solid.

And I knew that it would eventually become my downfall.

“But I commend you for not giving up your sword until the end.”

Julian said something resembling praise, but I couldn’t hear anything.

My first defeat.

It was more humiliating than I expected.

I tightly gripped the hilt of the sword still in my hand.

But.

“Congratulations.”

I opened my eyes again at Julian’s following words.

I followed his gaze to my sword.

A faint aura was clinging to it.

“You’ve become a Sword User.”

I could now use Aura.