"Ms. Julian..."
Luciel found Julian in the training ground, where she was giving lessons to Luciel's former classmates. The moment Luciel appeared, the entire training ground buzzed with excitement.
"Luciel, Luciel is back!"
Luciel had once been one of them, a fellow student who had remained rather unremarkable. But in just a few months, everything had changed drastically. Luciel had become the brightest new star in Orland, now their senior.
It was rare for them to see Luciel, and the excitement was palpable.
Anderson, in particular, kept winking at Luciel and boasting to those around him, "Luciel is my best friend..."
Adoration, envy, and admiration surrounded Luciel as he approached Julian. Julian smiled at him, nodding, "Here."
She immediately dismissed the third-grade students, allowing them to practice on their own, and took Luciel aside to the edge of the training ground.
"The exchange competition starts in two days, and you only think of looking for me now?" she teased, her tone light but with a hint of reproach.
Luciel lowered his head in embarrassment. "I lost track of time while retreating."
Julian's eyes sparkled. "A breakthrough?"
Luciel shook his head. "Not quite, but there was a breakthrough in swordsmanship."
"Don't worry," Julian reassured him, "With your talent, it's only a matter of time before your fighting energy breaks through to knight level."
She comforted him automatically before realizing, "Wait, did you just say a breakthrough in swordsmanship?!"
Luciel nodded and, after thinking for a moment, removed the saber from his waist and began practicing the basic swordsmanship he was most familiar with.
Luciel's basic swordsmanship was textbook-perfect, fluid and precise, flowing like water. Every movement seemed effortless, yet carried immense power. Each strike generated fierce winds, and the ground beneath his feet was carved with shallow grooves from the impact.
The third-grade students watching couldn't believe their eyes, whispering amongst themselves.
"This... this is basic swordsmanship?"
"Am I seeing this right? Can basic swordsmanship really have such terrifying power?"
"As expected of Luciel!"
Julian's eyes widened, her expression one of awe. "This... this is the fourth level of swordsmanship?!"
Luciel stopped and nodded. "Yes, I just learned something new."
In the third stage of swordsmanship, the power of the sword strikes skyrockets when the weight is lifted, but it also slows down the speed due to the accumulation of power. The more power accumulated, the greater the burst of energy, though the speed decreases.
At the fourth stage, the power extends to the weapon itself, so even without charging it up, it can unleash tremendous force.
This was why Luciel's basic swordsmanship had such an impact. Without the aid of fighting energy, only the fourth stage of swordsmanship could produce such results.
Julian fell silent, her mind swirling with complex thoughts.
Luciel's swordsmanship was so exceptional that it even made her feel a hint of jealousy. Without realizing it, Luciel's skill had already surpassed hers, and it wouldn't be long before his overall strength surpassed hers as well.
Being a teacher to someone so extraordinarily talented was no easy task.
"I think only someone at the level of the vice-president or the dean would be qualified to teach Luciel," Julian thought to herself.
"I'll teach you that footwork," she said, after a pause.
Then, Julian demonstrated a low-level footwork technique she had promised to teach Luciel.
This technique was called the "Assault Step," which Julian had learned during her time in the army.
"That's how you do it," she said as she completed the movement.
With the help of his chip's powerful record-storage ability, Luciel immediately began practicing the footwork on his own after Julian's demonstration.
Within the hour, Julian was once again astounded by Luciel's rapid progress.
"Motion perfection increased by 5%."
"Motion perfection increased by 4%."
...
By the time Luciel stopped practicing, his "Assault Step" was as fluid and precise as Julian's, showing no signs of being a beginner.
"Luciel!" Julian exclaimed with heartfelt admiration. "I can already see that this exchange competition will be your stage to shine!"
---
The annual exchange competition between the Magic Academy and the Knight Academy had finally arrived.
The competition was held in a small square at the center of Orland College, drawing together students from all ten grades. The scene was immense and was one of Orland's rare grand events.
Most of the female students from the Magic Academy, despite wearing long magic robes, couldn't hide their youthful beauty, and their presence immediately caught the attention of the young men from the Knight Academy.
The noble girls from the Magic Academy were also eagerly anticipating the event.
"Look! I see Bourne! He's so handsome!"
"Ferranstu is good too, though not particularly handsome, but there's a certain charm about him."
"Where's Luciel? Which one is Luciel? I want to see him!"
"Yes, I like Luciel the most!"
The former idol, Byrne, who was popular due to his good looks and prestigious family background, had been the object of many girls' affections. But now, Luciel had taken his place.
The title of "Sword Dawn" was not one everyone could earn.
When Luciel appeared, at least two-thirds of the eyes in the crowd were immediately drawn to him.
Young, handsome, sunny, humble, calm, elegant...
Every girl could find something to admire in Luciel. With the title of Orland's greatest genius in a century and the glow of "Sword Dawn," Luciel completely overshadowed the other contestants. The brilliance of Enferlanstu and others paled in comparison.
"Ah, Luciel, that's Luciel!"
"So handsome, he's even more handsome than the image in magic!"
"Luciel, I love you!"
The enthusiasm from the girls of the Magic Academy made Luciel the object of jealousy and envy from the men in the audience. Even Luciel himself was feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Humph!"
Ferranstu snorted coldly, watching Luciel's dazzling presence with a clenched grip on his sword.
"I'll fight you one day, Luciel. The Knight Tower doesn't mean everything…" Ferranstu muttered to himself.
Byrne, too, looked at Luciel with a complex expression.
To be honest, he had never fought Luciel. When they first met, he had been drawn to him because of his appreciation for his skills, but now Luciel had reached a height that forced him to look up.
"I need to find a time to have a proper match with Luciel," Byrne thought.
On the side of the Magic Academy, among a group of excited girls, Helen muttered with a touch of bitterness, "These nymphomaniacs..."
Despite her words, Helen couldn't tear her eyes away from Luciel. Her cheeks flushed involuntarily as she watched him.
Seeing Helen's shy reaction, Bellis couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Was this really the same older brother she had always known?
Even the once-arrogant suitors who had always competed for her attention seemed to be captivated by him now.
In the blink of an eye, her "useless" brother had transformed so dramatically that she almost didn't recognize him anymore.
"If Father knew, he would be overjoyed..." she thought.
"Look, it's Windsor!"
Suddenly, there was a stir from the Knight Academy.
It was now the young knights' turn, and their eyes were shining with excitement.
Luciel followed their gaze and saw a beautiful girl with a unique presence.