FRSBS 04

Chapter 4

Embarrassment.

The first emotion he felt when his attack had been completely read was embarrassment.

“…….”

Not long ago, during sparring a few months back, the guy had been panting and unable even to properly block a half-hearted strike—so how had this happened?

Hyeongju stood there blankly at a moment that made no sense.

He slumped down onto the floor and, lost in thought, quickly sprang up when he noticed Juhyeok looking down at him.

“You bastard…!”

He assumed a quickly corrected stance.

Maybe he was lucky, or maybe not, but he couldn’t just stand there and take it from a so-called low-achiever who wasn’t even in the top 200.

Originally he’d planned to give him a light lesson, but now that things had gone this far, Hyeongju decided he would make Juhyeok taste double the humiliation he’d been through so far.

“…….”

Despite the fury burning in his eyes, Juhyeok watched him calmly without drawing his sword.

A tense, hair-trigger stillness hung in the air as if they might clash at any second.

“What on earth is going on here.”

A deep voice came from the direction of the door, which might have been open for who knew how long.

Both of them turned their heads and found the bald instructor standing there.

“I wondered why the lights were still on… so you were sparring?”

The instructor strode across the dirt floor toward them, then, coming up to where the two stood, studied their faces and said, with an air of composure,

“Although, it looks a bit intense to call it just sparring.”

He already had some idea of the relationship between Hyeongju and Juhyeok, so he didn’t think this was a mutually agreed bout.

He assumed Hyeongju had once again antagonized Juhyeok and things had become heated.

A predictable scene.

It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, so the instructor separated them without much concern.

“It’s late, so return to the dorms.”

“…….”

Hyeongju’s face filled with displeasure at the instructor’s order.

He wanted to break that arrogant gaze and reclaim his pride, but he wasn’t stupid enough to cause a scene in front of an instructor.

He relaxed his stance but didn’t take his eyes off Juhyeok.

“Have you been training somewhere for a week or so?”

“…….”

“You seem to have made some progress…? It’s a pity, now that all the grades are out, but still.”

In front of the instructor, his tone became as polite as possible.

But any fool could read what he meant.

Even if something looked different now, it was too late to change things—the exams were done.

The Hunter Guilds judge by the three years of performance, not just the way you look now.

It was plain fact that Juhyeok’s grades made it hard for him to get into even a small-to-mid guild.

“Still, if you enter the Banya Festival tournament, things might be a little different.”

Banya Festival.

A festival the academy holds after all exams are finished.

Among the graduating third years, participants face off in a tournament.

The prize grants a right to have a master smith from a famous guild craft a unique weapon for the winner.

Commissioning a smith to forge a unique weapon wasn’t cheap for most graduates, so it was basically a dream for ordinary academy students.

Typically the top one or two students won, but many upper-middle students still participated.

The reason was simple.

“Even if you can’t win, all the important people come to watch, so it’s a chance to make an impression… right?”

It was the last opportunity to appeal to the Hunter Guilds.

Even without winning, many guild scouts attended the event, so it was a chance to prove your worth beyond just grades.

“You never know. If you can parry an attack like that and show it off once, a guild might take notice.”

“…….”

“Let’s see if you can block it again next time.”

Tournament opponents are usually decided by draw.

Still, Hyeongju insisted they be matched against each other.

Considering Juhyeok’s grades, it was hard to imagine he’d string together consecutive wins in a tournament.

“Why? Do you really think I could go that far?”

“No? What can a guy ranked two hundred even do?”

Hyeongju twisted his face into a sneer.

“I just have a feeling that if you join, we’ll meet in the first round.”

Ridiculous.

Fifty or more students took part in the tournament.

The probability of them being paired against each other in the first round was extremely low.

‘He must be planning to rig it.’

Hyeongju was a member of the student council and his parents were heads of a famous Hunter Guild—coaxing a member of the event committee to arrange things would be easy for him.

If Hyeongju entered the tournament, he’d almost certainly fix the draw from the shadows.

He didn’t even bother to hide such a transparent ploy, which made a bitter laugh escape him.

“Cut it out.”

The instructor intervened, tired of watching.

He understood what Hyeongju was up to and stepped into the conversation—something he wouldn’t usually do.

“Whether he enters the tournament or not is for him to decide.”

“Instructor, I’m only suggesting it because it’s a pity to see the potential of someone my classmate’s caliber wasted.”

Hyeongju flashed a faux pleasant smile.

To anyone who knew his true intent, the expression was nauseating.

“Isn’t it a shame if someone who worked harder than anyone in our year ends up like this?”

“…….”

The instructor was silent for a moment and glanced at Juhyeok.

After all, aside from an unexplained week-long absence, Juhyeok had shown up at the training grounds every day since enrolling, dedicating himself to the routine without fail.

From an instructor’s point of view, it would be good if he drew even a little attention from guild scouts by participating in the tournament—yet with Hyeongju’s sly motive now on the table, the instructor couldn’t recommend Juhyeok join without hesitation.

‘If he goes in blindly, it’ll just look like his usual one-sided matches.’

The instructor admired Juhyeok’s resolve.

Every teacher at the academy had a soft spot for a student who, even without natural talent, consistently practiced to improve.

‘We can’t let that guy be disgraced at the event.’

There had been worries among the faculty when Juhyeok disappeared for a week after grades were released; some feared he’d finally broken.

Luckily, his presence on the training ground now suggested he’d overcome his discouragement and returned.

‘Not all his wounds will have healed yet, though.’

If a student like that got trounced at the tournament, he might truly give up the sword.

The instructor, who wanted to support him, thought first to calm Hyeongju down and steer things so Juhyeok wouldn’t enter the tournament—

“Ugh!”

Hyeongju was struck by something and flew, rolling on the ground.

The instructor, watching the scene, slowly turned as he noticed a sword slip out from between his side and fall.

“Couldn’t block, huh.”

A concise thrusting posture.

Hyeongju, dazed and still rolling, hadn’t been able to block.

Juhyeok muttered emotionlessly as he watched the man who had been facing him fly through the air.

“I thought maybe… but you really couldn’t block it.”

Everything fell into place then.

While the instructor had his back turned, someone had struck.

Hyeongju hadn’t even reacted to the sudden attack and the student standing right beside him hadn’t noticed it either.

‘I didn’t know?’

Even taken by surprise from behind, with that speed he should have easily blocked it with his eyes closed.

But not this time.

He heard the sound of air slicing past him only after the fact, and he failed to react.

Even the normally stone-faced instructor showed a visible reaction.

He was briefly stunned, then quickly assessed the situation and restrained Hyeongju.

“Juhyeok! What is the meaning of this?”

“…….”

Juhyeok’s cold eyes stared at the fallen opponent with no response.

Hyeongju—perfectly taken by surprise by that swift attack—initially showed only shock, then leapt to his feet and charged.

“You bastard!”

He grabbed his sword with the kind of rage that looked like it had found the face of a parent’s enemy and rushed in.

First his attack had been defeated, and then he’d been ambushed and thrown to the ground—of course he was blind with fury.

“I’ll kill you right here, tournament or not!”

His pride was shattered.

It seemed unlikely the anger would subside until Juhyeok was at least half-dead.

However, the instructor refused to allow things to escalate any further.

“Stop!”

Just as their swords were about to clash, the instructor quickly grabbed their wrists, twisted, and subdued them perfectly.

“If you cause any more trouble, I won’t let it slide.”

He had been caught off guard by an unexpected attack, but he wouldn’t stand by if they kept stirring up trouble.

His stern warning fell on them.

Hyeongju, his reason blurred by rage, hardly seemed to hear, but the instructor’s hold on his wrist wouldn’t let him move.

“He attacked first, didn’t he?!”

“So you intend to ignore my order and keep fighting because the other party attacked first? And I saw you strike first with my own eyes.”

“But—!”

“I won’t say it twice. Put your swords down.”

“…….”

Hyeongju’s eyes shifted between the instructor and Juhyeok.

He wanted nothing more than to tear the other apart, but the situation wouldn’t allow it.

As his reason gradually returned and he prepared to relax his grip on the sword—

“You care so much I can’t help but go.”

Juhyeok said to him, with an arrogance directed at the man facing him.

“I’ll enter the tournament.”

With that declaration, Juhyeok was the first to lower his sword.

He still glared angrily at Hyeongju and added,

“Set the stage however you want. I’ll play along.”

“…….”

Hands still held by the instructor, the two stood in a tight, tense circle as talk of the tournament hung in the air.

Hyeongju swallowed his fury and forced a grin.

“Fine. See you then.”

When he relaxed his grip, the restraint finally loosened.

Hyeongju kicked the wooden practice sword he’d dropped hard into a corner and stalked off.