BIAC 04

Chapter 4

The next day.

I was about to pay the price for realizing, belatedly, the difference between the “game” and “reality.”

“Good morning, sir.”

“….”

Ignored.

“Good morning again.”

“Ahem.”

Completely dismissed.

From morning until noon, every instructor I met chewed up my greetings and spat them out with absolute precision.

At first, I thought I had made some mistake.

Then I realized—they were all from noble families. That explained everything.

‘Ah… their minds are twisted properly.’

A mere commoner had dared to refuse the request of a princess.

Even when granted the opportunity as a favor, I had the audacity to reject it.

The thought of such a “lowly” person refusing the favor of a royal—how unbearable! That must have been the sentiment of these instructors.

It wasn’t unexpected. This exact situation had happened in The Empire Needs a Hero!

But experiencing it with my body, directly—completely different.

“And accepting it would be a problem too.”

A commoner personally instructing a princess… Once the others found out, they would go completely mad. They’d grumble, “How dare a lowborn touch Her Highness!” or “That’s my place! Not his!”

No need to see it—they’d be a hundred percent enraged.

Suppressing my irritation, I headed to the training grounds.

Yesterday, in the chaos, I hadn’t had a chance to observe closely.

I wondered how the characters I knew from the game would appear in real life.

Would they be identical? Or slightly different?

Clang—clang!

The sound of metal meeting metal reached me first as I approached the training grounds.

A little closer, and I could see students sparring fiercely.

“Hyahhh!”

“Idiot! Just shouting doesn’t win fights!”

“Spirit is the foundation of all offense and defense! You’re reckless!”

Tough students charging recklessly. Experienced students dodging deftly.

Those who had chosen the path of fighting demons.

Those prepared to face death at any moment.

Whether they returned heroes or corpses, all would bear responsibility for their fate.

Every weapon was real. Cuts would bleed; stabs would pierce.

Yet, none hesitated.

On the contrary, they clashed with even greater intensity, testing each other’s limits.

“Hmm.”

I sat on a bench, observing.

The weaknesses were immediately apparent.

The aggressive boy lacked flexibility. The skilled opponent distributed strength at critical moments.

Neither would last long against real demons.

The skilled one might survive five minutes longer—maybe.

‘This shouldn’t be happening like that.’

A faint chuckle escaped me.

Even without prior exposure to such combat, I could calmly evaluate it.

Interest outweighed fear. Contempt outweighed concern.

I realized just how battle-hardened this body was, how many violent hells it had survived.

“Good morning, Instructor.”

A student smiled at me. The first to approach voluntarily.

I returned the smile.

‘Wait… there’s something familiar about him.’

I studied him closer.

[Character Profile: Student]

• Name: Erich  Lanstat (B-rank)

• Traits: Unyielding will, naturally skilled swordsman, righteous, lucky genius

• Growth Potential: Extremely promising

One of the must-level-up “rights” in The Empire Needs a Hero!

Frequently recommended on strategy forums.

I hadn’t cared much, leaving him untouched, yet even as a student, he was already B-rank.

“Erich.”

Fortunately, every student wore a name tag. No need to awkwardly explain how I knew his name.

“You came to observe the sparring too, I see.”

“Yes… that’s right.”

“If you don’t mind my asking… which side do you think will win?”

Which side would win? Obvious.

Without hesitation, I pointed.

“That one.”

The aggressive, macho-style student.

“X, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“I was leaning toward Dyke,” Erich admitted.

“Dyke is handling the match more smoothly, right?”

Erich nodded.

“Normally, that would be correct. But X has a hidden trick.”

Bang!

The moment I finished speaking, the outcome was decided.

The aggressive boy suddenly surged, disarming his opponent.

Cheering erupted from the spectators. I looked at Erich to confirm my point.

“Impressive. I still have a lot to learn.”

Don’t rush. You were already the “first lottery winner” before even trying.

“Your fame precedes you, Instructor. They say you performed marvelously in battle.”

Erich had taken a seat beside me, praising my reputation.

“Fighting Ulankai Baatar, one of the Demon King’s Eight Lieutenants, with only an axe—it’s astonishing.”

“Was the report exaggerated? I think not. The Empire’s military isn’t foolish enough to fabricate such things.”

“But do you really fight with only an axe? Why not sword or spear?”

“Ah… I trained in axe combat after hearing your story. Hahaha!”

Erich, a B-rank student, was both skilled and sincere in character. Even a commoner instructor earned his respect.

“Sorry, I may have gone on too long.”

“No, it’s good. Few recognize the struggles of this body.”

“Um…”

Erich hesitated, clearly holding back.

“Do you have something else to say?” I asked.

“Pardon me, Instructor Deus,” he said, standing.

He bowed deeply, as if guilty of a major crime.

“Would you spar with me, just once?”

“Spar with me?”

“Yes. I want to see. To experience it. I’m just a student who doesn’t know the first thing about battle. One day I’ll be on the front lines, and I need to learn from someone who has.”

I couldn’t help but exhale.

Erich’s eloquence, even as a male student, was remarkable.

“Very well. Erich. If you insist, I’ll indulge you once.”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

Bow after bow, gratitude pouring out.

“Shall we?”

“Yes, Instructor!”

As we moved to the center of the training ground, other students gathered.

The fight was as entertaining as watching fireworks. Especially a spar between Erich, a promising student, and me, a newly appointed instructor.

“If you didn’t bring an axe…”

“This will suffice.”

I split a nearby wooden training sword in half. A makeshift but adequate weapon.

“Don’t be surprised if I use real combat technique, Erich.”

“I understand. This way, I can endure a little longer against you.”

He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and proclaimed loudly:

“Imperial Military Academy! Theresia Academy cadet, Erich Lanstat!”

I mirrored him:

“Imperial Military Academy. Theresia Academy Instructor, Deus. I hereby request an honorable sparring match.”

Noble students often face the question:

“Who do you respect the most?”

Erich always answered without hesitation:

“Deus. Imperial Army.”

A commoner. A war hero. A slaughterer of demons. A savior on countless battlefields.

And now, he would witness the full measure of that man.

“Huff…”

Erich staggered backward, gripping his sword.

Even without doing anything, I stood like an immovable wall.

Every step, every breath, perfectly measured.

‘There’s no gap to exploit.’

I pressed forward, weapon in hand. Distance was my only advantage.

Then—

‘Huh?’

I had made no mistakes, yet Deus crossed into my space with impossibly precise timing.

‘Block it!’

I tried to defend, but his movements were faster.

The wooden sword was barely half the size of his true weapon.

At the last moment, Deus extended his grip, striking squarely into Erich’s chest.

“Ugh!”

A pain like my lungs being ripped apart shot through me.

Defeat was inevitable. Yet strangely… relief.

‘As expected. I am not respecting a fool.’

Erich fell to the ground, a bright smile betraying awe and admiration.