Chapter 126 : Chapter 126

Chapter 126: Evan (3)

Yuria was flustered, not knowing what to do.

She looked at me with a gaze full of confusion and bewilderment and her expression was saying this.

‘Help me, senior!’

I smiled faintly and put down my longsword.

The moment Yuria appeared, the life-and-death struggle, no, the flow of the lecture was already broken.

It was hard to continue and I didn't know if I could fall back into that state of selflessness.

It's not something you can just continue shooting like a movie.

‘Also, I'm not sure if Yuria would be able to understand this lecture method.’

It seemed that explaining the situation to Yuria first was the priority.

Yuria, who had not only thrown money in the professor's face but also cursed at him, was still trembling pitifully and anxiously.

And so, as I was about to take a step.

“……Huh?”

For a moment, the strength in my legs gave out, and I ended up collapsing.

“Senior!”

Yuria rushed over in a hurry.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

I’m okay, but.

“What is this?”

The sensation in the soles of my feet and the nerves in my legs felt strange.

I had definitely put my foot on the ground, but it felt like I had stepped into empty air.

You know how when you're going down the stairs while doing something else, you sometimes don't realize the stairs have ended and misstep, startling yourself?

“It’s a backlash from entering the realm of the unconscious.”

At the voice from in front of me, I lifted my head, and Evan, who had taken off his armor, was standing behind Yuria.

“It takes a little time for the body, which was in an awakened state after entering the unconscious, to return to reality. The heightened senses return, and the contracted muscles gradually relax. It may feel awkward at first, but it will be fine soon. And……”

He turned his gaze to Yuria.

Yuria, who had been examining my condition until then, flinched at Evan's gaze.

Then she bit her lip once and bowed her head deeply.

“I’m sorry, Professor. What I said earlier was a slip of the tongue that stemmed from a misunderstanding.”

“……A misunderstanding?”

“Yes. Last weekend, I had a minor friction with someone wearing the same armor as you, Professor. I mistook you for that person. But whatever the reason, it’s a fact that I spoke rudely and cursed at you, Professor…… I will accept the punishment for my mistake.”

In any form, slander and insults toward a professor are grounds for strong disciplinary action.

Misunderstanding or not, the fact that the cadet Yuria told the professor Evan to get lost was a fact.

But the funny thing here is that it wasn't a complete misunderstanding.

“It was me.”

“……Pardon?”

Yuria lifts her head to look at Evan.

“The man in armor you said you met. That was me.”

Yuria tilting her head.

That sight was so funny that I finally burst out the laughter I had been holding back.

“S-senior!”

“Ah, sorry. I shouldn't laugh. The situation is just too funny.”

“What is it! What on earth is going on?”

I gave Yuria a rough explanation.

That the man in armor we met in Paragon turned out to be the 3rd-year dedicated professor, Evan, and that I had decided to receive a special lecture from him and had been receiving that special lecture until just now.

In the middle, she showed a reaction of incomprehension upon seeing my appearance, which was a mess of dust, sweat, and blood, but I was able to gloss it over by making up a suitable excuse.

In addition,“I think that's understandable. I have no intention of making an issue of it, so don't worry.”

The ever-cool Evan also just let Yuria's mistake slide.

“Anyway, Yuria. The lecture isn't over yet. I’m sorry, but you'll have to eat alone today.”

“What? Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“……Okay.”

Yuria, who answered weakly for some reason, disappeared out of the open lot with heavy steps.

I thought she would insist on waiting, but perhaps because of the things that had happened?

She surprisingly agreed easily.

As soon as Yuria left, Evan spoke first as if he had been waiting.

“Today’s lecture is over.”

A money pouch was in his hand.

It was the money pouch Yuria had thrown.

When did he pick it up?

I stared at it and asked, just in case.

“Do I have to pay the tuition fee?”

“……”

He stared at me silently, but Evan's expression was unmistakably certain, 'This guy is a thug'.

I'm not a thug, I'm a thief.

Anyway.

It's a bit embarrassing to be looked at so pathetically.

“Ahem! I was just asking, so don’t look at me like that. Just a moment.”

I took out a money pouch from my subspace.

This was also the bounty I received for catching Egor the Butcher.

Inside was my share of 3 gold, which was 300 shillings, or silver coins mixed with copper and silver, but I decided to just give it to him in the pouch.

Because his lecture was quite satisfactory.

Honestly, it was more than I expected.

To the point where it was hard to think of it as a simple spar.

“Here you go.”

Still, 3 gold for one lecture was a lot, so I was honestly expecting a surprised reaction, but to hell with that.

He opened the money pouch once and then tossed it into his subspace.

A reaction as if he had received the amount he was supposed to.

‘He's a bit of a jerk.’

After cursing him once inwardly, I asked.

“So what’s the content of the next lecture?”

“The same as today.”

Evan answers chicly, as if asking something obvious.

I've only seen him for a day, but I've got a rough idea of what this person's personality is like.

A real man, a cool guy.

There was no way a curriculum would exist for such a person.

The reason I'm looking forward to the next lecture despite that is probably because I learned a lot from today's spar.

Especially the strange pleasure and joy I felt in that state of selflessness is something I want to feel again right now.

So I was disappointed that it ended like this.

“When’s the next lecture?”

“Whenever you want.”

“Then how about this afternoon, after all the lectures are over.”

“No.”

“Do you have plans?”

“No. I'm clocking out.”

I thought he liked money the most, but it seems he values clocking out on time more than money.

His mindset is surprisingly MZ-like…… which is of course not the case.

‘There must be a reason.’

I didn't press him.

There will be plenty of time to get to know the person named Evan in the future.

***

Three more days passed since then.

We met every lunchtime and as we did, at first, I had come up with the idea of this special lecture because I was curious about the person named Evan, but now it felt like the 'lunch special lecture' had become the priority.

“When you cross swords, you can learn about that person. What kind of disposition they have, whether they are good or evil. Whether they have an impatient personality or a leisurely one.”

“……”

“Just as there are a hundred personalities for a hundred people, the same goes for the sword. No matter how much you learn the same swordsmanship in the same place and train for the same amount of time, the sword ultimately reflects the person, so even if there are a hundred identical swordsmen, their swords are all different.”

Evan's lunch special lectures weren't just about fighting every day; he also interspersed feedback after the spars, theoretical lessons on the state of selflessness, and his own philosophy and experiences in between.

“That just now was dangerous.”

“Just now? Ah. The time I almost got my thigh cut?”

“It would have been cut for sure.”

“But I blocked it.”

“Not getting into a crisis in the first place is the priority. Because those small crises gather to create a big one.”

He suddenly stood up and swung his sword at the empty air.

I wondered what it was, but it was a re-enactment of me in the crisis just before.

“It must be the 3rd form of the first half of the Royal Swordsmanship.”

“Yes. At that time, that was the best and most optimal choice.”

“But if you had tilted your sword slightly, you wouldn't have been in danger of having your leg cut. On the contrary, it's easier to turn the opponent's sword and switch to the offensive.”

“Oh.”

“Swordsmanship is merely a means to survival, not the result itself. Don't be bound by it.”

Time passed again to the Friday before the weekend.

Evan, who had finished the special lecture, suddenly looked at me and asked.

“What are you doing this weekend?”

I thought for a moment.

It seemed I would be going bounty hunting with Yuria this weekend as well.

Of course, there was a chance the cult would attack.

No.

Nine times out of ten, the cult would be waiting for me to leave the Academy.

But I wasn't particularly worried about this part.

I just had to not advertise 'we're going bounty hunting to this place!' like I did at the Public Security Headquarters last time.

I plan to go quietly by myself this afternoon and just get the wanted poster and come back.

Anyway.

When I answered that I would probably be going bounty hunting again like last week, Evan made an unexpected proposal.

“Go with you?”

Evan's head nods up and down.

“Why?”

“It's an extension of the lecture. A real battle is a situation where my lecture can be optimized.”

So, he was saying he was going to squeeze tuition fees out of me on the weekend too.

But well, there was no particular reason to refuse.

The main purpose of me going bounty hunting was for Yuria's growth anyway.

But if Evan came along and gave a lecture, I would be happy, not dislike it.

“Let's do that.”

“One more thing. I will choose the wanted criminal.”

This was also good for me.

I wouldn't have to go to the Capital Defense Headquarters and that way, our destination wouldn't be exposed to the cult at all.

The problem was Yuria.

‘Given Evan's personality, it's unlikely he'll choose nobody as a target…….’

I thought Yuria would be okay with it too.

If not, I'll just persuade her.

“Okay.”

“Tomorrow at eight. The station.”

And so, a strange companionship for bounty hunting began unexpectedly.

The next day, I left the Academy with Yuria and headed to the airship station.

“Senior. Who’s the wanted criminal we’re catching this time?”

Even though we had arrived at the station, I hadn't said anything about the target, so Yuria, thinking it was strange, asked.

“I don't know either.”

“……Pardon?”

Yuria looks at me with an expression that says, what does that mean?

But it's true.

In addition, I still hadn't told Yuria that Professor Evan would be joining us.

I didn't do it on purpose, I just forgot.

I was thinking about something else.

“You'll know when we get there.”

“Hmm. Okay.”

Yuria tilted her head but soon had a look of acceptance.

And we were able to meet Evan, who was waiting for us at the station.

The one who spotted him first was Yuria.

“……Huh? Senior. Over there.”

Yuria, who was looking around, nudged me and pointed her finger.

Evan was standing there, and as I approached him and greeted him warmly, Yuria's expression began to change strangely.

“You’re here early, Professor.”

“You’re here. Here, take this. It's an airship ticket to Iberito.”

“Iberito, that’s a city in the southern part of the empire.”

“800 shillings.”

Evan suddenly held out his hand.

When I looked at him with a 'what's this' expression, Evan answered dryly.

“Ticket price.”

I looked at him with an incredulous expression for a moment and then said.

“……I’ll pay you after the job is done, along with the tuition fee.”

“Don’t forget.”

I knew it, but he was even more crazy about money than I had expected.

It was then.

Yuria, who had been quiet, intervened.

“Wait a minute, senior. What's this situation?”

Yuria looks at Evan.

“Is this professor coming with us too? I mean……”

“It’s Evan. You. Don’t tell me you didn’t even tell her my name?”

At Evan's question, I nodded my head confidently.

“Yes. I just told her I was receiving a special lecture at lunch and didn't say more.”

“Why?”

“Hmm. It’s no good for too many people to know?”

The act of giving lectures for money outside of the official curriculum was a clear violation of the teaching authority and illegal.

Even if it was Yuria, a secret is easier to keep when fewer people know it.

And.

“Also, it’s fun, isn't it? It feels like a surprise event.”

“……”

“Or not.”

Evan looked at me with an indescribable expression and then turned around sharply.

“Let's go too, Yuria. It's almost time for departure.”

“So Professor Evan is coming with us, right?”

“Ah, yeah. Sorry for not telling you beforehand, but that's what happened.”

“Then our target this time is……”

“As I said before, I don't know either. Maybe he'll tell us once we're on the airship and in our cabin?”

And so, a bounty hunting party that seemed to have a screw loose somewhere boarded the airship to Iberito.

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