I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“It’s finally done! How awesome is this?”

Hanarin, placing her hands on her hips, wore a triumphant expression, her shoulders rising as if reaching the heavens.

From her demeanor alone, one might think a child was showing off a toy, but her work was always dependable.

“It’s fantastic.”

I lifted the scabbard made by Hanarin and examined it from various angles.

It featured a black base like the Hyunwolgum, with rough silver engravings carved into it.

Up close, it resembled the bark of an old tree, but from a distance, it looked like the scales of a dragon.

It was more like a work of art than just a scabbard.

Ignoring its practical performance, I figured it would sell for a considerable price based on appearance alone.

“Hehe, right? I worked so hard on this, so of course it should be this good! This part here is super important…”

With a proud smile, Hanarin began to explain her creation.

The technical details were half the explanation, so I didn’t quite understand, but I listened quietly.

“Now, put the sword in!”

After more than ten minutes, her explanation finally concluded.

It was finally time to check its performance.

I removed the Hyunwolgum from my waist, took the scabbard, and drew the sword.

I could clearly feel the power emanating from the Hyunwolgum itself.

At this rate, even if Kim Il-shin tried to hide his strength, he would inevitably attract attention.

To prevent that, I had asked Hanarin to make this scabbard.

‘I had a lot of worries about what to use, but I got lucky.’

The main material for this scabbard was the heart of the rock spirit I had dealt with last time.

Thanks to the abundant energy of the colossal spirit, it was perfect for concealing the power of the Hyunwolgum.

Focusing on the sword’s energy, I slowly inserted it into the scabbard.

It was a perfect fit for the sword’s size.

As I put the sword in, the overwhelming power of the Hyunwolgum diminished gradually.

With Kim Il-shin’s hand resting near the sword, this was just enough.

There was little chance anyone else could detect it.

“Perfect! Truly impressive.”

“Hmm! Easy peasy! Oh, and what are we having for dinner tonight?”

With a happy turn, Hanarin asked about the dinner menu.

Ever since our trip to Jangsan Cave, we had been having dinner together every day.

After sharing a meal that time, it somehow turned into a daily routine.

Having eaten alone for years, it felt a bit strange at first, but now it was nice without feeling lonely.

However, today seemed tough. I had work to do in the evening.

I couldn’t just let the Aztec cultists go without something.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen today.”

“Eh? Why…?”

Hanarin’s shoulders, which had been twitching, drooped down.

Her voice dripped with disappointment.

“I’ll treat you tomorrow instead!”

“Oh! Then I want beef!”

The moment she mentioned treating, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed when she named something expensive.

But now that I was financially stable, I could afford it.

A whopping 1.467 billion won. That was the amount earned from selling the byproducts of the rock spirit, excluding the heart.

This much was enough to see a good variety of goods at any grand marketplace.

“Alright. Find a restaurant in advance!”

“Got it!”

With Hanarin happily starting her search, I left the shop.

The exchange competition was about to begin.

*

Before the exchange competition started, all the participants gathered in the waiting room.

The atmosphere was lively with discussions, fostering camaraderie.

Thanks to the basic translation magic that was engraved in those born after the Great Rift, communication posed no problems.

Everyone there was talented individuals from prestigious families, so most had some level of familiarity.

“Oh! Long time no see, Hazuki! I heard you succeeded in your dungeon raid.”

“I heard Liam also reached the level he had long awaited. Congratulations.”

In the center of the room stood Endo Hazuki, a swordsman from Japan.

He was a figure said to be on par with Korea’s Baekhosan when it came to swordsmanship.

Having inherited the swordsmanship of Hazuki, he was a globally recognized promising talent.

“It’s a pity Bai Hayan isn’t here. I thought this would be a great opportunity to check each other’s skills.”

Since their first meeting in childhood, Hazuki had always thought of Bai Hayan as a rival.

He also had a goal of ending the ongoing debate about the showdown between Baekhosan and the sword master during his generation.

However, she could not attend this exchange. It was surprising.

“Right? I never imagined I wouldn’t run into her here.”

“Kim Il-shin… isn’t that the person who defeated Bai Hayan? I heard he single-handedly dealt with a rock spirit this time.”

And with that, the conversation shifted to Kim Il-shin.

As Hazuki casually mentioned recent information he had obtained, Liam waved his hand dismissively.

“Oh, I’ve long decided that information was incorrect.”

“Eh? Even if that is the case, it’s an official announcement.”

“Not everything in an official announcement can be believed. This was something we discovered; there was a person from the Fengxin Guild investigating the incident who had a connection with Kim Il-shin.”

Hazuki, still displaying disbelief, glanced at Liam, who refused to give up on persuading him.

“Kim Il-shin first gained notoriety for eliminating a cultivator with that hero. That alone makes it clear.”

Liam exuded confidence in his assertions.

He continued speaking as if he had some fundamental evidence.

“To be honest, it doesn’t make sense for a single swordsman to take down a rock spirit.”

“Well… that’s true.”

At first, Hazuki, who didn’t believe it, began to reconsider after hearing everything.

To vanquish a spirit, one needed the ability to twist the laws of the world.

Just possessing sheer power wouldn’t suffice.

But that idea lingered briefly.

Recalling the events of Baekhosan made Hazuki unable to shake her doubts.

“Then what about what Baekhosan said…? Didn’t he tell you to become his disciple?”

“Well, I can’t say much about that… I think he might have tried to elevate someone in a crucial match after his granddaughter lost.”

‘That doesn’t seem likely…’

Hazuki had seen Baekhosan up close.

The overwhelming aura she felt from him still remained vivid in her mind.

Thus, she couldn’t agree with Liam’s assumption that Baekhosan would act out of shame.

How could someone who transcends humanity harbor such emotions like a human?

‘I wish I were the opponent.’

There was no better way to gauge Kim Il-shin’s skills than to face him directly.

Once swords clashed, she could assess his capabilities to some degree.

Sadly, that opportunity had already passed.

Kim Il-shin had chosen someone else as his preferred duel partner instead of Hazuki.

‘Why would he choose someone named Oliver? He’s not even a swordsman and hardly known…’

As Hazuki was lost in thought, the door to the waiting room burst open, and Kim Il-shin walked in.

I recognized him immediately as I was familiar with his face.

Hazuki sensed his power instantly.

‘…Huh?’

But something felt off. The energy emanating from Kim Il-shin wasn’t as great as I had expected.

It was similar to an ordinary academy student, neither remarkable nor outstanding.

It was hard to believe the person who was recognized by the great hero Baekhosan and single-handedly defeated a rock spirit possessed such energy.

Confused, Hazuki looked over at Liam.

Liam shrugged, a look on his face that seemed to say, ‘I told you so.’

The possibility that Kim Il-shin was hiding his powers was nearly nonexistent.

If that were the case, there should be no energy felt, or it should have been very faint.

‘But that’s not it.’

However, the energy coming from Kim Il-shin felt far too natural for it to be affected by any kind of interference.

Every time his body moved and came into contact with objects, the flow of power shifted constantly.

It was something that couldn’t be artificially created.

The sword hanging at his hip didn’t feel anything particularly special.

It looked beautiful, but that was about it.

‘Could he have some other ability…?’

It might not just be pure swordsmanship.

If he could single-handedly defeat a rock spirit, that possibility couldn’t be completely ruled out either.

As that conclusion formed, a thought naturally surfaced.

‘What a pity…’

Kim Il-shin wasn’t a swordsman striving toward the pinnacle of his sword.

For Hazuki, who needed a partner to exchange techniques, it was simply disappointing.

Yet, she was curious about the abilities that allowed him to take down a rock spirit.

She hoped Kim Il-shin’s opponent would be able to bring out all of his capabilities.

*

And not long after, Hazuki realized all her thoughts were wrong.

Kim Il-shin was indeed a swordsman striving toward the pinnacle of his sword, and he was even far ahead of her.