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Chapter 127: If You Can't Win

Ethan closed his eyes and replayed his battle with the Sword Saint.

The newly formed swordsmanship, archery, and the new sword and bracelet he obtained.

The scattered frost and lightning.

‘Just once.’

Out of countless simulations, just once.

Realizing this, Ethan opened his eyes.

“I can win.”

A wry smile.

Ethan smirked.

Until now, the simulations showed Ethan having a 0 percent chance of beating the Sword Saint.

Impossible.

But now, those odds had increased.

‘Whether it’s 10 percent or 20 percent, it doesn’t matter.’

Even a 0.1 percent chance was significant.

‘Going from impossible to a low possibility of winning is meaningful in itself.’

Ethan immediately used Wind Cloud to return with Yerica.

He still had two swords at his waist, but they were different from before.

***

“Yuna, forgive me. But I’m still your father…”

“Shut your trap.”

Yuna Garnet trampled on the leader of the Garnet Merchant Guild, Cromwell.

Then she looked around.

“From now on, the management of the Garnet Merchant Guild will be handled by Lord Rokvar here!”

At Yuna’s declaration, the new Merchant Guild leader Rokvar, his subordinates, and the executives who had schemed to overthrow the Merchant Guild roared in approval.

A new era had begun.

“I will serve as an officer to fully assist Lord Rokvar.”

Though her title was officer, Yuna effectively had command over the Garnet Merchant Guild.

Yuna had learned the importance of trust through Ethan.

Of course, she didn’t blindly trust anyone.

It would be foolish to naively trust others in this cunning Merchant Guild if she wanted to survive.

“I’m counting on you, Lord Rokvar of the Merchant Guild.”

“Hahaha, with our Officer Yuna congratulating me like this, it really feels real now. Don’t worry and just focus on finishing your studies at the academy.”

Rokvar said.

“You don’t need to worry about the Merchant Guild. Everyone here is well aware of Officer Yuna’s abilities.”

The executives had seen Yuna’s true colors while working with her on this operation.

The daughter of a Merchant Guild leader.

They had thought she was just privileged from birth and spoiled. Talented, but only by birthright.

But they were wrong.

Yuna was born to rule from the very beginning. She had exceptional talent, especially in managing a massive Merchant Guild like Garnet.

Quick decision-making and judgment.

The Cromwell Merchant Guild leader was no pushover, yet he was swiftly crushed before Yuna like a leaf in the wind.

She only gave him the slightest opening.

But she exploited that opening to utterly destroy him.

They had all witnessed it firsthand.

There was no denying Yuna’s ability.

“I believe you’ll lead us well.”

Yuna was certainly smiling.

But for some reason, it sent chills down their spines.

“I won’t give you any cause for worry.”

***

“Wow, what on earth happened while I was gone?”

In Ethan’s office.

Ethan, along with the drenched-in-sweat Mason and Ron, were present.

The two students looked utterly exhausted from their intense training. Before them stood Ethan, his cold gaze fixed on the students.

“What happened to you two?”

Yuna hadn’t been gone for very long.

Even while handling the Garnet Merchant Guild situation, she had been receiving reports on the academy’s affairs.

Thanks to that, she had heard about Mason and Ron defeating Max Jurod and Slos Pallo to claim the representative position of the Swordsmanship Department.

So Yuna had brought a delicious cake to celebrate.

“A lot happened.”

In that short period, Ethan had brought about many changes.

“I heard new teachers don’t usually get offices.”

Yuna was surprised again by the spacious office.

“And even if they do get an office, it’s not usually this big.”

“The Principal made an exception for me. Since I teach multiple classes, having an office makes it easier for students to come talk to me about what they need.”

Thinking about it, it made sense.

Ethan had achieved countless accomplishments at the academy, even before the semester had ended. On top of that, he would now be teaching three classes.

For someone like Ethan, such formalities weren’t that important.

Yuna turned to look at the completely transformed Mason and Ron. They had lost a significant amount of weight. Like sharpened blades ready to be drawn.

“Now that all three of you are here, let me explain properly. You won’t be able to win the upcoming interdepartmental exchange.”

“…Huh?”

Yuna asked in bewilderment.

Mason and Ron were equally stunned. Until now, Ethan had never lied.

If he said something was possible, it was possible. If it was impossible, he said so.

And now Ethan was saying they couldn’t win.

Ethan calmly explained.

“You all know that the interdepartmental exchange isn’t just settled through one-on-one battles, right?”

“Yes, we know. Due to the traits of each department, mages are at a disadvantage in close combat, so one-on-one battles would favor swordsmen.”

In direct clashes, mages were at a clear disadvantage.

By nature, swordsmen specialized in close-quarters combat, while mages excelled at long-range. So in one-on-one battles between swordsmen and mages, the swordsmen would have a significant advantage.

That’s why the interdepartmental exchange didn’t determine the winner solely through one-on-one battles.

“The swordsmen demonstrate their swordsmanship, and the mages demonstrate their magic. They showcase their respective talents to be evaluated.”

It wasn’t an interdepartmental battle, but an interdepartmental exchange.

An exchange meant displaying one’s strengths while fostering camaraderie and pushing each other to improve.

So unlike the previous tournament to select departmental representatives, the interdepartmental exchange didn’t decide a winner through one-on-one battles.

The Swordsmanship Department would showcase their swordsmanship, and the Magic Department would showcase their magic.

They would each demonstrate their skills to be evaluated – that was the interdepartmental exchange.

‘So the evaluator is crucial in the interdepartmental exchange.’

If there were multiple evaluators, their assessments would inevitably differ.

‘Swordsmen only know swordsmanship, and mages only know magic.’

The evaluator needed to be a master of both fields.

But there were very few people on the continent who had reached the master level in both swordsmanship and magic.

“The Principal invited an expert as an evaluator proficient in both swordsmanship and magic.”

Being proficient in both, they could accurately assess their levels.

“It’s Master Jeryd, the Sky Swordmage.”

“!”

“The Sky Swordmage themselves will be evaluating?”

Mason and Yuna’s expressions changed.

Ron wasn’t too familiar with the so-called Sky Swordmage. All he knew were famous figures like the Sword Saint.

The Sky Swordmage was a renowned swordmage of the Holy Empire, nicknamed such because their swordsmanship evoked the image of a blue sky.

They were a generation below the Sword Saint but counted among the top three strongest swordmages who wielded both swords and magic.

Inviting the Sky Swordmage as an evaluator could be seen as overkill for the interdepartmental exchange.

But they were the most suitable person to judge and score them.

‘It must be thanks to the Principal’s connections.’

“That’s why I’m telling you. You absolutely cannot win the exchange.”

Mason and Yuna gritted their teeth at Ethan’s definitive statement.

Ron, brimming with confidence after defeating Slos Pallo, also felt his pride severely wounded.

“We can do it, Teacher. As you saw in the representative selection, if you guide us…”

Ethan shook his head at Ron’s words.

“Then did you help us win the representative selection just so we could lose the exchange?”

Mason asked. Ron also wondered why Ethan had helped them win if they were destined to lose the exchange.

“You cannot win. Because of one person.”

“If you’re talking about one person…”

“Roanna du Prochet.”

They all froze at Ethan’s words.

“Roanna is an exceptional student. Her skills already surpass her teacher, Duty. If the Sky Swordmage themselves evaluates, you won’t be able to beat Roanna.”

Ethan then made eye contact with each of the three students.

“Even if all three of you faced Roanna together in battle, you wouldn’t be able to win.”

“Even in battle?”

Mason asked in astonishment.

Ethan wouldn’t joke about something like this. So it meant Roanna was significantly stronger than all three of them combined.

Unbelievable that they would lose even in a battle favoring swordsmen.

Just how powerful was Roanna?

“You’ve all grown quickly by following my teachings well. But Roanna is different. I realized it when I briefly taught her a while ago.”

“You taught her?”

Yuna’s eyes widened.

“In the Potion Manufacturing class. There was a long story behind it. But I saw her abilities then. The Roanna I saw far surpassed your current levels.”

Of course, Ethan had known about Roanna even before that.

He had simply realized her talents more clearly after meeting her in person.

“Then… is it already over?”

Yuna asked with a dejected expression. She regretted leaving her post. She should have worked harder during the representative selection tournament.

If this was the case, what was the point?

She had wanted to win the interdepartmental exchange and represent the academy at other academies.

Of course, even if they weren’t representatives, they would still go together.

But the representatives had special privileges they wouldn’t have access to.

“It’s not a guaranteed loss, but it won’t be easy.”

The three deflated students refocused on Ethan’s words.

“There’s a saying: If you can’t beat them, join them. If you can’t beat Roanna, bring her to our side.”

“…Huh!?”

“And that’s already in progress.”

Sometimes, the direct approach isn’t the only solution.

***

“What do you mean by that, Roanna?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but my condition is so poor that I don’t think I can participate in this interdepartmental exchange.”

“But the Sky Swordmage themselves is coming as an evaluator! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! To miss the chance to be evaluated directly by the Sky Swordmage themselves? And this time, our victory is assured! It’s not Teacher Claudie, but Teacher Ethan representing the Swordsmanship Department! He’s just a new teacher! He’s skilled for a newcomer, but you guys in your golden age should be able to…”

At Duty’s words belittling Ethan, Roanna’s brow twitched, but she quickly composed herself.

“I’m sorry, Teacher. But the interdepartmental exchange isn’t over after this. The two senior students can participate with you. They’re both highly skilled, so you should be able to win.”

“Are you really in that poor condition?”

Roanna nodded at Duty’s question.

It wasn’t a lie.

Ever since receiving the brüle technique from Ethan, her heart had been constantly racing, making daily life difficult.

“Huuu, I see. Alright then. But making such a sudden student swap will incur penalties. We might even end up losing.”

Duty said, blatantly shifting the blame.

But Roanna didn’t seem bothered.

The interdepartmental exchange wasn’t that important to her. They had won last year and participated in the academy exchange anyway.

The Nathan Whiskers she met there was a formidable mage, but Roanna was now solely focused on the brüle.

Ethan’s brüle.

It was truly a charming magical technique.

“We’ll just have to accept losing.”

So Roanna simply shrugged. Next semester, she would become Ethan’s Potion Manufacturing teaching assistant and attend his classes to her heart’s content.

No need to struggle with course registration.

Knowing her spot was secured brought Roanna a sense of stability.

Grunt.

Roanna’s nonchalant attitude despite his words slightly angered Duty, but he took a deep breath to calm down.

“Get well soon, Roanna. You’re the hope of the Magic Department.”

“Thank you, Teacher.”

Even as she responded, Roanna’s mind was solely occupied by the brüle. With this, her position as Ethan’s teaching assistant was confirmed.

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