I Possessed the Heroine’s Teacher

First of all, I was told there was an arena in the capital. It wasn’t some pathetic place where people fight over trivial disagreements from the corner of their rooms. Of course, it wasn’t a place where they bring in slaves and make them fight lions barehanded either.

It was a place where professionally trained gladiators fought, with regulations on the equipment depending on the rules of each match, and it was strict enough that if you killed a surrendered opponent, you would permanently lose your gladiator status. Of course, it was only for those who voluntarily participated in the gladiatorial matches.

However, there were no professional gladiators in the waiting room of the arena today.

The strong smell of disinfectant from the recently cleaned floor, but still a faint lingering scent of blood, and the metallic smell of the many weapons that were originally kept there… It was all very familiar. How many years had passed since I graduated from that facility? It was back in elementary school, so time had flown by quickly.

‘Damn, it was fast and that’s the problem…’

These shitty smells made me remember my old friends, and I wasn’t in a good mood. Hoon’s ass had made me feel like shit, so I was thinking about either making that bastard’s face look like shit or crippling him completely.

“…ㅡㅇㄴㅁ…. Master!”

Iris suddenly poked my cheek.

“Ah… Sorry, what’s wrong, Iris?”

“Why do you look so grim since earlier? You’ve been mumbling ‘200’ over and over…?”

Damn, that bad habit of mine is coming out again. I thought it had gotten a bit better recently, but ever since I saw that shitty sight in the sewer, my symptoms had gotten worse again. I thought I’d buried it for a long time… But those black round table assholes, and Hoon’s bastard… It’s making me want to kill them all.

“Sorry… I guess I’ve become a little on edge lately…”

“Recently, you’ve even been muttering that number like a sleep talker while you sleep. What’s that about?”

Looking at Iris’s face, I kept recalling that memory. I was just going to make up something to brush it off.

“I was trying to express how cute your face is with numbers… Is that enough?”

“Ha~ That’s such an obvious lie.”

Damn, she’s quick to catch on…

“Then you should’ve said something like 100 million or 1 trillion.”

“Ah… I see.”

I was at a loss for words and just gave a vague response. But on Iris’s shoulder, there was a crow sitting. Is she Odin or something?

Should I mention it and scream, “Damn, what the hell is this!”?

“By the way, when did you start raising that crow on your shoulder?”

Iris briefly glanced at the crow on her shoulder. She looked surprised, then swore and chased the crow away.

“Ah, this guy…? I started raising it recently… It’s really smart and sticks to my shoulder like this.”

“Well, Glacies also raises a bird, so… Is raising birds a trend for women lately?”

But since Glacies’s bird, Sugar, had been raised for quite a while, I guess it wasn’t part of some trend.

“By the way, Master! I bought the item you asked for!”

Iris had brought the sword I had asked for. It was the one I was going to use in the upcoming sword duel with Hoon’s bastard.

“Thanks for the hard work.”

“I had the blacksmith modify the sword I already had… But do you think that kind of sword will really work in a sword fight?”

“It’s more than enough for dealing with a kid who doesn’t even know the basics of swordsmanship.”

I brushed off the dust on my pants and stood up. It was almost time to enter the arena.

“Well, since you’re the master, you’ll definitely win, right? So, I won’t say some cliché thing like, ‘Please win and come back!’ Just don’t get hurt.”

“…Yeah.”

As we walked down the corridor, Glacies, who had been leaning against the wall, greeted me with a bow. It was like she was some captured heroine, or maybe I should call her an odd bugged heroine instead.

“Please take care of yourself, Werner-sama.”

“Heh, looks like no one is wishing me victory.”

“Did you think I’m such a foolish woman that I’d say something like that for a match where the result is obvious?”

“Haha… Well then, watch from the stands. I’ll clean up that bug bothering Glacies for you.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

We passed through a dark corridor and headed to the arena, where the noon sunlight shone down. The weather was neither hot nor cold, with mild sunlight and a cool breeze… It was perfect weather for taking a nap at home, but Hoon’s bastard ruined everything.

I noticed that the women, including Glacies, who had come to cheer for me, were sitting in special seats, watching us. The Crown Prince was there, and even the Crown Princess, who supposedly hates going out, was attending, so it seemed like quite a big entertainment event.

Hoon’s bastard pointed at me and shouted.

“Today, I’ll defeat you and give Glacies-chan her freedom!”

Wow… From far away, I could see Glacies-chan’s expression visibly souring in real time, and Iris was teasing her about it, only to get smacked… Oh, they’re fighting again… And the crow over there seems to be pecking at something while watching, but I guess that’s just my imagination.

“If I win today, I’ll make sure that you never bother Glacies-chan again…”

“Shut up.”

I don’t understand why that bastard is interfering while I’m here to watch a fight in the arena. Oh, I’m not an audience member, am I?

A man who appeared to be the announcer shouted loudly.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for waiting!!! We’ll now begin the match that brought you all here today!!!”

A roar like thunder erupted from the crowd. And Hoon waved his hands around, greeting them. Was he really that popular?

“First, as everyone knows, let me introduce the contestants!!! Don’t be angry for me explaining what you already know! That’s my job!!!”

The crowd laughed all together. Damn, is that really funny?

“First, the challenger! A mysterious figure from a place known as Japan on Earth! A rising star who recently shocked the Adventurers’ Guild!!! Akahara Masato!!!”

The cheers were quite loud, so it seemed he was a fairly famous figure. Well, unless you’re quite a celebrity, it would be hard to come to the Crown Prince and start talking nonsense.

“And next!!! A hero who defeated the demons that threatened the empire and a great magician who developed numerous spells!!!! The number one man that the Tower Masters would love to have as a son-in-law!!! Werner Alton!!!”

This time, the cheers were so loud it seemed disrespectful to even compare them. I could truly feel that Werner was being treated like a hero. It was like seeing a national hero showing up at a fight club in real life.

“Kid, with that cheer and that attitude… In many ways, I’m bigger than you, so how about giving up now?”

From the start, the difference in experience was huge, so it was more of a suggestion to quit.

“Shut up! From now on, I’ll throw you into the pit of despair!”

Hoon drew his sword from his waist. At first, I thought it was a sword similar to the one Camellia used. But sure enough, the shape was exactly the same as a katana. The only difference was that the blade was black.

“I asked a blacksmith I know to finish this black steel katana just before the match! Its name is Yodo ‘Kurokami’!!!”

Literally, it would mean “Black Paper”…?

“Ha, I’ll be talking until the sun sets at this rate. Do you fight with words back in your hometown?”

“I’ll show you Akahara family’s vision of swordsmanship. Our family has inherited martial arts.”

“Oh, then I’ll take out my weapon as well.”

I took out a small knife from my coat. The blade was about 15 cm long. The weight was… not 6 kg, but probably around 500 grams? The handle felt quite good in my hand, and the blade had a nice coating, so it seemed like a pretty high-end knife. It seemed like Iris must have an eye for these things.

“Are you kidding me?! You brought a knife like that, not even a sword, for a sword fight! You’re looking down on me!”

“Just like how your family’s vision of swordsmanship has been passed down, this is my swordsmanship.”

That shitty swordsmanship I learned in that disgusting facility, with the smell of blood in the air… It was a different level compared to the practice sword fighting with his dad or grandfather.

“Tch! Don’t regret this!”

“Then… I’ll begin the first match of the sword fight! As you all know, the rules are simple: if you step outside the arena, you lose by disqualification! The first person to surrender or faint loses! And if you kill your opponent after they surrender, you will be punished!”

With those words, a bell rang, signaling the start of the match. I held the knife in a reverse grip and slowly walked toward him. Not taking a stance was a kind of threat.

Hoon shouted and ran at me with his sword raised.

“You’re really stupid.”

To come this close while holding a sword… Well, I guess charging forward was the only thing he had ever been taught.

I struck his hand with the end of my knife handle.

“Ugh!”

He couldn’t even swing his sword before dropping “Kurokami” or whatever it was, and I kicked the sword far away.

“If reach is your advantage, you should fight from a distance, you idiot.”

I gripped the knife properly again and pressed it against his neck.

“This is cowardly…”

“Did I use poison? Or throw sand in your face? I overpowered you in a fair sword fight.”

“Ugh… I surrender this time. But don’t get too cocky! In the next bare-handed fight, I’ll show you the Akahara family’s unique martial arts!”

What an idiot.