CHAPTER 2

“As you all know well by this point, Rose Valencia is the sole successor of the famous secret school of swordcraft, the Cherry Blossom Blade Style! On the other side of the stage, we have Allen…who is, believe it or not, a self-taught swordsman!”

She paused for a beat after introducing our styles, then continued:

“But I can say this with confidence! There is no longer anyone here who will make light of Allen’s self-taught style!”

Just as the announcer had said, the ridicule had stopped immediately after I defeated Bobble. My image seemed to have flipped entirely. I’d even go so far as to say that it felt like everyone here respected me.

Many swordsmen had come up to me asking for a handshake, and some even requested that I take them on as a student. I granted the handshakes but rejected all applications to be my pupil. I was still young and inexperienced, so I had no business teaching anyone.

When the match was finally about to begin, I gave my usual bow.

“Good luck,” I said politely.

“Good luck to you as well,” she responded with a voice as clear as a bell.

“Are you both ready? The championship match starts…now!”

After we’d shared our pleasantries, the announcer declared the start of the match.

Rose and I quickly drew our weapons, with us both adopting the middle stance. We spent some time staring each other down.

Judging by her matches in this tournament, her fighting style is based on countering.

She used her sword defensively to stave off her opponent’s strikes and look for a window to deliver a knockout blow. I knew it would be a bad idea to attack her recklessly without a plan.

First, I’ll use Flying Shadow and see what she does.

I decided on my first move. However…

“Hwuh?!”

…Rose was suddenly right under my nose.

Did she know what I was going to do?!

She had closed the distance without making a sound in the split second it took me to draw a breath and blink.

“Cherry Blossom Blade Style—Sakura Flash!”

Lowering her center of gravity, she stabbed her sword at me with all her weight. But I wasn’t so weak-minded that I would let myself fall apart from a surprise approach.

“Hah!”

Her thrust was aimed for my torso, and I matched it with a thrust at the exact same angle. This resulted in the tips of our swords colliding exactly, bringing them both to a halt.

“What the?!”

I doubted she ever could have imagined someone would counter a thrust with a thrust. She opened her eyes wide in shock, giving me a small window to attack.

I took one quick step forward to draw within a foot of her.

“Tch!”

“?!”

My perfectly timed attack only grazed her side.

She’s faster than I thought…

Despite her late reaction, she managed to twist around to avoid a direct blow. She clearly had excellent control of her body, and her reflexes were incredibly fast.

“We’re just getting started!” she yelled.

Wincing from pain, she quickly unleashed a counterattack.

“Cherry Blossom Blade Style—Night Sakura!”

Our swords clashed again and again with great force for some time.

The venue had gotten so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. There weren’t any cheers or heckles. The spectators watched with their eyes glued to the match, save for the occasional comment.

“Good lord, he’s making the Bounty Hunter look like a child…?!”

“He’s unbelievable… I might ask him again to let me be his pupil.”

“You idiot, Master Allen doesn’t have time to waste on the likes of you.”

The longer we fought, the more injuries I inflicted on Rose’s body.

“Haaah…haaah… Who the hell…taught you to fight?!”

“I, uh…I’m really self-taught…”

Being self-taught was nothing to brag about. I really didn’t want to keep repeating it.

“Don’t lie to me! Your sword clearly carries generations of diligent experimentation and study!” she declared, piercing me with her glare.

Sh-she’s really perceptive…

Rose was right—my sword was imbued with over one billion years of training. But there was no way I could tell her that.

“It’s, uh…probably just your imagination,” I responded, averting my eyes. I didn’t really want to bring up the 100-Million-Year Button. There was no way anyone would believe something as absurd as that.

“You’re intent on playing dumb, I see…”

She looked irritated by my answer.

“As the sole inheritor of the Cherry Blossom Blade Style, I will win this match!”

Rose pointed her sword toward me, the air around her clearly changing as she did so. She looked as sharp as a drawn sword and beautiful enough to take one’s breath away.

It was as if she herself had transformed into a blade.

“Let’s do this, Allen Rodol!” she shouted.

“Give me your best shot…!” I responded.

She dashed toward me with incredible speed.

“Cherry Blossom Blade Secret Technique—Mirror Sakura Slash!”

She unleashed a blitz of eight attacks, four from the left and four from the right, each one seeming to mirror the last.

Huh?!

I was captivated for a moment by the elegance of her attack, which was reminiscent of a blizzard of cherry blossoms.

As her furious slashes drew near, I realized something. This move was not one attack, but rather a chain of eight separate attacks—there was a minuscule gap between each slash of her sword.

Once I had confirmed that, I faced her and loosed an attack of my own.

“Eighth Style—Eight-Span Crow!”

I performed eight slash attacks with one swing of my sword. There was no gap at all between each slash, making it a genuine eight-slash strike.

Despite beginning my attack a moment after hers, my Eight-Span Crow skill easily overpowered her Mirror Sakura Slash.

“I-impossible!”

With the failure of her secret technique, Rose was left completely defenseless.

“You’re finished.”

Not letting the opportunity go to waste, I struck her quickly with a downward diagonal slash.

“Gah…”

She dropped to her knees and collapsed face forward.

The venue went dead silent until the announcer loudly declared the winner.

“W-we have a winner! Allen Roooooodol!”

The crowd roared with deafening applause.

I was decorated as the champion of the Sword Fighting Festival and granted the hefty prize money of one hundred thousand guld.

Two days had passed since the Sword Fighting Festival.

I was swinging my sword in the schoolyard as per usual when an announcement was broadcast throughout the academy.

“Allen Rodol of Class 3-B, please come to the principal’s office right away. Allen Rodol of Class 3-B…”

I had a bad feeling about this.

I wonder if this is about those rumors.

There were totally unfounded rumors going around that I had used a concealed weapon or some other kind of cowardly trick to win my duel against Dodriel. I obviously hadn’t done anything untoward, but the academy had always wanted to get rid of me. I didn’t think they would care if it were the truth or not.

The academy may have received some pressure from Dodriel’s family. House Barton was a barony, after all.

They’re probably going to expel me this time…

I let out a big sigh and started to head for the principal’s office.

No, I shouldn’t think about it that way. My grades are already the worst in the academy by far. It was only a matter of time before I got driven out due to poor performance anyway.

Even if my duel with Dodriel hadn’t happened, I probably would’ve been expelled sooner or later.

At least I was able to get a little stronger with the help of the 100-Million-Year Button.

If I was strong enough to win the Sword Fighting Festival, I could probably get hired by the region’s organization of holy knights.

Working as a holy knight would give me a steady monthly salary. In turn, I would be able to give Mom an easy life to pay her back for all the hard work she’d done for me.

That’s definitely an option…

Lost in thought, I arrived at the principal’s office before I knew it.

I knocked on the slightly imposing door, and it swung open immediately.

“Hey, Allen! We’ve been waiting for you!” exclaimed the vice-principal, cheerily clapping me on the shoulders.

The vice-principal is here, too…

There was no doubt about it now. The day of my expulsion had finally arrived.

“What are we doing standing around? Come on in!”

“…Yes, sir.”

The vice-principal led me into the room, where I was greeted by the equally cheerful principal.

“Allen, my boy! I’m glad you came! Please sit down. Would you like some sweets? You can have as many as you like!” he insisted.

“Th-thank you…?”

For some reason, they were both in an excellent mood.

They typically avoid me like the plague. What’s going on here?

The confusion on my face must have been evident.

“The reason we’ve called you here is because you’ve received a scholarship from an academy!” he announced excitedly.

“A…scholarship?”

“Yes! From one of the prestigious Elite Five Academies—Thousand Blade Academy!”

Even I had heard of Thousand Blade Academy. It was such a famous establishment that I doubted there were any swordfighters who hadn’t.

There were four levels of swordcraft academies—elementary school, middle school, high school, and university. Grand Swordcraft Academy was a middle school attended by students from ages thirteen to fifteen. Thousand Blade Academy was a high school that instructed students from ages sixteen to eighteen.

“Producing a student who moved on to one of the Elite Five Academies is an incredible accomplishment for a rural academy like ours!”

“I don’t know why they asked for you, Allen, but I don’t care if it was a mistake or not! This will be huge for Grand Swordcraft Academy!”

They were both beside themselves with excitement.

“Well done, Allen!”

“This is the excellence I expect from our students! You’ve really made us proud!”

“H-huh…”

As they tightly gripped my hands and shoulders, I could only muster a half-hearted reply.

“I’ve always thought if anyone could achieve this, it would be you. From the very beginning, I expected only the best from you!”

“Oh yeah! We should have you present the graduates with a formal address! You’ll be named top of the class, of course!”

They continued to heap on the praise.

I watched them both coldly.

They always blatantly ignored the bullying I suffered… Then I receive a scholarship offer from Thousand Blade Academy, and they immediately start treating me like a superstar.

It seemed like they wanted to get me to accept that offer, no matter what it took.

I was sure it would give Grand Swordcraft Academy some prestige.

But whether or not I should take this scholarship was not a decision I could make on my own.

“Sorry, but can I have some time to think about it?” I asked.

“Wh-what could you possibly have to think about?”

“Do you mean to reject their offer?!”

They both leaned toward me with shock on their faces.

“I could go to Thousand Blade Academy, but I might want to get a job as a holy knight or a spellblade instead. I am honestly unable to decide right now.”

This was a very important choice that would significantly affect the rest of my life.

“I need to return to my hometown and talk to my mom first. I can’t give you an answer right away.”

I figured it would be a good idea to talk to Mom at length before deciding my future.

“D-do you know what you’re saying?! You can’t seriously mean to waste a chance to attend the famous Thousand Blade Academy?!”

“You can easily become a high-ranking holy knight if you graduate from one of the Elite Five Academies! A successful career would be all but guaranteed!”

“…I’m sorry. I can’t decide right now.”

They continued to pester me for some time to get me to commit to Thousand Blade Academy, but I insisted on my refusal. In the end, they gave in and said they would wait for me to make the right decision.

“…Excuse me,” I announced, getting up to leave.

I was greeted by a crowd of teachers when I entered the hallway. I didn’t know if they were here because the principal had summoned them, or simply because they heard the broadcast.

“Allen! I always knew you had special talent! What do you say to joining my Divine Spirit School of Swordcraft?”

“No, my Vacuum School of Swordcraft would fit him better. How about it, Allen? I’ll give you the special post of assistant instructor!”

“Get real, you two! A gifted duelist like him obviously belongs in my Wind Moon School of Swordcraft!”

These were the same teachers who rejected me out of hand when I entered the academy as a first-year and asked each of them to take me into their school of swordcraft.

They had clearly already heard about the scholarship offer I’d received to attend Thousand Blade Academy. These teachers had always pushed me away with open distaste whenever I asked them earnest questions about swordplay, but now they were all trying to cozy up to me.

Guess this is how fast a reputation can change…

They were probably hounding me like this because they wanted to be able to brag to people that a pupil of their school of swordcraft got into the famed Thousand Blade Academy.

In other words, they simply wanted to use me as a tool to attract applicants.

“…Sorry. Excuse me.”

“Wait, Allen! Let’s at least talk…!”

I quickly pushed my way through the crowd of teachers and walked toward the dorm alone.

Geez… Well, I’ll return to Goza Village this weekend to talk to Mom and decide what to do from there.

I felt like I had seen too much of the ugly side of humanity today. Wanting to cleanse myself by talking to warm and genuine people like Mom and Ms. Paula, I headed back to the dorm.

A few days later—the academy was off for two days in a row, so I decided I would go ahead and visit Mom.

I had already finished my morning routine and eaten breakfast. Now I just needed to grab my luggage and leave.

“All right, I’m ready. Bye, Ms. Paula,” I called out from the dorm’s entrance. She poked her head out from the kitchen.

“Have you forgotten anything? You have the present you bought, right?” she asked.

“Yes, I have everything.”

I’d wrapped the senbei I bought at a street stall the previous day in nice wrapping paper that Ms. Paula had given me.

“Good. Be careful on your trip, okay?”

“I will!”

I bobbed my head toward her and left the dorm. My championship trophy from the Sword Fighting Festival was being displayed prominently in the entrance to the dorm… I found it a little embarrassing.

After leaving Ms. Paula’s dorm, I headed south along a lengthy forest trail.

I ran for one, two, three hours, until Goza Village finally came into view. The trip normally would have taken me about ten hours, but this time, it passed by in a flash.

“Ah, this really brings back memories…”

Thatch-roofed houses sparsely dotted the landscape, surrounded by sprawling pastures and cultivated land. It was a very small village with a population of less than one hundred people.

“It’s been three whole years since I was last here…”

Even if I didn’t count the billion-plus years I spent in the World of Time, it had been a while since my previous trip home.

“Heh? Allen, is that you?”

As I stood there taking in the scenery, I heard an elderly voice with a southern accent from behind me.

I turned around to see Ol’ Bamboo, an old man who used to let me play with stilts and handmade cards.

“Ol’ Bamboo! Long time no see!”

“Well, I’ll be darned! You’ve gotten so much bigger since I last laid eyes on ya!”

Goza Village was located in the south of the Liengard Empire, and the people here had a strong southern accent.

“Ah-ha-ha, I am in my growing years.”

We spent a while reminiscing about old times.

“Now you get yerself on over to Ms. Rodol’s place, okay? She ain’t been the same since you left.”

“Okay, I will. It was nice to see you, Ol’ Bamboo.”

“Same to you. Feel free to stahp by later! How ’bout a game o’ cards, fer old times’ sake?”

“That would be great!”

After parting with him, I walked down a road smelling of livestock until I arrived at my mom’s house.

“Man, I’ve missed this place…”

It looked exactly the same as it did when I last saw it three years ago. Not a thing had changed.

“Mom, I’m home!”

I slid open the rattly old door, which had been left unlocked, and called out to Mom. I immediately heard footsteps race toward me from within the house.

“A-Allen?!”

Mom was holding a potlid, and her eyes were shining. It looked like she had been preparing dinner.

“Hello, Mom!”

“Mah goodness… You’ve grown so much!”

She opened her arms wide and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“It’s been so lawng, Allen! How’ve ya been?!”

“I’m doing great, Mom.”

“That warms mah heart to hear! Don’t just stand there; come on in!”

I caught up with Mom as she made dinner. When she had a free moment, I brought up the main topic I wanted to speak with her about.

“…Hey, Mom. Can I talk to you about something important?”

“Is something the matter, sweetheart? You looked troubled.”

“Well…”

I began to lay out the choices my future held in store. I told her about my three options—becoming a holy knight, becoming a spellblade, or attending Thousand Blade Academy—and I explained the pros and cons of each. Once I finished giving her the big picture, Mom surprised me by casually shrugging.

“Oh, Allen… That’s not so difficult as you made it out to be. Why were you worryin’ over sumthin’ that simple?”

“N-no, this is a really difficult decision—”

“You want to go to Thousand Blade Academy, right?”

“…”

She’d deduced it so easily, even though I hadn’t revealed so much as a word of my thoughts on the situation.

“H-how did you know?”

“Call it a mother’s intuition. You’ve loved swingin’ yer sword since before you were yea big. It ain’t hard to figure you’re itchin’ to go to Thousand Blade Academy.”

“…Oh.”

I fell silent, and Mom spoke to me gently.

“You don’t need to worry yerself over me. You just live yer life. I’ll be cheerin’ you on all the while. Just promise me one thing—that you’ll outlast me, even if it’s only by one second. There’s nothin’ better you can do fer yer mother than that.”

“…Okay. Thanks, Mom.”

She grinned.

“If that’s all you have to say, then let’s go ahead and eat! I made a large helpin’ of the stew you always loved!” she announced.

She poured some fresh soup containing large potato chunks onto a wooden plate. This was a special stew that she used to make exclusively on my birthday.

“It’s delicious!” I exclaimed.

This was the first time I’d had her stew in over a billion years. I couldn’t begin to describe how delicious it was.

“Glad to hear it! There’s plenty more, so help yerself to seconds!”

After I had my fill of the stew, she prepared a nostalgic steam bath for me. I told her I could get the heat going myself, but she insisted that “it’s a parent’s duty to go overboard for their children,” so I had to keep quiet and let her do it, as though I had become a small child again. It wasn’t a bad feeling. There was one thing weighing on my mind, however.

“Mom has really aged…”

She looked a lot older than she did the last time I saw her.

She’s turning fifty this year, so I guess there’s nothing unusual about that…

Not only did she have more wrinkles and white hair, but I also felt like she’d gotten a little shorter, too.

“…I need to train hard at Thousand Blade Academy and become a skilled swordsman as fast as I can.”

That would enable me to make a lot of money and give Mom an easy life.

With my determination renewed, I washed my exhaustion away in the bath.

While Allen was in the bath, his mother, Daria Rodol, was in the kitchen doing the dishes.

Amid the sound of the running water and the dishes being placed on the drainboard, she heard a hoarse, elderly voice.

“Hyo-hoh-hoh! This stew is magnificent!”

Daria turned around to see an old man with a crooked back by the table. It was the Time Hermit.

Suddenly, he was sitting at the table with a plate of stew and a spoon in his hand, as if someone had served him.

“The Seal had loosened, so I had my suspicions, but…turns out it really was you, Time Hermit.”

Daria had dropped her southern accent and instead spoke with a perfect standard dialect.

“You sure did hide it well, though… Finding it put a real strain on these old bones of mine,” he responded.

“Oh really? I’ll break a few of those bones for you!”

Daria circled behind him in a flash and swung her fist down at his head, but he turned his body transparent and easily avoided her blow. Her fist passed through thin air before hitting the wooden chair and smashing it to pieces.

“Hyo-hoh! My oh my, how frightening!”

Calm as could be, the Time Hermit grabbed a large potato and tossed it into his mouth.

“Mm, this really is the best food I’ve had in ages. Until next time,” he said, disappearing into the air like fog.

“…Crap, he ran.”

Daria clicked her tongue in frustration.

“Hey, I felt something here… Don’t tell me it was him?!”

Ol’ Bamboo barged through the front door, also speaking a perfect standard dialect.

“You’re late. If you’re after the Time Hermit, he’s already left.”

“Dammit! Does that mean…?”

“Yes. It appears the 100-Million-Year Button has been used…”

“You can’t be serious…”

They both fell into a grave mood.

“Hey, Daria… How did the Time Hermit learn of Allen’s existence? The Seal was perfect, wasn’t it?”

“It’s possible there was some incident that provoked a strong emotional response in Allen… He told me he was having fun at school in his last letter, so I wasn’t worried about him…”

Allen hadn’t told his mother that he was being bullied at school. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her; he simply didn’t want to make her worry.

“At any rate, it seems that the Time Hermit is doing whatever he can to get in our way,” she seethed, clenching her fists tight. “But this time, I won’t let him get what he wants.”

Later, Ol’ Bamboo returned to his house, and Daria threw the broken chair into the garbage outside.

After returning to Goza Village and consulting with Mom, I decided to accept the scholarship from Thousand Blade Academy. Upon doing so, however, I learned something unexpected.

Apparently, the offer to attend the academy didn’t mean that I was automatically accepted. I was exempt from the written and practical entrance exams, but I would need to do an interview to determine if I was qualified.

Hearing about this made me feel nervous at first, but the principal told me he’d never heard of anyone failing it. That made me feel a little better.

Today was the day of my evaluation at Thousand Blade Academy. I hadn’t received any instructions for what to wear, so I decided to go in my Grand Swordcraft Academy uniform.

“There are so many people here…”

This was my first time in Aurest, the capital of this country. Though my head was spinning from the extraordinarily busy streets and the great number of modern buildings, I was somehow able to find the front gate of Thousand Blade Academy.

“Phew, I made it. Thank goodness…”

It was a quarter to five in the afternoon. I’d arrived fifteen minutes before my interview—perfect timing.

I showed the guards at the gate my exam admission ticket and was let into the academy.

The interview was to be conducted in the innermost reception room on the third floor of the Third Building.

The Third Building is…this one.

Entering the designated building, I climbed the staircase and gasped when I emerged onto the third floor.

Wh-what the heck?!

The floor was packed with students here to take the entrance examinations. Judging by their ragged states and bloody clothes, they were clearly general-entry students who had already begun their exams.

That’s crazy…

I’d heard that the entrance exams for all the Elite Five Academies were harsh, but…it looked like they were much more difficult than I’d imagined.

I decided to hunch down and sit in a chair in the hallway so I wouldn’t stand out.

“Wait, look at him! Did the guy who just came in get through that insane test without a single scratch?!”

“I can’t believe it… I wonder what famous swordcraft academy he’s from?”

“I’ve never seen those clothes before, but he has to be extremely skilled.”

For reasons unknown, everyone turned to look at me.

Wh-why are they staring at me?!

They were all watching and speaking in low whispers.

I’m not sure, but I’ll pretend that I haven’t noticed them…

While feeling extremely uncomfortable, I sat still and waited until my name was called. It took about five minutes.

“Examinee number 723, Allen Rodol, please report to your interview room. Examinee number 723, Allen Rodol, please…”

Thanks to the broadcast, I was finally able to escape the gazes of the other students. I immediately stood up and went to the reception room at the end of the hall.

Uh… I was supposed to knock three times, right?

I took a deep breath and tried to remember what I read in my interview prep book. Trying to calm myself down, I wiped my sweaty hands on my clothes.

Then I knocked three times and slowly opened the door.

“Excuse me.”

Three interviewers were seated inside, and a single empty stool sat opposite to them.

The interview began as soon as I sat down.

“The interview will now begin. First, tell us your examination number and name.”

“M-my number is 723, and my name is Allen Rodol,” I answered.

A different interviewer asked me the next question.

“Please tell me about a strength of yours.”

“A strength… I’d say my endurance.”

That was the first thing that popped into my mind.

“Interesting answer… Can you describe your endurance in greater detail?”

“Let’s see… I have the endurance to continue swinging my sword for over one billion years.”

“O-one billion? That’s, uh, very impressive…”

“Yes, it was a trying experience.”

Training for even a single one-hundred-million-year period really was a ridiculous thing to do. If I were given the chance to do it again, I would hesitate to accept. Unless you learned to suppress your emotions, it was a truly grueling experience.

“N-now… Could you tell us about a weakness of yours?”

“Hmm… I can be reckless. Had I thought before acting at that moment… No, there’s no point going over what-ifs. I don’t regret what I did that day.”

When the Time Hermit asked me to push the 100-Million-Year Button, I did so without any thought. But I wouldn’t be who I was today without that opportunity. That exhibited both a strength and a weakness of mine.

“H-huh… ‘That day’…?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“…”

As if they needed time to think about their next question, the interviewers fell silent for a moment.

“W-well…moving on. Please tell us your school of swordcraft, then get up and demonstrate your best move on the dummy placed behind you.”

“Uh, this is embarrassing, but I’m self-taught. I do have some moves, though, so I suppose I can show you one.”

I stood up, drew my sword, and faced the dummy behind me. Taking a deep breath, I quickly flourished my blade.

“Eighth Style—Eight-Span Crow!”

Eight slashes raced through the air in an instant, successfully slicing the dummy into eight pieces.

“Huh…?!”

“He slashed eight times with one attack…?!”

“How original. I’ve never seen anything like it…!”

The examiners each reacted distinctly. It was safe to say the response was generally positive.

Awesome, looks like I was right to choose the flashy Eight-Span Crow.

I sheathed my sword and sat back down.

“Th-thank you very much. That concludes the interview. We will send you a letter within a few days informing you of the result, so please keep an eye out for it. Have a nice rest of your day.”

And so my interview drew to a close.

“Thank you very much.”

I thanked them and left the room, then went down the stairs and exited the building. When I passed through the front gate, I finally stopped to catch my breath.

“Phew, it’s over…”

That was really nerve-racking, but I thought I was able to answer all the questions just fine. I didn’t make any major mistakes, either. Plus, I was sure my last move made a great impression.

That’s all I can do for now. All that remains is to pray.

Feeling confident, I returned to Ms. Paula’s dorm.

An uneasy mood filled the interview room after Allen left.

“He was certainly a…unique student. Everything he said flew over my head. I know he received a scholarship offer, but can we really pass him?”

“I didn’t have a clue about what he was saying, either…but his recommendation came directly from Chairwoman Reia. We can’t possibly fail him ourselves…”

“Hmm, if he was able to obtain a move like that through self-training, I’m sure he would improve dramatically with a proper instructor… Though, to tell you the truth, I also didn’t understand a word out of his mouth.”

The interviewers were all in agreement on one point: They had no idea what Allen had been talking about.

A few days later, I received a letter from Thousand Blade Academy. It was probably the results of my interview. No, it definitely was. This was the moment of truth… I felt so nervous, I thought my heart was going to explode.

“Okay…”

After a number of deep breaths, I carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a piece of paper with one giant word written on it.

“…Pass.”

I’d passed.

“Yes!!!”

It might have been a given that I would pass because of my scholarship, but this was still an extremely happy moment.

I can’t believe I’ll actually be going to the famous Thousand Blade Academy… This is like a dream come true!

Just one month ago, I was still being ridiculed as the Reject Swordsman… Life really was unpredictable.

I dashed out of my room to share the news with Ms. Paula.

“Ms. Paula, I did it! I got into Thousand Blade Academy!”

“R-really?!”

She had been preparing lunch, but she quickly stopped.

“Yes! Look at this!”

I handed her my certificate.

“This is amazing! Congratulations, Allen! I know your mom back home will be delighted! I am too, of course!”

Ms. Paula looked as happy as if she had gotten in herself.

“This calls for something special. I’ll make a feast for dinner tonight. We need to celebrate your acceptance!”

“Thank you!”

I wasted no time in sending Mom a letter, and that night, Ms. Paula and I had a grand party with the food she made.

The graduation ceremony for Grand Swordcraft Academy was held a few weeks later. Afterward, the big moment finally arrived.

Ms. Paula came to see me off when I carried my luggage to the entrance of the dorm. I bowed to her deeply.

“Thank you so much for the last three years, Ms. Paula.”

Thousand Blade Academy was a boarding school, so students couldn’t live off campus without a special reason. That meant today was my final day with Ms. Paula and the dorm where I had lived for three whole years.

“Oh, Allen. You’re being overly dramatic. It’s not like we’re saying good-bye forever! You don’t have to make a big deal out of this.”

She was being lighthearted, but I wanted to make sure she understood how grateful I was.

“I can’t thank you enough, Ms. Paula. You let me stay here, even though I was flat broke… You woke me up every morning, you made me delicious food, you gave me advice whenever something was bothering me, and you were always fun to talk to. Thank you for everything!”

Bowing my head, all my pent-up gratitude flooded out of me at once.

“Oh, I’m so embarrassed! I’ve become such an easy crier with age…” She sniffled, rubbing her eyes. “Feel free to come back any time you’re hungry! I’d be happy to cook for you again!”

“I will! Thank you!”

Her food was exquisite. I was sure I would remember the mouthwatering and savory flavors for as long as I lived.

“Well…I need to get going.”

“I don’t remember if it’s Hundred Blade Academy or Thousand Blade Academy, but you make sure to take that campus by storm!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Thus, I graduated from being the Reject Swordsman at Grand Swordcraft Academy and entered one of the Elite Five Academies, Thousand Blade Academy.