In any organization, it’s inevitable that big and small incidents happen every year.
No matter how thoroughly things are managed, as long as people are involved, there can never be absolute perfection.
Therefore, it wasn’t strange for accidents to happen; what really mattered was how well the aftermath was handled, which was often seen as a measure of the organization’s competence.

In other words, what was important was how well things were managed afterward, not getting caught up in what had just happened.

...However, this time was different.

"They say there’s going to be an inspection from the royal family."
"The Chancellor, no, I mean the Headmaster, is usually so cautious, but now that there's an opportunity, even those who usually stay out of sight are raising a fuss."

The royal family was stirring up the academy.
Even now, soldiers were patrolling the department, rummaging through all the paperwork and interrupting their work...

It was natural that the teachers’ dissatisfaction was rising.
However, they didn’t just blindly curse the royal family.

They were well aware of how serious this incident was and were willing to cooperate.
But...

"I heard that the royal family already knew there were signs of a possible terrorist attack?"
"Ha, this is a complete witch hunt, isn’t it? What exactly did the Headmaster do wrong—!"
"Who doesn't think so?"

Why was it that, although the royal family and the academy were essentially no different, the academy was receiving all the blame?!
This frustration seeped among the teachers, fueling their anger.

"It’s like a dog covered in dirt scolding a dog with straw on its coat."

A sigh that summed up the situation perfectly.

In truth, it was quite a well-known rumor that not only the royal family but everyone had been warned about the signs of terrorism.
One knight had passionately spoken out, but simply no one had listened.

It was, in a way, a belated realization, a situation where no one could be innocent.
At the same time, it meant that no single person could take responsibility for it now.
If someone were to take the blame here, that person would surely end up on the chopping block, and if they went to the guillotine, their entire household would meet the same fate.

Thus, they couldn’t believe anything, whether it was the inspection from the royal family or the unsettling rumors circulating within the academy.
The mudslinging battle had already begun, and for a while, an ominous atmosphere would linger.

"...But, who exactly is the 'initial informant'?"
"Beats me; no one knows anything about them."
"According to the rumors, it’s supposed to be some burly knight..."
"A burly knight? Hmm, could it possibly be...?"
"Let’s not speak out of turn. It would be rude to that person."
"R-right."

The initial informant.

There were rumors that someone had been the first to inform the Headmaster and the Princess about the impending attack.
It was a rumor that had reached everyone’s ears at some point, so naturally, people were curious and suspicious about who the initial informant was.
After all, it was only logical to question the source of the information and dig into it.

...However, there was an oddly persistent lack of information about the person who had reported it.

Even though they could investigate to find out, if they wanted to.

Even though the soldiers moving around in real-time had heard the rumors, they were keeping quiet about it...

It was a peculiar flow of events in many ways, but nothing could be done about it.

"Ah, this is driving me crazy. If we could just track down the information provider, everything would be resolved, so why are we being told not to pursue it?"
"Tsk, at this point, why not just dig into it? Maybe it’ll get me some credit."
"Hey, if you want to die, die alone. Don’t drag other people into this."

The command had come down from both the royal family and the top of the academy: no one was to pursue the source of the information.
The reason was unclear, but the order had declared that the person was not the culprit.
A stern warning had also been issued to not investigate or bring any harm to them.

Thus, the investigators could do nothing more than kill time on the job, abandoning the easy means of obtaining any decisive clues.
They all agreed not to poke a hornet’s nest.

And now, the knight who was presumed to be the initial informant, who supposedly knew the whole truth, and who had, in the meantime, earned the title of 'Hero of the Academy'...

"—Going forward, the student joining the Department of Swordsmanship will be called So-Shim. Everyone, please treat him well."

"It's So-Shim, not So-Shim... actually, it’s Derek..."

"Do you want to be addressed by your name with your current standing?"

"...Is this the military here?"

They were introducing a new face.

To sum up, all eighty students in the Swordsmanship Department achieved high marks in the semester evaluation.
They not only performed well against the Rock Troll but also showed tremendous spirit and courage when fighting against hundreds of gnolls, which earned them recognition for their potential.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the first-year students in the Swordsmanship Department achieved the highest grades among all classes in history.

Some students even received scholarships based on these excellent grades—though 'scholarship' was just a term, as it essentially guaranteed full coverage of their living expenses.
For the financially struggling 'Teddy Bears,' it was a godsend, meaning they could now attend the academy without worrying about money.
Additionally, other noble young men and women would receive medals of greater value than money, a chance to bring honor to their family names.

All had risked their lives in battle, and the reward followed, bringing them to the point of being moved to tears.

However, none of them believed they survived solely because they were particularly exceptional.

"-I am grateful that everyone returned safely without a single casualty. You all did well."

They needed to remember that their survival was due to one person.

Ihan.
The knight who stepped up before anyone else during the recent terror attack, slaughtering the monsters and saving both the audience and the cadets.
He was also regarded as the hero who saved the capital!

The cadets cast renewed looks at him, as if they had known all along this day would come.

‘I knew he’d make a name for himself.’
‘He's truly remarkable, without a doubt.’
‘…Just yesterday, I saw that Instructor’s desk was piled with what looked like love letters from noble ladies. I’m jealous…’

The notorious rumors that had quietly spread about him throughout the academy had long since faded.
Now, instead of fear and discomfort, people viewed him with admiration and respect.
Even those who fought alongside him would be lying if they said they didn’t feel a touch of envy toward him, receiving far more attention and honor than anyone else. But still, their hearts felt pride when they looked at their mentor.

And rightly so.

‘He fought off such a monster alone; it would be ridiculous not to respect him.’

What he accomplished was truly incredible.

The entire academy witnessed his struggle against the ancient monster that seemed straight out of myth.
Everyone saw him go toe-to-toe with the Troll, whose massive size rivaled that of a giant.
If he hadn’t held back that creature to the end, not only the academy but the entire capital would have been in grave danger.

Thus, he was a hero.
The one who had saved countless lives on his own, holding off the monster until reinforcements could arrive and displaying a noble spirit.

...Yet.

"In-Instructor, there’s a noble waiting outside who wishes to meet with you. What should I tell them?"
"Tell them not to disturb the class and to leave."
"...It’s a Count."
"Then should I go personally?"
"...If you go personally, you’ll probably break his neck, right? I’ll just go out and politely turn them away."

The instructor himself didn’t seem to feel any sense of accomplishment for what he’d done.
Instead, he appeared more annoyed by all the attention being directed at him.

‘I’m glad Assistant Instructor Damien is around.’
‘He’s really in a foul mood.’

Had Damien not skillfully handled the visiting nobles and merchants, something troublesome would’ve surely happened by now.

"People with too much time on their hands."
"...Still, it’s not like they’re visiting without any reason. Some of those who come here were directly saved by you, Instructor."
"Or if not them personally, perhaps their relatives benefited from your help."

The cadets tried to list valid reasons to soothe his mood, but Ihan snorted.

“Are those who are grateful supposed to barge in during class hours or trespass into my home? Is that how people express gratitude these days? How ridiculous.”

“......”

“Or is it that I’m just old-fashioned?”

“Ahem.”

They had nothing to say to that.
Certainly, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it thoughtless behavior.

"...Just out of curiosity, what exactly did you do with those trespassers?"
“Instead of asking what I did, wouldn’t it be more fitting to ask how I ‘dealt’ with them?”
“......”

...Perhaps it was best to stop asking.

"—May I ask a question?"

It had been four days since the terrorist attack, and naturally, the students were brimming with curiosity.
They couldn’t seem to hold back their questions, typical of their youth.
But amid all this, someone who had been silent all along finally asked a question.

“The new cadet who recently transferred... is he, by any chance, the one who threw that unusual weapon from the sky the other day?”
“...Hmm.”

Ihan had wondered why no one seemed curious about it, but at last, someone was showing interest in the new cadet.
Well, it was a bit of a troublesome student, though.

The Northern returnee had an intense gaze fixed on Tae-Chang, who used a skill in mid-air.
The cadet remembered the myriad of needles that had filled the sky.

"I, um, I..."

Under the piercing stare, Tae-Chang began to sweat profusely.
Known for his difficulty in dealing with others, he couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence under the scrutiny of the most intimidating student.

Ihan decided to step in and help the newcomer before he started crying.
After all, he had scouted him; it wouldn’t do to ruin his image on the very first day.

Ihan ‘kindly’ warned,
"Hey, Dark Eyes. Look, I don’t mind the questions, but maybe tone down that intimidating stare of yours. I might have to draw out some ink from those black pupils of yours."
"......"
“If my newly scouted assistant ends up running away, you’ll find out my words weren’t a joke, haha.”
"I don’t understand why you’d say something like that in such a pleasant tone."
“When did I say anything about killing?”
“That’s what it sounded like to me.”

At that, Dark Eyes—Loen—finally averted his gaze.
He knew better than to pick a fight with the knight who fought the Demon King.
And above all…

“If there’s anything to correct, it’s that I only asked out of gratitude. Thanks to those weapons that fell from the sky, there were no casualties that day.”

The needles that had rained down like flower petals from the sky.
When they had fallen, they had wiped out a horde of monsters, and those injured or exhausted had miraculously recovered their strength.

“On that day, I was the one in charge of command in your absence, Instructor. As the person responsible, I felt it my duty to express my thanks and to ask a question. …So, I’ll say it in advance: if you were the one who scattered those needles, then I offer my respect. In the name of Lionel, I swear I’ll repay this debt.”

Though his gaze was still intense, there was now a different air about him.
Along with respect toward Tae-Chang, there was an earnest sense of gratitude and recognition.

Receiving such genuine acknowledgment and respect, it was hard for a man’s heart not to feel a swell of pride.
Tae-Chang, his face red, lowered his head deeply.
In truth, he had already revealed himself, but Ihan wasn’t the kind of petty adult who would scold his student over that.

‘This Dark Eyes kid really knows how to say cheesy lines for a noble.’

Though it was indeed corny, words filled with true sentiment carried weight.
Especially for that cadet, the effect was even stronger.

‘At any rate.’

The cadet occasionally displayed exceptional qualities.

Ihan was satisfied to see a sense of camaraderie developing, allowing Tae-Chang to fit in well..

"And, Instructor, this may be an inappropriate question, but… can we—can any of us—learn how to make flowers bloom with our swordsmanship?"

The room heated up instantly.

"...Hmm?"

As soon as Dark Eyes voiced his second question, everyone’s intense attention focused on him, as though So-Shim had been just the appetizer and now, the main course was finally served.

"...These kids."

Ihan was taken aback. He had gone through all that effort training them only to see...

‘They're seriously thinking of switching to the Plum Blossom Sword Art?’

A frown formed between his brows.

‘The legends say that Shaolin is the cornerstone of martial arts, yet here they are looking to Huashan Sect...’

And thus,

‘Rootless brats.’

The small martial artist within Ihan’s heart couldn’t help but shout in indignation.