The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family – Chapter 10
It has already been a week since the Academy’s entrance ceremony.
As time passed, the intense interest surrounding me has dulled. The fact that I ranked first in the entrance exam, as well as the controversies over my assigned group, the 20th Group, have faded away like bubbles.
Now, on the eve of our first class, the members of the 20th Group, including myself, are gathered here at the Academy.
“Why are they suddenly making us go through an audition today? What kind of protocol is this? Weren’t we supposed to be informed at least a day in advance? Right? Tell me, Jun-woo!”
“I don’t know.”
“How can you not know?! Do you think life is so easy, Jun-woo? Ki-hyuk, say something. You’re the group leader, aren’t you?”
“Why are you yelling at us, who aren’t even involved? Calm down. Do you have some urgent business?”
“Urgent business? Yes, I do! I’m swamped with things to organize because of the dormitory. Why do only the first-year students have these problems? It’s unfair, and it’s so annoying.”
“It’s not a question. It’s an obligation.”
“Jun-woo, you’re clueless! That’s important right now.”
“They say the facilities are good, so you just need to show up.”
“How can you be so lacking in manners, Ki-hyuk? You really don’t understand women at all.”
“What, what do you mean? Hahaha!”
“Don’t laugh! It makes me frustrated!”
I laugh even harder as Merhem gets more worked up.
To be honest, even I was startled by the sudden notice about the audition last night.
“Tomorrow, there will be a private audition. Please attend.”
How can you tell me the day before?! It feels so careless.
However, my mother explained that it’s much more complex than I thought.
One faction argues: “How is this even a team when there are only three people? This is nothing but a child’s game!”
Another faction argues: “The recruitment of team members is entirely the responsibility of the group leader, who will ultimately bear the consequences. Why interfere?”
With both sides fiercely opposed, the decision kept getting delayed. In the end, the conclusion came at the very last minute, just before the class started.
“Ki-hyuk, do you know how the audition will be conducted?”
“Vaguely?”
“….. You know? That’s not like you, Ki-hyuk.”
“I didn’t want to know, but my mother kept explaining it to me for the whole evening.”
After hearing the same thing ten times, with a little extra sarcasm, I ended up memorizing everything perfectly.
“Throughout history, there have been a total of 12 ‘Group Performance Evaluation Auditions.’ Half of them, six, were conducted through gate hunts. Five were written tests or interviews. And the remaining one was…”
“A duel with the professors. With a man you know well, Ki-hyuk.”
That’s right.
The most successful case of a small, elite team was led by none other than Park Su-hyeok. That’s right, my older brother.
“But don’t worry. We aren’t as disliked by the professors as your brother was. We won’t have to duel.”
“Hmm…”
As far as I know, Su-hyeok formed his team with five people, which stirred up a lot of controversy. That’s why he was disliked by the professors, and the situation escalated to the point where he even had to duel with a professor using swords.
However, what about us?
We’re a team of three—two fewer than five.
Wouldn’t professors, who need to follow the rules, find us even more distasteful?
I think they would.
And sure enough, my prediction was spot on.
The professors who greeted us at the audition site had sharp, piercing gazes.
They were seated on the second floor, looking down at us as if scrutinizing every detail of our beings.
“Whew, everyone’s here, I see.”
“Be careful what you say.”
“Are we all here?”
“Perfect. However…”
Merhem lowered her voice.
“The atmosphere feels off. I think we’re doing something wrong.”
“You said everything would be fine earlier, didn’t you?”
“No way! I was just advising you to pay attention.”
“Huh…”
Look at her flip-flopping—so thick-skinned.
At any rate, the atmosphere is oppressive.
If someone unfamiliar with the situation walked in, they’d think this was a courtroom rather than an audition site.
I was suppressing a chuckle when I noticed a professor walking over, trying to appear dignified.
And then my laughter slipped out.
“Why are you laughing? You’re late, and what’s so funny about that?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I heard a rustling sound. But about being late? Isn’t it 5 o’clock? We arrived ten minutes early. Shouldn’t we be considered punctual?”
“The place where the professors are waiting is where you should be. It’s only respectful to arrive at least thirty minutes early.”
…Then, not greeting new people is proper etiquette in which country?
Without averting my gaze from the professor’s eyes, I stood firm.
Based on his appearance, he seems in his thirties, yet he’s already acting like a stuck-up old man.
“I’m Professor Hwang Jun-yeop, specializing in Introduction to Combat. I’m also the youngest professor in the Academy’s history.”
“For such a lazy person, you sure talk a lot.”
“Just because someone is lazy doesn’t mean they’re ignorant. Be careful. He’s a famous young professor.”
“The youngest professor… hmm…”
Now I can kind of piece things together. The professors clearly don’t like how we deviate from the Academy’s educational philosophy, and they’re trying to use this young professor to suppress our morale.
He appears quite skilled, but I can tell he came here fully prepared to take us on. His killing intent practically stings my cheeks.
He probably wants to instill some fear in me. Yet, paradoxically, I feel more at ease. If they’re going to be openly hostile, then I can let loose without holding back.
Smiling slyly, I stepped forward. Professor Hwang frowned.
“This is a serious evaluation of students. Please take it seriously.”
“It’s hard to avoid laughing when I’m serious.”
“You don’t seem to understand the situation. Tsk, you remind me of your brother.”
“Oh, you know my brother?”
“How could I not? He was an awfully arrogant junior… Let me give you a piece of advice as your senior: You should work on being more observant. If you don’t want to end up disliked in the Academy like your brother did.”
“Hahaha!”
Oh, this feels new.
Now I understand why my friends would fold up anyone who insults their family in half. Now that I have a family, it makes sense.
“Isn’t it a bit disgusting?”
Though I’ve never personally met this brother of mine, he’s still my brother.
Who do you think you are, messing with my family?
My lips curled further upward.
I originally wanted to maintain some decorum out of respect for my mother, and to avoid unnecessary commotion, but now, I’m letting that go.
Right, I’ll just live as I am. When did I start calculating so much?
As I gathered my burgeoning fighting spirit, another professor came forward to continue the explanation.
“The main evaluation aims to determine whether Group Leader Park Ki-hyuk can properly follow the Academy’s educational direction. The evaluation will proceed by voting… Please adhere to safety protocols… This will take place under the supervision of the professors…”
I repeated “Acknowledged” parrot-like while staring directly at the professor.
All of this is unnecessary. All I want is for the evaluation to begin quickly.
“The judge will be me. Both sides, step forward.”
Thud, thud…
As I stepped forward, the murmurs grew louder.
Because only I stepped forward—Merhem and Han Jun-woo stayed quietly at the back.
Hwang Jun-yeop’s face contorted in reaction to this spectacle.
“Are you attempting to deceive the professor?”
“Of course not.”
“Arrogant!”
Ah, this brings back memories. Occasionally, there were people during my first meetings who would call me arrogant.
“Know your place.” “How dare someone like a commoner not kneel.”
What happened to those folks?
I shattered their knees, so they could bow easily.
“Baphomet!”
Baphomet emerged from the fractured space.
Here comes the “Demon Lord” rising to his feet.
Professor Hwang Jun-yeop narrowly evaded an onslaught of axes falling from all directions.
But his relief was short-lived. In the darkness, a soundless kick from out of nowhere bent him in half.
“Guuuh!”
Why is this happening?
At what point did it all go wrong?
Mana Deficiency Syndrome users casting magic?
What is this darkness that has engulfed everything?
And these skeletons—not ordinary skeletons—are they not skeletons at all?
In an instant, as he rolled along the ground, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Park Su-hyeok, a much younger student at the time. The then-student president, Hwang Jun-yeop, felt inferior to his brilliant talents.
The gap is so vast… It was frustrating.
Why didn’t he have those talents? If only he had inherited the bloodline of the Sword Master family!
His drive to lead Park Ki-hyuk’s evaluation might have stemmed from this deep-seated inferiority.
He had wanted to crush the younger brother of a rival he could never catch up to.
But that was a mistake.
Avoiding a downward axe by the skin of his teeth, cold sweat ran down his neck.
This kid is serious. He’s genuinely trying to k*ll him.
Once again, Hwang Jun-yeop realized what he had felt during his previous duel with Su-hyeok:
The insurmountable gap between them.
Swish—
“Huh?!”
A sudden sensation.
Hwang, startled, swung his sword. Then, another sound from the opposite side. Quickly, he slashed in the opposite direction again.
His vaunted fast-swords spread sparks, but the once-blazing attacks designed to overwhelm enemies now merely struggle to defend.
Despite the chaos, Hwang Jun-yeop’s dual swords showcased the undeniable reputation of the youngest professor, as he furiously swung his blades.
Skeleton heads fell to the ground—first one, then two, inevitably decapitated by Huang’s swift swordplay.
Even though he systematically reduced their numbers,
it was futile.
They were overwhelmingly outnumbered.
For every skeleton Huang destroyed, even more were regenerated. What use was an attack against such numbers?
Moreover, these creatures moved with unreasonable speed and sharpness.
Under normal circumstances, Huang would scoff at the weak attacks of regular skeletons, but now they could not be dismissed so easily.
The biggest threat, however, was deeper.
Somewhere in the darkness lurked the “true monster.”
“Watch your back.”
“Wha—?!”
In the brief moment he lost his focus, a voice came from behind. Instantly, a punch shot forward faster than he could draw his sword.
Bang!
*
“Guh!”
I chuckled coldly as Hwang Jun-yeop hit the ground.
Unquestionably, Hwang Jun-yeop is stronger than me in raw mana alone. Their totals aren’t even comparable.
Yet the one lying on the ground now is Hwang, not me.
The darkness restricting vision, the few curses affecting the mind, and the skeletons—these are very basic tactics created solely through basic magic.
These have been enough to tie Hwang down. His senses are already crumbling.
If he had used his legs to move out of the darkness and had the judgment to choose a more advantageous battlefield, he would have been a real headache for me.
This is one of the things that shocked me since I arrived here:
These people are far weaker than their power would suggest.
In terms of both mind and body, they are weaker than they should be.
The “Mana Distribution Rate” here is absurdly high, even higher than in the empire.
Even the “will” within their mana is weaker.
In simpler terms, it’s easier to manipulate it however you please.
When I first realized this, I was astonished.
From my perspective, how ridiculous is this?
On a scale of understanding power from 1 to 10, where the empire requires at least 7-8, here, even 4 or 5 is sufficient to wield power.
Isn’t that just ridiculous?
The perfect environment for amassing mana.
And so, power comes too easily here.
Be it Aura, magic, shamanism, or martial arts—lacking a proper understanding of power, simply “knowing” one’s aptitude is enough to grow strong.
Perhaps because it was too easy, there is a lack of depth.
No core.
No determination to grow stronger. No burning desire to achieve something.
No mental strength or physical endurance befitting the level of power.
It’s like a child wielding an excellent sword.
This imbalance has led to the present outcome.
And this isn’t just something that applies to Hwang Jun-yeop. It applies to the professors on the podium, the dumbfounded observers: Merhem and Han Jun-woo.
They are all the same.
Incomplete.
That’s my honest assessment.
So, I’m here to change that—
Just like how the inspiration drew me in.
Rather than infamy, I want respect.
The respected Demon Lord.
That sounds cool, doesn’t it?
“Victor! Park Ki-hyuk!!”
