“Haaaaaam…”
Last night, after checking on the state of the Guild Headquarters, by the time I returned to the dormitory, the sky was already bright with dawn.
Eventually, I ended up going to school without getting a single wink of sleep.
The classroom was still completely empty; apparently, no one had arrived yet.
I opened my mouth wide in a yawn, shuffled over, and flopped down onto the seat where I had sat yesterday.
When I used to be a man, pulling an all-nighter was nothing, but now as a woman, my eyelids feel as heavy as a thousand pounds even after missing just one night of sleep.
I don’t know if this is just how women are, or if it’s a side effect of the TS magic, but it’s a rather trivial change.
Putting such useless thoughts aside for a moment, let me reorganize the current situation.
One: Can I return to my original body?
Nope. Last night, Sem Mogura, who claimed to be the only TS mage on the continent, passed away. While there’s no way he could have known all the mages on the continent, I can’t stake my life on something uncertain.
Two: Do I have sufficient funds?
I do have a few gold coins, but considering the expensive accommodation and food costs at the academy, it’s far from enough.
Three: Is my current situation safe?
Right now, the Deretia Family is most likely furious, having realized that their treasured young lady was a target for assassination. In this situation, leaving the academy suddenly and going into hiding could be even more dangerous.
In other words, this isn’t a good situation for me, who was hoping for freedom.
After organizing the current situation, I now roughly outlined my plan moving forward.
One: Must I leave the academy?
As everyone knows, Griffin Academy is considered the best academy on the continent. It’s difficult to enter and graduate, but if you succeed, your path is set for a bright future. It feels a bit wasteful to discard such an opportunity that others would kill for.
Two: How do I secure more funds?
Living at the academy costs money. Everything, from food to dorm stays, requires payment. More specifically, the dorm room I’m currently staying in is a single room. While my first semester dorm fees have already been paid, there’s no way I can afford it starting from the second semester.
Even if I move into a quad room, I’ll have to tighten my belt to afford food.
Fortunately, as a national academy, Griffin does have a fairly good scholarship system. The main purpose of it is to extract operational funds from the nobles who just pay money to attend and graduate.
At any rate, my target is the full scholarship that covers tuition, dormitory fees, and food expenses. Even if I can only secure a partial scholarship, it would be a start for minimal planning.
Three: Selian Deretia
Here’s the real problem. Whether it’s good fortune or bad, her behavior yesterday suggests she has some goodwill towards me. While it’s possible she’s kind to everyone, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. However, since I attempted to assassinate her, should I even stay close to her? If I make a mistake and reveal the slightest hint of my identity, my life would be jeopardized. On the other hand, if I avoid mistakes, staying close might actually allow me to avoid suspicion. As a former assassin (albeit without much experience), I have faith in my meticulous behavior to avoid any errors. Therefore, perhaps it’d be better to get closer to Selian.
Druruk
While I was organizing my plans, the time had come for other students to arrive.
The back door opened, and a student entered the classroom.
Hearing the sound of the door, my head naturally turned, and our eyes met.
A pair of eyes as blue as a cloudless sky.
I’ve met several people with blue eyes, but hers were the clearest.
Selian Deretia.
Her piercing eyes complimented her golden hair, enhancing her allure even further.
Upon spotting me, she widened her eyes in surprise, then grinned and gave me a friendly smile.
“You’re here early, Alicia.”
“Ah, good morning, Selian.”
As Selian pulled out a chair and sat down, she hung her bag beside her desk.
The quiet atmosphere lingered for a moment before I yawned again, this time more discreetly, covering my mouth politely.
I rubbed my eyes to wipe away the tears formed from yawning, and Selian approached, pushing her desk closer to mine.
“You must not have slept well? I guess the dormitory was a bit noisy last night?”
“Ah, yes… I’m a bit sensitive, so I had trouble sleeping…”
Even though I wasn’t there last night, I played along.
Selian didn’t just push her desk closer but leaned in close enough that her face was inches from mine, staring intently. Feeling somewhat burdened at such close proximity, I flitted my eyes around, unsure where to look.
Honestly, this was an inevitable reaction. No matter how much assassin training I might have undergone, I’ve spent over 10 years without ever being this close to a peer of the opposite gender. Just maintaining conversation is an accomplishment worth praising.
Only after Selian withdrew did I finally exhale in relief.
Until she placed her hands on my cheeks.
“What a pity for such a pretty face to have dark circles—it’s almost a sin!”
She pressed her hands firmly against my cheeks, muttering.
“Eri, ay?”
Trying to call her name with my muffled speech, but she showed no sign of letting go.
Going beyond just pressing my cheeks, she began pulling and stretching them while muttering to herself.
“Although, maybe this adds a certain decadent charm? If I had to choose between the two…”
“Aww, aww?”
Terrified by her ramblings, I muffled another groan, and only then did she finally let go.
Of course, I could have taken her hands off, but that would have been a bad move. I need to maintain proximity to her.
Any action that might make her uncomfortable is a no-go.
“Here, have one of these. It’ll help with fatigue.”
She pulled a candy from a pouch in her bag and handed it to me. I took it with my finger and popped it into my mouth.
A rush of sourness instantly filled my mouth.
The initial sourness quickly turned to sweetness, and while rolling the candy around with my tongue, Selian reached to gently stroke my head.
?
I noticed it yesterday too—her manner of interaction with me has been unusually intimate. Is this how girls treat each other?
My knowledge of female conduct didn’t include such actions, but clearly, what I’ve learned so far may be incomplete. This behavior might be natural among women.
With that in mind, I reached out to reciprocate by gently stroking her head.
“Ssssssip!”
The sound of her tongue clicking made me hastily lower my hand back to my thigh and widen my eyes.
…?
Ultimately, my only option was to sit still while she continued petting my head.
“Since it’s the first day today, let’s start by assessing everyone’s level.”
The first lecture for the Swordsmanship 1 class: a practical swords training session.
Our professor, Ferent, who was responsible for our course, had reportedly been the captain of the Royal Knights before coming to the academy.
Truly, the best academy on the continent.
“Alright, form pairs and find a spot!”
The students scattered into pairs, with some students standing awkwardly without partners. Professor Ferent was quick to pair them up.
What about me?
I turned my head to the side and saw Selian standing beside me, having brushed off all the other students trying to be her partner.
I almost jumped, surprised at how quietly she had shown up.
Maybe Selian is naturally gifted to be an assassin?
“Alright then, let’s get into pairs for sparring! Since we’re using practice swords, I’ll intervene if it gets too dangerous. Focus! Those observing can earn bonus points for providing constructive feedback, so don’t waste your time!”
I waited patiently, gaining extra points in my mind for every duel I observed, until it was finally my turn.
“Next!”
It was finally our turn.
At the professor’s command, Selian and I stepped forward. I swung the wooden practice sword casually.
Undoubtedly, my strength as a woman is much reduced, but the wooden sword still felt rather heavy. Not enough to be unmanageable, though.
I observed Selian’s posture. As known, she is a candidate hero. The exact extent of her skills remains unclear, but it’s dangerous to underestimate her.
Just from how she gripped her wooden sword, she clearly stood out compared to the students who had sparred before.
However, that made it even better. I needed to fully assess my current abilities.
How much can I perform in this new body? Is my plan for winning a scholarship rational?
There wasn’t any formal starting declaration, but both Selian and I were ready.
Selian’s stance was textbook perfect—her lead leg was slightly back while keeping her shoulders forward, with her sword motionless and steady.
I tried to psyche her out by checking her face, but she was unusually expressionless.
Her presence was rock solid.
Alright, let’s start with me.
After twirling the wooden sword in one hand a couple of times, I charged forward toward Selian.
She easily deflected my diagonal upward strike and countered with a shoulder tackle.
Normally, I should have lost my balance from her tackle, but I instead spun along with the momentum, rolling off her back while grabbing her neck.
Though purists might consider this unclean, no one stopped me.
I pulled her neck toward me while swinging my sword,
but she effortlessly blocked it with her own sword, easily predicting my strike.
Before I could recover, she swung her sword in retaliation. There was no way for me to block it, so I ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding her blade.
I rose back to my feet quickly and regained my stance.
We were back to the initial situation.
Though no damage was inflicted, the momentum had clearly shifted in favor of Selian.
She truly deserved her title as a hero candidate.
Aiming to be the youngest Sword Master? How arrogant.
Among the two of us here, if there is one closest to the level of mastery, it would undoubtedly be the girl in front of me.
How satisfying it is to clash swords? Even in brief exchanges, her dedication and seriousness toward the art of swordsmanship are evident. I can sense her joy as well.
Until now, I’ve practiced swordsmanship not with joy, but only with pain. I always considered it normal.
Swords were merely tools for assassination, nothing more.
Her journey with the sword differs greatly from the path I’ve walked for over a decade—a dirty, unpleasant road.
But it no longer matters. I used to be ashamed and hid this path, but now, I can stand proudly.
This is the path I have walked. I was not wrong. I simply walked a different route.
Through encountering her, exchanging blows with her sword, and witnessing her journey, I have gained even more confidence in my own path.
Before I realized, my sword was enveloped with Aura—not the pitch-black of my male form but a blindingly bright white Aura.
Seeing my sword, Selian grinned and called upon her own Aura.
A glowing golden Aura.
Gold and Silver.
After a moment of silence, we charged forward at each other.
“Alright! That’s enough!”
Selian and I found ourselves dangling in the air, picked up by Ferent’s hands at the nape of our necks.
Truly, the former captain of the Royal Knights.
