Chapter 26: Understanding of Combat (1)

Not all classes at Bayern were held indoors.

In terms of proportion, practical classes made up a considerable amount.

The image of being greenhouse flowers was a thing of the past—it was now known for its blood-spattered training.

There were also occasional field exercises outside of Bayern, and the difficulty level was so high that about 10% of students suffered casualties every year.

As such, the instructors teaching the cadets were all top-class in their respective fields.

The same went for Prahan, the instructor of “Understanding of Combat.”

He was once a swordsman renowned across the Empire.

So much so that holding an instructor position at the academy seemed almost beneath him.

Even so, he had joined Bayern to polish the brilliant raw gems that entered each year.

“Good.”

Prahan looked over the cadets lined up in the training ground with a pleased expression.

It was no exaggeration to say many outstanding freshmen had enrolled this year—their presence sparkled like expensive jewels.

‘Among them, the top scorer Nerian, Mahert of the Schneider family, and…….’

Carlos.

It was a principle at Bayern not to consider family background or origin.

However, instructors were human too—some things couldn’t be ignored.

If they happened to make a mistake and offend the child of a high noble, there could be consequences.

But as far as Prahan knew, Instructor Andreas didn’t concern himself with such matters.

Carlos was a cadet whom even he had said was interesting.

Naturally, Prahan couldn’t help but be intrigued too.

“Now then, everyone.”

Before beginning the lecture, he called the cadets to gather in front of him.

As 50 cadets focused their attention, Instructor Prahan gave a slight nod.

All first-year students shared the same general curriculum, regardless of major.

Therefore, even cadets who didn’t specialize in martial arts applied for the class as an experience or for cultural credit.

He could spot a few such individuals among them.

“Since it’s the first class, it’s best we get to know each other through sparring.”

It was a standard orientation approach.

The cadets seemed to expect this and began looking for partners.

But then, Prahan smirked and continued speaking.

“But isn’t that a bit too cliché? Since it’s our first class, let’s try something a bit different.”

Boom.

As he stomped his foot, a heavy sound rang out, and the surroundings began to ripple and shift.

The training ground transformed into a vast forest.

“This should be suitable.”

With arms crossed, Prahan looked at the hesitant cadets.

“The rules are simple. Whether through martial arts or magic, use whatever means necessary. If your attack reaches me, you pass.”

“Pass? Are there penalties for failure?”

One cadet raised their hand to ask.

“There are no penalties. Instead, there’s merit. Those who pass this class will receive bonus points.”

Bonus points.

At those words, all cadets’ eyes widened.

“You all know that bonus points not only affect your course grades but also play a role in being selected as top cadets.”

The cadets here were the cream of the first-year crop.

In a setting where ranks could shift drastically with just one point, the mention of bonus points was more than enough to spark interest.

To further motivate them, Prahan offered another reward.

“In addition, I’ll teach you one of my sword techniques. It’ll be quite useful.”

“A sword technique?”

That drew gasps from everyone.

A swordsman sharing his own sword technique.

For a mage, this was equivalent to being taught mana manipulation techniques or arcane spells.

Moreover, Prahan was a famed swordsman in the Empire.

If he said it was quite useful, it was bound to be valuable.

“The time limit is until the end of this class. Whether you team up, devise strategies, or set traps—do as you wish. I will be crossing the forest as I am!”

Prahan allowed every possible means.

In other words, it emphasized the vast gap between an instructor and a cadet.

“Then, begin!”

At the signal, most cadets leapt up and dashed into the forest.

Their intention was to create distance, strategize, and look for a chance to ambush.

‘A rational and calm judgment.’

Prahan grinned.

Only by assessing the opponent, gathering intel, and observing could one find an opening and seize an opportunity.

At the very least, they might strike from the rear while others were attacking.

“But why didn’t you two retreat like the others?”

Prahan looked at the two cadets still standing before him.

Nerian and Mahert.

Even though the class had begun, they stood firm in place.

“……”

Nerian glanced at Mahert beside him, gesturing with his eyes.

Judging by their lack of retreat, it seemed they had similar thoughts.

‘Now that bonus points are involved, dragging this out won’t be good.’

Their idea was to be the first to pass and claim the points.

After briefly locking eyes and aligning their thoughts, both of them launched themselves forward almost simultaneously.

Swiish!

As two sharp lines of sonic bursts sliced through the air, Prahan chuckled.

“Do you think Bayern’s instructors are in the palm of your hand?”

Mahert struck first.

Swinging his greatsword, as large as his own body, diagonally, he looked ready to cleave Prahan in two.

Meanwhile, Nerian approached from the opposite side, scattering cold air as he waited for the chance to follow up.

Both were highly skilled cadets—their joint attack was a thorny combination.

‘Retreating would be the standard response, but…’

Prahan was so pleased with their attack that he decided to meet them head-on.

Boom─!

Instead, he leapt forward, charging toward Mahert.

‘Let’s deal with this first.’

He suddenly lowered his body.

Evading the greatsword’s diagonal slash from below, he struck the weapon’s center.

Mahert’s arms shot upward, and the massive sword flew into the air.

Since he had guided the attack in the direction the sword was already swinging, it hadn’t taken much force.

Whoosh.

As if expecting it, Mahert corrected his grip on the greatsword midair and slammed it down.

With a boom, the ground split in half.

Just as Prahan, who had already slipped out of the sword’s path, was about to strike Mahert’s now-exposed chest—

Shyaaaak!

Nerian, accelerating with a flurry of frost, aimed for his back.

It was an ambush that couldn’t be avoided.

Nerian had no doubt his attack would land, but Instructor Prahan, glancing back with a grin, narrowed his eyes.

“The world isn’t so generous, you brats.”

“…Guh!”

“Ugh.”

The moment his figure vanished like a phantom on the spot—

Nerian and Mahert were struck by a surprise blow and flung backward.

“……”

Meanwhile, Carl was sitting on a thick tree branch far away from the scene.

He had just seen Prahan instructor walking calmly into the forest, leaving the bounced-away Nerian and Mahert behind.

“…Whoa. Brutal. Doesn’t he plan to go easy on them at all?”

Maximilian, watching the scene beside him, clicked his tongue.

“That probably was him holding back. It means cadets stand no chance against him head-on.”

“This is going to be tough. Would there be a chance if all 50 of us attacked together?”

“If we move carelessly, we’ll be wiped out. Considering the reward, the difficulty makes sense.”

Carl, quietly listening to Gale’s words, nodded.

A swordsman had put up his own sword technique as the reward.

It was natural for him to be serious about dealing with the cadets.

He wouldn’t want some clumsy kid to end up with his technique.

“So, Carl. What should we do?”

“Hm.”

At Maximilian’s question, Carl glanced around.

Currently, only the three of them were together—Amy and Lien were elsewhere.

“With just the three of us, it’s difficult. We should plan in units of at least ten.”

“Then let’s move to another area. There must be others thinking the same.”

“I’ll cover the rear. I’ll watch the instructor’s route…”

“Will you have time for that?”

“…!”

At the sudden voice, everyone froze.

Unnoticed, Instructor Prahan had approached them from behind.

“There was no rule that said I had to wait for you to attack first.”

He bared his white teeth in a grin at his students.

About an hour later.

Carl lay sprawled in a bush, as if he had collapsed there.

The area had already been swept through several times by Instructor Prahan.

Around him were other cadets also groaning on the ground.

“Ugh. What kind of brute force is this…”

Maximilian groaned with a pained look as he held his waist.

“Maxim, are you okay?”

“I think I twisted something.”

“Want me to pound it?”

“Ugh.”

As he kept moaning, Gale sighed and started patting his lower back.

“At this rate, we won’t even be able to get close until the class ends.”

“Yeah. We can’t even slow him down.”

Amy and Lien, who had joined them from elsewhere, also looked visibly exhausted.

“What about the instructor?”

“Looks like he went that way. He probably won’t come back here for a while.”

Instructor Prahan had deliberately revealed his route.

He had willingly stepped into traps and calmly waited for coordinated attacks to be prepared.

And then, he destroyed it all.

‘He must be at the peak master level.’

Still lying in the bush, Carl quietly assessed Prahan’s martial prowess.

Not only raw strength, but his combat experience seemed formidable too.

This wasn’t some sparring match—this was like real, blood-spattered battle.

‘If he’s second-class level, there’s a 30% chance. If first-class, maybe 70%.’

As Carl calculated the feasibility of assassinating Instructor Prahan, he turned his gaze to a rustling bush ahead.

“……”

Silence fell over the group.

Besides them, about ten other cadets were also resting nearby.

They hadn’t even gotten proper rest yet—was Instructor Prahan coming again?

“Carl.”

But the ones emerging from the bushes were Laysis and Nerian.

“So this is where you were. We’ve been looking for you.”

“As you can see, I’ve been out of commission.”

“Hm.”

At Carl’s dry remark, Nerian stepped forward and looked down at him.

“I heard the whole story. You were hiding your skills during the entrance exam.”

“……”

Carl kept his mouth shut.

It seemed they had heard about what happened in Flick from Laysis.

He hadn’t intended it, but he’d ended up in a situation where his abilities were hidden.

“……”

Maximilian, who had been rubbing his sore back beside him, inhaled sharply.

‘I knew it. My eyes weren’t wrong.’

To draw the attention of big names like Nerian and Laysis.

Getting close to Carl from the start of the semester had definitely been the right move.

“There’s not much time left, so I’ll keep it brief. We’re organizing a coordinated operation with the top cadets. Carlos, we want you to be a key part of it. Can you move?”

“……”

At Nerian’s words, Carl glanced around.

“I can’t.”

“Me neither.”

“My back’s…”

“Same here.”

The other cadets all shook their heads, clearly giving up.

So Carl had no choice but to dust himself off and get up alone.

“Tell me the plan.”

“Good. Lewis is currently driving him from the other side. Laysis, you, and I will play the role of the trap.”

“The target isn’t a rabbit but a wolf, though.”

Laysis shrugged, visibly tired of it all.

“A trap role. That means they’ll pin him down and we strike the blow.”

“Exactly. We move now.”

Nerian turned around and took the lead.

As he did, he glanced at Carl and said in a low voice—

“I’ll be expecting good things.”

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