Tohrk’s eyes were wide with anger. “We’ll make a bet.”
“What kind of bet?”
“If you lose, you have to leave the institute.”
Wendy gasped.
“But if I win…” Almark looked straight at Tohrk. “I want you to stop treating students differently, whether they’re nobles or commoners.”
The class stirred. Wendy slapped her hands over her mouth and shook her head gently.
“As if I’d agree to a stupid bet like that—”
“What, Tohrk, you’re scared?” Almark cut in.
Tohrk’s eyes flared with anger.
“Scared I’ll win?” Almark pressed.
Tohrk’s face went dark red with humiliation. “Fine! You’ve got yourself a bet!” he howled like an animal. “Let’s do it, barbarian! Today’s the last day I have to see your nasty mug!”
“Good. That’s a deal,” said Almark. “Let’s begin.”
He stood up straight, aiming his rapier’s tip at Tohrk.
Tohrk hurriedly leaped back, creating distance between them.
“I’m gonna kill you!” he hissed before swinging his rapier.
But despite how Tohrk talked and acted, his movements were cautious. He slowly edged toward Almark, not lunging forward recklessly like he had earlier. Almark, on the other hand, kept his position constant and made sure his rapier’s tip was always aimed at his opponent. Tohrk practically tiptoed around Almark, which made for quite the strange sight since Tohrk was much larger.
“Son of a…!” Tohrk whispered reproachfully under his breath after circling Almark three times, frustrated that he couldn’t find a single gap in his guard.
And it was from that relaxed, natural stance that Almark stepped forward to attack.
His posture was natural and devoid of any enmity or fervor, much to Tohrk’s confusion. And from that calm posture, he thrust his rapier straight at Tohrk’s stomach. He didn’t look like he was winding up for an attack at all, but the thrust packed significant force.
The next moment, Tohrk’s large body was flung through the air, hitting the wall with a loud thud.
“Gah!” Tohrk croaked, having fallen to the floor.
Almark walked up to Tohrk and hoisted his torso off the ground, grabbing him by the collar.
“I win, Tohrk.” Almark brought his face close to Tohrk’s and spoke quietly. “Swear to me. Now.” For a second, Almark’s eyes glinted like a wolf’s. “Swear you’ll never discriminate against your classmates, no matter if they’re nobles or commoners.”
Tohrk said nothing, gritting his teeth with a furious expression. Almark shook him by the collar, slamming his words into the boy.
“Swear it, Tohrk! On your surname! Swear it on the name of House Shifei! Swear you’ll never insult them again!!”
Tohrk let out a low growl before falling silent. Then he finally forced the words out:
“…I swear it.”
When Almark let go of Tohrk’s collar, he heard cheering behind him. Turning around, he saw his classmates hurrying over to him.
“Wow! Wow!” Nelson said repeatedly, his excitement limiting his vocabulary.
“Did you see Tohrk?! He went flying!” Morgan exclaimed.
“Did you practice martial arts?”
“How’d you get this strong?”
The rest of the class surrounded Almark and peppered him with questions. But standing at the back of the group was Wendy, who looked at Almark with teary eyes.
“…That was so reckless…,” she eventually muttered.
“I told you I’d thank you, didn’t I?” said Almark.
Wendy smiled to the best of her ability. She still had tears in her eyes, but to Almark, hers was the prettiest smile he’d ever seen.
“…Thank you, Almark.”
Ah, so those were the words I wanted to hear from Wendy, Almark realized when he looked at her. I wanted to repay her for all she’s done for me, even if just a bit. And I did it in a pretty awkward way—the only way a Northern mercenary’s son knows.
But out of all his classmates’ admiring gazes, Almark sensed one that stood out. A cold glare of malice and bloodlust.
It was Wollis.
Wollis stood apart from the rest of the group and was looking right at Almark. He’d never spoken to this overachieving class representative, so why did Wollis look at him with such hostility? Almark couldn’t think of any reason for him to do that.
“All right, all right, settle down.” Bohen, who’d watched things play out in silence so far, finally stepped in. “Tohrk, Almark, don’t turn my class into a showdown. You’re not hurt, are you, Tohrk?”
Tohrk shook his head wordlessly.
Bohen turned to everyone and spoke up so they all could hear. “Now everyone, listen.” His voice silenced the students, who were still riled up from the outcome of the duel. “This is a good opportunity, actually. Let’s talk about martial arts.”
Bohen started walking between the students.
“At present, martial arts is but one subject you’re being taught to enrich your education. But once, during the age of war, it was seen as the single most important subject. Back then, knowing how to hold your sword was seen as more important than knowing how to read. Well, I say that, but that was long before I was born, too!” Bohen added jokingly. “Martial arts is not a dance, nor is it a game. The essence of martial arts are techniques geared toward how to most effectively hurt your opponent, how to most swiftly kill them. And even now, in an age far removed from war, that fact hasn’t changed.”
Everyone fell quiet, listening to Bohen as he turned his eyes to Tohrk.
“To that end, approaching your training with the intent of beating your opponent isn’t wrong at all. If anything, without that kind of goal, martial arts wouldn’t exist. So I will praise your spirit here, Tohrk.”
Tohrk looked taken aback by this unexpected praise.
“But you took that spirit and you filled it with hatred,” Bohen continued. “Hatred and battle aren’t one and the same. The essence of martial arts is both sides giving their all to beat each other, but you must respect your opponent.”
He surveyed his students.
“Respect your opponent,” he repeated. “That’s the purpose of learning martial arts in this age of peace. Tohrk, what you lack is respect for others. Without that, be it martial arts or magic, everything you do will be technique with no substance, and you will never touch on its true essence. I want you to reflect on that.”
“…Yes, sir.” Tohrk hung his head.
“Now then, Almark.”
Almark raised his head when Bohen called his name.
“You set Tohrk up, didn’t you?”
“I did,” Almark admitted.
“I don’t know what happened between you two. But you provoked someone far less skilled than you to get what you wanted. That’s what’s called foul play.” Bohen fixed Almark with a stern gaze. “Tricking your classmates is shameful, lowly, and unacceptable. You need to reflect on that.”
“…Yes, sir.”