My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 76: The Trial of Instructor Hyōri, Supervisor of First Years in the Upper School

A spire jutting into the sky.

A main entrance resembling a solid castle gate.

Luxurious, orderly windows lining the walls.

The Upper School’s Main School Building was immense. Everything was more luxurious and spacious than in the Lower School. The teachers’ private rooms were also in the Main School Building, and the room Kishō visited, led by Kōran, belonged to Instructor Hyōri, Supervisor of the Upper School’s first years.

Kishō’s first impression was that Instructor Hyōri was quite a unique Dragonkin.

She had swirly glasses and a freckled nose. For some reason, she was wearing a white lab coat instead of a dragon robe. Her side-tied hair exploded like a worn-out broom.

This teacher, with her rather unique appearance, invited Kishō and the others into the room, saying things like, “Yaa yaa yaa, welcome.”

The place was—supposed to be—a wide room, incomparable to the Lower School teachers’ private rooms. However, books were piled up everywhere, leaving no place to step, and the empty space visible to the eye was very narrow. It was cramped enough to feel oppressive.

They were guided down an animal trail, just barely wide enough for one person to pass, sandwiched between books, leading to the office desk placed in the innermost part. Books were lined up haphazardly on the desk, too, threatening to reach the ceiling. Looking closely, even the office chair had been buried in books and seemed no longer usable. Adjusting her slipped swirly glasses, Instructor Hyōri said.

“Please sit on the chairs around there.”

Floating question marks, Kishō looked around. Although it was a somewhat more open space compared to the entrance, it was overflowing with books as usual, leaving no place to step. Kishō was exasperated internally by the sight, but even before that, he couldn’t find any chairs.

Ignoring Kishō, who was standing still, Kōran sat down on the piles of books nearby.

“Oi, wait a minute. How is sitting on books acceptable?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it.”

“No, it’s not fine. No matter how you look at it, these are valuable books.”

They were leather-bound old books that had seen better days. It was easy to imagine that each one would be expensive. When Kishō looked at Instructor Hyōri with a troubled expression, she was also just about to sit down on the books piled flat, just like Kōran.

“I don’t mind particularly. You sit down quickly, too.”

“See?” Kōran looked at him triumphantly. Cursing, “Ah, I was wrong,” Kishō also followed the two and sat down. After confirming everyone was seated, Instructor Hyōri opened her mouth again.

“I’ve heard the story. You are Princess Kuroyō’s fiancé, correct.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Furthermore, to have even Kōran-kun following you, you look just like a king of somewhere.”

“No, this guy is… just a guide.”

Killing intent flew from his right, but Kishō pretended not to notice. Even though it was winter, he felt like the temperature of the room rose a little. The source of heat went without saying. Was fire not strictly prohibited in this room piled with old books—while Kishō felt anxious, Instructor Hyōri asked, leaning forward.

“Interesting. Iyaa, truly interesting. You look like nothing but a mediocre male student, but where exactly was Princess Kuroyō attracted to? Hey, Kōran-kun. What do you think?”

“If Onee-sama recognized him, then it must be so.”

Short. A curt answer. At that reply, typical of Kōran, Instructor Hyōri nodded without being offended in the slightest.

“That is so. It is hard to think that a person of Princess Kuroyō’s caliber would misjudge the selection of a person. I shall agree on that point too. However, you see…”

Instructor Hyōri’s eyes narrowed through the thick lenses.

“The Headmaster seems terribly angry. I have been issued instructions to crush you and break your confidence.”

Hmph, Kishō’s whole body stirred as if boiling.

Naturally, the corners of his mouth curled up.

“I don’t mind. Rather, I’d be troubled if you didn’t come at me like that.”

—Go pick a fight in the Upper School.

That was the one and absolute mission issued by Instructor Mion.

What Kishō had to do from now on was a proof of ability. He had to display overwhelming power, enough to convince everyone that he was sufficient to marry the Princess. For that sake, he intended to do anything. That resolution was completed the moment he stepped onto the land of the Upper School.

Instructor Hyōri laughed at this confrontational stance.

“Good, truly good. Differences of opinion are suppressed by force. That is exactly the original form of a Dragonkin man. There are no human rights for the weak, but the strong obtain everything.”

However, Instructor Hyōri’s eyes shone through the thick lenses.

“It is extremely doubtful whether you have that ability.”

“In that case, you should just test it.”

“Hoh. It seems you have considerable confidence.”

“Naturally. My ability comes with Kuroyō’s seal of approval, after all.”

“Very well!”

Fluttering her long white coat, Instructor Hyōri stood up.

“In that case, follow me. I am in charge of the next class.”

◇◇◇◇◇

Training facility dedicated to Breath.

A fifty-meter square space surrounded by chalk-white walls. The structure closely resembled the First Laboratory of the Magic Experiment Building in the Lower School.

The floor and walls were composed of thick White Dragon Stone blocks, and defense was fortified by magical processing. With this strength, wouldn’t it be able to endure firmly even attacks from siege magic weapons, similar to the First Laboratory? It was a great difference from the Lower School’s facility, which was just made outdoors, exposed to rain.

“It is not just the floor and walls. The targets are also special-made with Upper School specifications. By compounding orichalcum into adamantite, the strength is raised by several levels, and defense is raised from the bottom with even more advanced magical processing. So that Upper School students can practice Breath with full power.”

A black line was drawn straight across the chalk-white space. A target was placed thirty meters ahead of that line—the composition was the same as the Lower School. If there was a difference, it was that steel partition plates were set up inside the black line. It seemed one target was placed corresponding to each partition plate.

It seemed the class had already started, and the Upper School students were now forming lines at each partition plate, waiting for their turn.

Guided by Instructor Hyōri, as he crossed behind them, Kishō asked.

“Kuroyō was blowing away targets from the root in the Lower School. Are you saying such a thing won’t happen here?”

“The defense power is an order of magnitude different from the targets used in the Lower School. It would probably be difficult even for Princess Kuroyō to destroy them. Unless she arms herself.”

The Princess’s armed breath. Kishō, who knew that immense power personally, muttered, “I see.”

Advancing through the passageway of the vertically long breath training facility, Instructor Hyōri stopped her feet at the center. And while striking her hands together as if clapping, she emitted a languid voice that didn’t sound motivated.

“Hai ha-i. Stop your hands for a moment and pay attention—”

The Upper School students who were conducting breath shooting training turned toward the passageway side—in other words, this side—all at once. Their gazes gathered naturally on the newcomer next to the teacher.

“This is Kishō-kun who will be provisionally enrolled in the Upper School for a while starting today. Everyone get along with him.”

Ooh, the Upper School students stirred.

The color of confusion was strong, but it was no wonder. Usually, transfers were carried out at the time of grade advancement. It seemed promotion to the Upper School in the middle of a semester was rare.

“That is precisely why you must demonstrate your ability. Correct?”

“If I can prove that I pass muster even in the Upper School, I can be promoted formally, right.”

“Ah, exactly so.”

The Upper School students were whispering something, but no one openly objected to Instructor Hyōri. The place just proceeded quietly.

While wiping her swirly glasses carefully with a handkerchief, Instructor Hyōri curled up the corners of her mouth meanly, and said:

“In that case, show me your breath.”

She thrust an unreasonable demand at him nonchalantly.

Kishō, who had no aptitude attribute, cannot release a breath, which was an attribute attack. That was common sense in the Lower School, and naturally Seiran, who was the Headmaster, also knew it. If so, it means Instructor Hyōri also thrust an unreasonable demand intentionally, knowing that.

The Upper School students did not yet know that Kishō had no aptitude attribute. Although they stirred, no particularly excessive reaction returned. Objectively seen, considering that it was currently in the middle of breath class, Instructor Hyōri’s demand would be extremely natural. Only Kōran, the only one in this place who knew that it was an unreasonable demand, was knitting her brows with her arms folded.

If he confesses he cannot shoot a breath, he will be put to shame good and proper. He will be scorned by the Upper School students, and treated as an existence below air like in the time of the Lower School. If she calculated up to there, this teacher was quite a shrewd one.

Instructor Hyōri said in an aloof tone.

“Shoot through that target from here. I won’t let you say you can’t do it. Without a means of long-distance attack, how do you intend to protect the flock?”

That was a sound argument, although unwillingly.

Kishō must overturn the handicap of not being able to shoot a breath.

Right person in the right place. The Princess told him she would use breath instead. But right now, in this place, he cannot use the Princess as an escape route.

(For the sake of Kuroyō who believed in me like this too, I cannot retreat even a step here.)

Without hesitation, Kishō pushed through the Upper School students and stood in front of the nearest target.

Instructor Hyōri stood behind him.

“Hoh. To act without flinching, that’s admirable courage. However, what will you do from here? I think there is nothing you can do, though.”

“Hyōri-sensei. I will confirm one more time. I just have to shoot through that target, right.”

“Ah, if you can shoot it through splendidly, I shall give you a pass.”

“Don’t forget those words.”

He drew the mock sword he wore at his side.

Instructor Hyōri furrowed her brows suspiciously.

“Kishō-kun? I told you to show me a breath. Why is there a need to draw a mock sword?”

Remaining silent, Kishō housed Sword Aura in the mock sword. Purple flame Sword Aura gushed out. Instructor Hyōri cannot see that off-the-charts Sword Aura boiling like a tsunami. She only saw that Kishō was holding the mock sword in Seigan (middle posture).

Suddenly, Kishō switched the grip of the mock sword to a reverse grip. Then he took a form like javelin throwing, and held the tip parallel to the ground. That resembled slightly the thrusting posture Instructor Mion took, but its use was completely different.

Flexing his tempered muscles, he wound up the stick housing Sword Aura like a tsunami greatly. Both Instructor Hyōri and the Upper School students were dumbfounded, wondering what was starting. Shouldering their doubts all by himself, Kishō threw what he held horizontally with brute force.

Violet Lightning Flash!

Vwoom! The lightning spear that raised a groan flew in a straight line, and pierced the center of the target as if aiming clearly. A trail of violet lightning was drawn on that trajectory.

Turning around to Instructor Hyōri, who opened her mouth wide and froze on the spot, Kishō said.

“How is it, Sensei. This is my breath.”