Chapter 23: Club Activities (4)
As expected of the Northern Grand Duke’s daughter, Anastasia’s sword cleanly split the wooden dummy in half.
But honestly, I couldn’t help but admire her sword. When sheathed, it looked ordinary, but the moment it was drawn, it expanded like something out of a fantasy novel—thicker, larger, and undeniably captivating.
Even though she was a woman, the sword itself carried a romantic appeal that resonated with the masculine heart.
Moreover, as soon as she prepared to strike, frost formed along the massive blade, and icy shards scattered along its trajectory. It was breathtaking.
Jessica, who had only shown curiosity when I wielded the sword, now gazed at Anastasia with something akin to reverence.
“Wow, amazing! I can’t believe it! I didn’t expect you’d actually split it in half! And that unusual sword—and your breathing technique! Are you from the North?”
“…Yes. Um, was I not supposed to break that wooden dummy?”
As someone who preferred solitude, I could tell she was uncomfortable.
Outsiders like us wither under the spotlight of attention. Jessica, clearly an extrovert, seemed utterly oblivious to Anastasia’s predicament.
“No, not at all! In fact, it’s designed to see if anyone can break it! It may look shabby, but it’s made of incredibly tough wood. Even our leader can only split it, and you’re a first-year who pulled it off so effortlessly!”
“…You’re too kind.”
“Wait a minute… your hair, the runes on your sword, and the fact that you’re from the North… Could it be? Are you the famed ‘Icebreaker Anastasia’? The one who hunted monsters at just nine years old?!”
As murmurs spread through the crowd, Anastasia’s head drooped, her lips pressed tightly shut, as if silently begging for this to end.
No one had ever recognized me like that before, but I imagined I’d feel the same—completely mortified. The idea of someone shouting a weird nickname and recounting my childhood deeds in front of others was enough to make me respect Anastasia’s composure.
Meanwhile, Goldsun’s persistent stare hadn’t let up. At this point, it was seriously unnerving.
“…I… I am Anastasia, but those stories about hunting monsters are exaggerated rumors.”
“Haha, my bad! I got a little carried away. Now then, the next person… Wait, I forgot to divide the groups!”
Jessica scratched her head sheepishly, and to my dismay, she looked directly at me.
What now? She’d already humiliated me by calling me out first. Jessica was already an enemy in my mind, so whatever she had in store couldn’t be good.
“Uh, Anastasia, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Could you escort the first girl over there to stand behind the blue-haired girl?”
“…Pardon?”
“Or is that too much to ask? Am I being unreasonable?”
Jessica had a way of making requests sound impossible to refuse, much like those overly cheerful colleagues back at the office. It brought back memories of unreasonable workloads that I somehow managed to handle.
Perhaps I should’ve stood my ground back then. Not that it mattered now—I couldn’t even remember what I used to do for a living.
This situation felt too familiar. Jessica even looked a bit like one of those coworkers.
“Oh, no! It’s not unreasonable, but, uh…”
Anastasia glanced nervously between Jessica and me, her confusion and hesitation evident. She clearly didn’t want to do it but couldn’t figure out how to refuse politely.
“It’s not too much, is it?”
“…N-no.”
“Great! Thanks. Next up—blond boy over there!”
And with that, Anastasia had no choice but to comply. She hesitated for a moment before reluctantly heading toward me.
For a noble of her stature, surely she could’ve just said no. Then again, I wasn’t exactly in a position to criticize—I was a princess from a distant continent who avoided attention out of sheer self-preservation.
Maybe it was simply harder for introverts like us to refuse.
Wanting to help ease her discomfort, I took the initiative to approach her.
“Fancy meeting you again.”
“…Yes, it seems so.”
“Let’s go, then.”
There wasn’t much need to push through the crowd. While it wasn’t overly dense, people instinctively moved aside as we approached. Probably out of fear of Anastasia’s status—or maybe they just didn’t want to get near me.
I couldn’t help but worry that my presence might tarnish her reputation. Should I have kept a bit more distance?
“Um… may I ask something?”
Her voice startled me out of my thoughts. Despite my surprise, I resolved to answer sincerely.
“What is it? Speak freely.”
“What… Do you think of family?”
Family? Where had that come from?
The question caught me off guard, but I’d already decided to answer truthfully. After some thought, I replied.
“Family is everything.”
“Everything…”
“Why do you ask?”
What could have prompted such a question? While it wasn’t inappropriate, it felt oddly out of place.
“Well… you said your father taught you swordsmanship…”
Ah, so that was it. She must’ve been wondering how my father could’ve taught me so poorly. It was a fair question, though the implication stung a little.
“It’s not my father’s fault. I simply lack the skill to follow in his footsteps. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t be so bad.”
She seemed to realize she might’ve gone too far and refrained from pressing further.
An awkward silence hung between us as we reached our destination.
After Hoyeon and Anastasia’s turns, nothing particularly surprising happened.
Several students managed to leave noticeable marks or scratches on the dummies, but their performances were all within expected bounds.
Those who understood mana breathing techniques could at least scratch the surface. Without mana breathing, even the best swords couldn’t leave a dent.
Jessica’s mind, however, was preoccupied with what she’d seen from Hoyeon.
Her speed, her trajectory, the strength she displayed despite not using mana breathing—all were remarkable. But what stood out most was the intent behind her strikes.
While swordsmanship ultimately existed to harm, Jessica felt Hoyeon’s moves were focused entirely on efficient killing.
She targeted only the most vulnerable spots—places where even a graze could be fatal. Her style, fleeting as it was, seemed more befitting of a soldier or assassin than a princess.
What kind of father would teach his child such techniques?
Jessica pondered the question, but no clear answer emerged. Lost in thought, she continued dividing the groups until only one student remained.
A young man with black hair and black eyes—handsome, yet lacking any striking features.
Though Jessica hadn’t called him, Dogeon stepped forward, recognizing it was his turn.
“You’re the last one. It looks like you don’t have a sword. Want to borrow one?”
Jessica offered her sword, but Dogeon declined.
Observing the process closely, Dogeon had deduced the sorting criteria.
The blue-haired girl’s group was the advanced class, the brown-haired girl’s group the intermediate, and the red-haired boy’s group the beginner.
Under normal circumstances, he would’ve swung honestly and accepted his placement. But with Hoyeon and Anastasia both in the advanced group, Dogeon had no choice. To protect Hoyeon from any misfortune and maintain his connection with Anastasia, he needed to be in the same group.
This meant leaving a prominent mark on the dummy.
Instead of borrowing a sword, Dogeon picked up a fragment of wood that had broken off one of the dummies.
“No need. This will do.”
Jessica looked at him in confusion as Dogeon assumed his stance.
“Enchant.”
Blue mana gathered at the edge of the wooden fragment, growing from the size of a nail to the shape of a full blade.
“Hah!”
With a sharp cry, Dogeon swung. The mana blade left a glowing blue scar on the dummy before dissipating.
“A mage? I didn’t expect to see something this rare! But why would a mage join the Swordsmanship Club?”
The real reasons—monitoring Hoyeon and building ties with Anastasia—weren’t things he could share. Instead, Dogeon crafted an appropriate response.
“Because the sword is the king of all weapons.”
“You think so too?!”
Jessica’s enthusiasm for swords sparked an animated conversation. Dogeon knew he’d succeeded.
“Haha, sorry, I got a little carried away there. Anyway, with your skill… advanced class!”
Pointing to the blue-haired girl’s group, Jessica confirmed Dogeon’s placement.
Smiling to himself, Dogeon knew his strategy had worked perfectly.
TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES