I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

"Before we begin the sparring, I’ll set one condition," the instructor announced.

After leaving the class hanging by saying the condition would be revealed during the afternoon session, the instructor seamlessly continued the theory lesson.

Speculation and guesses about the condition buzzed through Class 1.

When the afternoon session finally began, the instructor appeared in the gym in her usual formal attire.

Sensing the heightened focus from her students, she offered a calm smile.

“Did everyone have a good lunch?”

“Yes!”

The cadets answered enthusiastically, but none had eaten so much as to feel sluggish. They had consumed just enough to fuel their physical training.

“Take a seat,” the instructor said, her voice ringing clearly through the spacious gym.

The cadets sat down with their weapons in hand. Rohan had picked up a standard-issue training sword from the wall.

“You all look eager for today’s sparring session. It seems like you’re more focused than during my usual practical lessons,” the instructor remarked with a subtle sense of humor.

The cadets, understanding the jest, responded with faint smiles and attentively listened.

“Before we get to the main point…”

The instructor placed the black training log she had been holding onto a nearby chair.

“During lunch, I had a discussion with the other instructors who oversee different classes. I’d like to share a bit about what we talked about,” she said.

Rohan quietly watched her.

He respected the instructor for her dedication and effort to fulfill her responsibilities and felt the best way to show his appreciation was to give her his full attention.

“Some instructors believe sparring between cadets is the best form of training. However, Orion Academy was founded to train forces specifically to counter monsters, so there’s still much debate about the efficiency of that approach.”

The cadets nodded, already having a sense of the direction this was going.

Based on her past actions, the instructor seemed to be concerned about the conflicts that sparring could create.

Her practical lessons focused on efficient use of mana for prolonged battles or drills involving coordinated attacks against large monsters, emphasizing implicit order and formations to avoid chaotic overlaps.

The cadets generally found her methods logical and professional.

“I personally believe there’s a distinct difference between fighting monsters and sparring against people. However, after exchanging opinions with the other instructors, I found some merit in the efficiency of sparring lessons.”

Her next statement seemed poised to be decisive.

The cadets could feel it.

“As Instructor Carrot mentioned… there are humans who are no better than monsters—absolute scum. When delving into the world’s affairs, it’s inevitable to encounter such individuals.”

Those who possess power inevitably get drawn into various incidents.

The instructor offered no further explanation. She instead took a step forward, signaling the start of the session.

“Now, let me explain the condition I hinted at earlier. Consider this a simple game between me and the cadets,” she said.

Noah’s tail curled into a question-mark shape as she tilted her head, puzzled.

Many other cadets wore similar expressions of curiosity.

“I will not use any weapons, nor will I attack. I will simply stand here and use only my left index and middle fingers.”

From her lessons, it was evident that the instructor was right-handed. Though she might be ambidextrous, using only two fingers still seemed puzzling.

“Each cadet will have two minutes. You may attack however you like. If you manage to push me back by a single step or make me use anything other than these two fingers, I lose. That means Class 1 wins.”

She emphasized that this wasn’t an individual victory but a collective triumph for the class.

“If I lose… hmm, I can’t think of a good reward. I suppose I’ll treat Class 1 to something delicious.”

Noah raised her hand eagerly.

When the instructor gestured for her to speak, Noah twitched her round ears and asked,

“What if we lose?”

That was likely the main point.

The instructor’s lips curled into a sly smile as if she had been waiting for this.

“Noah Frozenheart, along with the rest of Class 1, will put more effort not only into practical training but also into mastering theory.”

“Th-Theory classes?”

Even though the condition wasn’t particularly harsh, Noah stammered in surprise. Her tail drooped and pressed flat against the gym floor.

“Is that too difficult? All you need to do is try. I won’t expect specific scores or detailed results.”

“….”

“Who knows? You might fulfill the condition and get to enjoy a feast at my expense. Eat until I’ve spent my entire fortune, if you’d like.”

At the instructor’s lighthearted reassurance, Noah tapped her tail against the floor and glanced at Ichinose, who was seated nearby and focusing intently.

Steeling herself, Noah responded,

“Even if I lose to you, instructor, do you really think I’ll slack off and make excuses just because you said to try harder?”

“I do not,” the instructor replied firmly.

Noah’s eyes widened in surprise at the certainty in her voice.

Rohan and Ichinose, impressed, quietly admired the instructor’s unwavering stance.

“I don’t plan to account for you breaking your word. The conditions are vague enough as it is… Noah, are you saying you won’t keep your promise to me?”

“I always keep my promises!” Noah exclaimed.

“Then I trust you.”

From Rohan’s perspective, this exchange revealed something profound.

The instructor had perfectly grasped Noah Frozenheart’s personality and learned how to manage her.

True to her confident demeanor, Noah wouldn’t break her promise, even if she lost.

“Good. Let’s begin. Who’s going first?”

“Me!”

Noah shot to her feet and strode confidently to the front.

“From the moment you attack, your two minutes will begin. Show me your full power.”

“Can I really do whatever I want?”

“Yes. Don’t worry about damaging the gym. If that were a concern, this wouldn’t be Orion Academy,” the instructor said, slipping her right hand into her pocket as she watched Noah.

Noah rolled her shoulders in preparation, a carefree and bright smile spreading across her face.@@novelbin@@

“You know, I think I finally understand why my father told me to explore the outside world.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because my dad is terrible at teaching. I’m lucky to have met you, instructor.”

“Thank you… but I won’t pretend to relate,” the instructor replied, knowing only Noah, as the Great Tiger’s daughter, could speak of him so lightly.

“Cadets who are waiting, move behind me and maintain a safe distance,” the instructor ordered.

Once the other cadets shuffled to their positions, Noah finished her warm-up and began channeling her mana.

“Chuwaaaa───!!!”

A thick, icy mist emanated from Noah's entire body.

Her opponent might not rival her father’s strength, but they were undeniably a powerful force whose full extent she couldn’t yet fathom.

Noah had no intention of treating this session like her usual barehanded classes.

She was going all out.

“Fimbulvetr.”

Noah Frozenheart’s right index finger ring emitted a cracking sound as it began to change shape.

What formed in her hand was a massive axe made entirely of ice.

An axe that should have required two hands to wield was spun effortlessly in Noah’s grip with a single hand.

She took a sharp breath.

Boom!

The ground cracked as Noah disappeared.

Pffffwaaaa───!!!

The collision sent a powerful gust of frigid air throughout the gym, briefly obscuring the view.

When the frost cleared, the sight revealed Noah’s savage axe caught firmly between the instructor’s two fingers.

“The destructive power you demonstrated far exceeds the cadet average. Your mana control is particularly impressive,” the instructor noted.

“!”

“But inhaling right before an attack is a bad habit. From your tail to your muscles, there are too many tells,” the instructor added calmly, his demeanor unshaken.

Noah, undeterred, used the trapped axe as a fulcrum, launching a series of kicks.

“Your ability to adapt and respond quickly under pressure is commendable.”

“Huh?!”

The instructor gently shifted the axe, causing Noah’s footing to falter.

Letting go of the axe, Noah spun mid-air and landed lightly on the ground.

She recalled the weapon to its ring form and immediately re-summoned it.

Vooom! Whoosh! Fwoosh!

As the massive axe swung once more, the instructor moved to catch it with his fingers again.

Anticipating this, Noah leaped back, adjusting her stance.

Resting the axe on her shoulder, Noah lowered herself into a stance reminiscent of a prowling beast.

Her eyes darkened, and her sharp canines glinted in the light.

“You truly look like a predator,” the instructor observed.

Noah responded with a low growl, frost beginning to spread across the floor.

Crack! Crackle!

The ice thickened around the instructor, encasing the surrounding area, though his immediate position remained untouched.

Tensing her thighs, Noah launched herself across the gym.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

With a deafening roar, Noah dashed back and forth in a straight line, her movements too fast for most cadets to track.

Frost blossomed where she passed, forming icy spikes that trembled before shooting toward the instructor like arrows.

Papapapapapack!!!

A chilling wind filled the gym as shards of ice bombarded the instructor.

Between her relentless attacks, Noah continued to lunge, swing, and throw her axe.

The gym quaked with each impact, the reverberations echoing through the space.

Seizing what she thought was an opening, Noah landed behind the instructor and swung her axe with all her might.

“Every movement is guided purely by instinct,” the instructor remarked.

“!!!”

He caught the axe with his fingers, halting it mere inches from his suit.

Noah didn’t feel disheartened.

She thought it simply meant that things had gone according to the instructor’s plan.

“Argh!”

Recalling the axe to its ring form, Noah threw punches and kicks in rapid succession.

The force of her strikes shattered the ice around them into sparkling fragments, but the instructor deflected each blow with ease, as though humoring a child.

“Your focus is so intensely fixed on your target that it’s almost uncomfortable to watch. You’ll need to learn how to use that as a feint,” he advised.

“….”

“Consider whether you want to refine your instincts or develop a more structured fighting style.”

With those final words, the two-minute timer rang, and Noah came to a halt.

The instructor placed a hand on her head.

“Noah, are you satisfied?”

“Yes!!!”

Noah’s flushed face exhaled bursts of frosty air, her excitement evident.

She seemed far more thrilled by the opportunity to let loose than disappointed by her inability to push the instructor back even a single step.

Her tail swished enthusiastically from side to side.

“I’ll work hard on theory, too!” she declared.

“Excellent.”

The instructor smiled as he ruffled her hair.

With a wave of his mana, he shattered the remaining ice in the gym into tiny fragments, clearing the space.

The instructor turned his gaze to the cadets.

“Next.”