The Second Prince’s Seclusion (1)
《 The Second Prince, Rosnante Leonine, has gone into seclusion! 》
The next day, the news spread like wildfire throughout Ramielli Academy.
Common classes, liberal arts classes, training grounds, cafeteria... The Second Prince was nowhere to be seen.
Those who had been trying to curry favor with the Second Prince even before he entered the academy were left hanging like puppets with their strings cut after only a single day.
They searched high and low to figure out his whereabouts.
Soon, they discovered that he was holed up in his mansion, refusing to meet anyone or even step outside.
They had expected the Second Prince to be actively managing his support base, at least for the time being, since he had just enrolled.
So, the news came as a minor shock to the noble students.
And the reason behind it also began to spread quietly among them.
“...Why did he suddenly go into seclusion?”
“Shhh, you have to keep this a secret, okay? Don't tell anyone I told you.”
“Of course! Don't you trust me? My nickname is the Empire's Vault, you know.”
“More like the Empire’s blabbermouth.”
“Just spill it already!”
The students were hesitant to speak openly due to the Second Prince’s status, but ‘keep this a secret’ was hardly an effective gag order.
“Well, well. You see, yesterday in the knighthood class...”
“What!? The bread!?”
“Shh!! Quiet! That’s not important…...”
“Right, right.”
Even as they shushed each other, the students diligently spread the story of the previous day’s events.
Eventually, there was no one in the academy who hadn’t heard about how the Second Prince had challenged the swordsmanship instructor to a duel and ended up getting knocked out cold with a loaf of bread.
And some gossipmongers had even found out about the whole ‘wetting himself’ part.
The news eventually reached the ears of another swordsmanship instructor, Dios.
“What!? So you’re telling me… The Second Prince got knocked out with bread in front of other students, and even wet himself before fainting?”
“Y-yes…”
“Tsk, that idiot. Digging his own grave.”
“B-but it was a duel officially recognized by the academy…”
Dios frowned at the words of the lower-ranking noble student sponsored by his family.
“That doesn’t matter. That fool doesn’t understand why instructors have more authority than noble students but can’t wield it recklessly.”
“...?”
“It’s only four years at most. Instructors spend those years from admission to graduation with the first-year students.”
“Then during that time…”
“And you think that Second Prince will forget his grudge just because four years have passed?”
“That’s… That’s true.”
The lower-ranking noble student had also experienced the Second Prince’s temper firsthand when he was forced to attend a large gathering.
He couldn’t imagine that the prince would simply let go of all his resentment.
No, it was more likely he wouldn’t even be able to wait the four years.
‘Hmm. But to think that he got beaten by a loaf of bread… He was quite talented when I saw him as a child…’
Dios shook his head as he recalled the rumors about the Second Prince.
‘Well, I guess it’s possible if he’s been neglecting his swordsmanship training and focusing on appearances. I heard he was as skilled as the Imperial Knights, but I guess those were just rumors.’
As expected, there was no telling what the future held.
Those who forgot the importance of constant effort in swordsmanship were bound to fall behind.
He desperately tried to ignore his own growing belly, a result of the academy’s recent improvement in the quality of their meals.
Dios considered himself lucky.
He had been trying to curry favor with the Second Prince since the entrance ceremony, hoping to get on his good side because the prince was interested in swordsmanship.
But then this incident had to happen before he could even get started.
‘As expected, if I want to build connections, I should focus on the First Prince. He did me a favor… A favor… Hmm?’
Suddenly, a sly smile spread across Dios’ face.
Zeke had been a thorn in his side ever since he entered the academy.
He had ignored him, disregarded his greetings, and even stolen the attention of the princesses.
The resentment from that time had been bothering him like a pebble in his shoe.
But now, he could kill two birds with one stone.
‘Yes, I can cut ties with the Second Prince and get rid of that annoying punk.’
“There’s no need to wait.”
“Excuse me?”
“Those who attended that guy’s class yesterday will be coming to mine today, right?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
“Hmm, this will be interesting.”
***
Dios’ class time.
He swept his gaze over the students gathered in the First Training Ground.
“Attention, everyone. I am Dios Redwood, and I am the First Swordsmanship Instructor in charge of this First Training Ground at Ramielli Academy.”
As he spoke, the students seemed somewhat intimidated, cautiously observing Dios.
“Allow me to introduce myself first. I am the second son of Count Redwood and was once one of the Black Dragon Swordsmen of the Black Dragon Knights. Surely, none of you are unfamiliar with this name. And I competed against them and won, becoming the Captain of the Black Dragon Knights.”
Yes, this was it.
The classic curriculum of the classes they had heard about before entering the academy!
Instead of running laps around the training ground from the first class, they were treated to an introduction of the instructor himself!
How comfortable and relaxing!
The students felt their tension melt away.
“What you will be learning for the next four years is the Black Dragon Swordsmanship. Speaking of the Black Dragon Swordsmanship, in the distant past, when the evil dragonkin led monsters in an invasion during those dark times…”
The history of the Black Dragon Swordsmanship that flowed from Dios’ mouth was quite interesting, at least in the beginning.
The students’ eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“And finally… At that moment! An ogre, at least forty meters tall, suddenly…”
But just when it seemed like the story was about to reach its climax, a new monster would appear.
“And finally… At that moment! My master, the Swordmaster, used his legendary swordsmanship…”
Or, just when it seemed like it would truly end, a new technique with a fancy name would pop up.
“But then, finally… That technique was also…”
And then, he would proceed to explain that technique in detail.
‘Ugh, does he have to say ‘and finally’ every other sentence?!’
This was a different kind of hell.
The students struggled to keep their mouths from falling open in yawns as they listened to Instructor Dios’ long-winded speech.
This was torture in its own right.
They whispered amongst themselves in hushed voices, trying to stay awake.
“Yesterday’s class with the other instructor wasn’t this boring, was it?”
“You’d have to be dead to fall asleep during that. Still, after going through that hell yesterday, this feels like heaven. Haa…”
“Dude, shut up. I agree, but… Wow, how can someone talk nonstop for three hours straight? Is he a Mouthmaster?”
“They say the first class is supposed to end early…”
Oblivious to the students’ desperate gazes, Dios was too busy being engrossed in his own story to notice.
He continued to ramble on and on.
Then, he noticed the lower-ranking noble student from earlier frantically waving his hands in a crossed motion, signaling him to wrap it up. Looking at the time, he realized there was only an hour left.
“…And so, the story of the Black Dragon Swordsmanship is not over yet. But we’ll stop here for today. I’ll tell you more about it in our future classes, so don’t be too disappointed.”
Dios cleared his throat and examined the students’ faces.
‘Hmm, as expected, this story always fills my heart with pride, no matter how many times I tell it.’
The students seemed to share his sentiments.
Some had their mouths agape, while others had bloodshot eyes. They must have been deeply moved.
They were probably overwhelmed by the realization that they would be learning such an amazing swordsmanship style.
‘Yes, the Black Dragon Swordsmanship is the strongest. Hmm. Now, before I demonstrate…’
Dios smirked.
“I heard you all attended Zeke Clayman’s swordsmanship class yesterday?”
“...!”
“And I also heard that the Second Prince challenged him to a duel and lost.”
The students, who had been in a daze after being subjected to Dios’ endless lecture on the Black Dragon Swordsmanship for three hours, snapped out of their stupor.
He was bringing up the very topic everyone was trying to avoid, and in the middle of class, no less.
Did he have a death wish? Did he want to get on the Second Prince’s bad side?
“Oh dear, what a disgrace. As a fellow swordsmanship instructor at this academy, I must apologize.”
He bowed his head slightly.
“To think that an instructor would resort to intimidating a student and mocking an honorable duel…”
Dios shook his head, feigning disappointment.
“Um…? Hey, that’s not really what happened, though?”
“Yeah, the Second Prince was the one who challenged him to the duel…”
“And I have to admit, I thought it was a bit much at first, but…”
“If Instructor Zeke had actually used a sword… I don’t think the Second Prince would have gotten away with just fainting…”
The difference in skill between the Second Prince and the swordsmanship instructor was evident.
The sight of the Second Prince charging in with gritted teeth, only to be met with Zeke casually swinging a loaf of bread as if he were bored, was enough to make it clear to even the most untrained eye that there was a huge gap in their abilities.
Moreover, the way Zeke had aimed for the prince’s unguarded spots while providing verbal instructions made it seem more like he was giving a lesson rather than mocking him.
“And there weren’t even any injuries…”
“When I got home yesterday, my whole body was covered in bruises…”
“Me too.”
The students looked at each other, confused.
Everyone present had been on the receiving end of Zeke’s baguette strikes at least once during yesterday’s class.
And it had hurt more than they expected from a bread-based beating.
They had been horrified to see their reflections in the mirror later, their bodies covered in colorful bruises.
Fortunately, the bruises had disappeared like magic by morning, leaving only a lingering muscle ache.
They were all nobles or commoners who had grown up with some privilege. None of them had ever been physically disciplined at home.
But even the Second Prince, with his noble bloodline, had been struck with a baguette. Who were they to complain?
However, seeing that the Second Prince had emerged from the duel without a single scratch made them realize the stark difference in their social standing.
‘The swordsmanship instructor must have gone easy on him because he’s royalty…’
That was the only conclusion they could come to.
“I bet he was just pretending to faint out of shame.”
“Yeah, I would have done the same.”
Ignoring their murmurs, Dios continued to push his narrative.
“That’s why I intend to hold that shameless swordsmanship instructor accountable for his actions and lack of honor. Surely, there’s no one here who would willingly attend Zeke Clayman’s class, right?”
Dios’ expression hardened as he spoke.
“Don’t you agree that someone like that should be removed from their position as an instructor? There are ways. If none of you attend Zeke Clayman’s classes…”
His gaze swept over the students, filled with a dark and unsettling intensity.
Then, he suddenly burst into laughter, his expression turning jovial.
“Hahaha! Just kidding! I’m just messing with you all! Surely, a swordsmanship instructor at this academy wouldn’t try to prevent students from choosing another instructor’s class. I have no right to do that. Of course not.”
“Ahahaha…”
“But, if you think about it, the answer is quite obvious.”
The students gulped nervously at his words.
“Now, that’s enough talk. Let me demonstrate the Black Dragon Swordsmanship for you all.”
Selena, however, paid no attention to Dios’ display of swordsmanship.
Her mind was consumed by thoughts of Zeke Clayman.
She clenched her fists, her body trembling with a mix of anger and determination.
‘Instructor Dios is trying to turn everyone against Instructor Clayman! He wants to stop us from attending his classes! I have to tell Instructor Clayman about this!’
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