The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

Chapter 45

45. Special Instructor (2)

The candidates moved to the outdoor training ground for the duel.

Among them, a candidate with an unusually pale face trembled and muttered.

“Why… why me? Why am I always the one called?”

Albert whimpered in a voice full of sorrow.

Elisha approached him with the sound of her heels clicking.

“Are you Candidate Albert Hoover?”

“Ah… yes, yes! That’s correct!”

Elisha turned on the Hero Watch and examined the list of candidates that appeared on the hologram.

“Ranked 237th out of 472 third-year candidates. Belongs to the warrior department, primary weapon is a sword. Stigmata of the Earth God, no blessings. Is that correct?”

“Y-yes, that’s correct!”

Albert swallowed nervously and answered.

“Hmm.”

Elisha took a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth.

Click, pop!

Vincent, the silver-haired young assistant standing next to her, took out a lighter and lit her cigarette.

“Average.”

Albert’s level, as shown on the list, was exactly average for a candidate.

“Well… Professor, there are candidates with better grades than someone as ordinary as me…”

“No. You’re just right.”

Elisha exhaled smoke and turned off the Hero Watch.

“I want to know exactly what the average level of a third-year candidate is right now.”

“Ah… yes.”

With that reason, he couldn’t argue that there were many other candidates besides himself.

“Come to the center of the training ground.”

“…Yes.”

Albert walked to the center of the training ground, as if being led to the slaughterhouse.

“The duel will be conducted in a real combat style using magic and real swords.”

“R-Real combat, you say?”

“Yes. Fight with the intent to kill your opponent.”

“But what if an accident happens…”

“That won’t happen, so don’t worry.”

Elisha shook her head firmly.

She turned her gaze to Vincent, the assistant standing beside her.

“Assistant Vincent.”

“Yes, Professor.”

Vincent walked to the center of the training ground.

Elisha quietly spoke to Vincent as he walked away.

“Go easy on him.”

“…Understood.”

Vincent nodded slightly.

“Go easy?”

Did Professor Elisha’s words reach Albert’s ears?

A faint anger began to form on Albert’s face as he stood in the center of the training ground, gripping his sword.

She told him to fight with the intent to kill, but told the assistant to go easy.

It was practically an open insult, even if she didn’t say it directly.

“Hmph. Well, it’s true that I’m just an ordinary candidate with nothing special.”

Albert drew his sword from his waist and took a stance.

“But I’m also a hero candidate!”

The holy mark shone as magic enveloped Albert’s entire body.

Before the whistle signaling the start of the duel even sounded, Albert charged at Vincent.

A sharp sword strike aimed at Vincent, who hadn’t even drawn his sword yet.

“Oh. An ambush, is it?”

One of the best choices for a weaker opponent when fighting a stronger one.

In a normal duel, it would have been considered rude, but in ‘real combat,’ it was an action worthy of extra points.

“But.”

A cold sneer formed on Elisha’s lips.

“Clumsy.”

Kaang!

A flashing silver gleam.

Albert’s sword, aimed at Instructor Vincent, was deflected with a clear metallic sound.

“Ugh…!”

Albert barely managed to grip his sword, suppressing the dizzying recoil that traveled through his palm.

He steadied his shaken stance and summoned his magic.

The magic that had been spread throughout his body concentrated on Albert’s sword.

“Haaa!”

With a rough shout, he leaped once more.

Elisha, who had been watching the duel, narrowed her eyes coldly.

“You’re putting too much strength into it. Your magic distribution is a mess too.”

Kaang! Ka-ga-ga-gak!

Vincent deflected Albert’s sword, which was condensed with magic, and lightly kicked Albert’s knee.

“Wha, what?”

Albert, who had poured all his magic into his sword, couldn’t maintain his balance and fell flat on his face.

“Ugh…”

Albert groaned, holding his nose as blood trickled out.

Thud.

A silver blade touched the back of Albert’s neck as he lay prone.

“I, I lost.”

“……”

Instructor Vincent, who had subdued Albert in just two moves, sheathed his sword at his waist and turned away indifferently.

“Hmm.”

Elisha, who had been watching the duel from the side, frowned with a displeased expression.

Her gaze turned to the cadets who had been watching the duel.

“Next.”

“Ugh…”

The cadet pointed out by Elisha hesitantly stepped forward, glancing around nervously.

And the duel began again.

Kaang! Ka-kak!

“aaagh!”

Once again, less than 30 seconds into the sparring session, the cadet dropped his sword and fell to the floor of the training ground.

“Next.”

After about five similar sparring sessions.

“Stop.”

Elisha lightly raised her hand to halt the session.

“Haa.”

Elisha sighed deeply, pressing her forehead as if she had a headache.

“Pathetic.”

She turned to Professor Lucas with a fierce glare and continued.

“If third-year cadets are at this level, it’s a miracle that there were no casualties during the beast incident.”

Tsk. Professor Elisha clicked her tongue.

“Professor Lucas.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Do you think the cadets’ poor performance is their fault, or do you think it’s a reflection of your abilities as a professor?”

“That is….”

Professor Lucas replied in a calm voice.

“It’s a reflection of my abilities.”

“Is that so? Then this will be quick.”

Professor Elisha sneered coldly as she spoke.

“Take responsibility and resign from your position.”

“……!”

Professor Lucas’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden declaration.

“W-wait. If I resign, who will take care of the cadets….”

“Vincent, the assistant, will take your place.”

“But he’s an assistant, not a professor!”

“So? While Vincent may be somewhat lacking in combat skills compared to you, I believe he is better at disciplining the cadets.”

“…….”

Professor Lucas’s expression hardened.

“Th-that’s not it!”

At that moment.

One of the cadets stepped forward with trembling steps.

“…Albert?”

Professor Lucas looked surprised as he saw the cadet step forward.

“E-even though Professor Lucas is fierce, eccentric, has a terrible temper, makes weird things like special juices, and always bothers me when he’s bored…!”

“Hey, you little brat.”

“B-but he’s a good professor!”

Professor Elisha chuckled at Albert’s outburst.

“…Which part of what you just said makes him a ‘good professor’?”

“T-that… well. Uh… I may not know about anything else, but I’m sure of this one thing!”

Albert swallowed dryly and shouted as if squeezing out his words.

“Professor Lucas teaches us what it means to be a true ‘hero’!”

“……”

Silence fell with Albert’s outburst.

“Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped from Professor Elisha’s lips.

“A true hero… Are you still spouting such nonsense?”

Elisha sneered coldly as she looked back at Professor Lucas.

“A hero is someone who can kill more monsters and demons. All this talk about what makes a true hero is nothing but useless idealism.”

“A powerless hero can’t protect anyone or anything.”

Therefore.

“A strong hero is the true hero. Anything else is just trash unworthy of being called a hero.”

Professor Elisha glared sharply at the cadets.

“In that sense, you all are trash unworthy of being called hero cadets.”

“……”

The cadets were silent, like mute people who had eaten honey, at Professor Elisha’s harsh words.

“…Did you just call my students trash?”

At that moment.

Professor Lucas, who had been quietly bowing his head, ground his teeth.

“So, did I say something wrong?”

“……”

Professor Lucas closed his eyes gently and clenched his fist.

The clenched fist trembled for a moment.

“Ah.”

Did he come up with a good idea?

Professor Lucas turned towards me and raised the corners of his mouth in a grin.

‘What is it?’

Why is he suddenly smiling at me?

“Hehehe. Well… since you brought out your ‘assistant’, I guess I can call mine too.”

I’m not your assistant, you old man.

“Then how about this?”

Did he not hear my inner cry?

Professor Lucas walked over and placed his hand on my shoulder.

“How about a duel with this candidate?”

“That candidate…?”

Professor Elisha tilted her head and looked through the list of candidates.

“Name: Dale Han. Overall rank: 472 out of 472. Main weapon: sword. Possesses the mark of the Forest God but no blessings… is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“…Are you joking with me right now?”

Professor Elisha looked at Professor Lucas with an incredulous expression.

Even candidates with much higher ranks couldn’t withstand a single strike from Assistant Vincent’s sword and collapsed, and you want to duel with the lowest-ranked candidate?

“Stop talking nonsense and if you really want to duel, send out the highest-ranked candidate in this class.”

“No. Dale here may be ranked low due to certain circumstances, but his skills are solid.”

“Hah.”

Elisha snorted as if it was absurd.

No matter how low his rank was, how strong could the lowest-ranked candidate be?

“I didn’t want to say anything harsh out of old friendship, but… I’m starting to get annoyed.”

“So, will you duel or will you give up?”

“Duel with the lowest-ranked candidate? What kind of duel is that…”

“Scared?”

“…….”

Elisha took a cigarette out of her pocket and put it in her mouth.

Chewing the unlit cigarette like gum, Elisha looked back at Assistant Vincent.