Reborn Soul Master: The Rogue's Counterattack

"Hey!"

"That's what I meant!" Klose patted Cardin on the shoulder and laughed heartily. It seemed that Cardin's answer satisfied him.

"A hero who knows defeat becomes stronger! Thanks to you, my sister has received a great favor!" Losing in a duel is actually called a favor? Although it was completely incomprehensible, Cardin nodded and said.

"It's just a duel. It's not a big deal."

"If not in the academy, when can he experience failure without risking his life? This will be a good experience for him." Klose said this, standing up from his seat and looking at Cardin.

“Those who have never fallen don’t know how to overcome… I love this quote.”

"Thank you."

"If you want to fall, tell me anytime! I'll help you fall!"

"I'll think about it." Hearing Cardin's answer, Klose chuckled and asked for a handshake again. This time Cardin immediately shook his hand.

"Please take good care of my sister in the future. Try to beat her as many times as possible." After the brief handshake, Klose walked towards somewhere in the academy, and Cardin temporarily watched his receding back.

"What a strange person." Looking at his back, somehow I felt that this short fate would not end here.

"Everyone has made progress." Instructor Chris looked at the first-year students running on the training ground and smiled with satisfaction.

At the beginning, most of the students kept falling down due to lack of physical strength, but now none of them fell behind and they are all persisting in training.

"That child is fine too." Chris turned his eyes to Blanche who was running at the back. Although she looked unhappy, she did not give up running. She even bit her lower lip to hold on, which was impressive.

Blanche, whose pride was shattered after losing the duel with Cardin, did not attend class the next day. Although she was recovering from her injuries, her injuries were not serious enough to require her to miss class.

“Her self-esteem must have been badly hit after losing to a commoner who wasn’t a noble.” Chris even thought she might quit the academy, but after the holiday she returned to class.

Her expression seemed colder than before, but her eyes were more ardent. Or should I say, more sharp.

“Is this thanks to that kid?” Chris’s eyes now turned to Cardin. As usual, Cardin was running around the training grounds more easily than the others. He was running ahead of the students taking the close combat course, which was impressive.

"What a special child." Chris looked at Cardin running with an expressionless face, and briefly recalled what happened the night before. Late at night. Chris couldn't sleep, so he walked around the academy in the name of patrol.

"What a perfect night for a walk." Because it was a rest day, there were no students training until very late.

"Huh? There are still places with lights on." After walking for a while, Chris stopped and stood in front of the indoor training ground reserved for first grades.

“Is it Cardin?” Usually, those students who train late every day are mostly Cardin. Whatever training he is doing, he is always the first to enter the training ground and the last to leave.

"That kid is really hardworking." Chris wanted to praise his diligence, but at the same time he was worried that he might overwork himself and hurt himself.

"Rest is part of training." Chris grabbed the door handle of the training ground, wanting to give some advice. That's when

"Huh?" Chris heard someone talking in the training ground.

"I don't need sympathy. I only lost once. I don't need a little sympathy from you." This was the voice of Blanche, who was absent from school due to injury.

"Sympathy? I do feel a little sympathy for the noble lady who is too ashamed to come to class because of losing the game." The next voice was Cardin's.

"You bastard!" Blanche's voice rose, and Chris was ready to intervene in case things escalated.

"If you're hiding just because you lost a duel, then you might as well just give up. Your noble pride must have hit rock bottom."

"Leave me alone. Get out of here. Before I kill you."

"I'm always open to confrontation. So don't forget why you came to the academy." Fortunately, the conversation did not escalate into a fight. As footsteps approached, Chris realized that he might be discovered, so he quickly left.

"I didn't expect him to be so ambitious." Chris finished his thoughts and looked at Cardin with a chuckle. He was worried about his opponent's absence from class, so he personally stepped forward to encourage her.

"Although the method is rough, it's not bad. For a stubborn noble lady, this is the right way." Blanche developed a certain determination, and the reason was Cardin.

"Look at that sharp look." Blanche stared at the back of Cardin's head with a sharp look and continued her running. Her expression looked as if she would rush up and punch him at any time.

"Whether it's physical strength or duel, I will never lose. Failure once is enough." She started panting a long time ago and now she was almost trying to hold back retching.

However, Blanche's feet continued to hit the ground. She used to stop when she reached her limit and pretend to be proud, but now she continued to run regardless. The students around her showed surprised expressions.

"Tsk. What a unnecessary worry." Cardin felt the burning gaze coming from the back of his head and sighed in his heart.

"I just strengthened the power of what will become my enemy." If Cardin starts to act towards his goal, then Branch, who is a candidate for the next Guardian, is likely to become his enemy.

"At least I don't have anything to distract me from. That's a plus." It's irreversible anyway. Regret only brings negative emotions and thoughts. Every choice requires responsibility.

"As long as I become stronger, that's all." Cardin tried to ignore Blanche's gaze and continued running. After a while. After the physical training, the students including Cardin gathered on the training ground and sat down.

"I have something to announce, please pay attention." Instructor Chris walked over with a serious expression.

"Starting this month, we will conduct physical training and combat training at the same time." Hearing the news, the students all looked at Chris excitedly, and one of the students quickly raised his hand and asked cautiously.

"Instructor! Are you talking about a duel?" The official duel schedule for the first-year students has not yet been determined. The students seem eager to show off their strength through a duel.

"Of course, duels are also included in the course. We will go from bare-knuckle fighting to weapon techniques." Chris nodded and continued.

"Instructor! I'm a mage! Do mages also need to learn bare-handed combat and weapon skills?" This time it was Cardin's first friend Alvis, who raised his hand cautiously and asked.

"If a student is alone on the battlefield and lacks magic power, should he choose to die?"

"No, it's not!" Instructor Chris looked at Alves with sharp eyes. Alves, overwhelmed by his momentum, quickly nodded in response.

"Yes. Bare-handed combat and weapon skills are necessary training for survival."

"Understood!"

"Everyone, don't think this is a course that only benefits certain people. This is not a course for grading, but for your survival."

Instructor Chris asked, all the students answered in unison. "Yes! Got it!" They had to learn even if they didn't want to. If they ignored the academy's courses, there would be no reason to stay in the academy.

"Starting today, the weapons depot will be open and you will have one month to choose the weapons you want to train with."

"Yes!"

"By the way, courses related to close combat will choose ranged weapons, and courses related to ranged combat will choose close combat weapons." Hearing this, the students temporarily showed a puzzled expression, but no student expressed dissatisfaction.

"Understood!"