By Zephyria 
For that reason, when I entered the Thursday Advanced Swordsmanship class holding Benjamin’s hand, my classmates were so shocked that I spent quite some time explaining the circumstances.
While I was explaining that something like this had happened and I decided to hold his hand occasionally, Benjamin stood silently beside me, only nodding his head, which was so pathetic and cute.
I patted his back a few times.
Lucille burst into laughter again.
“No, just how, how strong are you? Can I hold it too?”
“…That.”
Benjamin looked back at me as if asking for permission, and I, holding back my laughter, replied.
“Well… Senior, your hand might get crushed. From what I can see, Young Master Benjamin still has trouble controlling his strength.”
“No, you need permission for something like this too? Are you guys really crazy? This is too funny!”
Lucille, unable to contain her curiosity, insisted on holding Benjamin’s hand as well, so I held his right hand and Lucille held his left, and we decided to apply the same amount of force simultaneously.
When Lucille, who had been acting tough, claiming to be a martial artist, screamed and let go, I calmly added.
“The amount of force just now was about one-third of his strength.”
“Is he a bear? Young Master Claudian, he doesn’t seem human.”
“…He is human.”
Seeing this, all the children in the Advanced Swordsmanship class came forward, curious and amused, wanting to try holding Benjamin’s hand.
Benjamin looked troubled, but I told them that I would stop him at the right moment while holding one of his hands, and he agreed to everyone’s requests.
Maelo Sanson, seeing this, also joined the line to hold Benjamin’s hand, laughing heartily.
When Sanson endured for a moment and then began to draw out his aura, everyone burst into laughter.
Benjamin’s face clearly showed his joy when Sanson and I repeatedly praised him, saying that a martial artist’s strength was an advantage, not a disadvantage.
Only Rubel, out of fear, wanted to know indirectly through my hand, so I allowed it.
After enduring for a long time, he too withdrew his hand, saying he couldn’t do it.
In any case, their actions were all so cute and endearing, it was a joy just to watch.
❖ ❖ ❖
There was a reason I specifically held Benjamin’s right hand when holding his hand.
Thursday afternoon’s class was Flying Dagger technique. My left hand was still numb from Benjamin’s grip, but my right hand was fine, so there was no inconvenience in attending the class.
Professor Wilton Roberts, dressed in his usual black attire, walked in with heavy steps and took his place.
“No one is absent. I will assign numbers according to your current standing positions and call you out. This order will be followed for all future Flying Dagger technique classes, so remember your numbers well.”
I received number 7. I was satisfied that it was neither too early nor too late.
Wilton Roberts continued, stating that we had learned in detail about the structure and grip of daggers in the previous class, and from today, he would teach us how to throw them.
The structure of the class was that each person, in order of their numbers, would come forward and throw a dagger three times.
The first throw was free, then Professor Roberts would offer advice based on the stance, which we would incorporate for the second throw, and after receiving further feedback, we would make the third throw before returning to our spots.
Professor Roberts repeatedly emphasized focusing on the sensation in the fingertips.
“Don’t keep the dagger in your sight. Look only at the target. If you stare at the path the dagger takes, what fool will be there to get hit by it? Keep your head up straight, and concentrate your strength in your index and middle fingers.”
However, at the moment of throwing the dagger, he remained silent without offering any advice.
“Close your ears too. I will help you throw in a quiet environment now, but later, you must be able to stick the dagger in the correct spot even in noisy and chaotic places. To do that, you must shut out all bodily sensations and focus on the feeling in your fingertips. At the moment of throwing, you must know whether it will hit the target or not.”
My turn, number seven, came quickly. I held the dagger the way Rubel had shown me. Professor Wilton Roberts’ sharp eyes glinted.
My first flying dagger, thrown without any explanation and just by adopting a stance, missed the target even at the short distance of 5 meters and lodged in the corner of the bullseye. Nevertheless, I received more praise than I expected.
Wilton Roberts clapped his hands together with a loud clap, clap, then nodded his head.
“Your gaze control and grip were excellent, Michael Ernhardt. However, the direction of force when stepping forward is unstable. That’s the only part you need to fix. The part where your shoulder remained steady when releasing the dagger was particularly good. Try throwing again with that in mind.”
“Yes.”
My second flying dagger completely missed the target. I thought to myself if I had become overconfident and was quite disappointed, but Professor Wilton Roberts continued his explanation in a calm voice.
“Because this Flying Dagger Training Field is open, it is affected by the wind. The wind is currently blowing from east to west. You can see from where the dagger fell that it is 15 degrees west of a straight line, isn’t it? That means it rode the wind well. By utilizing the wind like this, you can throw the dagger farther and in a way that is harder to detect.”
“Ah.”
“Well done. Throw one last time. Assume the wind’s direction and strength are the same as before.”
“…Yes!”
The third flying dagger I threw landed precisely in the center of the bullseye.
I clenched my fist without realizing it, suppressing a cheer that escaped between my teeth. After bowing and returning to my spot, Professor Wilton Roberts spoke as he glanced at the eighth student stepping forward.
“Ernhardt, you previewed the Flying Dagger technique last semester, didn’t you? Weapons once they leave a person’s hand are extremely dangerous. Therefore, the training field is not opened without someone to supervise. If any student wishes to practice separately, they must bring a student like Ernhardt, who has already passed last semester’s class with excellent results.”
“Yes!”
Ten students responded in unison, as if they were one body, with loud and precise voices.
Wilton Roberts chuckled and continued the class. The advice he gave to other students was also invaluable, so I listened very attentively.
After class, I approached Oliver Combine to speak with him.
I wanted to ask about Marianne.
Marianne had said that Glotin Tenner, whom she liked, was simply a shy, handsome man, but her voice, which was always dreamy and enraptured, made me doubt her words.
I was curious what Glotin Tenner, whom Shayden also considered a decent man, would seem like to his close friend.
“Senior Combine.”
“Huh? Uh-huh. Young Master Ernhardt? Why?”
“I heard you are close with Young Master Glotin Tenner.”
“Huh? Uh… yes?”
“I heard he’s dating someone these days.”
“…Huh? No, why would Young Master Ernhardt… Ah.”
Oliver Combine let out a laugh, stifling it with a “Huh.”
“Is it about Marianne?”
Shayden had warned me to be careful when talking about Marianne, so I tried to speak indirectly, but I was never good at this kind of conversation.
I felt embarrassed at being found out so quickly, but I shamelessly nodded.
“Yes. I was just curious about something.”
“Uh… it’s a bit awkward to talk about here. Shall we go outside?”
I readily followed him.
It was a cafe located within the grounds of Shierun Academy.
I didn’t want to go far because I had to go back to the stable for Benjamin after our conversation. When I ordered a parfait as usual, Oliver, who only ordered a cup of coffee without any dessert, looked somewhat bewildered.
When I asked him why, puzzled, he shook his head, saying it was nothing, so I didn’t pay it any mind.
After a bit of trivial small talk, Oliver Combine ran his hands over his face and bowed his head.
His seaweed-like, wavy teal hair flowed through his slender, long fingers.
“…I don’t really know that Glotin guy.”
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t the kind of thing I expected to hear from a close friend.
I swallowed a surprised sound. Oliver Combine, after rubbing his face dry for a moment, straightened up, pushing his hair back. I looked into his eyes and asked.
“Didn’t you say you two were close friends?”
“Exactly. As a close friend, I don’t know if what he’s doing is love. Marianne says he’s cute and pretty… but honestly, it’s just a fact that he’s cute and pretty. Other than that, he doesn’t seem much different from usual, and when asked if he’ll marry her, he says he doesn’t know.”
“Hmm.”
“Honestly, I think Miss Philodendore is too good for him. Glotin isn’t bad in terms of conditions, but a marriage without love will only lead to unhappiness for both of them. Especially for someone as lively as Marianne… you know what I mean?”
Honestly, I didn’t know what he meant.
Oliver Combine spoke in a calm tone, occasionally touching his eyes or ears, and pressing his chin with his fingertips, saying many things.
Most of it was about how Glotin Tenner was too indifferent, and Marianne Philodendore acted too cutely, making him worry that Glotin was playing with a child’s heart.
Indeed, his words were true.
Marianne was a cute, lively, and lovely girl. Hearing that not only I, but also a third party who had no relation to her, saw her that way made me nod with pride, as if I had heard praise for my own grandchild.
As I listened to the story repeatedly, Glotin Tenner, who acted so stoically, started to seem like a truly bad guy. So, when I asked if Glotin Tenner was a bad guy, Oliver shook his head, saying no, and then added again.
He’s a good, diligent, and kind guy, but I don’t know why he’s so cold to Marianne.
Just as my expression hardened with concern for Marianne, Oliver spoke again.
“So… I’ve even tried to sabotage the relationship between Marianne and Glotin.”
A moment of belated surprise washed over me.
I took a spoonful of the ice cream on top of my parfait and remained silent. Oliver let out an ambiguous smile. The boy’s teal eyes seemed somehow hazy.