I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel

The academy entrance was just a few months away.
It was around the time when I was receiving lessons from the academy’s head instructor as part of my training.
Rather than focusing on mastering the already completed “Defeated Sword,” I had been rolling around desperately, trying to catch up to Prince Ellen, who no longer needed the sword.
That day, I was sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath.
“Ah, Instructor.”
“What is it?”
A sudden question arose in my mind, and I asked the instructor.

“By the way, what happens to me if Prince Ellen becomes a Sword Master?”
“Of course, you’ll become a Sword Master too.”
“…Really?”
Among swordsmen, there is talk that only those chosen by the gods can become Sword Masters.
Of course, I knew from the instructor that real divine selection wasn’t necessary.
However, the instructor’s response—saying that it would be easier to be chosen by the gods—left me speechless.
“That’s a lie.”

Seeing my expression, the instructor chuckled.
“The royal academy exists to nurture royalty. If a royal becomes a Sword Master, there wouldn’t be much need for further growth.”
“That’s a relief.”
It was truly a relief. Even the royal family had their own cleverness.

“But if you can become a Sword Master, the story changes. Among Sword Masters, there’s a saying that becoming a Sword Master is not the end of the sword, but the beginning.”
Before I could even finish that thought, I heard about the possibility of extending my service.
“I guess I shouldn’t become a Sword Master after all.”
“Hey, that’s every swordsman’s dream. Are you not going to do it because you don’t want to work?”

The instructor looked at me with an incredulous expression, but it didn’t matter to me.
“I’ve worked hard, so I should spend all that I earn.”
I had made my instructor a Sword Master, and by that time, I would probably receive a title and live in comfort.
And between me and the prince, my own abilities could be considered among the best.

I was essentially the perfect match for the title of first-choice groom. My goal was to marry a noblewoman, which was more desirable than becoming a Sword Master.
“I’ve said it many times, but I don’t plan to stake my life on the sword.”
That’s why I could say it with sincerity.
If I had truly staked my life on the sword, I wouldn’t have started with such a strange sword, like the “Defeated Sword.”

“If that’s your thinking, I won’t force you.”
The instructor clicked his tongue and added with a slight regret.
“Let me know if you change your mind later.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Aren’t you being too firm?”
“Consider it a strong belief.”
“Is that what you’d call belief?”

The instructor let out a small laugh at that remark but soon began to make a sly expression.
“What’s this about?”
“Well, retirement also has its rules. It would be troublesome if you retired while Prince Ellen becomes a Sword Master during his mission.”
“What do you mean by that?”

I didn’t quite understand what he meant.
“If Prince Ellen becomes a Sword Master at the academy, you’ll need to work hard for the mission too.”
“Is that what you’re saying?”
No matter how much Prince Ellen was involved, becoming a Sword Master in his early twenties was unthinkable.
I couldn’t imagine such a thing back then, as I hadn’t even realized we were in a world of fantasy novels.

“Would the kingdom send royalty abroad to the empire for no reason?”
The reason we had prepared for studying abroad was because of the Sword Master, and the instructor’s assistance made it possible. Could that really be the case?
“Even if it’s the Sword Master, don’t you think that would be hard?”

If that was possible, the instructor would be a Sword God, not just a Sword Master.
“You’ll know if you try.”
His mischievous smile made me feel an eerie chill, and it would stick in my memory for a long time.

Because of that memory, every time I ate with Prince Ellen, I would often ask him what he had learned from the instructor.
Later, when I joined Violet’s side, I even gave him the task of observing and reporting any peculiarities in the training from the instructor during his time in the flower arrangement club.
Upon checking, the instructor’s teachings weren’t all that special.
What should I say?
When the professor was curious, he told students to come later and ask.
The instructor only taught those who came to ask.
He would teach them with a bit more detail, to make sure the students understood.

Of course, due to the instructor’s name, it would be a precious lesson for the students.
But the lessons in the flower arrangement club and the swordsmanship club were not that different.
It was just that the flower arrangement club members were so skilled that they received slightly higher-level training.
According to Uncle Aeron, the upper-year students in the swordsmanship club were taught the same things.
Knowing that, I was able to calm my anxious mind.
I figured he would teach us the same way, just with a bit more attention for me since it would be one-on-one.

It was probably a bit of my own wishful thinking, but I thought it was time to listen to the small voice of a swordsman that had been dormant inside me for a long time.
And so, I was sure of it.
The reason that voice had been so small was because I was living in a small rooftop room, barely scraping by with rent.
“Is this right?”
“Right.”

The instructor stood holding his sword.
That’s when I sensed something was wrong.
According to what I had heard, it was very rare for the instructor to unsheathe his sword during teaching.
He would typically show a posture or two, but now, as soon as I asked for training, he unsheathed it immediately.
He told me to draw my sword as well.
It seemed like he was asking me to follow his lead, but something felt off.
“There’s no better way to learn swordsmanship than to clash swords.”

The instructor’s kindly expression shifted.
It was a very familiar expression.
Occasionally, when the instructor would fully engage in a fight, he would make that same face.
It felt as if the instructor had become more like the student of his own teacher.
No way, right? That’s the instructor.
He can’t possibly be like the clumsy head instructor who didn’t fit his position.
“Come at me.”

But my expectations were cruelly shattered.
The gesture of inviting me with one hand reminded me so strongly of the instructor that it was as if they were one and the same.
Master Aren, the Sword Master, thought to himself.
‘Is this the so-called wave of the times?’

A new era was arriving.
The words he had heard when he first gained recognition were now ones he was feeling himself.
‘This is fun.’
Thanks to this, he reluctantly became the head professor at the academy, but surprisingly, he was enjoying it.
Though there were many shortcomings, the swordsmanship and the students’ skills were better than he expected.
And the swordsmanship club, where students were learning more seriously, reminded him of his past connections.

For some reason, though, he felt the new era more keenly when he looked at the students of the flower arrangement club, who were even more outstanding than the swordsmanship club students.
Among them, the two students' skills made him wonder if the wave of change might someday ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) hit him as well.
‘Ellen, Adam.’
Should he call it the country of knights, Leon?
The prince of Leon was far superior to his past self, and Adam, who had an eccentric feel, was also impressive.
His grandson, who had once been unrivaled among his peers, was now completely crushed.

Although his grandson’s repeated defeats saddened him, it was not a bad experience.
No, in fact, getting used to defeat in real combat was a good thing, since it meant one was truly alive.
That’s why he kept an eye on Ellen and Adam.
He had tried to teach them, but unlike Ellen, he had no opportunity to connect with Adam.
So, he called him directly to his office and suggested training.
When Adam refused so firmly, even the great Sword Master was a bit shocked.
That’s why, when Adam accepted to train using his relationship with his grandson as an excuse, he added a bit of personal resentment and decided to teach him earnestly.

And so, after some time...
“I see. He is indeed quite capable.”
From a purely physical standpoint, Prince Ellen was the top swordsman at the academy.
His swordsmanship was so far above that it easily outshone Master Aren’s younger self.

Comparing him to Adam, however, Adam’s skills seemed more like a faint glimmer in the shadow of the brilliant talent that was Ellen.
‘Adam’s skill level is decent... but he has a long way to go before matching Ellen.’
The difference between Adam and Ellen was like the sun and a firefly.

“That’s the difference between fighting the strong and being comfortable with it.”
Unlike Ellen, who would use wit and strategy to outmaneuver him, Adam simply took the blows from a stronger opponent with his sword.
The pure physical strength and fundamentals Adam exhibited were unlike anything I’d seen from an ordinary student.
It was fresh, and surprisingly, despite the challenges, he handled himself well.

“...”
And then, I saw the way he bit down on his teeth, the way he struggled, exhausted.
Even as the great Sword Master, Aren had to admit, Adam had something special about him.

He wasn’t relying on his reputation or his power as a Sword Master; he was genuinely putting in effort, not letting the weight of the past distract him.
This was fun. It had been a long time since he had faced someone like Adam.