The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 408: Special Lesson in Hell (4)

"Swordsmanship Department students."

With a bright smile, I gently called out to the students lying in the middle of the grassland, using a caring tone to rouse them. It was time to get up—they had rested enough.

Flash!

Slowly, five students began to stir, rubbing their aching heads as they sat up.

The five were: Sigor Rook, a first-year Swordsmanship Department student; Malik and Hanna from the Histania family; the cocky troublemaker Lohan; and the model student Mikhail. None of them seemed to have suffered any significant harm.

Malik, the first to open his eyes, looked around, letting out a dry chuckle.

"Did I faint...?"

"..."

"I once endured my father’s killing intent, but... you must be stronger than him."

"Of course not. There’s no way I’m stronger than the Head of the Histania family."

I shook my head, humbly denying Malik’s words. Though I didn’t confirm or deny it completely, I left it ambiguous.

"It’s thanks to the Holy Sword and the Demon Sword."

"...Hm?"

"I was fortunate enough to qualify to wield both the Holy Sword and the Demon Sword. Of course, if I use both simultaneously, my body would break down, but for a short while, I can manage without overexerting myself. That’s how I was able to knock you unconscious."

Malik let out another dry laugh.

"You live an absurdly entertaining life."

"It is fun, I admit."

"Unbelievable."

Patting Malik on the shoulder, I stood up, smiling lightly. It was time to start the proper lesson.

"Could everyone gather here, please?"

Once the students had gathered at the center of the grassland, I bowed slightly and introduced myself formally.

"I apologize for not properly introducing myself earlier."

"..."

"I wanted to show you what kind of person I am first."

"..."

"Now, let me formally introduce myself."

"..."

"I am Ricardo, your instructor for the special training period, responsible for teaching the Swordsmanship Department students."

...Clap, clap, clap.

Apart from Lohan, who clearly didn’t like me, the other students clapped hesitantly, their expressions betraying their reluctance to faint again.

"Thank you for the warm welcome."

"...Looking forward to learning from you!"

"Now then... Before we start the proper training, let me explain how the lessons will proceed."

"..."

"Lohan."

"What."

"You should use respectful language when addressing your teacher."

"Ha... Fine."

"Step forward, please."

Reluctantly, Lohan rose from his slouched position, his face twisted in irritation, and trudged forward to stand in front of me.

"Hm..."

We were about the same height, so our eyes met perfectly. His insolent gaze made me want to hurl a rock at his knee, but I restrained myself.

Suppressing a sigh, I turned his shoulder so that he faced the other students. Breaking a prideful student like him required the right approach.

"Lohan."

"Yes."

"What do you think is the most important virtue a swordsman should possess?"

"Ha..."

With an expression full of boredom, Lohan clicked his tongue and recited what he’d learned at the academy.

"The conviction to never lose to anyone."

"How clever. I thought you wouldn’t know, given the way you rudely spit out your words."

"..."

"Correct. A swordsman’s conviction must be strong; it’s the driving force behind their will to defeat their opponent. No matter how powerful the enemy, a firm conviction can lead to victory."

"..."

"Lohan, do you have the conviction to never lose to anyone?"

"Yes."

"Even against the Imperial Knight Commander?"

"Maybe not now, but I’m certain I will someday."

"That’s admirable confidence."

I smiled, patting his shoulder. Having big dreams was good—as long as they remained within the realm of possibility.

With that, I addressed the group, explaining the training method in broad terms. Better for them to know what they were getting into than to go in blind.

"I plan to teach you primarily through 'practical' experience. For example, I might throw you into an orc den or make you fight each other over a supply of drinking water until one of you collapses."

"No orcs, please..."

"Haha. Hanna, you’ve fought orcs with me before, so you know how it goes. In any case, practical experience is faster and more effective than stuffing your heads with theories."

"The academy already does that... What’s so special about your method..."

I ignored Lohan’s grumbling and applied pressure to his shoulder.

As the sound of his shoulder being pressed emitted a faint crack, Lohan’s brow twitched. When he tried to shrug me off, I leaned in and whispered quietly.

"Don’t move."

"..."

"Or your arm will break."

"You..."

Clap!

I clapped my hands and addressed the students in a friendly tone.

"Since this is the first lesson, we’ll keep it light today."

"..."

"Earlier, what did I say is the most important virtue for a swordsman?"

"Me!"

"Yes, Hanna."

"The conviction to never lose!"

"Correct."

I tossed a piece of candy to Hanna and praised her enthusiastically.

"Conviction is crucial. When your spirit falters, your will to fight disappears."

"..."

"If two swordsmen of equal skill face each other, the one who doubts their ability to win will naturally become more defensive."

"..."

"And if the gap in strength is overwhelming, as we saw earlier, they might faint outright."

With a faint smile, I placed my hand back on Lohan’s shoulder.

"From now on, I’ll be sharing some of my past experiences. I’ll let you feel the killing intent of the opponents I’ve faced."

"..."

"If you want to hear the full story, you’d better keep your wits about you."

"I have no interest in your stories—"

Crack.

"If you endure until the end, Lohan, I'll grant you one wish."

"A wish?"

"You can quit the class, request a duel, or anything else you'd like. Even canceling the entire class—I'll honor it."

"Ha... Don’t go back on your word, Ricardo."

I gave a faint smile and began speaking.

"My first opponent was a street urchin from the slums, around thirteen years old."

"..."

"My life started in a miserable place, where fights were a constant."

"..."

"When that kid first came at me with a knife, I was so startled... Even now, the thought of it makes my legs weak."

I glanced at Lohan and the other students. Their expressions remained unchanged. I smiled slightly and asked,

"You’re feeling nothing, aren’t you?"

"..."

"That’s because you all possess the strength to defeat a thirteen-year-old armed with a knife."

"..."

Seeing their calm faces, I decided to escalate things.

"Next, there was a time I encountered a cult priest wielding a mace..."

"..."

"And then there was..."

"Yaaawn..."

Lohan’s face was a picture of boredom, as if questioning why I was sharing such stories. On the other hand, Mikhail and Hanna were listening intently, their ears practically perked.

"If you’re handling this so casually, it means you could easily defeat all the opponents I’ve mentioned so far."

I tightened my grip on Lohan’s shoulder, increasing the intensity.

"Let’s raise the stakes a bit..."

Smiling faintly, I thought of a man whose face was etched into my memory. It was an old story, but the unique impression he left was unforgettable.

"It happened about a year ago."

The moment I mentioned "a year ago," Hanna’s expression shifted. She must have realized I was referring to when ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) we first met.

"In the Hamel Mountain Range, I encountered a man."

"..."

"His name was Pascal."

As soon as the name "Pascal" left my lips, Lohan’s complexion began to change. The tension in the air grew heavier, the atmosphere steeped in an oppressive killing intent.

"He was fascinating—a man with a mantis-like appearance, covered in adventurer badges. I’d never seen anyone like him before."

"..."

"He said he loved art."

The more I described Pascal, the more Lohan’s shoulders began to tremble. The same was true for Sigor Rook, who seemed equally shaken.

"Turns out, he was known as the Adventurer Hunter, a man who used black magic. A tricky opponent, capable of manipulating anyone he injured."

"..."

The killing intent spread.

The memory of Pascal’s overwhelming presence etched itself into Lohan’s chest, taking root.

Pascal was an opponent I had managed to defeat only due to my resistance to black magic. For anyone else, a one-on-one confrontation with him would have been disastrous.

That applied to Malik and Hanna, as well.

"He must’ve been quite the monster."

"If Master Butler hadn’t been there, I would’ve died."

"Ricardo defeated such a monster..."

"Huuurgh..."

Looking at Lohan, whose face was contorted beyond recognition, I couldn’t help but deliver a sarcastic remark.

"Oh my...?"

He was trembling.

"Why are you shaking?"

"..."

"Didn’t you say you could beat anyone in the world?"

Leaning in close, I whispered as I gripped Lohan’s shoulder.

"See?"

"..."

"You’re weaker than you think, Lohan."

At the same time.

"Ugh..."

Ruine opened his eyes, fighting off a pounding headache.

His head felt like it was going to split open.

Having endured the killing intent of that monstrous man—someone who might be even stronger than the Apostle or the elder—his body still trembled with the lingering sensation.

"That... bastard."

Ruine’s trembling gaze scanned his surroundings. He needed to figure out where he was.

The place looked entirely different from where he had been earlier. The air was drier, the ground was no longer grass but sand. It felt like a desert.

"Where the hell am I now..."

Spitting out sand that had gotten into his mouth, Ruine’s irritation was palpable.

As he tried to steady himself, others began waking up as well.

"Ugh... Where are we?"

"I have no idea."

"I, Shuenjel, value my skin dearly, and yet..."

As the disoriented group started regaining their senses, a cold voice cut through the air.

"Nice to see you all."

Ruine’s eyes widened in shock.

"Why are you...?"

He couldn’t forget this man.

"Been a while, Ruine."

Standing before them was a man with black-rimmed glasses, a gentle face, and a friendly expression—a man who had left an indelible mark on Ruine’s memory.

"You...!"

"Who is this?"

It wasn’t just Ruine; every student who recognized him stared at the man with trembling eyes.

The man smiled faintly, bowing politely.

"I am the teaching assistant in charge of the Magic Department for this session."

Smirk.

"My name is Hans."