The Cornflower Witch Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Golden Needle’s Thrust

“Instructor, but we’re still injured,” Balun raised his hand.

“Oh, where’s the injury? A broken bone? Can’t stand up?” The instructor’s sharp gaze made Balun dare not argue further.

“Solin, you’re up.”

“Yes!”

The black-haired youth stepped forward. Despite his many bruises, he picked up a sword and began to fight seriously.

Stepping forward and dashing, then a sword thrust, Solin’s swordsmanship was exceptionally clean, direct, and straight to the vital points, without any wasted movements.

“Clang!” “Clang!”

The instructor, holding a single sword, steadily dodged Solin’s attacks, then effortlessly parried Solin’s wooden sword and kicked him away.

“Your swordsmanship is good, except for being too direct and lacking variation. For now, there are no other problems,” he gave a high評價.

“Next!”

“Balun.”

“Yes!”

Balun also picked up a wooden sword and charged forward to attack. Unfortunately, though his swings were quick, his moves were rushed and full of flaws, performing far worse than Solin just now.

After knocking Balun down several times and giving his comments, the instructor continued to call names.

“Lei.”

“Yes!”

The tallest student among the cadets stepped forward. He held the wooden sword as if it were a small toy.

“Ha.”

Lei took a deep breath, gripping the sword and sweeping it towards the instructor.

Facing Lei’s powerful swing, the instructor’s wooden sword twisted like a python, wrapping around it and stabbing Lei’s palm, making him cry out in pain and release his grip.

“Your strength is good, but your swordsmanship is crude and difficult to watch,” the instructor shook his head.

“Perhaps you should learn a different weapon.”

“Next!”

The other students came forward one by one. During this process, Hylial observed from the training ground, her light blue eyes blinking, constantly analyzing each person’s movements and their techniques of applying force.

(‘Basic Swordsmanship’ proficiency +3)

(‘Basic Swordsmanship’ proficiency +2)

(‘Basic Swordsmanship’ proficiency +5)

…

So there’s a way like this. Through this sparring session, she could say she gained a lot.

Even with the same swordsmanship, due to each person’s physique and habits, there are different applications and focuses. Also, when facing different situations, individual coping strategies change accordingly.

Basic Swordsmanship Lv.4: Basic sword techniques, the foundation of combat, current progress (573/1200)

Even though she wasn’t directly involved in the fight, observing was greatly beneficial to Hylial. Additionally, while watching the instructor spar, she gradually realized that the combat technique the instructor was using must be a more advanced one.

[Military Swordsmanship Lv.0]: Sword techniques used in the military, with efficient movements, emphasizing quick killing in life-or-death situations, current progress (31/100)

Compared to Basic Swordsmanship, this Military Swordsmanship is more lethal, but it demands higher individual aptitude. If one’s strength and speed are insufficient, it cannot be effectively utilized.

To be able to learn just by watching others spar, this ability is quite useful. Hylial felt that coming to Scholar Hyde for studies this time had been very rewarding.

However, her leisurely observation was about to end.

“Boys, rest on the left open space. Now, girls step forward,” the instructor’s gaze swept over them.

“Valeni, you first.”

“Ah, Uncle Burke, are you calling me?” Knight Leven’s daughter looked surprised.

“Of course.”

“Alright.” Valeni stepped forward, deflated, picked up a wooden sword, and charged at Instructor Burke.

Unfortunately, this Knight’s daughter did not inherit her father’s martial arts. Her skills were merely rudimentary, and she was easily defeated by the instructor, falling to the ground.

“Your grip on the sword is weak, your technique is unrefined, your footwork is loose, and your reaction is slow. Not a single move is proper. It seems Leven has spoiled you too much,” the instructor criticized coldly.

“Uh.”

Valeni’s face was flushed with embarrassment, then a flash of anger crossed it.

“How can you say that about me? I don’t need to be a knight. Besides, if you’re so capable, why don’t you go duel my father!”

“Humph.” The instructor ignored the young girl’s childish babbling. “Next, Karen.”

“Yes.”

Karen picked up a wooden spear and stepped forward. She lowered her stance, keeping her center of gravity low, and fixed her eyes on the instructor.

After a few seconds, the wooden spear suddenly thrust out, the tip aimed directly at the instructor’s chest.

Facing such an attack, the instructor parried the spear tip with an upward swing of his sword, then moved to the side and slashed at Karen’s fingers.

Unexpectedly, Karen gripped the spear shaft and twisted her body, enduring the strike with her shoulder, then thrust the spear again.

“Clang!”

Unfortunately, this spear was also blocked by the instructor.

However, after blocking, the instructor did not continue his attack, but instead looked at Karen with admiration.

“Good, very courageous, a promising talent.”

“Next, Komia.”

“Ah, I, I don’t know any combat techniques.” Komia looked like she was about to cry.

“Oh?”

Instructor Burke frowned at this. How could she have no foundation at all? How was such a person accepted by Scholar Hyde?

Soon, a servant jogged to Burke’s side and whispered something to him. Burke’s brow relaxed slightly, and he glanced at Komia a few times.

“Alright, you won’t need to practice spear and sword techniques anymore, but you still need basic physical training. Run ten laps around the training ground.”

“Wuwu, yes, instructor,” Komia could only go for a run now.

At this point, only Iona and Hylial had not yet participated in the combat training.

The instructor looked at Iona, then shifted his gaze to the seemingly delicate young girl nearby.

“Iona, come here.”

“Yes, instructor.”

Iona’s tone was flat, as if she found the task at hand rather boring.

She picked up a wooden sword with one hand, holding it in front of her. Then, a faint golden light flashed in her eyes, and she thrust fiercely at the instructor. A trace of golden light also attached to the sword blade. This peculiar sight was very brief, and only Hylial immediately noticed it.

Wooden swords clashed, and continuous chopping and clashing sounds came from the training ground. This exchange did not end quickly.

The intense battle quickly drew the attention of all the students, even Komia stopped running.

“So amazing.”

“Iona is not only beautiful, but her swordsmanship is also so elegant.”

“Is that not ordinary swordsmanship?”

In the arena, Iona moved gracefully, her footsteps agile, her body constantly closing in and pulling away, and her sword blade flashed like a needle.

‘Golden Needle Swordplay: Thrust!’

In an instant, three dazzling golden threads appeared, like three golden needles piercing the instructor. Facing this attack imbued with extraordinary power, the instructor no longer held back.

‘Steel Edge Blade!’

The wooden sword in his hand was instantly coated with a steely silver edge. With a rapid chop, it shattered the wooden sword in Iona’s hand, turning it into scattered sawdust.

After losing her wooden sword, Iona retreated a few steps, released the remaining sword hilt in her hand, and ceased fighting. At this moment, she looked at the instructor with a proud gaze, a glorious defeat.

“Hmph, as expected of Viscount Kalun’s daughter.”

Viscount Kalun, before his imprisonment, was a powerful figure in the military, with no shortage of family inherited secret arts and resources.

At this time, Hylial was the only one left on the field who had not participated in the sparring training.

Should she participate in the sparring training? If she did, holding back would only lead to various distorted and awkward situations. But if she didn’t hold back, and shone brightly, even outshining the golden-haired young lady who was supposed to be the protagonist, wouldn’t that completely contradict her previous plan of keeping a low profile?

Hylial was caught in a difficult choice.

It seemed that someone, perhaps noticing her predicament, or simply by good fortune, interrupted the training at that moment, saving her from her dilemma.

Well, the protagonist will appear less in these few chapters, it will be fine after that |ω｀)

(End of this chapter)