Yes.
I thought it would be exactly like this. Kids like you always react this way. I'm used to it, if you could call it that...
‘At my age, getting into such a predictable scuffle with these brats...’
Patrick let out a sigh. Seeing Patrick like this, Jordic Panola frowned and spoke.
“Answer me. Are you not Patrick Schneider?”
“Yes. Yes. That's right. I am. And you, senior, are probably the son of the Marquis Panola, right?”
Pointed out by Patrick, Jordic Panola's eyebrow twitched.
‘He's not even surprised. Does this mean he knew and followed me?’
“You're quick-witted.”
“Hahaha, that's just one of my many virtues.”
Looking at Patrick, who seemed genuinely proud, Jordic said.
“Then do you also know why I'm here?”
“Revenge for your pathetic little brother?”
“Well, it's something like that.”
Jordic naturally stood facing Patrick. The surroundings were already filled with the noise of sparring, and their words would not reach the professor. No, even if they were heard, it would not matter.
‘The professor is probably in on it too.’
Before the class, Patrick had felt a subtle hostility from the professor directed at him. Moreover, from the way the professor pretended to be calm even when he was blatantly provoked and challenged, he had already thought, ‘Something is about to happen.’ And this was the result.
They're going to legally beat me up by making us spar during class? If something happens during class, no matter what it is, it can be dismissed as an accident. On top of that, he could not run away or refuse, so he was truly cornered.
Having grasped the entire situation, Patrick thought.
‘It's a good method. I should use it myself next time.’
A bastard like this lived his past life being called a Grandmaster. Third-years and first-years. Or second-years and first-years, scattered here and there, continuing their sparring.
In that place, Patrick and Jordic also faced each other. There was nothing strange about it. This class was originally for senior students to guide and spar with their juniors.
The only difference was the unusual killing intent lingering between Patrick and Jordic. No, to be precise, should I say it was killing intent being emitted one-sidedly?
“Don't be too scared. It's still class, I'm not going to kill you, am I?”
“Ha... hahaha....”
“Just think of it as facing the consequences for what you've done. If I break your arms and legs, my father's anger might cool down a bit.”
“Master, are you watching? This is how I live. Yes? This is how I live.”
Looking up at the sky and muttering pitifully, a sigh escaped Patrick on its own. Who was he? The Radiant Dragon Grandmaster Jin Cheon.
He was the strongest of the strong, mentioned as the greatest master of the righteous path, who recorded consecutive victories in 100 duels he requested against the prominent figures of the martial world and beheaded countless villains of the unorthodox alliance.
Usually, when facing such a Jin Cheon with a sword, most would treat him with fear, terror, and a faint sense of respect. But that was in his past life...
‘To think I'd live to be treated like a pitiful fool by a brat like this. Goodness, what sins did I commit in my past life to deserve this?’
In his past life, he had committed sins piled up like a mountain.
‘Ah... um...’
It seemed he did have a guilty conscience about something. Anyway, that's that, and from Patrick's perspective, how did the leisurely Jordic, looking at him with an expression that said ‘It's punishment time now,’ appear...?
[Woof woof woof woof woof!]
Are you gonna bite me? I'm really gonna bite you hard with my sharp teeth and make it hurt. If you're scared, surrender now.
I am the great puppy who was born just a full day ago.
Yeah.
He looked something like this. Oblivious to this, Jordic misinterpreted Patrick's desperate expression and spoke.
“Now, draw your sword. I'll receive your first few moves.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I get it.”
“If by any chance you manage to cut even a single strand of my hair, I might let your matter with my brother slide.”
For a moment, Patrick flinched.
“Oh, really? So that's all it takes?”
“Hoh? Do you see a glimmer of hope? But...”
Jordic raised a distinct aura from his sword. Unlike his brother's, the aura clearly enveloping the blade was definitive proof that he had reached the final stage of the three-star level.
“I heard you beat my brother, though I don't know what trick you used. You must be quite confident in your own skills.”
“But I am different from my brother. So...”
“Ah, enough.”
Patrick stretched his body, cracking his neck left and right and rotating his waist, arms, and legs. And then he spoke as if to confirm once more.
“You said if I cut your hair, we'll call it even, right? You definitely said that.”
“I did say...”
“Then that's settled. Alright, here I come.”
“... Come!”
Jordic held his sword in the center and took his stance. Once a battle begins, carelessness is forbidden. A lion uses its full strength even when catching a rabbit.
So, if one has drawn their sword...
Huh?
Patrick vanished from Jordic's sight. He was clearly right in front of him, but his figure disappeared like a ghost. And what he felt after that was...
Whoooosh!
“Ugh...”
It felt like a sudden gust of wind had brushed past his body. The wind was so strong it almost made him stumble, momentarily breaking his stance.
And then...
“Alright, it's over.”
Patrick's voice came from behind him. Jordic hastily turned around and looked at Patrick, who was standing there.
“Kuk...”
Fast.
He had not even felt when Patrick had moved behind him.
However...
“Hah!”
Just because he got behind me does not mean it is over. As long as he could not follow up with an attack from there, the match is still...
Thwack!
“Keeuk...”
With a splitting pain on the crown of his head, Jordic collapsed to his knees. And Patrick looked at Jordic and said.
“Didn't I say it's over? Can't you understand what I'm saying?”
“Ugh... What do you mean? You... huh?”
For a moment, Jordic's expression froze. As he reflexively brought a hand to the pain on his head, he felt a smooth texture.
Strange.
Why is my head so smooth? Where did the lush blonde hair I inherited from my father go, leaving only this smoothness...
“So smooth!”
And then he saw it. The thread-like strands of blonde hair falling down below him. And Patrick nodded and said.
“I name this hairstyle the Sunrise Cut.”
“Noooooooooo!”
A tragic scream echoed through the training grounds.
“Kuuuh... I've really become kind.”
Patrick was proud of himself. How could he not be proud? He did not beat the little puppy that bared its teeth at him half to death, he did not chop off its head, nor did he slice its entire body into hundreds of pieces.
He just did it without any pain... Ah, well, he did hit him on the head once, but that could not be helped. Anyway, he only neatly cut his hair off without causing any pain.
He peacefully resolved the situation by leaving the side hair out of pity and cleanly shaving off only the top.
“Ah, could this be the 'compassion' my Master talked about so much? Seeing how proud I feel after doing it, I think it might be.”
No. It is not. I said it is not, you bastard.
“Kuuuh, to think I've shown compassion. I've never done that once in my past life.”
Even though I was nominally of the righteous path and a Grandmaster.
“The Shaolin guys said you have to show compassion to go to paradise. If I die this time, will I go to paradise?”
That is impossible. Because no matter the place, the moment this bastard arrives, it will become hell itself. Anyway, looking only at the result, it was a truly surprising event, but the matter was resolved quite moderately.
After all, Patrick had not beaten the opponent who challenged him, nor did he beat him half-dead, nor did he just get rid of him. Of course, the one whose hair was cut, Jordic, after checking his hairstyle, foamed at the mouth and charged at Patrick, vowing to kill him.
[I'll kill you! I'll kill this bastard!]
[Hey, it suits you, what's the problem?]
[Uwaaaaaah!]
[Oh? Now that your face is red, it really looks like a scene from a sunrise.]
[I'll... I'll kiiii...]
In the end, Jordic grabbed the back of his neck, foamed at the mouth, and collapsed. Afterward, watching Jordic being carried away by his colleagues to the infirmary, Patrick said to those around him.
[Doesn't he look better than before?]
Is this bastard even human? It was probably no coincidence that all the first, second, and third-years thought the same thing.
“Anyway, he must have realized the difference in our skills. Now, if that thing called a brain in his head functions properly, he won't come at me again.”
Patrick thought so. In truth, it was not just about giving him a ridiculous hairstyle. The fact that he could do that to an opponent's hair in a single move during a spar was only possible because of the enormous skill gap between Patrick and Jordic.
Jordic, too, in that moment, had blood rushing to his head...
“Pfft! It's funny even thinking about it again.”
His personality...
Anyway, once he comes to his senses and thinks about it after his blood has cooled, he should realize the difference in skill between himself and Patrick. When the difference in skill is that clear, who would dare to challenge him?
Right?
As Patrick chuckled while thinking about yesterday's events, April approached and spoke.
“Young master. A letter has arrived.”
“A letter? From who?”
“It's from someone named Jordic Panola?”
“... And its purpose?”
“It says it's a duel request.”
“... Huh.”
This kid just can't come to his senses, can he? What on earth should I do with him?