I Became a Swordsmanship Instructor in a Romance Novel

Soi lay sprawled on the ground, all alone in the forest.

Through the gaps between the trees, the high, azure sky was reflected in her gray eyes.

The chirping of birds tickled her ears.

“Ugh…”

Zeke had said he’d be back soon, and she’d thought he meant it literally, but 30 minutes had already passed with no sign of him.

She narrowed her eyes, turning her head in the direction the instructor had disappeared, but Zeke still showed no sign of returning.

“No way…! You drag me out here against my will and then just ditch me?!” Soi exclaimed, sitting up abruptly.

He’d practically bundled her up and dragged her away, and now he had the audacity to leave her stranded in the middle of nowhere?

She hadn’t even asked to follow him in the first place!

Soi tilted her head back and hurled insults at the sky.

“Stupid! Idiot! Black mutt! Sea anemone! Infertile egg! Okay, maybe infertile was a bit harsh. Fertile egg!”

***

A man with black hair suddenly materialized, interrupting Julie’s thoughts.

He munched on a blood-soaked piece of bread with a disconcertingly impassive expression.

Julie tilted her head, her brow furrowing at the bizarre sight.

“…Hero?”

“Indeed. Seeing as your trousers haven’t turned damp after hearing that name, I can safely assume this is a different world.”

Julie glanced at the shadow behind the man, split in two and bleeding profusely, staining the ground crimson.

Blood was thickly congealed within the severed edges.

She bit her lip discreetly.

‘To lose a Shadow from the get-go… This wasn’t part of the plan…’

She had ordered a surprise attack while nonchalantly distracting him, but not only had it failed, the Shadow had been killed in a single blow. It was a significant loss.

Despite this, Julie maintained her composure, a cool smile playing on her lips.

“Hmm… Well, well… Where were you hiding…? You could’ve stayed hidden and saved your own life…”

The man who called himself “Hero” let out a humorless chuckle.

“Hiding? As if a paltry spatial isolation spell could scare me.”

“….!”

“Though, you could have at least muffled the sound of your eyeballs rolling. I’d have waited. I’m not in that much of a hurry. After all, I do enjoy watching you all squirm.”

Julie’s expression hardened at Zeke’s words.

‘This one’s different.’

The fact that he mentioned spatial isolation magic meant that he hadn’t been here all along. He had broken through the [Lost Space] from the outside.

Moreover, even without Transforming, he had effortlessly dealt with a Shadow whose powers were amplified within this space.

And he seemed to be aware that she was already preparing another attack.

‘Is he a mage…?’

As Julie studied Zeke with questioning eyes, a sudden realization struck her.

‘It’s him!’

There was no way those weak Yohaiden soldiers lying around could have killed her followers and the bishop.

But what if this man had been with them at that time?

Julie swallowed nervously.

“…Did you, by any chance, kill our followers and the bishop?”

“Followers? I don’t have the hobby of remembering the faces of every stinking rat I encounter.”

“…I’m talking about the ones who went to the Higma Forest for the offering recently. By the way… Our dear Hero has quite a sharp tongue, doesn’t he? Makes me want to silence him… permanently.”

“Ah… You mean those morons who kept babbling about their faith.”

“Pfft!”

Julie burst into laughter.

She doubled over, her gray hair shaking as she continued to cackle for a while.

Then, she abruptly stopped, lifting her head. The vertical slits in her green eyes seemed to have grown more pronounced.

“…So, our dear Hero is admitting to killing the followers of Lost Hope… Is that it?” she said in a chillingly cold voice.

“Yes, and I doubt the outcome will be any different for you.”

“…Haa, you’re really pushing your luck. You’re making me want to kill you right here, right now.”

A wide, predatory smile spread across Julie’s face. She brought both her hands together.

Clap

“Shadows, assemble.”

Three figures silently materialized in front of her.

Thud

Thud

Thud

They dropped their weapons and prostrated themselves on the ground, as if in prayer to their deity.

“““For Lost Hope.”””

Julie stretched out one hand towards them, her other hand brandishing a red whip.

Snap

Crimson threads, like tendrils of blood, shot out from her outstretched hand, connecting with the Shadows.

“Transformation.”

Crack—

Crack—

As she spoke, the Shadows began to contort and change.

“Gasp, gasp, ugh!”

Their entire bodies convulsed as if their hearts were about to burst, and blue veins bulged grotesquely beneath their skin.

Their faces turned crimson, their dark eyes vanishing, replaced by blank white sclerae, as if someone had spilled paint over them.

Muscles swelled, bones broke through skin in a gruesome spectacle of transformation.

A drop of blood splattered onto Julie’s cheek.

She flicked out her tongue, savoring the taste.

“…Khaa! Kaaaaaaaahhh!”

Guttural screams, filled with agony and rage, tore from their throats.

The Shadows, enveloped in a white-hot steam, were morphing into monstrous beings.

***

As the transformation took hold, the Shadows thrashed and convulsed, their corrupted life force radiating outward.

The Yohaiden soldiers cowered in terror, but Zeke remained unfazed.

He observed the ritual with a detached curiosity.

‘Well, well. A Homunculus summoner. Haven’t seen one of those in a while.’

These were a different breed from necromancers who dealt with corpses. There was something far more insidious about defiling the living.

Occasionally, Homunculi retained a semblance of their former intelligence, transforming unexpectedly amidst crowds and causing mayhem.

They were masters of sowing discord and distrust, playing their part in the collapse of entire societies.

They had once wreaked havoc across the Dave Continent, but Zeke’s relentless pursuit had driven them to near extinction.

‘Hmm?’

Zeke’s eyes narrowed as he observed the transformation process.

He caught a glimpse of something shimmering within their chests, near their hearts, as their bodies broke down and reformed.

‘They’re using magic stones as a catalyst…?’

This world was clearly mana-deficient compared to the Dave Continent.

The Homunculus summoners he knew wouldn’t have resorted to such crude methods.

They would have channeled their own magical energy to force a volatile evolution.

Yet, there was something unsettlingly familiar about the method employed here.

‘That magic stone embedded in their hearts… It’s exactly like Soi’s…’

Soi Spoon, her mana road severed, a large magic stone implanted in its place.

Of course, the quality of the stones differed greatly, but the method and placement were strikingly similar.

‘Don’t tell me… Did those Lost Hope bastards implant that magic stone in Soi?’

Zeke frowned, his thoughts drifting to the unsuspecting girl waiting for him outside.

The transformation complete, three hulking monstrosities stood before them, letting out low, guttural growls.

“““Krrrrgh… Krrrrgh…”””

They towered over their former selves, their bodies grotesquely enlarged, their teeth bared in vicious snarls.

Their fingers and toes had transformed into wickedly sharp claws.

They no longer bore any resemblance to the humans they once were.

Viscous drool dripped from their maws, sizzling where it touched the ground.

“…You really know how to test someone’s patience… Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered if you had attacked earlier… Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Hero.”

Julie said, a serpentine smile playing on her lips.

Zeke wanted to question her about Soi right there and then, but he pushed the urge down.

He could get his answers after he had crushed her hopes.

Right now, she needed a fresh dose of despair.

“…I’m not the kind to interrupt a lady in the middle of her preparations. Besides, I feel a bit bad about taking out one of your pets earlier. Consider this payback.”

“Khahaha! You… You’re really starting to grow on me. It pains me to lose even one, but I suppose it’s a fair trade. Especially with such… exquisite material right in front of me.”

Julie’s slitted eyes glinted with a disturbing hunger as she focused on Zeke.

“With a little patience, you’ll be just like them, Hero. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you retain your mind… The experience of killing your loved ones with your own two hands… Now wouldn’t that be truly delightful…?”

“…Some things never change, do they? The stench of your kind is just as repulsive as ever…”

“Hmm? What was that?”

Zeke let out a small sigh and shook his head.

“…Nothing. It seems I have some questions for you after all.”

“How serendipitous. I have some questions for you as well.”

Crack!

Julie’s red whip slashed through the air, striking the ground with a resounding crack.

“For Lost Hope!”

As if spurred by her command, the Homunculi’s bloodlust, which had been radiating outward, focused entirely on Zeke.

“Get him.”

“““Raaaaaaaargh!!!!!”””

The three Homunculi roared, charging towards Zeke with terrifying speed.