Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Exam

◆

“…Wow.”

Such an exclamation naturally flowed from Carlisle’s lips.

The place where the carriage had arrived was an absurdly massive facility.

Actually, should it even be called a facility? Looking at something the size of several cities combined, the word academy seemed meaningless. 

There were even buildings that soared high into the sky like the skyscrapers from the world he had been in before his possession.

‘This is supposed to be an educational institution.’

One obvious fact. The level of social infrastructure is proportional to technological development.

For a medieval fantasy setting to have this level of scale, it would truly be worthy of being called the continent’s finest. 

Although it was said to be under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Knight Order, he even thought it might be larger than the Imperial Knight Order headquarters itself.

“It’s not for nothing that you said you learned a lot.”

When Carlisle whistled and spoke, a snorting sound came from the Holy Sword.

[Thank you.]

“Yes?”

[Thanks to me, you’ll become one of the most conspicuous freshmen here.]

“…”

Should he be grateful for that?

It seemed to imply he’d become troublesome.

Carlisle tilted his head and moved forward.

He had to follow the signs welcoming new students all the way.

The scenes he saw along the way were full of vitality. It would be fair to describe them as healthy.

An explosion occurred on the second floor, sending someone flying out of the building. From what he overheard, it seemed the magical formula they had tried combining this time wasn’t compatible at all.

Passing through an alley, he excused himself from a quarreling couple. It seemed the man was at fault. Shortly after, when the woman suddenly pulled out the hand cannon she was carrying on her back and fired it, she was clearly quite angry. Meanwhile, the student who got hit by the bullet was fine, and the surrounding people didn’t even seem to care – quite impressive.

Besides that,

A Knight Department student climbing a vertical wall barefoot until stopped by a teacher, an Orthodox Church exchange student forcibly subduing passing students with divine power like kidnapping them for missionary work, a Mechanical Engineering student screaming as an unidentified machine malfunctioned during testing…

It was full of incomprehensible superhumans, and when such people were mixed together, they bubbled chaotically with various incidents and accidents, yet remained vibrant and cheerful.

This was a common scene at the continent’s finest educational institution, the ‘Cradle’.

‘Gray is…’

He had already been called to the academy leadership for interviews, he heard.

After all, she was the Hero. It would be strange to treat her the same as other new students.

She was different from those who had to take the ‘entrance exam’ without exception.

By the way, Gray’s comment about the exam was simple:

-Pass the exam. If you don’t pass, I’ll kill you.

Hmm.

…Hmm.

“…Why does an attendant have to take an entrance exam in the first place? Couldn’t they just let it slide?”

[There are too many people aiming for that position.]

“Huh?”

[ There are more than one or two people who want to curry favor with the Hero. To reject all such proposals, you need to have no particular flaws. If there’s any opening, they’ll dig into it as they please. ]

“That’s troublesome.”

[Well, you might actually like it.]

“Huh?”

[In other words, isn’t she rejecting all those proposals and wanting to keep you by her side without giving them any room?]

“Isn’t that reading too much into dreams?”

[But the subject of interpretation is I, isn’t it?]

“…”

That’s true too.

Carlisle chuckled and moved forward.

The hall welcoming new students was right in front of him.

“New students, welcome!”

“…”

Someone with a very familiar way of speaking was showing her face as a professor.

A woman with refreshing red hair was leading the students with a sparkling, bright smile.

‘…Hero. That one.’

[ That’s the human you knocked out in one hit. Siona Rebel, Spirit Knight. ]

If she’s a Spirit Knight, then she’s a Templar. One of the members of the ‘Round Table.’

‘She was that big a shot?’

Carlisle scratched his head while looking at her.

“This year, though it’s short-term, I’ll be taking on a professor position for one year – I’m Siona Rebel. When all you students enroll, you’ll be spending hot times with me! Aren’t you all happy to meet me?”

“…”

How should he put it?

Talkative.

Bustling, cheerful, energetic, and distracted.

The students were all getting blank looks in real time from this professor’s too-much talking that they were seeing for the first time.

‘…She seems like a good person.’

[Even while acting like that, she’s cold and calculating inside. Don’t underestimate her.]

‘I know.’

The majesty of the Templars was something he had clearly seen with his own eyes many times, even after the Hell Invasion.

Unless you were a strong person capable of single-handedly taking down an entire knight order battalion, you wouldn’t even get a chance to challenge a Templar position, and among such people, the carefully selected ones were precisely the Round Table knights – the Templars.

Among them, the Spirit Knight was a case who had already died before the invasion, so he wasn’t very familiar with her.

While he was blankly mulling over such thoughts, the work was being done steadily as all the students scattered here and there following Siona’s guidance. They were moving to their respective assigned exam venues.

Carlisle was about to casually mix in with that crowd when suddenly a voice called out.

“Ah, student Carlisle?”

“…”

When Siona called his name with a beaming smile, everyone’s gaze flew toward him and stuck.

Their looks said, ‘What’s with this guy that he’s being called separately?’

“You’re going to a different place. I’ll escort you personally.”

“…”

He had an ominous feeling.

◆

“-What did you say?”

In the reception room, Gray spoke in a cold, frozen voice.

It was what she just said to Siona, who had just entered.

“…There, there’s no need to point your sword while speaking, is there?”

“It’s my choice.”

“That’s too much-“

Gray looked at Siona, who was making a crying face, with disgust and spat out her words.

“Why did you guys assign my attendant to a special exam on your own?”

“It’s Cardinal Felix’s orders.”

Gray’s body stopped short.

“…Why?”

When she asked back menacingly, Siona shrugged her shoulders and answered.

“I don’t know either. However, the Cardinal is extremely interested in ‘how far that man can go.'”

Gray’s expression became even more menacing. Her hand drifted toward her sword.

“You-“

“I swear on the spirits I’ve contracted with – I made no reports whatsoever.”

“…”

“I won’t directly step forward to report about that man in the future either. However, I can’t do anything about the Cardinal’s intentions.”

“…”

Seeing Gray take a deep breath and put down her sword, Siona’s usually narrowed eyes opened slightly.

Even after being bathed in the Hero’s killing intent, what caught in those eyes wasn’t fear but curiosity.

“-Surprising. I definitely thought I’d get hit.”

“If you swore on your spirits, it’s not a lie. What’s the point of hitting someone who did nothing wrong?”

“…”

Siona slightly opened her mouth and looked at Gray.

Was this really the same person who used to draw her sword at the slightest displeasure until recently?

“Hero, you seem to have been greatly influenced by that man. In such a short time.”

“…”

“If you really develop into a relationship where you become special to each other-“

Siona’s body folded like a jackknife.

Gray, who had been sitting, had lightning-fast kicked her in the abdomen.

“…Yes, I understand well that you haven’t been completely influenced.”

“…Hmph.”

Gray snorted and tapped the table.

“Stop the ridiculous talk and bring it out.”

“Huh?”

“The Magitech Core. The exam halls are all being recorded, right?”

There was still some time left before the scheduled meeting with the Dean anyway.

In the meantime.

“Let me watch that guy take his exam.”

“Eh- Are you worried? What’s this? You’re completely getting along-“

“…”

“…I understand, I understand, please don’t draw your sword.”

Siona quickly brought the Magitech Core and placed it on the table.

Then, a gap opened in the middle of the core, projecting a scene into the air.

Seeing that sight, Gray’s eyes narrowed.

“Is it okay to attach something like that to a new student?”

The scene unfolding in the core showed several Magitech Automatons approaching Carlisle.

Elaborate combat dolls made to imitate the appearance of several magical beasts.

Of course, since they were for testing, they wouldn’t really tear people apart like paper sheets as real magical beasts would, but it was certain that they were harsh things to throw at a mere new student.

“Oh, actual specifications.”

“…”

“Lowest grade though.”

Gray lost her words and glared at Siona for a moment.

No matter how low-grade, magical beasts were basically things that knights who could go into actual combat would hunt.

Students training to become such knights, especially new students just knocking on the academy’s door, shouldn’t be facing them!

“…Are you crazy? What if he actually dies?”

“Of course, if it becomes really dangerous, we’ll stop the exam immediately.”

Gray’s mouth snapped shut at Siona’s sly smiling words.

“Oh oh, Hero Hero, are you worried about that man right now-“

“Shut up.”

“Yes!”

Gray looked at the video being played by the core with narrowed eyes.

Well. Worry.

It wasn’t exactly that.

“…”

If things went wrong, she’d have to save him.

That’s what she was thinking.

“…Huh?”

Until Carlisle’s immediate action made her to unconsciously let out a dumbfounded sound.

She gripped the Magitech Core tightly. She looked like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing inside.

After a long silence from her,

Soon, a dazed voice flowed out.

“…How are you using that…?”

◆

No matter how he thought about it, it was strange.

‘…Hero.’

[Hmm.]

‘This isn’t something to put against a new student, is it?’

Looking at the automatons approaching with fierce roars around him, Carlisle had such thoughts inwardly.

No matter how he looked at it, weren’t these the things that would only be used when regular knights practiced actual combat? If an ordinary person encountered them, their entire body would be torn apart in one second.

[You’re right. Someone unknown seems to have developed a nasty hobby toward you.]

‘Is that right?’

[But it’s also a good opportunity to test things.]

‘What?’

[It might actually be good.]

What nonsense.

Carlisle thought so and frowned, but rather calmly, words flowed from within the Holy Sword.

[With things like these, there won’t be any aftereffects even if you smash them to pieces.]

If the opponent was ambiguous, power control would be essential, making it difficult.

Carlisle, who interpreted those words, chuckled.

It’s good to be positive. He should learn from this kind of thing.

‘Well, fine.’

Let’s give it a try.

Gripping and swinging a sword wasn’t his first time. During countless cycles, he had experience directly entering combat by strengthening himself.

However, Carlisle had mediocre talent at best. By any standard, facing things like these with his current body would be impossible.

Unless he had a cheat key.

The Hero’s magic settled into the Holy Sword.

Then, the three skills he had copied at the Hero’s instruction previously activated sequentially.

[Skill Info]

◆ Body Strengthening Technique: Wind Talker

[ A basic body strengthening technique created by the legendary warrior ‘Knight of the Storm’. It accepts the energy of wind to slightly improve bodily functions. ]

◆ Footwork: Floating Grass

[ A basic footwork created by the first boxer, ‘Spring Wanderer’. Like swaying grass, it allows you to maintain your center of gravity softly but firmly. ]

◆ Swordsmanship: Three Powers

[ A collection of basic swordsmanship founded by an unknown swordsman from the Far East. Very simple, but it contains the foundation of everything. ]

Befitting a Hero, Gray had extensive knowledge of all kinds of martial arts schools. She possessed such skills embodied as various completely different ‘combat techniques.’

‘When she first told me to bring these kinds of things, I wondered what she was talking about…’

In game terms, it would be like taking only three beginner skills from completely different skill trees. Anyone would see it as wasting skill points.

But,

…Before coming to the academy, while training alone and experiencing their effects, he was shocked.

He had to realize that there were reasons why veterans gave training advice.

So.

[Skill Info]

[ Activating ‘Skill Chain’ of Wind Talker – Floating Grass – Three Powers. ] 

[ ‘Special Skill: Mind’s Eye’ is activated! ]

He had no idea that basic skills had such ‘effects’ hidden in them.

Carlisle took a deep breath and gripped the Holy Sword tightly.

What he pictured in his mind were Gray’s combat scenes that he had seen in previous cycles. It was also a scene that the Holy Sword had eagerly made him practice through image training.

A certain strike. Certain hit. Certain kill.

If you draw the sword, you must kill.

He closed his eyes and took his stance. He felt the surrounding situation through ‘sensation’ rather than sight.

Then.

[Now.]

With one concisely swung strike, 

One automaton immediately shattered into pieces.