Academy Entrance Exam (3)

1.

“Ah……”

Elia slapped her thigh and sighed.

“That’s not how you do it.”

Having left the temple, Elia was watching a sparring match at the swordsmanship training ground where the entrance exam for the Swordsmanship Department was taking place.

“Left! You have to stab the left flank! Ahey…!”

Although they were called prodigies from each region, to Elia, they looked like toddlers showing off their tricks.

Still, she was watching each one with interest and seriousness.

“Yes! Lift it from there! That’s it!”

Elia was like an old man watching a chariot race.

She wasn’t even betting money, but she was getting too invested.

She wiggled her butt, sighed, and even screamed.

People around her glanced at her.

Because she was wearing her hood low, she didn’t really care about the attention.

…Do they not sell beer?

It was boring just watching.

She wanted to have some jerky and a beer.

Jerky and beer always accompanied her whenever she watched the Imperial Army swordsmanship competition.

“Oh?”

This time, a familiar face appeared.

It was Rael, Elia’s escort knight.

He stood on the training ground with a very relaxed expression.

“Shall we see what you’re made of?”

One of the Holy Nation’s five Holy Knights.

The most skilled among the Holy Knights.

She had tasted his skill briefly.

But it wasn’t even a bite.

That was because a Holy Knight named Leod had underestimated her too much.

So, this was the first time she was properly seeing the skills of the newly formed five Holy Knights.

“Hoo? The opponent looks quite strong too.”

The examinee who came out as Rael’s sparring partner was a huge man.

Healthy, tanned skin and blonde hair.

His thick, muscular arms had a large scar.

His main weapon was a Greatsword.

On both sides of his waist, he had Double-edged Hand Axes as secondary weapons.

He was the most battle-experienced examinee she had seen so far.

Elia checked the match list.

“Hoth Lagtree…… Lagtree?”

She had heard that before.

The commander-in-chief of the southern kingdom’s warriors was Lagtree.

Was he that barbarian’s son?

He was a real madman.

The way he charged through the battlefield, taking attacks head-on, was like a beast, not a human.

He was also a guy who could drink like a whale.

Adrean, who was confident in his alcohol tolerance, had passed out first.

“This match will be interesting.”

The sparring began.

“Sparring, start!”

As soon as those words were spoken, the two men’s bodies shot forward.

-Thud!

The ground shook, and a gust of wind blew.

Two Sword Auras cut through the scenery and collided.

-Clang!!

The training ground vibrated.

Swords clashed, and an explosion occurred.

As if they had recognized each other’s skills before even starting, they clashed with all their might.

Rael leaned in, digging into Hoth’s space.

He twisted his sword, aiming precisely for a vital point.

If this continued, Hoth would suffer a fatal wound.

However, Hoth wasn’t one to just stand by and take it.

Hoth slammed his elbow down on Rael’s sword.

The deflected sword was stuck in the ground.

Hoth stepped on Rael’s sword, which was stuck in the ground, and raised his sword above Rael’s head.

Rael kicked off the ground and rolled to the side.

A beat later, a heavy blow struck the spot where he had been.

-Bang!!

The ground was gouged out, and dust billowed up.

“Hooo……”

Elia smiled as she watched the sparring.

The movements were on a different level.

It was only now that it felt like she was watching a real academy entrance exam.

-Thwack!

Rael kicked Hoth’s ankle hard.

He pulled out his sword through the gap that momentarily opened.

Then, he rotated his body and slashed Hoth’s back.

Slash, a line appeared on his back, and blood splattered.

It wasn’t a fatal wound, but the cut was large.

Hoth didn’t care and kicked Rael’s abdomen with a back kick.

Rael, who was hit in the abdomen, flew backward and rolled on the ground several times.

He landed before completely falling over.

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

“This much is just ticklish.”

Hoth grinned, showing his white teeth.

“Are you a Holy Knight of the Holy Nation?”

“That’s right.”

“You seem pretty good. But not as good as me.”

“Why don’t you treat the wound on your back before you say that?”

The two stared at each other.

Their eyes met.

As if that was a signal, Hoth charged like a wild boar.

Whoosh!

Red Sword Aura flared up like fire.

It surrounded Hoth’s body like armor.

The air around him shimmered like a mirage.

Rael stood his ground, as if willing to take it head-on.

He bent his knees slightly and held his sword to the side.

“Hwaaaaa!!”

A warrior’s roar.

It echoed so loudly it hurt the ears.

Hoth’s sword melted the space as it headed towards Rael’s head.

-Bang!!

Rael swung his sword above his head, blocking Hoth’s sword.

The shockwave spread throughout the training ground.

“Uwaaa!”

Elia barely managed to grab the hood that was about to come off due to the shockwave.

She couldn’t see what was happening because of the dust.

She held her breath and stared through it.

After a while, the dust cleared, and what she saw was a blade flying into the sky.

Hoth’s Greatsword had been cut off by Rael’s swordsmanship.

-Thud!

The severed sword was stuck in the ground.

Hoth quickly made a decision, discarded his sword, and grabbed the Double-edged Hand Axe he had on his belt. Then, like a beast, he charged, wildly swinging the Hand Axe.

A clash of quick attacks.

But Rael was faster.

Each time Rael’s sword moved as smoothly as flowing water, traces of the sword were etched on Hoth’s body, and blood splattered.

That, in turn, became a buff for Hoth.

The more blood he shed, the faster he became.

That was why he was called a Berserker.

“Hmph!”

Rael’s sword shone blue.

He leaped forward.

Compressing the space, a long blue afterimage remained.

-Slash! Slash! Slash!

In less than a second.

Rael moved in five directions around Hoth.

Five blue lines were drawn around Hoth.

Looking down from the sky, it would look like a star.

Hoth’s movements stopped abruptly.

At that moment.

The star-shaped Sword Aura carved out his abdomen.

Thwack, blood splattered everywhere.

-Thud!

The giant fell.

“I thought he was a wimp, but he really is one of the five Holy Knights.”

Elia nodded and admired.

The guy who was sweating and nervous in the carriage.

The current him, holding a sword, was a cold-blooded swordsman.

She saw him in a new light.

“Heh, heh heh…… It’s been a while.”

Hoth got up again.

What tremendous stamina.

To get up perfectly fine despite suffering a fatal wound.

“Let’s continue.”

“Just lie down. Your wound will get worse.”

“Wounds are a warrior’s medal. Let’s go again.”

He was a battle maniac.

She liked this guy.

It was exciting.

However, just before the third round began, the supervisor ended the match.

“Stop! Stop!”

The test was enough.

The result was that both of them passed.

“Tch… What a shame.”

Hoth put the Hand Axe back on his belt.

“Let’s fight again next time.”

As he trudged out of the training ground, Hoth collapsed with a thud at the entrance.

The Berserker state was released, and he fell.

The priests who were preparing for treatment rushed to Hoth.

2.

“Aren’t they monsters?”

Yohan, who had watched the match a little while ago, was horrified.

He had seen a match on a different level.

To enter the academy at the top, you had to be at least that good.

He felt awe.

“Next, please prepare.”

At the supervisor’s words, Yohan got up from his seat.

It was now his turn to take the test.

He entered the training ground with the thought of just passing.

Hundreds of gazes turned to Yohan.

It was so burdensome.

Perhaps because of the title of Hero’s disciple, there was a lot of attention directed at him.

He had to apologize to them in advance.

He was going to betray their expectations.

Yohan had learned swordsmanship from the Hero, but he didn’t have the skills to proudly reveal his teacher’s name.

“Haa……”

He took a deep breath and waited for his opponent.

After a while, she came out from the opposite side.

His opponent was a silver-haired girl.

The second daughter of the Northern Grand Duke, Yuriel Van Skolhart.

Her slender body was still immature.

Nice breasts.

Small and cute butt.

She was a beauty from the northern snowfields.

Her stern golden eyes were fixed on Yohan.

Unlike her young and cute appearance, her gaze was as cold as the snowfields.

Yohan raised his sword.

Yuriel also leisurely drew her sword.

“Sparring, start!”

As soon as the starting signal was given, Yohan leaped forward and boldly approached.

He gave it his all from the beginning to score points with the examiners.

The entrance exam wasn’t about winning or losing.

You just had to show what skills you had.

His muscles were stretched taut like a bowstring.

Reaching Yuriel, Yohan thrust his sword towards her abdomen.

…It’s going in!

Yohan’s body was flushed with excitement.

However, the moment his sword path was blocked with a clack, his body temperature cooled down.

“……Is this the Hero’s disciple?”

Yuriel sighed, lightly deflecting Yohan’s sword by tilting her own.

“How disappointing.”

Yuriel’s sword struck Yohan’s side like a whip.