Ch.430430 – Test Opponent 2

<430 – Test Opponents 2>

The Academy was buzzing with the arrival of midterm exam opponents for the second semester.

“Did you hear? A small southern country called the Kingdom of Troy sent an apprentice knight order composed of children from the old generation of knights as test opponents for the Knight Department students.”

“Lucky them. They must have lots of handsome men there. We got super strict noble ladies invited as test opponents for ‘Introduction to Ballroom Dancing’…”

“Oh, what’s that? Lots of well-dressed noblewomen with waists as thin as ants? That sounds like heaven to me!”

Son Ocheon, who was passing by, showed his monkey-like interest in women’s talk.

As the lower-class students froze up nervously, Isabelle pulled Son Ocheon’s ear with a look of disdain.

“Why are you bothering these poor kids?”

“Ow, ow! What did I do wrong? Can’t I show some interest if I find someone attractive?”

“You know nothing about ballroom dancing. Do you have any idea how fierce women’s political battles are? If there’s a competitor eyeing the same man, they’ll even duel with dance.”

“Ha. You’re underestimating me just because I’m a beastkin. How do you duel with dance? Do they hold swords?”

“They wear rampaging dancing shoes and compete to see who can endure the humiliation longer without collapsing. Do you know how many dances you need to learn and how flexible you need to be to withstand shoes that move at speeds and in ways the duelist can’t handle?”

Son Ocheon’s mouth fell open.

“Isn’t that insane? Willingly wearing such cursed items and competing to endure them. That’s so manly!”

“You mean womanly. They practice splits at 180 degrees and train with constrictive or steel shoes until their feet blister, all to attract promising men.”

“Why practice with such torture devices?”

“Because dancing shoes have nasty temperaments—if the wearer endures too long, they increase in weight or tighten around the feet.”

“You guys are actually taking such a course?”

The lower-class female students laughed awkwardly.

“Thanks for acknowledging our struggle.”

“Honestly, we thought it would be an easy course where we just dance, but we had no idea it would be this brutal.”

“We should have known better when Andersen said he prefers women who dance well…”

“…”

Does that landmine of a man drag not only his own courses and followers into the abyss, but also everyone who shows interest in him?

Son Ocheon secretly vowed never to even greet Andersen again.

“My, but it’s not all bad, you know? If you properly complete this course, you gain a whole 10 points of dexterity experience!”

The person who intimidated the lower-class female students upon her arrival was Countess Arcadia Ceviche, who covered her mouth with a fan engraved with a dancing phoenix.

“That’s only possible for someone like Lady Arcadia.”

“Regular students like us can’t handle the high-difficulty challenge moves and dancing challenges…”

“Hohoho! Then I shall be first in this course. By all means, aim for second place and work hard!”

Son Ocheon scratched his head as he watched the lower-class female students leave with drooping heads like defeated soldiers.

“Hey, weren’t you usually kinder? Your personality seems to have changed.”

“Hohoho. I’ve recently found a new hobby. Since my ducal family’s honor has been tarnished, I enjoy crushing those petty individuals who spread rumors behind my back saying my true nature would be revealed now that I can’t rely on my family name. I silence them with my skills.”

“Well, that can’t be helped then.”

Son Ocheon readily agreed.

Just as a bird that soars high falls longer, the rumors about Arcadia had persisted for quite some time.

He even felt admiration for Arcadia’s resilience in enduring it all, to the point where other students were now intimidated just by taking the same course as her.

“What kind of people came as test opponents for Son Ocheon?”

“In this atmosphere, I suppose I should mention the most vicious ones? For the ‘Even Monkeys Can Understand Moral Virtue’ course, they’ve invited imperial officials.”

“My, that sounds like quite an intellectual course?”

Isabelle looked up at Son Ocheon with a sense of betrayal.

“What’s ‘moral virtue’? You’re taking that kind of course too?”

“Actually, I thought they’d teach some killer techniques. But they just recite damn texts—I thought I’d go crazy.”

“Then why did you take it?”

“I registered for too few courses, and if I didn’t take this one, I’d either have to buy credits with points or repeat a year.”

“…You fell for a course name perfectly designed to trap monkey beastkin.”

So what kind of course is this exactly?

Son Ocheon explained to the dazed Isabelle.

“Moral virtue is apparently the opposite of supernatural powers.”

“What do you actually do in the course?”

“They teach the administrative department’s methods of overcoming crises through everyday effort and virtue, using the power of law, systems, and human ability—without relying on special mana techniques and magical powers that fall under supernatural abilities.”

“I can see you definitely chose the wrong course. Aren’t you at risk of failing?”

Son Ocheon shrugged.

“Prepare to be shocked. My current grade is first in the classroom.”

“Impossible!”

Isabelle vehemently objected.

“I could understand if it were Giselle, since she always seemed intelligent. Even Oknodie makes sense considering her early education from the Foundation. But not you.”

“Huh? Why are you treating me like an empty can? Don’t underestimate the ace of the Administrative Department’s liberal arts course.”

Arcadia laughed softly behind her fan.

“You seem too caught up in prejudice about the Administrative Department. Their courses are quite chaotic in their own way. Getting good grades through studying isn’t everything, you know?”

“Does the Countess have some insight into this?”

“Let’s say the royal family announced they would collect twice as much grain this year to prepare for a famine. Without relying on supernatural powers, how would you collect more grain?”

Isabelle thought seriously.

“By developing fertilizers or changing cultivation methods…?”

“Hah. What a stupid answer.”

Son Ocheon immediately interrupted with mockery.

“You use your well-trained physical strength to extort twice as much grain. And to avoid trouble, you disguise yourself as a thief and preferably target grain from hostile territories.”

“Huh? Then there’s no reason for the Administrative Department to teach this.”

“That’s the correct answer, actually.”

At Arcadia’s declaration, Isabelle was dumbfounded.

Seriously? This wasn’t a joke?

“As long as you don’t get caught, you can do whatever you want. That’s an old saying passed down in the Administrative Department.”

“Wasn’t the Administrative Department supposed to be for nobles of precious bloodlines and smart students from various countries…?”

“That’s right.”

“I’m starting to seriously worry about the future of countries around the world based on what you’re saying…”

Arcadia’s shoulders shook even more as she tried to hold back her laughter behind her fan.

“Let go of your prejudices. Most administrators in territories have just adequate skills. It’s difficult to surpass predecessors with extraordinary knowledge to develop new fertilizers or cultivate monster-infested lands.”

“I suppose that’s true…”

“Compared to that, stealing others’ achievements or exploiting farmers in your territory is much easier and more practical. But if you act rashly out of impatience, you’ll only create bigger side effects.”

“Like territorial wars with neighboring lands or your territory’s reputation plummeting.”

“That’s why techniques for not getting caught and safely committing acts are important. As a bonus, those in higher positions can learn what underhanded methods are being used in the field by attending these lectures.”

It clearly sounded like a garbage course, but why did it sound practical when Countess Arcadia explained it…?

“Moral virtue—what a nice term. If you train hard regularly, you can take things with normal attacks without using special skills. How rewarding is that?”

“I feel bad for the professor who has to recite all those texts… You really shouldn’t badmouth your professor.”

Despite Isabelle’s scolding, Son Ocheon just burst into hearty laughter.

“By the way, have you two heard rumors about the test opponents coming for Di’s course?”

Arcadia’s expression suddenly darkened.

It seemed the countess’s connections had picked up something concerning.

Isabelle’s expression hardened as she asked:

“I could ask Giselle, but I haven’t yet. What’s coming that has you so worried?”

Arcadia sighed deeply.

“I heard rumors they’re bringing in a wandering band.”

“What’s the problem with a band?”

“This band spreads all sorts of status effects—making audiences collectively faint or fall into confusion causing all kinds of incidents, or suffering from insomnia for three days and nights.”

“Ah, could it be… the ‘Blood Music Band’ formed by criminal musicians? I vaguely remember hearing about them during my Esonia Adventure Guild days.”

Isabelle clenched her fist as she searched her memory.

“The ones who put a wide-area berserk buff on a small country’s army and made them charge because imperial arrows hit their passing carriage, leading to a victory in a battle of 3,000 versus 30,000?”

“Yes, that’s the Blood Music Band.”

What kind of test opponents are these?

Are they planning to make first-year students charge at professors and get them all killed?

Whatever the shocking situation, Son Ocheon waited impatiently for the two to finish their conversation before abruptly asking:

“So which course are you talking about?”

Ah.

Oknodie takes so many courses.

“From what I’ve learned, it’s called ‘Healing Through Picnics.'”

“Damn it. I thought something was off—that’s the course Andersen takes.”

“…”

Son Ocheon’s resolve strengthened.

From now on, he would run away without looking back at the mere sight of Andersen approaching.

Amid all this confusion, there was no news about winged beastkin coming as first-year test opponents.

That’s because there were already too many villainous test opponents invited for various courses.