Ch.49Chapter 49: The Evaluation Begins (1)

This is bad.

“You rascal…!”

The scolding that poured out from my sister, mixed with half joy and half mischief, was what spelled trouble.

I did receive a stinging flick to the forehead while being scolded, but compared to the endless nagging that was sure to follow, this was nothing.

‘The most recent scolding I remember was before my regression, when I came home after dumping all my inferiority complex on Shizu.’

I still can’t forget my sister’s voice as she furiously listed every single one of my wrongdoings the moment I entered the house, somehow knowing exactly what I had done.

By current time standards, it happened less than a year ago, but after the long years before my regression, coming full circle to face this scolding again…

I was a bit worried about how far it would go, but compared to remembering the expression my sister wore when she confronted the monster I had become in the time before my regression, this was an incredibly peaceful scene.

-In the name of Lanos, I will execute you.

Her voice had been ice-cold, and her expression barely contained the intense emotions that seemed ready to burst forth as she pointed her sword at me. Compared to that, her current expression of moderate anger was much better.

“Is it okay to shut yourself away for a year without even proper contact with home? Is it?”

That’s why I was prepared to listen to my sister’s endless nagging as many times as necessary, if circumstances allowed.

‘But not now.’

Unfortunately, now was not the time.

I could feel the gazes of people gathered in the open space, more than usual, waiting for the Subjugation Festival participation screening.

Some were looking at the center of the training ground, wondering why she was suddenly acting this way, just as confused as I was after being hit with the sudden scolding bomb.

Others wore expressions of boredom, thinking, ‘When will this screening resume?’

And I could see some focusing intently, using this brief intermission to figure out how to pass the screening.

For now, their attention wasn’t directly on me, but that wouldn’t last long.

If Iriana, the main figure of the screening, was distracted by me, it was certain that the gazes of all the enrolled students preparing for the screening would turn to me for diverting her attention.

‘Haah…’

Gathering my thoughts, which felt distant just thinking about it, I could only helplessly wait for my sister’s scolding to end while holding back a quiet sigh that shouldn’t be heard.

“Sis!”

Fortunately, a savior appeared at just the right moment to rescue me from the bombing of nagging.

It was Shizu, who approached my sister quickly with a cheerful, drawn-out greeting.

“Oh, Shizu!”

Upon seeing Shizu, my sister’s expression softened from her characteristic scolding face.

“Ah… ahem.”

A light clearing of the throat came from my sister as she quickly assessed the situation.

It was a throat-clearing intended to recover her composure, having realized that she had strayed from her duty as a screening judge for the Subjugation Festival participants while mindlessly scolding her worthless brother who hadn’t shown his face at home for nearly a year.

“Look at me. I got distracted for a moment.”

Her self-reproaching mutter was quiet, but my ears, which had been close enough to hear her scolding, caught it clearly.

Now that she realized she had gone too far, she would soon resume the screening, and my sister’s scolding would finally stop.

It was a moment when a small but vivid hope was blooming, but just as a hastily bloomed flower withers quickly, my hope immediately withered at the words that came from my sister’s mouth as she lightly tapped her forehead with her right hand, joining her index, middle, and ring fingers.

“Cal, I’ll scold you plenty later, so for now, go train somewhere appropriate.”

…So she’s not saying she won’t scold me.

I felt a bit disappointed and wanted to protest since I had things to say too, but…

‘…Let it go.’

If I did, I would surely receive something with a force incomparable to the flick I had just gotten, so I needed to be cautious here.

Having made my decision, I nodded obediently while making the most respectful gesture possible, waving my hand to show I wouldn’t go against my sister’s will as she dismissed me, and moved to leave the center of the training ground.

I tried to hurry so as not to attract attention, having already drawn more eyes than necessary due to the recent scolding bomb.

-Wow… Did you see that guy?

Among the murmuring voices in the center of the training ground, I heard someone pointing me out, so I slowed my hurried steps a bit and listened to what I presumed were comments directed at me.

I was concerned—no, worried—that I might hear voices of contempt directed at me, a late bloomer who had miraculously awakened my abilities before turning 18, the lower age limit for special awakening, and yet had passed the screening first. But…

-Is it even possible to meet the Vice-Captain’s fighting spirit head-on without flinching, let alone with such confidence?

-Some tried to endure it forcibly and ended up standing there unconscious with foam at their mouths, but he withstood it.

-I guess it’s true that what matters isn’t when you awakened, but what you awakened, as long as you succeeded.

-Still, passing the screening will be difficult. Just watching the Vice-Captain’s fighting spirit from a distance makes my whole body twitch, how could anyone face it up close?

-She may be called Vice-Captain, but there are rumors she’ll officially become Captain after this Subjugation Festival. Well, there’s no shame in failing the screening.

-Still, I have my pride. I’ll take the screening even if I end up fainting while standing.

Contrary to my concerns, the murmurs contained no contempt directed at me, only pure admiration and resolute determination to give their all in the upcoming screening.

‘How bland.’

Whether it was a case of “even a rotten croaker is still a croaker” or whether they were truly future talents destined to grow into pillars supporting humanity, I wasn’t sure.

“Phew…”

Listening to the enthusiastic murmurs of the enrolled students, who displayed high pride without sacrificing their noble character, I couldn’t help but let out a light sigh.

‘You wasted your life burning yourself up with worthless inferiority complex among these stars.’

Their figures naturally drew comparison with the footsteps of a certain unsightly man who had floundered about and turned to ashes in a timeline that now only I remembered, causing me to sigh unconsciously.

Even thinking about it now, I felt nothing but regret and shame.

“…Let’s not do that anymore.”

With a determination to live a better life, I gradually shed the shame that was beginning to form in my heart again.

Now it was time to step into Shizu’s private space where I always went to train at this hour, but…

“I will resume the screening. Those who are confident, step forward one by one.”

From behind me came my sister’s voice, restored to a dignity befitting her position as Vice-Captain of the Imperial Knights, and…

“Lillian Shizu Proxian. I request participation in the Subjugation Festival.”

With Shizu’s calm voice as she stood before my sister immediately after the announcement of the screening’s resumption, the screening began again.

‘At this distance, I shouldn’t be noticed if I watch.’

I stopped my steps for a moment and carefully took in the sight of the two sword geniuses of the era confronting each other, albeit in a limited form.

#

“Normally I’d like to greet you warmly, but I have a job to do first, so let’s finish that first.”

Though her expression showed joy, my sister made it clear she strictly separated public and private matters, and changed her expression to match her solemn voice.

“Please don’t hold back and give it your all.”

Not to be outdone, Shizu requested that my sister draw out her full power, and as the screening unfolded in the center of the training ground…

The tense atmosphere, like a bowstring about to snap, was maintained for so long that…

Gulp

The only sound that could be heard was the students watching the scene swallowing their dry saliva due to the tension.

Probably most of them were staring intently at this scene, thinking deeply and trying to take a step forward in various ways.

This was also true for me, who maintained silence without even making the sound of swallowing.

While keeping silent, my mind was working in complex ways.

‘I wonder what level the full fighting spirit of these two has reached at this point in time.’

I needed to figure this out by watching the test that would soon unfold between these two people.

Before long, a scene would unfold before my eyes where, even if not a direct confrontation of swords, the fighting spirit that was nothing less than a mark of superhuman ability would ripple.

The two people facing each other in the middle of the training ground, if not right now, then in the not-too-distant future after completing their growth, would become beings who could display their power by scattering fighting spirit that even demon gods couldn’t disregard.

Knowing the limits of the fighting spirit these two possessed at this point was quite important for me.

‘I need to gauge how much I need to grow from this point to reach a level where I can follow these two.’

Unlike the previous timeline where I denied being less than even a shooting star and only harbored a desire to become a radiant fixed star in the sky, now I only wished to add to the light of the stars shining in that sky—a new aspiration I held.

“…”

After a brief moment of thought in the silence, the tension that had continued between the two during the tedious standoff was first broken by Iriana.

Step

Similar to when she was screening me earlier, my sister took a slow first step toward Shizu, her expression solemn enough to be noticeable even from a distance.

And with that first step, a shimmer of fighting spirit like a heat haze around my sister’s body caused a phenomenon that distorted the surrounding light.

Just as I was about to hold my breath at the sight, which showed no trace of the person who had been pouring out scoldings to me just moments ago…

“…Well then.”

This time, a response came from Shizu’s side.

It was an even more active response than mine, as I had not avoided my sister’s testing gaze despite being slightly intimidated.

Step

Shizu also slowly took a step toward my sister.

-Oh…

Starting with someone’s small voice of admiration heard from somewhere…

-Lily is actually walking forward toward the Vice-Captain.

-Wow… Is that the difference in class?

-Earlier, someone tried to force themselves to take a step there and fainted standing up while foaming at the mouth.

My sister’s steps, accompanied by the naturally formed pressure from her overwhelming fighting spirit, had caused everyone except me—who had directly faced her without being easily intimidated in this short time—to be unable to escape the pressure she exerted as she gradually closed the distance.

Most were surprised that the influence of my sister’s fighting spirit reached even here, where they were merely observing and not the subjects of the test, but only one person maintained their dignity throughout.

Shizu, who had stepped forward immediately after I became the first successful candidate, went even further than me and boldly moved toward my sister as if responding to her challenge.

“Hooh…”

Perhaps because Shizu’s display was more impressive than she had expected, a much deeper admiration than what she had expressed toward me flowed from my sister’s lips.

Judging by my sister’s expression, Shizu’s participation in the Subjugation Festival was becoming almost a foregone conclusion, but…

“Finally, how about this?”

Stopping her slow steps, my sister’s body, which had been continuously emitting transparent fighting spirit in the form of heat haze, now exuded an indescribable coercive force much more intensely.

“I will not avoid it.”

Having discerned the nature of the fighting spirit, Shizu continued her steps toward my sister without stopping.

As Shizu’s steps continued, my sister’s fighting spirit, which reminded me of the sharp premonition that had pierced my entire body earlier, was having no noticeable effect on Shizu.

“Hehe… Pass.”

Seeing Shizu not only standing firm but boldly approaching her despite such a strong display of fighting spirit, my sister announced her passing with satisfaction.

-Wooooah!

Shizu’s image of directly confronting my sister’s fighting spirit, which had overwhelmed the entire training ground, was enough to make all the enrolled students gathered there momentarily forget their own upcoming screenings and burst into thunderous cheers.