Chapter 55: Applause

“Jessica, this reminds me of the entrance ceremony. Do you remember how we happily chatted back then?”

“…”

Maybe anticipation kept her up last night, but Jessica remained silent with her eyes closed, no matter what I asked.

It’s truly adorable how she couldn’t sleep due to excitement, like a child.

“By the way, how’s your training going? Speed is just as important as power – how are you in that area? I reduced those huge weights on both sides of your head a bit, so you should have gotten a little faster…”

As I kept talking to prevent Jessica from falling asleep, she finally opened her eyes and sighed deeply before speaking.

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me today?”

“Something to ask? Not really, why?”

“Even if it’s not for days like before, I’d like to shut your mouth for just a moment.”

Shut me up?

I want to chat happily with her until the class assignment ceremony starts. Why aren’t my feelings getting through?

“Then I won’t talk to you for today, but can I ask just one… no, two questions?”

“Two days… two questions means two days.”

“Oh, that’s fine with me. Then could you tell me your ancestor’s name and roughly when they were active–!”

Before I could finish, Jessica grabbed my collar, cutting me off.

Ignoring the stares around us, Jessica glared at me fiercely as she gripped my collar and said:

“You…!! Do you think I’ll tolerate such mockery?!”

“I’m not mocking you, I’m asking seriously…”

Still holding my collar and glaring at me, Jessica seemed to read the sincerity in my eyes and slowly released her grip.

“…You’re really not trying to mock me, are you?”

“I swear on Baldo. I won’t make fun of you for this.”

“…Even if you swear on Baldo, it’s not particularly credible, but I’ll believe you for now. Just remember this. If you mock me over this, I’ll never forgive you.”

How can Jessica say such things so confidently when she can’t even fight me properly, let alone defeat me?

I wanted to point out that baseless confidence and tease her, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“Alright, now hurry up and tell me. First, the name.”

“Hmph… My ancestor’s name is Hammer.”

“Hammer…”

There was one common trait among those who had been transmigrated into the novel like me – their names.

My name, Ian Barthow, supported Baldo.

Ian is probably a variation of ‘Iaido’, and Barthow is likely a variation of ‘batto’, the Japanese pronunciation of Baldo.

‘Since Ponpon hyung’s name was Ray von Pierre, this must be right…’

Hammer, hammer…

This isn’t even a dad joke, just a lame pun. Even if you can’t think of anything else, Hammer? What’s a Hammer? If my name was Hammer, I’d have left home.

“And when were they active?”

“…About 600 years ago, they say.”

“600 years…”

Ponpon hyung was active about 200 years ago.

The original Jessica was active about 600 years ago.

Is it just a coincidence that there’s one person each from roughly 200 and 600 years ago, based on the present?

If it’s not a coincidence, what’s the reason for sending transmigrators in 100-year intervals like this?

Modern humans live about 100 years. In this world with underdeveloped medical technology, most live 60 years, at most 80.

However, humans who’ve trained martial arts or magic to the extreme live longer, sometimes up to 200 years.

‘So is this arrangement to prevent transmigrators from meeting each other?’

If so, why?

In the first place, why did the author send us into the novel?

‘No, he actually said the latter reason himself.’

[If this Baldo is so great, why don’t you try it yourself?]

That’s what he said when he put us, or at least me, into the novel.

So I thought about it, assuming there was no lie in those words.

If there was no lie in those words and he said the same to other transmigrators, the 100-year interval might be to avoid overlapping active periods.

Since there’s a limited number of enemies to defeat, naturally the more transmigrators in the same period, the fewer chances to show off skills.

‘…So that was the purpose.’

In other words, the author anticipated that my Baldo technique would steal all the opportunities for other transmigrators to shine, and dealt with it this way.

How wise, yet foolish.

If he predicted the results Baldo would bring and took such measures, shouldn’t he apologize for underestimating Baldo?

I frowned at the foolishness of someone who couldn’t admit their mistake and only whined in the skill window.

“Haah…”

“Another sigh… No, forget it. It’s just tiring for me to care about you.”

Jessica said, turning her head away sharply. Despite her words, she seems to care about me somewhat.

As I was lost in these thoughts, time flew by, and just like at the entrance ceremony, Marina appeared amidst white snow.

“It was passable the first time, but seeing it twice is getting boring. Don’t tell me they do this every time we gather in the hall?”

A chuckle escaped from the seat next to me at my muttered words.

When I quickly turned my head, Jessica was maintaining her cold expression as if nothing had happened, silently watching Marina.

After that, Marina’s tedious lecture continued for a while, and finally the long-awaited moment of class assignment arrived.

“Those whose names are called, step forward.”

Students below B-class aren’t called out separately, but from A-class up, they’re made to stand in front to set an example for new students and juniors.

It was an event meant to boost the pride of A-class and above students, but honestly, seeing them strut around with such mediocre skills made it hard to hold back laughter.

‘…The third years are a poor crop.’

Even though only knight department students had come out so far, the number of S-class students already exceeded ten.

The academy’s class assignment evaluation is based on relative, not absolute, grading.

Therefore, unless there are several exceptionally talented individuals in a year, S-class usually has three or at most five students.

So having ten now means, barring special circumstances, there are no exceptionally talented individuals among the third years.

‘Someone asked why it’s relative grading instead of absolute, and the author said…’

It’s to select outstanding students and teach them with maximum efficiency.

Of course, even with absolute grading, you could identify outstanding students by setting high standards, but then you might end up with no students qualifying for S-class.

To prevent such mishaps, the academy adopted a flexible relative grading system.

‘Now the second years…’

Since there were many third-year S-class students, it took quite a while before we could see the second-year S-class students.

Regrettably, the next Sword Saint did not attend and could not be seen.

It would have been nice if she showed her face on a day like this and incidentally took a few Baldo hits from me…

‘Three of them…’

Although the future Sword Saint wasn’t present, three other S-class students did attend and came forward.

Judging by eye, all three were more skilled than Jessica, but not overwhelmingly so.

Considering Jessica’s current growth rate, it was a level she could catch up to in a few months.

‘Even with relative grading, they couldn’t just pick one… especially a student who barely attends the academy.’

Originally, S-class should have only had the future Sword Saint, but surpassing talent with effort is not just difficult, it’s impossible.

Therefore, they must have been specially assigned to S-class based on the results of pre-assignment duels and the teachers’ direct assessment of their skills.

‘Then in my case, a few more should be added.’

This is assuming Peter is someone who can separate public and private matters, of course.

The likely candidates to join are probably Jessica and the future Sword Saint’s younger sister.

There might be a few other reasonably talented students, but as far as I know, these two were the most likely.

“Well then…”

All the called second years had returned to their seats and it was finally time for the first years, but Marina paused briefly and looked around at the students before speaking.

“Lastly, it’s time to call the first-year students, but before that, we’ll hear from Sir Peter, who has newly been appointed as the S-class supervisor, about his future aspirations.”

The atmosphere heated up considerably at the mention of someone formerly from the Royal Knight Order.

Especially the knight department students, thinking they could meet someone they admired, were so excited that some even unconsciously cheered.

It was nothing surprising since it happened in the original work too, but I also felt my palms getting a bit sweaty with anticipation.

‘Surely… he won’t skip it, right?’

I wouldn’t kill him or anything even if he did skip it, but if he just passes it by, I don’t think I’ll be able to stay quiet.

As I was stroking Shadowstrike in preparation for any possible situation, Peter finally appeared on the podium.

“…Huh?”

And the students’ gazes filled with confusion.

“S-Sir Peter?”

The sight of him standing there, wearing the broken armor from our fight without even repairing it, was clearly abnormal to anyone who saw it.

Not responding to Marina’s question, Peter stood on the podium, gripping it as he opened his mouth with a trembling voice.

“First… before we begin… I’d like to clarify that a certain rumor that has been circulating in the academy is completely unfounded.”

Since everyone knew about that rumor in the academy, questions naturally focused on what intention Peter had in making such a statement.

And Marina, who knew well how that rumor had been distorted, spoke to Peter with a shocked face, as if pressing him.

“N-No!! Sir Peter! W-What on earth are you saying…!!”

“A-And Ba-Bald…!!”

Despite Marina’s attempt to stop him, Peter, trying to keep his promise with me until the end, muttered and then shouted as if coughing up blood.

“Baldo technique is the strongest swordsmanship that converts friction into kinetic energy when drawing the sword!! This is a scientifically proven fact!!”

Reactions to those words varied, but one thing was the same – all who heard remained silent.

Except for one person – me.

-Clap clap clap!!!

Amidst the silence of everyone else, I alone stood up from my seat and applauded Peter, laughing happily.

“Baldahahahaha!! Baldahahahaha!!”

The gazes that had been focused on Peter began to shift towards me.

Among them, Marina particularly gave me a fierce, murderous look, but what could she do?

I literally didn’t do anything.

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