The Birth of a Hero (1)

1.

“Even so, fodder is still fodder.”

Of course, numbers are not a negligible factor in battle.

It’s obvious that a majority is more advantageous than a minority.

But there are exceptions.

Before overwhelming power, dozens, even hundreds of troops fall like reeds before a strong wind.

“Hiss…!”

Elia inhaled, swinging her sword three times in the air.

Once in front.

Once to the right.

Once to the left.

A thin line was drawn where Elia’s sword passed.

The line, etched like a wound, split open.

Golden Sword Aura, like blood, spread through the gap in space.

Then it disappeared with a rustle.

“Pfft!”

The Demon laughed at Elia when nothing happened.

The Demon gestured, ordering his Phantom bodies.

Ten Phantom bodies simultaneously swung greatswords and began to rush towards Elia.

Elia lowered the tip of her sword and leisurely walked towards the Demon.

“Kwaaaa!” The Phantom bodies cried out with laughter mixed in as they leaped.

At that moment.

The upper and lower bodies of the Phantom bodies separated, the upper bodies falling to the ground, and the lower bodies falling on top of them as they leaped.

“??”

The Demon’s eyes widened.

“I don’t know how many souls you’ve stolen…”

Elia, standing before the Demon, glared up at him.

“On behalf of those souls…”

Elia placed her hand on the solar plexus of the Demon, who was blinking.

“In the name of God, I punish you.”

As if saying what nonsense she was spouting, the Demon roared and raised the greatswords in both hands high. And just like that, the Demon’s waist slid backward, and his upper body was severed.

The Demon was already dead.

From the moment Elia swung her sword in the air.

Elia shook off the Demon’s rough touch from her hand and clasped her hands over her chest.

She offered a prayer.

For all those who died because of this Demon.

The Barrier, spread out like fog, scattered, and sunlight poured down on the woman’s head.

White sunlight streamed down her back, following her golden hair.

Having finished her prayer, Elia slowly opened her eyes and turned around.

“You know, right?”

Elia raised a finger to her lips.

There was no one who didn’t understand that meaning.

The two people who had been watching everything nodded their heads.

2.

The next day.

Naturally, the third exam was suspended.

The appearance of a Demon.

The Imperial Academy was turned upside down by the unprecedented situation.

An emergency meeting was held.

All the professors of the Academy were summoned.

In its hundreds of years of history, it had never allowed anyone to intrude.

This was the Imperial Academy.

A place where talents from all nations gathered.

Naturally, security was thoroughly managed.

To enter the Academy, an entry permit was required.

No one who was not authorized could enter.

Whether they were royalty or nobility.

Furthermore, sneaking in was impossible.

The Barrier surrounding the entire Academy.

The protective Barrier, with thousands of magic circuits intricately connected, was the culmination of all magic.

To forcibly open it and enter?

There was only one person who could do that.

The person who created the Barrier.

The Archmage.

So, it was impossible that they had opened the Barrier and entered.

A search party was dispatched to confirm.

After searching the entire forest and inspecting the Barrier.

The Barrier was perfectly fine.

There was no trace of external intrusion, nor was there any trace of an attempt to intrude.

Then how on earth did a Demon appear in the forest within the Academy grounds?

“The results are in.”

A professor from the Department of Magic adjusted his glasses and said.

“As a result of the autopsy of the Demon’s corpse, the Demon has been identified as an assistant professor in the Department of Swordsmanship.”

The conference room began to stir.

Especially the Department of Swordsmanship was in great turmoil.

One of the assistant professors had been missing for several days, so they were worried, but they never imagined that things would turn out like this.

“The detailed circumstances are still under investigation. We will inform you as soon as we find out anything.”

Demons.

Originally ordinary people.

When they make a deal with the Demon race, they become Demons.

In other words, there is a very high possibility that the Demon race is involved in this incident.

“What are you going to do about the entrance exam, Headmaster?”

The Headmaster of the Imperial Academy, Croto, groaned and pressed his temples.

He had a headache.

There was more than one or two problems.

He had to solve the Demon problem and the entrance problem.

The third exam had progressed about halfway, but he was wondering whether to select the new students based on this or not.

“We think the information we have now is sufficient.”

This was the position of the Department of Swordsmanship.

“We still need more. I think we should have another exam separately this time.”

This was the position of the Department of Magic.

“What was the pass rate for the third exam last year?”

“The Department of Swordsmanship and the Department of Divinity Studies had a 100% pass rate, and the Department of Magic had 30 out of 200 students fail.”

The content of the third exam had changed this year, but the evaluation was the same.

“Hmm… I will leave the third exam to the deans of each department. Please announce the results by two weeks later. And Professor Ethel, please inform us immediately if you find out anything related to this incident, and please organize and submit the items to be announced regarding the incident.”

“Understood.”

“By the way…”

Headmaster Croto said, looking at the report.

“Who is the child who defeated the Demon?”

He couldn’t help but be surprised to hear that among the children taking the exam, there was a child who defeated the Demon.

He didn’t believe it when he first heard this story.

He still didn’t believe it.

Even if it wasn’t a complete Demon.

A Demon is a Demon.

It takes a company-sized force from the Imperial Knights to barely defeat one.

But to defeat it alone…

It was clear that they were a talent who would become a Hero in the future.

3.

A week had passed.

The results of the messed-up entrance exam were out.

The Department of Swordsmanship and the Department of Divinity Studies determined the successful candidates based on the information gathered in the third exam, and the Department of Magic held a separate additional exam.

I naturally passed.

I wasn’t worried.

What I was concerned about during the week was not whether I would pass the Academy, but the Demon.

The fact that there was a Demon in the examination hall could be thought of in two ways.

They were trying to kill a specific person.

Or they were trying to kill anyone they could get their hands on, regardless of who it was.

In the former case, who were they trying to kill?

The first thing that came to mind was the Hero’s disciple.

From a future perspective, they were the person who would become the Demon Lord Army’s greatest enemy.

It would be easy for them to cut off the bud when they were young.

If not the Hero, then the Saintess.

They might have been trying to kill me.

In fact, I was the one who entered the Demon’s Barrier first.

The reason for killing the Saintess was the same as the reason for killing the Hero.

Because they were a hindrance to the Demon Lord Army.

“Or maybe both were the targets.”

If this wasn’t the case, and it was the latter reason, then what was the purpose?

Indiscriminate massacre.

It wouldn’t be simply to cause damage to the Academy.

An investigation was needed to find out more.

I heard that the assistant professor in the Department of Swordsmanship had turned into a Demon.

If I investigated the assistant professor’s room, I might find a clue.

The Academy had already investigated, but it was quiet about it, so I didn’t know if they were keeping it a secret or if they hadn’t found anything yet.

“…Shall I go take a look?”

I, who had been rolling around in bed, got up.

I tidied up my Nun’s Habit.

I neatly combed my messy hair with a comb.

I took out a robe from under the bed.

It was the clothes I wore when sneaking out.

I put on the robe and headed for the window.

I was about to jump out the window when.

-Knock knock

The sound of knocking grabbed my ankle.

“Hic…!”

I was so surprised that I hiccupped and grabbed the window.

If I had made a mistake, I would have slipped and fallen instead of jumping out.

“Saintess, it’s Rael.”

I took off the robe and stuffed it under the bed.

“Yes, come in.”

I sat on the bed just before the door opened.

I gathered my legs.

I put both hands on my knees.

“What’s the matter?”

“A guest has come to see you.”

“A guest?”

“It’s a student from the Department of Swordsmanship who was in the same party as you in the last entrance exam.”

Immediately, a man’s face came to mind.

Blond hair and tanned skin.

His passionate appearance was good to see.

“What for?”

“I’m not sure. He seemed to have some urgent business with you, Saintess.”

I hadn’t officially enrolled yet, but there were already more than a few students coming to see me.

To receive treatment.

To receive counseling.

They came to see the face of the Saintess for various reasons.

It was difficult to meet outside the Academy, but within the Academy, they were equal students, so they could meet if they wanted to.

Tsk…

I was about to go investigate.

“Okay.”

I got up from my seat.

I was guided by Rael and went down to the first floor of the dormitory.

The students I encountered on the way down to the first floor greeted me.

“Hello, Saintess.”

“Good morning, Saintess.”

“You look beautiful today too, Saintess.”

I answered each of those greetings.

I felt like my face was cramping.

It was really hard to answer each person with a smile.

When I arrived on the first floor, I saw Hoth standing at the entrance, fidgeting.

“Oh…!”

As soon as Hoth found me, he ran towards me.

Rael put his hand on the hilt of his sword in case something happened.

“Noona!!”

Hoth prostrated himself on the floor and clung to my ankle.

Everyone’s eyes were on me.

I was already attracting attention, but now I was attracting even more attention.

“What are you doing! Get away from the Saintess!”

Rael tried to pull Hoth away.

But Hoth stubbornly grabbed and clung to my ankle.

“Please…! Please save me!”

Haha.

What kind of madness is this?