The Saintess's Strange Offer
Want me to grab your hair?! What the hell did she eat wrong? She's acting particularly strange today. I watched Sylvia's retreating figure as she walked away with that unusually determined expression, then shrugged my shoulders. Well, it probably doesn't matter. Every loop is the same. Unless she suddenly starts acting weird, that is. The people here always show different behavioral patterns each time. The broad strokes stay the same, but the little details never match exactly. If even the smallest actions and conversations were identical, they wouldn't be people—they'd be NPCs.
Setting the minor stuff aside, I stared blankly at Sylvia as she continued the entrance exam. ……This loop's pretty tough. We'd only just started, but I'd reached the point where I could judge her strength just by watching. The tip of her sword was sharper than usual, and the trajectories it carved through the air were anything but ordinary. The fact that the world's protagonist was stronger than in previous loops meant the difficulty had gone up accordingly.
Not that it causes any major problems right from the start. From the beginning, the system had been balancing power levels by making the other side stronger with each regression. I was aware of it, but I didn't really care. Top spot's probably impossible. Sylvia had already taken down over ten golems in the exam. I could surpass that if I wanted to, but it would obviously be a huge pain later. Better to keep things moderate in the early stages. The hassle that follows far outweighs any reward. If too much attention gathers on me, moving around quietly on my own becomes quite difficult.
Oh, she's about done. She'd looked like she could keep going for a long while when I first saw her, and even midway through. But now she seemed to be getting tired. Or was she holding back on purpose? If that was the case, I might need to raise my evaluation of her even higher.
While quietly watching Sylvia lower her sword with a long exhale, I slowly stood up.
"Next! Number 278!"
It was my turn. Taking the entrance exam right after Sylvia. At first, it had felt incredibly despair-inducing, but now it didn't matter. If anything, it was entirely positive—everyone's attention would be focused on her. The charisma effect was quite weak anyway, so I had no need to worry about drawing eyes.
The strong instinctively recognize your existence!
"……Impressive." Her name was Sylvia. Quite a few powerful figures attended the Academy's entrance ceremony. If a cadet stood out with exceptional talent, they wanted to secure them first. No matter how prestigious the Empire's Academy was, it was a place where talents from all across the continent struggled to enter. Even if complete recruitment was impossible, they could at least mark their interest beforehand.
Thus, Sylvia's performance in the entrance exam had captured many eyes—not because of her outstanding appearance, but purely through her skill.
"How many cadets have taken down over ten golems in the entrance exam?"
"Only three in total."
"The Empire's Royal Guard Captain, the Tower Lord of the Magic Tower…… and who was the last one?"
"The previous hero."
"……So that child possesses that level of talent."
Interesting. In the hundred-plus years since the Academy was founded, only three people had ever defeated more than ten golems in the entrance exam. After all, those golems weren't ordinary mana golems. Typically, successful entrants defeated about three. Those entering the top class, Class A, usually took down around five. Even Academy graduates rarely managed ten by the time they finished. Defeating over ten during the entrance exam meant extraordinary talent and effort.
Hamel, the Mercenary King and current Captain of Rian's Royal Guard, watched Sylvia with intrigued eyes.
"At that level……"
"Shall we investigate further?"
Of course, they couldn't recruit Sylvia into Rian right away. There were too many watching eyes, and too many things that needed checking. There was no way to cheat past ten golems, but it was only natural to tread carefully. Just as Hamel was about to nod at his adjutant's words, he had no choice but to fall silent upon seeing who appeared next.
Step. He should have been overshadowed by Sylvia's brilliant light. If Sylvia was light, then he appeared on the testing grounds with a calm gait, his black hair gleaming as though he himself were darkness.
"……Captain?"
"Quiet."
But Hamel found himself instinctively drawn to the newcomer. He didn't know why. It was simply that the instincts which had brought him this far were ringing out fiercely, warning him. Pay attention to that man. Recognize him. Be wary.
"……Who's number 278?"
And Hamel trusted his instincts. That was how he had survived, how he had earned the title of Mercenary King.
"Number 278, Ian Phil Highgrants. No notable special characteristics."
"……I see."
At his adjutant's report, Hamel gave a small nod. Logically, focusing on Sylvia was the correct move right now. The others around him were already fidgeting, ready to approach her. But for some reason, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Ian. As if being sucked in, Hamel stared at Ian's face until the entrance exam began—then he couldn't help but frown.
He's hiding his strength. It wasn't simply because Hamel was at a higher level. No, more precisely, he couldn't see it. The fact that he couldn't see it made it all the more bizarre. That very strangeness only confirmed it. Ian was concealing his power.
Hamel narrowed his eyes, then forcibly turned his head at a gaze he felt from somewhere.
"……Adjutant."
"Yes, Captain."
"Investigate that cadet named Ian along with the one called Sylvia."
"……Understood."
The moment he realized others with similar instincts were thinking the exact same thing, Hamel could hesitate no longer. His adjutant didn't understand the order, but bowed his head to obey regardless. Hamel possessed not only outstanding skill, but also an exceptional eye for talent.
Starting with Hamel, several figures began to move. Quietly, without Ian knowing.
"Whew." Seven. That was excellent for second place. Academy graduates averaged five, so in any other year, this would have secured first. But this loop had Sylvia, so first place had been impossible. In fact, after seeing how many she'd defeated, I'd adjusted accordingly—there was no way I could have taken first even if I'd tried. Not that I'd intended to. I could have hidden more, but I chose not to.
If I hide my talent too much, it'll be troublesome later. If I suddenly revealed my strength after truly standing out, it would only invite suspicion. I needed a certain degree of influence.
That's enough for the entrance exam…… Even moving right now felt insufficient. Now that I'd realized how rotten the world was, I couldn't just leave it alone. I had to move as quickly as possible and expand my influence. ……Ah, my head hurts again. Irritation surged up in an instant. The Holy Kingdom, the Empire, the elves…… There were countless things that needed fixing. Suppressing the rising frustration, I left the testing grounds and continued pondering. Where should I start? The elves were beyond my reach for now, so I'd set them aside. The Holy Kingdom? The Empire? Other countries had been roughly manageable before, but these two were a bit risky to touch carelessly. Tsk, what to do. I wanted to grab someone by the hair and shake them, but if I did that, I'd really have to move on to the next loop. Letting things spiral into the worst case was something I wanted to avoid too. If I regressed now, I'd have to pay the price for not accumulating stats or achievements. Sigh. As I slowly blinked while letting out a breath, I soon spotted something and couldn't help but frown.
"……What?"
"Ah…… Hello…!!"
A woman with light-green short hair came running over, her immense divine power practically spilling out as she bowed her head in greeting. I clicked my tongue at the incomprehensible situation and stared at her. Misinterpreting my gaze, she thrust her round head forward and shouted.
"W-want me to grab my hair?!"
"……What the hell."
Why was the Saintess saying that? ……Was this an assassination attempt? My head hurt.
Saintess Aileen.