Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Entrance Exam
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Leaving the fallen muscle pig behind, Krash turned around, and whispers drifted in from behind him.
"The guy from just now."
"That hair color... Valheim?"
"Was there someone else from Valheim enrolling?"
"Yeah, that halfwit youngest one."
"But they say he's not a halfwit anymore."
"Wasn't that just a rumor?"
"Still, that display just now..."
The voices carried a mix of opinions, many reflecting views on the current Krash.
Thanks to the First Prince's diligent efforts over the past six months, the scale of rumors about Krash had shrunk considerably.
The fact that "halfwit" stories still cropped up was proof of that.
'The important ones must have already figured out by early evening that all the rumors about me are true.'
Confusion in information prevents rash judgments of truth.
Unless you see the source with your own eyes, doubt lingers endlessly.
That's why even those who knew the rumors were real couldn't act hastily—proof of it.
They wouldn't want to poke the Valheim bear and risk bloodshed, after all.
In the meantime, Krash entered the Martial Hall.
True to its name, a massive statue holding a crossed sword and axe in front greeted him.
The place where Krash halted was the Martial Hall's training ground.
A colossal dome-shaped arena that evoked images of a coliseum.
Just the training ground alone gave a sense of Raheln Academy's immense scale.
The problem was the people seated in that arena.
Martial enrollment exams allowed current students to observe if they wished.
Since it was just about showing off one's own prowess, students couldn't help anyway.
So they opened it to boost new enrollees' motivation and let upperclassmen scout future juniors.
Among those attendees, Krash spotted several familiar faces.
'Sigrin.'
And the most eye-catching among them was Sigrin Epania, with her sea-blue hair.
The third imperial princess of the Epania imperial family, blood of the White Dragon, and a woman who, like Krash, possessed memories from previous cycles via Memory Succession.
She was also the woman Krash hated most.
She was surrounded by several figures.
They were all extraordinary in their own right.
Each had such a strong presence that they stood out.
They were all people who would later make names for themselves in the empire.
And among those striking figures was a young man with black hair and an honest demeanor.
'Pelei.'
An idol hailed as a hero by commoners, and one who would join the Generation of the Sky.
A guy Krash had faced in the finals of the martial tournament.
But Pelei's eyes were anxiously scanning the surroundings.
As if searching for someone.
Krash had a rough idea who it was but didn't react.
'Looks like Sigrin recruited him.'
Pelei had reached the semifinals of the empire's martial tournament, qualifying him for the academy.
That naturally made it easy for Sigrin to pull him in.
To someone without backing, Sigrin was an incredible connection.
Of course, he wasn't the type to care about that.
'The guy's too naive.'
If she sweet-talked him about looking out for fellow commoner martial peers, Pelei would've joined her faction without a fuss.
'That woman's really stacking her deck.'
In the previous academy days, Sigrin's crew was just sycophants praising her endlessly.
But now, the people around her were all tied to the Generation of the Sky.
Tough nuts to handle, every one of them, yet she'd assembled the group.
In other words, proof she'd actively leveraged her Memory Succession.
Krash quickly scanned the surroundings.
'If Sigrin's here, that Arthur guy's gotta be around too.'
To Krash, Arthur was currently the most uncertain factor.
Having lost his skills to Krash, Arthur surely lacked his original memories.
That left Krash wondering.
Which cycle's Arthur was this one?
And how would he handle meeting Sigrin, who had those memories?
'...Not here?'
But Arthur was nowhere in sight.
Krash's brow furrowed.
In his memories, Arthur had enrolled last year alongside Sigrin.
Yet there was no sign of him now.
'Maybe he told Sigrin to observe the exam but skipped it himself.'
Since Sigrin and two others had inherited memories.
After pondering why he hadn't, he might be holding back from rash moves.
Arthur would be wary of variables too, after all.
'Tch, can't tell until I check.'
Krash clicked his tongue and averted his gaze from Sigrin's group.
It was then.
All eyes, including Sigrin's, turned to one spot.
Following their gaze, Krash turned his head and saw someone he knew.
Black hair streaked with blue swayed gently.
The woman who entered following that hair overwhelmed the atmosphere despite being alone.
"Ch-Charlotte Valheim!"
"Sword Saint? The Sword Saint's here for the entrance exam?"
"Whoa, first time seeing a direct Valheim."
Even the tense kids broke into awed exclamations, staring at Charlotte.
To martial applicants, titles were like dreams.
They proved one's strength, after all.
Charlotte was a genius among geniuses who'd earned hers before adulthood.
Naturally, they couldn't help admiring her.
Bathed in all that attention, Charlotte strode to the edge of the spectator seats.
Then she planted one foot boldly on the railing.
As everyone focused on her.
"Krash!"
She bellowed a name with tremendous volume.
Even Krash, caught off guard by Charlotte's sudden move, looked baffled.
As silence fell instinctively.
She tugged her lip up into her signature smile.
"Take first place."
With that, she turned and left after saying her piece.
Classic Charlotte, marching to her own beat.
"Kr-Krash?"
"That's the youngest's name. Even direct Valheims are coming?"
"First place is a lost cause now."
"But he's supposed to be a halfwit."
Amid the growing whispers, Krash felt eyes converging on him one by one.
They'd clocked his Valheim-distinctive hair.
Gradually, people backed away, forming a circle around Krash.
They figured associating with him brought nothing good.
Thanks to that, amid the crowd, he gained a one-meter radius of empty space.
Without doing a thing, he got this treatment.
A fresh reminder of the weight of Valheim and Charlotte's names.
'Ended up drawing attention against my will.'
But more concerning was Sigrin's gaze.
She watched him with half-lidded eyes.
She'd never even observed entrance exams before.
So she had no idea how he'd enrolled.
But this cycle had way too many variables.
From Sigrin's own actions, to vanished Abella, detained Mary Diana, escaped Evelask, and even Charlotte's academy enrollment.
Truly, any variable could be at play.
So she was surely piecing together thoughts about him right now.
'I planned to show my skills in the exam anyway.'
If it gave that woman a bigger headache, all the better for him.
"Valheim direct line! Krash!"
Then Krash saw a figure leap into the circle the kids had cleared.
Gray hair like a tail feather, skin etched with tiger-like patterns—a boy.
Ballak Hogma.
One of Staron's Three Heroes and Anix's subordinate.
First time seeing him since Star Sanctuary, and he was Krash's age.
So he was here for the exam too.
"Whoa! You've grown a ton!"
"You're still short."
"Yeah? Guess my growth spurt's late."
Ballak took Krash's jab in stride, totally unfazed.
"More importantly, you look way stronger. Fight me later."
"Guess you didn't learn from getting beat last time."
"I wanna try weapons this time!"
A guy who never got down no matter what.
Still, he was Staron-affiliated like Krash.
Better to have one companion than look like a total loner.
'Big sis does what she wants, as expected.'
Krash sighed, recalling Charlotte's stunt.
After Charlotte dropped her bombshell and vanished at the entrance exam.
Chatter started among Sigrin's group.
"That's Charlotte's little brother?"
"Gotta be careful. If he's her brother, his skills must be top-notch."
"Latest intel says Staron twisted info on purpose too."
While they buzzed, Sigrin stared at Krash, lost in thought alone.
Sigrin had come here for one reason.
To find Arthur.
Arthur hadn't enrolled at Raheln Academy last year.
Shocked as she was, she figured he had circumstances and threw herself into her duties.
This year, a planted associate professor tipped her off about Arthur Gramalte's enrollment.
Thinking he'd finally appeared, she barely restrained herself from bolting to the academy and waited.
And today, expecting to see him at the exam observation.
But no—some unexpected figure stole the spotlight.
'Rumors of that cursed fool getting stronger... true?'
Sigrin's blue brows twitched faintly.
To Sigrin, Krash was nothing more or less than a cursed fool.
His foul mouth irked her, but beyond that, she barely spared him a thought.
Just a tool for their path forward.
Nothing more, nothing less.
But today's Krash was blatantly different.
Sigrin had rolled through countless battlefields.
She had an eye for people.
The Krash in her eyes now had clearly entered master realm.
'How? That idiot's talent wasn't even halfwit level.'
A guy with nothing but some curse handling to his name.
And suddenly he shows up as a master.
Sigrin found it deeply displeasing.
He'd often annoyed Arthur with his snide remarks too.
'Should've just eaten curses. Why pop up as a variable now?'
Sigrin exhaled shortly and smoothed her furrowed brow with her thumb.
From Arthur's pre-transmission warnings on Memory Succession.
Cycles birthed butterfly-effect variables somewhere each time.
Instead of obsessing why, focus on handling them.
Sigrin pegged this cycle's variable as Krash.
Chasing Evelask intel, she'd headed to Staron.
'Mary, that idiot girl's screw-up must've influenced this.'
Undoubtedly a ripple from that.
Something turned into fortune for Krash.
'Sigh, whatever. Not my priority now.'
Even so, Krash's role wouldn't change.
His curse-stealing ability was essential for Arthur's path.
Why Arthur kept him till the end.
'Stronger or not, manipulate and use him. Make him join if needed.'
He knew nothing about her anyway.
Couldn't recall what Krash liked, but she knew what he hated.
Avoid those, and befriending him would be easy.
'Hah, ridiculous having to cozy up to a cursed fool.'
What could she do?
All for the greater cause of saving the world.
Sigrin tsked at herself for overthinking the world and leaned back in her chair.
If push came to shove, extreme measures to drag him in.
He was a useful tool, after all.
'More importantly, Sir Arthur now.'
Sigrin shelved Krash-thoughts and frantically scanned for Arthur.
Unaware how grave a mistake that would prove for what was coming.
"Greetings, everyone. I am Kairan, chief supervisor of this entrance exam and in charge of the martial section. The martial arts entrance exam begins now."
And the entrance exam started.