Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Grand Royal Academy Entrance Exam - (3)
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***
“My name is Glacia. The name of my Trait is Guidance of the Wind. My Trait level is 3.”
As Glacia calmly introduced herself, the gazes of the examiners fixed on her changed completely.
—Guidance of the Wind.
A Trait with an extraordinary name from the get-go.
“Guidance of the Wind...”
“It seems to be a wind-element Trait.”
“Seeing as she has a sword, perhaps it's a Trait that can only be used while holding one?”
As not only Kalli, who had previously only reacted to Han Cheon-seong, but the other two examiners also showed interest in Glacia, she offered a bright smile.
“It's not limited to a sword. The sword is merely the medium I used. I can also manipulate the wind with my hands.”
As she said this, she raised a hand, and a subtle current of wind began to flow around it.
“In that case, this could be considered a Trait with immense potential.”
“If she has magical talent, she could show great promise, particularly with the wind attribute.”
As the two examiners, excluding Kalli, continued to speak with keen interest, Glacia smiled faintly.
Unlike her, Cheon-seong, who was watching from within the exam hall, felt his expression twitch slightly.
'Their attitudes are completely different.'
The examiners who hadn't said a word to me or the other examinees are now asking questions nonstop, like fish in water.
Watching them, I didn't feel great.
She hasn't even properly manifested her Trait, yet they're reacting like this just from hearing its name...
“So, Glacia. What is your Trait's rank?”
As Kalli posed a question she hadn't asked anyone else, the rank immediately came to my mind.
'Unique.'
I had read about the Trait called Guidance of the Wind in the novel.
“It's a Unique-rank Trait.”
As expected, when Glacia answered with "Unique," the examiners' eyes sparkled with even greater curiosity.
“Well... it's been a while since we've seen talent like this.”
“To have raised a Unique Trait to level 3 is truly remarkable."
Not only were the two examiners speaking brightly, but even Kalli cracked a faint smile, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment at the sight.
She and I have the same Trait level, yet their reactions were completely different.
Kalli had shown me a favorable attitude, but... the other two examiners were a world apart from before.
'Well, it's because it's a Unique-rank Trait.'
My head understood, but my heart felt bitter.
If I had at least a Rare-rank Trait, the other examiners would have shown me some interest.
A Common-rank Trait like Spearmanship... was just that insignificant.
In contrast, Glacia's Trait, [Guidance of the Wind], was one that was highly regarded within the Grand Royal Academy.
She wasn't a character who spent much time with the protagonist, so her screen time was low, but the name Glacia, who always ranked at the top of the academy, was familiar to me.
'I always thought her specs were unusually high for an extra...'
To think I'd end up in the same group as her for the entrance exam.
This was the absolute worst.
“We will now begin the test.”
As Glacia headed toward the scarecrow, I still felt a sense of curiosity about her.
'Let's see.'
Just what kind of power did a Unique-rank Trait, the first I would see in this world, possess?
—!
The next moment, just as Glacia seemed to lightly swing her sword, my eyes shot wide open.
'Fast!'
Even to me, with my highest stat in Agility, the speed of her swing was incredibly fast.
The moment it seemed she swung her sword, a gale had already completely enveloped the scarecrow's body.
Swhish!
It relentlessly battered the scarecrow, carving countless wounds into it.
Even after the sword left the scarecrow, a fierce wind continued to rage around its entire body.
…….
A few seconds later, the gale subsided, but the state of the scarecrow that was revealed was truly devastating.
'That's just broken.'
Nearly a hundred sword marks were etched into the scarecrow's body. At a glance, the power was unbelievable.
*Click.*
As Glacia casually retrieved her sword, I was struck by a fresh realization.
'So this is a Unique-rank Trait.'
I could feel an incomparable difference from my own Common-rank Trait, 'Spearmanship.'
The gap was so vast I couldn't even feel jealousy.
“Glacia, was it? You can expect good results.”
As one of the examiners smiled in satisfaction, Glacia gave a slight bow and headed for the exit.
Following right behind her, I felt a strange mix of emotions.
'So I'll have to attend the academy with monsters like her from now on.'
Not every student who entered the academy would be like Glacia with her Unique-rank Trait, but there would be a fair few similar monsters.
It felt like I was being forced to face reality once again.
*Step. Rustle...*
As I exited the exam hall, keeping a certain distance from Glacia, I saw several people outside.
“Sob...”
“What do I do? It's all over.”
“...Damn it! I could have done so much better.”
The examinees who had come out earlier seemed to have already anticipated their results, lost in despair.
'Tsk.'
...Watching them, I let out a short click of my tongue.
Trait level 3 might seem impressive in a way, but from my perspective, it was a level anyone could achieve if they put in bone-breaking effort for two months.
No matter how low their Common-rank Trait was.
'If you were going to regret it this much, you should have trained like your life depended on it.'
Even if the odds were as slim as a needle's eye, it would have been possible.
Perhaps not all of them, but maybe half could have passed.
Then again... perhaps I was only able to work so hard because I knew everything...
*Step.*
The results of the entrance exam would be posted on a large board here later.
It would also show which class we were assigned to.
I was about to take a light-hearted break until then.
*Thump.*
“Wait.”
...An arm was suddenly grabbed, and I was forced to stop.
The person who grabbed my arm was familiar.
The woman who had just come out of the exit with me.
Glacia.
“...?”
Wondering what was going on, I turned my head.
There stood Glacia, looking at me with a complicated expression, a stark contrast to her earlier cold demeanor.
***
“Wait.”
Even as I stopped the man by grabbing his arm, I couldn't understand.
This man walking past me.
The results shown by the man named Han Cheon-seong.
With a level 3 Trait, I naturally assumed he would pass.
But contrary to my expectation that the examiners would treat him coldly, one of them, Kalli, seemed to acknowledge him.
As a result, this man had managed to back up the 'confidence' he had spoken of.
He hadn't shown any sign of being servile or intimidated in the exam hall; instead, he finished the test with a confident attitude completely different from the other examinees.
And even after the test was over, he stayed behind to watch me, as if evaluating me, and even that gaze felt far from ordinary.
'He's different from the others.'
He has an insignificant Trait, yet every one of his actions feels extraordinary.
That gap made it even harder for me to understand him.
“Why?”
I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the man who had answered me curtly.
Then, I opened my mouth, the words not coming easily.
“...I'd like to have a word with you for a moment.”
“A word?”
“Yes. It seems you've passed the entrance exam as well. I thought we could talk, as fellow successful applicants.”
It was in my nature to need to understand things I couldn't, and I wanted to understand this man too.
At my words, the man named Han Cheon-seong suddenly smirked at me.
He probably expected to pass. The smile he gave me felt mocking.
I could understand why.
'I did give him a cold look in the training hall.'
Just today, when our eyes met in the training hall, I had turned away from him coldly.
So it wouldn't be strange for him to have a bad impression of me.
“……”
As the man just stared at me without a word, I started to feel awkward, still holding his arm.
'Don't tell me...'
Was I about to be rejected by a man with such a trivial Trait?
“If you put it that way, I'd be grateful. I wanted to talk to you too, as a matter of fact.”
As the man spoke with a suddenly brightened expression, I found myself staring blankly.
His sudden change in attitude was so drastic it left me bewildered.
*Step.*
Suddenly, I felt a force on my hand.
“Ah?”
*Rustle.*
“Then let's go to a cafe and have a relaxed chat. My treat.”
As his hand led me away, I let myself be pulled along blankly, blinking my eyes.
'What on earth is this man...?'
My cold gaze must have left a bad impression on him.
Yet now he was casually holding my hand and leading me on. Flustered about what to do, I found myself matching his pace.
*Tap.*
“But you can let go of my hand...”
Holding hands while walking just didn't seem right, so I tried to pull my hand away, and it came free easily.
“What? You grabbed my arm first, so I thought holding hands was fine.”
“...That just happened.”
“Oh? Alright then.”
Watching the man walk on nonchalantly, I felt strange.
He was a strange man, difficult to describe.
'With a measly Common Trait...'
How can he treat me like this when he knows I have a Unique Trait?
I couldn't even begin to understand this single action.
…
*Clink.*
"This cafe is pretty nice. The atmosphere is good, and the prices are reasonable."
As the man smiled and handed me a cup, I took it, feeling uncertain.
"...Right. Thanks."
I had stopped him, but now I was at a loss for what to say.
"Ah, first off, my name is Han Cheon-seong."
At his words, I looked up to see him staring intently at me.
“I figured we should start with proper introductions.”
“...I'm Glacia.”
“Glacia. Right. It's a nice name.”
The man smiled brightly, but all I felt was a strange sense of unease.