Shattering Expectations with Aura
Once I actually entered the waiting room, I noticed everyone else had brought real swords. I couldn't help but think maybe I should've prepared something proper instead of my wooden sword, but I shook my head to push the idea away. It cost money, after all, and if it had been absolutely necessary, Duncan would've made sure to provide one.
"If you try to show off in the exam, you'll just fail. Don't go for flair—approach it like you're simply showing your true skills."
That was one of the phrases Duncan repeated endlessly while training me, until his mouth went dry. That's why I'd brought the wooden sword I was most comfortable with. I'd also heard—though it wasn't widely known—that the exam started the moment you entered the testing area. I dug through the community forums and found a few buried posts mentioning it.
"Hello. I'm Theo, the 32nd applicant."
I kept my greeting simple and straightforward, then began slowly planting the straw dummies I'd brought one by one into the grass. I could feel intense gazes from the spectator stands where the imperial family sat, but I ignored them, focusing until all the dummies were set. Finally, I drew my sword.
Whoosh—
I swung it lightly a few times to show that this wooden sword had seen plenty of use and fit my hand perfectly. I figured these details—how meticulously the applicant had prepared to demonstrate their abilities—would be points in my favor for the examiners.
Then I charged toward the nearest dummy and swung. As expected from the sturdy ones Matty had praised, it didn't completely crumple; it held its shape reasonably well.
"Oh..."
I thought I heard a soft exclamation from the examiners, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. If I couldn't smash the dummy in one go, I'd use the secret technique Duncan taught me: Aura. Honestly, I figured most commoners aiming for academy admission would need to show their max potential, so they'd probably all know Aura too.
Anyway, if they could do it, so could I. I couldn't afford to fail.
Hummm—
I gathered energy from deep inside my body, letting it flow lightly to my fingertips in a flickering flame-like shape before draping it over the wooden sword, just like always. Since my hand was touching it, maintaining the Aura was simple as long as the sword and I stayed in contact.
Hum—Whoosh!Slash!
The Aura-coated wooden sword arced through the air in a wide circle, slicing the dummy clean in half.
Slash! Slash!
I dashed along the line of dummies, unleashing continuous cuts, and even drove my thrust-and-pull so deep that one caved in completely. Once all ten or so dummies I'd set up were ruined beyond use, that marked the end of my prepared demonstration.
"That's all for me."
I dispelled the Aura casually, sheathed the sword at my waist, and informed the examiners that I was done. But strangely, no one responded with a "good work" or anything. Everyone seemed frozen, silent.
"...Um, hello...?"
What was this? Had I done something wrong? Used too many dummies...? Come to think of it, cleaning them up would be a hassle for someone.
When Theo first started setting up all those straw dummies, every examiner watching wore a skeptical expression.
"Isn't that too many?"
"Bringing them all must've been a chore."
"You get those types sometimes. People who love showing off."
Using straw dummies to show off was ridiculous, but it was eye-catching behavior that could be seen as self-promotion. So everyone assumed Theo was just that kind of guy.
"Nothing special this time either."
They'd already written him off. But then...
Whoosh—
After planting all the dummies, he drew his wooden sword and swung it lightly. A flicker of unexpected anticipation returned.
"Oh ho, brought a sword that suits him well, has he?"
"That one's clearly well-worn. Fits his hand like a glove."
As Theo had anticipated, that single swing told the examiners he'd brought his most trusted blade. Compared to the previous applicant, who wielded a shiny new sword that didn't suit them and could barely swing it, this was no deductable offense.
"Not bad. If his skills hold up, he'll pass smoothly."
For the first time that day, a solidly positive assessment slipped from an examiner's lips. But that evaluation was rendered colorless in the next instant.
Whoosh!Slash!
After demonstrating the sword's fit, he charged and smashed a dummy with his wooden blade. Everyone's jaws dropped.
"Oh..."
The examiner who'd kept their composure best let out a quiet gasp. Normally, exclamations from the examiners could distract applicants and cause failures, so they usually spoke quietly or not at all. Which meant Theo's display was impressive enough to make them forget protocol.
But...
Hummm—
The next moment, even those gasps died away.
"Th-that's Aura..."
They'd witnessed an entrance exam applicant—a mere test-taker—using Aura, something utterly implausible.
"An applicant who can use Aura...?!"
The shock wasn't limited to the examiners. In the spectator stands, the Emperor watching Theo's test shot to his feet in astonishment.
Hum—Whoosh!Slash!Slash, slash!
Regardless of the reactions around him, Theo pressed on with his exam. Only after every dummy was pulverized or bisected into trash did he dispel his Aura and speak nonchalantly.
"That's all for me."
He ended the test as if it were nothing. Everyone present was too stunned to respond.
What was the academy, after all? A small society where you learned swordsmanship, magic, and built connections. But could Theo even learn anything there? It was suddenly hard to say yes.
'Ah, but he's a commoner... Maybe he's here to build connections, not for skills.'
No matter how talented, commoners couldn't rise to nobility. They could only inherit their parents' trade or do title-agnostic work—no real merits beyond that. Yet with such exceptional sword skills, farming or menial labor felt like a waste.
'I see. He chose the academy to build connections!'
Having jumped to their own conclusions, they finally managed smiles and responses for Theo.
"...Um, hello...?"
"Ah, yes. Good job. Well done."
"Ah, thank you!"
Watching Theo bow politely to the end as he left, the examiners were convinced: He was after noble connections to climb higher.
The Emperor and Empress in the stands thought the same.
"I didn't expect to find such talent, Your Majesty."
"Indeed, Empress. If someone like that joins the Imperial Knights after graduating, our forces would soar endlessly!"
Aura users were rare even in the Imperial Knights. He'd likely become Knight Commander on entry—or even a direct royal guard for the Emperor, Empress, or Crown Princess.
"Can't wait to see him after more academy training. What do you think, Iris?"
"...I think it was excellent swordsmanship."
"Yes, you have an eye for it, so it must be. But your expression... Tsk, never mind."
Iris wasn't one for expressive words, so the Emperor dropped it and turned to the next applicant. But inwardly...
'Wow! Theo, amazing! What the—your Aura's even bigger!'
...Iris had zero interest in the others, her mind filled with fervent cheers for Theo. She wanted to scream, cheer "Theo's the best!", and roll around—but that'd look weird. And...
'...What if they think I'm interested in him?'
Such misunderstandings could cause issues, so she'd answered as cautiously and quietly as possible.