Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: A Record and a Rule
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[NEW!] [2nd Place. Ruan Bednicker. 90 points.]
"Hmph..."
I slapped my forehead.
It wasn't a low score, and the rank was high, but... few people in the world would be happy with second place.
Frankly, I didn't think my response was bad, so I'd even expected to surpass the Iron-Blooded Duke's score.
‘Getting ahead of yourself is a sin...’
Once again, I recalled my third martial brother's famous words, and at the same time, I grew curious.
How did the Iron-Blooded Duke clear the [Room of Agility]?
Tap, tap. I tapped the name [Delac Bednicker] on the floating screen.
Come to think of it, there was no 'C' in his name.
It seemed the Iron-Blooded Duke had yet to receive his middle name at this point.
[View Delac Bednicker's record?]
[Y / N]
"Huh?"
Was there a function like this?
I reflexively pressed 'Y'...
Soon after, the image of the Iron-Blooded Duke appeared on a small screen.
[...]
Even now, he looks young enough to be called a boy duke, but the Iron-Blooded Duke at this time looked much more youthful.
‘Is that... really my father?’
He looks like a completely different person.
The reason wasn't simply that he looked three or four years younger...
I soon realized the source of this strangeness was his expression, posture, gestures, and aura... In short, it was the difference in his atmosphere.
For some reason, the Iron-Blooded Duke at this time didn't exude any heartlessness.
He wasn't expressionless, nor did he give off a cold-blooded vibe.
If anything, his impression was that of a timid person.
The way he acted, like a timid little animal, even felt somewhat cute—
‘Am I crazy?’
Setting aside the fact that he was the Iron-Blooded Duke, it wasn't a feeling one should have for their father, so I shook my head.
In any case, the Iron-Blooded Duke faced the trial with a slightly nervous expression.
His response from stage one to three wasn't much different from mine...
The completely different response came, as expected, in the final fourth stage.
Ruuuumble...!
Stage four.
The moment the ceiling flipped over, revealing honeycomb-like holes and the shapes of weapons inside—
[...]
The Iron-Blooded Duke drew the sword from his waist like lightning and swung it toward the sky.
Kra-booooooooom!
And the sword wind that raged from the blade shattered the ceiling.
"...Hah."
It seems the Iron-Blooded Duke is the Iron-Blooded Duke, no matter how young.
Only then did I vaguely understand how the scores were calculated.
There wasn't a clear-cut answer to this trial, but at least the Iron-Blooded Duke's reaction time was faster.
The Iron-Blooded Duke had anticipated that projectiles would pour out the instant the ceiling flipped, and he counterattacked, shattering the wall. The time it took was less than a second.
"...Hmm."
Both in concept and reaction speed, it was my complete defeat.
While I felt the Iron-Blooded Duke was amazing, I also felt my pride had been wounded.
It was because I knew the Iron-Blooded Duke's age when he entered Cartel Academy.
Just twelve years old.
‘...Even if I was taking it easy, losing to a twelve-year-old is a bit much.’
No. That's just an excuse.
Smack. I slapped both my cheeks. Fortunately, there's still a chance to make up for it.
There are two more rooms.
Should I call it fortunate?
I'm much more confident in my strength and speed than my agility.
Just as I was about to leave the room...
[Try again?]
[Y / N]
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, that text appeared on the screen.
***
About eight hours after the exam began, more than half of the prodigies had been expelled from the tower.
In other words, all the prodigies still climbing the tower had effectively been granted admission to the academy—
However, they themselves were unaware of this fact and were diligently climbing the tower.
No one on this side bothered to explain it to them either.
In the first place, this tower was a playground of questionable taste that the Headmaster had poured his heart and soul into creating...
A playground, by its very nature, is only a playground when someone is using it.
As long as the Headmaster didn't wish for their expulsion, the prodigies would have to keep climbing the tower for the rest of the day.
‘Be that as it may...’
Professor Molland looked at the screen with a hint of surprise.
The results were somewhat unexpected.
A total of thirty-five prodigies had entered the [Tower of Training] this time.
Ten prodigies came from the Bednicker's training retreat.
Twenty-five prodigies came from the Goodspring's proving ceremony.
And now, all the prodigies from the training retreat had survived.
This meant that every single one of them had passed the [Mana-Devouring Stairs]...
On the other hand, only six of the prodigies who had undergone the proving ceremony had made it past the first floor.
‘I didn't expect the difference in skill level to be this great.’
The average skill level of the prodigies from the Bednicker side was far superior.
Since the two families were compared in every field they were involved in, frankly, this was a bewildering result.
"..."
Meanwhile, ignoring the many prodigies climbing the tower, Headmaster Alderson's gaze was fixed solely on Ruan.
He was also the only prodigy who had currently entered the third floor.
Eight hours had passed since the exam began, yet most of the prodigies were still stuck on the second floor.
It was only natural!
The questions prepared for the [Floor of Knowledge] were of such high difficulty that even renowned scholars and authorities in various fields would struggle to answer them!
Especially in a field like magitechnology, even the most basic knowledge is strictly managed by the Mage Tower or academic societies.
That's because it's a power as dangerous as it is mighty.
Of course, Ruan carried the Bednicker bloodline.
The Bednicker family had Asad, a guardian and great mage, so he wouldn't have lacked opportunities to encounter knowledge of magitechnology.
‘Even so...’
To answer questions from completely different fields so effortlessly?
Is he what they call a genius?
No. It's a bit different.
‘This isn't something you can do just by being a little smart.’
That wasn't the standard way to clear it in the first place.
Why else would the second-floor room be in the form of a library?
It was meant for them to find related books and obtain clues when faced with a difficult problem.
In fact, the bookshelves of the second-floor library were packed with manuscripts of rare ancient books.
The reason the [Floor of Knowledge] took this form was purely due to Headmaster Alderson's stubbornness...
He felt it was a shame that young people these days visited libraries less and less, so he had specially prepared this to help them realize the joy of finding the knowledge they seek with their own hands.
...Of course, a system that required one to invest anywhere from an hour to three or four hours just to solve a single problem couldn't be considered normal...
‘Anyway...!’
That arrogant brat solved them all in just thirty minutes and nonchalantly left the second floor!
...However, even that Ruan Bednicker seemed to be unexpectedly stuck on the third floor.
"Professor Molland."
"Yes."
"How long has Ruan Bednicker been on the third floor?"
"Three hours have just passed."
"Hmm. It seems he's not having an easy time."
Alderson stroked his beard, his composure restored.
To be honest, when he was advancing so relentlessly, it was enough to bring back the [Nightmare of Bednicker]...
As expected, no matter how talented he is, he doesn't seem to be on the level of the Iron-Blooded Duke.
In fact, that's only natural.
What are the odds of a talent that appears once in several hundred years appearing again in such a short interval, and from the same family no less?
‘Still, he did quite well.’
Ruan Bednicker is sixteen this year.
To show such prowess when he hasn't even fully matured... He is without a doubt a talent with a promising future.
Having regained his composure, Headmaster Alderson took another sip of his black tea with a much warmer smile.
"..."
Molland, on the other hand, was looking at Ruan with a somewhat anxious expression.
Unlike the other floors, the third floor has few communication crystals.
They could only see the waiting room. This meant they couldn't know what was happening inside the three specially prepared rooms... the rooms of [Strength], [Speed], and [Agility].
‘Hmm...’
Only those who obtain a total of 150 points on the third floor can advance to the fourth.
In other words, one must secure an average of 50 points in each room—
It's not easy.
The difficulty of each room jumps significantly from the third stage.
Frankly, I wonder how many talents at the prodigy level can overcome that trial.
‘...But he’s the prodigy who cleared the [Mana-Devouring Stairs] with a new record. Does it make sense for him to take this long?’
Molland's gaze turned to the screen.
The moment he felt an urge to peek and see what was happening in there...
[Congratulations. You have passed the Floor of Training.]
"...!"
That voice came from Ruan Bednicker's screen.
***
[Room of Strength: 99 points.]
[Room of Speed: 97 points.]
[Room of Agility: 93 points.]
[Overall Rankings.]
[NEW!] [1st Place. Ruan Bednicker. 289 points.]
[2nd Place. Leone. 281 points.]
[3rd Place. Delac Bednicker. 280 points.]
[4th Place. Hyde Woodjack. 277 points.]
[5th Place. Kaela Goldan. 265 points.]
"..."
Although I had claimed the top spot overall.
Before any sense of accomplishment, several questions arose.
First. Surprisingly, the Iron-Blooded Duke wasn't first in the overall rankings.
The Iron-Blooded Duke had taken first place in the Room of Agility, but only managed second and third in the rooms of Strength and Speed.
And the one who had taken first in the rooms of Strength and Speed was the person who was first in the overall rankings until just now, someone named Leone.
‘Who's that?’
My brows furrowed at the name I'd never heard before in my life.
The other names were at least familiar.
The Iron-Blooded Duke goes without saying, and Hyde Woodjack, Caron's father and the continent's strongest ranger, was also a famous figure.
Then there was Kaela Goldan.
Keian's adopted daughter, whom I'd mentioned in passing before, and the current Mercenary Queen.
It was surprising that Hyde and Kaela had attended the academy...
But the most unexpected person was Leone.
A name I'd never heard once, yet she was ranked higher than the Iron-Blooded Duke.
‘It might be an alias.’
Curious, I viewed her record just as I had for the Iron-Blooded Duke, and she was a girl with black hair and red eyes.
Of course, I didn't recognize her face.
Leone tackled every trial with a ferocious smile, and her physical abilities were certainly extraordinary.
‘Still, she's below me.’
Anyway, this marks the end of the third floor.
The score needed to go to the fourth floor was 150 points.
I had earned almost double that score. Since I'd comfortably exceeded the requirement, I should be able to go to the fourth floor now.
There were no stairs in sight, so I figured if I just waited, the scenery would change on its own like before.
...
...
...
But for some reason, there was no sign of the surroundings changing.
The moment I narrowed my eyes, wondering what was going on...
[Ahem.]
A voice came from somewhere.
A communication crystal?
[-Ah. Can you hear me, Prodigy Ruan?]
It was Headmaster Alderson's voice.
"Is something wrong?"
[Ah, it's nothing major. First... we in the control room have been watching your performance. It was truly remarkable...]
I let the unnecessary praise go in one ear and out the other.
I had a feeling he hadn't called just to compliment me.
[...And now for the main point, Prodigy Ruan. I'm afraid that in your current state, you won't be able to proceed to the fourth floor.]
"What do you mean by that?"
[The next floor, the 'Floor of Sparring,' has a minimum number of challengers. This means you need at least two people to be eligible to attempt it—]
I froze at the Headmaster's words.
"You mean..."
[You cannot go to the fourth floor until another prodigy arrives.]
What a shitty system.
It probably wasn't a rule they just made up, but a somewhat cynical tone escaped my lips anyway.
"If it's the Floor of Sparring, does that mean the prodigies who've made it this far fight one-on-one?"
If so, the two-person minimum makes sense.
Without an opponent to fight, they couldn't evaluate you.
[I cannot disclose the details, but it's a bit different from that.]
"If that's not how it works, then it shouldn't matter if I challenge it alone."
[That won't do, young prodigy. The rules must be followed at all times.]
Listening to the Headmaster, I realized something.
I didn't know about anything else, but this old man did not want me to climb any higher.
[But it would be a shame to come all the way to the third floor just to go back down... Prodigy Ruan, your performance in this tower was outstanding. Therefore, I shall grant you a corresponding reward.]
Headmaster Alderson said in a suggestive tone.
[Besides, you must be exhausted, aren't you? There's a welcoming party for the transfer students this evening. We've even invited one of the empire's top chefs and an outstanding orchestra. You'll need to change into party clothes, so why not call it a day and come down?]
At those words, I felt something stir within my chest.
It was my rebellious spirit.
I grinned and said.
"Headmaster, you said the minimum number of challengers is two, right?"
[That is correct.]
"Then as long as one more person makes it up here, whoever it is, I can challenge the fourth floor with them, correct?"
[...That is true, but it won't be easy for the prodigies to pass the second floor. Even if they do, they'll need to score over 150 points on the third floor like you did, and even if they succeed, the chances of that prodigy wishing to challenge the fourth floor like you are—]
"Good."
I cut the Headmaster off, a little rudely.
To be honest, the trials on the first, second, and even third floors weren't easy by any means...
But the faces of a few people who were more than capable of reaching this place flashed through my mind.
And among them, one person.
I had no particular reason, but for some reason, one person came to mind who I felt would reach the third floor the fastest.
Of course, it was purely a gut feeling.
[...Who are you waiting for?]
Alderson asked, perhaps slightly unnerved by my calm demeanor, but I simply closed my eyes without a word and began to circulate my energy.
The efficiency wasn't great since there was no sunlight, but with nothing else to do, I took my time for a change.
And around the time I completed one small circulation according to the mantra of the Flame Arts of the Greatest,
Fwaaa-!
In the center of the waiting room, a human figure appeared amidst a halo of light.
It seemed to be a prodigy who had just entered the third floor.
I waited for the halo of light to fade, then greeted the figure that was finally revealed.
"Hey!"