Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: The First Special Examination
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Karon must have realized this attack was the instructors' doing.
Otherwise, there's no reason for him to spout such nonsense in a critical moment like this.
Anyway, despite receiving such a blatant provocation, I felt surprisingly calm.
Regardless of his strength, his focus on competition while people were dying around him struck me as pathetic.
And getting genuinely angry at a pathetic opponent's taunts is just unbecoming.
After all, it's like admitting you're on the same level.
When I didn't respond and just stared up at him, Karon shot me a menacing glare before leaving.
Then he went back to slaughtering monsters, firing his arrows like a madman.
‘Did he bet his life on his grades or something?’
His skill, even among the most talented cadets, could be described as a cut above the rest.
Hector, Seren, Evan, and the others fighting valiantly in the distance…
Even among those proven geniuses, he stood out distinctly.
From what I could see, their raw talent was similar. The reason for such a gap was experience.
Karon has probably fought countless life-or-death battles since he was old enough to think.
For a guy like that, this situation probably didn't even feel like a crisis.
It meant he could maintain his composure and pursue efficient movements…
Yet, for some reason, Karon's actions felt rushed. As if he were being chased by someone.
It was a contradictory attitude for someone so experienced, which I found odd, but I focused on helping the other cadets instead of him.
I was serious when I said they were too young to die.
And so, time passed again…
*Thud…!*
The giant centipede's corpse crashed to the ground with a deafening thud, and a brief silence fell over the area.
“…Is it over?”
Evan's exhausted voice broke the silence.
*Plop.* One after another, a few cadets, their tension finally broken, collapsed to the ground.
I also saw some admirable ones who remained vigilant to the very end.
Although they had overcome a great crisis, the field was filled with silence rather than cheers.
*Clap, clap, clap-.*
The sudden sound of applause shattered the quiet.
A few cadets jumped to their feet in surprise, but there was no need.
“Excellent!”
The one who had appeared was an instructor.
I was wondering what kind of person would be clapping in a situation like this, but seeing his face, it somehow made sense.
Martial Arts Teacher Juan said with a wide grin on his face.
“You defended against it splendidly. As expected, this year's class is truly outstanding.”
“Instructor?”
“What in the world…”
Looking at the still-dazed cadets, Juan spoke.
“Congratulations on passing the first special examination, everyone.”
“…!?”
Apparently, more of them hadn't realized it than I expected, as a small commotion broke out.
“An examination?”
“D-Don't tell me this monster attack was…”
“Yes. It was a situation we orchestrated.”
“…”
The cadets' expressions hardened at his nonchalant reply.
A few of them turned beet red, looking furious.
“Orchestrated?!”
“How can something so absurd be a test?”
“I-I almost died in that battle!”
“-So?”
Just then, a chilly voice, the complete opposite of Juan's, cut in.
It was the Hunting Teacher.
Not only him, but a number of others appeared as well. Seeing their faces, I nodded to myself.
‘All the Grand Master Teachers have gathered for the first time.’
Eight of them in total.
It wasn't all ten of them, but they walked forward flanked by the main family's knights like two wings, creating quite a grand spectacle.
The Hunting Teacher spoke, a cynical look on his face.
“Did you just say you almost died? Good. Making you brats experience a life-threatening crisis is one of the training camp's objectives.”
“B-But…”
“Still… this is too much…”
“Too much, you say.”
The Hunting Teacher's lips twisted into a sneer.
It seemed to be a habit of his, something he did whenever he found something irritating.
“Let me ask you something. Do you think you'll never be attacked in the middle of the night while living as heroes? Let me tell you, tonight's situation was quite generous. We woke you up beforehand, and you had time to prepare before the monsters attacked. If this had been a real battle, you wouldn't have had that luxury. By the time you sensed something was wrong and opened your eyes, a knife could have already slit your throat.”
At this, an unusually large cadet retorted. Judging by his tail, he wasn't human.
“B-But this isn't a real battle, is it?”
“An excuse that makes me want to beat you half to death.”
“That's enough, Teacher Tanko.”
The Martial Arts Teacher once again lightened the mood.
“We didn't gather here to scold them, did we?”
“…”
“Look. Amazingly, every single cadet survived. It's not unprecedented, but it is a remarkable achievement.”
The Martial Arts Teacher clapped again.
As if in agreement, a few of the other Grand Master Teachers and knights joined in, striking their palms together.
“…”
On the other hand, some instructors stood with their hands clasped behind their backs until the end.
‘It seems not all the instructors get along.’
It felt like there were factions even among them.
I committed the faces of the silently standing instructors to memory, one by one.
“As I said, this was part of the examination, so every cadet has been graded according to their performance. It's late today, so we will announce the results tomorrow.”
“…So, is the test over for today?”
Hector asked, and the Martial Arts Teacher nodded.
“That's right.”
Only then did sighs of relief and wry chuckles erupt from all around.
Some turned to head back to their quarters.
Their minds must have been filled with the desire to rest right now.
“Where do you think you're going?”
The Hunting Teacher's cold, flat voice stopped them in their tracks.
The staggering cadets turned around, their faces pale.
“You're not children. If you make a mess, you clean it up yourselves.”
“Huh…?”
The Hunting Teacher pointed at the monster corpses strewn across the training grounds and smirked.
“Clean it all up before you sleep.”
“…”
* * *
The next morning.
I woke up feeling a little tired.
“Mmm…”
If even I, who am used to catnaps, feel this way, the other cadets must be on the verge of collapse.
“Guoooh…”
Sure enough, a sound like a zombie waking up came from the next bed.
Evan's usual bright demeanor was completely gone, replaced by a gloomy aura.
He slid out of bed like a limp strand of seaweed, his movements eerily sluggish.
“You okay?”
“Yeeeah.”
Doesn't seem like it.
I didn't press him, just patting his shoulder as I walked past.
When I went out to the training grounds, I found a whole crowd of zombies there too.
Well, it was to be expected.
They had worked nearly all night and then woken up again after less than an hour of proper sleep.
I yawned too, but that was just because the sun wasn't up yet.
Once dawn breaks and I get some sunlight, my condition will return to normal quickly.
Though as a side effect, I'll probably be hit with an insane wave of sleepiness by evening.
Just then, someone walked out of the instructors' quarters.
It was the Hunting Teacher, with his characteristically cold face.
“…”
His mere appearance seemed to bring order to the surroundings.
It seemed even these prideful cadets had realized which instructor they needed to be most wary of during this training camp.
The Hunting Teacher, with his usual expressionless face, first did a headcount, then nodded to himself and spoke.
“Keep up today as well.”
And with that, the run began.
This dawn sprint would probably be a daily routine until the end of the training camp.
Which was a good thing for me.
There's nothing better than running for improving basic stamina.
The top runners were the same as yesterday.
Karon was at the very front, with Seren and Hector following him at nearly the same pace.
After them were Evan and Mir, the next chieftain of the Nightwalkers, the young lady of Rubieta, and the sole son of Chevalier…
My pace was similar to yesterday's, but my rank had dropped significantly, placing me somewhere in the middle.
It seems the others, having realized the value of points, were pushing themselves harder.
I wasn't anxious.
Grades don't hold much importance for me, after all.
Lost in thought, I found the run was already over.
“*Gasp, gasp…*”
“…I'm gonna die, for real…”
Fewer cadets had dropped out than yesterday, but the clearing was still filled with exhausted bodies sprawled on the ground.
I too was drenched in sweat and took a moment to catch my breath.
Fortunately, this morning's schedule was quite relaxed.
We were given time not only for breakfast but also a short break afterward. It seems they recognized that yesterday's surprise test had been a bit excessive.
It was only about thirty minutes, but the sleep-deprived cadets used that time to doze off.
Then it was time to assemble on the training grounds again.
“…Seriously, not even a moment to breathe.”
“I'd give anything to sleep for just one hour.”
“At least this morning's class is with Instructor Juan. That's a relief.”
Just as they said, Martial Arts Teacher Juan was standing on the platform. He spoke with his characteristically gentle smile.
“Good morning, everyone. You must be very tired. You may all be seated.”
“Ugh.”
“Thank you…!”
The utterly exhausted cadets gratefully sat down.
“Before we begin this morning's class, I have a brief announcement. It concerns the results of last night's examination. We witnessed and recorded the entire battle without missing a thing. And through a strict and objective evaluation, we have graded each cadet's performance.”
It happened not last night, but in the early hours of this morning.
To say they had analyzed it meant the instructors hadn't slept a wink since last night.
They had to be in worse shape than the cadets, who had at least gotten a catnap, yet all the instructors I saw today looked perfectly fine.
“It would take too long to announce everyone's results, so I will only announce the top five. As it happens, they are the only ones who will receive points. From the top, they will receive 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 points, respectively.”
*Murmur-.*
The cadets stirred at the unexpectedly high number of points.
“Then, let's start with fifth place. Evan Helvin.”
“Ah…!”
Evan let out a cry.
His expression was half pride, half disappointment.
I nodded.
Considering his future fame, one might see it as a low rank, but Evan is still in the process of growing.
“Next, in fourth place, Hector Bednicker. In third place, Seren Goodspring.”
Hector's expression stiffened, while Seren remained impassive.
It seemed she felt the rank was appropriate for her current level.
Then, as if a thought occurred to her, she looked around and her eyes met mine.
She seemed curious about my rank… but there was another gaze.
A gaze ten times more intense and a hundred times more annoying than Seren's.
Karon Woodjack was staring at me, his eyes blazing.
“-Ah. Come to think of it, I forgot to mention something. This raid was one of the [Special Examinations] that will be held once a week from now on. The first-place winner of these special exams receives a special reward, separate from the points.”
A special reward only for first place?
After making another statement that was bound to cause a stir, the Martial Arts Teacher smiled brightly and continued.
“I'll explain the special reward after the ranking announcement. Now, for second place.”