The Entrance Exam
The sparring continued long after that. Since four students could enroll, three more duels followed. But the duke was an extremely cruel man.
“Enough. There is nothing more to see. Both of you are eliminated.”
“Ah, Father……”
“Return to the fundamentals and start over. Neither of you is qualified to enter the Imperial Academy.”
Regardless of who won or lost, both participants were disqualified in all three duels. In the end, only one person secured the academy admission right.
Me alone.
The duke personally wrote only my name on the recommended enrollment list in his own handwriting, stared silently at his children for a moment, then left behind a single remark before departing.
“Departure for the academy is next Monday. Asbel. Make sure you are prepared by then.”
There were no customary words of praise like “well done.”
He simply left that icy remark and vanished.
The six who had been eliminated together couldn’t hold back their sobs. They left choking on their tears while I alone stood with an expression of relief.
Even though four could have gone in total, the duke decided to send only me, reasoning that anyone unqualified simply shouldn’t attend at all. It was a thoroughly Lichtenauer way of doing things.
I watched with a refreshed look as the six returned home in tears.
Riser would be forcibly confined in the Ice Palace and endure a miserable year, while the six behind me might train and enter the academy next year. Even so, the gap between us would be overwhelming. After all, I had already devoured every growth event the academy had to offer.
All those people who had ignored and looked down on me until now.
The ones who never once reached out even while Riser tormented me.
If any of you come to the academy next year, don’t you dare make eye contact with me.
With that thought in my heart, I returned to my room.
Now that the test was over, it was time to form a contract with the sword I had taken from Riser.
◈ Type: One-Handed Sword
◈ Requirements: Strength 110, Agility 150, Magic Power 20, Technique 160
◈ Description: The 183rd longsword crafted by the legendary dwarf divine artisan Elm Stonebeard. A masterpiece forged from an optimal blend of divine iron, adamantite, and mithril.
◈ Trait: Extremely expensive
You have not met the minimum requirements!
Forced equipping is possible, but severe penalties will be applied!
“As expected of a top-tier weapon.”
Our dear Riser must be seething after having such a fine weapon stolen right out from under him. I wondered how furious he would be while rotting away for a year in the Ice Palace. It was terribly cold there; maybe it would cool his head a little.
Anyway.
I quietly reached out and grasped the divine weapon.
“Contract.”
Confirmed: You defeated the original owner of this divine weapon in combat.
Ownership confirmed. Immediate contract is possible.
Will you form a Divine Weapon Contract with Elm 183?
“I will.”
The longsword trembled faintly as if life had been breathed into it.
You can now wield Elm 183!
Excellent. I swung Elm 183 around, testing its balance. It moved with incredible smoothness and precision. Satisfied, I gave a firm nod.
“Perfect. This should do.”
I had now contracted with two divine weapons. At the current point in time, this was the greatest spec upgrade I could achieve.
“Enrollment is next Monday. That leaves three days.”
I just needed to prepare my uniform and pack my luggage in the meantime.
My academy life was about to begin.
The day of enrollment arrived. I put on my uniform and prepared to head to the academy through the teleport station on the top floor of the ducal estate.
“Do not bring shame upon the family.”
“Yes, Father.”
As always, the duke spoke only one short sentence before ending the farewell. I bowed politely, then stepped onto the teleport station.
Watching the mage assigned to the ducal house pour mana into the magic circle, I couldn’t help but be inwardly impressed.
I heard activating this thing once costs a fortune.
To use it just to send a child to school… As expected, when you have money, you have options.
“Then I wish you good fortune, young master.”
At the mage’s words the teleport station erupted in brilliant light. A dizzying sensation washed over me, and when I opened my eyes again I was standing in an unfamiliar new place. The familiar black interior. The logo of a sword and staff crossed in the shape of the number eleven. This was the central stage of Karnadan’s early-to-mid story.
The Imperial Academy.
“I’ve arrived.”
I took a deep breath of the academy’s air, then let it out slowly. Straightening my back, I walked out of the teleport station and into the academy proper. Several students stared in surprise at the massive greatsword and longsword floating behind me like ghosts, but I didn’t shrink back in the slightest.
“All students, please proceed to the lobby. I repeat, all students please proceed to the lobby.”
Guidance announcements echoed from every direction. Looking around, I saw maids in neat uniforms with swords at their waists directing the students.
They were beautiful women in tidy maid outfits that looked incredibly charming, but underestimating them would get you killed. They served as both servants who managed the dormitories and attended to the students, and as combat maids responsible for the dormitories’ safety and student discipline.
They were monsters with exceptionally high base stats, armed with swordsmanship and martial prowess that could rival most knights.
“They look even prettier in real life.”
Muttering to myself, I followed the maids’ guidance toward the lobby. When I arrived, I saw hundreds of new students standing with expressions ranging from excitement to nervousness. I scanned their faces and took a spot at the back of the line. Seeing familiar characters made flesh gave me a strange feeling.
“All students, attention.”
While I was observing the people around me, a voice suddenly rang out from one end of the lobby. A figure stood on the landing of a grand spiral staircase. She was the very picture of an ice beauty, even stricter than the other maids—the final authority on dormitory management.
And, by tradition, the head maid in charge of the freshman entrance exam: Narda.
“I welcome you to the Imperial Academy, new students.”
Until she finished speaking, the students were still half-filled with eager anticipation.
“Shall we start with a welcome party?”
“I want to get to the dormitory and unpack already.”
That was the general mood. But such hopes were utterly naïve. I quietly began preparing for battle. A few freshmen who seemed to have been given advance warning of what was coming also readied themselves in a similar fashion.
The Steel Empire worshipped strength.
They had no intention of raising new students softly.
“We will now begin the entrance exam immediately! This exam will determine your year and dormitory! I expect you all to give it your utmost!”
The students buzzed at Narda’s declaration.
“An entrance exam? We just got here?”
“What kind of place makes you take a test without even letting you rest… Kyaaaaaah!!!”
But the complaints vanished in an instant. With a heavy clunk, the lobby floor beneath the gathered freshmen gave way. All of us plunged into free fall.
“Prove yourselves!!!”
The collapsed lobby floor restored itself as if nothing had happened.
And soon a vast underground arena welcomed the hundreds of students.
“Kyaaaaah!!!”
“Save me!!”
No one slammed into the ground dozens of meters below with broken bones and spraying blood. Floating magic rapidly slowed the falling students, allowing them to land safely. However, a safe landing did not mean the situation had turned favorable.
“Wh-what is that?”
Inside the underground arena, knights several times more numerous than the hundreds of freshmen waited for the students. They wore armor and carried strange club-like weapons.
Illusion knights.
They were the product of illusion magic. Not ordinary illusions, but ones that possessed physical force. And they were quite sophisticated. They even had vital points and weaknesses.
These knights would strike students with the clubs in their hands. When hit, a red mark would appear on the student’s body indicating damage taken. The content of the test was simple. Leave behind as few red marks on your body as possible while defeating as many knights as you could.
After all the fighting ended, they would calculate Number of Knights Defeated – Number of Red Marks and distribute badges to the students accordingly.
A negative number earned one wing.
Between zero and five earned two wings.
Between six and ten earned three wings.
And so on.
“Wh-what is this?! What the hell is going on?”
“Why are they springing this on us out of nowhere?”
While everyone was panicking, the illusion knights slowly began advancing toward the students with clubs in hand. Underestimating them would be a mistake. The illusion knights were at the level of squires just before becoming full knights. In academy terms, they possessed strength equivalent to three-wing students. They were not opponents to take lightly.
“They’re coming! They’re coming!!”
Thousands of them suddenly accelerated and charged in from every direction. The exam had begun without any warning or explanation. While everyone drew their weapons in confusion and prepared to fight, I leisurely mounted the Iron Lion’s Greatsword and soared high into the air.
“Huh? What’s that guy doing?”
Everyone stared at me in astonishment.
Did they really have time to gawk at me? If they had time to spare, they should look ahead. Because if they didn’t look forward…
“How is that person flying in the… ugeck!! Koff!!”
They’d get clubbed.
Since the knights were surrounding and pressing in from all sides, a chaotic melee between students and illusion knights broke out in the blink of an eye.
“Maintain formation! Watch each other’s backs! Don’t let the enemy break through!!”
A few students with decent judgment grouped up and began fighting together, but most couldn’t keep their wits in the chaos. Red marks rapidly multiplied across their bodies. I floated above the frantic battlefield and began controlling Elm 183.
“Well then. Shall I enjoy some safe auto-hunting from up here?”
Elm 183 suddenly shot forward like a snake, slipping past the chaotic melee and infiltrating the rear of the illusion knights’ formation.
It then began mercilessly slicing through their necks and heads.
The illusion knights tried to swing their clubs at the rampaging Elm 183 in their rear line, but no matter how many times they struck a blade, they couldn’t inflict a single point of damage on me.
One by one, the illusion knights were struck in their vital points by Elm 183 and vanished like mirages. Their numbers dwindled as I floated leisurely in the air, grinning while enjoying my automated slaughter.
The frantic melee lasted about ten minutes. When the last illusion knight on the ground was struck and scattered into nothingness, a massive iron gate on one side of the arena opened.
I rode the greatsword over to it at a relaxed pace and landed.
“We will now announce the results! New students, come forward and line up in front of me!!”
Head Maid Narda emerged from the iron gate holding a crystal orb and called out. With gloomy, shocked, or dumbfounded expressions, the freshmen approached her and formed neat rows.
“What you just faced were the products of meticulously designed illusion magic. We will subtract the number of red marks on each of your bodies from the number of illusion knights you defeated! Your class and dormitory will be decided according to that total!”
The head maid began calling students starting with the one at the very front.
“We will now begin class assignment! Students at the front, please step forward in order, state your name, and place your hand on the crystal orb we have prepared!”
At her words, a student whose entire body was covered in red marks shuffled forward hesitantly.
“I am Lindel of House Count Cart.”
“Place your hand on the crystal orb.”
When Lindel placed his hand on it, a beep sounded and the number -15 appeared.
Narda handed him a badge engraved with one wing.
“You are a first-year. Work harder.”
“……Yes.”
“Next!”
Students came forward one after another and received badges matching their performance. Most received three-wing or two-wing badges and were placed in third-year or second-year classes. Since many had decent fundamentals, one-wing badges were rare, but students receiving five wings or higher were even rarer.
Then it was my turn.
“I am Asbel of the Lichtenauer Ducal House.”
“Please place your hand on the crystal orb……”
The moment I placed my hand on it, the number 57 appeared. Narda’s eyes widened. The surrounding students began to murmur.
It was indeed an unusual number. After staring at the 57 for a long time, Narda handed me a badge with seven wings.
“It has been a long time since a seven-year student appeared from the start. Congratulations, student Asbel.”
I accepted the badge and proudly pinned it to the front of my uniform.
“Thank you.”
After that, students continued to receive their results and badges, but only one other person besides me received a seven-wing badge.
A girl named Rachel who was staring at me with an odd expression.
Despite her delicate appearance, she was a monstrous woman who had torn apart forty-five illusion knights without receiving a single hit, just like me.
As far as I knew, she was one of the heroines that could be captured when raising a character on the Steel Empire route.