Chapter 214
Chapter Title: A New Kind of Entrance Exam
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214
Sitting in the rest area, the five Jerdinger knight trainees kept glancing over at Leo and Celia.
“You can get drinks to help with fatigue, simple snacks, and even meals here.”
“Is it like the snack bar at our school?”
“Not really. You don’t pay for anything, and the menu is always fixed.”
Celia explained the rest area with a shrug of her shoulders.
It was because Leo would be using the training grounds frequently while staying at the Jerdinger main estate during the early part of the break.
Nodding at Celia’s words, Leo grabbed some drinks and returned to where the trainees were sitting.
Seeing him, the trainees looked horrified and scrambled to their feet.
“Y-Young Master Leo! We’ll do it!”
“Hm? It’s fine.”
“P-Please let us do it!”
“Yes! We insist!”
Seeing them practically begging, burdened by the fact that he was taking care of them, Leo nodded and handed over the tray.
The girl who seemed to be the leader among the trainees set out Leo and Celia’s drinks first before distributing the rest among the knights.
“Well, even though this is a meeting, it’s also our first time seeing each other, so how about we start with simple introductions? Before that.”
Leo spoke to Celia, who was sitting next to him, sipping her drink through a straw.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“How long are you going to be here?”
“Are you telling me to leave?”
Celia’s face scrunched into a deep frown.
As Celia, the noble direct descendant and lauded future of the Jerdinger family, scowled, the trainees grew restless.
They had trained in swordsmanship with Celia at the training grounds since they were young.
They had never seen her grimace like this before, which made it all the more surprising.
Leo met Celia’s reaction with an indifferent expression.
“Why are you here? I’m having a meeting with my knights.”
“Hey, that’s so cheap! I can watch! How can you be so cold and draw a line like that?”
Leo stared blankly at the indignant Celia and waved his hand dismissively.
“Go.”
“Fine! I’m going! I’m going! You’re so petty!”
*Whoosh-!* Watching Celia’s retreating back as she stormed off, Leo let out a smirk.
“Getting sulky.”
“Um… Young Master Leo… Th-that… is it alright to send Lady Celia away like that?”
The girl who appeared to be the leader asked cautiously.
“She seemed very angry.”
“It’s fine. If you leave her alone, she’ll get over it on her own.”
Leo smirked and looked at her.
“On that note, why don’t you start with your introduction?”
Leo had instantly discerned that this girl was the most skilled among his knights.
*‘That must be why she’s the leader.’*
At Leo’s words, the girl introduced herself.
“My name is Martina Eran. I have been training as a Jerdinger trainee for five years. I am fifteen years old.”
Martina, the same age as Leo, stood up and bowed politely.
“I am Austin Mare. I am sixteen years old.”
“I’m Karin Lotte. I’m fourteen.”
“Julan Kariven. I’m fourteen, same as Karin.”
“Valerie Tom. I’m also fourteen.”
Afterward, Austin, Karin, Julan, and Valerie introduced themselves in order.
Leo committed each name to memory and nodded.
“I’m Leo Flove. I’m fifteen.”
At Leo’s introduction, the five of them looked at him with eyes full of admiration.
It was only natural.
Leo was one of the most famous hero candidates of the year.
He was called the best student not just at Lumerne, but across all hero academies.
Lunia of Seirun.
Ar of Azonia.
Dirdan of Damian.
Among the renowned first-years representing each race who had enrolled this year.
None had achieved as much as Leo.
On top of that, he had even become the youngest student council president.
To his peers, he was bound to be an object of envy.
But soon, the knights’ expressions darkened.
Seeing this, Leo spoke.
“Though you were assigned by the family, now that you’re my people, I will fulfill my duties.”
“No. We all volunteered to become knights for you, Young Master Leo.”
“You did?”
“Yes. Before summer, the family recruited those who wished to become your knights.”
Becoming a knight for a member of the direct bloodline was a great honor.
Moreover, it was a path to a high position within the Jerdinger family.
Being a knight of a direct Jerdinger heir meant there were many opportunities to make a name for oneself.
Therefore, for a Jerdinger trainee, becoming a knight for a direct heir was a tremendous opportunity.
“I actually watched your entrance exam in person, Young Master Leo.”
Martina said with a shy smile.
During the last entrance exam.
She said she had accompanied Celia as an apprentice knight when she visited the Flove family.
“Watching you face that monster without using Aura was incredible.”
He was like a hero from a story, making the impossible possible, Martina said.
That was why when she later heard that Leo would become a direct heir, she was apparently the first to say she wanted to be his knight.
The other trainees also said they had volunteered to be Leo’s knights for their own reasons.
Hearing their stories, Leo nodded.
“Is that so? Then you all chose me?”
Leo grinned.
However, Martina’s face was not bright.
Seeing this, Leo wore a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“I apologize for saying this, but we all intend to resign from our positions as your knights.”
At those words, Leo’s brow furrowed.
“Why?”
Martina hesitated at Leo’s question.
In her place, Austin spoke cautiously.
“It is because we believe we are all far too lacking to be your knights, Sir Leo.”
Austin’s explanation was as follows.
Martina, Austin, Karin, Julan, and Valerie.
All five of them were currently only at a mid-tier skill level among the Jerdinger family’s trainee knights.
In Martina’s case, she was upper-mid, but even so, her skills were said to be insufficient to be chosen as a knight for a direct heir.
At those words, Leo rested his chin on his hand.
“Then how did you become my knights?”
“Well, you see…”
Karin glanced around furtively before carefully opening her mouth.
“When they were recruiting for your knight order, the competition wasn’t that fierce.”
As Karin answered in a voice that trailed off, Leo nodded as if he understood.
“I see.”
When they were first recruiting for Leo’s knight order, he wasn’t famous for anything other than being an All-Class and the class representative.
Furthermore, many within the family looked down on Leo, who had suddenly appeared and been named a candidate for the direct line.
In that situation, the top-tier trainees, thinking that becoming Leo’s knight wasn’t a very good choice, were all reluctant to apply.
Thanks to that, the current five had become Leo’s knights.
However, starting with the interdepartmental competition in the first semester, followed by the conquest of Luna’s World in the second semester.
And on top of that, ascending to the position of the youngest student council president, Leo’s reputation had completely reversed from what it was before the summer.
Within the family, there was no one left who looked down on him.
*‘So now the other Jerdinger trainees are coveting my knight positions?’*
Leo smirked inwardly.
He then looked at his knights.
*‘There probably isn’t a single one from a good family among them.’*
They were from lower noble families.
Or perhaps some were commoner trainees.
Fundamentally, all Jerdinger trainees were equal.
But even so, it was impossible not to be influenced by skill and family background.
For those who were mid-tier in skill and lacked family support, the harassment from other trainees must have been quite an ordeal.
“There are many trainees more skilled than us. So… we think it’s right for us to resign.”
Martina and the other trainees bowed their heads deeply.
Watching them bite their lips and clench their fists, Leo spoke.
“Why go through all that trouble?”
“Pardon?”
Leo rested his chin on his hand and said.
“You can just stay as my knights, can’t you?”
At those words, Martina was taken aback.
“B-but, Young Master Leo. Our skills are lacking. We will surely tarnish your reputation.”
“You can just build up your skills. And you don’t need to worry about my reputation.”
Leo looked at the five trainees and smiled warmly.
“You each chose me from the beginning for your own reasons. That’s all that matters.”
Seeing the astonished knights, Leo rose to his feet.
“If you think your skills are lacking, how about training with me starting tomorrow?”
“Training with you, Young Master Leo?”
“Yes.”
*‘Training in swordsmanship with the Lumerne student council president…’*
*‘Th-this might be an opportunity…!’*
The five trainees looked at each other and then nodded.
“We’ll do it!”
At Martina’s words, Leo smiled.
“Alright? Then I’ll speak to Master Jerko separately.”
If Celia had seen this, she might have tried to stop the trainees.
“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be training with me.”
But unfortunately, Celia was not here.
***
The grounds of Lumerne, now empty of students, were very quiet.
Amidst the silence, a faculty meeting was being held in the Tower of Heroes.
“The next item on the agenda concerns the entrance exam.”
The professors focused on Halind, who was in charge of this year’s entrance exam.
“The entrance exam is approaching. However, it will be conducted differently from previous years.”
It was time for Lumerne to embrace change.
The Sword Saint, who had been the center of Lumerne for a long time, was gone.
On top of that, spies had infiltrated Lumerne last year.
It was a time to be even more cautious in selecting new students.
At Halind’s words, Ain asked.
“When you say it will be conducted differently… are you referring to the ‘joint exam’ you mentioned before?”
“Correct.”
Halind nodded.
Until now, the Lumerne entrance exam had been conducted in various regions, left to the discretion of each examiner.
But this year was different.
“An official notice will be sent out tomorrow.”
“Then where will the exam be held?”
When Yura asked with a puzzled look, Halind stated calmly.
“The Rodren Empire should be fine.”
The professors nodded at his words.
There weren’t many nations that could handle a crowd gathered from all over the world at once.
Among them, the most suitable was, of course, the hegemonic power of the West, Rodren.
“The content of the exam will naturally be standardized as well, right?”
“Yes.”
Halind didn’t even glance at the other professors as he flipped through his documents.
“What is the content of the exam?”
At Ain’s question, Halind answered nonchalantly.
“They will fight against current students.”
“Excuse me?”
The professors stared with blank expressions.
For a moment, they wondered if they had misheard.
“They’ll be fighting against current students?”
“Yes. The current students will ‘hunt’ the prospective freshmen.”
“…”
The professors’ faces twisted into strange expressions.
“Isn’t that a bit too harsh, no matter the circumstances?”
Yura asked cautiously.
At that, Halind looked up with a deadpan face.
“Do you really think I would propose an unreasonable exam?”
*‘If it’s Professor Halind…’*
*‘Wouldn’t you be more than capable of it?’*
The fact that not a single student from the first-year class 5, which he was in charge of this year, had been advised to withdraw was being called a miracle not only by the students but by the faculty as well.
But his true nature was that of Lumerne’s Wailing Wall, reigning in fear among the students.
He was the terrifying professor who would mercilessly recommend withdrawal to any student he deemed unqualified.
“The students deployed for the exam will be second-years.”
“Ah, if they’re second-years, that’s a relief.”
“Professor Yura, summon the students on this list to the Rodren Empire.”
Halind handed the list to Yura.
As Yura took the list, her face stiffened.
“Chloe Müller, Duran Moira, Celia Jerdinger, Leo Flove, Chelsea Llewellyn, Abad Llewellyn, Eliza Hergin, Woreden Tiden, Chen Xia?”
As the nine names were mentioned, the faces of the other professors hardened as well.
“W-wait a minute. Are you really planning to call these students?”
“Yes.”
Halind returned his gaze to his documents and said.
“If they lack the skill to survive against mere second-years, then it’s best to weed them out.”
*‘No, they aren’t just ‘mere’ second-years!’*
Yura screamed internally at Halind’s words.
The reactions of the other professors were not much different.
But no professor dared to voice it.
Because to the faculty as well, Halind was fear itself.
And so, the professors let out deep sighs, sending their sympathies to this year’s prospective freshmen.
They were certain that this year’s exam would be the most difficult in history.