Chapter 241
Chapter 241
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 241
Chapter Title: Exam (3)
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Gelliver had not only collapsed but had passed out completely.
In a single strike.
A single attack had defeated the top student in the first-year class.
“H-How did that...”
Blanca turned to Demian in bewilderment. Demian shrugged his shoulders and said,
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s a genius.”
“Then why did the Fortina Marquis Family just abandon that kid...?”
Oliver Fortina was a student who had essentially been discarded by the Fortina Marquis Family due to his lack of talent.
“He was learning a sword style that didn’t suit him.”
The Fortina Marquis Family’s swordsmanship was an illusion sword that deceived the opponent’s eyes with flashy movements.
But Oliver Fortina had no talent for illusion swords. Instead, he possessed an unusual gift for quick-draw swords.
Even Oliver’s physical structure was suited for quick-draw techniques. Once Demian recognized this and taught him a few quick-draw techniques, his skills improved rapidly.
The trainee had leaped straight to the level where he could stand against a quasi-knight.
“Then why was he so scared earlier?”
“Well...”
Demian clicked his tongue briefly and said,
“Because he’s a coward. No matter what I tried, that personality of his wouldn’t change.”
“Goodness... What a shame.”
While the two conversed, Oliver descended from the training ground. His face was a mix of relief and exhaustion.
“Hey, what did I tell you? That you could win...”
“Teacher! I won! I won!”
The moment he spotted Demian, Oliver shouted loudly.
“That damned brother of mine... That dog of a man! I beat him! I... I won...!”
Soon, tears welled up in Oliver’s eyes. He wiped them with his sleeve and burst into sobs.
Demian, who had intended to give him a brief scolding, had no choice but to change his mind. He patted Oliver’s back and said,
“Yeah, you won.”
In front of Demian, Oliver spent a long while wiping away his tears.
* * *
Once the exams were fully over, Demian encountered Class 13 in the classroom.
“You all did well.”
At Demian’s opening words, the entire Class 13 stared at him in confusion. They had never received praise from Demian during all their training.
All they had gotten were curses, beatings, and threats of murder.
“The exams are done for today. Grades aren’t out yet, but it’s certain our class will rank in the top brackets.”
In truth, even Demian hadn’t been confident when he first took over Class 13.
But the students of Class 13 harbored their own fierce determination. Thanks to that, they performed far better than Demian had expected.
“You’ve all splendidly kept your promise to me. From now on, I won’t interfere with you anymore.”
Despite Demian’s declaration of liberation, the students just exchanged wary glances. They couldn’t easily believe his words.
“I’m not joking. Starting tomorrow, you can do whatever you want.”
As Demian repeated himself, the eyes of Class 13’s students widened. Soon, they embraced each other and let out cheers.
“Woooah! Freedom at last! We’re free!”
“No more of that hellish training!”
“Liberated from that devil of a man!”
At the students’ cheers, Demian furrowed his brow. These kids really said whatever came to mind, huh?
But Demian just let out a chuckle and said nothing to them.
He thought granting Class 13 that much freedom was the right thing for a teacher to do.
“I can’t stay here anymore!”
“I’m heading out first!”
“Me too!”
Class 13 tried to flee the classroom immediately. At that moment, Demian raised his voice.
“Where do you all think you’re going?”
The Class 13 students turned back to him with startled faces.
“Uh... Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t interfere...”
“I said starting tomorrow. Not today.”
At Demian’s words, the students’ expressions rapidly turned gloomy.
“Th-Then we still have to train today?”
“No.”
“Th-Then do we have to swing Imperial Standard Swordsmanship again?”
“That’s not it either.”
Demian grinned and said,
“I’ve rented out an entire restaurant in the city. Today, I’ll treat you all. I’m paying for everything, so eat your fill.”
At Demian’s words, the entire Class 13 erupted in cheers.
“Oh, and I’ll buy drinks too.”
Class 13’s cheers grew even louder.
* * *
Captain of the White Blood Knights.
Blanca Roshe was walking down a quiet hallway.
It was usually bustling with students, but today it was silent. Everyone had gone out to celebrate after the exams.
Blanca Roshe stopped in front of the infirmary. She knocked lightly on the door before entering.
Inside were her son Gael and the school nurse, Miriam.
“Mother!”
Gael cried out happily. But he couldn’t stand up.
It was because his body was riddled with IV needles.
Transparent tubes were connected to the needles. Some unidentified drug was being injected into Gael through them.
“Please wait just a bit longer! Once the treatment’s done... Ngh...”
Gael’s face twisted in pain. It was inevitable with such potent drugs being forced into his body.
“Ugh... Nngh...”
As Gael’s groans dragged on, Blanca’s expression twisted as well. Unconsciously, she clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her skin, but she paid it no mind.
“Gael, I’m removing the needles now.”
Miriam carefully extracted the needles from Gael’s body one by one. Gradually, Gael’s expression eased.
“Ah... Ahaha... I’m feeling better now.”
Gael forced a smile. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat.
Blanca approached Gael closely. Stroking her son’s hair, she said,
“Gael, you endured well today too.”
“It was nothing.”
Blanca smiled and gazed at Gael for a long while.
“Cough.”
Suddenly, a cough burst from Gael’s mouth.
“Cough, cough.”
Blood trickled from his mouth with each cough. Blanca looked at Miriam in panic.
“Miriam! Gael’s...!”
“Wait a moment.”
Miriam hurried over and examined Gael.
She pulled a vial from her pocket and fed him the medicine. Gael fell asleep as if fainting.
“Phew... That was close.”
Miriam let out a sigh of relief. Blanca gripped Gael’s hand with a pale face.
“Blanca, Gael’s drug rejection reaction is getting worse.”
The illness plaguing Gael, the Ten-Day Thirst, was an incurable disease where one’s muscles and bodily fluids dried up completely, leading to death.
Gael’s condition was already in the terminal stage. Without daily injections, his life was at risk.
“Then what should we do...?”
Blanca looked at Miriam with a desperate face. Miriam shook her head.
“You know, Blanca. You have only one option.”
“But... That... Anything but that...”
“It’s time to steel yourself.”
Deep despair covered Blanca’s face. She covered her face with both hands.
“...I’ll decide by tomorrow.”
In that short time, Blanca’s voice had become completely hoarse.
* * *
The next day, Demian received a peculiar package first thing in the morning.
“What’s this?”
Demian inspected the package from all angles. The sender’s name stamped on it read “Sword Saint.”
“What did he send?”
Demian opened the package. Inside appeared a box densely inscribed with magic circles.
Demian opened the box. A red-glowing gem fragment emerged.
A note beneath the gem read:
[Dragon Heart Fragment.]
“Cough.”
The moment he saw it, Demian choked.
“Is this guy insane?”
He had never dreamed the Sword Saint would send something as precious as a Dragon Heart Fragment via mail.
“So this is a Dragon Heart Fragment?”
If he hadn’t known, he might have mistaken it for a mere gem rather than a heart, given how beautifully its surface gleamed.
Even stranger was that it emitted no mana at all on the surface.
“Some special processing?”
Demian picked up the fragment and held it in his hand. At that instant, a massive pulsing shook his entire body.
“...!”
Surprisingly, the Dragon Heart Fragment was alive and beating even in this state.
Demian couldn’t help but be awestruck by its unimaginable vitality.
“This is incredible.”
He wanted to consume it right away, but he had business to attend to. Regretfully, Demian stored the Dragon Heart Fragment in his subspace.
He prepared to head out and stepped outside.
Having kept his promise to the headmaster, he planned to seriously search for Sla starting today.
“...Any students show up, by chance?”
Then, Class 13 crossed his mind.
Last night, Class 13 had partied, eaten, and drank all night at the restaurant Demian rented before returning to the dorms.
Thinking maybe one or two might attend, Demian headed to Class 13.
“Nope, none.”
But contrary to Demian’s expectations, not a single student had shown up.
“I said I wouldn’t interfere, and they really didn’t come at all.”
Demian muttered in disbelief.
He had no complaints. After all, he had driven the students like devils for the past week.
“I figured the others might skip, but even Oliver and Penelope...”
Those two had taken a step forward as knights thanks to Demian.
He had hoped they might be different, having tasted the joy of learning.
“What a bunch of consistent slackers.”
In truth, if he wanted, he could drag Class 13 here right now.
Demian still had strands of their hair. With those, he could locate them anytime using black magic.
Of course, he had no intention of doing so. Class 13 had splendidly fulfilled their promise to him.
“Guess I can focus on my tasks without worry.”
As he said that and turned to leave the classroom,
Suddenly, the door opened, and Blanca Roshe entered. Spotting Demian, her eyes widened.
“Sir Demian, good you’re here.”
“What brings you?”
“I came because I have something to say.”
Blanca Roshe spoke to the puzzled Demian.
“It’s a message from Sla.”
Blanca said quietly.
“Oliver and Penelope are with me. If you want to save them, obey my demands from now on.”