Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Thank You, Senior (1)
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"……Can I really go dressed like this?"
"No worries. It's the uniform of the Cho Clan. No one will think it looks sloppy. They'd get a beating from us if they did."
Urong grinned. Ban looked down at his black dobok with a dubious expression. Considering how often it had been soaked in sweat, heading to the entrance ceremony in it felt downright bizarre no matter what.
"You're Ban of the Cho Clan."
Urong said curtly as he eyed Ban.
"Your stature isn't defined by what you wear, but by who you are. So don't chicken out. You're not going to get punished—you're there to receive an award."
"Yeah, I guess so?"
"Exactly."
The Citadel Academy's entrance exam encompassed multiple divisions. Within the knights, it split into close-range and long-range combat, and including various academic fields brought the total to around ten.
That evening, Ban entered the academy's grand auditorium for the entrance ceremony. The moment he did, the corners of his mouth twisted.
"Urgh…… Impressive."
Abid muttered right behind him. It was a sight that warranted the remark. The auditorium could hold over a thousand people. Flanking both sides stood hundreds of returning students draped in the academy's signature black cloaks, all eyes fixed on the newcomers.
But the numbers weren't the issue. Half of them were nobles born with innate talents, and the other half possessed skills solid enough to study alongside those nobles.
Hundreds of monsters.
The gazes of those monsters.
Ban licked his lips and unconsciously reached for his waist. The tension made him crave the feel of a sword, but disappointingly, not even a dagger hung there.
'Not a walk in the park, huh. Citadel Academy.'
A celebration of admission turned into an attempt to cow them. Furious, Ban strode forward even more boldly. The other 63 finalists followed quietly in his wake.
Of course, this wasn't the ceremony for noble entrants. Yeoryeong and the other new noble students of the year were likely already lined up with the returning students. He felt no resentment about it. They had earned that right.
'Nobles are strong just by virtue of their bloodline.'
The fact that he could never quite beat Yeoryeong proved it. Could he win now? Maybe. Even if he could wield qi more freely…… it might just give her room to draw out even more power.
The real question was……
'How many of those guys could I actually beat?'
Maybe none. Excluding the scholars entirely, among those specialized in combat…… there probably weren't many weaker than him.
He wanted to grow stronger, faster. Stronger and stronger, until no matter where he went, finding someone superior became a challenge.
Sword God Ban. That dream was only now inching toward reality…… and that's why he sensed how distant it still was.
"Representative of the Knight Department's Close Combat Division, Ban."
The voice rang out then. Like at the tournament hall, it wasn't particularly loud, yet it reached every ear. Ban stepped forward. On the platform, an elderly man with a long white beard gazed at him with a faint smile.
"Your sword left a deep impression. One could say this Citadel Academy was built for talents like you. Reaching this stage without your clan's blessings. Where else could we find such promising souls?"
"Thank you, Dean."
"The Citadel Academy welcomes you all. And so, we have gifts. I grant you the cloaks of Citadel."
At those words, Citadel cloaks—emerging from nowhere, as if sprouting from the earth—draped over the new students. As everyone wore stunned expressions at the magical sight, the dean smiled in satisfaction.
"Welcome to the academy."
§
"……You're Ban?"
"You're that Ban guy?"
"Ah, you're the winner, right?"
Plenty sought out Ban. There were many people, but the auditorium was even larger. Still, the crowd gathering around him made it feel perpetually packed.
After finally extricating himself from the prolonged greetings, he found Yeoryeong watching him with a strangely proud look. Ban eyed her awkwardly.
"……Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Just thinking you've grown up well."
"You sound like my mother."
"Drop the formal speech now. At the academy, you only use it with seniors. Forgot?"
"Even for the Cho Clan—"
"'Academy rules supersede all but those set by His Majesty.' Read the handbook properly later."
"I see…… I mean, got it."
Switching tones abruptly wasn't easy. Yeoryeong's lips curved up as she watched him.
"You've gotten stronger?"
"A bit."
"……We should spar sometime soon?"
The eager glint in her eyes confirmed she was Cho Clan through and through, after all.
And so was he.
"Of course."
Deep down, he wanted to swing his sword right then and there. Ban smiled that way, then glanced aside. He spotted Shade. Given the skill Shade had shown at the tournament, people should've approached him too, but oddly, no one was near.
"That guy's messed up."
"He messed with the Cho Clan."
"We're not petty enough to shun him just for wanting to hang with us…… but he's not winning any favor. And we get plenty of love as it is."
Ban didn't particularly care. He was just paying for his actions. If anything, he should be grateful to be alive. 'Come to think of it, killing people…… why doesn't it feel that hard?'
He'd never felt remorse for killing Oben. No regrets either. They fought, he won, the guy died. That's all it seemed to be.
Was killing always that straightforward? Or was he the weird one? Or was there another reason……?
Not something he wanted to dwell on long. Ban asked Yeoryeong,
"Have you fought any of them?"
"Hm?"
"The returning students, I mean. Have you…… sparred?"
"Yeah."
"How was it?"
"Fun. A lot."
Yeoryeong smirked.
"And they'll want to spar with you too."
§
After receiving his dorm assignment, the next day Ban greeted the dawn with meditation, then headed to the training grounds as the sky lightened.
He itched to swing a sword, to spar. He had prize money burning a hole in his pocket for a fine blade, but first, he needed to shake off this restless energy or he'd burst.
But upon arriving at the training grounds, Ban forgot all about swinging a sword and gaped.
"……What is this?"
A sword paradise.
No other way to describe it. One corner of the training grounds featured endless weapon racks. More impressive than what he'd seen at Cho Muryeong's main estate. And Ban could pick any he wanted.
[You have gripped the greatsword of the 'Swordsman who Commands Weight'.]
Material: Steel
Quality: Rare
Owner: Denton Daid (4-Star)
Memory Retention: Low
Note: It should have been an ordinary greatsword, but it feels light from one swordsman's long training. Perhaps it could be heavy at times.
[Your current swordsmanship level is 3-Star. Memory synchronization adjusted to 'Standard'.]
[Training required!]
[You have gripped the longsword of the 'Swordsman with Twisted Arms'.]
[You have gripped the bastard sword of the 'Swordsman Possessed by Thousands of Souls'.]
[You have gripped the reverse-edge sword of the 'Swordsman Who Has Never Seen Blood'.]
'Unbelievable.'
Even at the Cho Clan, Ban had occasionally wondered. What if he could wield all those countless weapons in Cho Muryeong's estate…… no, all those in the warehouse? Read the memories embedded in every type? Make them his own……?
But no matter how he thought about it, it'd look too suspicious. The Cho Clan's swords were mostly longswords. Switching between identical ones would've raised eyebrows…… He'd struggled to pull out Lucas's shortsword or Oben's longsword that often.
But with every kind of blade here? Even if it was just an excuse to get used to various weapons…… No excuse needed—this was impossible to pass up. Ignoring such tempting swords would render his ability pointless.
Ban examined the piled weapons one by one. Most held memories from at least 4-Star owners.
It was fascinating. In that moment, Ban was certain: No matter how excellent the academy's swordsmanship instructors, none could surpass these swords as teachers.
And that's why he could receive the finest lessons here—lessons no one else could.
Ban rummaged through the swords for a good while. He wanted to absorb every memory, but time was limited.
Then, at one point, he picked up a single blade and smiled.
Found it.