Chapter 145: Candidate Number 7, Kang Geomma (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 145: Candidate Number 7, Kang Geomma (3)
In a corner of the training ground's spectator stands, Manager Seong of the Hero Association and his subordinate, Supervisor Ha, sat watching the mock exam. Both held thick folders in their hands.
[Cadet =Leon von Reinhardt='s score is 98 points!]
[You have broken the all-time record!]
"Wow. Even though he hasn't awakened yet, a Hero is still a Hero."
Supervisor Ha, who had a gentle impression, muttered with a look of wonder. She whipped her head toward Manager Seong.
"Manager! Honestly, this isn't just exceeding expectations—it's completely transcended them!"
"Tell me about it. I didn't believe it when they talked about the 'Golden Generation' and all that, but seeing it in person leaves me speechless. No wonder everyone keeps hyping up Joaquin."
"Exactly. Honestly, the Dragon Class representative just before him fell way short of expectations, but seeing Leon makes it crystal clear. I actually feel respect for kids who are ten years younger than me."
"……."
Manager Seong remained silent. Supervisor Ha knew that his silence meant agreement. For Association employees, reading the room was a basic skill.
Besides, having pulled countless all-nighters working together, they shared a strong sense of camaraderie.
Thus, Manager Seong didn't mind his subordinate's casual banter.
"By the way, this mock exam is going much smoother than expected, isn't it? You must be feeling pretty proud inside, Manager Seong."
"Me? Not at all. And did you forget that you and the rest of the team pulled three consecutive all-nighters to organize this?"
"Oh, come on~ It's not like working day and night is anything new for us. You're the one who did all the heavy lifting, Manager. You even managed to persuade the Principal, who's famous for being incredibly strict."
At Supervisor Ha's high praise, Manager Seong let out a heavy sigh instead.
"Ugh, don't even get me started. I became an office worker because I didn't want to risk my life, but ever since I got dispatched to the Academy, my life expectancy has plummeted."
Manager Seong massaged his temples to soothe a throbbing migraine.
Still, the start isn't bad... If it keeps going like this, I'll have nothing left to wish for.
This surprise mock exam was the first collaborative event between the Academy and the Association. The student council election was just two weeks away.
Originally, only second-years and above were eligible to run, but this year was different. After all, wasn't this the year dubbed the Golden Generation?
Manager Seong had persuaded Principal Medea that preventing first-years from running due to rigid school regulations was a waste of talent.
Of course, this wasn't Manager Seong's own idea. He was merely a carrier pigeon delivering orders from the higher-ups. And while they called it a "proposal," in reality, he had practically crawled on his knees before the Principal.
But what could he do? An employee has to do what they're told.
Even as a manager-level executive, he was ultimately just middle management. Walking a tightrope to coordinate between Joaquin Academy and the Hero Association—that was Manager Seong's role.
Perhaps Manager Seong's sorrow had struck a chord, because approval had ultimately come from Medea's mouth.
‘Fine. Go ahead with this proposal.’
‘A-Are you really sure we can proceed like this, Principal!?’
‘Yes. Either way, we decided to entrust this student council election to the Association to some extent. But if anything happens to our cadets, to hell with any agreement.’
Although she had snapped coldly, Medea also judged that it was time for a change at the Academy.
Now was the starting point to break the existing mold one by one. Medea hoped a wind of change would blow through the slowly festering Academy.
Thus, the special reward for this surprise event:
She permitted first-year cadets to run for student council president.
Although there were only two slots, and their candidate numbers were at the very end—6 and 7—it was unprecedented in the Academy's 700-year history.
As soon as Medea's approval was granted, Manager Seong and his team moved quickly and in secret.
Moreover, since this was the first project of its kind at the Academy, they had to prove the Association's operational capabilities.
The fruits of their day-and-night labor were right before his eyes. Manager Seong replayed the confrontation between Leon and the Ogre in his mind.
Leon's sword strike, which sliced the Ogre in a single blow. The growth rate of the next Hero was climbing far more steeply than the Association had projected.
To think he would subjugate an Ogre—something only second-years have done until now—and with the highest score ever...
This was exactly the scene the Association's higher-ups had wanted. That was why they had specifically brought out the Ogre subjugation, which was part of the second-year curriculum.
For some reason, the Association President wants that boy, Leon, to become the next student council president.
There was no way a mere manager like himself could know the Association President's mind. Even if he did, he doubted he would understand.
How could an ordinary person fathom the thoughts of a man who had lived for over two centuries? Mentally, he must have long since shed his humanity and become a monster.
...I'm sick and tired of being kicked around between those monsters—the Association President, the Vice Association President, the Principal, and the Seven Stars.
Getting shoved this way and that, sandwiched between monsters in human skin, he would surely die an early death.
He'd rather give up on promotions. Manager Seong dreamed of an early retirement, living comfortably off a steady pension.
It was just as Manager Seong was touching his slightly trembling lips.
[Next, Cadet =Kang Geomma= of the Wolf Class, please step forward.]
Supervisor Ha cried out in surprise.
"Manager! He's coming out! The Sashimi Sword Saint!"
"Ah."
At her words, Manager Seong's gaze reflexively shifted toward the entrance.
The much-talked-about black-haired boy. The bizarre cadet who used a sashimi knife as his armament.
The Sashimi Sword Saint...
Kang Geomma walked out with steady steps. His mere appearance made the soccer-field-sized training ground fall as silent as a graveyard.
Manager Seong swallowed hard without realizing it. Kang Geomma gave off an impression that was the polar opposite of Leon, who had gone just before him.
If Leon was like the midday sun, Kang Geomma was a pitch-black, moonless night.
Day and night. How could two such contrasting geniuses appear in the same era?
However, the coexistence of light and dark seemed somewhat precarious. It felt as though they could never live in harmony. Manager Seong suddenly felt that way.
Supervisor Ha asked Manager Seong.
"Manager, how many points do you think that cadet will get?"
"Well, given his reputation as the Sashimi Sword Saint, shouldn't he score over 90? Anything beyond that depends on how he does. After all, Leon did just set a new record."
"True. Leon cut it down in a single blow, and it took barely a second. To get a higher score than that... well, it's practically impossible, right?"
Manager Seong shrugged and replied.
"Yeah. I mean, if we're being hopeful, maybe a tie at 98? But our standards have just gotten too high. Anyone who scores over 90 is a monster. Look at our Vice Association President's record. It's 93. And that was his record back when he was a second-year."
"Right. Putting it that way really brings it home. If the Spear Saint scored 93 at eighteen... Oh, by the way, that name in second place, Meain Poison. Is she the current Principal's twin sister?"
"Yeah, that's right. She's also the former Principal."
"Oh, right! But didn't she suddenly dump the principal position onto the current Principal one day and vanish?"
"Yeah. That was about twenty years ago... when you were seven, Supervisor Ha? It was absolute chaos. But she was always an eccentric person to begin with."
"An eccentric person?"
"For details, look through the Association's confidential records once you get more seniority. You'll be shocked."
Supervisor Ha pouted.
"That's not fair! Can't you give me just a little hint?"
"If it's not fair, then get promoted. But I'll tell you one thing: the 'Poison' family itself is quite unusual. Even the Association President is connected to that lineage. Anyway, it's starting. Quiet."
Whirrrr.
Iron bars rose from the ground. However, the Ogre's condition was unusual.
With bloodshot eyes, the beast ground its protruding fangs as if to shatter them.
Supervisor Ha called out to Manager Seong in a panicked voice.
"Manager...! Something is wrong with that Ogre!"
"T-That bastard, could it be?"
The Ogre swung its club in all directions. Every time the wooden club struck, cracks formed in the iron bars.
Crack!
Having smashed its cage, the Ogre kicked open the iron gate. Stepping out of the iron bars, its hunched back straightened, making it nearly four meters tall. It growled, baring all of its yellow teeth.
Manager Seong's pupils trembled violently.
"Damn it! That thing has lost its mind because of what Leon did to it. The humiliation of being defeated in a single blow triggered its hostility. It's a frenzy! A frenzy!"
"A frenzy!? An Ogre that's lost its mind shoots up to A-rank!"
"The mock exam is suspended immediately. Supervisor Ha, tell the instructors to deploy personnel right now. Hurry!"
"Yes, sir!"
—Urrraaaaaaaagh!
The Ogre unleashed its Fear, shaking the entire training ground. At that, the cadets in the spectator stands began to faint one by one.
Nearly half of them collapsed. The rest, though not unconscious, couldn't even budge a finger.
"Hey, wake up! Instructor, the kids are losing consciousness!"
"E-Everyone, stay in your seats for now!"
"Kyaaaaah!"
The training ground instantly turned into a crucible of chaos. Fueled by the cadets' screams, the Ogre charged.
Rumbleeee.
Submerged in madness, the Ogre rushed forward. Its heavy footsteps stamped deep craters into the dirt floor like seals.
Just before the Ogre could swing its club, Kang Geomma gave his sashimi knife a slight flick.
Swish.
Instantly, the Fear paused. The Ogre's bloodshot eyes turned cloudy and white. The focus of its two eyes drifted apart.
—Oguuuurgh...
With its eyes rolled back, the Ogre stumbled forward on tangled legs. However, unable to overcome its momentum, it brushed past Kang Geomma.
Its collapsed body slid forward without resistance, as if on ice. Its broad chest and belly swept the floor.
* * *
[The Wolf Class exam has concluded.]
The mechanical voice shattered the silence like breaking glass.
The voice, completely detached from the atmosphere, snapped Manager Seong out of his daze. However, the shiver running through his entire body left him speechless.
Manager Seong turned his head toward Supervisor Ha. She was also staring at him with wide, round eyes.
...What was that? Supervisor Ha asked, only moving her lips.
How should I know? Manager Seong dismissed her with a look.
The eyes of both gathered once again in the center of the training ground.
The Ogre lay collapsed behind Kang Geomma. It was clutching its chest, but there wasn't a single scratch on its body.
W-What on earth is that?
Leon, who had demonstrated his swift swordplay. Everyone had admired and cheered at that display of skill.
...But what was this just now? Kang Geomma had barely flicked his hilt, and the Ogre had died instantly with its eyes rolled back.
A heart attack?
Shock washed over Manager Seong's face. That posture of clutching its chest and dying—it was unmistakably a heart attack, wasn't it?
Was he now at the point where things died just by making eye contact? What, was this Death Note? Was that a Death Sashimi or something?
Even for Joaquin Academy, which was crawling with monsters, this was truly baffling.
Even at that moment, the subspace was calculating Kang Geomma's score. The processing time was significantly delayed.
[Cadet =Kang Geomma='s score is...]
Feeling stiff, Kang Geomma rolled his shoulders as he waited for the result. Manager Seong found his nonchalant expression utterly absurd.
Beep!
[...It is ∞, which is unmeasurable.]
[Since Infinity is not a number, it cannot be converted into a score.]
[However, the record list will be updated according to the rankings.]
[Rank 0. Kang Geomma / ∞.]
[Rank 1. Leon von Reinhardt / 98 points.]
[Rank 2. Meain Poison / 96 points.]
[Rank 3. Siegfried von Nibelung / 95 points.]
[Rank 4. Medea Poison / 94 points.]
[Rank 5. Richard de Myura / 93 points.]
"……."
He had no energy left to be surprised. Manager Seong just felt dizzy.
* * *
"What was that this time? How did you do it!?"
As soon as I returned to my seat, Ryozo asked immediately. She thrust her face close to mine, demanding an answer right away.
"Does it make any sense to cut down an Ogre without even drawing your sword? No, I don't even know what to be shocked by first. An infinity score pops up out of nowhere, and the Ogre just drops dead. What, did you talk to that magical beast beforehand? Asking it to fall down at the perfect moment? Or... did you cut it with that Mindscape Domain thing?"
"I did deploy the Mindscape Domain so I wouldn't have to draw the blade, but I used it differently than usual."
"……?"
Ryozo's pupils dilated. I scratched my cheek and explained.
"Ryozo, you know what 'Fear' is, right? The thing that Ogre emitted when it roared."
"Of course. It's a type of aura emitted by high-ranking magical beasts. The principle is infrasound that allows a predator to overwhelm its prey for an easy hunt, though academically, opinions are still divided..."
"I don't know about the academic stuff, but anyway, that Fear is ultimately a pulsation directly connected to the magical beast's heart—a wavelength. To use a car analogy, it's the engine sound."
"It's a slightly different concept, but it's a pretty fitting analogy. Anyway, what does Fear have to do with the Ogre suddenly collapsing?"
"Nothing much. I just wondered if cutting the Fear would stop its heart, and it seems I was right. Honestly, I didn't expect the score to show up as unmeasurable—"
"W-Wait! Hold on!"
Ryozo stretched out her hand to cut me off. Her sky-blue eyes dilated and contracted repeatedly.
"Are you saying you cut the Fear, a wavelength, or a sound? You cut something that has no physical form and is invisible?"
"Ah, well... I can see it."
"What?"
The [Blessing of the Sword God] was a blessing that cut what could not be cut.
Whether it was sound, air, or wavelengths, nothing was an exception.
"My blessing is basically like that."
"……."
Ryozo stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
"Geomma, I really don't know whether to call your way of thinking genius or completely insane. Somehow, an unmeasurable score fits you perfectly."
"...Is that a compliment?"
A vein popped on Ryozo's forehead.
"Then what else would it be, an insult?!"