Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Demonic Sword Forte (5) - Entrance Interview
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"What are you blabbering about? Are you done talking!?"
The woman's growl turned Pina's blood-soaked mind blank for a moment.
She had no idea how to resolve this situation, plunging her into panic.
And onto that pristine white canvas seeped the cunning whisper of the wicked demonic sword.
Forte's voice carried thick conviction, and Pina's mind, filled with chaos, unwittingly fell under the spell of the foul demon's words.
Unaware of what she was even saying, Pina began reciting exactly what echoed in her head.
"You're saying it's a problem if too many unskilled people pass? If it's really that big a deal, the academy will weed them out themselves. And even if they don't, what's the issue? It's not like them passing means you fail, right?"
"Oh, are you worried that more competitors might push your rankings down? Well, that's a shame then. I figured you, who's already settled in here nice and comfy, must have the skills and the confidence to match. Guess I was wrong."
"But this talk of responsibility? I really don't get it. Only someone qualified can bring that up. Are you maybe a professor disguised among the students? Or do you, just another examinee, actually think you have the right to condemn and punish other examinees? If it's the latter... uh, yeah, sure, I get it. The world has its share of people with inflated egos."
A heavy silence fell.
The woman who had first picked a fight with Pina gradually wilted under the rapid-fire barrage, trembling as she shut her mouth, and eventually fled.
Only then did Pina's pallid mind snap back to normal.
In other words, she belatedly realized what nonsense she had spouted.
"Uh, ah, uwaa!?"
Too late to excuse it as not her intention.
"D-Demonic Sword, what do we do now!"
"This is a bigger problem! She's definitely going to hold a grudge now...!"
Forte's voice was utterly stern, solemn, and serious.
"Uh... g-got scolded?"
"No way!"
Pina didn't ask where the teacup would have come from out of nowhere.
Just as a skilled swordsman carried a blade and a drug-hound detective a pipe, the pairing of a villainous young lady and a teacup was basic equipment.
"I-In the world, does someone that vicious really exist?"
At that moment, Forte lowered his voice even further.
"No...!"
Pina clutched the sheathed sword with both hands and pleaded earnestly.
"You did it for me, and for her too, Demonic Sword! How could I resent you?!"
"Yes!"
"Hehehe."
Pina didn't realize.
Thanks to Forte deliberately lowering his voice, the other examinees nearby couldn't make out her words, but regardless of whether they heard the content, muttering to a sword was enough to label her a madwoman.
Nor did she notice the great devil in the shadows gazing at Forte with eyes that said, "Impressive, but definitely not a senior I want to emulate."
Perhaps because so many more passed the second exam thanks to Pina.
As the once-spacious waiting area filled up, Examiner Lizenol shouted.
"We're running out of seats, so those who passed first, proceed directly to the third exam!"
Lizenol gestured to the uphill path behind him, and people began moving accordingly.
Pina, still dazed, joined the procession.
Maybe scarred from the first exam, the climbers' expressions weren't great, but fortunately, the third exam hall wasn't far.
More precisely, it was the exam hall, the interview room, and the gate itself.
A side path thoroughly blocked, walls towering so high they connected to the island's outer wall—a building screaming, "You must pass through here to enter the academy."
The moment Pina saw it, a new quest appeared before her eyes.
One-on-One Interview
📍 Clear Condition: Receive passing approval from the interviewer
⏰ Time Limit: None
🎁 Reward: Right to Enroll in Sky Academy
📋 Special Notes: Enter in order. Waiting number 6.
Shorter than the previous two quests, but its impact was far stronger.
As examinees' eyes gleamed at the thought of passing so close at hand, the wide placard-like sign at the building's entrance glowed, text appearing on it.
—Waiting number 1. Enter.
As people looked around for number 1, the first to step forward was the woman who had argued with Pina earlier.
Dressed in fairly high-end gear and attire, she glanced at Pina before turning away sharply and entering the building.
Her stable gait and upright posture suggested top-notch education, explaining why Forte had called her an "elite."
About five minutes later, the text on the odd placard out front changed.
—Waiting number 2. Enter.
This time, a bearishly large man who looked older than most examinees strode in, and the process repeated until finally, it was Pina's turn.
Pina entered the building, tense as could be.
What first greeted her was a long corridor.
More accurately, the building consisted solely of one straight corridor stretching ahead.
No up, no down, no sides—just endless white hallway. In its midst sat a desk, and behind it, a man.
Featuring slightly faded brown hair and square glasses, he glanced at Pina and said,
"Welcome. Please have a seat there."
"Y-Yes."
Pina's voice trembled slightly as she replied.
Unlike the second examiner Lizenol, the man's demeanor was exceedingly polite, yet carried a cool detachment that drew lines.
The oppressive interview vibe hit the introverted girl like a natural predator.
Feeling utmost relief from Forte's advisory presence at her side, Pina steadied her breathing.
The examiner spoke.
"I'll ask a few questions now. Just answer them. It won't take long, so no need to worry."
"Yes."
"First, what is your motivation for enrolling in Sky Academy?"
"Um..."
Pina pondered briefly.
The truth was "My dad submitted the application without asking," but blurting that out felt wrong.
What she wanted to do. What she hoped for.
With those keywords in mind, Pina cautiously opened her mouth.
"I... I'd like to make friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes. Friends where I don't have to worry about family names or politics or grand dreams—just sharing trivial, everyday stories."
"Hmm."
Perhaps caught off guard by her answer, the examiner wore a subtle expression.
Worried she had slipped up, Pina fidgeted, but luckily, he moved on without pressing.
"The academy offers countless opportunities for growth, but it also exposes you to danger. Enrollment isn't the end—many trials await afterward. You could face life-threatening peril, and far fewer graduate safely than enroll. Despite that, do you still wish to join?"
This was less warning, more veiled threat.
Pina briefly wondered if flunking and enduring Dad's extreme boot camp might be safer, but the sword intervened.
"If... if there's proper reward and rest, I think it'd be okay."
"Reward and rest."
The examiner nodded approvingly.
"Then rest assured. The Great Sage of the Skies created this place with the wish that those who tread harsh paths receive fitting recompense. Choices and trials will bring commensurate rewards, including rest."
Sensing the mood lighten, Pina relaxed her hunched shoulders a bit.
Minor questions followed about specialties and desired studies, until the final one.
"What do you believe a 'hero' is?"
His gaze was profoundly meaningful, as if anticipating her answer keenly.
Given he was a Sky Academy interviewer, it would be odder if he didn't know Pina's status and lineage.
This time, Forte stayed silent.
Curious what she would say.
The girl, inheritor of a hero's blood and deeds, answered without much deliberation.
"Someone who doesn't abandon their burden."
The examiner looked puzzled.
"Hm, is 'burden' a metaphor for noble duty?"
"No, it doesn't have to be noble. Could be 'go beat someone up for me,' or 'win because I want to roll around in a peaceful era.' Of course, some are as grand and noble as you say. Anyway, countless people's wishes piled up—heavy ones. Someone who can shoulder that must be a hero, right?"
Her tone was matter-of-fact, laced with "I couldn't manage that."
A satisfying answer, it seemed; he nodded.
"Understood. And I forgot to mention earlier."
"Yes?"
"I'm Lowell, Professor of Magic. Pleased to meet you, Student Pina Valestia."
A badge evoking a staff materialized in midair, merging with Pina's existing badge to form its complete shape.
Seeing the staff, sword, and mace crossed in balance, Pina let out a sigh of relief.
Enrollment achieved.