Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Final Struggle (3)
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Before the main exam began.
A great wind of change began to blow through the Loud Swordsmanship Academy.
It was about the headmaster, Oval.
To uncover the truth behind this series of incidents, a temporary committee was convened.
There was something that Loud, the founder of the Loud Swordsmanship Academy, had repeatedly emphasized.
The morals, ethics, and convictions of a knight.
Oval had violated the morals and ethics among them.
Temporary committee assembly hall.
The man who became the chairman of the temporary committee, Bex, asked Oval point-blank.
Ill ask about the suspicions of collusion with Nut. How much unjust profit did the headmaster receive specifically from deploying tactical golems to the academy?
.
Is it the amount listed in this evidence presented by Training Captain Barton?
.
Oval maintained silence until the end.
Watching that, Bex began to pressure him, putting strength into his voice.
Saving your words wont solve everything, Headmaster. Do you know how many cadets were put in mortal danger because of you? Its a good thing the incident was resolved well, but if things had gone wrong, innocent cadets could have lost their lives!
Bexs voice grew louder and louder.
It wasnt just the instructors who were dissatisfied with Ovals arbitrary policies.
Endless complaints about Ovals academy management were leaking out among the general staff working at the academy as well.
Bex, who was in charge of administration, had tried to believe in Oval until the very end.
Bex was from the same class as Oval at the Loud Swordsmanship Academy.
When he passed the mid knight exam and even when he became a senior knight, Oval had been more diligent and honest than anyone else.
Because Bex remembered that Oval, he had tried to understand him, thinking there must be some circumstance.
But.
This was the limit now.
He had changed.
Bex realized he had become a completely different person, intoxicated by money and power.
Headmaster. Speak up. Now!
He hoped that even now, he would confess every detail of his wrongs and offer sincere apologies to everyone who suffered, including Remina.
.
However, Ovals mouth showed no sign of opening.
Instead, he harbored other thoughts.
I did nothing wrong.
At that moment, as if reacting to his words, an unfamiliar voice began to echo in Ovals mind.
-Youre not the one whos wrong.
-Those fools who dont understand your thoughts are.
-Come, its time to correct this wrong.
-Ill lend you my power.
-Serve me. And offer everything to me. Then Ill grant your wishes.
A whisper from the darkness.
Oval was gradually losing his mind to the voice coming from the depths of the abyss.
Grinding his teeth, Oval suddenly pulled something out from his bosom.
The moment they saw it.
Everyone present couldnt hold back their shock.
Barton swallowed hard.
A small something emitting unpleasant smoke.
Fragment of the Demon God!
To prepare for the upcoming interview with Raiken, the cadets created mock question lists and conducted practice interviews among themselves.
Remina was also preparing for the exam by throwing questions at each other with Luem.
However, there was only one person.
Roin alone was leisurely reading a book, maintaining a posture markedly different from the other cadets.
Remina stared at such a Roin and asked.
Dont you need to prepare?
Prepare for what?
The mid knight main exam.
The interview with Raiken, the statue that sees the truth, was no easy task.
It might even be more difficult than the kingdom territory mission or the campout in Screaming Valley.
Because the moment you showed any wrong behavior in front of Raiken, you were eliminated on the spot.
Even if you prepare here, nothing changes anyway.
And one more thing.
No matter how much you make mock question lists among yourselves, itll be useless. Raiken never asks one-dimensional questions.
No matter what you imagine, a question beyond that will come flying.
How many people could properly maintain their mentality in front of Raiken?
Roin was confident there would be none.
Even he himself had been properly done in by Raiken.
I got properly hit back in my Rodri days.
During his Rodri days, he had failed the mid knight exam once, and Raiken played a big role in that.
Of course, the mission subject had gone wrong too, but getting an personality unfit judgment in the interview with Raiken had a significant impact as well.
For Roin, reuniting with Raiken was an opportunity for revenge.
However,
I dont need this kind of revenge.
He didnt like revenge with words.
He preferred to hit and smash.
That suited Roins temperament better.
Preparing is useless anyway.
Roin decided to finish reading his beauty-related book.
At that moment, a heavy roar suddenly echoed from one side.
Kuuuung!
The ground shook.
The cadets felt the extraordinary impact.
Then, shouts came from far away.
M-Monster!
Battle stations!
Its a real situation! Stay sharp and grab your weapons! Hurry!
The swordsmanship academy quickly turned into pandemonium due to the sudden uproar.
Even the cadets preparing for the main exam were just as flustered.
Should we go check whats happening?
Ill go with you.
As soon as Luem spoke, Remina grabbed her weapon.
Before that, she glanced at Roin.
Roin. You coming too?
However, Roin replied in a tone that showed no interest.
None of my business. Why would I, when its not about me.
Whatever commotion happened at the Loud Swordsmanship Academy, it was none of Roins concern.
But Remina thought differently.
What if the instructors are deliberately causing this commotion to test us? Our reaction could be reflected in the evaluation. Youre just going to sit still?
.
Remina knew well that Roin was the type obsessed with scores.
Thats why she deliberately said such things.
But Roins reaction was lukewarm.
You think Id fall for that?
It didnt work.
Just as she thought that.
Roin abruptly stood up from his seat.
Then, he emphasized to Remina.
Im just going to the bathroom, so dont get any weird ideas.
Got it.
Watching Roin quickly leave the seat, Remina gave a wry smile.
Barton, drawing his weapon, shouted in a loud voice.
Back off!
At his shout, people began to distance themselves from Oval.
Oval raised the fragment of the Demon God he held tightly in his hand.
At that moment, Barton noticed something unusual.
The fragment of the Demon God looks different from the one I know?
Including the one he saw at the Sendri ruins, it had a different color from any he had witnessed so far.
A fragment tinged with deep purple.
The fragments of the Demon God Barton knew were mostly black.
No, that was all of them.
However, the one Oval held showed a clear difference.
Its not a fragment of the Demon God?
Even if it wasnt, he had to stop whatever Oval was about to do.
Because it felt ominous somehow.
In the midst of that, Ovals eyes began to take on the same deep purple hue as the fragment.
Oval stabbed the sharp tip of the fragment he held into the position of his heart.
Then
The purple fragment gradually merged with Ovals body.
The fragment completely disappeared into his body.
At the same time, purple smoke fiercely erupted around Oval.
Urk!
Barton and the instructors had to lower their stances to withstand the gusts coming with the smoke.
Chairs and desks.
All were blown away by the wind and smashed.
Just as the fierce wind seemed to die down.
An astonishing sight unfolded.
One of the instructors muttered to himself in a panicked expression.
Good heavens
Ovals form had vanished without a trace.
Instead.
A grotesquely hideous monster had taken his place.
Its skin peeled off in patches, exposing the muscle tissue beneatha face that truly showed the pinnacle of ugliness.
The moment they saw the monsters face, some instructors even vomited.
They wanted to close their eyes right then.
Barton was the same.
A nauseating disgust that felt like it would make him vomit up everything hed ever eaten twisted his guts, and his mind grew hazy.
However, Barton hadnt risen to the position of training captain for nothing.
Unlike the other instructors who couldnt collect themselves at the monsters hideous appearance,
Sring!
Barton still had his weapon aimed.
That existence was no longer Oval.
Having swallowed the fragment.
Come at me, you monster.
It was better to see it as a monster.
As if reacting to Bartons words, Oval began shaking his head violently.
A movement as if denying that he was a monster.
However, unlike his bodys motion, the numerous tentacles extending from his back showed threatening movements toward Barton.
Four tentacles flew toward Barton.
Barton used his longsword instead of the bastard sword hed left behind to sever two tentacles in one stroke.
Thud, plop!
The severed tentacles fell limply to the floor.
The remaining two tentacles targeted Bartons left and right sides respectively.
The tentacles didnt charge mindlessly.
As if each had its own reason, they aimed for the preys blind spots.
However, Barton was no pushover.
He sliced the one coming from the left, and grabbed the remaining one with his hand to restrain its movement.
But that was Bartons mistake.
Sizzle!
!
The moment he grabbed the tentacle with his hand, an unbearable heat emanated from his palm.
Barton suffered a burn in the blink of an eye.
Damn it!
Without time to feel the pain, newly generated tentacles began targeting Barton again.
Barton launched his heavy body away, distancing himself from the Oval who had swallowed the fragment.
The tentacles, having lost their target, redirected toward the instructors who were losing their minds at the hideous form of fragment-swallowing Oval.
Pierce!
One tentacle pierced through an instructors abdomen.
Argh!!
The instructor writhed in pain.
He tried to somehow pull out the tentacle, but other tentacles swarmed in, dissolving him in an instant.
Skin, flesh, and muscle melted away.
It was a horrific sight.
No more sacrifices!
To prevent more instructor casualties, Barton decided to separate the dazed instructors first.
Everyone, get ba.
At that moment, the conference room door burst open.
Lepid and the instructors who came after hearing the commotion.
They too witnessed this horrific scene belatedly.
W-What is this.
Senior! What happened! And whats that monster!
They knew nothing of the circumstances.
The moment Barton saw them, he hurriedly shouted!
Dont look at the monster!
Ordinary people might completely break down mentally.
Meanwhile, the monster, flinching at Bartons shout, soon leaped toward the broken window.
The monster had escaped.
Barton gritted his teeth.
To sharpen his mind, he bit down hard on his cheek.
With the taste of blood, his mind cleared, and he shouted.
Chase after it! We cant let it escape!
Yes, understood!
An unprecedented emergency situation unfolded at the Loud Swordsmanship Academy since its founding.