Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Enrollment (1)
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The exam results didn't take long to come out.
However, it did take some time for the letters stating pass or fail to reach each applicant.
Roin finally received his notification after five days.
Lucas's study.
Lucas personally handed Roin the envelope containing the notification.
And said this.
"Open it yourself."
The Leyden family had a highly independent family tradition.
From a young age, they educated their children to foster self-reliance.
No matter what it was, they made sure Roin did things with his own hands.
Roin nodded and took the envelope, tearing it open without delay.
From behind, Emilia murmured, "It might be better to check it more slowly...," but Roin paid no mind.
'What's there to be nervous about?'
Roin already knew the result.
Of course.
Gillion knew as well.
With Roin's current skill level, getting into the Loud Swordsmanship Academy would be a breeze.
However, Lucas, Elien, and Emilia, who didn't know Roin's true abilities, were inwardly anxious despite not showing it.
Finally.
The words on the notification came into view.
The result was.
Pass
Congratulations on your admission to Loud Swordsmanship Academy!
Alongside a short congratulatory message were the academy badge symbolizing membership and the admission certificate.
Only then could Lucas breathe a sigh of relief.
"You did well, my son. At least you're better than your brothers."
Helton Leyden and Weiji Leyden had each passed on their third and fourth attempts, barely clutching their certificates and badges.
But Roin had passed on his first try.
And at such a young age!
"Our youngest has properly inherited my swordsmanship skills! Roin, you rascal! I knew you could do it! You take after me perfectly! Hahaha!"
No, not at all.
Swordsmanship aside.
'But I definitely don't want to inherit his looks.'
Everything else was fine, as long as he could avoid that one thing.
With admission secured.
It was time to hurry with the preparations.
Departure was the day after tomorrow.
Until then, Roin decided to enjoy a short two-day rest at home.
Meanwhile.
Elien and Emilia were filled with worry.
Sending off a child not even ten years old to a remote place aloneit was impossible not to fret.
"Do you think you'll be okay, Young Master Roin?"
"Don't worry. I'll pass the Mid Knight exam and be back before you know it."
Roin preferred home over the academy dorms anyway.
The air was clean.
The water was good.
Living in a place like this was best for healthy skin.
Having spent time as one of the kingdom's premier swordsmen, he didn't particularly like crowded cities.
That's why he planned to graduate via the shortest course possible.
'And that's the only way to minimize the tuition.'
It wasn't to ease Lucas's burden.
'The leftover money comes to me.'
And with that money, he planned to buy all sorts of beauty products.
That was Roin's hidden goal.
Moreover, passing the Mid Knight exam would allow him to officially receive 'quests.'
Quests came with rewards.
The higher the difficulty, the greater the reward.
With those rewards, Roin planned to set up a dedicated facility and staff for professional beauty care.
'My own ultimate beauty therapy. Ah, just hearing it sounds great.'
Thinking that, he gazed at his beautiful reflection in the mirror in the corner.
'I'll protect this face no matter what!'
Everything was already calculated.
'Time, hurry up!'
The day of admission to Loud Swordsmanship Academy.
The academy, welcoming the 159th class, was bustling with preparations for the ceremony.
This year's event included not just the 159th class students who had passed the tests to become Apprentice Knights, but their families as well.
Roin arrived with Lucas, Elien, and butler Gillion.
The ceremony featured many nobles Roin hadn't seen in a while.
Among them, one figure uniquely captured everyone's attention.
Duke Kern Tayla.
Head of the Tayla family and considered the kingdom's greatest swordsman.
Having surpassed the Senior Knight limit at twenty-five, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was born with swordsmanship talent.
Of course.
'Not as good as me, though.'
Kern had long been overshadowed as the number two because of Rodri, who had even greater talent.
This had been the case since their school days.
But now that Rodri was gone.
Kern had established himself as the continent's top swordsman.
Moreover, with Rodri leaving no heirs, his family line had ended.
Truly, the Tayla family's golden age had dawned.
Academy staff and nobles alike busied themselves greeting Kern.
Lucas was no exception.
"I greet you, Duke Kern."
"Lucas, it's been a while. How have you been?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
Lucas had once roamed battlefields alongside Kern.
But now, he was a fallen noble exiled to the borderlands.
"Every time I see you, I feel sorry for you. If His Highness had recognized your merits more, you wouldn't be in this cold-shoulder position."
"It's fine. Someday, His Highness will recognize my sincerity."
Lucas earnestly counted the days until that moment.
Roin found this side of Lucas utterly frustrating.
'If it were my past life's self, I'd have flipped the table already... Can't tell Dad to do that, though...'
Roin wasn't the type to wait for recognition.
He'd go straight to them and make sure they knew exactly who he was.
Only then would he feel satisfied.
But with his current status, he had no choice.
'What can a nine-year-old kid do?'
More importantly, now was the time to focus on skincare.
After greeting Lucas, Elien, and Gillion in turn, Kern's gaze turned to Roin.
Roin decided to show proper etiquette to Kern first.
'Yeah, past life is past life. This is the present.'
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Grace."
"You're Lucas's youngest son?"
"Yes, that's right."
Kern had heard about Roin's exploits from his fourth son, Jerka Tayla.
The boy who subdued a rampaging Tactical Golem in one go.
And not with an ordinary weapon, but a parasol with a blade at the end.
Even a skilled Mid Knight would struggle to do that alone.
Kern lowered himself to Roin's eye level and extended his hand first.
"Let's shake on it."
Those around them gasped.
Lucas, Elien, and Gillion were the same.
It was extremely rare for Kern to offer a handshake first.
He wouldn't do it without genuine fondness.
That made it all the more shocking.
Roin knew this well.
He clasped hands with Kern.
At that moment.
Kern's expression showed surprise.
An expert recognizes another.
A true swordmaster could tell just from a handshake.
But.
'I don't sense any of that from this child.'
If anything, the hand felt too delicate to even hold a sword.
Not a single callus.
Kern began to doubt what Jerka had told him.
Ending the handshake, Kern looked down at Roin with a nonchalant expression.
"Congratulations on your admission. Get along well with my Jerka from now on."
"Yes. As you say, Your Grace."
Kern moved to his seat with his entourage.
As he quickened his pace, he glanced down at his own hand.
In that instant.
"...!"
Kern's face changed.
His right handthe one that had shaken Roin'swas trembling faintly.
He couldn't fathom why.
He looked back, but the Leyden family had long since left.
"What is it, Your Grace?"
His guard asked cautiously.
Kern slowly shook his head.
"No. It's nothing."
The admission ceremony.
Everything was fine.
But there was one complaint.
'No, why do it outside in this blazing sun when you could do it indoors?'
If he'd known, he'd have applied more sunscreen.
Roin felt deep regret too late.
He wanted to borrow a parasol from Elien, but couldn't open one mid-ceremony.
He had no choice but to wait for it to end quickly.
The Loud Swordsmanship Academy ceremony was longer than expected.
The 159th class recruits unwittingly endured a patience test under the scorching sun.
In the meantime, Lepid sought out Gillion.
"Senior."
"Hm? What brings you here?"
Lepid and Gillion had once served in the same knight order, Swordran.
They hadn't met for a while after.
"Didn't you quit teaching here because it didn't suit you?"
Lepid gave a wry smile as he spoke.
"I did. But now I'm back."
"Why?"
"This is why."
With that, Lepid pulled a single gold coin from his pocket.
It was about money.
"To make a living, you need money after all. So I took up instructing again."
"True enough. Money matters."
"By the way, what brings you here, Senior?"
Gillion pointed to Roin, who was gazing sternly at the podium.
"For Young Master Roin's admission."
Only then did Lepid realize Gillion worked as butler and guard for the Leyden family, whom he didn't favor.
But after seeing Roin, his interest piquedand Gillion was behind him.
'Did Senior tell him?'
That made sense. Hiding his disappointment, Lepid asked.
"He took down a Tactical Golem in one shot. Did you perhaps tell him its weak point, Senior?"
Gillion knew it.
But he hadn't.
"I didn't. As you know, I have a heavy mouth."
"That's true."
The unexpected answer reignited his doubts.
Was Gillion lying?
No.
The Gillion Lepid knew wouldn't lie about this.
Then,
"The Leyden family has produced quite the talent."
"I think so too."
A bearer of innate genius.
Gillion quietly asked Lepid a favor.
"Please take good care of our young master."
Lepid nodded slowly.
The eventful admission ceremony finally ended.
After bidding farewell to his family, Roin headed to his assigned dorm.
He opened the door to his room, carrying two bags much larger than himself.
The early bird greeted him with a bright smile.
"Roin? Seeing you here makes me really happy."
Drake, who had been in the same group as Roin during the admission test, was his roommate.
Better than a total stranger, at least.
"But Roin, what's with those bags?"
He wondered what could make them bulge like that.
Roin opened one.
It contained clothes, bedding, and such for his stay.
The problem was the second bag.
"Good heavens. What's this?"
"This is morning mist spray, this is lotion, hand cream, nutrition cream. And..."
Even in the dorms, he absolutely wouldn't give up on beauty care.
To Roin, this was a matter of survival.