Chapter 72
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Path to Senior Knight (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The moment Roin placed his foot on the first step, he immediately sensed it.
The enlistment test had begun right now.
On the other hand, Luem couldn't understand why Roin was saying such a thing.
We haven't even had our enlistment application officially processed yet. Do tests ever start this early?
They do.
It meant that those not even qualified to submit an application should turn back now.
Following behind Roin, Luem stepped onto the stairs and finally understood why Roin had said that.
Uh, uh, uhhh?
His body tilted awkwardly, nearly causing him to tumble over.
Reflexively, Luem thrust out his arms, pressing his hands against both walls.
He barely held on using the strength in his arms.
But that wasn't the problem.
L-Lord Roin! Doesn't something feel off here?
It felt like his body weighed a thousand tons.
Even lifting one foot was a struggle.
Roin explained the nature of the trap magic installed on the stairs.
It's probably because of the gravity magic.
Ten times the normal gravity was now pressing down on their bodies.
The effects of this gravity weren't just a simple 'heaviness' on the body.
Ragged breathing as he climbed the steep incline.
A mind starting to fade.
With no gradual adaptation to the changing gravityjust suddenly thrust into this environmentLuem was completely out of it.
It was a miracle he hadn't passed out.
The woman guiding them smiled nonchalantly and urged the two on.
Come on up. Is something wrong?
Yes.
Something very wrong.
But the woman just kept smiling as if she knew nothing.
She had no intention of helping the two boys, not even a little.
Roin hadn't expected any help from the start.
'No need for that anyway.'
Unlike Luem, Roin ascended the stairs with the same calm composure as always.
Even setting aside that the woman must have known about this trap magic in advance.
From Luem's perspective, Roin looked all the more impressive.
L-Lord Roin... are you... f-fine?
This much, and you're making a fuss.
Previously, Rodri had cleared a dungeon with even stronger gravity than this.
He'd fought monsters even while just walking was a challenge.
With that kind of experience, this felt like child's play to Roin.
Meanwhile, Luem, completely unaware of that background, could only admire Roin.
Finally reaching the second floor following the woman.
The place you see over there is the reception desk. Go through that door, and the staff will kindly explain everything.
Roin nodded briefly at her words.
As the woman started descending the stairs again, she looked at Luem blocking the hallway and said,
I'd like to go down. Could you step aside for a moment?
I-If I do that...
His balance might collapse, sending him tumbling all the way to the bottom.
He'd barely made it this far, propping himself up with his arms.
Falling would mean starting over from scratch.
With a small sigh, the woman gripped the hem of her skirt firmly with one hand to keep it from fluttering.
Then.
She leaped up to a height taller than Luem himself.
In a situation where even standing still was exhausting, she pulled off that jump, leaving Luem stunned.
Landing safely, the woman lightly patted Luem's solid back muscles with her hand. Tap!
I'll pray you both pass the enlistment test safely.
Th-Thank you... haha...
Even the reception staff displayed superhuman physical prowess.
This was Swordran.
It took Luem a full twenty minutes to conquer just one flight of stairs.
The moment he reached the second floor, he gasped for breath like someone who'd run five hours straight.
Watching him, Roin shook his head.
You're not even enlisted yet, and you're already worn out. What good is that?
Um... Lord Roin.
What.
Are enlistment applications this brutal for other knight orders too?
Luem couldn't help but wonder.
Since Swordran was the first knight order he'd visited after the mid-level knight exam, he had no knowledge of others.
Roin knew, but...
No idea. This is my first time applying here, just like you. How would I know.
In the setting, Swordran was Roin's first knight order application too, so he had no choice but to say he didn't know.
Rest's over. Let's get in before the day wastes away.
Got it.
Just as he reached for the doorknob,
Luem's hand froze.
The stairs with ten times gravity.
What if...
Isn't there some kind of device on this doorknob too?
The thought made him suddenly scared.
He couldn't predict what might happen.
That uncertainty was the real terror.
With a sigh, Roin gestured for Luem to step back.
A big lug like you, why so much whining.
In the end, Roin grabbed the doorknob himself.
He turned it casually and opened the door.
His eyes fell on a guest who had arrived before him.
As if he'd known he'd run into Roin here, the man greeted him calmly first.
Fancy meeting you again, Roin.
Jerka Tayla.
He was the one welcoming Roin on the second floor.
Jerka wasn't the only one waiting on the second floor.
Mard Hanger and several other top trainees from Loud Swordsmanship Academy were there too.
They were elites who had consistently ranked high throughout the training program.
Of course, Roin had been the undisputed number one among them.
Jerka continued.
I heard you were applying to Swordran, so I knew. Nice seeing you here.
Yeah.
Let's have some good competition in Swordran too.
Jerka hadn't liked Roin at first.
He acknowledged the skill, but the personality... and the attitude toward training was just too sloppy.
But as time passed, Jerka realized one thing about Roin.
He wasn't a bad guy.
Just overly obsessed with his looks compared to others?
Strip that away, and fundamentally, he was a decent boy.
Plus, thanks to Roin, Jerka had kept pushing past his limits.
The presence or absence of a rival makes a huge difference.
You need someone to compete with to reflect on yourself and grow further.
In that sense, Roin might be exactly what Jerka needed for the time being.
So when he heard Roin was joining Swordran, he was pretty happy, even if he didn't show it.
But Roin felt differently.
'Ugh. Stuck with this goody-two-shoes again.'
Jerka was exactly the type Roin disliked.
Wielding the sword for justice and convictions?
Roin had no need for that nonsense.
There was only one reason to wield a sword.
For myself, and myself alone.
And so, these two boys with polar opposite personalities met again.
'Graduating Loud Swordsmanship Academy feels kinda off.'
It strongly felt like an extension of the training program.
Luem, entering the waiting room late, spotted Jerka and greeted him politely.
After exchanging brief greetings with Jerka, Roin headed to the staff counter with Luem to submit their applications.
Roin and Luem sat side by side at reception.
A female staff member in the same uniform as the one from the first floor began explaining the Swordran enlistment test.
Once you're admitted to the training camp, you'll go through a total of 300 days of training. The contents of the program are confidential, so don't talk about it anywhere. Pass the test, and you'll be officially appointed as a Swordran knight. After commissioning, you can choose branches like reconnaissance unit, support headquarters, main force, etc., based on your aptitude.
Roin nodded emphatically at the woman's words.
300 days.
No short period.
He had to pass the Swordran knight exam within that time.
Failure meant two choices.
Challenge again.
Or withdraw.
Choosing to challenge again meant repeating the 300-day training.
This was the same as Loud Swordsmanship Academy.
After hearing a few more supplementary details.
Just sign here to agree to everything I've explained. Use this pen.
The woman handed pens to Roin and Luem simultaneously.
They were a bit thicker than standard pens.
The moment Luem gripped his,
Gahhh!
He dropped it, screaming.
But Luem aside.
The reactions from the others in the waiting room were even more telling.
Faces like they'd expected exactly that.
In a panic, Luem said to the staff,
Uh, excuse me! This pen feels weird!
Weird? How so?
The woman picked up the pen Luem had dropped.
It's perfectly fine.
She smiled.
That smile.
He'd seen it just minutes ago.
The same one the first-floor staff had worn when guiding them to the second-floor stairs.
Only then did Luem realize.
This was part of the test too.
Meanwhile.
......
Roin was staring intently at the pen the staff had given him.
Regaining his composure, Luem warned Roin.
Lord Roin, be careful. That pen stings, burns, freezes, pricks... anyway, don't touch it!
It was a bizarre pen that inflicted every kind of pain imaginable.
But Roin didn't care much.
Instead, like the woman had, he picked it up as if it were a normal ballpoint.
'They've rigged this with magic too.'
His hand tingled slightly as he gripped the pen.
But it was far from enough to make Roin scream.
Scribble, scribble.
Having signed neatly, Roin handed the pen and agreement back to the woman.
All done now?
The woman stared at the unscathed Roin and let slip a meaningful remark.
As expected.
Expected?
Yeah. Before you got here, I heard other applicants talking. They said you'd ignore stuff like this and just sign without a care. I didn't believe it at first, but it was true.
Her words were practically an official admission that they'd tampered with the pen.
Suddenly curious, Roin asked,
So, how'd Jerka do?
What was Jerka's reaction?
The woman's reply was,
I won't say, so Jerka doesn't get embarrassed.
That alone told Roin everything he needed to know about Jerka's reaction.