Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Iron Rank Knight (1)
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Half a year had passed before I knew it.
In that time, we had taken a total of twelve exams. And we passed every single one on the first try.
Even without any retakes, we had only managed to pass twelve exams in half a year because not all of them could be cleared in a flash.
For example, the survival test in the mountains without supplies for a full week took a week no matter how quickly you wanted to finish it.
There were also many others that required time, like studying military strategy books for ten days and then taking a written exam.
‘Still, they’re all meaningful tests.’
They were called exams, but they were all training designed to cultivate a Holy Knight.
Each one was structured to build up various skills and knowledge.
‘The Holy Knights who pass the enlistment exams... they have no choice but to be superior to those who get in without testing.’
Back when I was in the Dialogue Church, I never had a chance to distinguish between Holy Knights who enlisted without exams and those who passed the enlistment trials.
If I could have told them apart, it would have helped a lot in devising strategies.
‘Of course, the Aleyas family would train their own sufficiently within the household before sending them to the Holy Knight Order.’
With that thought, I glanced at Cain and Robel, who were eating at the table next to ours in the dining hall.
No matter how you sliced it, Cain and Robel were posting excellent results. The squad they were in, Squad 3, was ranked around second overall.
Of course... first place belonged to Squad 2, which included me, Edwin, and Lieselotte.
“I can’t take it anymore!”
“Yeah, there’s no hope now!”
“Damn it, you think I want to be doing this? Fine, then let’s just quit!”
Squad 4, sitting at a corner table, got into an argument and stood up from their seats.
As the three of them created a tense atmosphere, Edwin and Lieselotte murmured softly.
“They must be thinking of giving up on the exams.”
“They’ve done well so far, but one member has been failing the eighth exam for over two weeks, wasting time.”
Exams were evaluated individually, not by squad. However, if even one person in the comrade squad failed, the whole squad couldn’t move on to the next exam.
That’s why they had grouped candidates of similar levels into comrade squads... but there were quite a few squads stuck in place because one member was holding them back.
In the end, squads were falling apart and abandoning the exams altogether.
“What bad luck.”
“It’s not bad luck.”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin as I spoke.
“If a comrade hits a wall, the others should help them overcome it. If they can’t even do that, they don’t have what it takes to be Holy Knights.”
“Ah... I see.”
Edwin nodded as if he understood.
“Sion really thinks deeply.”
“Yeah. It’s impressive.”
“It’s just something I heard the adults in my family say, Edwin, Lieselotte.”
We had grown reasonably close after living together for six months.
Even so, we still used formal speech with each other. This was at Lieselotte’s suggestion, probably to accommodate me, the youngest.
‘She doesn’t seem like an assassin targeting me, either.’
I had been watching her closely, and Lieselotte was hiding her true strength.
Her claim of being the child of a Holy Church executive was suspicious, but there was no way to verify it here.
She hadn’t made any moves on me even when I deliberately left openings.
Just recently, I pretended to be fast asleep, exposing my unguarded back... and she quietly came over and covered me with a blanket.
[On the surface, doesn’t she seem like a kind big sister looking after her younger brother?]
‘My mental age is way beyond Lieselotte’s, though.’
Setting aside the suspicious parts, Lieselotte was a capable comrade.
She looked like a delicate girl, but she was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. I once found myself clapping without realizing it when she tossed around knights bigger than her like ragdolls.
She seemed especially adept at using mana to boost her strength and agility.
“Sion, how about a spar in our free time?”
“Sure.”
Edwin was a decent guy too.
With his refined, pretty-boy looks, he sometimes got looked down on by the other candidates, but he shut them up with his excellent swordsmanship.
I especially liked how he acknowledged that Lieselotte and I were better than him and humbly sought instruction.
A guy who honestly admits his shortcomings and works hard is bound to achieve great things someday.
‘It’d be great to have guys like this under me.’
As I was thinking that, Squad 3 finished their meal and approached our table.
“You guys seem to be doing great lately.”
The one who spoke to us was Hades, the leader of Squad 3. He was a tanned man in his mid-twenties.
He had already reached 3-star level and could even use sword qi. I heard he sparred with Cain early on and completely overwhelmed him.
“But we broke through the twelfth exam this morning too.”
“I see.”
“You’d better watch out. We’ll surpass you in the next one.”
With that, Hades turned around.
“Aleyas brothers. Right?”
“Of course, Leader.”
“Squad 2’s dominance ends here.”
Cain and Robel nodded with stiff expressions behind him.
My once haughty cousins looked completely disciplined now.
“From now on, we’ll be in the lead. We’ll claim top spot too.”
The reason they were burning with fighting spirit now was that the exam format was about to change.
From what I had heard, dedicated examiners would be assigned from here on, training them and giving out assignments.
Typically, one examiner per two squads, so Squads 2 and 3 would likely be paired together.
That meant Squads 2 and 3 would be competing in the same place from now on.
“Looking forward to it.”
“Let’s both do our best.”
“Yeah.”
Edwin, Lieselotte, and I replied with calm expressions.
Hades looked dissatisfied at our lukewarm response.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Not just me—Edwin and Lieselotte too... we all had confidence that our comrade squad could beat anyone.
* * *
A few days later.
Our dedicated examiners were officially assigned, and Squads 2 and 3 gathered at a training ground in the corner of the fortress.
“I am Helmut Devansky, the examiner assigned to you. I’ll be training and evaluating you for a while.”
At the sight of the new knight in charge, Squad 3 flinched.
“Hey, Robel. That guy...”
“He’s the examiner we fought in the first exam.”
Come to think of it, the first exam’s examiner had been injured in our squad’s fight and rotated out.
Was this knight the one who had faced Squad 3 back then?
[Hey.]
Igzard’s voice echoed in my head.
[That man’s pretty good.]
‘As I thought?’
[He has 6-star mana.]
6-star!
That meant six circles.
A powerhouse with far more mana than me right now.
“Examiner, may I ask a question?”
“What is it, Edwin Signus?”
“I heard you’re an Iron Rank Knight... Is that true?”
“Indeed.”
Iron Rank Knight.
That was the title given to knights who had mastered sword aura, a realm beyond sword qi.
Sword qi required mana equivalent to three circles, but sword aura needed six.
Of course, not every 6-star could use sword aura. So being an Iron Rank Knight guaranteed exceptional skill.
‘Helmut Devansky... Never heard the name, but he looks young and is incredibly strong.’
He appeared to be in his mid-thirties.
With sharp eyes and a solid build, he gave off a strong impression.
If I had faced a man like this on the battlefield during my Dialogue Church days, he would have stuck in my memory.
“My goal is to become an Iron Rank Knight like you, sir.”
“Is there a reason?”
“My father received the Iron Rank in the Holy Knight Order.”
“I see.”
Helmut nodded without changing expression.
“Edwin Signus, is Iron Rank your ultimate goal?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve never once considered Iron Rank as my final goal.”
“Examiner...”
“Don’t limit your goals. Climb as high as you can reach.”
With that, Helmut looked around.
He scanned the faces of Squads 2 and 3 once each, then drew the sword from his waist.
“Before I officially train you, I want to gauge your current levels first.”
“...!”
I could see Squad 3 tense up.
They must have been recalling getting beaten by Helmut in the first exam.
“Relax. It’s a training sword without a sharp edge.”
“B-but, Examiner, even so...”
“A training sword can still turn someone into mincemeat...”
Cain and Robel had a point.
A training sword was still a lump of metal.
How were they supposed to withstand a 6-star knight beating them with an iron club?
“Don’t worry. This isn’t an exam.”
Helmut spoke calmly to the frightened brothers.
“If I judge you’re at this level, I’ll sheathe my sword immediately.”
“Th-then...”
“Who will be the first brave soul to step up?”
At Helmut’s question, an awkward standoff began in Squad 3.
“What should we do?”
“Hmm, should we go first?”
“From now on, this examiner will be evaluating us. It’s better to make a good impression.”
“Then Cain, you go first.”
“M-me?”
“Do as you’re told. Can’t even do that, Aleyas?”
“A-alright.”
Cain stepped forward first.
I was about to go myself if no one did, but in the end, Cain ended up facing Helmut first.
“Please go easy on me.”
“I’ll use the training sword, but you can use the real sword at your waist.”
“Yes...!”
Cain drew his sword and took his stance.
I could tell he was circulating mana through his body to boost his physical abilities.
‘Not bad at all.’
Cain had 2-star mana.
Not quite up to Liz, Est’s daughter, but he was a promising talent in the Aleyas family.
His mother Helena must have given him genius-level training, so his fundamentals were solid, and he had grown a lot through the enlistment exams.
However...
“Gah!”
One strike.
Cain dropped his sword and rolled on the ground from Helmut’s casual swing.
He had been hit precisely on the shoulder, so he wouldn’t be able to use his arm.
The muscle damage would give him trouble for a while.
“Ex-Examiner, isn’t this too much...?”
“I said I’d sheathe it if I judged your level, not that I’d go easy.”
Helmut’s voice was cold.
I was starting to get a read on his personality.
“Who’s next?”
Ignoring Cain groaning on the ground, Helmut scanned the group again.
But Hades and Robel shrank back, looking scared.
Even Edwin and Lieselotte looked tense, standing still in place.
“You there.”
That’s when Helmut pointed at me.
“I heard you’ve always been at the forefront of Squad 2’s exploits, but today you’re holding back. Can’t muster the courage in front of me?”
“No, Examiner.”
“Then what?”
“I was lost in thought.”
“Thought?”
“Yes.”
I spoke calmly.
“I was pondering how to beat you, Examiner.”
“...”
A smile appeared on Helmut’s face for the first time.
Not a smile of admiration for me... but the smile of a warrior who had found prey to crush.