Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Confrontation (1)
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“Hey, mop the floor properly!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“What good is an Aleyas who can’t even mop right?”
Watching Cain and Robel mop in a fluster, Hades spat on the dormitory floor.
“Damn kids. Gotta yell at ‘em to get anything done.”
Grumbling, Hades left the dorm.
He trudged into the bathroom and plopped down on the toilet.
‘Ugh, getting tired of playing captain with these brats.’
He wanted to become a full-fledged Holy Knight soon and boss around real subordinates.
Yawning, Hades thought about it.
‘Life’s stricter than my mercenary days, and I wanna get outta here fast.’
Hades originally came from a mercenary band.
Both his parents were mercenaries, and he’d grown up inside the camp. He’d learned swordsmanship and mana control from them.
Thanks to early training, he’d reached three stars in his mid-twenties and matched the veterans’ skills.
That’s why Hades had left the mercenaries to join the Holy Knight Order—he figured no matter how hard he worked there, advancement had limits.
‘Even the top dogs in a merc band only scrape by on pocket change.’
To make big money as a mercenary meant illegal jobs, but competition was fierce. Get caught, and the Holy Knight Order comes hunting. Too risky.
‘Joining the Dialogue Church is even dicier… Better off in the Holy Knight Order.’
Of course, Hades had zero faith.
He wasn’t joining to uphold the Holy Spirit Church’s ideals.
What he wanted was to lead a local knight order in some cushy province.
That way, he’d get the Order’s salary plus rake in profits from local perks.
‘To pull that off… I need top scores in the entrance exam.’
Good scores meant placement where you wanted.
So Hades planned to ace the exam as top graduate… and get posted as knight captain in a nice province.
‘Problem is that Sion Aleyas punk.’
Cain and Robel’s cousin.
Four years younger than Robel, but way more skilled.
Word was he’d grasped sword aura at twelve.
‘I only got mine last year…’
At this rate, Sion would snag first place.
That’d make Hades’s preferred posting tough.
‘I heard local knight captain spots open up just a few times a year. Most go to locals promoting up… Second place won’t cut it for a choice spot.’
First place might get perks, but lower? No way.
Hades would end up somewhere crap.
‘Worst case, dragged to the capital, stuck hobnobbing with churchies like a damn priest. Hate that worse than death.’
He’d joined the Holy Knight Order for riches and glory.
Not to live piously like clergy.
‘So… gotta drag that Sion down somehow.’
Knock Sion off the top.
But from watching so far, it wouldn’t be easy.
Training together showed Squad 2 wasn’t pushovers.
‘Sion’s one thing, but those other two brats are sharp too.’
Cain and Robel were better at mana control, but overall, Edwin and Lieselotte edged them out.
They said training with Sion had boosted their skills more.
Factoring that in, Squad 3 beating Squad 2 normally? Near impossible.
‘Gotta find a way.’
Straight methods wouldn’t work.
So… use crooked ones.
‘No matter what it takes… I’ll smash that bastard.’
He smirked darkly at the thought.
Then a familiar voice came from the next stall.
* * *
To take our first joint exam with Squad 3, we rode a carriage out of the fortress.
“This exam will be held in the dungeon you see before you.”
Helmut explained at the dungeon hidden in the mountains.
That was our test stage.
“There are thirty mana crystals like this hidden inside.”
Helmut held up a transparent stone that shimmered blue or red depending on the angle.
A mineral formed from condensed mana.
“Only those who retrieve five or more among you six will pass.”
Five or more.
Didn’t matter if six or seven.
But thirty crystals for six people.
If someone grabs more than five… someone falls short.
Pooling and splitting evenly would work, but this test wouldn’t ask that.
“What if we snag all thirty?”
“Squad leader, that’s not realistic…”
“I know, Cain. Let’s just take sixteen or so. That’ll force a dropout from those poor Squad 3 sods.”
“……”
Hades snickered beside us, but we waited calmly.
“There are monsters inside too. But at your level, you can handle them. Don’t scatter—stick to your squads.”
Geared up basically, we entered the dungeon.
Glowing plants dotted the place, so it wasn’t too dark.
“Edwin, Lieselotte. Conserve the mana crystal lamps as much as possible. No telling how long this’ll take.”
“Got it.”
“Sure.”
We’d done dark-environment tests before.
Might go pitch black anytime, but they’d manage.
And…
[You’re fine even in total dark, right?]
‘Could navigate blindfolded.’
Body wasn’t fully trained yet, so not perfect vision like with Archbishop Hausel… but combining echoes and info, I could map surroundings.
Even if lamps died completely, I could lead them out.
“Squad 3’s taking a different route in.”
“Hope they’re okay.”
“No time to worry about Squad 3. Monsters headed our way.”
“……!”
Edwin and Lieselotte gulped at my warning.
Monsters with bluish glowing eyes approached from the dark.
“Kobolds!”
Kobolds resembled dogs or lizards—bipedal.
Child-sized, low combat power.
“Small fry, but don’t slack—let’s go!”
Edwin drew and charged; Lieselotte unsheathed for monsters.
Full dungeon assault began.
* * *
“Cain! Robel! Get your heads in the game?!”
“Sorry!”
“Sorry!”
Thud! Pow!
Cain and Robel winced and staggered from Hades’s punches.
Punishment for not following orders against monsters.
“You two lack motivation?”
“No!”
“No!”
“How you gonna beat your cousin like that? Didn’t your mom nag you to crush Sion?”
Mention of mom made them bite lips.
Hades’s go-to taunt when chewing them out.
‘Thought he was capable at first, leaned too hard.’
‘Now he’s got our weakness, thanks to all our venting…’
As Aleyas scions, Cain and Robel should’ve had privileges.
But orders from main house meant no special treatment.
Learning that, Hades grew domineering, then violent.
Too much for sheltered boys.
Yet they hadn’t snitched to examiners—would tarnish Aleyas name.
Begging other knights for help as main house kids got abused? Too shameful.
‘Wish Mom or Sis Sena were here.’
‘Asking Sion? Hate that more than dying…’
So they endured Hades’s torment daily.
“Tch… How many crystals you got now?”
“Now?”
“Let’s see… five.”
“Five. Need at least ten more.”
Hades nodded.
“You two find the rest.”
“Huh?”
Eyes wide at his sudden words.
“S-Squad leader, what do you mean?”
“I’m going solo.”
“Acting alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Why all of a sudden…?”
“Ugh, annoying.”
Scratching head, Hades glared.
“Herding like this is inefficient. Treasure hunt? Scatter and search.”
“That’s true, but…”
“There are monsters here…”
“How long I gotta babysit you?”
“……”
They shut up.
No examiners? Hades more aggressive than usual.
“Got it?”
“Yes…”
“Yeah……”
Orders given, Hades left.
Without looking back.
* * *
“Mana crystal here.”
“Another one? Impressive!”
Edwin marveled at mine.
“Ten already? Two-thirds done!”
“Most are Sion’s finds.”
“Just caught my eye.”
Reason we found them fast.
[Hahaha. See? All thanks to me. Say thanks.]
‘Yeah, yeah, thanks. Appreciate it.’
[Can’t say it with feeling?]
Igzard sensed mana.
So he detected mana crystals easily.
Follow his directions, boom—found.
“But Edwin, Lieselotte.”
“Yes?”
“What’s up?”
“Sorry, but I need to go solo a bit.”
They blinked at my words.
“Got something to handle.”
“Some reason?”
“Yeah, Sion wouldn’t without cause.”
No shock from them.
They trusted me.
“Understood. Go ahead.”
“We’ll keep hunting crystals. Finish up and rejoin us.”
“Got it. Back soon.”
Good communicators.
I handed all crystals to them and left.
‘Igzard, Hades should’ve bitten by now.’
Walking dark passage, I called him.
‘Now it’s hunting time.’