The Test of the Demon King's Daughter
As the cadets' training exercise drew to a close, the scene inside the grand academy's central arena felt heavy with the weight of impending exams.
In his private quarters, the third prince, William Berhan, raged without restraint. He hurled insults and smashed objects against the walls in a frenzy, yet the fury refused to subside. Finally, he fixed his gaze on his knight.
"You! Get out there right now and drag that damn artifact user here to kill him!"
"But Your Highness, we're in the kingdom, not enemy territory. This could spark a diplomatic crisis."
"If you don't want to die, do as you're told. Anyone who won't listen to me can go find another master."
The knight, facing the threat of royal displeasure, had no choice but to retreat. Still, the prince's fury simmered beneath the surface. Then a chill, ominous energy began to seep through the room. What replaced it was not anger, but raw, bone-deep fear.
"W-who are you? Get out of my room immediately. If you don't, I'll call for my guards!"
*Haa, you told me yourself that the guards were sent by the prince. Stop making empty threats. Ah, don't raise your voice so loud. I came all this way with a good suggestion just for you, and this is how you treat me? Disappointing.*
"A good suggestion?"
The prince's desperate face made the masked intruder chuckle coldly.
"You want me to feed information to Aaron Patrick, don't you?"
"I'd love to, but I have no other choice."
"True. Even though you're royal blood, you're nothing more than a commoner in the eyes of the kingdom. No other way, indeed."
"You insolent—!"
"The truth is, in the kingdom, your status as a bastard means even the title of prince is denied you. Calm down already. Because of someone like you, I was forced to come here. You know that Aaron Patrick is the chief examiner for this test, don't you?"
William nodded stiffly.
"What if a cadet dies in a mishap during the test? What becomes of Patrick?"
The foolish third prince finally listened.
*
After Renya finally calmed herself, Aaron gathered the remaining cadets and began his explanation.
"Let me explain the format. You expected a written exam, but this one is team-based. We'll divide into groups of four, and each team will hunt monsters that are impossible to defeat alone."
Aaron pointed at the heavy, mana-sealed doors.
"The chairman personally designed this exam hall for the test."
"Can we see what's inside?"
"That's for you to investigate once you enter. Don't think lightly of this. The monsters inside are real. Dangerous situations with life-or-death stakes may arise."
Once the overview was complete, Aaron began assigning teams.
"Starting now, each team will choose its members. Team 1... and Team 5. Renya, Hillary, Carl, and Ivan."
Renya immediately raised her hand in protest.
"Wait! I can't work with this rude woman! Switch me to another team!"
"Who would want to team up with you anyway?"
Despite the commotion, Aaron answered coldly.
"No changes allowed."
"Ah! Seriously! Professor!"
Aaron furrowed his brows and glared at her. She quickly averted her eyes the moment their gazes met. Her fear had not yet faded.
"Being assigned like this is the best thing that could happen to me~ haha!"
"Coward."
"Shut up. Poor thing."
With basic team compositions set, Aaron led them to the exam hall entrance.
Hillary and Renya had been bickering the entire way. Carl and Ivan watched them with grim expressions.
"The moment you open the door is the start. If you judge your team's strength insufficient, declare surrender cleanly."
"Why? This is the most important part of the test. I'd fight tooth and nail to cooperate."
"If you don't surrender, I won't interfere even if a cadet dies."
"That's abandoning the chief examiner's duty..."
"You sense danger already?"
The cadets stayed silent.
"It's unavoidable. That door is not just made of mithril. It has high-level magic resistance built in. The chairman said it requires two maximum-level spells to break. So, if life is at risk, don't hesitate to surrender."
The cadets nodded.
"Very well. Begin the test. Every cadet, enter the room matching your team's number."
*
The moment they stepped inside, the cadets were greeted by a dense, ancient forest.
"Before we move, let's introduce ourselves. We need to know each other's main abilities to coordinate. Ah, you don't need to. That girl is Renya... ahh."
"Shut your trap. Why are you introducing me? I'm Renya. As you saw in the training, I specialize in assassination and scouting."
"You look like garbage, but keep that in mind."
"Mana is only enough to fill your ugly mouth."
The first two had already clashed in pure fantasy. Fed up, the man in standard knight attire tried to mediate.
"I can see you two don't get along. Right now we have to cooperate to defeat monsters. Even if it's only during the test, let's work together properly. There's a saying that work and personal life are separate, aren't there?"
The words meant nothing to the rebellious delinquent.
"Everyone introduce themselves and spill their capabilities. No formalities from the start."
"That's right. Knight, you lack manners," Hillary chimed in.
They had been trying to mediate, but the result was nothing but insults and mockery.
A vein bulged on the man's forehead, yet he introduced himself calmly.
"I'm Carl, a knight candidate. I grew up hunting monsters, so I'm experienced with these things. Just trust me and follow."
Beating his chest, Carl delivered a confident speech. Hillary and Renya exchanged open disdain.
"I'm irritated, but we have to try hard. Just look at his face. All bluff, no real ability."
"And he's ugly."
"Hmm... even this ugly?"
The man holding an arrow, Ivan, watched them and thought the test was already over.
After the noise finally settled, the formation was decided. Carl took the front as knight, with Ivan and Hillary in the rear. The last one, Renya with her lightning reflexes, was assigned to support both sides.
"Let's scout the area first. Find out what monsters we're hunting and where the favorable terrain is. Focus on that."
Carl's natural command style was displeasing to Renya, but she said nothing.
Only Renya and Ivan possessed scouting knowledge, so they took the lead. Suddenly, Renya spotted a footprint larger than a human.
"Found a monster track here. Based on size and shape..."
"Troll or ogre. Both are beyond what academy cadets can handle. Normally three mid-rank Sword Experts would be needed."
"Why do you keep interrupting me, you bitch?"
Fortunately, Ivan called from another direction.
"Tracks here too."
When they gathered at Ivan's location, something humanly impossible had left the prints. The stench made Hillary pinch her nose.
"...Definitely a troll. The size and the way it tried to cover its tracks confirm it. Ogres are just filthy brutes."
"Still better than facing an ogre."
Trolls were not easy to kill. Despite their success, the cadets' faces showed no relief.
"There must be a way nearby. This is a test close to reality, not the real thing."
"I agree, but I still don't like it."
"Then let's search more... around here—"
"No. What are you afraid of?! Renya, Hillary—who showed upper scores—plus me! Our average skill level is enough to qualify as active duty. We have no reason to fear a troll."
The absurd comment made Renya cover her face.
"See? Your face is trustworthy. What the hell is that dumbass talking about? Hey, archer. What's your take? Is the dumbass us, or are we the dumbass?"
Ivan quietly moved toward Hillary and Renya.
"The archer agrees with us. The majority is on our side, so the minority should keep quiet."
Even Carl smiled.
"Could we really?"
"No reason we can't."
"No, you two can't. This test's core is cooperation. Whether you agree with me or not, I'm going alone to find the troll. When we meet, I'll probably get injured."
Hillary's brows furrowed. She understood what the man meant.
"Penalties?"
"Shut up. Why would we get penalized?"
How had they lost control? Not all survived. That alone or both reasons would result in penalties. If the evaluator was Aaron Patrick, it would be worse.
"Yes. Don't look at me like you're going to kill me. Honestly, with us, we could take on a troll easily. Find and kill it faster than anyone else. That guarantees first place! The risk is there, but it's worth a try."
The premise of success was already flawed. Renya wanted to say it, but she realized it was pointless. Carl's words felt genuine, not empty boasts. The moment she refused, he would disappear deep into the forest.
At least, it required rational judgment.
Renya clicked her tongue.
"You bastard."
The answer was already set.