A Match with the Hero? (2)
In the spacious auditorium, a large crowd of academy students had gathered. Every face was flushed with excitement. It was only natural. The Hero and the Mercenary King were about to clash. It was a spectacle few would ever witness in their lifetimes.
Neither had drawn their swords yet. They simply stared each other down. Yet an overwhelming tension filled the air. The onlookers watched with a mixture of thrill and anxiety.
At that moment, the Hero spoke first.
“Hah. I didn’t think you’d actually step up.”
“Why? Weren’t you the one who told me to come at you?”
“Tsk. Let’s see if you can still say that after seeing this.”
A moment later, something astonishing occurred.
Whoosh—!!
Black haze suddenly began to rise from behind the Hero’s back. The haze grew larger and larger, radiating an immense presence in every direction.
“That’s…!!”
“D-Don’t tell me…!!”
Everyone’s eyes widened. The haze rapidly expanded until it reached five meters in height, taking on a distinct shape—a massive black dragon. It writhed as though it were truly alive, its terrifying aura spreading throughout the hall.
Gasps of awe filled the room.
“Whoa… I’m actually witnessing the Hero’s Third Awakening…!”
“Incredible. As expected of the Hero!”
“Even the Mercenary King wouldn’t stand a chance against him, right?”
The Hero smirked confidently at their reactions.
“See that? This is the Third Awakening. Out of respect for our past, I’ll give you one chance to back down.”
He deliberately put on a magnanimous display, playing the role of the benevolent hero for the crowd. Most of the academy students had yet to reach even the First Awakening—except for those in the special class. Nearly everyone here had completed the First Awakening, and some had even reached the Second. But the Third Awakening was on an entirely different level. It was a realm achieved by only a handful of people in the entire kingdom.
“Who said I couldn’t?”
“What?”
At that instant—
Whoosh—!!
A white haze erupted from behind my back.
“……!!”
The haze expanded at an astonishing speed.
When I had been part of the Hero’s party, I had not yet reached the Third Awakening. The Hero still saw me as nothing more than an ordinary mercenary from back then. But things were different now that I had become the Mercenary King.
‘He still thinks I’m just some regular mercenary, huh?’
A massive haze rose behind me, quickly surpassing five meters… then seven… then ten. It grew so large that it nearly filled the entire auditorium.
“H-Holy crap!!”
“Is that the Mercenary King’s Third Awakening?!”
Of course, sheer size didn’t necessarily mean greater power. Still, bigger was more visually impressive. The way the Hero’s expression hardened said it all.
“You…!! When did you reach the Third Awakening—!”
“A while ago. You should pay more attention to what’s happening outside.”
The enormous haze soon began to take shape—not just one shape, but many. Countless figures emerged from the swirling mist: a man holding a shield, a woman gripping a sword, an old man with a spear, a barbarian wielding an axe, and more. They all materialized behind me, each radiating an extraordinary presence.
The Third Awakening was fundamentally different from the Second. The Second was the stage where one became one with mana. The Third was the stage where one could imbue that mana with will. From the Third Awakening onward, each person could manifest their own unique ability.
My ability was called Pantheon. I had named it after the pantheon of gods from Greek and Roman mythology.
‘There are already over a hundred of them now.’
My ability was different from most others. It was a growth-type power. The more people manifested behind me, the stronger I became overall. The condition for growth was receiving their worship—almost god-like reverence. When that happened, their forms would be engraved behind me, further increasing my strength.
Those hundred figures were almost entirely members of the Steel Mercenary Group. That was why I could never abandon them. The moment I did, my power would weaken.
Now, all one hundred stood behind me, glaring at the Hero. An overwhelming sense of presence and pressure filled the air, as though the entire Steel Mercenary Group had been summoned into the hall.
The students swallowed hard. Until moments ago, they had been certain of the Hero’s victory. But after witnessing my Third Awakening, their opinions had clearly shifted. Everyone watched us with tense expressions.
Of course, I had no intention of actually fighting the Hero.
‘Speaking of which, it’s about time they showed up…’
Just then—
“That’s enough—!!!”
A thunderous voice echoed from afar.
“Ugh!!”
“M-My ears!!”
The students clutched their ears and staggered. The voice had been infused with mana. From between the reeling crowd, a single figure emerged.
Serge Geis.
It was Serge Geis, one of the academy professors. I smiled faintly at the sight of him. Everything was going according to plan.
‘Did you really think I’d be crazy enough to fight the Hero?’
I could have fought him, but it would have been a losing proposition. ‘It’s still too early. I need to strengthen Pantheon a bit more first…’
That was why I had deliberately arranged for the professors to be called. I knew they would intervene the moment they appeared.
‘And if it’s the professors, they’re more likely to assign single rooms in a way that benefits me.’
For example, by ranking or merit. Serge Geis, however, looked furious. With each heavy step he took, a silver haze rose behind him, gradually forming a shape. Just like ours, he had activated his own Third Awakening.
Soon, a massive knight in full armor appeared behind him. The Hero’s gaze turned toward him, perhaps due to the sheer intensity of his presence.
‘The Royal First Sword, Serge Geis.’
He was the strongest knight in the Aachen Kingdom. Officially, the Hero was considered stronger, but that could change depending on the matchup. The unique abilities granted by the Third Awakening could narrow the gap considerably through compatibility.
Of course, even the Hero had no intention of fighting a professor. Doing so here would only hurt his own standing. And the Hero was no fool—he was actually quite cunning.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue and dispelled his Third Awakening. The massive black dragon vanished. I did the same, and the countless figures behind me disappeared as well. Seeing this, Serge Geis also canceled his own manifestation.
“At least you have some sense.”
“……”
“……”
Neither the Hero nor I replied. Staying silent was the wisest choice in this situation. Fortunately, he didn’t scold us. Even he wouldn’t find it easy to reprimand us in front of so many students.
Instead, he looked around and addressed everyone.
“Was it really that important to you to stay in single rooms?”
Everyone fell silent. At least they had the sense to read the room.
At that moment, the remaining professors arrived. Archmage Armel, wearing his pointed hat, floated everyone through the air as he approached. Soon, all four professors who had conducted the interviews were present in the auditorium. Aside from Serge Geis, none of them looked particularly angry. In fact, Professor Leman—the one who had conducted the character interview—even wore a slight smile.
Then, the eldest among them, Armel, spoke.
“Tsk. This is partly our fault as well. No matter how high their status, once they’ve enrolled in the academy, we shouldn’t have given them special treatment…”
I frowned slightly. It felt like he was about to abolish single rooms altogether. And my suspicion proved correct.
“In that case, perhaps it would be best if everyone simply lived in four-person rooms…”
If that happened, everything I had orchestrated would be for nothing. I was about to speak up, but Professor Leman beat me to it.
“Professor Armel. I disagree.”
“Hmm? What do you mean, Professor Leman?”
I quickly closed my mouth and watched the situation unfold.
“Rather than that, why not assign single rooms based on academic performance?”
“Hm? Based on grades?”
“Yes. This way, there won’t be any complaints, and it will also motivate the students to study harder.”
“Hmm…”
Armel appeared to be deep in thought.
“I agree.”
“I do as well.”
Serge Geis and the language professor both voiced their support. That made three professors in favor. The students also seemed to like the idea, nodding in agreement. In the end, Armel gave his approval as well.
“Very well. It’s not a bad idea. A good suggestion. But what about the single rooms right now? Do we proceed with the original plan?”
“No. We should assign them based on performance from the very beginning.”
“Hmm? But we haven’t held any exams yet.”
“We did conduct interviews, though.”
“Ah…”
The decision was made. Single rooms would be assigned based on merit. Since no written exams had been held yet, the professors would each select the top performer from their respective fields.
I smiled inwardly. Everything had gone exactly as I planned. And that meant I had already secured a single room for myself.
‘After all, I’m the top student.’