Episode 7 – Second entrance examination (revision completed)
I see a knight with his whole body tightly wrapped in silver-white full plate mail and chain mail walking straight towards me. .
‘That instructor… It’s not serious. Well-maintained armor. How great is that?’
The full-plate mail worn by the knight walking toward me had a very distinct metal luster.
The sheen was so great that even if a flying insect caught on it, it seemed like it would slide down at any moment.
I don’t know, armor is often scratched and messy after battle or training.
I also watched my father and the knights who followed him put on and take off their armor and take care of it.
Each knight, with the help of a squire, takes off his armor and begins wiping it with an oiled cloth.
However, even if the knights polish hard, how well will they polish?
The armor that passed through the hands of the knights was at the level of wiping off dust at best.
That’s why knights say they prepare two sets of armor.
One suit is worn when training or going out to battle, and the other is worn when attending important events.
However, among the many knights, only my father’s armor was shining alone.
So I went to my father and asked him.
‘Father. How can I keep the armor shiny?’
‘All you have to do is put the aura on your body. Then, naturally, the aura flows through the armor and protects it from dust and minor scratches. Why, are you interested?’
In other words, it was because my father was very strong and handsome.
Anyway, the fact that the armor that instructor was wearing was clean was one of two things.
New armor that has just been made.
Otherwise, it means that he is capable enough to put an aura on his body like his father.
Whether you think about it, you can say it’s great.
If the aura is loaded on the armor and the skill is not scratched or dusty, this means that this instructor is at least a strong sword expert.
Otherwise, being able to order and wear armor with such fancy patterns meant that the person had a lot of money.
And, since this is the place where the entrance exam for the Royal Academy is taken, the former is more likely than the latter.
It is said that there is nothing that cannot be done with money, but the Royal Academy thoroughly examines one’s ability.
After verifying the skills, the person’s origin is not considered. Basically, you have to have skills.
Without skill, no matter how much money you bring, you can’t get a position as an instructor at the academy.
No way, that instructor can’t be a person who falls under both.
“Nice to meet you. Candidate Alberto. I am Anna Ludmila Semiltern, who will be teaching ‘The Qualifications of a Warrior’ in the Department of Martial Arts at the Royal Academy.”
And I couldn’t help but be startled when I heard the name of the knight approaching me.
Because the knight in front of me is a person who falls under both.
Anna Ludmila Semiltern.
Antorio Halard A genius female swordsman from the Semiltern family, the head of which is the Marquis of Semilterne.
A person with a competitive edge who became a sword expert at the young age of twenty, and recently emerged as a role model among young aristocratic ladies.
And what kind of family is her family, the Semiterne family?
The most famous merchant corps of the Bregern Empire, the Schleiden Merchant, belonged to the Semiterne family.
How many people must have laughed at the girl from the family leading the caravan when she grabbed the sword?
But she ignored the people’s ridicule and raised her sword.
After repeated training, she achieved amazing results, and proved that achievement by joining the Imperial Knights.
For this reason, to women from aristocratic families who were learning swordsmanship, Sir Semilterne was truly the object of respect and admiration itself.
First of all, it was because the Imperial Knights were not a place I could enter even if I wanted to.
In the third test of the entrance exam, only those with high potential were eligible, but basically, the Imperial Knights had to make an offer first.
In that sense, Sir Cemil Tern, who proved herself only through her efforts and skills and joined the Imperial Knights, was a truly remarkable person.
Since I had such a person in front of me, my attitude toward Sir Sylmiltern naturally had to change.
From noble mtl dot com.
“It is an honor to meet you. Sir Semiterne. Admission candidate, Alberto.”
“Good. Candidate. Then, we will begin the second test.”
Sir Semilterne’s voice, beautiful, clear and dignified, seemed to fly like an arrow and land in my ears.
Sir Semiltern said she would begin her second examination.
According to Nina, her second test was to see how well she wielded a sword.
“The second test will see how well you wield the sword. To handle weapons well is to know how to understand and use them properly.”
There was nothing wrong with Lord Semiterne’s words.
A martial artist who treats his body like a weapon must understand and use his body better than anyone else.
Similarly, the person who handles the weapon must have a quick knowledge of the weapon he/she handles.
I had to know the pros and cons of the weapons I was using so that I could make up for my weaknesses and make use of my strengths when fighting against other weapons.
This was a must-know for all martial arts practitioners.
“Then let’s begin the second test. The objects placed in front of it are all made of different materials.”
About the second test in earnest, Exorcist Semiterne began to explain.
As Lord Semiterne began to explain, the floor cracked and a table began to rise from the bottom.
A number of black cubes were placed on the table rising from the floor.
“An unmanned person who has been prepared by himself must know whether he will be able to attack the opponent with the weapon he is holding. A person with a good understanding of weaponry knows whether or not he can cut through the material in front of him with his skill and the weapon he is holding.”
I knew right away what Lord Semiterne was trying to say.
Those who could absorb nature’s mana floating in the air and build it up in their bodies and convert it into an aura could feel things that ordinary people couldn’t.
One of the abilities that such a person possesses is the ability to see the texture of matter.
No matter how hard the material is, if you put an aura on the sword and cut it along the grain, it will be cut off.
In other words, to put it simply, this grain could be called a weakness.
I could see the grain of the black cube on the table.
A number was attached to the front of each cube.
I looked carefully at each cube, and as a result, I was able to figure out a rule.
‘Hmm. Starting from number 1, we have arranged materials that are progressively stronger in numerical order. Is it random? Or was it intentional?’
It was that the number 1 cube was the weakest material, and the last cube, number 7, was the hardest material.
The texture of cube number 1 was very large, and there were many of them.
Since the size of the grain is small, and the lower the number, the harder the substance, the number 1 cube means a very weak substance.
It seemed to be such a material that even people who couldn’t see the grain because they couldn’t build aura could cut it as much as they wanted with a sword.
I raised my sword and lightly lowered it along the grain of the number 1 cube.
Then the number 1 cube was split in half and slid down, and the cut area was as smooth as if it had been sharpened for a long time with a very fine whetstone.
This meant that I cut cube #1 to near perfection.
In order, I cut down the 2nd and 3rd cubes at once.
If you had enough skills to enter the Royal Academy anyway, you should be able to easily cut through the 3rd.
The important thing was the 4th cube.
Cube 4 was a substance that could only be cut down by those who had reached the point where they could see the grain, albeit weakly, by always accumulating an aura inside their bodies.
Fortunately, I had the skills and auras of a sword expert master in my body, so I was able to see the texture of the substance of the number 4 cube with my own eyes.
I raised my sword and blew the aura into the sword so that the aura could flow on the surface of the sword, albeit weakly.
After confirming that the surface of the sword was covered with a weak aura, I swung the sword precisely along the texture of the number 4 cube.
After a while, the cut off top of the cube number 4 slid silently and landed on the table.
“Stop. I will stop testing. Candidate, I want you to put down your sword.”
Sir Semiltern raised his hand and acted to stop the test.
At her request, I put the sword into her scabbard.
“Candidate Alberto. She announces that she has passed her second exam. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
She said I passed the second exam.
That means that I passed the entrance exam for the Royal Academy and passed the final pass.
Huu, fortunately, my real skills didn’t seem to go unnoticed.
“Do you know what the number 4 cube that Alberto just cut out is made of?”
“I don’t know.”
“Cubes 1 through 3 are all trees that grow throughout the empire. Depending on the strength, we put the weakest tree in the first place.”
For some reason, I wanted to cut it like cutting butter with a heated knife.
Cubes number 1 through 3 seemed to be used to sort out people who were literally good enough to pass the exam.
“However, starting from cube number 4, they are now made of full-fledged metal. The number 4 cube that candidate Alberto cut out is made of ice metal from the northern regions.”
“Ice… You mean metal?”
I was very surprised to hear that the number 4 cube I cut out was ice metal.
Ice metal refers to iron made by melting iron ore, which is mined only in the cold northern regions dominated by cold weather all year round.
Even in the Imperial Mineral Classification Table, it was a material that belonged to the upper ranks in terms of strength.
It is very suitable for use as a weapon because it does not easily rust and is hard and has a certain degree of flexibility.
What people who use swords most wanted was a weapon made of ice metal, and when it appeared on the auction house, it was traded for at least dozens of gold coins.
“Yes. Candidate Alberto. The candidate got the right to participate in the ‘special test’ because he cut down the ice metal a while ago.”
“Um… ….”
“You can be proud. At that age, being able to cut ice metal means being able to handle sword auras.”
“So, are you going straight into the special exam?”
Special exam.
It was probably the very test that Nina had hinted at.
In other words, it was a test to select people with enough potential to join the Imperial Knights.
“Yes. Candidate Alberto is an aristocrat, so he must be well aware that his country needs outstanding talent. If it is enough to cut ice metal without difficulty, it means that the candidate’s skills are more than just a few knights, which means that he is a talented person that his country wants.”
Listening to Sir Semiterne’s words, I have a somewhat foreboding feeling.
My intuition was warning me that I was about to get involved in something very troublesome.
“From my point of view, Candidate Alberto has the qualities to pass the special test. What would you like? Would you like to take the special test or continue with the second test?”
I was troubled when I heard Lord Semiterne’s proposal to me.
Will you take a special test? Or should I continue with the second test?
“Is it okay if I don’t have to take a special test?”
“You don’t have to pay if you want. However, the Bregern Empire provides many benefits to talented people.”
There are several types of benefits. If you listen to it and you like it, can you take a special test?
“What benefits will be given?”
“First of all, those who have taken the special exam are given priority in everything within the academy, including dormitory assignments. In addition, a small academic subsidy is given on a quarterly basis, and additional points are given for scholarship selection unless something special happens.”
From noble mtl dot com.
I heard about the benefits given to those who took the ‘special exam’ that Lord Semiterne spoke of, but there was nothing very appealing about it.
The perks I really need are unlimited access to the on-campus dessert shop and the right to go out freely.
“So, Candidate Alberto. Would you like to take a special test? Even if you go back like this, you will pass. However, personally, I would recommend taking the special exam and receiving several benefits.”
“By any chance, does that benefit include free entry and exit without being restricted by the curfew of the Royal Academy dormitories?”
I asked Sir Semiterne about the most important thing.
The reason I wanted to go to the Royal Academy was because of the dessert shop in the capital.
I’ve heard that some desserts are sold only during times when the sky is covered in darkness, and it would be very sad not to enjoy them because of the curfew.
“Those who have taken the special exam are free to enter and leave the Royal Academy without any curfew. It is a benefit given in consideration of outstanding talent.”
“Then we will take a special test.”
I heard Sir Semiterne’s words and said that I would take the special test without hesitation.
Can I come in and out freely without a curfew? I can never stand this.
It’s a dessert shop, wait a minute! I’m coming!
“Good. Then, from now on, Candidate Alberto will enter a special examination. The special exam is not that difficult. You just have to show the best of what you can do. The detailed explanation will be given by the last instructor here.”
At the same time, a person in golden armor started slowly walking in front of me.
The energy that radiated from him was stronger than any other person I’ve ever met, except for my father.
The person in the golden armor was wearing a helmet, but I could clearly feel the gaze looking at me.