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Caleen Snowhite was tormented.
Was her choice really the right one?
Or was it just arrogance?
“….”
She absentmindedly raised her sword and gazed at her reflection on the blade.
Sky-blue hair.
It used to reach down to her waist.
Thinking such pointless thoughts, Caleen twisted her hair with her fingers.
After the curse, she cut her long hair with a sword and burned it.
She wore men’s clothes, wielded a rugged longsword instead of a beautiful saber.
She didn’t smile often, used a stern tone.
After enrolling in the academy, she always stayed in the training ground, avoiding socializing and endlessly repeating practice.
If interaction was necessary, she kept it as simple as possible.
Yes.
If it weren’t for that ‘curse’ that bound her, she wouldn’t have needed to confine herself in a prison of determination and lies.
Without the curse, she might have tried on beautiful dresses instead of wearing a tie and pants.
And… really, she might have experienced love in an ordinary way.
Lowering her sword, she suddenly raised her hand.
A hand full of scars, calluses, and roughness.
Moreover, the skin was rough.
With such a hand… yes, it would be impolite to attend a noble lady’s social gathering or even a tea party.
It’s a hand that is embarrassing to show in front of others.
However.
‘Even with this hand, there is someone who praises it.’
There is someone who affirms that the path they have chosen is not wrong.
A knight’s hands should not be gentle or clean.
Your hands are not hands to be ashamed of.
Just that alone, Calen could gain strength.
“Would you come to see me…?”
Saying so, Calen hastily shut his mouth.
It’s an inappropriate tone for someone to intrude.
“Um, ahem, well.”
Lately, the boundaries have been getting blurry.
Surely, it must be because of that person.
“Student Calen Snowhite, your test is about to begin, please prepare.”
“Understood.”
After saying so, she strapped her sword to her waist and picked up the shield that was lying in the corner.
Looking into the mirror, placing her hand on her chest, taking two deep breaths.
“Phew.”
Preparations were complete.
Her record so far is 4 consecutive wins.
If she wins today, she can finish the test with 5 wins in a row.
Moreover, her opponent is… ‘Chaseok’ from the Knight Department.
“Don’t be nervous, Hyelin.”
“I’m not nervous, Calen.”
She looked at herself in the mirror several times, nodded her head, and turned to leave.
Let’s go.
Even if this is just arrogance, one won’t know until they try.
Accepting defeat without even trying is something only cowards do.
“I must reciprocate.”
The steps of the knight moving forward with determination were firm.
***
The hot heat could be felt in the Knight Department’s 2nd-year sparring arena.
On the last day of the midterm exam sparring, many spectators gather.
There are also many onlookers from other departments.
A unique feature of the Knight Department’s test is that anyone can apply for sparring regardless of their grades.
So, unexpected events sometimes occur.
For example, Calen Snowhite, ranked 96th in the Knight Department, challenging the 2nd-ranked knight to a sparring match.
Calen stepped onto the sparring arena and looked around.
It was crowded with people.
She glanced around lightly, but couldn’t see him.
“hahahaha, nothing can be done. He has his own test to take, after all.”
No, what am I thinking about before such an important test?
Calen shook her head to dispel her thoughts and stood up straight, moving forward.
On the opposite side, a boy with blazing red hair was coming up.
Similarly dressed in a school uniform like his, he had a sword slung over his back.
Waving his hand in all directions as he approached was the current top student of the Knight Department, ‘Passionate Swordsman Levin.’
Unlike himself, a noble from the border, Levin hailed from the central region.
With exceptional swordsmanship and a cheerful way of speaking.
And due to his overflowing enthusiasm, he attracted people wherever he went.
He walked confidently towards Kalen, then grinned and extended his hand.
“Do you remember the terms of defeat?”
“…Becoming friends. That’s what I remember.”
“hahahaha, that’s right. You know it well! If I win here, you’ll be my 556th friend. My goal is to make 1,000 friends before graduating from Selenium. Right now, I have 555.”
“…Is that so.”
What am I supposed to do?
Kalen didn’t even acknowledge the hand Levin extended, and Levin, looking cool, withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his head.
“Anyway, I’m ready. Let’s have a good match, Kalen Snowhite.”
“…”
Kalen nodded silently, and Levin smiled as he looked at the judge.
“Preparations are complete.”
“Take your stances.”
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Clang─
Kalen drew his sword and stood it in front of him, and Levin also took his stance.
They lightly pointed their swords forward, lightly tapping the tips of each other’s swords, then turned towards the end of the arena.
“If one side declares surrender, or if continuing the battle becomes impossible, the outcome will be decided. Also, if one side’s protective barrier is broken, that too will be considered a victory for the opponent.”
Listening to the judge’s words, Kalen gripped the hilt tightly.
Swordsmanship, skills, compatibility, everything was overwhelmingly in Levin’s favor.
But, you never know until you try.
“Begin!”
With the judge’s declaration, he rushed forward first.
A red flame bloomed on the sword Levin held.
“[Attribute Sword: Truth].”
A sword swung down horizontally.
Shaaah!
Flames shot up along its trajectory, spreading heat in all directions.
Kalen quickly leaped back, escaping the range, but…
“Gah, a Bluffing!”
“Oh, you caught on quickly?”
Levin emerged from the erupting flames and swung his sword, and Kalen twisted her wrist to barely block it.
Clang!
Kalen immediately turned the blade around, trying to strike down and dig downwards, but Levin simply redirected her path by striking down with his sword.
Swish!
Then, he pierced through a gap, slashing upwards, driving her into a corner.
“…..His movements are slow, aren’t they? It didn’t seem like this during practice.”
“…..Huk, ack.”
After a few exchanges, he realized.
Just blocking had its limits.
There was no room even to dream of a counterattack.
‘So, this is the difference…’
If this is just the difference, how strong must the master be?
Calen felt his breath constricting, but he continued to swing his sword to find an opening.
“Your movements are too sluggish.”
At that moment.
Whoosh!
Seeing the sword flying towards his neck, Calen instinctively knew.
This, cannot be avoided.
If it continued like this, the barrier surrounding his body would be the first to shatter.
Deciding this, Calen threw the sword in his hand, creating a brief gap, and in that moment, he twisted his body to escape.
“…..The knight is throwing away his sword?”
Not mocking, but genuinely puzzled, Levin asked.
The sword stuck in the training ground.
To retrieve it, inevitably, one had to allow a single attack.
However.
Allowing even one attack would mean defeat on their side.
Is this how it ends… in defeat?
‘I do not want to lose.’
In that moment.
Calen’s gaze reached the audience seats.
And she saw.
“….!”
In the middle of the audience.
Familiar blonde hair.
And beneath it, sharp blue eyes were fixed on him.
“….You came to watch.”
You haven’t forgotten.
Realizing that, Calen suddenly felt a surge of strength that wasn’t there before.
More precisely, it was a ‘conscious moment’ when he felt he was being watched.
Just like right after he picked up the sword before entering the dungeon, strength surged within him.
And Calen understood.
The large shield he had tied to his left hand.
Why had he… forgotten about it until now?
The hefty shield felt almost weightless.
With this shield…
If I have even one drop of energy left.
It’s too early to give up.
It may not be perfect, but it’s the only way.
“Hmm, sorry to keep you waiting. 【Attribute Sword: Truth】!”
A flaming sword swung.
Calen took a step forward towards the approaching flames.
And just before his flaming sword touched him.
Thunk!
Calen kicked the ground, threw himself, and exerted all his strength.
A cold shield in his left hand.
“aaargh….”
With all his might, he pushed forward!
“…..Ugh! 【Similar: Shield Art】!”
“Uh, uh!”
Kwaaang!
A resounding roar.
The shield, infused with the power of the earth, not only completely pushed back the flaming sword but also sent Levin flying backward.
“Now’s the time!”
An opening emerged.
The opportunity is now and only now.
Calen ran forward, pulled out his sword stuck in the ground, swiftly swung around, and manifested the ‘Attribute Sword’.
The sword, filled with the chill of cold ice, flew drawing a blue trajectory.
“Uh, uh, wait, wai, just a moment…..!”
“Ohhhhh!”
“Wait, wait! This is dea….”
“Ohhhhh!”
“Listen to peo….”
As Levin stumbled and tried to regain his balance, Calen’s sword fell vertically over Levin’s head.
Shyaaah!
With a roar, an ice fragment storm shot up into the sky.
“Ugyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyagyah!”
Amidst desperate screams.
─Woahhhhh!
A tremendous shout shook the arena.
* * *
Like that.
The finale of the Knight Academy’s midterm exam ended with Calen Snowhite’s victory in the heated arena.
After the duel ended.
Once the audience had somewhat dispersed from the packed stands.
I saw Calen, with his face flushed, approaching me.
I’m glad I didn’t miss the match.
It was a good choice to come straight to the Knight Department as soon as the exam ended.
“Good job, Kalen.”
“Oh, ahahahaha… I feel embarrassed receiving such hospitality.”
“You deserve it. It was an amazing achievement, right?”
Reyna, who was attached to my right side, congratulated Kalen with a bright smile.
“No, compared to Sir Wolfgang, I’m just…”
“It’s still a great achievement, Kalen Snowhite.”
“Sen… Senior, you were really amazing.”
Milly, attached to my left side, looked at Kalen with admiration in her sparkling eyes.
Step back a bit.
My arms might fall off.
Overwhelmed by the sudden shower of compliments, Kalen, not knowing where to put himself, quickly nodded his head towards me.
“…I am grateful, Sir Adrian. Without this shield, I could never have won.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes…?”
“I just provided the shield, but it was you who used it excellently. So, this is entirely your victory. It has nothing to do with me, right?”
As I said that, Kalen suddenly bowed deeply.
The two people beside him muttered.
“Um, well, it should be fine. Kalen Snowhite is a man after all.”
“I… I also want to receive praise from Senior Adrian…”
Anyway.
This is truly an amazing achievement.
Ranking 96 defeating Ranking 2.
No matter how much that passionate inspector weakens as he grows, except for willpower, in terms of basic abilities, his side might be slightly higher in the beginning.
“Oh.”
Come to think of it.
[You are in close proximity to a fated ally.]
[The fated synergy ＜Lord and Knight＞ is reactivated.]
Was this active?
However, even with the help of the party system, it’s not something that can instantly reverse the situation.
In the end, it was Kalen’s skill and determination that secured the victory.
“But was there a reason for challenging Chaseok to a duel?”
“Ah… that.”
Kalen smiled awkwardly as he spoke.
Actually, I didn’t like the idea of being installed and followed around just because he was making 1,000 friends. Now that I’ve put him in his place today, he won’t bother me anymore. I think I can practice alone now.”
Hmm.
So, that was the reason.
“Actually, there is another reason, but that’s a secret.”
Calen laughed with a finger in her mouth.
“Well, if it’s a secret, I don’t really want to pry.”
Now that Calen’s test was over…
“Only one last thing remains.”
“Adrian, fighting!”
Yes.
The time has come to be truly sincere.
* * *
The next day, in the Magic Department lecture hall.
It was a presentation that divided the top and second seats, but most students were busy chattering and doing other things, probably because it wasn’t their turn to present.
“Alright, everyone, pay attention!”
The professor’s loud voice grabbed the students’ attention.
“Now, let’s begin the Creative Magic Device Development Presentation! The presentation will be conducted by two students, Schucross and Adrian, who both scored full marks in theory!”
A moment of silence.
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At that, everyone soon started buzzing.
“Adrian? Did he just say Adrian?”
“That fool got full marks in the theory presentation?”
“I can’t believe it, did he cheat or something?”
I hear it all, these guys.
Of course, I am innocent.
But considering my position at the academy, even if I claim innocence, there are few who will believe me wholeheartedly.
“I can’t believe it. He must have written down something.”
“Yes, that idiot getting full marks….”
In an instant, tension began to fill the noisy atmosphere.
“Then, let’s start with student Schucross first!”
Schucross, who stood up from his seat, glanced at me briefly before confidently walking up to the platform.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Daisy von Schucross. Before the presentation today, I would like to introduce what I have prepared.”
As he snapped his fingers, a magic projection hologram unfolded synchronously.
There, a familiar object appeared.
“Hmm, he brought the same thing as the original after all.”
Indeed, it’s tough competition in the magical device manufacturing field.
But.
I didn’t worry.
The item I prepared will surely bring about a tremendous wave of innovation, revolution, and sensation here.
In the end, everyone will be on my side.