The emperor who started with a single sword and conquered the continent.
The words he left as he ascended the throne, holding the whole world in his hands, ushered in a new era for mankind.
“Do I covet what I have? If so, raise your sword. The next world will be in the hands of the knight who defeated me, who is neither my child nor a loyalist!”
The knights who obtained the Aura were able to defeat hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of armies alone.
Everyone wanted to become a knight and honed their swordsmanship.
In the age of such knights,
Noah was living with his grandfather in a mountain valley.
* * *
“Go down the mountain.”
“yes? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
A cabin built on a remote cliff.
An old man and a boy were having a conversation on a steep cliff that ordinary people couldn’t even climb.
Unlike the old man dressed like a fairy, the boy was sitting upright with a dirty appearance.
Noah, a troubled boy, questioned his grandfather’s outrageous remarks.
“No, what are you going to do by yourself when I go? It’s all about fetching water, bringing wood, and earning money from hunting, right?”
Dig!
At Noah’s words, the old man raised his hand from his seat.
It was a bare hand that did not hold a single feather, let alone a proper sword, but its power was extraordinary.
Noah let the sword energy that stretched out from his bare hands flowed out of the open window.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, and the next moment Noah sat up again.
“After fixing it, the door will break again! What are you going to do if I can’t spill it?”
“If he can’t do that, he won’t even say he will send me out. Aren’t you supposed to look around the world in earnest? Are you going to rot here for the rest of your life?”
“Of course I don’t think so. But can’t you hone your swordsmanship enough here? When I go out alone, that guy gets scolded for abandoning the old man in the mountain.”
“Who threw away who? I made you do it because it was annoying. I have no problem living on my own.”
“That’s right, but… … .”
Life in the mountains is obviously hard, but it didn’t matter to Noah’s grandfather.
Noah’s grandfather dried the seeds of the animals in the mountains, but he was not the one who would starve.
“Wasn’t the old people’s torch at that point, saying that their children wouldn’t come to see their faces?”
“Then why did you think you would never see me for the rest of your life? Of course, you should come and show your face while studying.”
“If that’s the case, then why did you send it out?”
In response to Noah’s words, the grandfather said with a sly expression.
“Swordsmanship is established only when there is an opponent from ancient times. No matter how great I reach, it’s meaningless if the swordsmanship doesn’t work on the opponent.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“In order to practice swordsmanship in the true sense, meeting other people and gaining experience is essential. You are right now.”
Noah couldn’t deny that.
Recently, Noah felt that his swordsmanship was no longer developing.
The wild environment was no longer a match for Noah, and there was a limit to the guidance match with his grandfather.
There was no way the range of swordsmanship would increase in sparring with people who used the same swordsmanship every day.
“By the way, even if you tell me to descend, what should I do when I don’t know anything and I have nowhere to go?”
“There is a place I have been looking for. You should descend as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.”
Grandpa nailed it as if it had already been decided.
The grandfather who became like this can’t dry it no matter what.
Noah couldn’t help but nod and came out.
“If you go outside, it will be full of very strong guys… … .”
Didn’t the townsfolk say they’d cut their noses even with their eyes open?
“I should practice swordsmanship more before descending.”
* * *
That night.
While Noah was in full swing practicing swordsmanship, his grandfather secretly watched him.
Covered in clouds, the endless cliff was full of scars like the marks of a giant dragon.
If anyone who had learned swordsmanship had seen this scene, they would have been shocked.
The traces of the cliff are so deep and large that it is difficult to think that they were left by humans.
But Grandpa knew.
That all these are traces of Noah’s practice.
“It’s a bummer to be beaten with such skill. I hope I don’t get wanted as many times as Abby after beating a tough guy.”
When Noah goes out into the world, there will be uproar.
At this age, I couldn’t afford to take care of my grandson after an accident.
He wrote down a letter of recommendation to his former pupil.
“It will be fun in the future.”
I could already see the disciple’s temper.
* * *
“I have a hunch that something went the wrong way.”
Noah came down the mountain carrying only a map that his grandfather had drawn by hand.
In order to get to the destination written on the map, there was no other way than to inquire about each person I met.
The destination he found was the Night Ray Knight Academy.
“It’s a knight school. How did you find out about that place in the valley?”
A recommendation was attached to the back of the map my grandfather had drawn.
“I know you want to go to this school, but is there anything else?”
There was no problem with coming here because I had money saved up from time to time, but finding a place and studying was another matter.
There are plenty of places to get money, such as tuition fees as well as living expenses, but the way to earn money in the city is very difficult.
“I thought you said that if you hand out a letter of recommendation, it will be roughly resolved. I don’t know where you got scammed from.”
After a lot of hard work, Noah was able to find what appeared to be a knight school building.
Fortunately, it was a fine-looking building.
“Would you like to have a dormitory?”
As Noah entered the building, a man who appeared to be a security guard stopped him.
The guard was two heads taller than the average person.
Standing in front of such a large body, the intimidation was no joke.
“You can’t come in unless you have an appointment.”
“You came here to enroll?”
“Ah, you were a candidate for the entrance exam. You are a little late.”
“Are you late? Isn’t today’s entrance exam until 12 o’clock? Is it still 11:55?”
“This is the information center at the main gate. The entrance examination hall is over there.”
As the guard said that, he pointed to the view of the school carved into the wall.
A map that filled a large wall highlighted the information office building they were standing on.
It was a hall with a high ceiling that seemed to be almost three stories high, but on the map that filled one wall of the hall, the size of the information center building was only the size of a palm.
“… … This big building is that little square?”
“yes. It will take some time to get inside. You can take the test even if you come late, but remember that you will be penalized accordingly.”
“No, just how big is this school?”
To Noah’s words, the security guard replied with a puzzled look.
“Of course it is the largest in the world.”
“yes?”
“Because the first thing His Majesty the Emperor did after ascending the throne was to establish the world’s oldest, largest, and strongest prestigious school, the Knight Ray Academy.”
“Oops… … .”
The best knight school in the world.
For Noah, who lived with his grandfather in a mountain valley, it was a disorienting sound.
However, Noah, who has been practicing swordsmanship in the wild, has a habit of handling things in order according to the degree of danger when an unexpected situation arises.
‘The most urgent thing right now is not what kind of place this place is, but that I’m late for the entrance exam right now.’
I wondered if my grandfather’s recommendation would work for a school like this.
There was no way they would assign a guy who hadn’t even taken the exam, so he had to avoid being late.
“It wouldn’t be funny if you failed the test and failed! thank you! I’ll go!”
“Wait, even if you’re aspiring to be a knight, it’s going to take 30 minutes more if you run… … !”
Noah didn’t listen to the back story and immediately ran outside.
‘There are 5 minutes left until the test. At this distance!’
According to the map we saw earlier, we could never arrive in time by running along the road.
But that didn’t mean I couldn’t go there.
“this way!”
Noah plotted out an expected route in his head and jumped into the bush.
If you climb a tree and cross the road, the distance drops less than twice.
Normally, the speed would be that much slower, but it wasn’t Noah.
“Compared to the mountain behind it, a well-managed forest is ridiculous!”
Redistributes the aura in the body to activate rigid body technique.
Knights who use the aura to demonstrate superhuman physical abilities were able to run much faster than normal people.
There is a topography called this mountain area.
‘Using a tree branch, you can accelerate or change direction with your hands. Far faster than running on bare ground!’
Noah sped through the forest as if he was almost thrown out.
So after 4 minutes.
“Ugh! Arrive on time!”
Arriving at the test site, Noah saw those gathered there and knew he was not late.
“Oh, look at him.”
“Leave the road intact and what is it doing?”
“This school is not a place for children playing in the dirt.”
The gathered students whispered when they saw Noah who suddenly jumped out.
When Noah heard that, he removed the grass and seeds from his clothes.
My clothes were in a mess because I was rushing through the mountain roads, scratches here and there, and grass stuck to me.
‘Certainly my tail is not good, but the tail they say is a bit… … .’
It was embarrassing, but he was the one who came late.
Noah tried to pretend he didn’t hear so as not to cause trouble, but there was a guy who dared to come and embarrass him.
From noble mtl dot com.
A boy of his age, dressed in good-looking clothes, came up to Noah and said.
“Nightray is a place where geniuses who pursue the extreme of swordsmanship stay, but it is not a place for a guy like you who believes in small skills and installs things like a fool.”
‘What are you talking about like that? Are you crazy?’
Hearing something like that in the first meeting couldn’t have made Noah feel good.
However, even though he had received a letter of recommendation, he had no face seeing his grandfather again if he said that he had an accident and could not take the test.
Ignore Noah’s choice of response.
You didn’t have to fight each and every one of them.
When Noah didn’t respond, the chattering boy pointed to someone else and said,
“The fact that he doesn’t look like he’s from anything special would be a perfect match for that b*tch.”
At that, Noah was able to find a girl who was alone on one side.
Dressed up, but strangely shabby attire. Sunburn marks from work, not training.
From the looks of it, it seemed that she was a girl in a similar situation to herself.
Among the entrance-takers, most of whom seemed well-fed and well-bred, only Noah and the girl stood apart, as if they had cut and pasted photos together.
“It is nightray that is difficult even if you receive the best education in the best environment from childhood. Guys like you will get kicked right out of the entrance exam.”
“Hey, don’t mind those guys. Let’s focus on the upcoming entrance exam.”
Amidst the noise of the group of boys, the bell announcing the hour rang.
When it was on time, the door of the exam hall opened, and students with gloomy expressions poured out from inside.
They seemed to have taken the test an hour earlier than them, but everyone’s expressions were not words.
gulp!
The examinees who were waiting in the gloomy atmosphere where it was difficult to say anything were frozen with tension.
“Huh, heh! I’m not going to be easygoing like those guys!”
The boy who had quarreled with Noah shouted loudly and took the lead inside.
All the other students followed suit and entered the auditorium.
Noah, who was about to go in, saw the girl who was still there and went towards it.
“Aren’t you going in?”
“In the entrance exam, we look at future growth potential and swordsmanship rather than current skills, so as long as we stay calm… … .”
The girl was muttering something with great momentum.
When I listened closely, it seemed to be a strategy for the entrance exam, but it was quite detailed.
“You seem to be familiar with this?”
“Yes? Who are you?”
‘Did you not pay attention to the surroundings?’
When I tried to talk to him as if he was looked down on by other students as much as he was, it seemed that he was not even aware that he was being looked down upon.
However, even if you look at it, it was a guy who seemed to have a quick look at the information.
It was not a bad conversation partner for Noah, who didn’t know much about this school.
“what is your name?”
“me? I am Tiu Wen. I’m from the East.”
Noah took her hand and shook it.
‘It’s a huge hand?’
Contrary to his plain appearance, Tiu’s hands were very rough.
Hands with twisted joints and calluses from prolonged training.
‘To have hands like this at this age means that I have trained my swordsmanship almost every moment.’
It was impossible with any effort.
Of course, you should look forward to your skills.
“Even if I become a knight later, I will never act like that.”
“what. Were you listening too?”
“Because there is no need to react to the words of such idiots. Is that the same for you?”
“hmm?”
Tiu told Noah as if to not flinch.
“If you had to, did you really intend to fight? I don’t think they noticed, but you were definitely measuring the distance.”
“Are you that obvious?”
Noah had been in a standing position since the other test takers were arguing with him.
It’s not about running away, it’s an aggressive position.
It was an action born of the confidence that he could defeat everything here alone.
Thiu, who recognized that, would not have normal skills either.
“Let’s talk about this and let’s go inside.”
“Yes, you can’t come all the way here and fall into the crust.”
As long as I’ve come this far, I’ll definitely stick with any test.
Noah made up his mind and entered the exam room.
The inside of the exam hall was decorated like a huge auditorium.
In the center of the spectator stands on all sides was a gymnasium built one level higher like a stage.
Standing on top of the gymnasium was a girl about the age of Noah and Tiu.
Surprisingly, it was the girl who was in charge of the test.
“It’s 12 o’clock now? Will the interview be over today? I would like to change the way From now on, I will take the test myself.”
Silver hair and purple eyes that look so cold, and a cool aura that fits them.
She was wearing a knight’s coat, and Noah recognized the coat’s pattern as the school’s mark from the entrance.
‘A related person.’
Meanwhile, the other students recognized her.
“Veronica?”
“Was the examiner at this exam center Veronica-sama?”
“ruined!”
‘what? Is he famous?’
The name Veronica was mentioned everywhere, as if other students recognized her face.
There was no way Noah, who lived in a mountain valley, knew of such a celebrity in the city.
However, judging from the reactions of those around her, that girl seemed to be quite a celebrity.
Tiu, who was next to him, answered Noah’s curiosity.
“The 7th Princess Veronica. He is a student at this school and is currently ranked 11th in the student rankings.”
“The princess?”
“okay. emperor’s daughter. The daughter of the world’s strongest, a living swordsmanship machine that was forged in the best environment ever since she was born.”
11th among schools with 10,000 students.
A person of such skill that a student is even allowed to administer the entrance exam.
One of the late exponents who will lead the next generation was Veronica.
“From now on, the people called out will come up one by one and deal with me. If you can survive 10 moves or more, you pass. If you can’t even endure that, you will be eliminated on the spot.”
“Yes?”
“You mean you have to take 10 swords from Veronica?”
“No, that can’t be… … !”
While all the students gathered at the exam hall were perplexed, only Noah was thinking of something else.
“Oh, that sword he’s holding looks really good.”
Tiu looked at Noah as if he was dumbfounded.
“Is the sword important to you during this time?”
“why? Doesn’t saying “take 10 moves” mean that you can pass if you block 10 attacks? Sounds easy?”
At that remark, the eyes of everyone gathered in the exam hall turned to Noah.
The people gathered here are all aspiring knights who have trained in swordsmanship and martial arts. Of course, hearing also spanned the realm of superhumans.
Veronica opened her mouth amid silence in the exam hall.
“Hoo? Do you think it’s easy to get my sword?”
“No, what. It’s not about winning, it’s just about blocking it, but is that really that difficult?”
“Hmm.”
Veronica made a funny face.
Tiu pokes Noah’s back from behind and whispers.
‘you’re stupid? No matter how strong you are, what if I deliberately provoke you!’
‘why?’
‘Veronica-sama has a record of dropping all the students at her exam center last year!’
He said that it would be a loss if he provoked such Veronica and the test content became difficult.
Surely then I could understand the fuss the other guys were making.
However, it was a logic that did not work for Noah.
“My goal is to be 1st, but I can’t just ask 11th place to watch it.”
At those words, silence fell in the hall.
The other test-takers glared at the two people who made the cheeky remark.
However, no one acted first in a situation where Veronica did not move.
“It seems like everyone is only paying attention to this, so can I take the test first?”
Noah drew his sword and stood up on the stage.
“Oh, I’ll check in advance.”
“Are you curious about something?”
“They said you would pass if you endured 10 moves, but what if I beat you before that and finish?”
Quick!
Noah’s words changed Veronica’s expression.
His eyes were smiling, but his mouth wasn’t, so anyone could see that he was angry.
“You are an interesting person. I’ll take that as a pass too. If you can.”