Chapter 275
Beric plopped down on the ground, staring intently at the paper in his hands. Passersby glanced at him curiously, but he didn’t care in the slightest.
He held the paper up to the light, frowning deeply. Even if he couldn’t write yet, he could at least read his name and the numbers. But the person in charge had scribbled everything so messily that it was impossible to make sense of it.
“Beric, this is my name here. The ‘180’ must be height, right? Then what’s the ‘177’ below it?”
It was the first checkpoint—the physical exam results. Since hundreds of people were processed quickly, the attendant’s handwriting was sloppy, almost as if it was dripping off the page.
Beric, who was barely literate to begin with, saw white as paper and black as letters. Xiao Xi, who had been quietly listening beside him, shook his head.
“…180, Beric. Height 177.”
“My height’s 177? No way. What about you?”
Swish!
Beric snatched Xiao Xi’s exam sheet and compared the same entry. His height was listed as 179.7—down to the decimal point, clearly and neatly written. Beric jumped up, shaking his paper in protest.
“Are you kidding me? There’s that much difference between our heights? And why didn’t you put a decimal point on mine? I want to be measured again!”
The attendant moved the pen mechanically, not even glancing Beric’s way. After all, he was a well-known figure in the palace.
The department in charge had warned repeatedly to be careful around the red-haired man, so they ignored him without much thought. There were hundreds waiting—did he think this was a joke?
“Next!”
“Hey!”
“There’s a reference chart up front. Please check your exam sheet against it. Anyone with disqualifying conditions, please exit through the right door. Thank you.”
“Excuse me!”
“Those with physical abnormalities or mixed heritage from other races must report separately and receive a new reference chart. Those without disqualifications may exit through the left door. Next!”
Bang!
The attendant stamped the papers briskly, as if to say, “Get lost.” One more word from Beric and he’d be disqualified on the spot.
Sensing the thin line he was treading, Xiao Xi grabbed Beric’s shirt and pulled him along. “Let’s hurry through the left door.”
“After the endurance test, those who don’t meet the standard, please submit your name tags!”
“Please place them here. Numbers 101 to 200, line up first. If you don’t want to duel, come here to submit your application! The Imperial Defense Department will assign your unit. If you want to join the Palace Guard, dueling is mandatory!”
“Even if you duel, those ranked below the top will be assigned to the Imperial Defense Department!”
“Think carefully! No changes after submission! Duel instructions are posted outside!”
Normally, the training hall was one large open space, but now temporary walls divided it into sections according to procedure and need.
From the first floor, it looked like a confusing maze, but from above, the layout was clear. The two slipped into the crowd moving toward the physical test.
Clang! Clang!
Eventually, the crowd slowed near a makeshift arena where palace swordsmen fought for promotion. This was why Ian had personally stepped in.
Magical safety controls. High-level combat always drew attention, stirred excitement, and boosted morale.
No palace staff shouted for the crowd to disperse. Instead, they made way so everyone could enjoy the swordsmen’s battles.
“Wow. Incredible.”
“So that’s how palace swordsmen fight. Beyond what I imagined.”
“Wizards must be even stronger, right? I heard they can tear the sky apart.”
“Come on, that’s impossible.”
“No, if swordsmen fight like that, what can’t wizards do? Amazing, really amazing. The rumor that one of them equals an entire army isn’t a lie. Hahaha!”
“Nice! Waaah!”
Those were the palace swordsmen—servants of the emperor, protectors of the empire’s safety, guardians of the people’s daily lives. With them around, the citizens had nothing to fear. Those who aspired to be soldiers should take pride. That was the palace’s intention.
Without a single word of encouragement, the crowd already felt something stirring deep inside.
“Hey, what are you doing going inside there?”
“It’s okay! There’s still a chance! Rey! Focus!”
“The honor of the Palace Guard is right in front of you!”
Other guards waiting nearby joined in, shouting encouragement. Fight! Keep fighting! While there was ambition for the captain’s position, the ultimate goal was to uphold the palace’s pride—and for that, endless strength was required.
“So cool.”
“Yeah. How many do they select for the Palace Guard?”
“They haven’t announced the number. But you probably have to be in the top thirty.”
“Thirty? That’s tough.”
“It’s always an elite group. Not just anyone gets in. If fewer people apply for dueling, maybe there’s a chance. Hmm, tough decision.”
They were already revered, but dressed in their sharp uniforms, they stood out even more. Their dazzling presence shook even those who had no intention of dueling.
Bang! Boom!
Crash!
The swords clashed, creating a massive explosion. Thick smoke billowed up, and a fierce wind swept through, but it didn’t last long. Before reaching the spectators, it vanished without a trace, as if an invisible wall separated the crowd from the swordsmen.
‘Magic! Ian did that, didn’t he?’
Buzzing sounds.
Boom! Clang!
The wizards on the second floor maintained a magical barrier, ensuring safety.
Beric scanned the area for Ian but couldn’t see him. Had he gone elsewhere? As he shifted his gaze, he locked eyes with Jarrett instead. Damn, bad luck.
Beric made a threatening gesture across his throat with his thumb, scowling. Captain Jarrett, just wait. If you become captain after this selection, I’m going to kill you.
But Jarrett ignored him completely, standing stiffly as he recorded something on a clipboard—probably scoring the duelists.
“…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Xiao Xi tugged on Beric’s collar, urging him on. Leaving the swordsmen’s fight behind, they headed outside. Now they just had to finish the basic fitness test and wait for the matchups, eating and resting in the meantime.
Whistle!
Barsabeda appeared. Since Beric was out of commission, the staff seemed short-handed and had called for backup. Beric greeted him, but Barsabeda coldly ignored him, keeping business and personal separate.
“Line up!”
“L-line up!”
Whistle!
“The basic fitness test will focus on strength, endurance, explosiveness, agility, and flexibility! First, two running events.”
Now the real test began. This was the part that counted toward the final score. Other participants stripped off their shirts, showing off intimidating physiques and engaging in subtle mind games.
Xiao Xi warmed up with light jumps in place, but Beric didn’t even bother.
“Ughhh!”
He rolled up his sleeves and pants, letting out a strange battle cry. It was so ridiculous that laughter broke out here and there.
Barsabeda clicked his empty molars with his tongue and blew his whistle. Unlike anyone else, Beric was the one who had put him in this state—he couldn’t afford to fall behind.
Whistle!
“Waaah!”
At the signal, the men surged forward, running with all their might under the scorching midday sun of the palace.
Unlike usual, only officials remained on the second floor. Unable to cross the crowded first floor, staff moved through upstairs, wizards maintained the protective barrier, and…
“That one’s got some skill.”
“Indeed. Especially his endurance.”
“Yes. That last technique was excellent. I’d say it deserves bonus points. Not often used in real combat, but worth preserving. Ahem.”
Superiors from the Palace Guard and Imperial Defense Department watched the duels. In reality, the Palace Guard’s top brass were just Jarrett and his right-hand man, while the Imperial Defense Department had many officers across various units, so the numbers were skewed. Still, the Palace Guard had priority, so everyone added comments while keeping an eye on Jarrett.
One frowned and pointed.
“But that one…”
“Is he really dueling right now?”
Even from a distance, the noise was noticeable. While other arenas echoed with battle cries, this one was filled with curses and chatter. It was a one-sided beating caused by a huge skill gap, which explained the commotion.
Smack! Thud!
“Duel? Hell yeah! This is exactly what I wanted! You bastard!”
“Ugh, ugh…”
“Say what you said last time!”
“Y-you son of a—”
“Yeah, I’m the son of a bitch! What’re you gonna do about it?”
Bang!
Imperial Defense officers clicked their tongues and called for someone. Blood pooled on the floor—if this kept up, someone would be carried out dead.
“Hey, who’s that? Second duel ring on the left.”
“Oh, that’s Hamp and Beric from the 4th Army, Unit 294 of the Imperial Defense Department. Both have won four matches so far.”
“From the Imperial Defense Department?”
They weren’t ordinary civilians—they were already soldiers assigned to the Imperial Defense Department. Concerned that all the top-tier talents would be scooped up by the Imperial Palace Guard, the department had handpicked some promising individuals to participate in the sparring matches, partly to save face.
It was a strategic move to showcase that the Imperial Defense Department also housed formidable fighters, and to cultivate the perception that even the strongest warriors admired the Defense Department as much as the Palace Guard. The scene of them getting beaten up like a pack of dogs, however, was not part of the plan.
“People are about to get seriously hurt. Can we call it off around here? Oh, and since they’re from the Defense Department, didn’t we agree to keep things civil? Try to avoid tough matchups as much as possible. So who the hell—”
The officer was about to ask who had arranged the matchups like this but hesitated. The name ‘Beric’ came to mind—the Magic Minister’s right hand and a magic swordsman who fought alongside Prince Jin.
The attendant frowned and glanced sideways.
“Ooh! Beric’s doing great! One-two, one-two punch! Ian—no, wait! Lord Ian! Look at that! That guy’s the one who made Beric bleed!”
“Yes, I see it, Lord Romandro. But before that, take a look at this. Compared to two years ago, the number of participants has tripled. It’s twice what we expected. Any idea why?”
“Hmm. Nothing specific I’ve heard. But maybe it’s because the selection for the Palace Guard was held together this time, which is unusual. Since the Palace Guard’s pay is far better than the Defense Department’s, that might have tempted more people to join. We should survey the participants to find out. Knowing the reason will definitely help with future recruitment.”
“I agree. I’ll report this to the Prime Minister as well.”
As Ian handed the report to the mage, Prince Jin gently grabbed his sleeve. His snack was almost gone. Jin smiled slyly, and Ian asked warmly,
“Your Highness, do you like it?”
“Can I have some more?”
“Of course. Who would say no?”
“Beric! Beric! Waaah! That was awesome just now! One more hit! Ha! All that meat was worth it! Keep it up!”
Romandro threw his fist into the air, loudly cheering for Beric. Jin clapped in surprise, and Ian kept receiving reports from the Magic Department and the organizing team.
Sliding through the match schedule, Ian counted how many more bouts Beric and Xiaoxi had left. Based on the current scores, Beric was clearly in the lead, with Xiaoxi hot on his heels.
“Hmm?”
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
Ian asked, puzzled, as Romandro leaned over the papers. Then, with a horrified expression, he muttered,
“Oh no, what is this? Who arranged the matches like this? Beric and Xiaoxi are set to face each other? Why on earth?”
“Before the top ranks are decided, wouldn’t it be safer for both the Palace Guard and Defense Department to eliminate one of the two early on? And…”
Ian didn’t even need to see who had arranged it. He looked up at Captain Jarrett. Their eyes met.
‘Interesting.’
Ian shook the papers slightly. Jarrett placed a hand over his chest and gave a small nod, as if to say, “I won’t deny it.”