Episode 240: The Test (Part 2)
The unexpected success of Class 13 left everyone watching in shock.
“Is that really Class 13?”
“Don’t get too excited. Maybe it’s just those few who are different.”
“True, there are still plenty of tests left.”
Contrary to the students’ expectations, Class 13’s impressive performance continued.
In the long-distance running test, every single member of Class 13 crossed the finish line among the top ranks.
“I don’t want to die!”
“I can’t die without seeing my mom again!”
Their bizarre cries were as puzzling as they were determined.
Not only in running, but they also excelled in other tests like long jump and push-ups.
“Damn it, our class is ranked lower than Class 13?”
“This can’t be right. Something’s off.”
Despite the other students’ denial, the records didn’t lie.
“Sure, they might be fit, but they won’t do well in the next test.”
“There’s no way those idiots have mastered the Imperial Sword Technique.”
Yet, even in the Imperial Sword Technique test, Class 13 dominated.
The test was divided into three parts: form, cutting, and understanding.
How accurately they could execute the technique, how cleanly they could cut through solid objects, and how well they understood the technique.
In all three areas, Class 13 scored high.
“I have to cut it! If I can’t cut the wood, my head will roll!”
“I can’t meet my late mother this soon!”
They muttered strange things, just like during the physical tests.
“Last year, wasn’t Class 13 dead last?”
“Not just last, they didn’t even participate and got zero points.”
“Isn’t something wrong here?”
The academy was in an uproar over the test results.
The most shocked of all was the headmaster, who couldn’t believe what was happening right before his eyes.
“No… no, this can’t be… what on earth…”
Many teachers had tried to manage Class 13, but none had succeeded.
The headmaster was sure that Class 13 would be the perfect excuse to get rid of Demian Haxen.
But the results were the opposite. Somehow, Demian Haxen had managed to control Class 13 perfectly.
“This is… this is impossible…”
In his confusion, the headmaster caught sight of Demian Haxen.
Demian was watching him from afar, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Ugh, ugh…”
The headmaster could only clutch his neck in frustration at the blatant mockery.
“Headmaster! Are you alright?”
“Please, pull yourself together!”
The teachers around him rushed to support him, but the headmaster’s condition didn’t improve.
“To think a knight of the Apple Kingdom is running rampant in the academy, and I have to watch helplessly…”
The headmaster muttered in despair.
“It’s not over yet.”
At that moment, someone spoke up. It was Delong Mueller, looking at the headmaster with a determined expression.
“What do you mean it’s not over? The scores are already decided!”
“There are still two students who haven’t taken their tests.”
Delong Mueller, who oversaw the first-year students, knew the situation of Class 13 well.
“Oliver Fortina and Penelope Borja. They’ve chosen dueling as their test.”
“What? Is that true?”
“They’ve even chosen Gulliver and Emilio as their opponents.”
The headmaster’s expression changed intriguingly at those words.
Gulliver Fortina and Emilio Borja were the top students of the first year, names the headmaster was familiar with.
“The outcome is obvious. There’s no way Class 13 can beat the top and second-ranked students.”
“And then?”
“We can use this to question Demian Haxen’s competence.”
The headmaster’s eyes gleamed at the suggestion.
If those two students failed in a different category than the rest of Class 13, it could be spun as Demian Haxen neglecting them.
“That’s an excellent idea!”
The headmaster quickly regained his composure, and the other teachers’ faces brightened.
But none of them, including the headmaster, realized that Demian Haxen was eavesdropping on their conversation from afar.
“How petty they are.”
Demian shook his head at the headmaster and teachers’ scheming.
It was clear they were desperate to get rid of him.
“I’ll have to make sure those two win to avoid any more trouble.”
He needed to focus on searching for Sla as soon as possible and didn’t want any more distractions.
“Sir Demian, there you are.”
Just then, Blanca Roche approached Demian.
“Sir Blanca? Weren’t you attending to the knightly duties?”
“I was, but I couldn’t help but be curious about Class 13.”
Blanca Roche admitted with a sheepish smile.
“I’ve trained those kids a bit myself, so I wanted to see it through to the end.”
Demian and Blanca headed to the dueling arena together.
The dueling test was held at the outdoor training ground next to the central field.
All the students participating in the dueling test had already gathered there.
Among them were Oliver Fortina and Penelope Borja.
“Huff, huff…”
Oliver was making strange noises, his shoulders hunched in tension, his face pale with anxiety.
“Oliver, stop standing there and warm up. The duel is about to start.”
Unable to watch any longer, Penelope spoke to Oliver. He replied with a trembling voice.
“How can you be so calm? We’re about to fight those… those people.”
“Isn’t this what we both wanted?”
“Y-yes, but…”
Now that the moment had come, fear was overwhelming.
“And… we haven’t really learned anything… just got beaten up by the teacher all the time.”
“Mm.”
Penelope could only nod at Oliver’s words.
All they had received from Demian Haxen was training disguised as beatings.
“But Oliver, the teacher said we could win.”
“How can you believe that?”
“You two are chattering away when the duel is right around the corner.”
Demian Haxen’s voice interrupted them. Oliver and Penelope turned to face him.
“Teacher, you’re here. And Sir Roche as well.”
Penelope bowed her head in greeting. Oliver quickly followed suit.
“Oliver, you’ve got guts, questioning my words like that.”
At Demian’s gaze, Oliver hiccupped.
“Stop overthinking and just relax. You two can definitely win.”
Demian spoke with confidence, though the two didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“Emilio Borja, Penelope Borja, come up.”
The supervising teacher called for Penelope.
“I’ll be back.”
Penelope picked up a training sword and stepped onto the training ground.
“I’ve never seen these two kids since Sir Demian trained them personally.”
Blanca watched Penelope’s back as she walked away.
“I’m curious to see how Sir Demian has trained them.”
Blanca Roche looked at the training ground with anticipation.
Emilio Borja was already standing on the training ground.
“Are you crazy? Challenging me to a duel?”
Emilio spoke with clear displeasure, as if the situation itself was offensive.
At the academy, higher-ranked students couldn’t refuse challenges from lower-ranked ones.
It wasn’t a written rule, but a long-standing tradition of the academy.
The tradition was born from the belief that true masters shouldn’t refuse challenges.
Conversely, if a higher-ranked student challenged a lower-ranked one, they were scorned as cowards.
“Didn’t I warn you last time? To just stick to etiquette classes.”
Emilio’s hostility was palpable, like facing a beast ready to pounce.
Penelope swallowed hard, trying to suppress her fear.
In the midst of her anxiety, she recalled Demian Haxen’s advice.
-Your opponent is a junior knight. Normally, you wouldn’t stand a chance.
It was true.
Junior knights could manifest aura and had the physical prowess to take down beasts barehanded.
If they met on a battlefield, she wouldn’t have stood a chance.
-But this is a duel. Emilio can’t use his aura. Without it, he’s just a knight with slightly better physical abilities.
Penelope, too, had been practicing mana techniques. While not as advanced as Emilio, she could enhance her body with magic.
-Plus, he’s underestimating you. Complacency is the worst ally. Use it to your advantage.
Though Demian Haxen seemed violent and unhinged, his insight into swordsmanship was remarkable.
-First, provoke him. Make him angry. Narrow his focus and thinking.
Penelope took a deep breath and spoke to Emilio.
“Disappointing. Is that what your father taught you? To prattle on before a fight? I never had the privilege of learning from him, but if that’s his lesson, I can do without it.”
At that moment, Emilio’s face flushed with anger, veins standing out prominently.
“You’ve got quite the mouth for a maid’s child!”
Emilio swung his wooden sword at Penelope, aiming a diagonal strike at her forearm.
The speed was far beyond what a mere trainee like Penelope should have been able to handle. It was an attack she shouldn’t have been able to dodge.
Yet, Penelope instinctively blocked Emilio’s sword. With a dull thud, his weapon was deflected.
”…Did she just block that?”
Emilio’s face was a picture of disbelief.
Penelope was just as surprised, but for a different reason.
It was identical.
Before the test began, Penelope had endured a brutal sparring session with Damian Haxen.
Emilio’s attack mirrored Damian’s movements exactly.
“Just lucky, huh? But how many more can you block?”
Emilio launched another assault, unleashing the Borja family’s sword techniques in rapid succession.
Before her mind could process it, Penelope’s body moved on its own, parrying every one of Emilio’s strikes.
“What am I seeing right now?”
“She blocked them all?”
The students watching from the sidelines couldn’t believe their eyes.
Emilio was the top student of the first year, a prodigy. Most students couldn’t withstand even a single attack from him.
Yet here was Penelope, a student from the 13th class, holding her ground.
“You idiot. They must have learned the same sword style because they’re from the same family. That’s why she can block it.”
“But still… she’s doing it too well.”
Despite the relentless exchange, Emilio’s sword never touched Penelope.
This is impossible.
As she continued to fend off the attacks, Penelope was inwardly astonished. Emilio’s movements were a carbon copy of Damian Haxen’s.
From the swordplay to the habits just before swinging, even the flicker in his eyes.
Realizing this sent a shiver down Penelope’s spine.
“This is… this is absurd!”
Emilio’s face turned crimson with frustration, his movements becoming sloppy.
Even this was just like Damian Haxen. In that moment, Penelope’s tactics shifted.
She ducked under the wooden sword, slipping inside Emilio’s guard. Her wooden sword came to rest against his neck.
Silence fell over the training ground.
”…”
Even the instructor overseeing the match struggled to believe what had just happened.
”…Penelope Borja! Victory!”
Penelope lowered her wooden sword and turned away.
Emilio stood frozen, unable to move, the shock of defeat overwhelming him.
Memorizing Emilio’s dumbfounded expression, Penelope returned to where Damian stood.
“Sir, I won,” she announced, her face alight with satisfaction. Damian, looking less than pleased, replied.
“What did I tell you? I said you could win.”
“I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“Good. You did well.”
Though brief, the praise filled Penelope with immense satisfaction.
“Penelope! That was incredible! You were amazing!” exclaimed Blanca Roche, who stood nearby, showering her with compliments. Penelope smiled.
“Uh, uh… uh…”
A strange sound came from beside them. Oliver was trembling all over.
Penelope cast a disdainful glance at him and asked Damian, “Is he still like that?”
“Indeed. You’d think he’d calm down by now.”
As the two whispered to each other, the instructor’s voice rang out.
“Oliver Fortina, prepare for your test.”
Oliver’s face turned even paler.
“S-sir…! If I forfeit now…”
“What? Do you want to die by my hand right now? Stop spouting nonsense and get out there.”
Damian gave Oliver a shove, sending him stumbling onto the training ground with a yelp.
“Sir Damian, wasn’t that a bit harsh?” Blanca Roche asked, concern etched on her face.
“How can he fight when he’s that tense? And his opponent is the second-ranked first-year.”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry,” Damian replied nonchalantly. Blanca tilted her head in confusion.
“How can I not worry when he’s so nervous?”
“I didn’t realize it myself, but that kid’s a genius.”
“What? What are you talking about…”
Just then, a loud crash echoed through the air.
Blanca turned in surprise, her eyes widening at the unbelievable sight before her.
At Oliver Fortina’s feet lay Geliver Fortina, sprawled on the ground.