Chapter 13 - Sparring Test (1)
The sparring test is considered the highlight of the entrance examination part in the very beginning of .
It was the part where various main characters made their direct appearances, clearly showing each individual's personality and abilities.
It was no different in the world of that had beco reality, and it seed to be a big topic within Archenia Academy. Especially since it was a generation where many formidable individuals had gathered.
As befitting a sparring test with such significance, there was no distinction between the Magic Departnt and the Combat Departnt for this test.
Of course, students only sparred with others from their own departnt, and the Administration Departnt did not participate in the sparring test.
Anyway, what was called the flower of this much-talked-about sparring test was the nomination spar I ntioned before.
In the case of general spars, they weren't very noticeable because multiple evaluations were conducted simultaneously within the examination hall.
The content was generally open to everyone, but attention was dispersed.
However, the nomination spar was different.
It was the sa in that it was held publicly like the general spars I ntioned earlier……. but only two people would go up on the examination stage to duel. In short, the level of attention was completely different.
If you were to ask why such a system exists……. I could just say it was to highlight the characters in the ga.
Well, there was a reason. It was said that the custom of the first batch of Archenia Academy students nominating each other for duels was passed down as a test.
“Number 209, Jason Goyle.”
Anyway, the roll call was being conducted in a solemn atmosphere. The spars would be held in this order. Perhaps keeping the application for nomination spars in mind, there was about a 5-second pause after calling a na.
“Number 210, Ben Atkinson.”
There was no anxiety. There was only conviction. It was a feeling that the original Rain Enlight might never have felt in his entire life. That's why I felt more pity for him.
“Number 211, Rain Enlight.”
My na was called. The na that everyone had laughed at.
The failure of the ducal house, the loser, and……. the na that had now beco mine.
Without flustering, I calmly stood up from my seat.
At my action, the professor calling the nas paused for a mont and called over.
“Student Rain Enlight. Are you applying for a nomination spar?”
To that question, I gave a small nod and calmly opened my mouth.
“Student Rain Enlight applies for a nomination spar against Student Milo Gloss.”
The nomination spars are held after the general sparring tests are over. Because of that, I had to spend quite a long ti before my test……. but there was no ti to be bored.
It was also important to watch the spars that weren't mine. And the reason for that was to judge the level of the main and supporting characters.
As I've said before, there were a total of five first-year playable characters in .
The Light of Salvation, Serene El Stellia.
The Sword Saint, Elwin Van Cardenas.
The Star Seeker, Arien Ortega.
The Windfang, Khan.
The Failure Knight, Yuna.
Depending on which starting item was chosen and which choices were made in the beginning, the stats of these characters at the ti of the entrance exam would change.
I needed to get a firm grasp of the current level of these five to accurately figure out how to approach them and how to use them in the future.
And, depending on the choices, so characters might appear in the nomination spars, so I had to check that as well…….
Actually, among the five, trying to judge Serene and Arien's full strength by watching them didn't have much aning.
Both were munchkin-type characters who were strong in the early ga and strong in the late ga, so it was more like watching a spectacle.
When her opponent raised their sword to defend, Serene sent the opponent flying along with their sword, and Arien defended against her opponent's magic with just pure mana and……. finished them off simply with interdiate-level magic.
The power didn't seem to be at the level of interdiate magic, but anyway.
In Khan's case, his combat power didn't fluctuate that much depending on the choices, so it was a bit more convenient.
He easily won the match with his unique strength and spirit arts, but it seed he wasn't very talented in swordsmanship. I thought I could use this as a pretext to approach him once…….
I watched the other two, Yuna and Elwin, a bit more carefully. Unlike the other main characters, they were characters I hadn't even t face to face once.
Clang-! Clang-!
The handso, blond, blue-eyed Elwin's brisk sword strikes were pushing his opponent back. His opponent was also a relatively high-ranking student, but after just two clashes, the montum had already shifted to Elwin's side.
‘Elwin's swordsmanship proficiency is A. It's the sa as mine right now.’
But that didn't an my swordsmanship was on the sa level as Elwin's.
Elwin had a unique skill called ‘Sword Saint's Secret Art’ that greatly enhanced his swordsmanship abilities……. He probably wielded a much more sophisticated swordsmanship than .
Above all, the current Elwin had not yet experienced real combat even once, and considering that his swordsmanship reaches EX rank at the ti of the ending, I would naturally be no match for him. And it goes without saying for his physical specs.
‘And, on the other side…….’
“Ugh……!”
Clang-!
With that thought, I turned my head in another direction, and at the end of my gaze was a girl with short black hair, rolling on the floor.
‘Yuna is……. in her basic state, huh.’
Yuna, who held the moniker ‘Failure Knight,’ was a typical growth-type character.
A character who was a failure-level weakling in the early part of the ga, but leaped to beco a powerhouse on par with Serene in the latter half.
There was a pro route where she could get a little stronger before enrollnt, but it seed that in the world that had beco reality, such a thing didn't exist.
“Take this!!”
There was quite a distance between the seats and the sparring training ground, but Yuna shouted loud enough for her voice to reach here and charged forward.
Whoosh-!
But that spirited attack also cut through the empty air. And such a disgraceful appearance…….
-Pfft, what's with her?
-She doesn't have a family na, so she must be a commoner. How did she get in?
-Still, we should be grateful she's setting the curve.
It was always accompanied by whispers. Just as I had been laughed at.
‘I don't like this.’
In fact, although Yuna's attack missed, it wasn't a completely pathetic attempt.
It wasn't what she intended, but the fact that she twisted the trajectory at the last mont was quite comndable.
Though it seed no one was able to notice that.
Just when I was thinking it would be nice if she could land a blow.
“Uryaa-!!”
Thwack!
With a spirited shout, Yuna landed a big blow on her opponent's side.
With a look on her face that said, ‘I finally hit him.’
At that sight, I might have unconsciously raised the corners of my mouth and grinned.
‘That's right. Looking pathetic in the early stages but showing flashes of brilliance like this is part of the charm that the character Yuna shows in the early ga……! It's also the feeling of rooting for the underdog.’
…….
I admit it. I was fanboying. I was a little excited…….
Since was a turn-based RPG, the combat descriptions of non-player characters relied on illustrations and text, but seeing it unfold in reality, frankly, my tension rose.
Honestly, it was understandable. The highlight of the early part of my favorite ga was unfolding right before my eyes.
How could I endure this? There probably isn't a single gar who could remain calm in this situation.
But the ti to enjoy the show wasn't that long. An announcent was made as the public sparring tests were coming to an end.
-After the public sparring tests are over, the nomination spars will begin shortly. From now on, the students designated for the nomination spars are to assemble in the passage on the first floor of the examination hall.
‘Well……. it was a good change of pace.’
Honestly, thinking that everyone would be watching my spar made feel a bit sick from the uncomfortable gazes……. but I seed to have relaxed appropriately.
I guess watching what you like is the best way to relieve tension.
I composed my slightly excited expression and stood up from my seat. Voices like ‘He's really going?’ pierced from the surroundings, which was quite annoying. But what did it matter?
The days I'll be hearing such things are numbered anyway.
Naturally, the ones watching the sparring test were not just the students. The professors were also watching for evaluation purposes.
And, the professors, looking down at the students from a professor-only room isolated from the outside, would each add a word or two.
“As expected, Miss Serene is already on a different level. The rumor that she had reached the skill of a Senior Knight at the ti of her middle school graduation seems to have been true.”
“There seems to be no rival for her in the Combat Departnt……. At least in the Magic Departnt, there was also an out-of-spec student, right? That, the Magic Tower Master's daughter. It would have to be soone of that level to make it a fight.”
“Besides Miss Serene, there are many outstanding talents. Especially that Elwin boy from the Cardenas family seems to be a match for Miss Serene. The foreign student who used a peculiar spirit art as well.”
The reason they were watching the evaluation process so ticulously was partly due to their professional sense of duty, but there was another reason.
It was because they had to assign supervising professors to the students after the entrance examination, so they were looking out for students to take under their wing. The performance of a supervised student directly becos the achievent of the supervising professor.
‘This is going to be a bloodbath.’
Listening to the professors' conversation, it seed they too were keeping an eye on the student he had his eyes on……. Rain Enlight. He was said to be one of the 12 freshn who had broken through stage 8.
That kid, I liked him, but it's beco a nuisance with all these eyes on him - while he was thinking that…….
“It was just as you said, sunbae~.”
From behind, a woman's voice was heard. It was Acaite's junior knight and a fellow professor at Archenia Academy, Jenna.
“Wow, he didn't look strong on the outside, but who would have known he'd break through stage 8? The rumor has already spread, and the other professors are going crazy~.”
“You said you were the supervisor.”
“That's right~ Honestly, looking at his physical ability alone, it's just so-so, so I didn't have high expectations, but in terms of sense and experience, it's on a different level. Even active knights would have a hard ti knowing everything like that.”
Hearing Jenna's words, Acaite let out a dry laugh.
“I hear they were badmouthing him, calling him an illegitimate child, a failure, and what not……. It seems in the face of achievent, they have no dignity or anything.”
“That's the funny part. Wow, Professor Hugo was also in the evaluation room at that ti……. You should have seen his face, he was just dumbfounded~.”
“For even that man to shut his mouth, that says it all.”
Acaite curled the corner of his lip into a smirk. It was because he had reconfird that his eyes were not mistaken.
“I'm going to get that kid, no matter what.”
“Why go that far? To be honest, he doesn't seem to be at the very top tier.”
“He seems rewarding to teach.”
“Hng~.”
Seeing that, Jenna nodded her head. Certainly, Acaite's and Rain's fighting styles were similar.
“I guess so. Both that kid nad Rain and you, sunbae, rely more on skill, judgnt, and combat sense than physical ability.”
“Acting like you know.”
“It's not acting like I know, I know it~.”
Acaite exchanged such light banter with Jenna and then looked at the examination hall where the nomination spar was about to begin. And……. he muttered softly.
“Now, what are you going to show this ti.”
Placing a little expectation on what kind of performance the student he had his eyes on would show.
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