Chapter 118

Phewk-!

“Rose Ezeline. B Class.”

Beatrix’s tests were ruthless.

Crack-!

“Yondi Bianche. C Class.”

They were also strict.

Pow-!

“Chilea Grace. A Class.”

Pretty hardcore, too.

To the point that the freshmen, who had just stepped out into this ‘society’ called academy, were getting quite the shock.

“Huuuuh… I’ve never been hit by my father before…”

“The wild won’t indulge your whining.”

“But why! Why should the daughter of a baron be demoted to C Class!”

“Our Father has passed away. I personally sent you off with the very hand that struck you.”

Whoa, not exactly a lie, but the way she says it makes her sound like some kind of rebellious child.

Seems Beatrix’s shock therapy might have been a bit too much as the baron’s daughter is stuttering and can’t continue her sentence. Beatrix brushes her aside and looks our way.

“Alright, next is Maria.”

“…! Hooohh, hooooh…”

Maria takes a deep breath in and then lets it out upon being called by Beatrix. She seems to be trembling from nervousness at the prospect of the test.

“Maria, are you nervous?”

“A little, yes.”

“The great saintess is nervous over just a test?”

“My training must be lacking.”

Still, her tone is the same as Elder Maria’s.

“Go ahead with a calm mind. The Iron-blooded Teacher may look scary on the outside, but inside she’s warm-hearted.”

“Do you know her?”

“Hmm? Perhaps. But one thing I can guarantee is that Maria’s abilities are more than enough to secure an A Class ranking.”

I give her a pat on the rear to encourage her. Maria briefly looks surprised and pats her own bottom but quickly hears Beatrix calling her and hurries to the sparring ground.

“Maria, there will be no extra points given or easy treatment just because you’re the church’s saintess. I’ll evaluate you solely based on your skills, so give it your all.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Then come on in.”

Maria’s practical evaluation begins.

Until now, Beatrix would first take the students’ all-out attacks, then gradually increase the intensity to assess their response capabilities. However, Maria’s sparring style was different from the other students.

Woooom-.

“What are you doing right now?”

Creating a holy barrier in mid-air to surround herself.

“I’m sparring.”

“Is that what you call sparring?”

“As servants of the Lord, unless destined for the sword, we must not harm others.”

“With that method, you won’t win any fights.”

Beatrix says this with a look of disbelief.

Maria thinks deeply for a moment then replies clearly.

“Even if I cannot defeat the enemy, I can still protect those precious to me.”

“…”

Hearing this answer, I smirk. I know that the future Maria held back millions of Demon King’s Army alone in a valley for 20 days, becoming the ‘strongest shield’ according to her principles.

“Fine. Since you’re completely excluding offensive abilities, the evaluation will be even stricter than others.”

“I am prepared.”

“Good. No unnecessary chatter, which makes it easier on me.”

Swish-.

Beatrix draws her Greatsword, assumes a stance, and releases a controlled blade of energy towards Maria’s barrier.

“Graaaah!”

Beatrix unleashes clean sword techniques, gradually increasing the intensity without fault.

The swordmaster students watching are stunned with their mouths agape. The more knowledgeable they are about swords, the more amazed they are by Beatrix’s movements.

“Faster than even my father, the Duke of Swords…”

“How does she wield such a heavy and long Greatsword like a whip? What kind of inner strength does she possess…!”

Clang-!

But even more astonishing is…

“Ughhh…”

“I didn’t think someone could manifest divine power this thickly when I was her age…”

Maria’s barrier holding firm against Beatrix’s relentless sword strikes. Of course, if Beatrix really pushed herself, Maria would likely be blown away.

Thinking about it, Beatrix was also from the Holy Order, even the top Holy Knight of the order. I wonder how she sees Maria now?

“Let’s increase the intensity.”

BOOM-!

“Gyaaah!”

Heroes weaken with each generation. So do saintesses. In fact, ever since the appearance of Saint Irolwel, the line of saintesses was almost entirely severed.

And then came Saintess Maria. The greatest talent in history, the best saintess of ancient and modern times.

By now, Beatrix’s sword freely emits aura. A crack forms in Maria’s brilliantly glowing shield.

CRACK-!

Maria kneels on one knee under the oppressive force like a mountain pressing down. A groan escapes her clenched teeth.

However, no one can criticize Maria because no one else could withstand Beatrix to this extent.

I wonder how it would turn out if Maria used her divine power for offense instead of just defense? It suddenly becomes intriguing.

“Good job, Maria. A Class.”

“Ah-haaa!”

KABOOM-!

A sharp strike shatters Maria’s shield. Exhausted, Maria collapses.

“Good work.”

“Haa, haa…”

I quickly rush over and support Maria, drenched in sweat, as she struggles to breathe.

“Are you okay…?”

“Didn’t you hear the final evaluation?”

“Because of my breathing difficulty, I couldn’t hear anything…”

“A Class.”

I offer a short, reassuring word and Maria sighs in relief, clutching her damp eyelids.

“Next, Evans Grant. Come forward.”

“Yes sir. Hey, over there, girl.”

“What? W-was I called?”

I hand Maria over to the alchemist student who received A Class earlier.

“Squishy thighs aren’t good for anything. Saintess, give me your knee as a pillow.”

“How dare you! Do you know who I am? How dare you command me!”

“Oi, if you don’t comply, I’ll spread rumors that you made life difficult for a saintess. Want a taste of the church’s wrath?”

“…”

Since receiving A Class, this alchemist must be quite skilled. Young talent often breeds arrogance.

But even arrogance reaching to the heavens can’t match the fear of having a saintess held hostage. Especially for a young kid.

After Maria rests on the alchemist’s thigh like she did on the hard stone floor in Tartarus, I trudge forward.

Facing Beatrix with my back to the students, I subtly lick my lips.

“(Unnoticed A.)”

“Come in first. You’re not going to only defend like Maria, right?”

“Of course not, I’m not a follower of the church.”

I pull out my magic staff, currently disguised to look like a three-section staff to others.

Don’t underestimate it just because it’s a staff. While a sword can split an opponent’s head in two, a three-section staff can shatter it into pieces.

“Isn’t that the kid who was hanging around the saintess…”

“Evans? Never heard of him. Probably some nobody. Why was the saintess associating with someone like that?”

Suspicious and curious gazes follow me. There’s no need to work hard to shake them off, but to enter A Class, I’ll need to stand out eventually. Just not too flashy.

Moderately, skillfully.

***

By the time I exit the gym, the sky has already grown dark. Evening has arrived.

Eden Academy provides free room and board for all students within the academy grounds. Snacks are also generously provided within healthy limits.

Drenched in artificially created sweat, I walk toward the communal showers. As I pass, the male students mutter among themselves.

“That guy…! He was the one fighting the Iron-blooded Teacher with that three-section staff!”

“He moves incredibly well… and his body isn’t bad either… Hermy…”

“Abs are something you’re born with, right? I envy him.”

“Abs? Aren’t those smaller muscles?”

“Nah, look closely. That’s eight-pack abs right there.”

“Is it? Now that you mention it, it does look like that… But why do his abs seem to move?”

After dueling, students separate by gender to shower in their respective facilities. Can’t enter the dorms all sweaty.

The dormitories operate on a two-to-a-room basis, naturally of the same gender. We mustn’t turn the sacred academy dorms into orgies.

However, I had already requested from Beatrix beforehand to room with Aru, my familiar. The reason will come later…

Shhwoosh-

Warm water pours from the steaming showerhead. Enjoying the sensation, I gaze at the mirror. Unfortunately, droplets cover its surface, preventing me from seeing my own reflection.

What a shame. I was looking forward to seeing my cute face again after a while.

I dry myself thoroughly with a towel. The air outside after showering feels cool and refreshing.

After putting on my prepared school uniform, I meet up with Aru who was waiting for me. His uniform is covered in red blood.

“Change into something else and come back. Just how big of a mess did you make?”

“Meeeh! I just did what Evans told me to!”

“Did you definitely make it to the semifinals?”

“Meeeh-meeh! I got second place! The teacher confirmed it!”

“Second place? You? Then who’s first?”

“Blonde human! Frey! I got second and forfeited!”

“Is that so? Hmm… Well done. Since it’s established fact that the Demon King has returned, there’s no need to create unnecessary changes in history over trivial matters.”

“Meeeh-meeh-meeh!”

As I pet Aru’s fluffy head, he smiles happily. Using Arachne’s spider silk, I get Aru a new uniform.

We head toward the cafeteria renowned for its grandeur. Time to fill our empty stomachs.

Apparently many others had the same idea, as the cafeteria was already filled with numerous students. There were nine long tables lined up in a row. I sit with Aru at the A Class table designated for first years.

“Gyaaak! That canine familiar!”

“You better watch your mouth… If things go wrong, he’ll silently cut the tendons in your arm without you noticing!”

“I never knew canine familiars could be so terrifying… It felt like I was looking at a wolf familiar!”

Just what sort of huge incident did Aru cause to provoke such comments? I showed off some pretty sweet moves against Beatrix, yet none of the talk is about me because I’m stuck with Aru.

About five minutes later, food flies through the air and lands neatly on the tables. Roasted smoked duck, sandwiches that make your mouth water just looking at them, rye bread, pudding, pumpkin soup… All fitting for the prestigious name.

While other students marvel at the spectacle, my eyes shift to the source of the plates. There sits a green-haired youth wrapped snugly in a mage robe.

The principal of Eden Academy, Merlin. Wait, if Merlin was distributing the food…

“E… With all the freshmen gathered, let’s begin tonight’s feast… But before we start eating…”

So Maria has arrived too. Looking around, I spot Maria dining with Frey. She waves at me happily, and I wave back.

There was plenty of time for the meal, and the food was abundant. Aru stretches his arms in all directions, enjoying the continent’s high-class cuisine for the first time.

The still awkward freshmen ask each other about their hobbies or try to find common topics of conversation, slowly blending together. Between all this youthful peace, I had a sudden urge to stir up trouble. But as a student aspiring for redemption, I quietly focus on eating.

When the banquet ends, the day’s schedule concludes as well. Students spend their remaining time strolling in the park, studying in the self-study room, or practicing martial arts in the gymnasium.

I took a walk in the park with Aru. Wherever we went, fearful and astonished gazes followed Aru, leaving us nowhere peaceful.

At 8 PM, the academy’s lights turn off. Students retreat to their dormitory rooms to prepare for sleep. Though it’s more about keeping students from going out at night than actual sleeping.

Small movements within the dormitory are allowed, but nothing more. Exiting the dormitory is strictly prohibited.

Click-.

However.

“Cuung? What are you doing?”

I’m a model student of this exemplary academy.

“Why are you opening the window?”

“Tch, if anyone comes in, tell them I went to the vending machine downstairs.”

“Cuung-cuung?”

Opening the white-framed window reveals the vast black-and-white night sky and the academy park twinkling with lanterns. It’s refreshingly free. Nothing compares to the thrill of subtly breaking set rules, whether they be regulations, laws, or ethics of life.

But I’m not doing this out of mere rebellion or the feeling of defiance right now.

Whoosh-!

“Hey, young demon! Where are you going! Cuung-cuung!”

“Shh! I told you to get used to calling me Evans!”

It’s 8 PM.

Time to meet her.

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