(1)
1.
After passing through the main gate and arriving at the examination site.
The two got off the carriage.
Soon, the scenery before their eyes appeared. Facing this, Ulan reflexively widened his eyes.
“This place is······.”
Arsen Academy.
The most prestigious educational institution on the continent, famous for its enormous scale. As if to prove that statement true, the academy’s size was beyond imagination.
A vast lake large enough to hold a prairie in its center, surrounded by numerous densely packed buildings. Just looking at this, one could believe it was not an academy but an entire country.
Meanwhile, while Ulan was captivated by the academy, Noa fixed her gaze on the enormous lake.
‘The Source of Magic, Arsen.’
Though it was too large to be called a mere source, since it was referred to as such in the game, she decided to overlook the minor details.
The reason Noa paid attention to that lake was because it was the foundation of the “Chronicles of Arsen Continent” and the core of the main scenario.
‘The place where the Gate of the Abyss opens.’
The Gate of the Abyss, from which monsters emerge, always opened there. No matter which protagonist was chosen or what branching paths were taken.
‘Of course, there’s still much time before the gate opens, but it’s not enough to be complacent.’
So, since we’ve come to the academy, let’s pass the exam with flying colors and monopolize all the Hidden Pieces!
Noa’s eyes sparkled with determination.
Just as she was reaffirming her resolve.
“Ulan-nim, Noa-nim.”
A familiar voice reached their ears.
It was Alond, the butler of Count Dermore’s household, who had ridden in the carriage with them. He handed each of them a bundle.
“Please take this.”
“This is······?”
“A lunch prepared by the mansion and an encouragement gift from His Excellency the Count.”
As soon as the word “encouragement gift” was mentioned.
Noa immediately opened the pouch inside the bundle. Her eyes soon sparkled.
“Gold coins!”
No matter how you looked at it, they were gold coins.
And not just one or two, but five coins. Since one gold coin was worth a hundred silver coins, it was like receiving five hundred silver coins.
Noa’s expression brightened instantly.
On the other hand, Ulan remained indifferent. He was more grateful for the carefully packed lunch than the gold coins. So, he silently bowed his head.
“I am grateful for the Count’s kindness.”
“I-I’ll also convey my thanks!”
Noa, who had belatedly come to her senses, hurriedly expressed her gratitude. Alond nodded politely.
“Understood. Then, I wish you both good luck on your journey and hope you achieve excellent results in the entrance exam.”
With an enigmatic smile.
Alond boarded the carriage and left the academy.
Now alone again, Ulan and Noa. But they didn’t feel lonely or disappointed. Their desired destination was right before them.
“Well, shall we go?”
“Let’s.”
With Ulan’s blunt reply.
The two confidently headed to the examination site.
2.
The examination site boasted a vast area befitting the academy’s scale. It would take at least half a day to fully explore.
The two applied for their respective exams. They were then handed booklets by the guide, detailing the locations and times of their exams.
“Hmm, all the magic specialty exams are in the afternoon. So, I’ll take the Enchantment exam first. And Ulan, you······.”
Noa busily flipped through the pages.
“Ah! Found it. The Great Duel is first, followed by Monster Hunting. Then, in the afternoon, you’ll take the Magic Detection exam.”
The Great Duel was held at the eastern Wolf Arena. Meanwhile, Noa’s exam was at the western blacksmith’s forge.
Their destinations were completely opposite.
Ulan muttered calmly.
“We’ll have to part ways for a while.”
“Yeah. Good luck on your exam.”
“You too.”
With a clean farewell.
Ulan and Noa each headed to their respective exam sites. After walking a few steps, Noa’s voice suddenly called out.
“Ah, right. Ulan!”
“······?”
“After the exam, let’s meet at the fountain. It’d be lonely eating lunch alone.”
At first, Ulan didn’t understand.
But then he chuckled and replied.
“I’m fine alone.”
“······I’m not. Anyway! Let’s meet at the fountain around noon.”
After saying her piece, Noa disappeared.
Ulan also quickened his pace.
Finding the location wasn’t difficult. The booklet included a map.
Not long after.
He arrived at the Wolf Arena.
“Everyone, attention!”
A man presumed to be the exam supervisor stepped onto the podium. A man with a rugged face. He spoke with a grim expression.
“I am Ethan Arnoff, the supervisor of this exam. I will now explain the Great Duel, so listen carefully!”
After his gruff shout.
Ethan immediately got to the point.
“The Great Duel is a specialty exam to assess your combat sense, assuming you were deployed on an actual battlefield.”
Ethan slowly paced.
Then he pointed to the arena.
“The exam is simple. Enter the arena and fight each other. And win. How about it? Need more explanation?”
As he looked around.
A boy raised his hand.
“Supervisor, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“How many people do we fight until?”
“First, we’ll select five. Those five will be guaranteed at least a B-rank. Then, those five will fight, and the final two will receive an A-rank.”
“What if we don’t make it into the top five······.”
“You’ll get below a C-rank. And the first to fall gets an F-rank.”
As the detailed explanation continued.
Another student raised his hand.
“Then how do we get an S-rank?”
“Excellent question.”
Ethan grinned.
As if he had been waiting for that question.
“The S-rank is only for the final two who fight and win. However, in this case, the loser will receive a B-rank.”
“T-then what if we don’t fight······.”
“You’ll both get an A-rank and end it.”
In other words, the final two have a choice.
To negotiate and both safely receive an A-rank, or to fight and win the S-rank. The choice is up to the examinees.
Then Ethan pulled something out.
A tiny orb, the size of a fingernail. A mysterious orb emitting a strong blue light.
“By the way, the criterion for defeat is determined by this.”
“What is that?”
“Your lives.”
After his answer.
Ethan crushed the orb.
Crack!
Fragments scattered everywhere. The blue light the orb emitted also disappeared like smoke.
“If it breaks, it loses its light. It’s an orb containing a small amount of magic power. If it’s destroyed, it’s considered a loss, as if you’ve lost your life.”
By the way, it doesn’t matter where you keep the orb. Just don’t separate it from your body.
“If there are no more questions, we’ll start the exam now. From now on, move to your assigned zones in the order your names are called.”
As soon as Ethan finished explaining.
The assistant supervisors behind him began calling the examinees’ names.
“Himel Deorg, to Zone 1!”
“Berno Davin, to Zone 2!”
The waiting examinees headed to the arena.
The arena was circular, and the zones the supervisors mentioned were like the directions of a clock’s hands.
As the seats were gradually filled. Suddenly, a figure caught everyone’s attention.
‘That’s······.’
Pale golden hair and turquoise eyes.
A slender waist and curvaceous figure.
A woman so beautiful that anyone passing by would turn to look. Unlike someone with a body shape that made it hard to believe she was the same age.
But the reason Ulan noticed her wasn’t just because of her face and figure.
‘I’ve seen that face somewhere······.’
The problem was he couldn’t remember exactly who she was. So, with a furrowed brow, he was trying to recall his past life’s memories.
Then the supervisor called her name.
“Ivella Elea’ad, to Zone 12!”
As the woman’s name echoed.
Ulan’s eyes widened. It was a name he remembered. And at that moment, her face overlapped with someone from his memories.
A comrade who fought alongside Ulan against the Abyssal Monsters in his past life, one of the seven heroes.
The Sword Princess, Ivella.
Comparing her to the Sword Princess from his memories, her face was quite similar. Her hair, eyes, and facial features were almost identical.
‘I see. It’s Ivella, isn’t it?’
He didn’t recognize her because she didn’t have scars.
Originally, the Sword Princess had scars.
A large scar running from her left eyebrow to her cheek, and smaller scars on her forehead and chin.
So, the Sword Princess always wore a mask. She only showed her face to comrades she truly trusted. Ulan was one of them.
‘But who would’ve thought she also attended Arsen Academy.’
In his past life, they rarely talked about their pasts, so he didn’t know. Feeling strangely curious, Ulan observed Ivella.
Just then.
Clang! Creak!
As soon as Ivella entered the arena.
The iron gates suddenly closed. Some examinees were startled by the sudden situation, and Ethan added an explanation in a tone as if he had forgotten.
“Ah, I forgot to mention. The Great Duel is conducted in groups of 12.”
You should’ve said that first.
The examinees looked at Ethan with such eyes. But Ethan continued with a shameless expression.
“I’ll give you exactly 10 seconds. Don’t make stupid faces and hide your orbs. If you hold them out like that, you’ll be targeted first.”
As soon as Ethan finished speaking.
The examinees hurriedly began hiding their orbs. Some hid them in their pockets, socks, or even underwear.
But it was a futile effort.
Sssssss!
The blue light emitted by the orbs seeped through their clothes. This way, everyone could see where the orbs were hidden.
Though it was better than holding them in their hands.
Soon, 10 seconds passed.
“Start of Battle!”
At Ethan’s shout.
The examinees each gripped their weapons and eyed each other. They were trying to gauge their opponents’ strength and read their moves.
But at that moment.
Someone broke the arena’s silence. It was the future Sword Princess, Ivella Elea’ad.
Whoosh!
A sword thrusting forward like a gust of wind.
Taking advantage of everyone’s confusion, Ivella unleashed a swift thrust at the boy in the 11 o’clock direction. It was a precise strike.
Crack! Thud!
The orb split in half.
The bluish light disappeared instantly. Then, a sharp voice reached the boy’s ears.
“Olden Randilf, eliminated!”
The boy immediately received an F-rank.
Probably because he was eliminated without even swinging his weapon once. And with that as the signal, chaos erupted in the arena.
Clang! Clash! Bang!
The sound of weapons clashing.
All sorts of shouts and screams filled the arena. Amid the chaotic battlefield, Ulan’s gaze was fixed solely on Ivella.
‘Sword Princess Ivella.’
As she had just demonstrated, Ivella was a master of swift swordsmanship.
Her sword strikes were terrifyingly fast and relentless. In battle, she always aimed for the enemy’s vital points.
So, those who had fought her before unanimously said it was like fighting an assassin rather than a swordsman.
‘But her movements were as beautiful as a butterfly’s dance, earning her the title Sword Princess.’
A combination of swordsman and dancer, the Sword Princess.
As if to prove this, Ivella displayed dazzling and swift swordsmanship, like a dance.
Of course, compared to the future Sword Princess, her skills were still lacking.
‘But it doesn’t matter.’
Because right now, there’s no one in that arena talented enough to surpass Ivella.
And just then, the battle ended.
Two winners. Ivella, catching her breath, and a boy with light brown hair.
‘Who was that again?’
The first one called.
As Ulan tried to recall his name.
Suddenly, the boy said something to Ivella. It was too quiet to hear, but from his lip movements, Ulan could guess.
‘Origin, fountain, forfeit?’
The information was too fragmented to understand. Meanwhile, Ivella bit her lip tightly and then bowed her head deeply. Then, in a suppressed voice, she said.
“······I forfeit the battle.”
A sudden declaration of forfeit.
The arena was instantly abuzz.
“What? Forfeit?”
“Why is she forfeiting all of a sudden?”
Ulan was equally puzzled.
Then Ethan furrowed his brow.
“Not a negotiation, but a forfeit?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then you’ll receive a B-rank?”
“I don’t care.”
Ivella answered with a consistently blunt expression. However, despite her expressionless face, her eyes were anything but calm.
Eyes barely suppressing anger.
Perhaps there was some reason behind it.
Ulan guessed as much.
“Well, if they’ve agreed, then it’s fine. Battle over! Those called next, enter the arena on your own.”
Ethan didn’t interfere much either.
Then the calling resumed.
“Diyan Morteshi, to Zone 1!”
“Petron Yulika, to Zone 2!”
Examinees steadily filled the arena.
Soon, it was Ulan’s turn.
“Ulan Bator, to Zone 12!”
Coincidentally, he was assigned to the same zone as Ivella. As Ulan moved, various gazes shot at him like arrows.
Most were wary.
Naturally. He was much larger and more robust than the other boys.
On the other hand, Ulan remained calm.
He simply accepted the gazes and moved to his assigned zone.
Not long after.
“Start of Battle!”
The Great Duel began.
Chapter 5. Entrance Exam