How to Live as a Swordmaster of the Enemy Nation

Knight Order Examination (3)

The Brea group consisted of about 20 people. Since they had quite a large number, and as they picked apart the maze slowly, testing each step as if checking the stability of a stone bridge before crossing, they managed to head toward the exit more quickly than expected.

A few minutes before Gregory arrived, Brea's lips were trembling as if from chills.

"W-What is that? Is it a monster? Why is that thing blocking the exit...?"

Brea was not the only one who was scared. The other cadets were also overwhelmed by an intense sense of fear. At least Brea, Elisabeth, and Alessandro had frequently trained for situations like this within their families, so they instinctively drew their swords.

"Pull yourselves together! The Knight Orders wouldn't have put in a monster we can't defeat. Everyone, draw your swords!"

The strategy she devised was as follows:
Concentrate all attacks on one leg in a single strike to unbalance it. Then break the other leg—if both legs go, the troll would not be able to chase after them for a while. That way, they could escape.

It was a rather realistic strategy. They had several 3-star knights in the group and Brea's clever leadership. For most of the cadets, it seemed like the fastest path to passing the Knight Order exam was to join up with this team and clear the hurdle quickly.

Several clashes occurred between the one-eyed troll and Brea's group. However, there was an unpleasant aspect: no matter how much strength they put into their swords, or how much they enhanced their bodies with mana, their blades would not penetrate.

The one-eyed troll's hide was as tough as a mana crystal.

"We're going to die... Run away!"

"I-I'm giving up..."

When things didn't go as planned, the cadets abandoned the group and dashed for the exit. Because of that, their formation gradually fell into chaos.

Even so, Adrian, Brea, Elisabeth, and Alessandro did not run away from this place.

Their desire to join the Knight Order certainly played a part, but they also thought that if even they ran away, the other cadets would be in danger.

Of the initial group of twenty, only four remained.
By the time exhaustion overtook their bodies, a powerful presence could be felt behind them.

***

The one-eyed troll let out a roar, threatening Brea's group. Its single eye glinted with a sharp, predatory energy.

Except for Ernest and Gregory, the remaining cadets who could engage in combat were Alessandro Lucenberg, Brea Erhardt, Elisabeth Burgenfeld, and Adrian Valencia.

Their reason for not fleeing this place was partly academic ambition, but also a sense of duty—not wanting to endanger the other cadets by abandoning them.

Gregory intended to use his previous-life experiences to tackle this fight. He knew the one-eyed troll's weaknesses and also the strengths of the other cadets, which was a significant advantage.

There was someone else who needed to play a crucial role in this battle: Ernest Ashborn, a 4-star knight.

Though he had only recently realized how to use aura before the start of the exam, Gregory knew about this fact.

Gregory looked at Ernest standing next to him and spoke quietly. Upon hearing Gregory's words, Ernest steeled his resolve.

"Your role is important, Ernest."

"Understood."

Gregory quickly came up with a plan and started issuing commands. The other cadets were bewildered by Gregory's directives, but nevertheless, they decided to focus on the current crisis.

"Elisabeth! Go for the troll's left leg! Hard, and fast!"

Following Gregory's command, Elisabeth slashed her sword at the troll's leg. Her strike hit true—her strength was in her precision and the sharpness of her swordsmanship.

"Alessandro! Strike down hard from the right! Trust your strength!"

Alessandro swung his sword with all his might. His strong suit was sheer power. But similar with Gregory's the sparring with Ernest, Alessandro simply putting more force into his swing didn't guarantee success in a real battle. As Gregory predicted, Alessandro's strike missed its mark.

Elisabeth's strike also failed to penetrate. But this too was within Gregory's expectations.
This confirmed to him that without aura, their attacks would not work.

"Brea! Distract it from behind. Confuse the one-eyed troll!"

Brea's advantage was her cunning. She moved swiftly, causing chaos behind the troll, and managed to scatter its focus.

It was then that Gregory turned his attention to Ernest. At that moment, Ernest manifested his aura.

"Ernest, now! Aim between the neck and the shoulder!"

Raising his sword, Ernest's blade was enveloped in a blue aura, emitting a powerful energy.

Gregory knew that Ernest's attack could break through the troll's defenses—he knew the one-eyed troll's weak point was exactly between the neck and shoulder.

Ernest concentrated his aura and targeted the spot between the troll's neck and shoulder. The sharp glow of his aura pierced the one-eyed troll's vulnerability.

Puh-ung—!

The one-eyed troll let out a short roar, lost its balance, and collapsed to its knees. It was a success; its neck had been deeply slashed and blood was pouring out. Not missing the opportunity, Gregory struck forcefully at the troll's neck with his own blue aura-encased blade.

'Die!'

The mana crystal at the center of the one-eyed troll's neck shattered. The creature writhed in a final spasm and then fell, and, in an instant, silence enveloped the area.

Stunned, Ernest asked Gregory,

"D-Did we win?"

"It would seem so. Good job."

Panting, Ernest lowered his sword, while Gregory looked around once more. Seeing that the cadets had succeeded in slaying the one-eyed troll under his guidance, he felt relieved.

There was no way they could have won with just the two of them. Gregory was proud and grateful that the cadets had so suddenly followed the commands he gave.

After that, cheers erupted from Gregory, Ernest, and the cadets, and the voices of the audience followed.

The Knight Order exam was held only once a year. At the beginning, the commanders of the Knigtht Order had shaken their heads, thinking the level seemed too low this time. It was a natural concern; this exam had been abruptly staged in preparation for war.

However, the Knight Order commanders placed great value on this exam since there were two cadets able to manifest aura, and one cadet had solved the secret of the mental endurance test, something that hadn't been achieved for years.

Though they passed safely through the maze, the cadets who had abandoned their comrades to escape alone were immediately disqualified. The Knight Order would not tolerate those who lacked teamwork and leadership.
Cadets who failed to escape the maze were also eliminated. Those unable to survive on the battlefield could not succeed in joining the Knight Order.

After Gregory's group defeated the one-eyed troll, including those who managed to escape, only about thirty candidates remained for the final test.

***

Before long, the Knight Order exam reached its final stage: the mana purity test. In this test, each cadet had to place their hand on a stone monument to measure the purity of their mana.

The monument would shine in a different light depending on purity—clear light meant high purity, while murky light signaled low mana quality.

Mana purity was an indicator of strength, so all the cadets waited anxiously for their turn.

As the order was based on the sequence of their escape, it soon became Ernest's turn.

He couldn't completely hide his nervous expression, but traces of pride and confidence were evident on his face.

As a 4-star knight in the Knight Order, his experience and skills were already well established.

Standing before the monument, Ernest slowly placed his hand upon it. As his hand touched the stone, a bright, clear blue glow enveloped it.

From the crowd came sounds of admiration, and the commanders of the Knight Order nodded, acknowledging his achievement. Ernest, satisfied, stepped away with a proud look.

Next was Alessandro, who approached and placed his hand on the monument. As his turn arrived, whispers of expectation spread among the cadets.

Known for his powerful strength, there was much curiosity about Alessandro's mana purity. However, when his hand touched the stone, the monument shone a muddy color. He realized that, although mana was the source of strength, there were limits to building muscle alone. He felt a sense of self-doubt, thinking his power was nothing more than physical strength.

When Elisabeth placed her hand on the monument, her calm gaze and firm posture stood out. The stone glowed softly upon her touch, displaying that her mana was stable and pure.

Compliments about Elisabeth's mana purity spread among the onlookers. She had, as expected, achieved strong results and left the stone with a proud expression.

Brea was next. She approached the stone cautiously, and as her hand made contact, a purple glow spread. While her mana was not murky, its overall purity was lower than that of the other cadets.

Brea's results in the mana purity test were not as good as expected, and she wandered about before quietly leaving the stone, a hint of disappointment showing.

Then it was Adrian's turn. When his turn came, he carefully placed his hand on the stone.

It emitted a muddy glow, indicating that his mana was the least pure of all. Spectators were disappointed by his lower than expected mana purity, but he wasn't. Having grown up in a poor family and achieved this result through effort alone, Adrian's expression suggested he was not dissatisfied.

Now it was Gregory's turn. There were rumors among the cadets that he, having topped both the physical and mental tests and surpassed his limits as a two-star knight, was something special.

Gregory approached the stone with a calm expression. Tension filled the air around him as everyone held their breath, waiting in anticipation for his result.

Gregory, exuding confidence, placed his hand on the stone. But at that moment, something unexpected happened.

Jjeojeojeok—

The monument glowed red the moment Gregory touched it.
Then it began to tremble violently.

Jjaeng-geurang!

Cracks appeared, and it soon shattered into pieces. The fragments of the stone flew into the air, scattering all around.

"What in the world...!"

The audience cried out in shock, and even the commanders of the Knigtht Order were stunned.

Whispers spread among the Knight Order commanders as everyone realized the seriousness of the situation.

"The stone... it broke? Did it really glow red?"

One commander of the Knight Order said in a voice filled with astonishment. Gregory was utterly flustered. He had not foreseen that the monument would shatter.

He had always been wary of incurring backlash from overusing mana. That was why he had deliberately not used aura when touching the monument, yet he had not expected this outcome.

Gregory stepped back, and all eyes turned to him. They looked at him with awe.

Speculation swirled among the cadets—was Gregory's mana so powerful it destroyed the monument, or was there some other reason?

Never before in the Knight Order exam had the monument been destroyed. Everyone's attention was focused on Gregory's result.

Gregory, as he had expected, shook up the outcome of the exam and was once again thrust into the spotlight.

The cadets expressed their discontent about the ruined monument.

"Then how are we supposed to take the test?"

"The monument is the last test... If we can't measure Gregory's mana purity because it broke, I say he should be disqualified."

"That's true!!"

As the unrest grew, Hemingway stepped in to mediate. Gregory watched Hemingway's expression. For some reason, Hemingway seemed to know something about Gregory's red mana.

"Well then, can any of you break that stone monument with mana? Gregory passes."

"......"

"I repeat, Gregory passes."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
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