Chapter 18.
The Graduate’s Path (2)
After taking the elixir, I devoted myself to training.
That was because I knew nothing major would happen for about a month.
I exercised diligently to build stamina, and I did not neglect my mana control training either.
As a result, I no longer struggled during long-distance running in the physical arts class.
‘By using mana, I can minimize the strain on my body. Now I don’t have to worry about exhaustion anymore.’
Ernas’s stamina had always been abysmal.
Because of that, whenever he fought someone, he was forced into short battles.
When fighting Serine, when fighting Schmitz, and when fighting Rufus, I had always finished the fights quickly.
But now I could handle prolonged battles as well.
‘The first exam coming up could very well turn into a war of attrition.’
At the Lichtenauer Academy of Swordsmanship, multiple exams were held in stages.
Among them, the first exam could last a long time, and with Ernas’s weak stamina, that would have been dangerous.
‘Unlike the novel, I can’t rely on cheap tricks, so I had to focus on training this part.’
With that, preparations were complete.
Now… it was time to face the first exam.
“From this point, you will all be moving to another island.”
Anne-Liese, the instructor in charge of Black Class 6, gathered the students and spoke.
“There, you’ll be given basic instructions, and afterward, everyone will move together to the location of the first exam.”
The first exam.
At those words, many students’ faces tightened with tension.
Unlike the previous inter-class competition, the first exam carried a clear penalty for failure.
“Let me tell you in advance. The first exam is the easiest of all the exams held at the Academy. However, if you fail to pass it, the judgment will be that you are ‘unfit to remain at the Academy’…”
“……”
“…And you will be expelled.”
Expelled.
For the students who had entered the Academy bearing their personal ambitions, this was the most terrifying penalty of all.
Which meant they had to pass the first exam no matter what.
“The first exam involves all students, from Red Class 1 to Black Class 6. Since students from other classes will also give it their all to avoid failure, I expect you to do the same.”
Red Class 1, Blue Class 2, Yellow Class 3, Green Class 4, White Class 5, Black Class 6.
This was the first time all six classes would be gathered together.
“The ship has arrived. Let’s board.”
“Yes, ma’am…!”
We boarded the ship.
It carried us across the central lake, toward the island where the Academy’s main building stood.
There lay the large training grounds where the entrance ceremony had once been held.
“……”
In the training grounds, the students of the other classes were already assembled.
Since we were the last—Class 6—we entered last.
“Line up over here. Ernas, you’ll organize the students.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
When Anne-Liese moved off elsewhere, I, as the representative of Black Class 6, stood at the front.
‘Now then…’
I turned my head to the side.
And immediately, I locked eyes with the representative of White Class 5, standing right beside me.
“So you’re Ernas Lanzstein. This is our first time meeting face to face, isn’t it?”
A man with neat features and silver hair.
His green eyes carried a look of disdain, exactly as described in the novel.
“It seems so, Lester Lancaster.”
Lester Lancaster.
Heir of the Lancaster family, one of the Six Great Sword Clans—an “Outstanding Talent” of White Class 5.
It was my first encounter with him.
‘Of course, I already know everything about you.’
Unlike Rufus Ignatius of the Ignatius family, who was simple-minded, Lester was cunning and calculating.
In that sense, his personality was closest to the original Ernas of the novel.
“I heard you defeated Rufus Ignatius in the last competition,” Lester said, his green eyes fixed on me.
“Impressive. Rufus is no easy opponent.”
“And I heard you defeated Blue Class 2’s prodigy.”
The Prodigy of Blue Class 2. The Outstanding Talent of White Class 5.
The two most anticipated students at the time of enrollment.
“Hmm, that’s…”
Lester’s expression stiffened slightly.
“I’ll have to correct you there. White Class 5 did win the competition, but it wasn’t me who defeated Blue Class 2’s representative.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. The badge for Blue Class 2 wasn’t worn by their representative, but by another student.”
“I see, I didn’t know that.”
A lie.
I knew perfectly well that Lester had failed to defeat Blue Class 2’s prodigy.
I had deliberately brought it up to needle him.
“Well, I’ll settle things with him later, so it doesn’t matter,” Lester said, forcing composure.
“In any case, Ernas… I was surprised when I heard about the outcome of the last competition. I thought Red Class 1’s Rufus would surely win.”
“Seems many people thought the same.”
“To be frank, your abilities weren’t well known, after all.”
Lester smirked faintly.
“I was curious why you kept your skills hidden.”
“You must have thought I was hiding them because they were pathetic.”
“Ha, my apologies.”
“No need to be sorry.”
I answered in a cold voice.
“Because I was indeed hiding them out of shame.”
“You even joke well.”
“I’m serious. I didn’t want anyone to find out just how pathetic my skills were.”
“……”
The real Ernas had been truly pathetic.
But Lester seemed to take my words as mockery.
“Such words won’t help you, Ernas,” Lester’s green eyes sharpened.
“Since you defeated Rufus, it’s already clear you were hiding great strength.”
“Perhaps.”
“I heard you unleashed a terrifying charge, crossing treacherous ground in an instant and striking him down with a single blow.”
“And where did you hear that?”
“There are always ways to know. Haven’t you also made your own arrangements within the Academy?”
“……”
It was true that Ernas had paid off a few Academy staff members.
But since the novel never specified who, I couldn’t approach them first.
Not that I needed to, since as the author, I already knew plenty.
“Was it Northern Gortes Assault Swordsmanship? Or perhaps Southern Edlian Assassination Swordsmanship? I’m very curious which school you studied under.”
“……”
Lester was probing for the origin of my swordsmanship.
But when I gave no reaction, he shrugged.
“Well, if you’ve hidden it this long, you wouldn’t want to reveal it now. Otherwise, someone might exploit your weakness.”
“Meaningful words, Lester,” I said, staring at him.
“Are you perhaps planning to exploit my weakness yourself?”
“Ha, I didn’t say that.”
Lester shrugged again.
“Still… in this first exam, students may clash with each other.”
“……”
“If you’re not careful, you could fail the first exam because of interference from another student. So I’d advise caution.”
The first exam was a test of capturing Academy instructors scattered throughout the mountains.
Students had to track and attack the instructors, and if they landed a clean hit, they’d be given a certificate of passing.
But since the instructors kept moving, never staying still, and certainly never allowing themselves to be struck easily, it was no simple task.
On top of that, interference from other students would only raise the difficulty further.
“It may be called the ‘easiest’ exam, but that’s only relative. With interference, passing could become impossible. In fact, it’s happened before. So…”
“So in other words, failure could mean being expelled from the Academy, and I should watch myself.”
I cut him off.
“Thanks for the advice. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Hmph…”
Lester’s expression stiffened slightly.
All his effort to intimidate me had completely failed, and the frustration showed.
“You’re an interesting one, Ernas.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
When I answered coldly, Lester gave a wry smile.
“White Class 5 and Black Class 6 will be starting from nearby positions in the exam field. If we meet there… I’ll be counting on you.”
“As will I.”
With that, I stepped closer to Lester.
“I’ll be counting on you.”
“……”
Then, smiling, I extended my hand.
‘What’s he up to?’
Lester was flustered.
Right now, all the students were lined up in neat order in the training ground.
Yet Ernas had broken ranks just to approach and offer a handshake.
‘Even his Class 6 students look surprised.’
Students like Serine Bastian were staring at me with startled expressions.
‘Is this some kind of provocation?’
Whatever the case, it couldn’t be anything good.
But refusing the handshake was not an option.
“……”
The students of White Class 5 were watching closely as well.
If Lester refused, he would lose face in their eyes.
‘I can’t afford to let them down.’
Lester thought of himself as someone destined to stand at the pinnacle of the Six Great Sword Clans.
Therefore, he had always tried to appear magnanimous and composed in front of others.
Unlike Rufus of Red Class 1, who used violence to force others into submission, Lester wanted to be someone others submitted to willingly.
And so he had no choice but to accept.
‘No helping it.’
He glanced quickly at the podium.
The professors would soon begin giving detailed instructions about the exam.
If a professor called him out now, it would be deeply humiliating, so it was better to finish this handshake quickly.
“Very well. I’ll be counting on you too, Ernas…”
Since there was a bit of distance, Lester also had to step out of line to shake hands.
And so, their hands met.
“…?”
But then—
Lester felt something was off.
Ernas… wasn’t letting go.
‘What? Why isn’t he releasing my hand?’
He tried to pull away subtly, but it was useless.
Ernas’s grip was so firm that Lester couldn’t withdraw his hand without forcibly yanking it away.
And he couldn’t bear to show such an unseemly sight in front of everyone.
‘The ceremony is about to start any moment!’
Seeing a professor climbing onto the podium, Lester broke out in a cold sweat.
If he were called out now, it would be an enormous humiliation.
‘Ernas! What the hell are you plotting?!’
He glared at me with all his might… but I only smiled coldly.
‘Small-minded fellow.’
Watching Lester’s darting eyes, I sneered inwardly.
‘That’s the extent of your worth, Lester.’
Lester fancied himself magnanimous, composed, a master strategist.
But compared to the novel’s Ernas, he was a step below.
Countless times in the story, he was flustered and ensnared by Ernas’s schemes.
‘And he cares too much about appearances.’
Right now, Lester was worrying himself sick about being called out by the professors.
But me? I didn’t care about that in the slightest.
No matter who scolded me, as long as I got what I wanted, that was enough.
[Attempting “Ability Replication” of character: Lester Lancaster.]
[Current understanding of character “Lester Lancaster”: 75%.]
[Judgment: Success.]
[Acquired major abilities of character: Lester Lancaster.]
After the prolonged handshake, the ability replication was finally complete.
