The ultimate weapon of the kingdom - V1C3
Chapter 3: Duel Before the Entrance Exam (Part 1)
I arrived in the royal capital, Redante, with one clear objective: to take the entrance exam for the Knight Academy.
The academy I was about to join was officially known as the Royal Redante Knight Academy.
It was a boarding school where I would spend the next three years of my life.
At the moment, nobody recognized me as "Ein the Nameless No.1 of the Phantom Dragon Knights."
To everyone else, I was simply Ein, an orphan from the church.
In this country, only nobles had family names, so I didn't have one.
I grew up in a poor village church, where I honed my skills by battling monsters.
During one of those missions, a knight who visited the village noticed my talent and recommended me for the Knight Academy.
That's the backstory I created for myself.
Regardless of the results, the headmaster of the academy has arranged it so that my exam will automatically pass with their intervention.
However, just to be on the safe side, I have also prepared for the exam.
If I didn't study extensively, it would seem odd to the other students.
As I gazed beyond the towering stone walls, I could see a sprawling complex of buildings.
The roofs had pointed peaks and were painted in a deep blue color, each adorned with a clock.
It almost
resembled a castle.
Until now, I
believed that this world had no connection to me.
However, once
the exams were over and I entered the academy, my new life would begin.
I felt a
familiar stirring in my heart, a sensation that I had long forgotten.
“Oh, a letter
of recommendation? So what if you have one? Huh?”
As I walked
along the academy walls, I overheard an angry voice up ahead.
“Hmm...?”
Turning my
gaze, I saw two men blocking the path of a young girl.
“The Royal
Redante Knight Academy isn’t meant for lowly commoners like you! Your presence
here would tarnish the academy’s reputation and even my own dignity. Can’t you
understand that you’re nothing but a bother by being here?”
The man with
blue hair and a disdainful look hurled his words at the girl.
The plump man
beside him chuckled and remarked, “He’s absolutely right, just as Candela-san
mentioned,” indicating his agreement with the blue-haired man’s statements.
It seemed
that the blue-haired man was named Candela.
The girl
being confronted was a small girl with a short bob in a cherry blossom color.
She appeared
scared by Candela’s aggressive behavior.
“Um, excuse
me... Please let me pass. I understand your perspective, but I can’t just turn
back without taking the exam... My grandmother was so happy to see me off...”
The girl
carefully chose her words and spoke to them.
However, it
seemed that they were unwilling to listen.
It appeared
that they had also come to take the entrance exam.
I looked
around.
There were
others who seemed to have come for the entrance exam, around the same age as
me, about fifteen years old.
However, they
were all keeping their distance and avoiding getting involved.
“Sigh... It
seems like my kind advice was wasted on this arrogant commoner who doesn’t
listen. Hey, break her arm. That way, she won’t be able to take the exam.”
“Understood,
Candela-san.”
The chubby
man approached the girl.
“Eek! P-Please
stop!”
I couldn’t
just stand there and watch.
I quickly
stepped in and grabbed the chubby man’s arm.
“I may not
know the details, but it seems like you’re being quite unfair in your speech.”
The faces of
the onlookers, who had been watching from a distance, twisted in surprise.
They seemed
quite shocked.
...What? Did
I do something really wrong?
“Do you not
know who I am? Are you also a commoner, or are you deliberately provoking me?”
Candela
raised the corner of his mouth and stared at my face.
“...Indeed, I
am a commoner. And I don’t know who you are either. I apologize for my lack of
knowledge about noble matters.”
“So you’re
also a commoner. Well, that works perfectly. I’ll make sure both of you are
unable to take the exam.”
“I-I’m sorry,
please let this person go! I can’t let them get involved because of me. I’ll,
um... quietly go back...”
The girl
pleaded with Candela.
Candela
chuckled at her plea and turned to me.
“You said you
don’t know who I am? Let me enlighten you. I am Candela Kamersen, from the
Kamersen Marquis family. My family has produced many outstanding knights for
generations. I can’t stand it when commoners like you try to infiltrate the
world of knights.”
Candela
leaned closer to me.
I had heard
that most of the knights in the prominent knight orders were from noble
families.
It was likely
that the Knight Academy itself was filled with noble students.
“H-Have you
become intimidated after hearing about my family? If you had just passed by,
you could have taken the exam without any issues. But because you had to show
off and get noticed by me, your life is going to be ruined. Well... even if you
manage to enter the academy, I’ll put pressure on them and get you expelled.”
Candela
continued to press on, seemingly interpreting my hesitation as fear.
However, I
couldn’t imagine that the Kamersen Marquis family held more power than Cardinal
Netia, who controlled the royal family and the upper echelons of the church.
That person
was quite short-tempered and self-centered.
If they
meddled too much, the marquis family might just disappear...
“Does that
girl also have a letter of recommendation? The academy has recognized it as the
primary qualification for admission. You don’t have the authority to reject her
based on personal preference.”
“Sigh... Do
you understand? Knights are all about lineage! The nature and amount of mana,
the source of power, depend on bloodline. Swordsmanship, magic, and magical
techniques, you all just did them your own way, right? But we nobles are different.
We were born to become knights and have undergone rigorous training. Especially
here, at the Royal Radante Knight Academy, it’s a top-notch prestigious school
that nurtures the finest knights. Don’t you dare meddle, you worthless trash.
Don’t you understand that you’re tarnishing our dignity and causing
inconvenience?”
“...I
understand your point, but isn’t that what the exams are for? If you have any
grievances with the academy’s policies, you should address them directly to the
academy. Each individual has their own circumstances. There are commoners
blessed with talent and practical experience, and there are nobles who aspire
to be knights but haven’t been able to make use of the advantages you mentioned
due to negligence. And there may also be those with undisclosed circumstances.”
Ultimately,
it comes down to the individual.
Prioritizing
one’s birth is just one perspective.
However,
there are academies that exclusively admit nobles. In that case, they should
attend those academies.
Based on my initial
research, the Royal Radante Knight Academy doesn’t prioritize birth. It is
known for its strict merit-based system.
“You still
don’t understand... sigh. There’s no need to rely on exams or the academy. It’s
futile to continue talking. Moreover, neither of you has the right to take the
entrance exam. I have decided it here and now. I tried to give you gentle
advice, but you, insignificant commoners, had to confront me. Therefore, I have
no choice but to teach you a lesson through physical means. It’s an undeniable
display of overwhelming and insurmountable power.”
After saying
this, Candela paused to catch their breath.
I could sense
mana circulating within Candela’s body.
Mana, known
as the power of the human soul, the essence of life itself.
Mana is also
the energy required for practicing magic.
By channeling
mana through the body, one can greatly enhance their physical abilities.
It’s not just
about increasing raw strength, but also about hardening the body or improving
healing capabilities.
The technique
of using mana to strengthen one’s own body is known as “magecraft.”
“Hey, Depp,
step back. I’ll be the one to discipline this arrogant commoner.”
Upon hearing
Candela’s words, the overweight man quickly moved away from me.
It seemed his
name was Depp.