A few days later, after much deliberation, the cadets’ test scores were finally revealed.
Diaros Academy publicly disclosed all test scores to intensify competition among the cadets and ranked them by their grades.
The cadets swarmed in front of the large score chart posted on the academy bulletin board, each struggling to find their own name.
Finding one’s name at once amidst hundreds of names was quite difficult, but I managed to locate mine without much trouble.
[Knight Department Grade Notification]
1st Place – Kail Meyer 88 points
2nd Place – Hundred 52 points
3rd Place – May Bell 48 points
………
……
…
“Oh, first place.”
Of course, I knew I would be first, but I acted surprised. If I had sneered knowingly, I might have been labeled as an arrogant jerk.
Even though I’m a Master, humans can’t live alone. Farmers grow crops, hunters catch meat, tailors make silk and sew clothes, and blacksmiths forge good equipment.
And this place is packed with heirs of such industries or noble second generations who rule over them. There’s no need to intentionally displease them.
‘—Yuri and Sera are…’
After checking my score, I quickly scanned for their names. Fortunately, it seemed nothing invalid happened, as both their names were firmly at the top of the grade list.
Relieved, I immediately joined Arthur and started chatting.
“Arthur, where are you ranked?”
“8th.”
“Not bad.”
“Are you mocking me? You’re the top rank!”
“Did it sound like that?”
Hahaha, laughing, I was about to move with her to prepare for the next class when someone blocked my path. If it were a man, I could have ignored him, but alas, it was a woman.
With chivalry blooming inside, I smiled brightly and looked steadily at the woman blocking my way.
“—Kail Meyer, right?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“I’m May Bell. Do you know me?”
“Of course. How could I not know our esteemed lady knight?”
The one blocking my path was May Bell, a fellow female cadet from the same department. Realizing I knew her name, she exhaled deeply.
After taking a few deep breaths, she finally looked up at me and shouted resolutely.
“Would you consider joining our Swordsman Club!?”
“Swordsman?”
“Yeah!”
“Aren’t you a girl? Why Swordsman?”
“…Huh?”
May started making a face as if something was wrong.
I shrugged, clueless about the issue.
Only Arthur beside me grasped the problem and whispered cautiously.
“…Kail, Swordsman means examiner.”
“Oh.”
* * *
Among knights, there are often stubborn fools who believe the sword is the greatest and only worthy weapon to train with.
Such fools existed even within the academy and formed their own club.
The Swordsman Club.
It was a traditional club passed down by senior knights, a sort of association.
“Our club has many seniors, and they’ve passed down secret sword techniques!”
May Bell began explaining the benefits of joining her club while speaking.
You could interact with seniors and learn the secret sword techniques they left behind! Of course, she added that these techniques couldn’t be learned right away; you needed to prove loyalty and become an officer to access them.
After hearing her out, I exclaimed with interest.
‘Secret sword techniques, huh.’
Though I hadn’t considered them important since becoming a Master, below Expert level, secret sword techniques were a surefire way to gain an advantage over opponents.
Most were left behind by Masters for their successors, and undoubtedly, something cadets could never create themselves, especially those stuck at Expert level.
‘But they’re teaching secret sword techniques…’
Interest bubbled up. Just what level were these cadet-made techniques, and what kind of place was this club created by sword-crazed individuals?
“Can I try joining?”
“Of course! The seniors will welcome you, Kail! You’ll like them too!”
May said she’d inform the seniors and quickly left, telling me to come to the club after school.
Watching her leave, I turned to Arthur beside me. She glared at me with a sullen look.
“What?”
“Well… Kail, are you sure it’s okay to join?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re… you know. If you swing your sword carelessly there…”
“It’s fine, I won’t get caught.”
Common sense is a surprisingly sturdy barrier, so believing oneself an Aura Master at barely teenage years is seen as delusional, detached from reality.
Unless I unsheathed an Aura Blade in front of them, no matter how skilled I was, I wouldn’t be suspected of being an Aura Master.
Having mastered the blade, this was a perfect chance to see what level the juniors were at.
* * *
After school, Kail followed May’s guidance to the club. Surprisingly, the club was officially sanctioned by the academy.
“Here we are!”
May, having lured the big fish Kail, grinned widely as she opened the club door. Contrary to expectations of sweat-filled air, the interior exuded an antique atmosphere.
Rather than mindlessly swinging swords, it smelled of intellectual pursuit, aiming to develop the sword through long research and study.
“—Seniors!”
“May, you’re here. So that’s…”
“I’m Kail Meyer.”
Seeing the bespectacled second-year cadet, Kail bowed politely. The second-year cadet smiled faintly and extended his hand.
“Shu Gniel.”
Shaking hands with Shu, Kail noticed the calluses on his hand, realizing he wasn’t just some bookworm researcher.
Such calluses couldn’t form overnight; it took at least a decade, dedicating one’s life to wielding the sword.
‘Is this place full of frauds?’
As doubts about the Swordsman Club slowly faded, Shu laughed apologetically and spoke.
“The other club members aren’t here yet. Right now, it’s just me and the president.”
“The president?”
“Yeah. Want to meet her? —President!”
Shu bellowed towards the second floor, and a person slowly appeared, grumbling. Seeing the crimson hair cascading down, Kail’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at the president.
She hopped down from the second floor, landing with a thud on the first floor. As she carefully stood up, her large chest jiggled through undone buttons. In that moment, Kail found another reason to join the club.
“What’s this… guy?”
“That’s the new applicant May mentioned, President.”
“Oh, the freshman who ranked first?”
The president examined Kail with interest. Kail stared back without needing to scan her up and down.
Realizing where Kail was looking, the president chuckled and slightly parted her clothes.
“Like what you see?”
“Are there men who dislike breasts?”
“Usually, people at least look away when teased like this. This guy’s unusual.”
The president buttoned up again, then pulled out a wooden sword from the wall. It resembled a real sword in appearance and weight but lacked a sharp edge.
Still, mishandle it, and it could easily break something.
Whoosh— The president threw the wooden sword at Kail and beckoned with a smirk.
“You wanted to join our club, right? This is the entrance exam. Come at me.”
“No introductions?”
“No point introducing myself to someone who’ll lose to me.”
“Our president’s name is Ruby Alderica, Kail.”
“Hey! Don’t just blurt it out─!”
The president shouted at Shu for casually revealing her name, but sighed, dismissing its importance, and focused back on Kail.
“As I said before, I don’t like being called by names I haven’t acknowledged. Don’t call me by name.”
“Ruby President.”
“—Didn’t I say not to call me that?”
Ruby swung her sword without further words, proving she didn’t gamble her way into the presidency. Her strikes precisely targeted vital spots.
Kail parried her attacks, amazed. Her ability to pinpoint weak spots and create openings was extraordinary.
If a Master praised such skill, it meant the level was absurdly high—a talent destined to become a Master through real combat training.
“Hmph!”
Smirking, Kail countered her thrust with an identical one.
Startled by this bizarre technique of parrying a thrust with another thrust, Ruby exposed an opening. Kail swiftly slashed at her chest.
Though the wooden sword left no mark, Ruby realized she was overwhelmingly defeated in swordsmanship and gazed at Kail in shock.
“No, you. This is—.”
Pew—.
At that moment, a button on Ruby’s chest popped off, hitting Kail’s face. Caught off guard, Kail flinched and looked at Ruby.
Ruby awkwardly covered her chest and faced Kail.
“…Hmm, uh, pass!”
Muttering, she welcomed Kail into the club.
