Entrance Exam (5)

The moment Alberto's magic power touched the magical device where Vladiark was embedded,

― Swoooosh!!

Vladiark began to suck Alberto's magic power in like a black hole.

― Gulp! Gulp!

"K-Kkhuaaaah!!!"

Alberto screamed at the pain he'd never before experienced in his life.

It was a pain as if every nerve in his body was being forcibly pulled out alive.

"K-Kkeuuuugh!!"

In an instant, his vision blurred, and something—whether it was blood or froth—kept pouring out of his mouth.

"G-Guuaagh!!"

He desperately tried to pull his hand away from the control panel, but it was no use.

It was as if he had been electrocuted—his limbs simply would not obey.

'I-I can't anymore... s-stop...!'

Alberto, on the verge of death in an instant.

Just as his consciousness was about to fade away—

― Boom!!!

By great fortune.

The mana circuit of the magical device connecting Alberto and Vladiark couldn't withstand the pressure and exploded on the spot.

― Ssssss...

With the explosion, Vladiark's magic power absorption ceased.

"U-Uuuek...!"

Alberto fell backward, overcome by a dizzying drowsiness.

He lost consciousness and did not get up again.

― Murmur, murmur.

"W-What is that? An accident?"

"What's going on?"

"The exam mage collapsed."

A small explosion erupted from one side of the training grounds, and at the same time, Alberto fainted outright, causing the assembled nobles and spectators to buzz.

"There is no need for anyone to panic."

The head of the Heavenly Sword family, Darkan, calmed the noisy hall as if it were nothing significant.

"Support team, see to the fallen, and replace the supervising mage at once. The exam will continue."

A mage to substitute for Alberto appeared almost immediately, and within less than a minute, the test was back on track.

As everyone began to watch the new cadets' struggle with renewed interest...

"......"

The Heavenly Sword Lord's gaze remained fixed on Alberto.

Alberto, who was now receiving first aid at the edge of the arena from healers.

'What is with that bastard?'

The calm expression Darkan had just worn vanished, and a smoldering anger burned in his eyes.

'Why did he target only Ian so persistently?'

When the entrance exam reached its third trial, the infinite cliff section...

That mage dropped a powerful fireball on Ian.

At a glance, it was a normal magical obstacle.

Fireballs had fallen over other cadets' heads before, too.

But at the level of the Heavenly Sword Lord, one could distinctly sense the difference in magic power density within them.

'The fireball that dropped over Ian's head had a magic power density five times higher than the others.'

The power of a spell is proportional to its magic power density.

That level of magic power density is more suited for actual combat than an exam.

If he'd taken a direct hit, even Ian wouldn't have been able to hold on to the cliff unscathed.

'Moreover...'

Even up to here, it would be hard to dismiss as mere coincidence, but the mage took it a step further.

'He laboriously tried to activate the magical device right in front of Ian—even twisting his body in desperation.'

The magical device embedded in the cliff where Ian clung.

Alberto had aimed explicitly at Ian by infusing magic power directly into it.

It didn't look like he wanted to hide that he'd been instructed.

There was nothing to gain from getting caught.

Was it a mistake made in anxiety, rushing his actions?

No. Or perhaps he simply didn't know that experts above Swordmaster rank could read magic power flows.

In any case, since Alberto so openly targeted Ian, the Heavenly Sword Lord was now certain.

'Someone definitely hired that mage to make Ian fall. Who? Who instructed that bastard to target my Ian?'

Darkan glared and scanned the audience one by one.

The instigator was surely present here.

They would want to confirm Ian's downfall with their own eyes.

Now that the hired mage had collapsed, the culprit was likely immensely flustered or disappointed.

'I'll track them by their aura.'

So, the one most bewildered or disappointed among them would be the perpetrator.

― Glare!

Darkan's eyes glinted coldly.

In front of the Heavenly Sword Lord's eyes appeared various forms of aura.

Auras fluctuated with emotions like interest, admiration, anticipation.

As he slowly swept through the area—

One particular aura surged forth like wild waves.

A surge full of surprise, anxiety, and unrest.

'Charlotte...'

It was Charlotte's aura.

'You again.'

My daughter.

After losing all her assets for meddling with Ian, and yet she still hadn't learned her lesson?

Veins throbbed in Darkan's temples.

"Kelbian."

"Yes, my lord."

"That mage who just collapsed. What's his name?"

"Alberto Boroff, age 47. A 4th-Circle mage of the Heavenly Tower."

"What about his faction? Any ties to my children?"

"Alberto belongs to no faction. Retirement is near, and his ability isn't remarkable, so he's never been chosen by any faction."

"I see."

Darkan stroked his prickly white beard.

'So, he was bribed in exchange for joining Charlotte's faction?'

With frigid eyes, Darkan gazed at his fifth child, Charlotte.

Charlotte, being a direct Hisperion bloodline, sat just below the Heavenly Sword Lord's seat.

On the surface, she feigned composure, but to the lord's eyes, her trembling aura was plain to see.

Her feelings were shifting from panic to anger.

'That idiot Alberto!'

Charlotte ground her teeth silently, fists trembling.

'He didn't get a single thing right! Not one!'

Her plan to hinder Ian's success was now in utter ruins.

'I told him to block that brat from doing anything! But all he did was let him shine even more!!!'

The spectators were all watching Ian with sparkling eyes.

Their gaze overflowed with shock and admiration.

Of course, they would.

That brat had taken down Barbarian Kuga as soon as the test began, and even single-handedly overpowered Hector's gang in a spectacular display.

'I—I definitely heard he can't even use aura...! Uuugh! Just what is going on!!'

Charlotte desperately resisted the urge to scratch her head raw.

'Seriously... what is he!? D-Don't tell me he's been hiding his skills from everyone till now!? T-There's no way! Why would he hide his power while getting mocked as a useless halfwit...! Ahh! I don't know anymore! Y-You fraud...!! And you, Alberto, you idiot!! Why did you collapse all of a sudden!! Argh! The plan's a total mess!! Damn! Damn! Damn!! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!!! It's all a scam!!!'

'... Haaa.'

The Heavenly Sword Lord looked pitifully at Charlotte's quivering back.

"Kelbian."

"Yes, my lord."

"You noticed as well?"

"... You mean that mage targeting Young Master Ian?"

Kelbian, being a master of the highest rank himself, could also follow the flow of magic power.

"I knew it. You never disappoint."

"I am honored."

"We must prepare for a trial."

"What preparations should be made?"

"First, thoroughly investigate who hired that mage."

Darkan sighed softly.

"I suspect Charlotte."

He was speaking right into the back of Charlotte's head, but as his voice was blocked by his aura, Charlotte could not hear.

"Get a proper testimony from the mage, and bring him as a witness to the family trial."

"Yes, your will be done."

"Haa..."

Darkan leaned into his throne and let out a deep sigh.

"Kelbian. What should I do with my foolish daughter?"

"... As I have no children myself, I do not dare to advise. My apologies."

"Hmmm... Is that so. What should I do...? I already have seven children, yet raising them seems harder than war or politics."

Darkan rubbed his temple, deep in thought.

"If I punish Charlotte for this again, will she ever leave Ian alone?"

"In my opinion... if it's Lady Charlotte, she'll just become more jealous and resentful of Young Master Ian and try to torment him further."

"Whew... That's true. Charlotte is my daughter, but she is arrogant and spoiled. She used to listen to me well, but now she won't even heed my words. Well... I suppose it's that time. Hard to accept."

"I apologize for being of no help."

"Let me think alone for a while."

"Yes."

Darkan tapped the armrest thoughtfully.

"Hm!"

A while later, apparently struck by a good idea, he straightened up with a slap on the armrest.

"That's it!"

"?"

"Have Charlotte live together with Ian!"

"...? My lord?"

Kelbian's head tilted in rare confusion.

How on earth could that be a solution?

Charlotte already seemed to dislike Ian extremely.

Wouldn't keeping them together just make them fight more?

Young Master Ian also seemed to have quite the temperament.

Had he not utterly destroyed the five knights of Greysel?

"Charlotte is arrogant and prickly, but once she opens her heart, she is more affectionate than anyone. Ian is calm and composed as well—if I put the two together, surely they'll get along better in time."

"..."

Kelbian could not agree, so he simply bowed his head silently.

The Heavenly Sword Lord's idea had two fatal flaws.

First, right now, there was absolutely no basis that Charlotte would ever open her heart to Ian.

Second, while Ian was calm ordinarily, if angered, he could become violent enough to draw his sword even against his own father.

"E-Erm..."

To Kelbian, if he put them together, they'd be far more likely to become enemies than friends.

If he were a true loyalist, he should have spoken up...

"Isn't it a good idea!"

"E-Errrrm..."

With his master so confident, Kelbian couldn't easily protest.

"Kelbian. Ian will someday become a knight that protects Hisperion like you. So making such connections from a young age is good. That's right. The closer they are, the better."

Humming, Darkan tapped the armrest again.

"After the trial, have Charlotte and Ian assigned to the same class."

"M-My lord..."

Kelbian broke out in a cold sweat.

"If you do that, lady Charlotte will be demoted by a whole grade. Her pride will be most deeply wounded. The other direct scions will mock her harshly as well."

"Of course. It's a punishment—there needs to be that much weight."

"B-But... this will only make Lady Charlotte resent Young Master Ian even more."

"That may happen at first. But time will fix it."

"E-Erm..."

Where did this optimism come from, exactly?

But...

'The Heavenly Sword Lord's intuition is rarely ever wrong.'

If his master was this convinced, he must be seeing something.

"My mind is set. If Charlotte lives together with Ian, they'll soon get along. Charlotte might be difficult, but she's not bad at heart. Ian is mature beyond his years—he'll surely treat Charlotte kindly, even if she acts up."

"E-Erm..."

Kelbian pursed his lips.

Would Young Master Ian really tolerate Charlotte's childishness?

It seemed to him Ian only cared about his own people.

"And both are in their youthful prime. Who knows? They may even go beyond friendship and develop feelings between boy and girl."

"H-Huh! My lord!"

"Why so surprised, Kelbian? I even once encouraged you to be engaged to my daughter, Aris, didn't I?"

"T-That was a little different..."

"And you tactfully refused."

"I-It was too great an honor for me, sir."

"I can understand your feelings."

Aris Hisperion, the third child and eldest daughter of the Heavenly Sword Lord.

Even her father sometimes thought of her as gloomy and cunning.

She was a beloved daughter, but to others, she must seem like a chilling witch.

However, very few people knew her true nature.

Most only saw her beautiful appearance and admired her.

But anyone who'd experienced her dark inner side once could never see her as a romantic partner.

'Aris isn't all that sinister deep down, though.'

Still, only her father or perhaps her future husband would ever know.

"Well... anyway."

The master wished to bring the loyal people he loved and trusted into his family, by matching them with his daughters.

"I hope Ian and Charlotte end up getting along after all this."

"I-I hope so too, my lord."

"Yes. I'll personally ask Ian to help my daughter."

"But, my lord."

"Hm?"

"... Isn't Young Master Ian also in the same year as Lady Yuria?"

Kelbian had another concern.

It would be great for Charlotte and Ian to become close, as the master wished, but that too had its complications.

"I fear that if Young Master Ian becomes close with Lady Charlotte, he may end up in a rivalry with Lady Yuria."

"If that happens, I'll step in, of course."

Darkan smiled.

"I will raise Ian as a loyal guardian of our family. If I ask him to mediate, he'll do so without fail."

Ian's aura was that kind.

"In fact, the boy has the talent to become the mediator of our house. One day, he'll bloom and possess great power as well."

Darkan smiled quietly.

"If possible, I'd like him to get close to our youngest, Yuria, as well."

"I too hope Young Master Ian and Lady Yuria become close."

"... Yes. But that will be hard. Yuria simply won't open up to new people."

Yuria had never been easy to befriend for anyone other than those she'd known for a long time.

She had been tormented by countless enemies and betrayed by those she trusted since childhood.

Around her were always those who envied, feared, or wished to get rid of her talent.

"My heart aches."

Yuria was, among Hisperion's direct bloodline, one of the very few gifted with the pure white aura 'Heavenly Energy' and the supreme talent to summon the Genesis sword— the founding lord's divine blade—after one thousand years.

But, as the youngest daughter and one who closed her heart so early, her position among her siblings was the most precarious.

Even with more than enough capacity to be the next lord of Hisperion, she refused to put anything in that vessel.

Still...

"I must gently speak to Yuria as well. If it's that child Ian, he's worthy to be accepted by Yuria. Their auras are, in fact, a perfect match."

Ian's aura resembled a mother defending her young from wild beasts.

Yuria's was like a castle fortress with its gates tightly barred.

If Yuria opened her gates to Ian—

And Ian, too, accepted Yuria as one of his own—

They would fit together perfectly.

Ian would become the wall protecting Yuria, and Yuria the nest for Ian.

Of course, opening their hearts to each other wouldn't be easy.

"Ian... I do feel it's right to expect something from that boy."

Even for her father, opening Yuria's closed heart was difficult. But somehow, with this boy, he had hope.

An expectation born from his transcendent intuition, developed after reaching the realm of the demigods.

'I'd best trust this intuition.'

As Darkan shone his gaze on Ian—

― Rumblerrrrrrumble!

The examination ground, once a cliff, was now transforming again.

The final trial of the entrance exam.

The circular arena.

Soon, the one-on-one match between Ian and Yuria was about to begin.

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

I don't like Charlotte...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】