Chapter 5 | The Assassin Finishes His Exam
My match was one of the last ones to be held.
Students were heavily invested in these final rounds. The reason for that was simple: The last two contestants had the highest two grades on the exam thus far. This final battle would determine who the head of the class was.
Dia did great on the magic test, but her standing had dropped after the physical examination. Tarte was the opposite. Epona’s rank was bogged down by his poor performance on the written portion.
As a result, Naoise and I were the clear forerunners.
Naoise and I lined up next to each other and then turned toward our respective rings.
“Lugh, I said this earlier, but don’t even think about giving me the top spot… I want to win fair and square, with my strength alone.”
“I swear I’ll give it my all.”
Naoise was staring straight at me, as if looking right through to the other side. I risked him realizing I was holding back if I wasn’t careful about how I restrained myself.
We went to our rings without saying another word. My opponent was already waiting for me.
I would never have thought we would both be facing vice-commanders of the Royal Order. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight. It looked like the academy wanted to give its two best applicants a special sort of challenge.
“Lord Lugh, you can do it!”
“If you beat me, I’ll make you a large serving of pancakes for breakfast tomorrow!”
Tarte and Dia were cheering for me from the stands. It was nice of them, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.
“Well, aren’t you popular? You’re making me jealous,” needled my opponent.
“My family can get a little overenthusiastic…,” I responded.
“Don’t worry about it. That’s just extra motivation for me. I can’t just let you use me to show off to those cute girls, little Mr. Popular.”
He’s projecting unbelievable malice.
The vice-commander had seemingly forgotten he was sparring with a student as part of an exam.
“That’s rather childish of you,” I observed.
“Ha-ha-ha. You’re probably right. But I won’t have to hold back against you.”
It wasn’t a surprise that the vice-commander recognized my ability. Once a person reached a certain level of mastery, they could gauge their opponent’s skill from their breathing and the way they walked.
We both tightened our grip on our respective weapons.
I’d decided to go with a sword for this fight. In truth, I was better with knives, martial arts, and guns, but I wasn’t all that bad with a sword. Long-bladed weapons were too clumsy for assassination. I hoped that would allow me to conceal my usual fighting style and avoid giving away any Tuatha Dé secrets.
…Also, if I fight with a knife, I may end up killing him on reflex.
The proctor asked if my opponent and I were ready, and I nodded.
“Begin!” came the announcement.
The vice-commander and I both immediately seized up, however. The reason we stopped was that we felt a tremendous amount of mana coming from the neighboring ring.
Naoise was the source. He’d aimed his sword at his opponent’s eyes and used his full mana output to strengthen his body.
His physical strengthening technique was incredible. Not only was he powerful and elegant, but he was also overflowing with a combative spirit.
I could tell from the mana coming off him that he intended to fight his opponent head-on with his full strength, without resorting to any cheap tricks. It was inspiring.
…Man, this is out of character for me, but I’m getting really fired up. I was thinking about taking it slow at first and waiting for my opponent to make the first move, but screw that.
“HAAAAAAAAAHHHH!”
It’d spoil the fun if I didn’t put in some real effort. An assassin should never have done something so careless. At that moment, however, I wasn’t an assassin; I was a swordsman.
I could see the vice-commander’s mana capacity with my Tuatha Dé eyes. I adjusted my strength to match his exactly. It was a far cry from my full power, but I was still using much more mana than the average mage was capable of.
…Our mana capacity should be about the same now. That means the match will be decided by our sword skills, physical strengthening techniques, how well we read each other, and our mental fortitude.
The vice-commander grinned broadly. The one paired with Naoise did the same.
“The new students this year have some spark to them. I like it. I’m not going to hold back.”
“Same here. This should be fun. But there’s no way in hell I’m gonna lose. We have the pride of the Royal Order to uphold.”
The vice-commanders both enveloped themselves with all the magic power they could muster.
All four of us were releasing a colossal amount of mana. Every spectator eagerly awaited what would come next.
I focused everything on the man standing before me.
I was an assassin through and through. That was true in my previous life and this one as well. I was trained in straightforward melee combat, but only as a backup if covert methods failed. Additionally, I also wasn’t using any Tuatha Dé assassination techniques or surprise attacks of any kind.
Let’s see what I’m capable of with orthodox swordsmanship.
The vice-commander and I swung our swords at the same time. He was slightly faster and had a little more weight behind his motion.
I made sure we were strengthening our physical capabilities with the same amount of mana. My strengthening technique was slightly better.
When it came to raw power, however, I was the clear loser. I’d used Rapid Recovery to train my body as efficiently as possible, but I was still only fourteen years old.
On top of that, the vice-commander was an experienced blade wielder, and his body was optimized for using one. That put me at a slight disadvantage.
I was sure to be defeated if our swings made even contact, so I lowered my sword a little and relaxed my muscles. Right before our blades impacted, I drew back and avoided the attack. It was the sort of move only someone with Tuatha Dé eyes could’ve made.
My evasion had been a success, but the vice-commander read the situation and immediately pursued me. While I avoided two more swings, it was clear my opponent had expected me to do so. He was trying to drive me into a difficult position, and the tactic was working.
I wouldn’t be able to dodge the vice-commander’s next attack. If I got hit, my posture would crumble, and I’d lose all ability to counterattack.
Continuing to fight in an orthodox manner meant my inevitable defeat in seven or eight moves. My suspicion that I wouldn’t be able to win in a straightforward swordfight had been correct.
I had two choices.
The former choice was to continue as I was and lose while giving it my all in a fair duel. The latter option was to employ other fighting techniques. My repertoire was filled with maneuvers other than those exclusively used for assassination. I was worried they’d still seem too conspicuous, however.
Guess I’ll just lose.
The moment I thought that, however, I heard Tarte and Dia cheering.
…That’s right, those two are watching. I can’t embarrass myself in front of them. I can’t lose.
Rather than fixing my crumbling stance, I used my backward momentum to perform a spinning kick. From my position, my leg could reach farther than the vice-commander’s sword. I caught him by surprise and successfully planted my foot in his stomach.
The kick was strengthened by mana and normally would’ve had enough power to kill.
“Tch…”
My kick had a lighter impact than I’d expected. My opponent avoided the full force of the blow by jumping back. His reaction time was incredibly quick.
I needed to pursue him. He created distance between us when he jumped backward, rendering me unable to reach him with a direct attack, so I threw my sword at him.
“…Hey, kid, that’s not very knightly of you. But still, not bad.”
He deflected the attack, and that’s exactly what I wanted to happen.
I charged while the vice-commander’s attention was still focused on my sword. Crouching to escape his field of vision, I slipped into a blind spot.
Now positioned behind the vice-commander, I leaped up at him. I didn’t have my sword, so I swung at him using my scabbard. The point of the scabbard was made of metal. A direct blow to the temple should’ve knocked him unconscious.
“Not so fast!”
“Man, you’re pretty good…”
My strike had been from my opponent’s blind spot on his non-dominant side, but he was still able to block it with a gauntlet. That vice-commander title wasn’t just for show.
He repelled a second thrust using his sword, and my scabbard flew from my hands, whirling through the air. It wasn’t a surprising development. Scabbards were much more challenging to grip than proper weapons, so it wasn’t hard to knock one aside.
“This ends here, kid.” The vice-commander raised his sword overhead to prepare for a downward swing.
Without a weapon, I was at a considerable disadvantage. The best course of action was to get as close to the vice-commander as possible, so I rushed forward.
“What the—?”
He wouldn’t be able to swing his sword down at me if I was at point-blank range. Hesitating to close the distance could’ve cost me the match.
What’s more, I wasn’t moving in just to avoid. I was preparing an attack of my own.
I rushed forward, spun in the air using my momentum, then used all my strength to hit him with a palm strike as I landed. Using this method, I could release a powerful attack even at point-blank range.
“Haaah!”
My motion landed with the sound of an explosion.
It wasn’t a simple palm strike. The maneuver was an intricate move designed to create a massive burst of mana and energy within my opponent.
The vice-commander was sent flying through the air. He came to land outside the ring after spinning five full times. The proctor rushed over to him. And then…
“The winner is the first-year student, Lugh Tuatha Dé!” He called out my name as the victor.
“Phew, I pulled it off.”
It ended up looking like a one-sided match, but I would’ve lost if I hadn’t spent most of the match stalling. That vice-commander had actually blocked two attacks that were supposed to defeat him. It was only my third attack that’d done him in.
The reaction from the crowd was divided into three camps.
“Whoo-hoo! You’re so amazing, Lord Lugh! You beat a vice-commander!”
“Hmm-hmm, I never doubted you. You’re Lugh, after all. When you get back, I’ll give you a kiss!”
People were cheering enthusiastically like Tarte and Dia. Some others were dumbfounded that a first-year defeated a vice-commander of the knights. The last group was filled with those who were annoyed that a lowly baron’s son was enjoying such success.
A doctor rushed over to the fallen vice-commander and began treating him. After about a minute, the vice-commander opened his eyes.
He’d focused all of his mana and spirit into his stomach the moment my attack connected. I’d succeeded in knocking him unconscious, but I could tell when I struck him that I hadn’t hurt him too badly.
“This is disappointing. All I ended up doing was making you look good, little Mr. Popular. You caught me off guard by using that rough style of combat instead of the nobility’s elegant swordsmanship. If only I’d seen that coming, I might’ve won.”
“I was planning to fight in a more standard style at first, but as soon as the match began, I realized it wasn’t going to work. I ended up winning, but I feel like I lost.”
We exchanged bitter smiles, then I reached out my hand and helped him up.
“Well, regardless, you beat me handily. I’m looking forward to what you’ll achieve in the years to come. You should join the Royal Order when you graduate,” the vice-commander offered.
“I’ll think about it,” I answered with a bow.
I’d ended up winning, but I knew that my method of victory had lost me a few points. The judges undoubtedly preferred students who succeeded by overpowering their opponents with traditional methods.
Wondering how Naoise was doing, I looked over at the ring next to me. His intense battle was still raging. Unlike me, he was using proper swordsmanship.
Naoise was employing the royal style. It was Alvan’s most prestigious bladework form and had been improved upon by countless instructors throughout the generations. It tended to lean too hard into the beauty of sword fighting, but it was powerful nonetheless.
Naoise was performing it to perfection. I don’t think there were many as competent as him.
The battle seemed to be a stalemate, but Naoise was slowly gaining the advantage. His superior mana output was making the difference. The vice-commander was more skilled in terms of swordsmanship, but Naoise’s magical power gave him a more significant edge.
When the vice-commander ran out of mana, the battle was as good as over.
The vice-commander lost his physical strengthening, which threw off his stance. Naoise saw through this immediately.
Recognizing the vice-commander’s weak grip on his sword, Naoise delivered a decisive blow and knocked the weapon out of his opponent’s hand. He then put his blade to his opponent’s throat.
“I win.”
“I surrender. Geez, the rookies this year are no joke. The commander and we vice-commanders were all defeated… Losing puts a bad taste in my mouth, but it looks like this country has a bright future ahead of it.”
After Naoise’s match ended, the crowd burst with applause. Unlike when I won, everyone was cheering. His victory sparked no jealousy among the students, as there was nothing unusual about a duke’s son winning.
It didn’t bother me. I had Dia and Tarte’s support, and that was good enough. When I won, they’d cheered for me louder than anyone else.
Naoise smiled at me. “I have no idea which of us is going to come out on top.”
“It’ll all come down to the judges,” I said. In reality, though, Naoise had an 80–90 percent chance of being named head of the class. The professors preferred that kind of traditional fighting style. It would also be easier for people to accept the son of a duke as head of the class over a baron’s child. There wasn’t much of a difference between us on the assessment, so Naoise was sure to be chosen if they decided based on opinion.
After another break, the students once again gathered at the entrance of the academy.
The gate was opened, and parents all rushed through at once. They were eager to see where their kids ranked among the student body. Placement affected a noble house’s prestige.
First, the rosters for all the classes except for Class S were posted. Shrieks and roars of anger sounded in response.
Some cried, some fainted, and some were even choked by their parents or told they were being disowned.
So much for the elegance of aristocracy.
Before long, the time came for the reveal of the top eight students.
A middle-aged man walked up onto a stage. He was the headmaster of the academy.
“Greetings, everyone. It is now time to introduce the members of Class S. I will start with the servants: Beryl, Cranta, and Tarte. I want to give special attention to Tarte, who performed well enough to place in Class S even as a general student.”
This was met with applause.
That officially confirms my spot in Class S. Turns out there weren’t many mages among the servants. I guess that shouldn’t have been too surprising.
“Now, on to the students. Ranking eighth was Belruk Crutalis.”
Each student went up on stage after their name was announced, every one of them looking very proud of themselves. It meant a lot to make it into Class S.
The hero Epona was also called. He ended up in fourth. The written test had really held him back.
And then…
“These top three students are all excellent individuals who will surely serve as leaders for this new generation. Claudia Tuatha Dé, congratulations on placing third.”
Dia was called. “See you up there,” she said, and she ran up to the stage.
All eyes then fell to Naoise and me. We were the only ones whose names hadn’t been announced. One of us was going to be proclaimed the head of the class.
The headmaster paused to clear his throat. He then opened his mouth slowly.
“Lugh Tuatha Dé…”
That meant I was second, inferior only to Naoise.
I knew that would happen, so I didn’t feel down about it. Not being number one actually suited me better, as I would stand out less.
“…And Naoise Gephis. Both of you tied for first and will share the honor of being head of the class.”
A grinning Naoise clapped me on the shoulder, and we headed for the stage together.
“I didn’t think we would end up tied. It’s a shame I couldn’t beat you…but I’m delighted to see one of my men doing so well.”
“I never said I was your man.”
“Trust me; you will be. I’ve already decided it.”
This guy is ridiculous.
Amid adulation and envy, Naoise and I made our way to the stage.
How in the world did Naoise get to like me so much?
It wasn’t all bad, I supposed. His distinct presence was sure to keep attention away from me. With him around, fewer people would approach me unhappy that I was having such success despite being a baron’s son.
Regardless of how things played out, I succeeded at making it into the same class as the hero. Now all I had to do was become his friend. That didn’t seem a particularly daunting task.
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