Chapter 27
“Did you say there was a disturbance?”
Professor Karen brushed back her red hair as she responded to the assistant’s report.
“Yes, two candidates had a conflict in the waiting room.”
“Hmmm~ So there are still interesting kids these days?”
Heh.
Karen, who had maintained a bored expression since being appointed as an examiner, now had a glimmer of interest on her face.
“You know, back in our day, half the candidates in the waiting room ended up unconscious.”
“…You’ve already told that story more than ten times, you know?”
“Have I?”
Wearing a neat uniform-style outfit, a sheathed eastern-style sword hung from her waist.
“Those were good times~ It was the age of romance.”
Sword Demon Karen Orbon.
She got up from her seat and let out a small yawn.
“Yaaawn~ Still, as an examiner, it’s not something I can ignore.”
If it were up to her, she’d love to set up a proper match for those who caused the disturbance.
‘But I can’t, can I~.’
Such is the way with school regulations.
Rigid morals and suffocating justice.
Enduring is considered good, and rampaging is considered evil.
Those who draw their swords must always be cautious.
They try to impose their definition of ‘rightness’ on everyone.
-‘If you think and then act, you’ll be too late. Act first. If you’re still alive, you can fix things.’
When she was struggling between life and death for a long time, what kept her breathing was her ‘instinct.’
If it feels dangerous, stab first.
If it feels ominous, slash it.
If you sense murderous intent, kill without hesitation.
That’s why she became a powerful individual known as the Sword Demon.
However, the academy these days is trying to eliminate such ‘instinctual’ factors.
They want heroes who stand in front of people, not slaughterers who kill enemies.
‘But when a real war breaks out…’
Heroes are useless.
What’s needed in turbulent times is a ruthless superhuman.
A being beyond reason who leaves no trace of the enemy on this earth.
She picked up the teaching staff to raise such individuals, even though it was a bothersome task.
‘Kids these days lack spirit~.’
Maybe it’s because they’ve lived in peaceful times for too long.
The kids who pick up swords these days don’t have that characteristic viciousness.
Most of them just dream of becoming heroes with hazy eyes.
-‘A sword meant to protect will always be weaker than a sword meant to kill, right?’
One of the students she taught a while back showed some potential.
From swordsmanship skills to personality, there wasn’t a single flaw.
However, they were too refined to become a monster.
“That’s a shame, Ornica.”
If she were to experience some sort of ‘extreme despair,’ she could become what Karen desires.
Until then, she’s just a toothless tiger—no, a tiger that hasn’t grown its teeth yet.
“Well, then~ everyone, I’m here.”
Karen arrived at the waiting room as her thoughts ended.
“Gasp! Ka… Professor Karen!”
“It’s really the Sword Demon!”
“I wonder if she’ll sign my mask….”
“Aww~ Thanks for the attention, everyone.”
Karen waved her hand at the students but clicked her tongue inwardly.
‘It doesn’t seem like there are any proper ones among this batch either~.’
Those who want to gain fame with the sword won’t live long.
The admiration in their eyes as they looked at her.
With ‘those kinds of eyes,’ they’d be eliminated in no time.
Karen smirked bitterly and moved toward the source of the commotion.
“Ku…”
Dwena was lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
The bump on her forehead had swelled even more and was now almost the size of a soccer ball.
“Wow~ If this had gone just a little further, she could have died.”
It was fortunate that her opponent was Dwena, whose skills were above average compared to others of her age.
If it had been anyone else, their head would have shattered.
“You did this to her… didn’t you?”
Karen turned around and smiled.
Standing at the end of her gaze was a black-haired boy.
‘A boy?’
A boy in Polaris was an anomaly in itself.
There have been previous cases of boys being admitted to Polaris in the past.
‘But there were limits.’
There has never been a male swordsman who left a significant mark in history.
If Karen’s memory serves correctly, the highest a male swordsman has achieved was reaching the Absolute Peak.
It’s not a level to be underestimated.
But it’s also true that it’s not a level that could be called the highest in history.
‘Interesting.’
Her interest was piqued even more than before.
“Nice to meet you~ I’m Karen. I’ll be serving as the examiner for this entrance exam.”
“Hello, Professor Karen. My name is Lan Black.”
The boy responded to her greeting dryly.
“…Haha.”
There was no excitement, no nervousness, no admiration, and no longing in his voice.
His first impression was a pass.
“Hmmm~ So, can you explain why you made her like that? I’m not here to interrogate you or anything.”
Technically, according to the regulations, it would be considered an interrogation.
But that question was more out of her personal, pure curiosity.
“Yes, I’ll tell you.”
Lan calmly explained what had just happened.
“Ohho~ So she tried something like that?”
She had claimed to be an heir of Red Forest, but it didn’t matter.
Whether it was true or just a bluff, it didn’t disqualify one from the exam.
Polaris’s entrance exam is strictly based on merit.
“So, I simply flicked her forehead lightly. There was no additional conflict.”
“Ahaha~! What a joke. How could that happen with just a light flick….”
At that moment, Karen’s thoughts came to a halt.
“Come to think of it, judging by the state of the room and their conditions, it’s true that there wasn’t an intense fight.”
And seeing that her forehead was swollen like that…
“…Did you really just flick her forehead?”
“Yes.”
If what he was saying was true, that meant he caused such a tremendous impact with a mere flick.
Which could only mean one thing.
‘He’s a user of Steel Qi? This kid?’
It was absurd.
Even if she gave in a hundred times and accepted that he could use Steel Qi, there were indeed rare cases of people awakening their Qi even before fully opening their Danjun.
‘But enhancing the power of a flick…’
That meant he used Steel Qi for reinforcement.
In other words, he had mastered Protective Steel Qi.
That alone suggested he had mastered the essence of Steel Qi to the extreme, disassembled it, and adapted it in a way that suits his own body.
It’s a skill that only those who have gone through Complete Reformation and reached a high level of mastery could faintly demonstrate.
“……”
It was unbelievable.
From the aura he was emitting, the boy hadn’t even opened all his Danjun, and yet…
Did he really grasp everything about Steel Qi at such a young level?
“Aha… Ahaha! This is going to be fun.”
Forget what she said earlier about having no expectations for this year’s entrance exam.
“Candidate Lan.”
“…Is it okay to call me that already?”
“Yup. I think~ you’re going to pass.”
That genuine, unfiltered gaze directed at her— the Sword Demon.
The fact that he possessed such skills and yet had no inclination to flaunt them.
“Let’s definitely see each other inside.”
This exam…
It seemed like it was going to yield an exhilarating result.
“Did… did Professor Karen just pat him on the shoulder?”
“Was it to comfort him because he’s a boy? I’m so jealous~.”
“From what I saw earlier, it seems like we should be the ones scared.”
“Hehe… Oppa, please step on me….”
Lan stood still, watching Karen as she left.
‘So, how are you going to handle this situation?’
Uh, Dwena’s still lying on the floor here, you know?
Examiner?
Professor?
***
When the alarm signalled the hour, the waiting room doors all shut at once.
“Hrm hrm~ Ah, ah!”
Stepping onto the podium was, as expected, Karen.
I already knew she was one of the examiners from our encounter earlier.
Just so you know, the examiner’s position changes every time, so it’s different each year.
“Nice to meet you, everyone! I’m Professor Karen, and I’ll be in charge of this year’s entrance exam at Polaris~!”
“Waaaah!”
“Sword Demon! Sword Demon! Sword Demon!”
“Please show us your sword-drawing technique just once!”
The candidates cheered enthusiastically.
Karen was one of the top-ranking warriors in the Empire.
And with her unique otaku-appealing elements (uniform, katana, sword-drawing technique, Sword Demon), she was immensely popular both inside and outside the game.
‘It was obvious the developer was targeting waeaboo fans when they created her.’
Even with such an overt design, she became popular, undoubtedly because she was pretty.
“Hehe~ Thank you all for your enthusiasm.”
Moreover, her relaxed and laid-back personality, which contradicted her appearance, contributed to her charm.
It’s what’s called a gap moe.
‘However.’
I know her true nature.
That peculiar laid-back demeanour is nothing but a mask she created during her process of socialization after the war ended.
‘I’m also wearing a mask myself.’
There’s a reason I froze up while talking to her in the waiting room.
Karen Orbon.
That woman’s true nature is—
“Well then~ Let’s get started without any more chatter, shall we?”
“Yes?”
“Yay~ Exam, start!”
A person of pure evil.
Someone who doesn’t even realize that they’re a maniac.
Clap clap!
With two claps of her hands, a massive teleportation circle was drawn beneath the waiting room.
“What the…?!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Professor Karen, something’s wrong with my body….”
“Haa, haa… Let me smell Oppa one last time…!”
Shooong!
One by one, the candidates in the waiting room were transported to another location.
Unintentionally, I was the last one left.
Karen looked at me and lightly winked as she silently mouthed a word.
–Look forward to it♥–
“…Hah!”
As expected from a master.
Seems like she’s roughly confirmed my abilities.
‘Well, then I’ll have to show her something that exceeds her expectations.’
Without a word, I nodded silently.
Shoom!
And then, I, too, was teleported.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in what looked like a massive cavern.
[Tutorial Tip for Beginners #2]
If you don’t have a family keyword like [Prestigious Family] or [Royalty], you have to take the Polaris entrance exam.
The content of the exam varies each time, but there’s a pattern.
The content of the exam changes depending on which professor appears as the examiner.
Among them, when Karen appears as the examiner, the exam content is:
-Karen: Treasure Hunt.
It’s a treasure hunt.
Of course, it’s not your typical treasure hunt.
Guoooooooh!
Gyaaaargh!!!
A brutal dungeon teeming with monsters.
A treasure hunt for survival in the Demon’s Lair.
“Hah…!”
After assessing the situation, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Because this exam, at my current level—
“Is a piece of cake.”
It’s the easiest exam you could get.
Whoooosh-!
Without hesitation, I activated the Wind Wave Style.
Let’s go get that top spot.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Comment