Chapter 26
“Lady Angela has returned safely.”
The maid spoke politely, bowing her head.
“…Is that so?”
“She was found at Polaris Academia, and is currently being escorted to the Imperial Palace.”
“At Polaris?”
Fernia’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Why was she found there?”
“Well, um… Lady Angela was reluctant to speak about the details….”
“Tsk, no matter. I’ll ask her myself.”
Clicking her tongue softly, Fernia grabbed her coat.
“I’ll head directly to where she is—”
“There’s no need for that, Sister.”
A familiar voice interrupted at that moment.
Angela, who had just arrived at the palace, approached Fernia with a gentle smile.
“Have you been well?”
“…You seem unscathed. I heard you faced quite the ordeal outside.”
“I was lucky. It’s all thanks to the grace bestowed upon me by the divine, isn’t it?”
A small vein pulsed on Fernia’s forehead.
The so-called ‘grace of the divine’ was merely a way of saying she had escaped danger.
If the divine truly cared for Angela, she wouldn’t have gone through such an ordeal in the first place.
Which meant, Angela’s words were:
‘She knows it wasn’t a coincidence.’
She knew that the attack on her wasn’t just a random incident carried out by thugs.
“Why didn’t you come straight to the palace and instead went to the academy?”
“No particular reason. It was just closer, that’s all.”
“Nonsense….”
Fernia scrutinized Angela closely.
All traces of hardship had been wiped clean at Polaris, so on the surface, she didn’t look much different from when she left the palace.
‘She’s changed.’
The aura she exuded was distinctly different from before.
It’s only been a few months, after all.
“……”
What kind of experiences did she go through to have changed so much?
She used to be like a fragile, crude gemstone.
Now, she was like a finely honed blade.
The difference was that while her body still seemed fragile, now—
‘I can feel it.’
If she tried to break Angela with force as she did in the past, she might end up cutting her own hand instead.
“It seems you’ve been through quite a lot.”
“It wasn’t a completely pointless journey. Though it’s like a faint light compared to your grand accomplishments, Sister, I still gained something from it.”
Tap, tap.
Angela slowly walked closer to Fernia and whispered softly.
“I’ve realized that, in order to protect ‘what’s mine,’ I must not shy away from anything.”
“…You!”
“Well then, may I go rest now? It’s been so long since I returned ‘home,’ and I feel the fatigue I’ve been holding back washing over me.”
Smile!
Angela walked away gracefully, wearing an innocent smile on her face.
Watching her receding figure, Fernia bit her lips.
“What on earth…!”
What kind of experiences did she go through to change this much?
Until now, she was just a foolish and cumbersome relative she could dispose of at will.
‘Damn it.’
If that insolent girl truly begins to aim for the throne—
Things will get seriously troublesome.
“Come.”
Back in her room, Fernia spoke into the air.
“Yes.”
At her command, a woman emerged from the shadows.
“Investigate. Find out what exactly changed her like that.”
There must be a reason.
The reason why Angela now had such eyes.
The decisive factor that made a seemingly thoughtless girl suddenly bare her fangs.
“Yes, understood.”
Swoosh!
At Fernia’s command, the woman disappeared instantly.
***
It seemed Elma wasn’t lying.
The train platform was now guarded by more security personnel than before.
‘So the student council wields this much power.’
I realized once again how influential Polaris truly was.
Well, the entire district itself is practically the academy grounds.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the student council is the governing body of the area.
‘In the game, even the student council president election was a large-scale event on par with a boss-level monster raid.’
Truly an out-of-scale place in every aspect.
-This is Polaris A-Wing…
I got off the train as the announcement ended.
Luckily, I didn’t have to deal with any molesters again.
“Ah, I’m so nervous….”
“Yeah! Finally, my youth begins here at this very place!”
“Those who say that usually end up failing.”
“I’ll pass, I’ll pass, I’ll pass, I’ll pass, I’ll pass…!”
Unlike when I visited with Angela, A-Wing was now bustling with people.
“Are they all here for the entrance exam?”
That was most likely the case.
Judging by the pale faces and people munching on sticky rice cakes.
“Have some sticky rice cake.”
“…Oh, thanks.”
“Eat more sticky rice cake.”
“I’ve had enough, thanks—”
“Just eat the damn rice cake.”
“Hey, you son of a—”
Among these countless examinees, only 50 will pass.
And of those, only one will be admitted as the top student with a full scholarship.
‘Still.’
I don’t see anyone else taking that spot other than me.
“Alright.”
Stretching lightly, I looked around for the admissions office building.
[Polaris Academia Entrance Exam Registration]
The registration counter was immediately visible as I walked in.
I approached the counter and sat down. A woman with short hair attended to me.
“Hello, how can I help you today?”
“I’m here to confirm my exam registration.”
“Oh…”
The woman looked at me and gave a somewhat apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry, but the registration confirmation must be done in person.”
…Hmm?
‘What the hell is this?’
I haven’t even mentioned my name yet.
Is this some new kind of discrimination?
“Um… I am here in person, though?”
When I pointed at myself, the woman stared at me blankly.
“Are you sure you’re here in person?”
“Yes.”
“And your name is…?”
“Al— uh, ahem. It’s Lan Black.”
“Just a moment…”
She quickly looked through the documents.
“Uh… it’s here. Lan Black.”
“Phew.”
Luckily, my letter wasn’t misplaced.
“Uh, but a male candidate… This is, um…”
“Is there some sort of problem?”
“…No, not at all! I’ll help you right away.”
After taking my ID (forged) and working through a few processes, she handed back a name tag with my exam number on it.
[433]
I pinned the tag to my chest and headed straight to the waiting room.
“Wow.”
I thought I’d arrived quite early, but the waiting room was already buzzing with activity.
“Hup! Ha!”
A kid swinging a sword in the corner to warm up.
“In the 27th entrance exam, it was monster hunting… in the 39th, it was 1-on-1 duels…”
Another one reciting the past entrance exam content, strategizing.
‘They’re really fired up.’
I could feel their burning passion.
‘I’d better blend in and stay low-key.’
As I moved further inside to find a suitable spot—
“…Huh?”
“Isn’t that a guy?”
“Why is a guy in the waiting room?”
“Wait a sec, is that name tag…?”
“Is that guy a candidate too?!”
“A guy at Polaris?”
“He’s pretty cute…”
I must have been a barbarian in my previous life.
Just walking alone causes mass provocation.
‘Don’t mind them, don’t mind them.’
Once a few more people arrive, their attention should die down.
As I sat down, trying to ignore them—
“Hey.”
Someone called me with a coarse tone.
“You, here to take the exam?”
The voice belonged to a large, rough-looking girl.
She resembled a gorilla.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Heh. Times sure have changed. A guy wielding a sword these days.”
She licked her lips and gave me a sticky gaze.
“Do you know who I am? I’m the heir of Red Forest, Dwena.”
“R-Red Forest?!”
“Why are those brutes here…?!”
Red Forest.
They’re a group of bandits that appear early in the story as minor enemies.
They aren’t as major as something like the Yan Family, but they’re still a considerable criminal organization.
‘Must be the [Delicate Appearance] trait.’
There’s a penalty that causes thugs and lowlifes to pick fights with you.
I didn’t think it’d apply in the exam waiting room, though.
“You look like some naive young master who doesn’t know the world, huh. For a guy to think he can beat a girl, how insolent is that?”
“Is that so.”
“There’s one way you can pass this exam, though.”
Dwena slid her large hand along my thigh.
“Hehehe… You know what I mean, right?”
Her eyes gleamed with greed.
‘Ah, I see.’
I could tell what she wanted.
“So, you’re saying that if I become your concubine, you’ll make sure I pass the exam?”
“You’re pretty quick for a guy. Of course…”
Her fingers moved from my thigh, tracing up to my stomach and then to my chest.
“I want that body of yours too. The admission fees to Polaris aren’t cheap, you know?”
Hehehehe!
Where do these bandits even learn this stuff?
Why are they all so alike?
‘Hmm, I see.’
A good idea came to mind.
I should test something out before the main exam.
“Hey, are you strong?”
“Am I strong? Hehe! You don’t need to ask!”
“Got it. Then endure this well.”
I put my thumb and middle finger together as if I were about to flick something.
Then I circulated my Qi through my fingers, coating them with Steel Qi.
“If you can withstand it, you can have my body and my purity.”
“What the hell are you—”
Before she could finish her sentence.
I flicked her forehead with a finger flick.
‘Steel Qi.’
Finger Flick.
Bang—!!!
“Gwaaaargh!”
The finger, enveloped in Steel Qi, discharged a tremendous shockwave.
And then, Dwena’s large frame flew far away.
“Kyaaaaah!”
“What, what just happened?!”
“She flew off!”
Her body crashed into the wall on the other side of the waiting room.
Thud!
The sturdy wall dented inward from the impact.
“Urgh… Uuuu…”
Dwena, with a large red bump on her forehead, foaming at the mouth, was knocked unconscious.
‘Not bad. The power’s good.’
A Steel Qi that focused more on offense than defense.
It was my first time using it, but if this is the result from just one flick—
‘I can manage even without a sword.’
I quickly retracted my Qi and smiled in satisfaction.
“Sorry, sis. I’m not interested in women weaker than me.”
“He knocked out a member of Red Forest in one blow…?!”
“Damn, he’s so hot…”
“Hnngh… Throw me away too, please…”
“After passing the exam, I’m going to confess to him.”
“1. Lift him up.”
Ignoring the commotion would be better for my mental health.
—
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