Episode 26: What Shouldn’t Have Crossed Paths and What Did

I stood there watched by many people.

Behind me were the other examinees.

At the edge of my vision were the exam proctors.

Whether sporting beards, wearing monocles, or dressed alluringly, these people of various varieties all uniformly glared at me with appraising eyes.

Yeah, this is definitely making me nervous.

“Examinee number…, Arcs Fort. Please begin your examination.”

However, without time to settle my nerves, the exam proctor announced the start signal.

Well, having come this far, all I can do is give it everything I’ve got.

I faced forward.

A magic training target dummy.

Several of them stood scattered irregularly. Hitting those was the content of this exam.

However, it wasn’t simply a matter of hitting them.

Important aspects of magic in combat include accuracy in hitting the target, as well as power and instantaneous response.

And those would likely be evaluated in this exam as well.

It was important to firmly cover these points.

“Fuu”

After letting out just one breath, I closed my eyes and thrust out my left hand.

Three attempts for this exam, but I would show everything in one strike.

“[…]”

I chanted as if muttering.

In an instant, a gust strong enough to blow bodies away arose, and simultaneously an earsplitting roar like metal being crushed rang out through the venue.

***

“We will now begin the swordsmanship examination for examinee number… Arcs Fort.”

Ahead, I faced off against an armored man holding a sword.

Magic use was forbidden in the swordsmanship exam.

It was a pure sword fight.

My opponent, the exam proctor, was an active knight and of course skilled with the sword.

Skilled enough to gauge an examinee’s level and adjust their effort accordingly.

In that case, it would be good if I could draw out the opponent’s full strength.

This exam wasn’t literally a match, but I was going for the win.

“Haa!”

The knight had the first move.

As with other examinees, they watched to see how one would handle the preemptive attack.

A horizontal slash as if to say “let’s see what you’ve got.”

An attack that any examinee here could parry or dodge.

Knights typically attack with set forms.

Refined technique sounds good when you put it that way, but from another perspective it means their hand is showing.

And having regularly crossed swords with the Anciness family knight order, I could see right through my opponent’s cards.

I took a short breath, read the next move, and the next, and the next after that, and counterattacked.

“…!?”

They reacted like a true professional, but well, I saw that coming too.

The first strike was parried, but I twisted my arm to turn the reverse blade and delivered a strike that caught them off guard.

With an instantaneous movement, that slash was drawn toward the knight’s neck.

***

And so.

I safely finished the first examination.

Written exam, magic, swordsmanship.

I had a good feeling about all of them.

I think I showed a performance that left a stronger and more vivid impression than anyone else there. For special student status, it’s generally important to do something extraordinary and make them think “what the heck is that guy!”

But well, if I get conceited here and end up with tragic results I’ll just have to cry, so let’s stop thinking about how I did for now.

Now then, having reached a stopping point for the moment, I was in a room at an inn.

I couldn’t return by carriage at this time, so that’s how it was arranged by Adalbert.

As expected, rooms at inns in the royal capital are luxurious.

The bed, desk, sofa – even taking just one piece of furniture, they were truly high-class items. The Anciness household was no less impressive, but the feeling was different.

However, there was one part I wanted to comment on.

Well, this was more about the situation I was placed in rather than the facilities themselves.

“…Why am I sharing a room with Eleanore-sama?”

And also

“Why is there only one bed…!?”

I lamented while holding my head.

Seeing her expression looking so matter-of-fact as if to say “what are you talking about?”, I held my head even more.

“Other people are trying to use inns just like us. We couldn’t get two rooms so it can’t be helped.”

Yeah, just as Eleanore said.

This is the royal capital, and near a school with an extremely large number of examinees.

Just being able to get even one room at an inn was really quite fortunate.

I understand the logic, I understand but…!

“Come now, don’t crouch in the corner and come over here.”

She smiled warmly and patted the spot next to her.

But I sat hugging my knees, completely unable to smile.

…No, that’s the bed. That’s, not good.

“I-I’ll go look for a place to sleep outside right now…”

I rushed toward the entrance and tried to open the door vigorously but…

No good, it’s locked!

Well of course…

“Really, the nights are still cold. And no matter how safe the royal capital is, sleeping outside is dangerous.”

“…You’re right. Then, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“! No you won’t! You moved your body in the sword skills exam, so you need to lie down and rest! And there’s no blanket, so what if you catch a cold! Arcs, you still have the second exam remaining.”

“I have recovery magic for fatigue and colds so there’s no need to worry…”

“That’s not the point!”

She opposed while raising her eyebrows.

Damn it, why am I being talked down!

“…What’s not allowed is not allowed.”

I couldn’t nod here.

Sharing a bed with someone you’re not married to, especially a man and woman of marriageable age, should not happen.

“The daily clinging and such is… well, I can turn a blind eye to that. But for a man and woman in a master-servant relationship to sleep together is not acceptable. You are already a proper young lady.”

“…Even if it’s an order?”

“Impossible. I solemnly reject it!”

Eleanore showed a dejected expression.

I was momentarily startled when she mentioned an order, but I have to be firm at times like this.

Perhaps I’ve been spoiling her too much until now…

“…Then, I’ll sleep on the sofa. Eleanore-sama, please use that bed…”

I crossed past her and headed toward the single-person red sofa.

At that moment.

“…Nn…”

My consciousness swayed violently.

With a sensation of something wrapping around my forward-leaning body as the last thing I felt, my consciousness cut off.

The next day.

“Good morning!”

“Ah… good morning.”

In my drowsy field of vision, Eleanore’s figure appeared.

While loosening my stiff body from sitting on the sofa, I stifled a yawn.

Sleeping while sitting really isn’t good after all.

While thinking that.

“Arcs, you’re… big, aren’t you?”

With a strange smile, she said that.

…Big?

What is she talking about…?

I tried to think about it, but couldn’t come up with much having just woken up.

“…I mean your snoring?”

“Eh, oh. Sorry. Was it hard to sleep?”

“No problem at all. …Now then, shall we head to the dining hall?”

She began preparing while smiling the whole time.

I wonder if she slept well.

Well yeah, it’s a luxury inn bed after all.

Without thinking much of it, I also began getting ready.

***

A week passed, and notification of the first exam pass/fail results arrived.

I thought it was quite fast, but well, for a school holding that many examinees, methods of various communications must be well established.

What arrived was a brown envelope.

Watched by Eleanore, Adalbert, and various other people, I unhesitatingly tore open the seal.

“First Examination Passed”

As expected.

But well… I let out a breath for the moment.

I’m seriously glad…

***

The second exam was a cooperative exam with other examinees.

Depending on the scale, knight orders have many personnel.

Therefore, there are times when you work with people you’re speaking to for the first time on an actual mission.

In such cases you must be able to coordinate properly, so this exam tested that kind of immediate responsiveness.

Also, they apparently observed movements assuming actual combat.

Whether you could use appropriate tactics on the spot with completely unknown opponents.

The combat IQ aspect was also included in the evaluation.

This was quite difficult to prepare for in exam prep, and moreover, which people you were grouped with and which opponents you were matched against in battle held the key.

“My group is… number 8.”

I received a paper with a number written on it and headed to the designated waiting room.

Since members’ names and such weren’t written, it really felt like working with complete strangers. In reality there probably wouldn’t be such a situation on an actual mission but… well, it can’t be helped for this kind of exam.

I stood before the door engraved with “8” and pulled the doorknob.

“Ah, someone’s here!”

Instantly, a cheerful voice entered my ears.

What jumped into my view was a girl with white hair and silver eyes, features that gave no sense of color whatsoever.

At first glance she seemed fragile, but her expression was that of a lively girl. Her clothing was also light and suited for combat.

…Impossible.

My brain was filled with that impression upon seeing her.

“I’m Emma Helena! Nice to meet you!”

She grinned and offered a handshake.

Come to think of it, I recalled the identification certificate I picked up on exam day.

The name written on it was the same.

I was shocked.

Not for the reason of what a coincidence!

At that time too, I had recalled a person named Emma.

But she shouldn’t have Helena attached.

And in the first place, she shouldn’t be taking the knight training program exam.

She was definitely not someone who should cross paths here.

…And yet,

Before my eyes was certainly the person in my memories.

The protagonist heroine of “Celestia Kingdom” was there.