Episode 145 Symbol 7: Strong Sword Horse (3)
At one corner of the training ground, the Hero Association’s Seong Section Chief and Ha Section Chief, a subordinate employee, sat and watched the mock exam. They were both holding thick folders in their hands.
[Cadet =Leon van Reinhard=’s score is 98!]
[You’ve broken the all-time record!]
“Wow. Even though he hasn’t awakened yet, he’s still a warrior.”
Chief Ha, who had an innocent expression, muttered with a face of wonder. She turned her head towards Chief Seong.
“Sir! To be honest, this isn’t just better than I expected, it’s just far beyond my expectations.”
“That’s true. When they said it was the golden generation and all, I didn’t believe it, but when I saw it in person, I couldn’t help but be speechless. That’s why I only think of Joaquin Joaquin.”
“That’s right. To be honest, the dragon class representative just before was far below my expectations, but when I saw Leon, I knew exactly what to do. I really respect kids who are ten years younger than me.”
“… … .”
Manager Sung kept his mouth shut. Chief Ha knew that the silence meant affirmation. It was basic courtesy for the association staff to be observant.
Also, since they worked together all night, their camaraderie was strong.
Manager Seong was the type who didn’t take his subordinate’s jokes seriously.
“By the way, this mock test went better than expected. I’m sure our Section Chief Seong is secretly proud.”
“Me? Aren’t you happy at all? And don’t you think about the three nights you and the other team members stayed up all night to manage this?”
“Hey~ Is it just a day or two for us to work day and night? Manager Seong did all the hard work. He even persuaded the academy director, who is famous for being strict.”
Manager Seong let out a deep sigh at Manager Ha’s rave reviews.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. I became a salaryman because I didn’t want to risk my life working, but then I got sent to the academy and my life became daunting.”
Manager Seong rubbed his temples against the throbbing headache.
‘Still, the start isn’t bad… … If we keep going like this, there won’t be any results.’
This surprise mock exam was the first joint event between the Academy and the Association. The presidential election is just two weeks away.
Originally, the eligibility to run was from the second year, but this year was different. Wasn’t this the year called the golden generation?
Mr. Seong persuaded the head of the academy, Media, that it was a waste of resources for first-year students not to run because of the strict school rules.
Of course, it wasn’t the doctor’s will. He was just a messenger who relayed the words of his superiors. And although it was a nice suggestion, in reality, he was waiting for the head of the academy.
But what can you do? If someone from above scolds you, you have to scold them.
Even though he was a section chief, he was ultimately just a mid-level manager. It was his job to walk a tightrope between the Joaquin Academy and the Hero Association.
Whether it was because the sorrow and joy of such a senior manager stimulated emotions or because approval came out of the media’s mouth.
‘Okay. Let’s go ahead with this plan.’
‘Excuse me, can we really proceed like this, Principal!?’
‘Yes. Anyway, I decided to leave this presidential election up to you, the association, to a certain extent. But if something happens to our students, there will be no agreement or anything.’
Although he shot it down coldly, the media also decided that it was time for a change in the academy.
The starting point for breaking the existing framework one by one is now. Media hoped to bring a wind of change to the academy that was slowly decaying.
So, here’s the special reward for this surprise event.
‘The first-year student candidacy for student council president’ was permitted.
Although the garden only has two seats, and the candidate symbols are 6 and 7 at the end, it is unprecedented in 700 years of history.
As soon as the media’s approval was given, Manager Sung and his team got to work secretly and quickly.
Moreover, as this was the first project undertaken by the academy, the association’s work capabilities had to be proven.
The hard work of day and night is right before my eyes. Manager Sung recalled the confrontation between Leon and the Ogre a little while ago.
Leon’s swordsmanship cut down the ogre with a single stroke. The next warrior’s growth showed a steeper upward trend than the association had expected.
‘I never thought I would be able to defeat an ogre that only second-year students have been able to defeat, and that too with the highest score… … .’
This was the scene that the association’s top brass wanted the most. That’s why they brought up the Ogre subjugation course in the second semester.
‘For some reason, the president wants that boy named Leon to become the next student council president.’
There was no way I, a mere section chief, could know what the association president was thinking. Even if I did know, I didn’t think I would understand it.
How could an ordinary person fathom the inner thoughts of a human who has lived for over two centuries? Mentally, he must have long ago shed his human form and become a monster.
‘… The president, vice president, principal, Chilseong. I’m sick of the differences between those monsters.’
If I get caught between monsters disguised as humans and get tossed around, I won’t be able to die in my own time.
He gave up on promotion. Manager Seong dreamed of a future where he could quickly retire and receive his pension regularly.
It was when Manager Seong was touching his slightly trembling lips.
[Next, the student of the Wolf class = Kanggeomma = please come out.]
Chief Ha shouted in surprise.
“Sir! He’s coming out, Sashimi Sword!”
“ah.”
At her words, Manager Seong’s gaze reflexively turned towards the entrance.
The black-haired boy who is the talk of the town. A strange cadet who uses a sword as his weapon.
‘Sashimi swordsmanship… … .’
Kang Geum-ma walks out with thumping steps. Just his appearance makes the soccer field-sized smokescreen look like a graveyard.
Manager Sung swallowed without realizing it. Kang Geum-ma had the exact opposite impression of Leon, who was the previous person in line.
If Leon was like the noonday sun, Ganggeomma was like a crescent moon night with no light at all.
Day and night. How could two such contrasting geniuses appear at the same time?
However, the coexistence of light and dark seemed somewhat precarious. Should I say that they could not coexist? Manager Seong suddenly felt that way.
Chief Ha asked Manager Seong.
“Sir, how many points do you think that student will get?”
“But it’s worth the name Sashimi Kensei, so wouldn’t it be over 90 points? Anything above that would depend on how you do it. After all, Leon just achieved a new record.”
“Well, Leon only got one kill in about a second. To get more points than that… well, it would be practically impossible, right?”
Manager Sung shrugged and replied.
“Right. Well, if we were to set our expectations, a tie score of 98 points? But our standards are too high. Even just 90 points would be a monster. Look, our vice president’s record. It’s 93 points. And that’s also our record from our second year.”
“That’s right. When I look at it that way, it really hits home. If the 18-year-old Changseong-nim got 93 points… Oh, but the name of the person in second place is Meain Poison. Isn’t she the twin sister of the director of Hyeonhakwon?”
“Oh, that’s right. He’s also the former headmaster of the academy.”
“That’s right! But then one day, you suddenly handed over the position of principal to the current principal and disappeared.”
“Yeah. That was about 20 years ago… When Chief Ha was seven? There wasn’t much of a fuss. But he was a special person from the beginning.”
“Are you a special person?”
“If you have time, look through the Association’s secret management records for more details. You’ll be surprised.”
Chief Ha pursed his lips.
“It’s fatal! Can you give me a little bit of a heads up?”
“If you die, you too will be promoted. But let me tell you something. The ‘Poison’ family itself is a bit different. The president of the association is also from that family. Anyway, let’s get started now. Quiet.”
Wheeing.
Iron bars rose from the road. But the ogre’s condition was not good.
The bastard’s eyes were bloodshot and his sharp fangs were sharply sharpened.
Chief Ha called Manager Seong in a panicked voice.
“Chief… …! That ogre, it’s in a strange state!”
“That kid, really?”
The ogre swung his club in all directions. The iron bars cracked with each blow.
Snap!
The ogre that had broken the fence kicked the iron gate. The one that emerged from the iron bars straightened its hunched back and stood nearly 4 meters tall. It growled with all its yellow teeth exposed.
Manager Seong’s eyes trembled violently.
“Damn it! That guy got screwed by Leon and lost it. The shame of getting screwed in one go is what made him aggressive. Go berserk, go berserk!”
“A berserk!? If you’re an ogre with rolled eyes, your rank will skyrocket to A-class!”
“The mock test is stopped immediately. Chief Ha, hurry and tell the instructors to deploy personnel. Now!”
“yes!”
-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The ogre blew out a blast of smoke, causing the cadets in the stands to faint.
That number was a whopping half. The rest not only didn’t faint, they couldn’t even move a finger.
“Hey, hey, wake up! Instructor, the kids are losing their minds!”
“Everyone, please stay in your seats for now!”
“Gyaaaah!”
The training grounds were instantly transformed into a crucible of chaos. The ogre ran forward, aided by the screams of the cadets.
Kookookookookung.
The ogre, immersed in madness, thumped. Heavy footsteps dug into the dirt like a stamp.
Just before the ogre swung his club, Kanggeomma flicked the sashimi.
months.
At the same time, the peer paused. The red eyes of the ogre became clouded. The focus of both eyes widened left and right.
-Oh my… … .
The ogre moved its legs with twisted steps, its eyes white and unfocused. However, unable to overcome inertia, the ogre passed by the strong sword horse.
The collapsed body continued forward without any resistance, like on an ice rink. Its broad chest and belly wiped the floor.
* * *
[The Wolf class exam is over.]
A mechanical sound that breaks the silence like breaking glass.
Manager Seong’s dazed mind suddenly snapped out of his daze at the voice that was out of sync with the atmosphere. However, he couldn’t say anything due to the thrill that ran through his entire body.
Manager Seong turned his head towards Manager Ha. Manager Ha was also looking at him with wide eyes.
“What was it?” Chief Ha asked, only moving his mouth.
“Do you think I know?” Manager Seong dismissed it with a look.
The two people’s gazes gathered again in the middle of the training ground.
An ogre fell behind the strong swordsman. He was clutching his chest, and there wasn’t even a speck of life on his body.
‘What, what is that?’
Leon showed off his quick sword skills. Everyone was amazed and cheered at his display of skill.
… But what happened just now? When Kanggeomma swung his sword handle, the ogre died instantly with his eyes rolled back.
‘Heart attack?’
A look of shock appeared on Manager Sung’s face. He was clutching his chest and falling. Wasn’t that a heart attack?
Is it like now if we just make eye contact we’ll die? What, is that an X-note? Is that like death sashimi?
Even though it’s the Joaquin Academy where monsters run rampant, this really felt like something out of the ordinary.
Even at that moment, the subspace was estimating Kanggeomma’s score. The time required was significantly delayed.
[Cadet =Ganggeomma=’s score is… … .]
Kang Geum-ma waited for the results, his shoulders rolling around in a dazed state. Manager Seong was dumbfounded by his calm expression.
Beep-!
[… is ∞, which is immeasurable.]
[Infinity is not a number, so it cannot be converted into a score.]
[However, the record list is updated according to the ranking.]
[0th place. Ganggeomma / ∞.]
[1st place. Leon van Reinhardt / 98 points.]
[2nd place. Meain Poison / 96 points.]
[3rd place. Siegfried von Nibelung / 95 points.]
[4th place. Media Poison / 94 points.]
[5th place. Richard de Murat / 93 points.]
“… … .”
There was no room left for further surprise. Manager Sung was simply dazed.
***
“What are you doing this time? How did you do it!?”
As soon as I returned to my seat, Ryozo asked me a question. She suddenly stuck her face out as if to urge me to answer.
“You can’t even draw your sword and cut down an ogre? No, I don’t even know where to start being surprised. Doesn’t the score seem like infinity? Doesn’t the ogre just fall down? What, did you communicate with that demon? Asked him to fall down with perfect timing? Or… did you cut him down with that mental realm?”
“I did expand my mental realm to avoid pulling out the blade, but I used it differently than usual.”
“… … ?”
Ryozo’s pupils dilated. I scratched my cheek and explained.
“Ryozo, do you know what ‘Peer’ is? It’s the thing that ogre screamed and spit out.”
“I know. It’s a type of spirit emitted by high-level demons. The principle is that it’s an ultra-low frequency that allows predators to overwhelm their prey, making hunting easier, but academic opinions are still divided… … .”
“I don’t know about the academic aspect, but anyway, that pier is ultimately a pulsating sound, or wavelength, that is directly connected to the heart of the devil. If we use a car analogy, it would be the sound of the engine.”
“It’s a slightly different concept, but it’s a pretty fitting analogy. Anyway, what does that have to do with Pier and Ogre suddenly collapsing?”
“Nothing special, I just thought that if I cut the pier, my heart wouldn’t stop, and I guess I was right. Honestly, I didn’t know that the score would be unmeasurable-”
“Hey, wait a minute! Wait a minute!”
Ryozo cut off the story by extending his hand. His sky-blue eyes kept growing and shrinking.
“You mean you cut through piercing, ripples, or sounds? Cut through things that have no physical form and are invisible?”
“Ah, that’s… I can see it.”
“what?”
[Protection of the Sword God] is a protection that cuts what cannot be cut.
Nothing was an exception, whether it was sound, air, or waves.
“My protection is something like that.”
“… … .”
Ryozo, who had been staring at me with a blank expression, soon let out a deep sigh.
“Geumma, I really don’t know whether to say that your ideas are genius or that you’re crazy. It seems like the incalculable score is just right for you.”
“… Is that a compliment?”
A wrinkle formed between Ryozo’s eyebrows.
“Then, is it an insult?”
