How the Shadow of the Marquis Lives

Chapter 69

Deng~ Deng~

“Now, stop. I’ll get the test papers, so don’t put your hands on the desk.”

At the same time as the bell rang, the instructor gave a voice.

While the instructor was picking up the test papers one by one, the students put down their pens and stretched.

Eventually, after the instructor who had collected all the test papers left the classroom, the students started talking as if a blockage had burst.

“Okay~”

“finished!”

“Did you see?”

“Looks good. It was terribly difficult.”

“Ahh! I’m aspiring to be a knight, so do I even have to learn these things! Isn’t it enough to wield a sword well!”

“Hey, let’s guess the answer.”

“What do you do if you come and guess? The test papers have already left.”

“I’m still curious.”

Among the students talking about Jung-gu heating, Xian arranged the writing utensils.

There was someone approaching Xian.

“Sian, thank you. Thanks to you, I don’t think I’ll get paid!”

Erze came to him and thanked him for taking care of his studies last week.

When I memorized mainly the parts that Xian pointed out that day, I was able to solve quite a few problems in the exam.

One out of 4 questions is the correct answer!

“Good job. One of the four looks a bit close, but a few of the shots must have been right.”

“It’s the first time I’ve been hit so many times… … . Oh right. There were a few things I was confused about, but this… … .”

Two people chatting about past exams.

Ran glanced at the two of them.

‘When were they so close?’

the back of the classroom.

In the eyes of Ran, who was sitting there, he could clearly see the classmates talking.

Of course, the appearance of Xian and Ergé.

‘Hmm.’

Erze, who chatters happily, and Xian, who responds moderately and accepts.

Come to think of it, it seemed like something had happened before.

‘Even though I have a clue from the Great Hill.’

When we met in Vigo after our first practical lessons at Great Hill.

I had that feeling even back then.

Something strangely bothered me.

Even when I tried to look out the window while blowing my nose, I was confident that I was glancing at him without realizing it.

“Sheesh.”

she clicked her tongue.

what do i care Let’s just go to the training ground.

She put aside her thoughts and packed her books and writing utensils.

“Lan~ Did you do well on the test?”

“Hey, of course you looked good. Ran was ranked second in the entrance exam.”

“Indeed, it is. If you’re in second place, that means you have really good hair!”

She’s in 292nd place now, but she didn’t bother saying that, and she got up and slung her bag over her shoulder.

“Ah, Ran. What are you going to do today? There are no classes for a long time.”

“Training ground.”

Ran left the classroom, taking the chattering classmates along with her.

Right now, the day after tomorrow, the day after the weekend is the day to take the practical exam.

‘I won’t lose this time.’

Crossing the threshold of the classroom, she once looked back.

Xian chatting with Hergé.

His image was clearly reflected in her golden eyes.

* * *

The weekend passed, and the day of the practical test dawned.

Instead of the original test in the tomb of giants, this test was supposed to be replaced with an intramural competition.

Contrary to what many students expected, ‘I’m going to simply pay and pass’, a fairly large-scale scene unfolded.

“Wow is this real?”

“Is it full of people?”

“Aren’t all the citizens living here flocking here?”

The training building occupies the most of the academy’s land, but there is a building that occupies the largest land within it.

A building larger than any other building in the academy.

Colosseum.

It was the place where the students of the academy mainly engaged in sparring until they commissioned the Steel Magic Tower to develop Colosseum magic.

A building for events, with a spacious stage for Dalian and even seats for audience in a circle around it.

Citizens were crowded into the large building.

“It’s a student game! It must be fun, but this!”

“Why is the academy holding all these events? It must have been a lot of money to share wine and food all you want.”

“Whatever the reason, what do we care? Just eat, drink and be merry. ha ha ha!”

Citizens each entered the Colosseum building with bright faces.

What is the funniest sight in the world? Wouldn’t it be a spectacle of crippling and fighting?

Many citizens flocked to the news that they would show the fight, even providing meals and drinks.

In addition, the caravan merchants who were still staying acted quickly.

Knowing that the academy was holding an event like this, they quickly opened a stall near the Colosseum.

There were even people among them who wanted to secretly gamble.

“You! Do you want to bet your money on kids fights? In this sacred learning ground?”

“No, that’s what I mean… … .”

“It’s a long story! Just answer in one word! Are you going to do it or not?”

“Oh, I won’t!”

Of course, I was caught by an instructor who was patrolling and was scolded.

Gambling against students’ matches at school, if not anywhere else, is absolutely unacceptable.

Seeing the gamblers who were scolded from afar, Xian stuck out his tongue.

‘I thought there might be something special.’

I never imagined that it would be so big.

I thought it would feel like a small martial arts meeting where only the instructors and students gathered as observers.

“hey! look! The president is also here!”

“Oh, really! He’s the kind of person you don’t usually see.”

“Ah, now I understand. It must have been changed to an intramural competition because of the president. If you go outside, it will be difficult for the president to tour.”

“That’s right. That seems right.”

The highest VIP seat in the Colosseum.

President Zerech appeared in that high seat overlooking the stadium as well as the city.

Xi’an’s eyes narrowed as he looked at him.

‘Zerech von Bergheisel.’

One of the ten High Masters on the continent.

Among the three rivers, five, and two yak, this belongs to the fifth.

In the past, when he was still young, he proudly belonged to the Three Rivers, but as he got older and deteriorated, he gave up his position to the Sword King, Berped, and came down a notch.

The fact that coming down from old age is only one step made me guess his potential.

A man who confidently sang the best song in the world decades ago.

The man was looking down at the crowd with unreadable eyes.

“Negotiations with him have broken down. If you say something you’ve been working on, it’s probably today.”

Zerech spoke to the garrison captain Kelln next to him.

Kellen asked with a firm expression.

“Is that why you changed the schedule for going outside to an on-campus competition and gathered people like this?”

“How can I send the students out when such a guy is doing the installation? And if he does something, there is a high possibility that the citizens will be caught up in it, so I put it in a place where I can see it as much as possible.”

Everwhale, the city of the same name where Everwhale Academy is located.

It was a city that was no different from a fortress surrounded by walls, but there are places more secure than those walls.

In this academy, where Zerech, the swordsman, is shining his eyes.

There was no safer place in the city than this.

“okay… … . All of my men are patrolling the city.”

“Good job. There must be many citizens still remaining in the city… … . In the unlikely event of an emergency, lead us to evacuate here. Do you know where the shelter is?”

“Of course I know. Isn’t it in the basement of the main building?”

The basement of the Academy’s main building.

There was also a shelter in the basement where Vigo was located deep inside.

It is a place for civilians to evacuate when war breaks out, and it is a strong place that will not collapse even if a considerable amount of high-level magic falls.

With this, the preparation was perfect.

In preparation for an accident, many instructors and professors have been prepared in advance.

“One problem is that he doesn’t know what the magic circle he opened is… … .”

“It’s okay. Isn’t that what I am for?”

Zerech saw the wall beyond.

I don’t know what his magic circle is, but if it’s something that has to go through the castle wall, Zerech can respond at once even alone.

For example, summoning troops and trying to cross the wall.

If that’s the case, don’t worry.

There was no way that enemies who couldn’t cross a wall properly could cross Zerech.

The problem is when the guys who have already entered the city start to act.

In preparation for that time, they gathered the citizens in a place where they could reach Zerech as much as possible.

“For now, let’s watch.”

“yes… … .”

After saying that, the two of them looked at the arena below.

―Let’s start the first game!

Coincidentally, the students’ competition was starting.

* * *

Although this match was held like a martial arts meeting, it was not a match between students.

How can we score objectively by putting up a fight between students who need to be graded?

The content of this practical test was, to be exact, dealing with a golem.

‘I’ve already gone through the second stage.’

And yesterday it already came out once.

300 students in Year 1 face Stage 1 and 2 golems, where 200 have already been scored.

Today is the day for the remaining 100 students to deal with level 3 or higher golems.

After going through the 3rd level golem, the surviving students challenge the 4th level golem.

In this way, the golem’s level goes up endlessly until all the students are filtered out.

“Next challenger! Please prepare!”

―Quooo!

Tests using stage 3 golems were progressing rapidly.

The number of wizards injecting mana into the golem at each stage is different.

There were 2 people in the 1st stage and 4 people in the 2nd stage.

And there are 9 mages who inject mana into the 3rd stage golem today.

Because the basic specs themselves were extremely pumped, even the students who easily passed the second stage were quickly retired.

But even in the meantime.

―Coooung!

‘As expected, he’s good at it.’

Ran, Yuseol, and Allen took down the golem without difficulty.

Among the first-year students, they belong to the strongest axis. There was no way I could fall out of level 3.

“Cheer up!”

“Nice job, Ian!”

In addition, Ian also defeated the 3rd stage golem without showing much effort.

Reina cheers him on from under the pitch. She’s just lost to the golem.

‘It seems the two of you have become quite close.’

When I saw them high-five, they seemed pretty close.

Did they become friends because of the incident that happened then?

“The next challenger!”

And so, one after another, familiar faces passed through.

Among them, Erje was the least worried. Herze is likely to be eliminated here like Reina.

I was thinking

cooong!

“… … .”

“and… … .”

“Wow, great! This is the fastest time ever!”

“So fast? He’s in 300th place!”

Seeing the golem that fell in an instant, the audience became quiet.

Xian was also quite surprised.

Herze, who thought it would be difficult, rather defeated the 3rd stage golem faster than anyone else.

The moment she started, she disappeared from the arena and came out from behind the golem.

Then, stepping on his back, he quickly climbed up and slit the golem’s neck.

A clean, precise, flawless blow.

“… … .”

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, she went down the podium with an expressionless figure different from usual.

Her score was carefully recorded by the judges.

It’s not the highest score for knocking it down the fastest, but it should have been given quite a few extra points.

‘Everyone has grown a lot.’

Among the students Xian knew, Erze was the last.

Remembering how they defeated the golem, Xian slowly let go of his hand.

Seeing them become much stronger than when they were in the early days of admission, he too began to gain strength.

“Next challenger! Please prepare!”

A few more passed by like that, and then his turn came.

Xian pulled out the sword from the seal and climbed onto the arena.

Then he confronted the golem, and generously raised his mana so that he could jump out immediately.

But then.

– Why are you like this?

―Are you sick?

-Are you okay, mister?

The audience seats were buzzing.

One spectator was staggering as if in a bad condition.

“What are you doing?”

Academy staff quickly approached him.

The audience in a strange state opened their mouths.

“Cuck!”

“Wow!”

“Are you okay!?”

coughed up blood

After standing still for nothing, the audience in the front seat covered in blood screamed, and the staff rushed to help him.

But that wasn’t the end.

“Ouch! Kahuhuhhh—!”

Wasn’t blood pouring from the man’s mouth like a waterfall?

It was never in an amount that would come out of one person’s body.

“Quaaa

“aaagh!”

In the midst of a scream that cannot be compared to just now.

The bloody man’s arm trembled and something sprouted.

It was scales.

“Keep it off—”

With only the whites left in his eyes, the man stretched out his disgusting arm full of scales to the employee next to him.

“Ugh!”

The employee hurriedly tried to escape and tripped on a chair and fell.

The man approached the employee and swung his scaly arm.

The staff got very scared and closed their eyes.

Caang!

“Uh, huh?”

However, when nothing happened after a while, the employee opened his closed eyes.

The sight of the fluttering hem of his uniform was reflected in his eyes.

A familiar academy uniform, a student who had been raising mana up until just now.

“Ha, student?”

it was cyan