Chapter 67

Now, in front of me, four nobles are kneeling. Moreover, one of them is giving me an incredibly intense gaze.

These four are said to be the children of the four major noble families of a small country that has a significant influence on other nations.

I don’t think they are of a status that should bow to a commoner like me...

"Why did it come to this..."

The time goes back to when the special class was about to start.

After finishing the morning classes, I was eating lunch with Ray and Marco for the first time in a while at the cafeteria.

"Hey, Aul, was it okay to forgive those two?"

"I don’t think I saw any sign of repentance."

It’s not surprising that they think so.

"I also failed to keep it a secret, so it was only a matter of time. Whether it’s late or early, it’s just a difference in timing."

Besides, it’s best to finish troublesome things as soon as possible.

"Since we don’t have much time left, let’s move soon."

Still, I have a bad feeling. I’ve noticed recently that my intuition is surprisingly accurate...

After changing into my usual training clothes and doing some light warm-up exercises, a suspicious teacher with a sly smile and Yolnaard, who was somehow with him, approached. ...Why is Yolnaard there?

That guy is definitely enjoying this!

His face is stern, but I can tell!

"Alright, we will start the special class between Class 1 and Class 10. The content is a mock battle between Class 1 and Class 10. We want Class 10 to gain valuable experience by fighting strong opponents, and we want Class 1 to think about how to fight efficiently while engaging in the mock battle."

It sounds like a reasonable explanation, but in summary, it means Class 1 will beat up Class 10, right?

Still, I don’t think all of Class 1 is like that. I should look for the ones influenced by the third-year students.

Malice Detection!

This is a different skill from Presence Perception, a magic that can identify people who have malice towards me. I found it by chance while reading books in the library and have adapted it to my own use.

If I had this magic earlier, it would have saved me a lot of trouble...

However, magic is not omnipotent. Malice Detection can only judge based on the surface level of consciousness, so it might not work on professional assassins.

Furthermore, if someone is sensitive enough, they might notice the use of the magic and take some countermeasures.

In any case, it’s a magic I’ve almost never used before, but I don’t think the students of Class 1 will even react to it.

...Four people with clear malice, and four, no, five more with a faint malice. The way they hide it is too sophisticated to be students. It’s hard to tell who has malice with such a faint presence.

There’s also one idiot who doesn’t even try to hide it. This guy seems to be a combat maniac.

In any case, those without malice will just engage in a simple mock battle, so there’s no need to worry too much.

It seems the idiot is also keeping an eye on things.

"Ray, Marco, do you know those four over there?"

When I directed my gaze towards the four with malice, they seemed to know and answered.

"Yes, those four are quite famous. They are the children of the four major noble families of the kingdom of Leasum, which borders the empire."

"Leasum is a small country, but it has a significant influence on other countries. They excel in magic tool development and have outstanding combat power."

I remember reading about Leasum in the library. It was famous for its high military power.

The four major noble families are:

- The Lancers, known for spears

- The Bladeia, known for swords

- The Hammerers, known for hammers

- The Axia, known for axes

Each family specializes in a particular weapon, and they all hold the rank of duke.

"Hmm... So those are the children of the four major noble families."

"Yes, they all have their specialized weapons."

"While we’re at it, I’ll tell you their names."

- Lancers' second daughter: Lancers von Lilthiana

- Characteristics: Blonde pigtails

- Bladeia's third son: Bladeia von Argyle

- Characteristics: An old-looking face for a student

- Hammerers' third daughter: Hammerers von Mimi

- Characteristics: Small but powerful and well-endowed

- Axia's second son: Axia von Triclas

- Characteristics: A tanned, smooth-talking guy

They are quite famous in the first year, but I didn’t know their names.

Or rather, when Marco told me their characteristics, it sounded more like insults than features. Am I imagining it?

But I recognize the third son of the Bladeia family. He was the one using orthodox sword techniques during the entrance exam. His sword movements were incredibly fast even without using magic.

I don’t know the strength of the upperclassmen, but he might be at the level of the strongest student. I shouldn’t underestimate him.

If the other three have similar strength, the military power of Leasum might be real.

"Then, without specific pairings, start the mock battles with whomever you like! Be careful not to cause serious injuries! The time limit is three hours, and you must engage in at least four mock battles! You can take breaks as needed! Begin!"

By not making specific pairings, they made it easier for me to be chosen. They’re quite thorough, aren’t they?

Still, who are the other five who had malice towards me earlier...? I should check again.

Malice Detection!

...Huh, they’re gone. Did they notice it?

If so, they must be quite skilled. I should be careful.

Just as I was about to go to another student to avoid being targeted, the servants of the four major noble families came to fetch me.

Reluctantly, I followed them, and there I saw...

"You must be Aul. I am Argyle. How about engaging in a mock battle with us?"

Hmm, he’s more polite than I expected. He’s treating me this way even though he knows I’m a commoner.

I’ll provoke him a bit to see his reaction.

"Why me?"

"There are several reasons, but personally, I’m interested in you."

He’s trying to sound casual, but he’s not showing any signs of anger.

He’s mentally mature beyond his years as a student. His old-looking face makes it hard to believe he’s in the first year.

"I’m not interested in you."

"Hmm... Knowing that we are the four major noble families of Leasum, you still have that attitude? It only makes me more interested."

This guy might be a stubborn type. He’s not listening at all.

"Fine, I get it..."

"Then, let’s have a mock battle with the four of us."

He’s only about 10 years old, but with his old-looking face and way of speaking, he doesn’t seem like a peer at all.

If I had to give him a nickname, it would definitely be "Young Old Man."

"Then, I’ll go first."

It seems the order is already decided, and I’ll be facing the second daughter of the Lancers family.

"I am Lancers von Lilthiana, the second daughter. As you can see, my weapon is a spear. What’s yours? You can’t possibly say that a wooden stick is your weapon, right? Oh, but it might suit a commoner from the countryside."

Clang!

To belittle someone to this extent is a kind of talent. The staff technique is a versatile martial art...

From the way he’s grinning, it seems he knows my main weapon is a staff.

He might look good, but with such a personality, he probably doesn’t have many admirers.

"Enough talk, come at me."

"Hmph! As ordered by my older sister, I will crush you!"

"Ordered by my older sister," huh? I’ll have to hear more about that later.

In the special class mock battles, the use of magic and magical power is allowed, but attacks that cause serious injuries are prohibited.

In other words, as long as I don’t cause injuries, I can use as much magical power as I want, right?

With this, I have no reason to lose.

Argyle will be the referee.

"Begin!"

Lilthiana charged at me with a short spear, a relatively short spear.

I activated Sensory Enhancement and Physical Enhancement to observe her. She also uses Physical Enhancement, and her movements are quite fast.

"Haah!"

With a battle cry, she launched a series of rapid thrusts, dozens of them in quick succession. Thanks to Sensory Enhancement, I can barely keep up, but her speed is beyond that of a student.

"What...?!"

She didn’t expect me to dodge, and her thoughts came to a halt.

She has the potential, but she lacks practical experience. She’s too weak against unexpected situations.

{Staff Technique - Spear Form - Thousand Thrusts}

In simple terms, it’s a technique of thrusting at the opponent at ultra-high speed, but the addition of rotation significantly increases its penetration power.

With the tips of our weapons wrapped in cloth, it shouldn’t cause serious injuries, but a bad hit could still result in a serious injury.

Aiming for the momentary pause in her thoughts, I struck her abdomen. Even in a pinch, she managed to avoid a vital point, which is impressive for a member of the four major noble families.

Just as I was about to aim my staff at the fallen Lilthiana, Argyle called out.

"That’s enough! The winner is Aul!"

"Wait! I’m not defeated yet!"

Oh, Lilthiana is quite competitive. I can appreciate that about her.

"Accept your defeat, Lilthiana. Admit it gracefully and learn from this experience."

"Damn... I’ll definitely pay you back for this!"

Argyle explained what I was thinking. I feel like we could have been good friends if we were in the same position.

"Next is me. My name is Triclas. I don’t have any grudge against you, but I’ll make you suffer a bit!"

Next is someone from the Axia family. He looks like a smooth-talking guy. His skills might not be that great.

"Begin!"

Triclas’s weapon is a francisca, a type of battle axe. It doesn’t seem very practical for actual combat, but what is he thinking...?

He just stood there grinning, not moving at all.

Thinking he had no intention to fight, I tried to attack, but suddenly I felt a bad vibe on my neck.

"!!"

I barely dodged to the side, and the francisca passed by at an incredible speed.

"Wow! I didn’t expect you to dodge that!"

Triclas, who caught and immediately threw the francisca, seems to have real skills despite his appearance.

He’s catching and throwing that high-speed, spinning weapon with ease.

What’s strange is that the francisca returns to his hand. It’s not a boomerang...

"Ahaha, you seem curious about why the axe comes back. I won’t tell you!"

If this drags on, it will be to my disadvantage. I’ll end it quickly.

{Staff Technique - Blade Form - Instant Flash}

If Purple Lightning is a technique that strikes after the opponent, Instant Flash is a technique that strikes before the opponent.

By combining Physical Enhancement with lightning attribute magic, I can achieve a speed like lightning.

I developed this technique during a mock battle with Yolnaard to defeat him.

Unfortunately, I can’t beat Yolnaard when he’s serious, but if anything goes, it’s a different story. In terms of technique alone, I’m still far from being a master.

"Nice... job..."

The hit was perfect, and I managed to knock him out. I was unsure if this technique would work on students, but it seems to be effective.

*Note: Aul doesn’t know that Yolnaard is a legendary S-rank adventurer.*

"Match over! The winner is Aul!"

I don’t know why the axe comes back, but as long as it doesn’t hit me, it’s fine.

Argyle is carrying the unconscious Triclas, but I secretly cast a healing spell, so he should regain consciousness soon.

"Next is me! I’ll beat you to a pulp for the other two as well!"

A small, powerful, well-endowed, and serious girl. Does she remind me of Luna?

Or rather, the characters are so over-the-top, it’s causing a traffic jam.

"Begin!"

...I feel like I should be allowed a break by now.

Mimi’s weapon is a giant hammer as tall as she is. She’s about 110 cm tall, so you can imagine how big it is.

"Here it comes!"

Her attacks are large, making it easy to dodge. When I narrowly avoided one, the ground shook as if an earthquake had hit.

...What?

A crater about 50 cm deep and 3 meters in diameter has formed.

Is that weapon made of wood? If I get hit by that, even with Physical Enhancement, it would cause serious injuries.

"Hehe, how’s my strength? I can handle the blessing 'Super Strength'!"

"Ah!"

The other four major noble families are surprised. Of course, they are surprised; she just revealed her blessing.

Yeah, I get it. This girl is an idiot.

"Take this!"

If I let my guard down, she comes at me twice as fast as before.

"Whoa!?"

"Can you dodge this? Amazing, amazing!"

Her attacks get faster and faster, and soon I have to deflect them with my staff.

"Aul, you’re amazing! It’s been a while since someone lasted this long!"

I took a big jump backward to create some distance and catch my breath. This girl might be a kind of genius.

Her weapon is a threat, but she has a fatal flaw.

I dodge and counter, and it hits her cleanly.

I think she’s either bad at defense or hasn’t practiced it much.

In the end, I won without using any techniques, just simple counters. She still has plenty of stamina left.

"Enough! The winner is Aul!"

"Phew, I’m tired. That’s three wins for me."

"I’m surprised, Aul. I didn’t expect you to do this well. It’s a mystery why you’re in Class 10."

Shut up. I’m in Class 10 just because I’m a commoner. Maybe I should appeal to the princess next time.

"Next is my turn. We don’t need a referee, right?"

"Either way is fine."

"Then, let’s go!"

Argyle, with a wooden sword, charged at me. After a few exchanges, I realized he’s strong. He’s not just strong; he’s a head above the other three.

His sword movements, speed, and the sharpness and variety of his techniques are all at a high level. There are hardly any students who can beat him.

...But that’s all.

He might sound like a high-spec all-rounder, but to me, he’s not scary at all. In fact, I find it harder to fight someone like Mimi, who is specialized in one area.

"You’re good, Aul. You might be a worthy opponent for me. I’ll get serious too."

"Serious...?"

"I’ll use magic and my blessing! Physical Enhancement!"

What’s his blessing? It disappeared! He’s using high-level Physical Enhancement and Spatial Awareness!

...Above! I’ll counter you!

"Bladeia Sword Technique - Secret Technique 1 - Thunderclap"

{Staff Technique - Blade Form - Purple Lightning - Counter}

I released a technique to counter the invisible, ultra-fast downward strike from Argyle. Purple Lightning is essentially the fastest draw technique in my arsenal, but {Purple Lightning - Counter} is a technique I developed during my battle with Yolnaard.

It’s a counter draw technique that combines the fastest draw technique with a counter effect.

Argyle’s technique passed in front of me, and my technique exploded on his torso. The added gravity from his position above likely increased the damage.

For a normal person, it would be more than just a serious injury, but he was using high-level Physical Enhancement, so he shouldn’t be dead. ...Just to be safe, I’ll cast a healing spell.

"My win, right?"

The other four major noble families quickly nodded, so it’s my win. Still, that was close... If he had used his usual weapon, it might have been even more effective.

He was incredibly strong, beyond a student. Still, what was Argyle’s blessing?

Argyle, who had lost consciousness, woke up about 30 minutes later.

"...I lost, didn’t I?"

"Yes, we lost