Chapter 174: The Swordsmanship Examiner
Rigel was chatting with Testarossa and Nessis, killing time. After a while, they began mental preparation for the next exam. Rigel was left bored again. However, that boredom didn’t last long. The final examinee finally reached the goal point.
"All of you, warm-up is over! This marks the end of the basic physical fitness test! And now, without delay, we move on to the swordsmanship test!!"
The examiner shouted. He was the one in charge of the basic physical fitness test. He had run with the examinees the whole way.
The muscular examiner showed no sign of exhaustion. The examinees who had reached the goal early, including Rigel and Testarossa, were the same. However, the lower-ranked ones were different.
"Zee, zee... This can’t be real, right?"
"Haa... haa... Swordsmanship with this much exhaustion...?"
"Uuu... My legs won’t move anymore..."
Some students muttered. They all looked completely worn out. That was only natural. In the basic physical fitness test, they had chosen a safe but roundabout route. The distance was 20 km — no, it might have been over 30 km. They had run it with magical power or kinetic energy, but in exchange, their stamina was completely depleted. They hadn’t even finished the race by much.
"Oi oi, what pathetic losers."
Rigel smirked at them. Thanks to the cheat skill [Rape], he wasn’t particularly tired.
"Just running and you’re like this? Then you won’t even be able to pass the swordsmanship exam."
Rigel provoked them. Some students showed angry expressions.
"Damn it...!"
"You’re looking down on us...!"
"You have the stamina, but swordsmanship is different! Who the hell do you think you are!!"
Some students shouted. Rigel wore a sadistic grin.
"Hou? If you’re saying that, you think you can beat me?"
"Of course!!"
"If you’re tired, it’s just talk! We can take down a loser like you without breaking a sweat! Get ready!!"
The students shouted. Rigel smirked.
"Kukuku... What guts you have. Then come at me all at once."
Rigel spread both arms. The students twisted their faces in rage.
"You son of a bitch...!!"
"You’ll regret this!!"
"All of you! Attack together!!"
The students rushed at Rigel all at once. But—
"That’s enough! Stop!!"
A dignified voice rang out. Rigel turned and saw a woman holding a sword standing there. The students’ movements stopped before her overwhelming presence.
"Examiner?"
Rigel muttered.
"I am Oriana, the examiner in charge of this swordsmanship test. It is forbidden for private fights unrelated to the exam, isn’t it?"
"Hah? I don’t recall being told that."
Rigel showed a puzzled expression.
"Indeed... So that is your answer."
She muttered, disappointed. "It is forbidden for private fights unrelated to the exam." That was written in the exam handbook. Common sense would tell anyone that much. Even if they didn’t know, they should have stopped if warned by the examiner.
Nevertheless, the boy in front of her had refuted without understanding his position. Oriana found him unworthy of the Royal Academy. She drew her sword and spoke.
"Then there is no choice. —I will give you 0 points in the swordsmanship exam!"
She said and slashed at Rigel. He easily dodged.
"Oop! That was close."
He muttered and took a light step. Oriana lost balance when she was tripped.
"Wha...!?"
She hurriedly took a guard stance and quickly faced Rigel again.
"Trampling me with your foot...!"
Oriana glared at him while saying that. However, he shrugged as if nothing had happened.
"As an examiner, being tripped by a mere examinee... How disappointing."
"K-you bastard...!"
Oriana’s face turned red with anger. Rigel smirked.
"Are you done? It’s over?"
"H-hah...!"
Oriana’s face turned red. She re-gripped her sword — then stopped. She had second thoughts.
"Hmph... Well, I’ll overlook your earlier remarks."
"Hou... Then I’m grateful."
Rigel smirked. Oriana ignored him and turned to the examinees.
"Then from now on, the swordsmanship test begins! This time’s format is a 1-on-1 simulated match. The pairings have been decided!!"
"Wha...!?"
Rigel was shocked. Seeing his reaction, Oriana smirked. The reason for his shock was what—?
—-
From the swordsmanship examiner Oriana, the exam content was announced. Rigel was shocked and let out a voice.
"Kukuku! Scared already? Then you can give up right now, you know?"
"..."
(Tch! This is troublesome...)
Rigel clicked his tongue inwardly. It was a 1-on-1 simulated match. If it was one match after another, it would take until nightfall to finish. Rigel had no interest in watching the other matches. If it continued like this, he might be forced to endure a boring time even more than he did in the written or basic physical fitness test. He realized the risk and panicked.
"Excuse me for a moment."
"What? Still have something to say, an examinee?"
Oriana spoke irritably.
"But with this many people doing 1-on-1 simulated matches, it will take a long time, won’t it? What if we do a battle royale format instead?"
"Battle royale format... A method where many fight at once and decide one winner..."
"That’s right. We can save time."
At Rigel’s words, Oriana looked thoughtful. But she immediately shook her head.
"No."
"W-why?!"
Rigel shouted. Oriana glared at him.
"Hmph... This is why idiots are annoying. You probably just don’t have much confidence in the swordsmanship test, right?"
"That’s not true, but..."
"No, that must be it. In a 1-on-1 simulated match, you can show your real strength. In a battle royale, you might snatch victory by fluke. You’re probably thinking that."
"..."
Rigel fell silent. Her guess was completely off target. But from her perspective — not knowing that Rigel possessed the cheat skill [Rape] — it was only natural for her to guess that.
Seeing Rigel falter, she smiled.
"So that was the truth? But that’s too naive. As the examiner in charge of the swordsmanship test, I can’t overlook such a foolish plan. Therefore, your proposal is rejected."
"Kuh...! But it’s true that it will take a long time!! Please reconsider!!!"
Rigel pressed on. However, Oriana shook her head again.
"Time is not a problem. All groups will fight at the same time."
"Eh?"
"This hill is vast. There are also forests around. Each group will be scattered appropriately and do their simulated matches. That way, the time won’t be excessive."
"N-no... I understand that, but... Then how will it be evaluated?"
Rigel asked, puzzled. He had thought the examiner would have him do a 1-on-1 simulated match right in front of her. She would score based on the winner and match content... But that prediction was wrong.
Oriana smiled wryly.
"Don’t worry. We have supervisors and assistant examiners positioned here. They will record the results of the simulated matches. I will use that to decide the final score. Just so you know, using magic in this swordsmanship test will result in a large deduction. Body enhancement with magical power is fine, though."
"...I see. That makes sense."
Rigel nodded as if he understood. That format would indeed save time. It would require personnel for supervisors and assistant examiners, but the Royal Academy was the Royal Academy, so they could afford it.
"Alright. Anyone else have any objections? Then we will now announce the pairings."
Oriana looked around at the examinees. She began calling out names one after another.
"First group! Nessis and—"
"Eh!? Me?!"
Nessis, called by her name, raised her voice. The other examinee also reacted.
"Yes, you two will fight. Your battle area is over there. Fight each other and begin."
"Y-yes! Understood!!"
Nessis answered. She joined her opponent and headed to the assigned battle area. This continued. Oriana continued calling out pairings.
"Good... Next! Testarossa and—"
Testarossa, Nessis’s friend, was also called by name. She went confidently to join her opponent and headed to the battle area.
(Well, Testarossa should be fine. Nessis is a bit worrying...)
Rigel thought.
Testarossa was holding the high-performance sword Rigel had chosen. In the swordsmanship test, where one’s own sword’s performance was considered part of one’s ability, that gave her a big advantage.
On the other hand, Nessis was using only a small sword. Thanks to the magical circle Rigel drew, the efficiency of her magical power usage had improved, and the effect and duration of magical body enhancement were also better. But whether she could win with that level of advantage was questionable.
(I’m worried...)
Rigel felt uneasy. Of course, he wasn’t worried about the future of Testarossa or Nessis. He was worried that, having selected them as rape candidates, they might fail the entrance exam.
"Then next! The person called, immediately head to the battle area—"
Oriana continued calling names and deciding pairings. However, Rigel’s name was never called.
