C115
"It's okay to have as many defeats as you want. The shame endured to maintain your belief is quickly forgotten. However, the memory of fleeing in fear follows you all your life. Whether you are eating, sleeping, or on the battlefield, you have no choice but to suffer. Therefore, the belief of a swordsman is the same as life. Once broken, it never returns."
No one mocked Rian anymore.
"Everyone doesn't want memories of being cowardly. Especially if you're a swordsman. You will probably come to hate recalling today more than dying. So, let's end it here. If you want to be proud in the future, right now, at this moment, in this place....."
Rian screamed, coughing up blood.
"Fight! You fools!"
Rian's cry penetrated the cadets' hearts. Their blood boiled. Their abilities varied, but their desire to be known as the ghost of the battlefield, the strongest swordsman, the knight of steel, was the same.
The fighting spirit of hundreds of people boiling at the same time was transmitted to the skin. The air was getting hotter. There was no longer the same fear in their eyes when they looked at Faiger.
The group facing Faiger sensed the crisis and each spewed out their own killing intent.
"Shut up! No one listens to the words of the defeated! Want to knock me down? Then come at me. I'll make you just like that guy hanging there!"
Tess touched her lips with a smile.
“Hmm.”
Ogent Rian.
Candidate for admission to the Swordsmanship Academy.
"Good."
Tess kicked the ground and launched herself. As she jumped over Faiger and untied the rope, Rian, who had fallen with a thud, writhed in pain and twisted his waist.
"Your name is Rian, right? I'm Tess. Let's fight together."
Tess offered a handshake, but Rian just stared. He was bound with ropes and could not move.
Tess' appearance resonated with the children. She belonged to the female group, but the skills she demonstrated during training were considered on par with Faiger.
"I will also fight! I can't stand it like this!"
"If a girl steps forward, the boys can't just sit still!"
One after another, they began to side with Rian. In the end, all the students except for Group 1 came together and shouted.
"Let's show them! Let's drive those jerks out of academy!"
"Drive them out! Drive them out!"
Faiger and his group were surrounded by close to 300 children. Even if they increased their strength with Schema, they could not deal with this many numbers.
"These kids! Do you really want to die?"
"If you can kill me, kill me, kid!"
A boy from group 2, who was a bit strong, attacked first. As Faiger, whose chin was twisted, glared at the boy, dozens of them rushed in and beat him to the ground.
"Wa- Wait! Stop!"
Faiger, who faced reality, shouted, but the children's resentment was not easily resolved.
Here and there, cadets from group 1 were being treated the same. It was a situation where even the boys outside the group came forward and beat them up severely.
“Sa- Save me! Instructor! Instructor!”
Tess smiled as she looked back at Rian, who was staring at the battlefield indifferently.
"Hehe, sorry about this? It feels like I just stuck a fork in the food someone else prepared."
"It's fine. I don't like playing hero anyway. That's why I called you here on purpose."
"What? Do you really not know?”
Tess, who realized it was true when Rian looked at her bewildered, put on an absurd expression.
“Are you stupid? There's no way the instructors will leave us free. They're probably observing everything that's happening right now."
Tess' prediction was correct. Faiger suffered a fracture and was expelled, and the other group 1 children who were in sync with him also completed the probationary period, but were notified of admission refusal.
And Ryan... Despite his poor training results, he entered the Kaizen Swordsmanship Academy as the first among the 30 admitted cadets.
Tess, recalling her first meeting with Rian, grinned widely, raising the corner of her mouth.
“That Rian who used to be like that~ Now he’s hovering around the bottom.”
"Be quiet. Why bring up the past? Who asked to be ranked first?"
Tags:
Infinite Mage (Novel)
