21st Century Archmage Chapter 24

“All units, fall in!”

'Awesome! Really awesome!' A large scale spectacle was unfolding before me, its magnificence unrivaled by anything I had ever seen in movies.

Horns rang loudly from the castle walls, the mighty sound causing vibrations on the ground. Wearing red cloaks and silver armor, helmets, and swords were the empire's Imperial Knights. Atop the castle walls stood thousands of Imperial Soldiers wielding swords, spears, and flags. Around me were around a thousand knight cadets wearing newly made uniforms. The entrance ceremony of my dreams was finally happening.

'What's wrong with Hyneth?'

Hyneth had been staying with a marquis in the capital, so I hadn't seen her for a while.

She was different.

She was wearing the black cloak of the Skyknights, as well as silver armor and a sword at her hip. The pureblooded, innocent manga character I knew was nowhere to be seen. She stood in absolute silence, staring intently at the arena podium where hundreds of n.o.bles were seated, radiating an aura like a well-honed sword.

'I can't even approach her.' Her extremely chilly appearance gave off a wholly different feeling from usual. 'Everyone is nervous.'

The Emperor himself would preside over the Knight Academy entrance ceremony. The stiff-faced escort of the Imperial Knights made the cadets nervous.

Except for one person. The happy-go-lucky me, of course.

'He's not doing THAT, right?'

Even now, I could recall the countless schoolyard a.s.semblies from my past, starting from my elementary school entrance ceremony. I still couldn't understand why we had to listen to the ramblings of the dry-as-textbook princ.i.p.al every single time. Maybe they derived joy from standing kids up in the scorching sun and boasting about all the things they knew, but I still remembered standing there and filtering out the countless words spat out by what seemed like each and every teacher there.

The meeting at the end of the day with the homeroom teacher was already enough. But for whatever reason, they always had so much to say…

In my middle school days, I even thought this: there are three kinds of people in the world.

The first kind of people were men, the second were women, and the third and last were straight-necked princ.i.p.als who loved to hear themselves talk.

Suddenly while everyone was standing in strict single files in the arena, a fanfare a hundred trumpets strong went off around us.

“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Great Bajran enters!”

These sorts of events were apparently not uncommon, because there was a seat reserved for the emperor in the upper part of the arena among hundreds of n.o.bles. From the gate leading to the platform appeared the emperor wearing a bejeweled crown and the golden cloak. Stepping on the carpet, he slowly walked forward.

'The Emperor!'

The Emperor's majesty seemed to subdue even the rustling of the wind.

“Respect to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor!” cried someone with a mancharged voice.

With a huge clatter, everyone unsheathed their swords. Then they shouted powerfully into the sky, “All hail! Hail! Hail! Hail!”

'Wow~!'

I remembered how cool the honor guard looked on TV whenever foreign dignitaries visited. Compared to the scene before my eyes now, what I saw back then was as pathetic as the dead skin on a pinky toe.

Just think about it. An enormous military arena as big as the Sangam World Cup Stadium filled with thousands of awesome Imperial Knights and Soldiers, all expressing their loyalty. Such a sight would even make a G.o.d jealous.

'So this is the force of an emperor.'

The Emperor of the Bajran Empire wasn't even that tall, but his presence alone overwhelmed the thousands of n.o.bles and knights. He exuded an easy grace, like a great lion facing a hundred wolves.

He lightly raised his hand and acknowledged the loyalty of his knights and soldiers.

“Woooooooooo! Long live His Imperial Majesty!”

“Long live the Bajran Empire!!”

Before me was the madness of collective loyalty in full force. The Emperor didn't say a single word yet, but the knights and soldiers were belting out their cheers with every bit of air in their lungs.

'They're no different from religious fanatics.'

They may be elite Imperial Knights and Soldiers, but if they weren't sincere, then this kind of scene would be impossible. The Emperor of the Bajran Empire, Havitron, received all that adulation with his one hand. This lean 50-year old man was living a truly cool life.

The Emperor raised his hand again and stopped the cheers of his fanatics.

In the s.p.a.ce of a millisecond, the arena was enveloped in pin drop silence.

“The honor, pride, and shield of the Empire, Our Knights…”

'He's using mana?' Surprisingly, the emperor's voice was filled with a rather robust mana.

“Know that this Empire and Imperial Family rest on your great shoulders, and that the current peace We and all citizens enjoy depend on you.”

The Emperor's sincere feelings were put into every word. He was either a naturally talented speaker, or simply a great ruler.

“We were once among you in this arena under the hot sun. That time when Our sweat fell like rain, drenching Our body and clothes and even Our soul, is something We shall never forget. Know that your efforts are the cornerstone supporting the Empire, and that you are the valuable strength forging the future for this Empire.”

Emperor Havitron's words fell with deliberate slowness and gravity. Flames were lit in everyone's eyes. They would never forget this address by the Emperor for the rest of their lives. Even I, a mere onlooker, felt my chest tighten, so what the others were feeling was self-explanatory.

'Ah, even the kiddo is there?'

The Imperial Family was seated behind the Emperor. Razcion sat in his seat with a grave solemnity that didn't lose to his father. I saw the two queens sitting next to Razcion.

'What about Igis?'

According to my information, Emperor Havitron had two sons and two daughters. The Crown Prince Poltviran and First Princess Elemia were born to the Queen, while Razcion and Igis were born to the Empress. But behind the Emperor were just the kiddo, the Empress, and a woman with a provocative smile.

“Do your very best. This Empire's future is now in your hands. My Knights!”

The emperor unsheathed his formal dress sword while speaking.

'He's not a pretentious emperor.' I could feel it. The Emperor's face was filled with his sincerity.

“We swore here in the past! For the Knight's honor and the Empire's peace, to never compromise with injustice and to fight for G.o.d-given justice!”

I would believe those powerful words came from not the Emperor, but a knight. The faces of the knights and cadets grasping their hilts flushed red with emotion.

“Knights of Mine~! We swear once again today! To live until the day We die without a single shred of embarra.s.sment with this sword that is like Our heart!! Oh, My Knights! Shout with your hearts open! The G.o.ds are watching over us in the sky above! Ohh! My Knights, blood of My blood! Pray to the G.o.ds for your glorious future! Pray that your burning hearts will never falter, upon this red blood of Mine!”

'Woah!'

The Emperor was extremely immersed in his speech, like a stage actor. He raised his sword and sliced his own palm, letting the red blood flow.

'Crazy!'

My definition of an emperor was an extremely blessed character who lived and ate well with a greasy face, surrounded by all sorts of luxuries. The Emperor in front of me completely broke that stereotype.

“For unchanging loyalty!”

That wasn't all. Following the Emperor's self-sacrificing(?) act, the knights and cadets took their unsheathed swords and sliced their own palms, too.

'Kyaaaa! What the f.u.c.k are they doing!'

Why was it that I longed for the blabbermouth princ.i.p.al so much right now? Most of the knights had already bled their palms. I couldn't be the only one left out.

'Argh!'

I could understand a knight getting caught up in the mood and doing something like this, but I was shocked that people would in their right mind cut their hands one after another.

However, the atmosphere in the arena made it possible. I felt the cold kiss of metal on my palm as blood seeped from the wound.

'Jeez…' I inwardly cried tears of blood. 'What! That is—!'

While I was screaming out on the inside and looking up into the sky, I suddenly saw some black dots in the sky blanketed by gloomy, low-hanging clouds.

'Black Wyvern!'

Surprisingly, dozens of wyverns, including Black Wyverns, were flying in formation towards the arena.

“It's the Black Wyverns!”

“The Skyknights are here!”

I wasn't the only one who saw them. Completely drunk on the atmosphere and forgetting their pain entirely, everyone looked up into the sky and showed enraptured expressions.

'So cool!'

The battle formation here couldn't even be compared to the flight of ten wyverns I had seen at Chadour Marquisdom. At the front flew a triangle formation of dozens of Black Wyverns, and behind them were at least a hundred wyverns flapping their huge wings.

And then, as if the G.o.ds were sending down their blessings, an iridescent ray of light shone between the clouds.

'Amazing!'

The enormous wyverns had a total wingspan of at least 15 meters. Such huge creatures filled the sky.

“WOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

“Long live Bajran Empire!!”

“Long live His Imperial Majesty!”

Cheers roared out around me. It was like watching a professional music video.

Director: Bajran Empire Emperor.

Lead Role: Emperor, Skyknights, Knight Academy cadets.

Supporting Role: Imperial Knights and Soldiers, miscellaneous n.o.bles.

t.i.tle: 'Beautiful Flight of Skyknights above a Blossoming Sea of Red.'

'So all 1st years have to do general studies, huh.'

All Skyknight cadets, whether they were knights, mages, or summoners, had to take general studies for a year. They were the elites who would stand at the front of the battlefield and devise military strategies. The cadets needed to know all about magic, spirit, and knight fighting methods.

'That means battles in the sky are also the same, right?'

As the freshmen came in, I learned important information one by one. Even in the sky, the lead was entrusted to Skyknights, and behind them served mages or summoners in auxiliary roles.

“Nice to meet you. I am Viscount Bane, 6th Circle mage of the Imperial Magic Tower and your magic instructor from now on.”

Viscount Bane was a skinny mage with a small stature in his early 50s. He climbed the stairs leading to the desk at the center of the semicircle lecture room, which looked like it was ripped straight out of a European college. Then, after a dry introduction, he began the lesson.

“Students, what do you think magic is?” began Viscount Bane. “I know there are many knights out there who bear animosity towards mages. While they, the knights, are fighting to the death and shedding blood at the front, mages are the cowards casting magic from a safe distance at the back.”

As he spoke, Viscount Bane smiled. “Since it's your first day, I will let you personally feel what magic is with your body.”

'Is he trying to scare us right now?' This sly mage was definitely up to something wicked.

“Have a taste. Of magic's true power…” Trailing off, Bane fiercely raised a mana staff the thickness of a child's forearm. “Paralyzing Curse!”

'Woaah!'

Suddenly, Viscount Bane cast one of the 6th Circle status ailment spells, Paralyzing Curse. The blue light of powerful mana burst out, freezing everyone in the room like stone statues. Paralyzing Curse petrified everything in your field of view. The defenseless students were all turned into blocks of stone.

'I-it's strong!'

It was my first time being on the receiving end of 6th Circle magic. 50 students who were capable of manipulating mana were frozen in place, as if caught in a spider's web. No matter how off-guard we were caught, no one expected it to be this severe.

'However… he's arrogant.'

The spell was cast by controlling the mana in the atmosphere, not the mage's personal mana.

The mana I had separated in my body responded to the sudden attack.

'I can break it.'

With that, I knew: I could break free from an arrogant 6th Circle mage's spell with my own power.

“Cancel!”

“Haaahh!”

“Gasp, gasp!”

“Urgh…”

Whether he wanted to get the drop on us, or warn the knights who looked down on mages, Bane had given us all a taste of 6th Circle magic. As soon as he released the spell, the students who had been unable to breathe escaped from the suffocating pressure and drew in deep, gasping breaths.

“How does it feel, the profound taste of magic?”

'You gotta be kidding me. Would YOU like it?' I thought to myself.

“Young lads, did you ever once think that magic like this could seek to end your life? You may never encounter such a situation in the future, but do you think that you could survive if magic like this were to be randomly cast on you in a war devoid of reasons or conditions?”

Freed from the spell, dark shadows filled the expressions of the knight cadets.

“This is why you must know! Even if you cannot cast it yourself, if you know the characteristics of each spell, you will earn a way to live for you and the soldiers deployed under your leadership!”

'What a sure method of teaching.' The education wasn't all about theory, but practical use. Having been burned by magic here, the cadets would surely pay full attention to magic cla.s.s in the future. 'They're teaching properly.'

“Let's end today with this. Students, magic is not merely dry academia. Devote yourself to my cla.s.ses with that in mind.”

'Wow! He's actually pretty cool.'

Contrary to my first impression, Viscount Bane was cooler than I thought. I even wanted to go up to him sometime and ask him for tips on how to ascend to the 6th Circle.

“Phew!”

“So the rumors really are true about 'Cold-Hearted Magewhiz Bane.'”

“I heard there are some people among the seniors who voluntarily dropped after taking Sir Bane's lessons?”

“He apparently torments his students with all sorts of spells day after day… I'm worried for the future.”

After Sir Bane left, the students gathered and began to worry about our new teacher's unscrupulousness.

“Orabunni, that person, is scary.”

'Hyneth, what exactly is your ident.i.ty?'

The Hyneth I saw at the entrance ceremony had stood stiff as a blade with her sword raised, but it was as if that Hyneth was an illusion. She had transformed back to the smiling, innocent girl who loved flowers.

“He wouldn't go as far as to kill us though, right?”

“But still…”

Hyneth seemed a bit downhearted from Sir Bane's warning. Just seeing her eyes wide with worry activated my protection instinct.

“What's up? We should go to the next cla.s.s,” said Russell as he came up to us.

“Orabunni, this person is…?” asked Hyneth.

“You don't know each other? Say h.e.l.lo. This is my friend and roommate, Summoner Russell, and this cute lady is–”

“I am called Hyneth de Petrin.”

Before I could finish introducing her, Hyneth lowered her head gracefully and gave out her name. Her denseness to social cues had probably earned her a lot of snark before.

“P-Petrin? Is, is it Count Petrin?”

“Yes. I am the only daughter of Count Petrin, Hyneth.”

“Cough!” Speechless, Russell's face went pale.

'What's wrong with his expression? It's like he's constipated.'

“K-Kyre, I'm going ahead so you come at your own pace.”

“Hey! Let's go together!”

Looking as if he had seen a virgin ghost with her tongue bitten off at a cemetery, Russell scrambled to run away.

“Looks like he has something urgent to do.” As if used to this treatment, Hyneth didn't take Russell's actions to heart.

It was true that within the academy, all cadets should be treated equally without attention to rank or status, but even so, it wasn't right to offend a lady from a Count family. At least, according to the common sense I knew.

“Orabunni, let's go.”

“Hm? O-okay.”

From the first moment I saw her, Hyneth was a girl of many mysteries. In my eyes, she was a young girl who loved poems and sang about flowers, but everyone else would raise their guard just hearing the word 'Petrin'.

'Is he maybe… a vicious loan shark?'

It made me think the Count was some kind of lawful predatory lender who sucked the poor people's blood dry. Hyneth was one thing, but since I didn't know her father, I could only have my doubts.

No, it really was possible. At the entrance exam, the marquises and the n.o.bles under them had looked at Hyneth with such horror and shock. Father Petrin could only be a loan shark.

'As long as you didn't borrow any money, why discriminate on a perfectly fine person! That's not a good thing to do.'

If Hyneth's family were loan sharks, what did it matter? Where else would you find such a cute and lovely girl in this world?

“Hyneth is so glad that she met orabunni.”

Framed by her pet.i.te, round face and evenly parted hair, Hyneth's perfectly clear, large brown eyes met mine.

'I will protect you!'

“Of course, this older bro also thinks that meeting you, Hyneth, was a blessing.”

I silently vowed to myself. If I didn't protect this delicate, fragile girl, then I wasn't a man, but a eunuch with just his stick but no b.a.l.l.s.

“I am Viscount Atuan, the teacher in charge of swordplay from today onwards.”

'Woah! He's really big!'

Viscount Atuan boasted a stature of over 2 meters, which dwarfed the magic instructor, Viscount Bane. Atuan was cleanly shaved, but half of his face was marked by black pores. The huge b.a.s.t.a.r.d sword at his hip let everyone know that he was a knight who valued strength.

“I won't say much. The sword is a world of victory where words do not matter anyway. Since you were all skilled enough to be admitted to the Imperial Family's Knight Academy, I'm sure you have learned your families' sword arts. I will thoroughly grow your skills with practical experience.”

'Practical experience here as well?'

I could now see why the Bajran Empire was able to dominate the continent. As long as you had the ability, unless you were a slave, anyone could take the knight exam. Of course, there would still be a gap between a commoner and a n.o.ble who had received systematic education since childhood or someone from a knight family, but it was true that sometimes, an outstanding talent could appear out of nowhere.

The empire's system naturally promoted commoners like that into their elite ranks. It was really praiseworthy.

“There are practice swords over there, so everyone go and get a weapon! Then, choose your opponent! Today, that person is your enemy! Just like your seniors did before you!”

'Ha–hardcore!' There weren't just knights here, but also mages and summoners, but Atuan was instructing us to grab swords and fight nonetheless.

“Only, mages should pair with mages, summoners with summoners, knights with knights!” bellowed Atuan belatedly, showing he wasn't overly musclebrained.

“Instructor, is it okay if our opponent is a woman?” someone asked.

“The moment you hold a sword, everyone is your enemy. If you take it easy on someone because they are a woman, I will give you special education!”

He had a black-and-white personality and was the epitome of a typical musclehead. Simple-minded, ignorant, aggressive, crazy– these words could describe Viscount Atuan perfectly.

'But what are those guys doing?'

There were around ten people who had formed a clique from the very beginning. Among them, most of them were bootlickers to the blue-haired guy who looked fairly arrogant.

'Hm? They were talking about me?'

In that group was the third-rate villain, Alfonso. He was whispering something to the blue-haired guy, all while pointing fingers at me.

“My Lady, I would like to request a spar with you.” While I was frowning at the Alfonso group, Hyneth received a sparring request.

“W-with me?” Hyneth responded with a trembling voice, like a cute spotted deer.

“The instructor said so, didn't he? Women should not be given special treatment.”

'And you call yourself a man? Sigh.' Knowing Hyneth was a sword-wielding knight, this guy asked for a spar. He was one of the goonies in the same bunch as Alfonso. 'You, I'll remember you.'

They had all been whispering to themselves like cowards over there, so they were definitely up to something wicked.

“Your name is Kyre?” The moment I was about to address the cowardly guy who was asking for a spar with Hyneth, a man with a robust physique came up to me.

'This guy is…' He looked like the strongest one of the bunch. 'They planned this out.'

Just because Hyneth was with me, they brainlessly asked her for a spar while sending another guy to fight me.

“Did you think a commoner like you would suit the Knight Academy? Huhu.” At my silence, the guy sneered. We had similar heights, and his angular face exuded an air of coldness.

“So what?”

Towards this guy who was clearly trying to provoke me, I simply smiled and threw off his words with a retort.

“Seems you're as arrogant as I heard. Kuku. I will help you remember what kind of existence a n.o.ble is today.”

'Oho, is that so. You, you're screwed today.'

This was something my father said to me when I went into elementary school: the world of the young was a perilous jungle. He taught me that I should beat the people coming at me every time we went up a grade until they bled from their noses. And in accordance with my father's instruction, from the 6th year of elementary to the 3rd year of middle school, I let the guys who always provoked me in the beginning of the year have a hot taste of my fist.

“I accept your request.” While I was distracted for a moment with my own opponent, Hyneth lowered her head and accepted the match.

'Do your best to endure a bit,' I thought to Hyneth. It was ridiculous that a man would shamelessly ask a girl, particularly this fragile one who looked as if she would go flying with a single hit, for a spar.

“Any last words?”

“Last words? Puhahaha! You're not just arrogant, but crazy. To dare to bring up last words in front of me, the next Lord of the invincible knight family of Count Termon…”

Trailing off, the guy glared at me with eyes like a wildcat.

'Haah, looks like they've even got healers on watch.'

During the entrance ceremony, the cadets had made blood vows with the emperor. As soon as the ceremony ended, potions were distributed, completely treating everyone's wounds. Even during cla.s.ses, two priests were on standby. The empire really put their all into this top-grade education.

'Lucky him.'

I walked over and grabbed a wooden longsword made out of a special material. Despite being made of wood, its weight and feel were similar to that of a metal sword.

“Hyap!” The sounds of running and grunts began to ring out in the training hall. “Hah!”

The Skyknight cadets who had chosen their sparring partners exchanged blows.

'Ara? Are those guys dancing?' I thought. The physically unfit mages and summoners who didn't major in swordplay were clumsily holding their heavy wooden swords and waving them around like little children.

“You attack first. Once I raise my sword, you won't have any chance to attack anymore,” sneered the next Count of the Termons.

He wasn't just unlucky, but terribly arrogant as well.

“You'll regret it though…” I warned while grasping the sword hilt.

“Regret? Puhaha! If you manage to take me down, I will call you hyung-nim from tomorrow onwards.”

'Oh, am I going to be a hyung-nim to a count now?' This guy made a truly bad decision. 'Watch carefully, you rotten b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.'

The Alfonso group had paired off amongst themselves and were half-heartedly exchanging blows while staring at us.

I lightly swung the sword around, causing a sharp whoosh to ring out.

Hearing the cry of the wooden sword as it cut the air, Heir Termon's goons suddenly showed expressions of surprise.

“Hah!”

I let out a short grunt before kicking off and swinging my sword like a lightning bolt at my opponent's head.

Clang! Claaaaaang!

Though it was only a wooden sword, the knight cadets' swords were as heavy as steel. One cadet's sword attacked another cadet's head with a movement so fast that you could barely see it.

“W-what!”

“d.a.m.n!”

They were sparring, but because they weren't truly enemies, the Skyknight cadets were only exchanging light blows. The sudden sound of clashing steel in the training hall made them involuntarily pause.

Then, upon seeing the spectacle before them, everyone gasped. A black-haired cadet was swinging his sword with lightning speed. His opponent was a cadet who was desperately blocking the overhead blow with both hands. The attack had come so sudden and fast that the cadet was forced to defend with no chance to attack, and his face had already become an ugly shade of black. Actually, upon closer inspection, the defending cadet's palms were bleeding from the sheer force of the blow.

“Gulp…”

Someone audibly gulped. It was only the first day of sparring, and there was already such an exceptional attack. Even though Viscount Atuan had ordered them to spar, most of the students were from n.o.ble families with ties to each other in the empire. No one could throw themselves into such a serious attack like that.

“It ends here!!” shouted the black-haired cadet after practicing his overhead blow.

“Uwaahhh!” A cry burst out from the defending cadet's lips as he closed his eyes tight and put all his strength into his arms in preparation for the last blow.

Bam!

“KYAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!”

But the moment he closed his eyes, the black-haired cadet didn't swing down and instead gave his opponent's important man bits a powerful kick.

Accompanied by a cry that was so loud that it would surely be heard outside the training hall, the black-haired cadet's lips drew into an evil smile.

“Urgh…”

In that moment, every cadet there engraved this into their heads: you should never spar with this evil guy with the black hair.

Bam!

“Uwaaaaaahhhhhh!”

But that wasn't all. Everyone in the training hall turned their heads to yet another scream.

“Guh!”

“Holy!”

Their shocked gazes were greeted with yet another cry.

“Stand up! A knight shouldn't let go of their sword until the moment they die!”

A girl was standing there.

She was wearing the black cloak that represented a Skyknight, but the girl looked absolutely kind and pure. Such a girl was brutally swinging her sword and mercilessly beating the man who was her sparring partner.

“It, it's the daughter of Battlemaniac Count Petrin!”

“Uwahh! That Hyneth from the Petrin Family?!”

As soon as someone said 'Battlemaniac Count Petrin,' the cadets were scared s.h.i.tless.

The Battlemaniac Petrin Family were va.s.sals from the foundation period of the empire, and even now, they were terrifying legends about their battle mania. It was said that anyone who received the bloodline of the Petrin Family would return to their battle maniac roots even if they became insomniacs one day.

Their women may normally be extraordinarily gentle ladies, but the moment they grasped a sword, they were transformed into warriors who knew no fear.

Everyone knew about the Petrin Family's terrifying family motto.

'Just Beat Him Up'—a short, but powerful motto.

There was a famous story from fifty years ago, when Bajran was at war with the Laviter Empire. When Bajran's loss was becoming clear in one of the battles due to a mistaken strategy, the previous head of the Petrin Family appeared as reinforcements and targeted the Laviter Empire's general just because the general was rumored to have cursed the Petrins.  The previous Count Petrin took his wyvern and attacked the general like a madman. Even though he was outnumbered by dozens of enemy wyverns, Count Petrin came attacking with his eyes rolled back, scaring the enemy commander out of his wits and causing him to flee. He was pursued unerringly by the Count over the country border, and thanks to that, the Bajran Empire was able to overturn their crushing defeat and come out alive.

That wasn't the only story out there; in every situation, whenever you came into contact with the Petrin Family, even a peaceful death would be denied you. This legendarily obstinate battle maniac Petrin Count family caused people in all of Bajran, no, all of Kallian Continent, to shake their heads.

And they always allowed just one move from the opponent, even if that opponent was the emperor himself.

“Next time, I will spar with you again! No, every time I see you, I will fight you!”

Hyneth was a pure-blooded Petrin descendant. The poor cadet who was her opponent was singled out by her, and the moment he heard she was from the Petrin Family, bubbles foamed from his mouth and he fainted.

“s.h.i.t!” As if her anger hadn't fully abated yet, Hyneth spat while grasping the wooden sword with both hands. “The h.e.l.l are you looking at!”

With huge eyes that didn't suit her combative aura, she cursed at every cadet who met her eyes. The Skyknight cadets who were said to be the top in the empire quickly turned away their gazes, afraid they would be targeted by the mad dog of the Petrin Count Family whose history ran red with blood.

“W-what the f.u.c.k?”

My happiness at my victory was short-lived. The clear and obvious evidence before my eyes made my jaw drop.

'NO! NOOOO~!!'

And inside my heart, I began to scream like crazy. How could my impossibly cute and adorable Hyneth be exuding an aura like some kind of vulgar female gangster from the movies?!

The warlike energy coming from her huge doe-like eyes was definitely a necessary skill for a gangster. My happy dream of gaining a pretty little sister flew far, far away. Even with one glance, you could tell that Hyneth was more of a musclehead than our instructor, Viscount Atuan.

I looked into the sky.

'Oh Lord Almighty…'

I could only be disappointed at the G.o.d who had given me such a difficult trial.