novelraw Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Jin Crow’s theory exam had ended at around 2 o’clock.
On the other hand, the time he had told them to gather at the central sparring arena for the practical was 4 p.m.
……That left a two-hour gap.
Because of that, it wasn’t strange at all that the cadets naturally gathered into groups and started chatting among themselves.
The cadets’ interests were split into two things.
“What do you think will happen to Walker?”
“Well, it’s not like he’ll get expelled, right? He was caught in the middle of it, so at worst it’ll probably just be a repeat year.”
“Pitiful……well, not really. It’s his own karma.”
The first was curiosity about what kind of punishment Walker Bitrant, who had been dragged away, would receive.
The second was anxiety about how the upcoming practical would be conducted.
“It’ll be the training grounds, right? Instructor Jin Crow’s lectures are about fighting Creatures, aren’t they?”
“I think so too.”
The first to speak up in Group 2 were Famille and Kanae, who in the meantime had hit it off and were respectively drinking black tea and green tea.
As if by prior agreement, the two of them observed proper tea etiquette suited to each of them while exchanging glances, and the sight was just like watching a typical tea party of medieval noble ladies.
“All this fuss over something that costs two dollars at the shop…….”
Of course, from a third party’s perspective, it was nothing but ridiculous behavior.
At Dokgo Ran’s remark, Famille and Kanae shot her a sideways glare, but Baek Hwi-young and Beatus, who were beside them, felt secretly refreshed.
“Shut up, Ran.”
“Mmgh-!”
“I agree.”
That didn’t mean they went as far as to stop Dokgo Ran’s mouth from being forcibly shut, though.
Once Dokgo Ran was suppressed early, the gazes of the two men, Beatus and Baek Hwi-young, naturally met.
“What do you think?”
“……Me?”
“You usually seem pretty interested in Creatures.”
The one who spoke first wasn’t Baek Hwi-young, but Beatus. At Beatus’s words, Baek Hwi-young pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.
“Well, I think the same. If it’s not a simulation, it honestly doesn’t make sense, does it?”
Baek Hwi-young’s opinion wasn’t much different from theirs.
That was only natural.
As they had said, the lesson was about teaching how to deal with Creatures, so what other alternative could there be?
However, Beatus seemed to think differently. He shook his head slightly, his platinum-blond hair swaying, and spoke.
“Then there’s no reason to divide us into groups, is there?”
“Well, maybe they’re going to make us handle Pawns by group or something.”
At his words, Dokgo Ran, whose mouth had somehow been freed again, replied curtly.
Her remark sounded like something thrown out carelessly at first, but given the nature of the central training ground, where multiple people could enter together, it was a sufficiently plausible guess.
But there was still the most important point left, so after a brief moment of thought, Beatus opened his mouth once more.
“Then why did he tell us to come to the central sparring arena?”
“Huh?”
“……That’s true. The central training ground and the sparring arena are on opposite sides.”
Only then did the remaining four, excluding Beatus, also realize that something was off and stared at one another.
“…….”
“……Anyone else just have the same thought as me?”
A sense of unease brushed across their minds.
Especially Baek Hwi-young, who began to think about something with an even more serious look.
Was he unfamiliar with that atmosphere?
Or was he uncomfortable?
Dokgo Ran bared her slightly protruding fang-like teeth in a grin and spoke.
“Hey, you’re not thinking he actually brought in real Creatures or something, right? Hahahahat!”
“……That’s not it, right?”
“Yeah. No matter how you think about it, that’s a bit…….”
Even if it was Dokgo Ran, who usually deflated the mood every time with nonsense, this time everyone had no choice but to agree.
Even Baek Hwi-young.
After all, he knew that it was possible to make training dummies out of Creatures, but that would only happen after he became a second-year.
In other words, at this point in time, it was an idea that not even Professor Lillian had thought of, let alone introduced.
‘No way. No matter how suspicious the instructor’s actions are.’
He blinked his ashen eyes as he thought.
There was no way. It couldn’t be.
However, after two hours had passed and the cadets arrived at the central sparring arena by group, what they faced was nothing other than a single realization.
“This practical exam is simple.”
That realization was that Instructor Jin Crow was even crazier than they had thought.
“All you need to do is survive for ten minutes against a Pawn manufactured as a training dummy. In addition, the group that neutralizes it will be given bonus points and merits. This is a special opportunity provided to outstanding talents, so be grateful and apply yourselves.”
And at that moment, the cadets saw it.
The corner of Jin Crow’s mouth, who had maintained an expressionless face all this time, was unmistakably curling upward.
“……Uh, Instructor.”
“What is it?”
“……No, it’s nothing.”
Assistant Instructor Ginatio looked at him with weary eyes—no, more precisely, at the five Creature training dummies standing behind him.
He didn’t even know where to begin criticizing this.
Still, while he had been unsure when he’d only heard about it before, now he could be certain.
Instructor Jin Crow was most reassuring when he was doing absolutely nothing.
‘So that’s why he’s been so busy running around lately.’
It was then.
“Jin Crow!!”
Assistant Instructor Ginatio spotted Ideale entering the sparring arena, unusually pale as if she had rushed over after hearing the news, and hurriedly approached her to speak.
“H-Headmistress.”
“……Haah.”
Even at Assistant Instructor Ginatio’s call, she stood there blankly, staring at the training dummies made from Creature specimens.
How should she put it.
An expression of utter disbelief spread across her face.
-Krrk, grrrrrk.
“Actually, sound wasn’t necessary, but I added it specially for realism.”
“That is a proper attitude, Professor Lillian.”
“Oh, it’s all thanks to the instructor.”
Moreover, just listening to the conversation between Instructor Jin Crow and Professor Lillian made her feel like her blood pressure was rising.
It probably wasn’t just her imagination.
In fact, Ideale’s white skin had flushed red.
Watching her, Assistant Instructor Ginatio rolled his eyes before speaking cautiously.
“Shouldn’t we stop this, even now?”
Assistant Instructor Ginatio’s words also had a point.
To put it bluntly, even if she herself had given permission, he had assumed they would make something for training that merely resembled a Creature.
But that—
Wasn’t that just a Creature?
“Poppy. Sit.”
-Krrrrrk.
“……Poppy?”
However, when Ideale saw the Creature immediately plop down at Professor Lillian’s words, she felt a sense of cognitive dissonance and closed her mouth.
At that moment, Instructor Jin Crow and Professor Lillian, who had noticed her a little late, approached.
“You’ve arrived, Headmistress.”
“Ah, this must be……. Hello. I’m Professor Lillian.”
Ideale blinked her distinctive white eyes as she took the two of them in.
Wouldn’t it be a better choice for the future of this academy to throw both of them into solitary confinement right now?
……That was what she was pondering.
But soon giving up, she let out a short sigh and asked Jin Crow.
“It won’t be dangerous, will it?”
“Of course not.”
As if he had his own confidence, he nodded in a calm yet assured voice.
Yes, no matter what, he wouldn’t throw cadets at something they couldn’t even control.
Having thought that far, she soon swept her gaze across the central sparring arena.
‘The support-type cadets have been classified separately, and Professor Lillian personally brought a team to help.’
Once her head cooled a bit, it didn’t seem like training that was completely out of its mind.
Even so, she couldn’t relax.
Because of that, Ideale looked into Jin Crow’s black eyes—eyes whose thoughts she couldn’t read—and spoke.
“I’m going to observe. That’s fine, right?”
“Gladly. Then, may we start the practical now?”
Though phrased as a question, it was practically a declaration.
She nodded, and Jin Crow soon swept his gaze over the cadets gathered by group before opening his mouth.
“Group 1.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Prepare.”
At his words, the five cadets who had been frozen glanced at one another, then stepped forward.
Swoosh-.
Jin Crow turned his gaze to Lillian, and she, sitting on a folding chair she must have brought at some point, smoking her pipe, spoke to Naomi, who was performing a final inspection of the training dummies with various pieces of equipment.
“Start!”
“Yes, Professor.”
At that moment, Group 1, having entered the interior of the sparring arena, stared at the Creature while gripping their weapons tightly in tension.
-KyaaAAAAAA!
At the sight of its roaring, they nearly dropped their weapons without realizing it, but they were still cadets of the Central Special Service Academy, called elites among elites.
“Spread out!”
Thus, as soon as the battle began, no one needed to say anything more—their eyes all changed.
The combat-type cadets each ran across the wide ground of the sparring arena, holding their special-issue armaments.
-Krrrrrrrr!
The Creature, the Pawn, swept its chilling gaze over the cadets, and soon, just like when it was alive, swung its massive spear blade 그대로.
However, upon seeing that, Jin Crow couldn’t help but click his tongue in disappointment.
‘It’s markedly slow.’
Because he had faced the Pawn directly, he could tell.
He had already discussed it with Lillian, but perfectly reproducing everything about a Creature in a mere three weeks was impossible.
‘Still, just the fact that it was made…….’
Jin Crow slightly twisted his gaze and looked at Professor Lillian, who was sprawled on the folding chair, puffing on her pipe without even realizing her horn-rimmed glasses were crooked.
“Wow, Poppy, fighting.”
Even if she looked insane on the surface, her ability itself was real.
Since the work had begun earlier than in the original, perhaps…….
KWAaaaaaANG!
That was where his thoughts ended.
Less than three minutes after the practical exam had begun, all members of Group 1 who had stood in the sparring arena were eliminated.
“Guhhk…….”
“Th-this is crazy.”
“How are you supposed to…… beat that.”
The cadets’ mutterings, mixed with frustration, echoed through the sparring arena, and the other groups who were waiting stared at the Creature with disbelieving eyes.
“……Isn’t it stronger than the simulation?”
“At least its movement when attacking is triple-gear level. This is insane.”
Honestly, the more they learned about the danger of Creatures, the more they couldn’t help but underestimate them.
They had never actually faced one or learned firsthand, yet stuffing others’ knowledge into their heads made it feel as if they knew the enemy extremely well.
Even if they lost every time in simulations, there had been a vague expectation of, ‘Wouldn’t it be different if we faced it holding real weapons?’
“Support-type.”
“Y-Yes!”
However, when they saw the five support-type cadets who had been excluded beforehand moving busily to treat the injured Group 1 cadets, they were finally able to face reality.
……Creatures were stronger than they had thought.
And at the very moment that thought lingered faintly among the cadets.
“What are you doing?”
Jin Crow spoke in his calm yet still blunt voice.
“Group 2, step up.”
At the end of his gaze were none other than the Knights of the Stars.