EP.93 Sword and Shield (1)
Final location of the exam.
The heart of a forest owned by the Krefeld family.
“······.”
Belnoir remains silent.
It is one step forward until the end of the exam. However, I couldn’t stop walking.
It was a tough test.
The air in the forest was stuffy. The deployed magical beasts were difficult. I had to be alert at all times because I didn’t know where the devil would come out.
‘I’m tired.’
There are no physical injuries, but I am mentally exhausted. To be honest, I want to finish the exam as soon as possible and go back to the dormitory to rest.
Belnoir raised his head.
If you raise your head and look ahead, the final obstacle of the test is waiting for you.
As long as you overcome that obstacle, the test is over. There is no trace of anyone coming here, so you will probably be the first to pass the test.
“What are you doing?”
however.
“Aren’t you coming?”
I don’t think I can get over it.
Belnoir narrowed his eyes. She assesses the level of the person standing in front of her.
Rania van Trias.
Belnoir does not know exactly how talented the so-called professor is. However, she has never been seen fighting. Based on her memories, we can infer her skills, albeit fragmentarily.
The worries were short, and the conclusion was quick.
‘You can never win.’
Belnoir let out a long sigh as he chewed the word ‘absolutely’ in his mouth.
“Whoa…”
By nature, Belnoa does not decide whether to win or lose carelessly. No matter how strong a person is, there are bound to be gaps. If you pierce them, they too will bleed. They suffer and sometimes face death.
However, that is only possible if there is a gap.
The professor in front of me cannot see even the slightest gap. I am confident that no matter what tactic I use, it will all be blocked. It was clear that he would be pushed back in every way, whether it was spells or martial arts.
Belnoa opened his mouth.
“Huh, Professor?”
“huh.”
“How can I defeat someone who can fight hand-to-hand with the royal family’s special forces, the Hound?”
That’s true. The professor in front of me is a person who had a whistle-stop battle with Hound, who is said to be a master of hand-to-hand combat. And that too, with bare hands without any weapons.
‘Do you want me to do battle with someone like that?’
It is a battle with no odds.
Perhaps reading Belnoa’s astonished gaze, Professor Rania shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, if you fight like this, of course you will lose.”
Okay, she snapped her fingers.
Belnoa tried to turn his body reflexively. However, the spell explodes faster than he can open his body.
Quang!
Belnoa’s hair shakes. Belnoir slowly lowered his gaze. The place where the spell explodes is the floor. A spell is embedded in the border that separates the clearing from the forest.
As if to emphasize that line, the floor where the spell was embedded was hollow. Gulp. Belnoa swallowed dry saliva.
Before I knew it, I had stepped onto the borderline. And, that spell was a kind of warning. A warning that a spell will be fired if you cross the line.
‘······If you shot at me, not the floor.’
With that, the test is over.
I saw Mana shaking. However, there was no gap between the shaking and the manifestation of the spell. The moment he noticed, the spell was already planted in front of Belnoa’s nose.
far.
He is a person located far away.
Feeling the difference in level, Belnoa raised his head. With his fingers outstretched, the professor opened his mouth.
“If I just snap my fingers like this, the outcome will be resolved.”
“······I guess so.”
“And now you understand, right?”
“······.”
“I have no intention of ending the test like that.”
Belnoir nodded slowly.
“Belnoir.”
She called Belnoa quietly.
Her eyes sank low. Blue eyes without any playfulness are cool.
“What is the topic of this test?”
This also sounds like it is a type of test. Belle Noah opened her mouth with a moment to spare.
“······I think it is adaptation and learning to the battlefield environment.”
“Details.”
“Don’t panic against demonic beasts who don’t know where or how they will come out. And, always maintaining composure… I heard that this is a virtue that a knight on the battlefield should have.”
In response to Belnoa’s answer, Rania nodded.
“That is correct. By the way, there must be one more left?”
“…Are you talking about learning from failure?”
“Yeah, that one.”
The reason why death through illusion is a point deduction rather than elimination. That means learning through failure.
“then.”
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Rania, who designed the test, asks a question.
“Have you learned from your failures?”
“······.”
Belnoa cannot answer.
He didn’t fail. He reached the center of the forest without failing even once.
“Look at that.”
Rania laughed bitterly at Belnoa’s silence.
“Everyone learns from failure, but it would be a shame if you didn’t learn from it.”
So that’s why I exist.
After muttering that, she stood up from the stump.
“Belnoir.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Combat magic is a field of study. It is the study closest to practice. “You know that, right?”
“······I know.”
“Then question. Will the enemy match your level in real combat? “I think you know that you grew up in a slum.”
Belnoir shook his head.
Rania nodded.
“Yes, it’s different in real life.”
She stretched out her arms.
The skull bowl she had hung diagonally on her head grazed her forearm and shook. Her hair blows in the wind.
Blue eyes shine through the fluttering hair.
The atmosphere she wore changed. She has the air of a knight, not a professor. She said in a cold voice.
“It’s a real fight, Belnoa.”
Rania van Trias.
“But even if it’s a real battle, you have to fight at least to learn something.”
She raised her arms.
“One restriction.”
I spread my hands wide.
“I don’t attack ‘first’. “On the condition that you don’t cross this line.”
She folded one finger and drew a line on the floor with her toes. It is about three steps away from the stump. She continued:
“Restriction number two, I do not designate you as the target of the spell. “My spells are solely used to intercept spells.”
She said, folding her second finger.
“Besides these, three restrictions remain.”
“······.”
“Use all five restrictions on me and leave scars on my body…”
She pointed to the stump she was sitting on.
“Please touch that stump with any part of your body. “That is the condition for passing the test.”
“······What are the remaining constraints?”
“That’s the test question. “Find out for yourself.”
She folds all three of her remaining fingers.
Then he lowered his arms and smiled.
“Take a good look.”
Rania tapped the skull bowl that was hanging at an angle on her head.
“No matter how unlikely you are to find an answer, if you look carefully, there are at least one gap or two.”
That was exactly like talking about experience.
Belnoir took a deep breath and organized his thoughts.
‘There are five restrictions.’
Of the two victory conditions, one is a no-brainer. It is impossible for anyone to be hurt. There is no need to waste time on the impossible.
Belnoir clearly set his goal.
‘Contacting the stumps.’
That is the purpose.
To do that, what must be done? Belle Noah rolled her head and took a step forward.
The boundary line has been crossed.
There are no orders flying in. There is no attack either. The condition of not launching a preemptive attack is being observed. Bel Noah adjusted his dagger.
‘······difficult.’
Although it is difficult.
‘It’s not impossible.’
Belnoa, the nightmare of the slums.
The boy who lived in the slums biting off the necks of his powerful enemies fixes his dagger.
To hunt a wild beast that has revealed a gap.
2.
Clap.
When I swung the axe, pieces of flesh fell out. As soon as the illusory flesh fell from the axe, it disappeared like melting snow.
“hmm.”
Lark tilted his head, looking at the neat ax blade. Perhaps it was because it was an illusion, but the taste of cutting was not good.
‘It would be a little heavier.’
When the ax is struck, there is no vibration from the ax blade. There is no feeling of hands tearing muscles and breaking bones. Lark licked his lips and lowered the axe.
“Is this coming to an end?”
The air in the forest is opening up little by little.
Lark, who has been running in snowy mountains since he was young, is sensitive to airflow. The texture of the blowing wind is different.
Lark senses that the end of the exam is approaching.
Lark walked quickly. After walking for so long, an open space came into view. Also, the figure of the person who arrived first.
‘Bellnoa?’
Belnoa stands in a clearing in the forest.
He is breathing heavily, with his arms hanging limply. When he wiped the corner of his mouth, blood came out.
‘······injury.’
If so, who is the opponent?
Lark took a step to the side, pretending to be human. The vacant lot that had been hidden by the bushes came into view at a glance.
One more person is standing.
The moment Lark identified the person, he frowned.
“······?”
At a glance, it looks like that person is in a confrontation with Belnoa. However, the situation itself is difficult for Lark to understand.
‘Why Professor Rania?’
Lark blinked.
Even as he blinked, Belnoir took a deep breath and raised his arms. He sharpened his dagger.
Those eyes are still clear.
Belnoa kicks the ground. Approach Professor Rania with agile movements.
Swish.
He throws a shadow dagger. Looking at the rushing daggers, Professor Rania lifts the index finger of his left hand.
Kwasik!
The dagger is deflected by a downward strike (Smite). While she was distracted by her dagger, Belnoa approached her and swung her dagger.
Whoosh!
She grabbed the blade of the dagger with her bare hands. It’s surprising, but Belle Noah puts down her dagger as if she had expected that. She let go and folded her fingers.
A shadow wrapped in a dagger exploded.
Throw in!
The exploded shadow engulfs her. In the meantime, Belle Noah snaps her own fingers. Her crunchy, noisy, broken fingers are offered.
The stars reward sacrifices.
This is the moment when the completed spell is about to strengthen the shadow.
“I should have warned you.”
Suddenly, an arm sticks out through the shadow. The protruding hand grasped the circuit blooming on the back of Belnoa’s hand.
“It would be difficult to carve a new circuit.”
Just tear it apart.
Toad, toad, toad, toad, toad!
The circuit is torn apart. The scale that was level is shattered. The offering failed. The offering is returned and the phenomenon is dispersed into thin air.
Crispy.
Through the scattered shadows, she lands a kick to Belnoir’s abdomen. Belnoa’s body floats in the air. Those eyes open wide.
“Wow!”
After being kicked, Belnoa rolled several times on the floor.
After rolling on the floor a few times, he finally stands up and is breathing heavily.
Kuuk.
Professor Rania comes out of the shadows and pulls on her gloves. And then he lightly shook his hand.
“Are you going to do more?”
That’s what I ask.
Belnoa shook his head at that question.
“······.”
Lark, who was watching that scene, swallowed dry saliva. I roughly understood how the situation worked.
‘The final hurdle of the test is Professor Rania.’
Lark swallowed dryly. Sweat naturally formed on the hand holding the axe. Even though he had gotten used to it over the past few months, Professor Rania was still a scary figure to Lark.
‘A person like a wild beast.’
However, its appearance is different from usual. Less fear than usual. The beast’s fangs are missing. The claws are not sharp. The sight reminds me of a chained beast.
That was strange. Lark feels uncomfortable during the battle between Belnoa and the professor.
‘one thing.’
However, there was some unnatural movement. No matter how you look at it, the movement is awkward. There is no need to make such movements there.
‘The professor’s every move is efficient. It is disciplined. There’s no way a person like that would show unnatural movements.’
Inefficient, unnatural movements.
Also, the movement is shown ‘repeatedly’ as if to make sure you notice. Lark frowned.
‘is it.’
······Lark dueled several times with northern warriors of a higher level than himself. In those duels, his warriors would place restrictions on themselves.
They take matters into their own hands.
-Open your eyes wide and look carefully.
-Isn’t something strange?
And, apart from that, they would show their weaknesses on purpose.
-Practice identifying your weaknesses, master.
-Every enemy has a weakness or two. We just highlight it.
Lark looked.
The weakness that Professor Rania intentionally exposes.
Having seen, Lark judges.
‘It’s a test with restrictions.’
This is a duel under restrictions. And, if you break through those restrictions, you can reach the wild beast.
“······.”
But it doesn’t fall off easily.
Even if a constraint were discovered, it was the kind of thing that Lark could not dig into. The gap created by restrictions is narrow and thin.
‘It doesn’t suit me.’
A strategy to exploit weak points comes to mind, but it doesn’t fit with Lark’s fighting style.
“hmm.”
We need a weapon that can pierce that gap.
And, there was no need to look far for the weapon.
“Belnoir.”
Lark pronounced the name of the weapon he found.
3.
I did five challenges.
Five failures remain.
‘It sounds like hunting…’
Belnoa laughed and took a step back. I was extremely nauseous. Her eyes were spinning.
“Tsk….”
Holding back vomiting, Belnoa crossed the border on his own feet. If you try to rush into it in this state, you will only end up getting hit and knocked down.
“Six times.”
And then, I heard a voice.
Belnoa looks to where the voice came from. Professor Rania is there, looking no different from before the exam began.
Her shirt was still white.
Not a single stain was left behind. In comparison, what are your clothes like? Belnoir looked at his clothes.
I was kicked and rolled on the floor.
There is a lot of dirt on it. As she looked at her own body, a grin escaped her teeth.
‘···Even with such restrictions.’
Still, no match for him.
This person is so far away.
‘Still, it’s not just about failure.’
Belnoir did not waste five or six attempts, including the current one. As he continued to challenge himself, he discovered one more limitation.
That is a fatal limitation.
If you use him, it seems like victory is right in front of you.
‘······not enough.’
However, it is not easy to use.
Something crucial was missing. And, Belnoa knew what it was.
‘The tenacity to break through.’
Numerous operations come to mind, but this is a condition based on the premise of withstanding one battle. And, Belnoa did not have the tenacity to withstand it.
‘The moment it hits, my mind shakes.’
By the time I came to my senses, I had already been pushed outside the border. A countermeasure was needed.
‘But, how?’
Spell-made shields are useless. I tried replacing it with a shadow, but it was useless. There is no other way than to get hit with your body and endure it.
However, increasing your tenacity does not mean that it will increase immediately.
‘how should······.’
Belnoa is in the process of racking his brain.
“Belnoir.”
A voice came from somewhere.
Belnoa turned his head. A familiar figure stood there. A boy with white hair and red eyes. He holds a symbolic hatchet in both hands.
Lark Van Grace.
A person I have sparred with several times. A barbarian warrior with good tenacity…
“ah.”
It was a moment when my thoughts went crazy.
Belnoa opened his mouth after a sudden thought occurred to him.
“Professor Rania.”
The place where that voice is headed is not Lark. Belnoa turned his head and looked at Professor Rania, who was sitting in a clearing in the forest, and asked a question.
“······Is the test conducted 1:1?”
“There are no such conditions.”
The answer came back.
Belnoir turned his head and looked at Lark. The answer to the problem Belnoa had been thinking about was right in front of him.
‘A shield that can withstand a single blow.’
Belnoa muttered inadvertently.
“found.”
“hmm? “You found it?”
Lark tilts his head.
Belnoa swallowed his words internally. Then, he stretched out his hand towards Lark.
“lakh.”
“What is it?”
“Do you want to cooperate?”
“What a coincidence. “I was going to say that too.”
Lark grabs Belnoa’s outstretched hand.
Lark gave strength and helped Belnoa stand up. The two do not have much conversation. I fix my weapon and take a step forward.
In the end, no matter what, these two have been sparring since the beginning of the semester.
We know each other’s fighting style. You have a vague idea of what you lack and what the other person lacks. There is no need to add them separately.
chin.
They stand side by side on the border. Each person is holding their own weapon and glaring at the person standing in the clearing. Their eyes gather in one place.
‘Rania van Trias.’
A disaster called Aplia’s Nightmare.
······Humans sometimes cooperate.
To deal with a disaster that cannot be overcome alone.
A word from the author (author review)
Aplia’s disaster simulation experience.
*I took a hiatus yesterday, so I came back with 8,500 characters, or about 1.7 times the amount, but these days, I’ve been writing 7,000 characters, so it doesn’t seem like a lot…
Sorry for the hiatus ㅠㅠ
I think I thought about it for a while because the scene I wanted didn’t come out well.
Let’s just leave Rania alone, no matter what we do, the only thing I can imagine is Belnoa’s neck being broken… so stop…
