ALL NOVEL Chapter 27
“There’s been a commotion?”
Professor Karen, having heard the report from the assistant, swept back her red hair and replied.
“Yes, it seems two examinees had a conflict in the waiting room.”
“Hmm~ Looks like there are still some interesting kids these days?”
Hehe.
A flicker of interest appeared on Karen’s face, which had been consistently boring since she was appointed as the examiner.
“You remember our time, right? Half of the examinees passed out in the waiting room.”
“…You know you’ve told that story more than ten times already?”
“Did I?”
Dressed in a smart uniform-style outfit, with an oriental sword strapped at her waist.
“It was great~ a time of romance.”
The Sword Demon, Karen Orbon.
She stood up from her seat and yawned timidly.
“Yawn~ Still, this is not something to ignore as an examiner.”
As much as she wanted to give those troublemakers a proper lesson,
‘But I guess that won’t do~.’
That’s how rules are.
Rigid morals, suffocating justice.
Endurance is good, and rampancy is evil.
Those who draw their swords must always be cautious.
They try to forcibly inject their own ‘righteousness.’
– ‘Thinking and acting takes too long. Just act first. As long as you’re alive, you can fix things.’
During the long period of struggling between life and death.
What kept her alive was ‘instinct.’
If it feels dangerous, stab first.
If it feels ominous, cut.
If she feels murderous intent, she would strike without mercy.
That’s why she became known as the Sword Demon.
However, these days, the academy suppresses all such ‘intuitive’ elements.
They want heroes who stand before people, rather than swordsmen who massacre enemies.
‘In a real war.’
Heroes are useless.
What’s needed in chaotic times is a merciless superhuman.
A monster that wipes out enemies from this land without leaving any leeway.
She took on the burden of teaching to nurture such kids.
‘But today’s kids lack spirit~.’
Maybe it’s because they enjoy a peaceful era.
The children wielding swords these days lacked the unique ferocity.
Most merely hoped to become heroes with blank expressions.
– ‘A sword for protection must be weaker than a sword for killing, right?’
At least one of the kids she taught a while back had potential.
From swordsmanship to personality, nothing was lacking.
However, she felt that they were too refined to become monsters.
“What a pity, Ornika.”
If she ever fell into a “desperate despair”, she could become the being Karen desired.
Until then, she was a toothless tiger, or rather, a tiger without any teeth.
“Alright~ Everyone, I’m here.”
As her thoughts ended, she arrived at the waiting room.
“Gasp! It’s… it’s Professor Karen!”
“The real Sword Demon!”
“Will she give autographs…?”
“Oh~ Thank you all for your enthusiasm!”
Karen waved to the children while secretly clicking her tongue.
‘Doesn’t seem like there are any decent kids this time either~.’
Those wanting to gain fame through their swords cannot live long.
The envious gazes looking at them are troublesome.
‘With those eyes,’ they’ll soon fall out of touch with reality.
Karen smiled bitterly as she moved towards the scene of the commotion.
“Whoa…”
Duena was collapsed on the floor, foam coming from her mouth.
A bump on her head had inflated even more than before, now resembling a soccer ball.
“Wow~ that could have been fatal!”
Fortunately, it was Duena, a strong contender among her peers.
If it had been a random kid, their head would have been smashed.
“Did you do this to her… you?”
Karen turned around with a smile.
At the end of her gaze was a boy with black hair.
‘A boy?’
Having a man in Polaris felt alien just by his existence.
Looking through historical records, there were occasions where a boy had entered Polaris, but
‘In the end, there were limitations.’
There had been no male examiner who left a mark in history.
If Karen’s memories served her right, the highest achievement for a male examiner had been to reach extreme heights.
Which isn’t that lowly by any means, but it’s also a rather ambiguous point to call the best.
‘Interesting.’
Her interest had risen even more than before.
“Nice to meet you~ I’m Karen. I’ve been appointed as the examiner for this entrance exam.”
“Hello, Professor Karen. I’m Ran Black.”
The boy responded dryly to her greeting.
“…Ahaha.”
His tone lacked any excitement, tension, admiration, or envy.
The first impression was a pass.
“Hmm~ So, can you tell me why you made that kid like this? I’m not trying to interrogate you or anything.”
Indeed, according to the rules, it was more of an interrogation, but her question was driven by pure curiosity.
“Yes, I’ll explain.”
Ran plainly recounted what had just occurred.
“Oh~ So that kid did that, huh?”
He mentioned being the heir of the Adrim family, but that didn’t matter much.
No way to know if that was true or a boast. Even if it were true, it wouldn’t disqualify him from the exam.
The entrance exam to Polaris follows strict meritocracy.
“So I just lightly slapped her. No other conflict occurred.”
“Ahaha~! A joke, right? How could such a….”
At that moment, Karen’s thoughts halted.
Thinking it over, considering the mess and their conditions, it was true there was no violent struggle.
Moreover, looking at the swollen forehead,
“…Did you really just slap her?”
“Yes.”
If that was true, having caused such damage with just a slap meant only one thing.
‘Is he a user of Qi? This kid?’
It sounded absurd.
Even if one were to stretch their imagination to accept he could use Qi,
If they had talent, it wasn’t uncommon for some to awaken Qi before opening all their energy points.
‘But raising the power of a slap…’
It implied he had used Qi for enhancement.
In other words, it meant he had handled Protective Qi.
That’s a level of expertise that would only emerge from someone who had fully comprehended the intricacies of Qi and adapted it to their body.
A technique not easily achievable, even for someone who had undergone a thorough transformation.
“……”
It was unbelievable.
Given the sensed aura, this kid hadn’t even reached a realm where his energy points were all open.
Did he really awaken everything contained within Qi at such a level?
“Haha… Haha! This will be interesting.”
The claim of having no expectations for this entrance exam was officially canceled.
“Ran, prospective student.”
“…Is it already okay to call me that?”
“Yeah. In my opinion~ I think you’ll pass.”
The boy lacking pretense was looking at her.
Even with the physique of a man, the power he possessed was astonishing yet humble.
“Let’s meet inside, for sure.”
This exam.
Most likely, it will lead to an exhilarating result like never before.
“Uh, was that just a pat on the shoulder from Professor Karen?”
“Is it to soothe the boy, so he won’t be scared? How enviable~.”
“From what I saw earlier, I think we should be the ones worried.”
“Hehehe… Onii-chan, step on me…”
Ran stood still, watching Karen walk away.
‘So, how do we resolve this situation?’
Hey, Duena is still laying there, right?
Examiner?
Professor?
*
As the alarm signaling the hour rang, the door to the waiting room closed all at once.
“Ahem~ Ah!”
Stepping onto the platform was, of course, Karen.
She had just been introduced as the examiner.
As a reminder, the examiner changes every time, so it’s different each time.
“Hello everyone! I’m Professor Karen, and I’m in charge of this entrance exam for Polaris~!”
“Wooaaah!”
“Sword Demon! Sword Demon! Sword Demon!”
“Please show us your drawing technique just once!”
The examinees cheered in unison.
Karen was one of the most formidable beings in the Empire.
Moreover, her unique elements (uniform, katana, drawing technique, Sword Demon) appealed to fans inside and outside the game, making her incredibly popular.
‘The creators clearly aimed for a wow factor with the stuff.’
Despite such blatant design, she was still popular, mostly thanks to her beauty.
“Hehe~ Thank you all for cheering.”
Additionally, her seemingly relaxed and easygoing demeanor contributed too.
It’s what they call the gap moe.
‘But.’
I know her true nature.
That unique calmness is like a mask created during the process of socialization after the war.
‘I wear a mask too.’
It’s no wonder I felt tense while chatting with her in the waiting room.
Karen Orbon.
That woman’s true character is simply.
“So, shall we get started right away without any further ado?”
“Yes?”
“Yay~ exam start!”
Pure evil.
A person who does not realize she is a madwoman.
bam!
As she clapped twice, a gigantic summoning magic circle was drawn beneath the waiting room.
“Whoa?!”
“W-What’s happening!”
“Karen! My body feels weird….”
“Ha, ha… just one last whiff of brother’s scent…!”
Shwoooosh!
One by one, the kids in the waiting room were transported elsewhere.
By unintended fate, the last remaining one was me.
Karen winked at me lightly and then started mouthing something.
-Going to deal with you♥
“…Hah!”
As expected of a master.
I suppose she was just confirming my baseline.
‘Then I’ll have to show beyond those expectations.’
I didn’t respond but quietly nodded.
Whoosh!
Finally, I too was transported elsewhere.
As I opened my eyes, a gigantic cave-like space came into view.
[Entry Tips for Beginners#2]
[You must take the Polaris entrance exam if you haven’t included keywords like [Noble Families] or [Royal Family].]
The exam content varies each session. There’s a pattern to it.
The content of the exam differs based on which professor is the examiner.
Among them, when Karen becomes the examiner, the exam content is.
-Karen: Treasure Hunting.
It’s a treasure hunt.
Of course, it’s not your typical treasure hunt.
Graaahhh!
Kyaaaaaah!!!
A survival treasure hunt in the wicked dungeon teeming with monsters.
“Ugh…!”
As I grasped the entirety of the situation, I found myself laughing helplessly.
Because, judging by my current standards,
“This is an easy one.”
It’s the easiest exam by far.
Hooosh-!
Without hesitation, I executed the “Windstorm Technique.”
Time to catch the top spot.