I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

3 – Placement Test -2-

The silence in the examination hall was palpable.

Noah, who had been watching with his arms crossed, smiled, revealing his molars as if he had found something amusing.

Ichinose slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed, and looked at the man who had split the golem.

!

When Rohan’s longsword cleanly cut through the test golem, a light of astonishment flashed in the instructor’s previously lax eyes.

The hand that had been scratching his head stopped, and the yawn that had lingered at his mouth ceased.

The cadets watching from behind were no different.

Having experienced the dreadful hardness of the test golem at least once in their homeland’s education, the current situation was hard to believe even when seen with their own eyes.

If it had been a well-known figure demonstrating, they might have moved past disbelief to admiration.

But the appearance of this man and the name “Rohan” were unfamiliar, leaving them only bewildered.

.

The person who found this silence and stillness the hardest to endure was the man himself.

Rohan, ignoring the cadets’ gazes boring into his back, spun his longsword and sheathed it.

He looked at the instructor, who was standing still, and asked,

“Instructor, may I step down?”

“Oh, yes. Your name for number 99 is…?”

“It’s Rohan.”

“Alright. Go down.”

The instructor underlined the name Rohan and drew a star, then stroked his rough beard.

The drowsiness that had been present since the start of the exam vanished instantly.

‘This year’s first-year students are unexpectedly abundant. It’s going to be tough to control them.’

Even the promising students he had identified so far were more than one or two.

It’s surprising to have even one star in a grade, but this year, there are unusually many.

‘Among them, there are two cadets who could be considered the best of all time. Those two cadets are inside the gym…’

There’s no need to see the faces of the big shots.

Just looking at the information listed in the documents is enough to give him a headache and make him tired.

‘Oh… this is a headache.’

The instructor sighed deeply as he looked at the name and photo of the next cadet in line.

The northern kingdom where 90% of the population are beastmen. The country of Tigrova, with its vast perpetual snowfields and wide coniferous forests.

Noah Frozenheart, the princess of Tigrova and the youngest daughter of the Snow Tiger Emperor.

The Federation of Samhwa, known as the Eastern Federation.

Even Yui Ichinose, the heir to Tenkaichiten, the largest corporation in that powerful country.

‘My stomach already hurts. Should I take a leave of absence?’

As an instructor, he had only one wish for them.

Although the possibility is extremely low, he earnestly hoped that these cadets would spend the next two years quietly and graduate without any trouble.

‘…’

In any case, the reality is that a storm is approaching right in front of us.

Even though it felt like a hassle that could kill him, knowing there was no way to avoid it, the instructor called out the next number in a weary voice.

“Next, number 252.”

“Here!”

Noah, who was sitting next to Ichinose, stood up with a raised hand.

She didn’t head towards the wall where the weapons were hung, but instead, she strode forward with her bare fists.

In front of the newly prepared golem, she twitched her round ears, waiting for the procedural questions.

“Ahem… Name.”

“Noah Frozenheart!”

Her name echoed vigorously through the gymnasium.

Hearing her precious name, the cadets began to murmur like waves on a night sea.

The instructor quickly sorted out the situation, which was not unexpected.

“Any cadet who disrupts the exam with chatter will be penalized.”

The instructor’s gaze, which had warned the waiting personnel, returned to Noah Frozenheart.

She didn’t care whether people were talking about her behind her back, and with a raised corner of her mouth, she seemed to be urging for the signal to start.

The instructor gave her a formal warning, even though she held nothing in her hands.

“There are no extra points or chances for a retake if you don’t use a weapon. Do you understand that you also can’t use any personal artifacts?”

Nod, nod.

She nodded energetically as if it were obvious. Her tail swished up and down.

“Then… let’s start within a minute.”

The moment the instructor gave the start signal to Rohan.

Whew!

Noah threw his tightly clenched fist without hesitation, as if he had been holding back for a long time.

The moment his fist touched the golem, a loud noise and a burst of cold erupted.

Boom!!!

White frost spewed out like clouds, obscuring the view and filling the gymnasium.

It was like a massive block of dry ice had collapsed.

Rohan, who had been watching the test, marveled inwardly, brushing off the frost that had accumulated on his uniform.

Whoa, that scared me!

Wh-what is this!?

This is Tigrova’s…

As the startled cadets murmured, the instructor moved his magic and spoke.

Silence.

The cold air that had spread out gathered into the instructor’s palm, forming a pure white ice chunk that fell to the ground with a thud.

At the same time, the spot where Noah Frozenheart and the test golem had been was revealed.

In front of her, only something presumed to be the lower part of the golem remained, and the unidentified powder scattered messily on the floor hinted at the situation.

Shall we go down now?

Yes. Go down.

This time, it was expected. Therefore, the instructor’s reaction was calm.

He just poked the star drawn above the name with a pen, reflecting on the scene just now.

As expected, blood doesn’t lie…

Noah Frozenheart’s explosive outburst. It was different from the clumsiness of someone who couldn’t control their overflowing magic.

Just as embedding magic into projectiles like bullets, arrows, and shurikens is a kind of talent.

She was in the process of refining her innate talent and power into an ideal form.

“Next, number 253.”

“Yes.”

Ichinose Yui stood up, holding her tachi, and headed towards the wall.

With her eyes closed, she walked briskly.

The girl stopped in front of the wall, gently placed her own sword down, and picked up a familiar style of sword, stepping forward.

“Name.”

“Ichinose Yui.”

At the softly spoken name, a commotion arose among the cadets once again.

But unlike before, it quickly subsided as they glanced at the instructor.

“Begin within one minute.”

“Understood.”

With a small nod, Ichinose stepped back with her left foot.

Then she leaned her upper body slightly forward.

With a flick of her pale thumb, click! The blade was revealed from the scabbard.

“.”

Without a single shout.

The girl’s drawing of the sword flowed like water from her hand.

*Piiing!*

The blade swung diagonally, slicing cleanly through the golem.

A precise cut, completely opposite to Noah Frozenheart’s usual style.

With a sharp sound, the sword was already back in its sheath, resting.

The upper part of the golem, severed at the joint, slid smoothly to the ground.

“I will descend.”

“…Alright.”

The instructor kicked away the golem fragments and scratched his head with a pen.

How did such individuals end up at the front of the line?

It was almost pitiful for the cadets who would take the test afterward.

“Next, number 103.”

“Ah, yes…!”

As expected by the instructor, from Ichinose Yui’s turn onward, no cadet managed to cut or damage more than half of the golem, and some couldn’t even scratch it.

Some cadets already had faces filled with despair at the overwhelming difference in skill.

But the instructor knew very well.

Their skills were actually the average for Orion Academy, the normal picture.

*

The practical test ended without any issues.

No cadet raised any objections to the test.

Nevertheless, there was one guest who did not leave the gymnasium.

Noah Frozenheart couldn’t resist his hunger and left to eat, but Ichinose Yui had not yet left the gymnasium where she took the test.

“.”

The girl walked towards the golems piled up to be dealt with after the test.

According to the practical test reviews posted on the Orion Academy community, only two freshmen had cut the test golems with a sword.

If you include all weapons other than swords, there would be about five people who split or smashed the golems.

Even Noah had pulverized a golem with his fists, which were not his main weapon.

But there were only two with swords.

Ichinose Yui herself and one other man she had never seen before.

‘Number 99.’

At first, she felt his blatant gaze on herself and Noah.

She was used to receiving such stares, so she didn’t mind, but his clear and warm eyes were strangely not offensive, even though they were not lustful.

‘Noah must have felt it too.’

She didn’t know why he looked at them like that.

But she vividly remembered the moment he swung his sword.

It was the exact opposite of the gaze he had sent.

The act of cutting itself felt like the embodiment of killing intent.

He seemed like someone who was used to ending lives.

‘Whether it’s a skill or not.’

It didn’t matter.

Attack skills ultimately shine when the basics are solid.

“.”

With eyes closed, click-clack.

Standing before the golem split by the 99th sword, she caressed the severed surface with her hand.

The cut surface is smooth.

An emotion resembling impatience makes her bite her lower lip.

Click.

The girl took a step back, slowly placed her weapon on the ground.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the sword hanging on the wall.

She swung the blade without hesitation.

Swish!

The sharp slash split the already severed golem once again.

The girl immediately touched the surface of the golem she had cut.

“Ah.”

Compared to the 99th cut, it wasn’t smooth.

The scream of being forcibly severed was clear.