Chapter 103
#Chapter 103: Demonic Sword Forte (5) - Admission Interview
“What did you say? Are you finished talking!?”
At the woman’s growl, Pina’s mind went blank in an instant.
She panicked because she had no idea how to resolve the situation.
And across that pristine white page seeped the crafty whisper of the wicked demonic sword.
《Contract holder. Do not panic. If you repeat exactly what I say, this situation will undoubtedly be resolved.》
There was deep conviction in Forte’s voice, and Pina’s mind, already filled with confusion, was unknowingly captivated by the voice of that wicked demon.
Without even properly knowing what she was saying, Pina began reciting exactly what she heard in her head.
“Did you say it would be a problem if many people without skill passed? If that really is a problem, the academy will weed them out on its own. And even if it fails to do so, why would that be a problem? It’s not as though you’ll fail just because those people pass, is it?”
“Ah, are you perhaps worried that having more competitors will push you down in the rankings? If that’s the case, I’m rather sorry. I assumed that someone who had secured a seat here and been resting since early on would naturally possess both the skill and the confidence to match it, but I suppose I was mistaken.”
“But I really don’t understand what you mean by responsibility. Only someone qualified has the right to discuss responsibility, so are you perhaps a professor in disguise hiding among the students? Or do you simply think that, despite being an ordinary applicant, you have the right to condemn and punish another applicant? If it’s the latter, well… yes, I understand. There are people in this world with overly inflated self-esteem.”
A heavy silence descended.
The woman who had first picked a fight with Pina was gradually cowed by the barrage of words. Before long, she was trembling with her mouth shut, and eventually she fled.
Only then did Pina’s snow-white mind return to normal as well.
In other words, she belatedly realized what she had been saying.
“Uh, ah, waaah!?”
Even if she wanted to explain that she had not meant it that way, it was already too late.
“M-Magic Sword, what should I do!?”
《Wasn’t the incident resolved?》
“A bigger problem has come up! She’ll definitely hold a grudge against me…!”
《Contract holder. Only those prepared to be struck by a sword have the right to wield one.》
Forte’s voice was utterly stern, solemn, and serious.
《Suppose the person that applicant picked a fight with had been some foul-tempered young noblewoman instead of you. What do you think would have happened to her?》
“Uh… W-would she have been scolded?”
《She would have thrown a teacup straight at her face.》
“No way!”
Pina did not ask where the teacup had suddenly come from.
Just as a skilled swordsman carried a sword and a drug-addicted detective carried pipe tobacco, the combination of a villainess and a teacup was practically a basic part of the archetype.
《That’s not all. She might have hurled abuse far worse than what you just said, which would have been mild by comparison, manipulated her with an employment contract, or forced her into all sorts of troublesome situations through various acts of spite.》
“D-do people that wicked really exist?”
《They do. In that sense, that applicant could be considered fortunate. Thanks to this experience, she won’t recklessly pick fights without knowing who she is dealing with in the future, so she will be safer both socially and physically.》
At that moment, Forte lowered its voice even further.
《Of course, this method has the side effect of slightly worsening the negative image those around you have of you, contract holder. As a demonic sword serving its master, I find that deeply regrettable. Even if the situation was urgent, I acted without properly explaining anything, so I cannot blame you if you resent me.》
“No…!”
Pina gripped the sword in its sheath with both hands and spoke earnestly.
“You did it for me, and for that person too! I could never resent you!”
《Is that truly how you feel?》
“Yes!”
《Thank you, contract holder. Thanks to you, I am certain that I was not mistaken.》
“Hehehe.”
Pina did not realize it.
Perhaps because she had done her best to lower her voice, the other applicants nearby could not make out the contents of the conversation. But whether they could hear the words or not, muttering to a sword was more than enough to make her look like a madwoman.
Nor did she realize that the archdemon in the shadows was looking at Forte as though it were a great senior whom he acknowledged as impressive but would never want to resemble.
Perhaps it was because far more people had passed the second exam thanks to Pina.
When the relatively spacious waiting area began to look as though it would soon be filled with people, Examiner Raizenol shouted,
“It looks like we won’t have enough seats, so those who passed earlier should proceed directly to the third test!”
Raizenol gestured toward the uphill path behind him, and the people began moving along as instructed.
Pina also joined the procession, stumbling awkwardly as she went.
Perhaps because of the ordeal they had endured during the first test, the people climbing the hill did not look particularly happy. Fortunately, the third test site was not very far away.
More precisely, it was the test site, the interview site, and a gate all at once.
Every side path was blocked off completely, and the walls were so high that they were connected to the outer wall of the island itself—a building that seemed to proclaim, ‘If you want to enter the academy, you must pass through here.’
The moment Pina saw the building, a new quest appeared before her eyes.
【Quest: One-on-One Interview】
【Clear Condition: Receive confirmation of acceptance from the interviewer】
【Time Limit: None】
【Reward: Right to Enroll in Sky Academy】
【Special Note: Enter in order, following the queue. Waiting Number 6.】
The message was relatively short compared to the previous two quests, but its impact was far more intense.
Just as the applicants’ eyes lit up at the thought that acceptance was within reach, the broad, board-like object attached to the building’s entrance began to glow, and letters soon appeared upon it.
─Waiting Number 1. Enter.
While everyone looked around for Number 1, the first person to step forward was the woman who had argued with Pina earlier.
Dressed in rather high-end equipment and clothing, she cast Pina a sidelong glance, then sharply turned her head and proceeded inside the building.
Her steady stride and straight posture made it clear that she had received an excellent education, and Pina could understand why Forte had called her an elite.
After what felt like roughly five minutes, the words written on the strange board in front of the building changed.
─Waiting Number 2. Enter.
This time, a man with a massive, bear-like build who appeared fairly old compared to the other applicants strode into the building. As the process continued, Pina’s turn finally arrived.
Pina entered the building looking extremely nervous.
The first thing to greet her was a long corridor.
No, more precisely, the building contained nothing but a single corridor stretching straight ahead.
After walking for a while through the utterly white corridor, with white stretching above, below, and to both sides, she saw a desk standing alone in the middle and a man seated behind it.
The man, distinguished by his slightly faded light-brown hair and square glasses, cast Pina a brief glance and spoke.
“Welcome. You may sit in that chair.”
“Y-yes.”
Pina replied with a slight tremor in her voice.
Unlike Raizenol, the examiner from the second test, the man’s attitude was extremely polite, but it also carried a coldness that seemed to draw a line between them.
The air of a pressure interview that Pina felt the moment she sat down was practically the natural enemy of an introverted girl.
《Calm down, contract holder. Have you forgotten that I am at your back?》
Feeling an incomparable sense of relief at Forte’s presence beside her and the advice it offered, Pina steadied her breathing.
The examiner opened his mouth.
“I’ll ask you several questions from now on, and you simply need to answer them. It won’t take very long, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Yes.”
“Then first: what is your reason for wanting to enroll in Sky Academy?”
“Um…”
Pina thought for a moment.
The truth was, ‘Because my dad submitted the application on a whim,’ but she felt it would be inappropriate to say that outright.
《You do not need to give an impressive or plausible answer. It is enough to talk about what you would like to do or what you hope will happen if you attend the academy.》
What she wanted. What she hoped for.
After putting those two keywords into her head, Pina cautiously opened her mouth.
“I’d like to… make some friends.”
“Friends?”
“Yes. Friends I can talk to about trivial things without worrying about the family name, political considerations, or any grand dream.”
“Hmm.”
Perhaps Pina’s answer was somewhat unexpected, because the examiner made a slightly peculiar expression.
Pina fidgeted anxiously, wondering if she had made a mistake, but fortunately, the examiner did not press her any further and asked his next question.
“The academy offers its students countless opportunities for growth, but at the same time, it can also thrust you into danger. In other words, entering the academy is not the end; there will be countless difficulties afterward as well. You may even face a threat to your life, and the number of students who actually graduate safely is clearly far smaller than the number who enroll. Even so, do you still wish to enter?”
By this point, it sounded less like a warning and more like a threat.
For a moment, Pina wondered whether it might actually be safer to fail here and experience an extreme boot camp with her father instead, but then the magic sword intervened.
《Crises are something that always come along in life. What matters is whether there are rewards and rest worthy of the crisis.》
“I-I think I’ll be fine as long as there are proper rewards and enough rest.”
“Rewards and rest.”
The examiner nodded.
He seemed to approve of her answer.
“Then you may set your mind at ease. The Great Sage of the Sky created this place with the conviction that those who walk arduous paths should receive proper rewards. Countless choices and trials will bring rewards worthy of them, and those rewards will include rest as well.”
Feeling the atmosphere of the interview ease slightly, Pina also straightened her shoulders, which had been hunched tight with tension.
After that, they exchanged a few more minor questions about her areas of expertise and the subjects she wanted to study, and finally, the last question was asked.
“What is a ‘hero,’ in your opinion?”
The examiner’s gaze as he asked this was quite significant, as though he was looking forward to Pina’s answer.
After all, it would have been stranger if an examiner at Sky Academy, especially one in charge of interviews, did not know Pina’s identity and family background.
This time, Forte did not intervene either.
It was curious to hear what Pina would answer as well.
The girl who had inherited the hero’s achievements and blood answered without much hesitation this time.
“Someone who didn’t give up their burden.”
The examiner looked puzzled.
“Hmm. Is ‘burden’ a metaphorical expression for a noble duty?”
“No, um, it doesn’t have to be noble. It could be telling someone to go beat somebody up for me, or telling them to win because I want to loaf around in a peaceful era. Of course, some of them must have been great and noble, just as you said. In any case, there must have been wishes from countless people, and they must have been truly heavy. Someone who can shoulder all that is a hero, I think.”
Pina’s tone was matter-of-fact, but it also carried the implication that she herself could never manage something like that.
Perhaps he found the answer convincing, because the examiner nodded.
“I understand. And I should mention something I neglected to say earlier.”
“Yes?”
“I am Lowell, the professor in charge of magic. I look forward to working with you, Student Pina Vallestia.”
【‘Quest: One-on-One Interview’ has been completed.】
【You have acquired the ‘Right to Enroll in Sky Academy.’】
A badge resembling a staff appeared in midair, then merged with the badge Pina had originally possessed, forming a complete shape.
Looking at the badge, in which a staff, sword, and mace intersected to form a balanced whole, Pina let out a sigh of relief.
She had successfully enrolled.