“Cough, we won’t bow down to traitors! Kill them!”
“…………”
The young man acting as the representative of the bound attackers had quite the knack for evoking murderous intent from people.
I mean, seriously, who would benefit from some rough-looking guy with a scruffy beard shouting, “Kill!” when he probably thinks the kids would say, “Hey, that’s not ‘uncle’—it’s ‘brother’!” and desperately deny it?
After a moment’s contemplation, I decided to respond with a serious expression.
“Stop, Ligret! Hold back!”
“What?”
Ligret looked at me like I was speaking nonsense, his face questioning my sanity.
Not paying him any mind, I continued, “I know you want to bathe in the blood of those who came at you without knowing their place! But remember, we agreed to keep things clean at the academy! You can’t just go committing a murder from the entrance exam!”
I felt the bound attackers twitch at my words.
Good, it seems to be working.
Next comment—
“Yes, Mr. Ligret! These people have made mistakes, but they are still individuals with families waiting for them to return home! Please show mercy! If it’s too difficult for you, then just take it out on me!”
…You want to raise the stakes, huh?
Fiore was shouting while clinging to Ligret’s arm.
If you looked closely, tears were actually streaming down her cheeks.
“Y-Yeah! Please, Mr. Ligret! Just hold back!”
Wow, now even Roto is getting involved.
Wait a minute.
‘Going by those expressions and gestures, they seem to genuinely believe it?’
Ligret’s expression was seriously deteriorating, and I could sense faint tremors across his entire body.
Yet to the bound attackers, this must have made him look like a murderous fiend ready to explode at any moment.
With a yelp of fright, the bound ones squirmed away from Ligret as best they could, and I shouted,
“Hey! Just say anything! If you’ve got something to share, now’s the time, or I won’t know whether to save you or not!”
“I-I’m a knight! A brown-haired knight from the Midas bloodline is supposed to come around here!”
“Hey! Pipe down! Are you planning to sell your pride to those traitors?”
“Shut up! Then you die alone!”
The young man trying to assert himself as the leader struggled to silence the others, but it was too late to close that mouth once it was open.
I asked again, “A brown-haired knight? That’s a pretty vague description. What made you believe that? Were you lying just to mess with your competitors? You weren’t just following orders without checking, were you?”
“It was Betuar! The emblem of Marquis Betuar was engraved on his armor, so we believed it!”
“Hm, that’s untrustworthy. A proud member of the Marquis would stoop to such petty deceit?”
“I swear it’s true! Please, believe me!”
‘So it’s that guy, Nicolaus or whatever his name is.’
I thought it was a bit flimsy, but given the limited environment of the forest with no external support, it wasn’t a bad improvised plan.
After all, in a situation with no tangible evidence, they could easily deny it if we confronted them with just this testimony.
It was fine for them to handle us, and if they failed, they wouldn’t need to worry about being chased down.
Whether it was Nicolaus’s unilateral decision or Alphonse’s directive, I didn’t particularly care to find out.
The important fact was that they had attempted to inflict physical harm on us.
I addressed the attackers, “Hey, those who want to live! Shout ‘I forfeit’ right now!”
“Eh?”
“I said to shout ‘forfeit.’ Or do you prefer to just die?”
“I-I forfeit! I forfeit!”
“I forfeit!”
“Please spare us!”
“Th-These fools who don’t even know shame…!”
Regardless of one person’s obstinacy against the majority, the attackers’ voices echoed chaotically throughout the forest.
Ligret and the others looked at me as if questioning what on earth I was doing, but they soon widened their eyes at the changes happening around us.
<><><>
Flap, flap.
Suddenly, a swarm of deep black butterflies appeared, as if absorbing the surrounding light.
And it wasn’t just one or two.
Ten, a hundred, a thousand.
As I counted each number, the butterflies continued to multiply endlessly.
An immense swarm of butterflies, which could only be described as a hive, began to cover the bodies of the screaming men, dragging them away somewhere.
In awe of that grand yet terrifying spectacle, Fiore asked in a trembling voice, “Brother, what… what is that?”
“Emergency protocol. Even if the academy can scoff at trivial injuries, it isn’t a band of murderers aiming to outright kill the candidates for no reason. Those who are exhausted or injured will probably be taken away like that. Instant death is unavoidable, though.”
I thought to myself, ‘So they aren’t taking the reins?’
Since we were at the academy, obviously there were professors whose roles were to teach students, and the master of that swarm of butterflies was one of them.
One of the characters famous for her beauty in ‘Planetarium,’ it made me wish to see her at least once in person.
But I supposed I’d have another chance later.
Not having heard the shout for forfeiting, I turned to the lone young man still standing.
“So, what are you going to do? If you don’t forfeit and want to be left tied up in this forest, feel free to do so.”
He gritted his teeth and growled, “Do you think such mercy can atone for the sins you’ve committed?”
“Stop your whining. And you keep talking about traitors to the country—was it wrong for the old man who reported those sneaking around violating laws to receive his due? Honestly, blaming others is your specialty, isn’t it?”
Ah, of course, if he had a grudge against his rotten father, I’d understand. That guy deserves some trouble.
Since I had no intention of engaging any further, I left him there and began to move.
He could rant to himself, and he’d wear himself out eventually.
Ligret asked, “Aren’t you going to finish him off?”
“We’re not in a tight enough situation for that. I need to manage my image as well. If I kill every single one of them, I’d be tagged as a ruthless murderer by the public, and that wouldn’t be fair, would it?”
Ligret suddenly fell silent.
What’s wrong? Did he sense another attacker?
“-Oh, I see that someone knows my image has been completely ruined?”
Well, um, that’s kind of the situation here.
I glanced at Fiore and Roto, but while Fiore was smiling brightly and creating some distance, Roto had simply disappeared.
“C’mon, let’s have a chat! Most civilized problems can be solved through conversation!”
“Not with a murderer who bathes in blood and enjoys dismemberment!”
“Hey, wait a minute! I wasn’t the only one talking—Ack! Ouch! That was a bone! Aack!”
<><><>
Days passed where I felt a life-threatening crisis facing an irritated Ligret rather than the wild animals or other participants coming to steal our food.
On the morning of the sixth day of the first exam, we finally reached our destination.
A vast square radiating in a circular pattern around a huge central tower.
There, dozens of successful candidates had already made themselves comfortable.
– For instance, there was a giant with a bare upper body, brimming with twisting muscles and scars.
– For instance, a long-haired girl effortlessly carrying a gigantic sword, almost like a blunt weapon, that was bigger than her physique.
– For instance, a hunter quietly re-fletching arrows in one corner of the square, not bothering to look around.
– For instance, a dual-wielding swordsman, casually laughing and chatting with a group of women who appeared to be his party.
– For instance, a gray-haired young man staring intently at the book he was holding, wearing a frown.
– For instance, a stunning beauty with fiery red hair, clad in a dress that perfectly balanced practicality and allure.
Some of the candidates here looked exhausted and appeared ready to rest at any moment, while others maintained a relaxed demeanor, as if all this was a piece of cake.
With about two days remaining until the exam’s conclusion and considering that more and more candidates were being admitted even at this moment, the final number could reach into the hundreds.
‘These aren’t quite the same as what I saw on screen, but quite a few of them are characters I’ve seen in “Planetarium.”’
Individuals with extraordinary abilities who were labeled as monsters, first-stringers, or S-class among players.
If they could be turned into allies, they’d be solid support; however, as competitors striving for success, they also posed a significant threat.
There might even be a holder of the “Template,” which triggered this exam, among them.
Nevertheless, I wasn’t afraid.
‘After two years of hardship, it would be infuriating to get pushed around now.’
Whoever it was, I had no intention of losing.
Ligret seemed to share a similar sentiment, wearing a faint smile that was unusual for him.
That insatiable desire for improvement was the essence of the Nameless Demon.
Perhaps sensing his competitive spirit, several participants in the square turned their gazes towards Ligret.
It was our own signal, announcing the commencement of the first round of the main event.
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