Having departed the royal capital by carriage, I safely arrived at the academy city of Lehan without any attacks from bandits or monsters, lodging several times at inns in post towns along the way.

Given that this is an integrated school from elementary to high school, the ages of the applicants are varied. Naturally, so are their statuses and genders—ranging from royalty to commoners.

For nobles, merely graduating from this academy can lead to promotions within the knight corps. For commoners, it even offers the chance to be knighted as a baron, a quasi-noble rank. Of course, this comes at the cost of being called to the battlefield in the event of war with other nations.

The day I arrived, I stayed at an inn in the academy city. The next morning, I headed to the exam venue alongside the other applicants. The acceptance rate for the elementary division I planned to enroll in was approximately one in ten, but I wasn’t particularly concerned about that.

Everywhere I looked, I saw kids around my age. With memories of my past life, I doubted there’d be any problem I couldn’t solve.

Once the written test began, I breezed through it without any difficulties and was the first to finish. I left the classroom right after completing the test.

When I handed in my answer sheet, a young examiner smirked and asked, "Already giving up?" He whispered this mockingly. So, I shoved the answer sheet against his chest, making sure he noticed it. His eyes went wide in disbelief.

As I was leaving, he sneered, “It’s my job to weed out brats like you who underestimate the world,” but I ignored him.

However, after the lunch break, when the practical swordsmanship exam began, his words finally made sense.

The same examiner stood there holding a wooden sword. One by one, the elementary division applicants charged at him with wooden swords. Only those deemed capable of continuing the bout for a while were allowed to pass.

The judgment seemed to be made by a third party—a different examiner stood under the shade of a tree some distance away.

This observer was a woman with long dark navy hair and glasses. From afar, I couldn’t make out her facial features, but her upright posture was strikingly graceful.

She observed the applicants wielding their wooden swords, jotting something down with a feather pen. I couldn’t tell what she was writing, but it was undoubtedly related to the pass/fail evaluations.

Suddenly, she turned her gaze toward me.

"......"
"......"

Had she noticed me watching her? Keen eyes. She might make a good swordswoman.

She didn’t avert her gaze, frowning slightly and tilting her head inquisitively.

What is it? Why is she looking at me? Did she recognize me as a member of the Oldingham family?

Cold sweat ran down my back as I considered this possibility. However, just as suddenly, she lost interest and returned her focus to the paper, her pen moving briskly again.

Meanwhile, my turn had arrived.

The earlier examiner, now my opponent, greeted me with a friendly smirk.

“Oh, it’s the kid who left the test early!”

“......”

He seemed to be putting on a show for the others, especially for the woman, sneaking glances at her as he spoke loudly enough for her to hear. She, however, kept her eyes on her paper, showing little interest.

“Let’s see... Applicant number 017, Eremia Neu, huh? Apparently, you’re from a baronial family. Never heard of it. Must be some backwater provincial lord. I know pretty much all the nobles in the royal capital.”

What’s your point?

Incidentally, Eremia Neu was a false name I’d prepared in advance for the academy. I couldn’t use the Oldingham name. Nor, just to be safe, could I use Elemie’s.

“Yeah, well.”
“Oh, sorry about that. No need to be nervous. Here, take a wooden sword and come at me however you like.”

Annoying. Truly annoying.

It was clear he intended to humiliate me in front of everyone. The killing intent he couldn’t conceal made that much obvious. All this because I left the classroom a bit early during the written exam? What a twisted individual. He’s just like my brothers.

Fine. I’ll indulge him a little. I’m no longer in the royal castle or the capital. There’s no need to keep up a facade anymore.

I took a wooden sword handed to me by another examiner.

“Aren’t you going to take a stance?”
“Hey, hey, it’s not ‘you.’ Address me as an instructor. I’m Lawrence Givley, an instructor assigned to the elementary division.”
“Got it.”
“The Givley family is a count house from the capital. It’s no wonder a provincial lord like you wouldn’t know that.”

What does that matter? Do you want to flaunt your central nobility status?

Ridiculous. I’d rather conceal my royal lineage even if there were no danger in revealing it.

While I stayed silent, he continued his explanation.

“Of course, I’ve trained in noble swordsmanship since I was a child. As a fully-fledged knight, I’ve earned enough recognition to be appointed as an instructor here. So, I don’t need to take a stance against a child to win.”

Again, he glanced at the woman.

Who are you even talking to? Look at me. I felt an urge to grab his curly bangs and forcibly turn his gaze.

The beast within me, dormant since my past life, stirred. My blood boiled.

“Good. Then I won’t hold back.”
“Come at me whenever you’re ready.”

I swung the wooden sword lightly a few times in my right hand.

It felt too light. Far too light, even for my ten-year-old body. It seemed unwieldy. I longed for a real sword. Playing with toys like this wouldn’t sate my craving.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Swinging that around won’t reach me. Are you scared after hearing I’m a knight? Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on you.”
“No, that’s not it...”

The other applicants chuckled at me.

But I didn’t care. I was used to it—from my previous life, where my swordsmanship was often mocked. I silenced such people with my sword. Not with words, like Lawrence.

“If you don’t come at me, you won’t pass. Or maybe you’d rather go back to the countryside before getting hurt? That’s also a valid choice.”

He talked too much.

Laughable. Mock me all you like.

I shifted my weight onto my toes and exhaled deeply. Then, raising my gaze, I grinned back at him with a feral smile.

“...Fool.”
“What was that? Hey, what did you just say?”

I sprang forward, closing the seven-step gap in an instant. Without even landing before him, I was already behind him in the next moment.

Returning the wooden sword to my shoulder, I stood still.

The wind caught up belatedly, swirling around us.

“Gah...! Ugh...!”

Lawrence dropped his wooden sword, clutching his chest with both hands as he fell to his knees. All I’d done was strike his chest as we passed.

Yet, his eyes rolled back, foam forming at his mouth, and he collapsed forward, unconscious.

Perhaps I overdid it. I thought I’d adjusted my strength, considering the light wooden sword. But this incompetent knight was softer than the meat served on a plate.

“...”

Other instructors rushed to his side, and the applicants murmured in shock.

The ones who had laughed at me were all silent now.

Just as in my past life, my sword had silenced the mockery of knights who ridiculed my beastly techniques.

An instructor assisting the test in the adjacent area lifted the unconscious Lawrence, slapping his cheeks to wake him.

“Hey! Are you okay, Instructor Givley? Somebody, bring water!”

Lawrence continued foaming at the mouth, convulsing. It was a laughable sight.

But I’d avoided his vitals. His organs should be fine, though I couldn’t vouch for his bones. He’d survive. Still, I was more worried about my own exam results now.

The male instructor gave me a sharp look and yelled.

“You went too far! Applicant 017, even as a child, don’t you have any chivalry? Remember this: strength alone doesn’t make a knight!”
“Wait, I—”

I tried to explain that I’d only swung once, but his angry voice cut me off.

“Return to your lodging! You’ll be informed of the results later!”
“...Alright... I understand.”