Chapter 32

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The entrance ceremony for the Swordsmanship Academy had begun.

Filina woke up to the early morning noise of the bells, washed her face, tidied her hair, and changed into her uniform.

She planned to carry the potion in a small bottle, just in case.

So that if at any time she found herself in a dangerous situation, she could deal with it immediately. ……….

Hugh told her that if she divided the potion in half when taking it, the effect would be reduced, but she would be able to defeat about an intermediate level demon.

There was a lot that Bessie knew about the academy.

She found out later that Bessie’s family had graduated from the academy for generations and they were still very active as knights.

But even in Bessie’s family, she was the first woman to be admitted to the academy.

When she was accepted into the swordsmanship academy, Bessie’s family even invited the people of the village to a banquet. Hearing her story, Filina recalled Ian, who visited her the day the acceptance list came out.

After talking to him, Amy (Filina’s mother) learned that Filina had taken the entrance exam for the academy and did not give the expected positive response.

Filina couldn’t even have a proper conversation with her because of Ariel’s accident.

There was nothing particularly disappointing about it. She didn’t have any expectations for her family anyway.

Filina and Bessie had a quick bite to eat in the kitchen and then quickly made their way to the annex.

There was already a large crowd gathered there, and the expressions of the nervous freshmen were starkly different from those of the seniors, who were standing there with their relaxed faces.

Filina walked after Bessie, looking for Leon. She wore a longsword on her waist that she had yet to give him.

It was ridiculous to walk around with two of these when even just one sword weighed quite a bit.

She had planned to give the longsword to Leon first, and then carry Enoch’s sword with her. As she scurried around to find Leon, she saw the silver hair in her vision, and at the same time, Filina’s brow distorted.

Henry, who had taken his place at the front of the new students, looked out over the platform with a calm face. Among others, his particularly noticeable appearance was annoying. Filina turned her head with a frown.

“Hi.”

Filina stepped back, startled by a voice suddenly whispering in her ear.

Bessie, who had been walking ahead of her, turned her head at the sound of someone behind her.

She looked at the man smiling wickedly at Filina and asked sharply,

“What are you doing?”

The red eyed man that was staring at Filina passed naturally to Bessie.

“You made friends already?” (Hugh)

At his laugh, Filina sighed faintly.

“Can’t you just appear normal?”

“I’m being normal.” (Hugh)

She looked at him with a disgruntled expression as Hugh shrugged his shoulders and replied skillfully.

Bessie watched them in front of her, then asked Filina,

“Do you know him?”

At her question, Filina nodded as she stared at Hugh.

“Yes, though I hate to admit it.”

Hugh looked like he was about to cry at her curt reply.

“You could have omitted the last words. I’m disappointed.”

As he said this, Hugh’s gaze naturally went to Filina’s waist.

He saw a sword that was too big to be on her body. Hugh murmured as he unconsciously reached out.

“It’s kind of familiar……….”

His sentence was cut off, for Filina had struck his hand painfully and growled in a cold voice.

“Don’t touch it.”

He covered the back of his hand and furrowed his brow.

“It hurts.”

Filina suddenly asked, ignoring his complaint.

“Did you find all the materials?”

Mindful of the surrounding eyes, Hugh replied while scratching his forehead, deliberately omitting the subject.

“I haven’t gotten it yet.”

“Huh? Didn’t you go looking for materials the other day?”

Hugh chuckled awkwardly as he answered Filina’s question.

“Fortunately I got the mermaid’s tears, but I haven’t found the Avarance flower yet. I’ve asked my assistants to help me with it.”

He looked quite embarrassed, as if he didn’t expect to have so much trouble with the material.

Indeed, it was a little funny to see him making excuses to his customers, even though he was the Master.

So Filina frowned pathetically as she looked at Hugh, and then she walked away with Bessie.

She could feel his eyes staring at her blankly from behind, but Filina didn’t turn around.

“We will now begin the entrance ceremony for the Swordsmanship Academy. I ask that everyone please remain quiet.”

The man on the platform opened his mouth in a reverent voice. Filina and Bessie roughly settled where the new students were also lined up in a row.

“Commander Weaver will now enter. Students, please treat him with courtesy.”

At the man’s voice, a stiffly uniformed Weaver walked into the annex.

“Welcome Commander Weaver!”

When the seniors shouted loudly, the new students followed them and greeted him.

Weaver responded with a slight nod and stepped straight up onto the platform in the center of the room.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. I am Andra Weaver, Commander of the Kingsguard of the Swordsmanship Academy.”

He introduced himself briefly as he looked at the seats where the new students were also standing.

“The Swordsmanship Academy trains its students to be the most elite knights according to the strict standards of the Alvar Empire. It is here that you will acquire strong physical strength and excellent fighting skills, and grow into knights who will play a leading role in the protection of the Empire.”

Weaver’s powerful voice rang out elaborately in the annex.

“I inform all students. Be proud of yourselves, and be worthy knights who will surpass me.”

He raised his lips to the new students, his expression was stiff and never smiled.

“I sincerely welcome you to the Swordsmanship Academy.”

As Weaver finished his words, the seniors broke into a round of applause. Filina looked at him with interest as he walked down the platform.

His pious voice and stern face always seemed to respect the formalities.

But the way he barely smiled as he looked at the new students dispelled all such prejudices at once.

“Next, Lord Argeny, who was also the most outstanding of the 124 new students, took the oath of admission.”

The man who was presiding over the entrance ceremony opened his mouth and looked in the direction where Henry was, and as if in response to him, Henry stepped forward with straight, broad strides.

Everyone’s eyes turned to him. They seemed to be curious about Henry’s face as he entered the Swordsmanship Academy at the top of his class.

His black uniform was decadent, and he had a dark air about him that highlighted Henry’s unique atmosphere.

On the other hand, the beautiful structure of his face and his gently disheveled silver hair made him seem sublime, like someone who had come down from heaven. Heaven and earth, heaven and hell, sun and moon… If things with different colors coexist with each other, such a person would be born.

Of course, if I knew Henry’s true nature, such a metaphor would never suit him.

“Wow, he’s so handsome.”

Bessie, who was standing in front of Filina, murmured in an exclamatory voice. Filina’s expression when she heard those words wasn’t very good.

It was a situation where she was forced to look at a face she didn’t want to look at, because even just looking at his face made her angry.

“As I enter the Swordsmanship Academy, I solemnly swear that I will abide by the school rules and fulfill my duties and responsibilities as a student.”

His voice rang clearly. Filina’s gaze landed on Henry, who was on the platform.

“The Cadet, Henry Argeny.”

The oath of admission was over as he recited his name. He stepped down the platform with relaxed steps.

As she stared at him, Filina suddenly raised an eyebrow at the noise coming from the outside wall of the annex.

At that moment, from outside the annex, the instructor, who had hurriedly opened the door and entered, shouted loudly.

“There’s an emergency! The demons that escaped from the breeding grounds are here now…………!”

Arghhhhh!

His voice was buried in the loud noise as the outer walls of the building shattered.

The students who had gathered in the annex all looked panicked and moved in unison.

Filina was rendered speechless by the scene unfolding before her.

The demons that had entered the annex by destroying the entire building were attacking the students while making strange noises.

Filina, who was watching the scene, spoke with a disappointed look on her face.

“No. ……………….why the first day of school?”

Catching Filina looking at the demons with a disappointed look on her face, Bessie hurriedly shouted.

“Let’s run away!”

The students were already gathering to get out of the building.

Following Bessie’s lead, Filina was also busily walking towards the entrance.

Boom!

At that moment, she saw a demon that had come inside the annex and was attacking someone.

The man quickly avoided the demon’s huge hands, but the sharp claws must have scratched him, because there was a red bloodstain on the uniform wrapped around his arms.

Filina, who was vaguely watching the scene, pushed Bessie, telling her to run ahead.

Rrrrrrrr!

The demon’s strange cries spread. Filina turned and stared at the man who was facing the demon.

The new student was also not an official knight, so he couldn’t pull out his sword without permission. In addition, the man was currently not even holding a sword.

Filina turned her head and looked around.

Weaver had already left the annex in the middle of the entrance ceremony, and the vice commanders who had followed him were out too.

Then, the instructors were the only ones who could deal with the demons here, but they seemed busy evacuating the students.

It seemed that their discipline was to evacuate dozens of people first, rather than helping a single student who was currently under attack by demons.

‘D*mn it.’

Filina cursed quietly and looked forward again.

Near the man confronting the demon, there was another new student.

It was Henry Argeny, who recited the oath of admission on the platform.

His purple eyes stared at the man who was fighting the demon.

On Henry’s waist was a large sword. But he only stared at the man who was facing the demon in front of him as if he had no intention of moving.

This attitude did not bode well. She couldn’t understand why he was so protective of his seat when he wasn’t going to help the man.

Boom! Kwaan!

The demon’s large hands attacked the man’s chest. He fell to the floor, defeated by the demon’s violent force.

Filina didn’t have time to worry any more.

She grabbed her sword from her waist and ran to the demon.

Pushing past Henry, who was standing in front of the man, she got to where the demon was.

In a split second, she blocked the huge hand of the demon that was trying to attack the man with her sword.

“……you.”

She heard Leon’s voice as he stared at her from behind. Filina just stared at the demon in front of her, gritting her teeth.