LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 42
Chapter 42: Promotion Exam (2)
“Looks like it’s going to snow.”
A mid-level knight passing by after finishing training casually remarked.
I looked up at the sky. The blue sky appeared higher and clearer than usual. The white wind carried a biting chill.
Unlike my homeland, this place had seasons. Winter arrived on a set cycle, unlike the snowfields where snow fell endlessly.
Even after the failed attempt to eliminate Hayato, the routines of the Azure Wings hadn’t changed much.
After training, members were dispatched whenever missions were assigned. The absence of two senior members made others busier, but that was all.
They said mission failures were common, and death was just another part of daily life.
The members of Azure Wings quickly moved past the deaths of their comrades.
I headed straight to the training grounds. As the weather grew colder, my body’s condition improved.
If the environment became more like my homeland, I felt I could surpass my usual limits in swordsmanship.
The training grounds already had an occupant.
Whoosh!
A long sword moved gracefully, cutting through the air with fluid movements like a white serpent.
Under normal circumstances, a shorter blade would have swiftly followed, exploiting any gaps.
But it didn’t. The swordsman using the training grounds was missing an arm.
Since the failed mission, Raynard had been excluded from all assignments. While his recovery period was lengthy, the real reason was his missing arm.
A dual-swordsman losing one arm meant losing more than half his combat ability. Currently, Raynard was weaker than even the lower-ranked members.
Even so, he didn’t give up. He stayed until the end, swinging his sword.
“Oh, Saeorin?”
Sensing my gaze, Raynard sheathed his sword and waved his right hand. I returned the gesture and approached him.
“Are you doing alright?”
“More or less.”
He was exempt from training due to his injuries, so my question was more out of formality. Naturally, we ended up sitting on the steps of the training grounds.
“It’s almost been a year since you joined the Azure Wings, hasn’t it?”
“Not quite.”
It had been about nine months, to be precise. As I counted the months on my fingers, Raynard continued.
“Your junior cohort will be arriving soon.”
“Oh…”
Now that he mentioned it, it made sense. The Empire’s knight recruitment event occurred once a year, so it wasn’t long before new faces would join the Azure Wings.
“Are you preparing for the promotion exam?”
“I’m always prepared.”
Before welcoming new members, the Azure Wings held a comprehensive promotion exam.
Lower-ranked members tested to become mid-level, mid-level to senior, and senior to vice-commander.
Of course, the senior-level promotion exam only occurred when a vice-commander position was vacant.
Otherwise, senior members typically didn’t participate in the exams.
***
On the day of the promotion exam, snow began to fall. White snowflakes landed softly on my skin, melting upon contact. While others complained about the cold, I felt more at ease than ever.
“Saeorin, are you really okay wearing such thin clothes? Aren’t you cold?”
“I’m fine.”
Hoo, hoo. White puffs of air escaped from Flora’s mouth as her breath hit the cold. Her gaze scanned me with concern.
While others had layered winter jackets over their uniforms, I was wearing only the standard attire.
If I said I was fine, there was nothing more to say…
Flora carefully brushed the snow off my shoulder. The two of us joined Theo and headed toward the training grounds where the promotion exam would take place.
The promotion exam didn’t involve complicated procedures. Lower-ranked members sparred with mid-level ones, and mid-level members sparred with senior members.
Those who performed well and received approval from the vice-commanders were promoted.
“This is nerve-wracking…”
“I hope I’m not the only one who fails.”
Theo and Flora glanced anxiously at the training grounds. Their hands were red from the cold as they blew warm breath onto them and rubbed them together. I, however, remained composed.
“I’ll pass.”
A strange sensation foresaw the future—a feeling I often experienced while striding across the snowy plains.
It was as if the spirit of the wolf had taken root in my body. My brothers used to describe such baseless confidence in that way.
The Azure Wings didn’t have many members. Despite being tasked with handling Reincarnator incidents across the entire Empire, they operated with a small team. As such, the preparation for the promotion exam didn’t require elaborate procedures.
“Let’s begin.”
The exam was overseen by Kanok, whose gaze swept over the members standing below the training grounds. His eyes lingered the longest on my group.
“We’ll start with the promotion of lower-ranked members. Michelle!”
The first name called was a tall woman—Michelle. She had been a lower-ranked member since before my cohort joined.
She helped me a lot…
I watched Michelle step forward. She had always been considerate, perhaps because we were both women.
After Flora, she was the one who had helped me the most. She even took care of things to make my sister’s beauty shine.
I hope she passes.
Michelle’s opponent was a mid-level member named Persis, someone I hadn’t spoken to much due to being in different quarters.
He was known for wielding a heavy greatsword and overwhelming opponents with sheer strength.
“Begin!”
As soon as the promotion exam started, a fierce wind blew through. Amid the flurry of white snow, the two swordsmen clashed.
Clang!
Neither gave an inch. Every attack carried their utmost effort.
“She’s improved since last year.”
“She might pass this time.”
The Azure Wings were a group that dedicated more than half their lives to martial arts. As the duel unfolded, commentary naturally flowed from the spectators.
Some even gestured with their hands, mimicking movements as if they were seriously imagining themselves in the match.
“Her lower body is weak. She’s losing in terms of strength.”
The predictions of the mid-level members were almost prophetic. If they said something was likely to happen, it invariably did.
I watched the match, trying to envision the outcome in my mind.
I can’t tell.
It wasn’t clear to me. I realized my own shortcomings. Although I had absorbed memories etched into swords and learned remarkable techniques, I couldn’t inherit the insight those swordsmen possessed.
I lack experience.
I needed more experience and broader horizons. Crossing my arms, I continued observing the training grounds.
The duel concluded, and the victor was Persis. However, the atmosphere was positive. The mid-level members who had been watching nodded in approval as they looked at Michelle.
“That was a good match, Michelle. You’ve worked hard.”
Kanok’s praise made Michelle’s face flush red. I watched her quietly. Among the female members, Kanok was quite popular.
I don’t really get it.
I thought I was a better option.
“Next! Saeorin!”
My name was called, and I stepped forward, feeling the weight of the gazes trailing behind me.
“She’s already qualified for the promotion exam?”
“She’s been consistently taking on missions without any failures, so it’s about time.”
“Her skills have improved, but her height hasn’t. The others from her cohort have grown so much…”
Crunch, crunch.
The sound of snow crunching under my light steps accompanied the faint flurry of snow that swirled around me. As I walked, the snow scattered gently, then circled me before dispersing.
With each step, my breathing shifted. I had reached the level where the formula of the White Dragon Core Technique operated unconsciously. The cold winter wind reacted to my mana.
“Huh…”
“Impressive…”
The gazes of the members, which had initially regarded me as a cute junior, shifted. Those standing in the training grounds now saw me not as a mere girl but as a fellow swordsman.
“Your opponent will be—”
“I’ll take her on.”
Before Kanok could announce my opponent, someone stepped forward. It was a man with a missing left arm—Raynard.
“You…”
Raynard’s actions left everyone stunned. No one was unaware of his story, of how he lost his arm. The same went for his current diminished abilities.
“But he’s missing an arm…”
“It seems his career as a swordsman is over. Isn’t he unsuitable as an opponent for the promotion exam?”
“It doesn’t look like he came to lose. His spirit hasn’t faltered.”
Murmurs of doubt and concern spread among the members, yet Raynard’s expression remained unchanged. Calmly, he walked onto the training grounds.
His narrowed eyes curved gently as he smiled.
“Raynard.”
“Kanok Vice-Commander, the item has arrived.”
“The item, you say… Don’t tell me—”
“Yes, I had to make use of my family’s resources. After all, with my arm in this state, there was no other choice.”
Raynard said this casually, shaking his sole remaining right hand lightly. As he did, thin, azure threads began to unfurl from his hand, glowing faintly.
A ring…?
My gaze fixed on Raynard’s right hand. He was wearing items I hadn’t seen before—a pair of half-gloves that covered his hand partially and five rings positioned around the middle of each finger. The glowing threads extended from the rings.
I could feel a faint flow of mana. The azure threads were streams of mana that had been materialized.
“Then, there’s no issue,” Kanok declared firmly. If this was the current Raynard, he would be a suitable opponent for me in the promotion exam. The strongest individual here had spoken, and no one raised any objections.
Yet, I was still doubtful. Even if Kanok believed so, I couldn’t see how the current Raynard could defeat me.
“Saeorin,” Kanok called.
“Yes…”
“You’ll need to stay sharp.”
A cold winter wind blew between Raynard and me, scattering the snow piled on the training grounds. At that moment, Kanok announced the start of the match.
“Begin!”
The moment the signal was given, I drew my sword. My small feet struck the ground powerfully, propelling me forward with a fierce recoil.
Shrrring—!
A sharp, straight slash emanated from my blade, imbued with biting frost. The snow, drawn to my mana, didn’t scatter but instead gathered toward the tip of my sword, spiraling tightly.
At that very moment, Raynard, wearing a faint smile, stepped forward to meet my strike, unsheathing his sword in response.
Clang—!
Our blades collided, and vivid sparks danced amidst the flurry of white snow. Expecting my attack to be blocked, I had held back my full strength. Without hesitation, I prepared my next strike.
His stance had collapsed, making it difficult for him to respond—or so I thought.
Shhiiiik—!
As I rotated halfway to set up my next attack, I detected a strike coming from outside my field of vision.
What is this…?
A fleeting glance at Raynard revealed his widened stance and his right hand pulled back. He was in no position to attack me; his sword couldn’t possibly reach me.
So what was attacking me? In that brief moment, I had to decide.
Retreat.
I immediately abandoned my attack, kicking off the ground. As my mana-enhanced legs struck the surface of the training grounds, I stopped abruptly.
At that precise moment, a short sword zipped past, grazing just in front of my forehead. A few strands of my hair, cleanly severed, fluttered like snowflakes.
“A sword…?”
Raynard’s sword was moving on its own.