# 60
Helmut
Episode 60
Sabbat Rugal’s expression was distorted.
“what? “Are you sure you’re a commoner?”
“okay.”
“This is crazy!”
Sabat Rugal raised his voice and huffed.
“Wow, this is amazing. “You, a commoner, dare to talk to me now.”
The reason he spoke to Helmut was because he knew who Helmut was through rumors in Area, and also because he caught his eye among the guys around him. I don’t know if he will pass the practical test, but I thought that if he was that good, it would be good to make friends with him in advance. But I never thought it would be a commoner!
To Sabbat Rugal, who only interacted with the nobles of the sword family, commoners were little more than stable keepers. This is the way you talk when you are not even someone you can talk to as an equal! The fact that he pretended to be friendly to a commoner means that there is a problem with his eyesight. Sabbat Rugal’s face turned red as his pride was hurt.
However, before Sabbat could do anything more, an approaching supervisor blocked him.
“The exam will start soon. “Please be quiet.”
‘what? ‘What a strange guy.’
He suddenly starts talking to me and gets angry. Helmut glanced at him and looked away. If you start a fight, you must of course be punished. However, I planned to keep quiet until my admission to the academy was confirmed.
Immediately after the angry-faced Sabat Rugal withdrew, the attitudes of the surrounding applicants changed. Applicants sitting nearby changed their seats as if they could smell Helmut’s body. And from a distance, he glanced at Helmut with a cold face. It was a change that Helmut could not have noticed even if he was dull.
‘Is being a commoner the problem? I heard that there is no distinction between classes within the academy.’
I thought I would ask Ethan for more details. The test at hand was the priority now. The supervisor applauded to attract attention and began to explain.
“Now I will explain the test method. The exam involves two processes. The first is a test to see Vis’s training in cutting ebony wood with a wooden sword. Only those who pass the first exam will take the second exam. “Please follow each person as their name is called.”
“Why don’t you tell me what the second test is?”
“You’re going to watch swordsmanship, right?”
I heard two people who seemed to know each other whispering and talking. They were called in one by one, and Helmut leisurely waited for his turn. After about twenty minutes, Helmut was only able to take the test for the third time.
“You can cut that ebony tree with that wooden sword. You can swing the sword multiple times. The time limit is 5 minutes from the time you first swing the sword. “I have to split the ebony wood in five minutes.”
The supervisor appeared to be an academy employee. Otherwise, he doesn’t seem to have any skill with the sword. This test does not require any special knowledge or insight into the sword. There is nothing that can be manipulated in the middle. A simple test that requires only slicing through ebony wood with a wooden sword.
Although it was a simple test, the ebony wood given was so hard and as thick as a tree stump that the test itself could not be said to be easy. It is not possible to cut it down with an axe, but to split it with a wooden sword that has no sharp edges and is not even stronger than ebony wood, so it is absolutely impossible for an ordinary person who cannot handle a blade.
Even if we had second-year academy students come in and ask them to do it, there would be only a few people who could easily cut ebony wood into pieces. Although the two people were struggling, they succeeded in splitting the ebony tree.
“If your wooden sword breaks, we will give you a new one, so don’t worry and do your best.”
The supervisor looked at Helmut with distrustful eyes. It is true that his appearance was unusual, but Helmut did not look very strong. I felt like he had a well-trained and muscular body, but there were numerous applicants who were taller and bigger than him.
Helmut stood in front of the ebony tree, holding a wooden sword. A hard, dense piece of wood with clearly visible growth rings. Just as the written exam has become more difficult, it seems that the practical exam has also become more difficult. The piece of wood Ethan ordered me to split was larger than this, but the material was not as sturdy as ebony wood. Helmut measured how much Vis he would need to spend. I wanted to cut cleanly without wasting energy. It was boring to just do it, so I planned it as a training session. But the supervisor did not let Helmut relax.
“There’s someone waiting behind you, so get started right away.”
Before the words were finished, Helmut struck down his sword. The wooden sword filled with vis struck the ebony tree at high speed. Crispy! Helmut asked, looking down at the ebony tree that had been perfectly split in two, like an apple splitting in just one stroke.
“It’s done, right?”
“Ah ah… yes!”
The supervisor’s eyes widened. I was so embarrassed that it felt like I had been hit in the back of the head. I don’t know what I saw. No, I couldn’t even see it properly. The cross section of the ebony tree, which was perfectly split in two as if it had been hit with an ax, was smooth as if it had been processed. It was a result so unique that it could not be compared to the previous two applicants who cut down the ebony tree with a groan.
“Ha, I passed. Please put down the wooden sword and move on to the next location.”
Helmut nodded and followed the supervisor. The place we arrived at was another pavilion. The two test takers who came first were sitting at a distance from each other. The way he frowned and closed and opened his hands felt like he was swinging a wooden sword so that his grip fell off while cutting ebony wood within 5 minutes.
Helmut sat down on the bench and waited. After a long, boring period of time, the first test was over. A total of 20 people remain. Of these, 12 are eliminated. It seems that the exam has become difficult because there are so many applicants.
“Each of you, take your food. The next test will be taken after dinner. “You have one hour to eat.”
The supervisor distributed sandwiches and milk to the test takers. Helmut took it and immediately bit into the sandwich. It was a familiar taste. It seems to be a place that Area frequently visits. The fresh lettuce, salty bacon, and well-cooked eggs combined with the jam created a harmonious taste that I never got tired of. Unlike Helmut, who enjoyed his meal, some did not even touch their sandwiches. He looked very nervous ahead of the exam. If something gets into your stomach, you might get sick.
After finishing his meal, when Helmut was feeling drowsy, the supervisor reappeared.
“The next test is sparring. Each person will demonstrate their own swordsmanship in the presence of swordsmanship instructors. Sparring takes place one-on-one, and the sparring time stops after 8 minutes regardless of victory or loss. Sparring takes place over two rounds with two randomly selected people. In other words, each person is given two opportunities to spar. After you finish sparring, please wait here. Results will be announced 30 minutes after all sparring ends.”
The applicants were excited. What do you mean sparring? Isn’t it just like a test for mercenaries? This is an unusual method for a transfer test.
“I have a question.”
Someone raised their hand.
“If you get injured in the first sparring, doesn’t that mean there’s a problem in the second sparring?”
“I have prepared a healing magic scroll. “There will be no disruption.”
“What happens if I’m unlucky enough to keep meeting strong opponents and lose?”
“The instructors will take this into consideration. “Do the best job you can.”
“Anyone who meets that commoner would be lucky. “Isn’t that unfair?”
I heard Sabat Rugal grumbling from over there. It’s probably aimed at Helmut. Helmut was dumbfounded. Even if you are a commoner, it’s not like you don’t learn swordsmanship just because you’re a commoner, so why do you think it’s natural that you’re weak? It seemed a bit similar.
‘Mercenaries and nobles alike are unable to gauge the strength of their opponents.’
If we meet in sparring, we can finish it in 10 seconds, let alone 5 minutes. That was the same for anyone other than Sabat Rugal.
‘The opportunity will come someday.’
If that guy named Sabat Rugal, who doesn’t know the subject, fails the exam and can’t enter the academy, it may not be possible, but he will probably pass. Because it seemed to be the best axis among them.
“When I call your name, follow me. Helmut! Andro!”
Helmut was immediately called by name. It was the first order. Together with the boy who was called, Helmut followed the supervisor. He, who had not even eaten a sandwich because he was nervous, felt relieved when he found out that the other person was a commoner.
‘There’s no way I can lose to a commoner.’
Occasionally, even among commoners, geniuses emerge. Just because you’re a commoner doesn’t mean you can’t enter Greta Academy, and it doesn’t mean you can’t get excellent grades once you get there. But it was an extremely rare case.
Especially in swordsmanship, which is not a field that is absolutely dependent on talent like magic, there is a clear gap depending on when, how, and by whom the person was trained. Especially at this age. Unless talent is truly at an all-time low, a trained swordsman will beat a talented swordsman.
People from noble sword families grow up surrounded by knights with swords nearby from a very young age. While receiving training and sparring with the best training methods. It is impossible to be on the same level as a commoner who learned the sword with only one teacher.
After entering the academy, you can follow a similar process and catch up with the gap depending on your individual efforts, and because of this, the concept of status in the academy can become quite dull. However, some nobles never mixed with commoners. After graduating from the academy, their status would return to its normal status anyway, so Sabat Rugal’s reaction was not unusual.
“This is the sparring hall. The swordsmanship instructors will be watching from over there. do your best.”
Helmut looked at the sparring area. There was soft, hard dirt on the floor. At this level, you won’t slip and you don’t have to worry about getting injured if you fall. Helmut, who picked up a wooden sword, sensed a presence and turned to one side.
A total of three swordsmanship instructors were coming out to review the transfer exam. One of them was Ethan Kudrow. Helmut’s eyebrows rose. I had no idea he would be here. They probably wouldn’t have said it was against fairness. I had no intention of pretending to know. Helmut bowed his head and greeted them.
“That guy was recommended by Instructor Ethan, right?”
“Yes, so you two need to decide.”
“Isn’t this the first time Instructor Ethan has recommended someone? “I guess he’s that great of a guy.”
“This is a talent that Greta Academy feels is lacking.”
The two instructors opened their eyes wide and looked at Ethan.
“Is it that much? I don’t want to reveal it, but I had a great teacher. People from commoner backgrounds are at a lot of disadvantages. “Are you such a great teacher that you can surpass that?”
Swordsman instructor Patricia asked curiously. She was the only female swordsman instructor and came from a noble family.
Just like mercenaries who hide their past, there were also those who entered the academy while hiding themselves. Because it would be dangerous if he exposed himself, or because there was a family in the academy that was hostile to him. Opportunities to learn should be given equally. Greta Academy’s fence was strong and protected all of its students. Even their secrets.
But the instructors were also people, and they were curious about things.
“Yes that’s right. You will be surprised to find out. “It’s hard to keep a secret.”
“Then I can’t help it.”
Patricia took a clean step back and smiled. Alan, another swordsmanship instructor, opened his mouth.
“We look at talent, but we also look at how well that talent is manifested. “I hope he meets our expectations.”
“You might find out the secret by looking at his swordsmanship. Because sometimes the sword speaks the truth.”
