The Ultimate Weapon of the Kingdom: Enrolling in the Knight Academy as an Inferior Student

Chapter 3: Duel Before the Entrance Exam (Part 1)

I arrived in the royal capital, Redante, with one clear objective: to take the entrance exam for the Knight Academy.

The academy I was about to join was officially known as the Royal Redante Knight Academy.

It was a boarding school where I would spend the next three years of my life.

At the moment, nobody recognized me as "Ein the Nameless No.1 of the Phantom Dragon Knights."

To everyone else, I was simply Ein, an orphan from the church.

In this country, only nobles had family names, so I didn't have one.

I grew up in a poor village church, where I honed my skills by battling monsters.

During one of those missions, a knight who visited the village noticed my talent and recommended me for the Knight Academy.

That's the backstory I created for myself.

Regardless of the results, the headmaster of the academy has arranged it so that my exam will automatically pass with their intervention.

However, just to be on the safe side, I have also prepared for the exam.

If I didn't study extensively, it would seem odd to the other students.

As I gazed beyond the towering stone walls, I could see a sprawling complex of buildings.

The roofs had pointed peaks and were painted in a deep blue color, each adorned with a clock.

It almost resembled a castle.

Until now, I believed that this world had no connection to me.

However, once the exams were over and I entered the academy, my new life would begin.

I felt a familiar stirring in my heart, a sensation that I had long forgotten.

“Oh, a letter of recommendation? So what if you have one? Huh?”

As I walked along the academy walls, I overheard an angry voice up ahead.

“Hmm...?”

Turning my gaze, I saw two men blocking the path of a young girl.

“The Royal Redante Knight Academy isn’t meant for lowly commoners like you! Your presence here would tarnish the academy’s reputation and even my own dignity. Can’t you understand that you’re nothing but a bother by being here?”

The man with blue hair and a disdainful look hurled his words at the girl.

The plump man beside him chuckled and remarked, “He’s absolutely right, just as Candela-san mentioned,” indicating his agreement with the blue-haired man’s statements.

It seemed that the blue-haired man was named Candela.

The girl being confronted was a small girl with a short bob in a cherry blossom color.

She appeared scared by Candela’s aggressive behavior.

“Um, excuse me... Please let me pass. I understand your perspective, but I can’t just turn back without taking the exam... My grandmother was so happy to see me off...”

The girl carefully chose her words and spoke to them.

However, it seemed that they were unwilling to listen.

It appeared that they had also come to take the entrance exam.

I looked around.

There were others who seemed to have come for the entrance exam, around the same age as me, about fifteen years old.

However, they were all keeping their distance and avoiding getting involved.

“Sigh... It seems like my kind advice was wasted on this arrogant commoner who doesn’t listen. Hey, break her arm. That way, she won’t be able to take the exam.”

“Understood, Candela-san.”

The chubby man approached the girl.

“Eek! P-Please stop!”

I couldn’t just stand there and watch.

I quickly stepped in and grabbed the chubby man’s arm.

“I may not know the details, but it seems like you’re being quite unfair in your speech.”

The faces of the onlookers, who had been watching from a distance, twisted in surprise.

They seemed quite shocked.

...What? Did I do something really wrong?

“Do you not know who I am? Are you also a commoner, or are you deliberately provoking me?”

Candela raised the corner of his mouth and stared at my face.

“...Indeed, I am a commoner. And I don’t know who you are either. I apologize for my lack of knowledge about noble matters.”

“So you’re also a commoner. Well, that works perfectly. I’ll make sure both of you are unable to take the exam.”

“I-I’m sorry, please let this person go! I can’t let them get involved because of me. I’ll, um... quietly go back...”

The girl pleaded with Candela.

Candela chuckled at her plea and turned to me.

“You said you don’t know who I am? Let me enlighten you. I am Candela Kamersen, from the Kamersen Marquis family. My family has produced many outstanding knights for generations. I can’t stand it when commoners like you try to infiltrate the world of knights.”

Candela leaned closer to me.

I had heard that most of the knights in the prominent knight orders were from noble families.

It was likely that the Knight Academy itself was filled with noble students.

“H-Have you become intimidated after hearing about my family? If you had just passed by, you could have taken the exam without any issues. But because you had to show off and get noticed by me, your life is going to be ruined. Well... even if you manage to enter the academy, I’ll put pressure on them and get you expelled.”

Candela continued to press on, seemingly interpreting my hesitation as fear.

However, I couldn’t imagine that the Kamersen Marquis family held more power than Cardinal Netia, who controlled the royal family and the upper echelons of the church.

That person was quite short-tempered and self-centered.

If they meddled too much, the marquis family might just disappear...

“Does that girl also have a letter of recommendation? The academy has recognized it as the primary qualification for admission. You don’t have the authority to reject her based on personal preference.”

“Sigh... Do you understand? Knights are all about lineage! The nature and amount of mana, the source of power, depend on bloodline. Swordsmanship, magic, and magical techniques, you all just did them your own way, right? But we nobles are different. We were born to become knights and have undergone rigorous training. Especially here, at the Royal Radante Knight Academy, it’s a top-notch prestigious school that nurtures the finest knights. Don’t you dare meddle, you worthless trash. Don’t you understand that you’re tarnishing our dignity and causing inconvenience?”

“...I understand your point, but isn’t that what the exams are for? If you have any grievances with the academy’s policies, you should address them directly to the academy. Each individual has their own circumstances. There are commoners blessed with talent and practical experience, and there are nobles who aspire to be knights but haven’t been able to make use of the advantages you mentioned due to negligence. And there may also be those with undisclosed circumstances.”

Ultimately, it comes down to the individual.

Prioritizing one’s birth is just one perspective.

However, there are academies that exclusively admit nobles. In that case, they should attend those academies.

Based on my initial research, the Royal Radante Knight Academy doesn’t prioritize birth. It is known for its strict merit-based system.

“You still don’t understand... sigh. There’s no need to rely on exams or the academy. It’s futile to continue talking. Moreover, neither of you has the right to take the entrance exam. I have decided it here and now. I tried to give you gentle advice, but you, insignificant commoners, had to confront me. Therefore, I have no choice but to teach you a lesson through physical means. It’s an undeniable display of overwhelming and insurmountable power.”

After saying this, Candela paused to catch their breath.

I could sense mana circulating within Candela’s body.

Mana, known as the power of the human soul, the essence of life itself.

Mana is also the energy required for practicing magic.

By channeling mana through the body, one can greatly enhance their physical abilities.

It’s not just about increasing raw strength, but also about hardening the body or improving healing capabilities.

The technique of using mana to strengthen one’s own body is known as “magecraft.”

“Hey, Depp, step back. I’ll be the one to discipline this arrogant commoner.”

Upon hearing Candela’s words, the overweight man quickly moved away from me.

It seemed his name was Depp.