Even after joining up with the three female examinees, Somni's team made terrifyingly smooth progress clearing out the undead.
Given Somni's skill, the monsters were simply too weak. The humanoid zombies they had encountered at the start were actually on the stronger side. The animated white skeletons moved sluggishly and could be shattered effortlessly with a blade. As for the drifting fireballs—the will-o'-the-wisps—they could naturally be dispersed with weapons, and likely crushed even with an examinee's bare fists or kicks.
(Well, I suppose this is all it amounts to.)
This was merely an entrance exam for Babel, after all. It was hardly the Sacred Martial Arts Tournament where martial artists gathered from around the world, nor was it an internal match at the Royal Knight Academy.
Having heard rumors that Babel's entrance exam was the most challenging of all, he had braced himself considerably, but in the end, it was child's play for students. Nothing to write home about. At this rate, he could claim victory with his eyes closed.
Slashing through the head of a zombie—one of the relatively tougher foes among the undead—in a single clean strike, he was instantly showered with praise.
"Lord Somni, you're seriously so cool!"
"That smooth sword stroke was simply breathtaking!"
"Please give me an autograph later!"
The girls rushed up to his side with flushed cheeks, chiming in with the same flattering praises he had heard countless times before.
"Ah, of course. I'd be happy to."
When he flashed a grin, showing his bright white teeth, all three of them let out shrill squeals of delight.
This was it. This was the normal reaction. As expected, Laila's attitude was the anomaly.
Just as a sense of relief washed over him—
"You, show what you are holding in your right hand!"
Laila closed the distance to the short, red-haired girl, grabbed the right hand hidden behind her back, and twisted it upward.
"Ow! What do you think you're doing?!"
A golden badge tumbled from the girl's grip. Laila kicked it across the ground toward Somni. Picking it up, he blinked.
"Wait, this is my badge."
Why did she have Somni's badge?
"N-No! You've got it wrong! Look, I just saw Lord Somni drop it earlier, so I picked it up!"
Yanking herself free from Laila, she clung to Somni and spoke in a trembling voice, tears brimming in her eyes.
"No, but still..."
As Somni hesitated in confusion, Egg immediately stepped in to defend the red-haired girl.
"Somni-san, there's no way an amateur like her could steal from an expert like you without you noticing, right? It's just like she said—she picked it up."
Thinking it through calmly, Egg had a point. She looked like nothing more than an amateur no matter how one viewed her. It was impossible for someone like her to snatch a badge from Somni. In that case, she truly must have just retrieved it for him.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
Slipping the badge into his pocket, he offered the red-haired girl a deep bow.
"Oh, don't worry about it! It's totally fine! More importantly, I want you to do something about that woman who treated me like a thief!"
"Seriously, she's unreal!"
"The absolute worst! Just drop dead!"
Laila watched the exchange as the foul-mouthed girls hurled insults, but then shook her head as if thoroughly exasperated before resuming her vigilant watch of the surroundings. Irritated beyond measure by the look of pity in her eyes—a look no one had ever dared direct at him before—Somni raised his voice.
"Suspecting her was your mistake. You will apologize to her!"
He shouted at her. In the first place, treating someone like a common thief without offering a single word of apology showed a complete lack of manners. Honestly, what kind of upbringing did she have?!
"I merely pointed out the truth and took action. I have done nothing wrong whatsoever, and thus have no intention of apologizing."
She dismissed him curtly without casting so much as a glance in his direction.
"Why, you—"
Fury surged from the pit of his stomach at her brazen selfishness. He opened his mouth to bark back, but—
"Now, now, Somni-san, it's really not worth getting worked up over a rude woman like that. It's not like she'd listen even if you told her, right?"
Egg caught Somni by the right shoulder, checking his outburst.
"You're right."
Spitting out the words, Somni turned away and joined the conversation with Egg and the three girls, doing his best to cool his boiling blood.