I, Leticia Clausen, graduated at the top of my class from the Royal Knight Training Academy.
The Clausen family is a time-honored Knight Ducal House.
As an heir to that name, I received an elite education from an early age to become a knight.
A proud knight could never be permitted to fall behind those staff-wielding mages. To become a noble knight, I poured blood, sweat, and tears into my training.
Though blessed with natural talent, I never once grew complacent. Graduating as the academy's valedictorian was merely the natural outcome. Leave alone my peers—up until now, no one had ever appeared who could even rival me.
That is precisely why I can say it with absolute certainty:
—I am a "true genius."
The Knight Examination is nothing more than a checkpoint along the long road to reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Pass the exam, join the Royal Knights, cross blades with the strongest of the strong, and ascend to greater heights.
And at the end of it all, reach a summit no one has ever attained—that was my goal.
I took pride in knowing I possessed the talent to achieve it.
On the day of the exam, upon arriving at the venue, I caught sight of a boy standing motionless in front of the main gate.
He wore plain, unadorned clothes and carried an unrefined air about him.
The boy stood right in the way of the entrance, looking up at the magnificent building before him with a dazed expression.
Honestly...
This is why country bumpkins are so hopeless.
"Excuse me, you are blocking the way. Move aside."
The boy turned around.
Just as I thought, he gave off a thoroughly unimpressive impression.
"Are you from the countryside? Truly a wide-eyed tourist, aren't you?"
"Well, I did come from the countryside, yeah."
"I see. Taking the exam just for the experience, then. Well, do your best, I suppose."
Good grief, just what does he think the Knight Examination is?
It is a grueling trial that even graduates of the academy sometimes fail. It is not so lenient that a boy who received a little praise for his swordplay in the boondocks could ever hope to pass.
Well, learning his own limitations will probably be a good experience for him.
"Now then, we shall begin this year's Knight Examination!"
The examiner standing on the platform projected a clear, commanding voice that echoed throughout the hall. In the vast venue, hundreds of examinees stood lined up at regular intervals.
"The examination will be conducted in two stages. The first stage is basic practical skills. And the second stage will be mock battles between examinees."
The first stage tested physical ability, sword technique, and the speed and precision of skill construction—circulating mana through the body and blade. It was an exam designed to comprehensively measure the foundational capabilities required of a knight across multiple criteria.
Naturally, I had already committed the exam's structure to memory.
"Furthermore, while victory and defeat in the second stage are important evaluation factors, winning in itself is not the requirement to pass. Your demonstrated skill in the mock battle, situational judgment, adaptability, and mental fortitude—we will assess all of these comprehensively to determine your aptitude as a knight."
In other words, even in defeat, one could still pass if they demonstrated superior qualities. Conversely, even if one achieved victory, they would fail if their manner of fighting was judged unfitting for a knight.
What was being tested was not mere prowess with a blade.
It was whether one was truly a "knight" worthy of being entrusted with a national qualification.
The examination was designed to judge all of that.
Though for me, aiming to pass as valedictorian, passing through defeat was utterly out of the question.
"Additionally, those who pass each year account for less than ten percent of all examinees. Do not let your guard down under any circumstances."
Gasps could be heard from various parts of the venue, but to me, this was all common knowledge.
A top-ranking pass—no other result was permissible for someone bearing the name of the Clausen family.
Glancing casually aside, I saw the country bumpkin from earlier standing a short distance away. While the surrounding examinees had their faces stiffened with tension, he alone remained remarkably calm. In fact, the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.
As if he simply could not wait for the exam to begin.
...Does he truly not understand the gravity of this test?
A frog in a well knows nothing of the great ocean—he was the very embodiment of the phrase.
"Now then, we will begin the trials in order."
The first stage commenced.
The testing proceeded without a hitch, and I achieved the highest marks in every single category, but there was someone who drew the eyes of the crowd even more than I did.
That country bumpkin.
His sword had no fixed forms or school of martial arts.
At first glance, it appeared completely reckless, yet there was not a shred of waste in his movements. Depending on the situation, he altered the very way he wielded the sword. And with only his right arm, at that.
The examiners were wide-eyed at his anomalous swordplay as well. Hmph. It seems he possesses a bit of skill.
However, a sword without form or etiquette lacked even a fragment of the dignity befitting a knight.
It was truly a barbaric sword.
How pitiful... Being raised in the countryside, he likely had no one to properly teach him the blade.
By that point, I felt nothing but pity toward him.
"Now, we will announce those who passed the first stage."
Naturally, my name was called.
A short while later—the name of the country bumpkin, Leon, was read aloud as well.
A slight irritation grated at the depths of my chest.
To think that I, who had polished orthodox swordsmanship since childhood, would be listed as a fellow passer alongside such barbaric swordplay—it was thoroughly unacceptable.
...Well, fine.
If we clash in the second stage, I shall teach him what the sword of a true knight looks like.
"Next, we will conduct the second stage. Matchups have been determined by us based on the results of the first stage to ensure balanced skill. First—"
The examiner read out the matchup for the first bout.
"Leticia Clausen versus Leon."
The moment I heard that name, my brow furrowed involuntarily.
To be matched against that country bumpkin...
Could it be that the examiners evaluate him on equal footing with me?
They have underestimated me considerably.
Bathed in the gazes of the other examinees, we stepped forward into the center of the venue.
Facing me, there was no trace of tension on his face. That unbothered attitude got on my nerves all the more.
"For an examinee from the countryside just here for the experience to actually survive until the second stage... Quite impressive, aren't you?"
"I'm not here just for the experience, though."
"Hmph. You certainly seem relaxed. But to cross blades with me is an undeserved honor for you. Even if you lose here and fail the exam, you may take lifelong pride in that fact alone."
"The swordplay you showed in the first exam was really beautiful. I've been wanting to fight you. I'm looking forward to it."
I had intended to provoke him, but what came back was a carefree smile.
"...I'll make you fix that cheeky attitude of yours right away."
After exchanging a few words, we put distance between each other.
I drew my sword and took a standard middle-guard stance.
In contrast, he simply held his sword in his right hand, keeping the tip pointed downward.
His shoulders were relaxed, showing no sign of any proper stance whatsoever.
So it is a self-taught style without forms.
I will beat some discipline into that disrespectful attitude along with a single strike.
"Then—begin!"
Simultaneously with the examiner's call, I circulated mana throughout my entire body.
Activating body reinforcement, I kicked off the ground with force.
Closing the distance in a single breath, I slashed down.
—This is my victory.
He cannot defend in time from this position.
I was certain of it, and yet—
"Aaah—your sword really is beautiful after all."
"...What?"
Clang!
With a high-pitched metallic ring, my sword was stopped cold.
—One hand. With only his right arm, he had flawlessly caught my all-out strike. Even as I poured strength into both hands to push through, his blade did not waver in the slightest.
"Hey, show me more of that sword of yours."
"...Gh!"
Instinctively backing away, I watched his movements.
He did not pursue. Letting his sword hang loosely, he merely gazed at me.
I felt neither hostility nor any obsession with victory or defeat.
Normally, crossing blades with someone conveys some kind of emotion.
It was bizarre.
He was certainly looking at me. Yet, his gaze did not capture me. It was as if he were peering through my sword at "something" far beyond it.
Though we were crossing blades in the exact same place, it felt as though he alone stood in an entirely different world...
What are you looking at?
Just what are you trying to see past my sword?
An unspeakable chill crawled up my spine.
"...Very well. I had not intended to use this during the exam, but I shall get serious."
It was irritating to admit, but he was no ordinary opponent.
In that case, I would respond with everything I had. Concentrating the mana circulating through my body into my sword, I activated my Unique Skill.
"O sacred blade of mine, Aureus Regalia—Activate."
Overflowing light surged across the blade, dyeing the steel in a dazzling gold.
At the same time, ten points of light ignited behind me. In an instant, they took on the silhouettes of swords, manifesting into tangible golden blades. Obeying my will, the ten swords aligned in a fan shape.
Combined with the single strike in my right hand, the "Eleven Aureus Blades."
This was my Unique Skill.
"Now, kneel before my gold."
I launched the ten Aureus blades lined up behind me all at once. Clad in overwhelming mana, the swords traced golden arcs and descended upon him. Taking them head-on was impossible.
In the next instant, the ground exploded with a tremendous roar. A cloud of dust billowed high, veiling his figure.
A sway.
Something moved deep within the dust.
"What...?"
A dazed whisper escaped my lips.
He emerged into view.
Without a single scratch. Not even his clothes were torn.
While the surrounding ground was gouged in countless places, the spot where he stood remained unnaturally pristine.
The mana of the shattered Aureus blades rained down as motes of light. Standing in the center of it all, he looked as though he had received the blessing of a god.
"...No way."
He had not taken a single step, merely standing there in tranquil silence.
Don't tell me... he shattered all of my Aureus blades with a single hand...?
The Aureus blades were edges of mana compressed to the absolute limit. They were by no means something that could be shattered by a half-hearted strike.
He did that without suffering a single wound?
Without moving even a single step?
With only his right arm?
There was no sign of him activating a Unique Skill.
It was purely basic body reinforcement.
I couldn't understand it.
My mind refused to accept what had happened before my eyes as reality.
Impossible.
Such a thing—could never happen!
"Aureus!!"
Generating ten Aureus blades once more, I fired them simultaneously.
I strained my eyes, determined not to miss it this time.
His right arm blurred. Immediately after, high-pitched metallic clangs rang out in rapid succession, and the Aureus blades were deflected one after another. Blown away in all directions, every single one of them shattered into pieces.
He really deflected all of my Aureus blades with just his right arm...?
"—Hey, is that all?"
A shiver froze my spine.
He showed neither the slightest agitation nor fear. If anything, it felt as though my very existence was not even reflected in his eyes.
Eyes gazing into some "void" that was not here.
—Terrifying.
For the first time in my life, I felt fear toward another person's sheer talent.
Almost out of habit, he twirled his sword around. That excessively practiced gesture, too, appeared distinctly anomalous.
"Guess I'll go on the offensive, then."
The next instant, the tip of a blade filled my vision.
"—-!?"
He had, of all things, thrown his sword. There was no time to dodge. I reflexively deflected it with an Aureus blade, but the tremendous impact numbed both of my arms and threw my stance off balance.
The deflected sword danced through the air, but as if he had known its trajectory from the start, he was already leaping upward. Grabbing the spinning hilt midair, he swung the blade straight down with only his right hand.
"Guh...! Ugh...!"
"Your sword is different from the old man's again—this is fun! Hahaha!!"
He was laughing.
There was neither mockery nor arrogance.
He was simply like a child rejoicing from the bottom of his heart at encountering an unknown style of swordplay.
That purity was more alien than anything else.
"Ghh...!"
A fierce clash of swords unfolded.
Golden afterglow and silver sword flashes intertwined layer upon layer, the bursting sparks flashing violently. Having activated my Unique Skill, I was pressing the attack with all my might by manipulating eleven blades.
Even so, I was being pushed back by the single sword he swung with one hand.
That sword was completely, boundlessly free.
Switching to a reverse grip, striking with the pommel, and occasionally throwing the blade itself. There was no fixed form, making it utterly impossible to read where the blade would close in from next.
"Ah...!"
The exchange of blows, which had felt as though it would last forever, met a shockingly abrupt end. With a sharp flash, my sword was knocked overhead, leaving my torso completely defenseless.
—I'm going to lose.
The moment I braced myself for the slash—
For some reason, he aimed his empty left hand at me.
A hand that was supposed to be holding nothing.
Its fingers were curved, as if grasping something that was not there.
Is something coming...!?
I braced myself reflexively.
However, nothing happened.
"Ah... right. I'm not holding it."
Gazing at his left hand, he muttered with a hint of disappointment. Just what in the world was he talking about...?
"—That is enough."
The examiner's voice echoed across the hushed venue.
The outcome was obvious to anyone's eyes.
"Thank you very much."
"..."
Having swung his blade like a beast until a moment ago, he sheathed his sword as if nothing had happened and bowed politely.
I could not even offer a reply.
I merely followed his receding back with a dazed gaze.
I had believed without a doubt that I was a genius.
Blessed with the blood of a Knight Ducal House and natural talent, I had also poured blood, sweat, and tears into my training. Even so, I hadn't reached him in the slightest.
His sword could not be grasped by existing logic.
Endlessly free, endlessly extraordinary.
The common sense I had cultivated until now was utterly useless against it.
To think that such a "genius" existed in this world...
The frog in the well was not him, but me...
Even while my pride was thoroughly shattered, I felt a strange sense of relief at the same time.
—I am glad his talent belongs to the side of the knights.
If such immense talent had belonged to the mages, what a terrifying threat it would have posed to knights.
However, at this time, I did not yet know.
That empty left hand he had extended at the end.
What was originally supposed to have been grasped within it.