A short while later.
As I waited in the plaza I had been guided to, those who had weathered Gaia-san’s Sword Aura began appearing one after another.
In the end, there were about a hundred of us. The numbers had dwindled considerably.
Ah, Flare was there too. I suppose that was only natural.
However, everyone looked frazzled. It was to be expected, considering I felt the same exhaustion that followed an actual battle.
I truly realized then how much of an influence a General or a Five Star Sword could exert on a real battlefield.
Then, Jin-senpai, who had been standing by in the plaza, spoke in a ringing voice.
"Now, we shall begin the Second Exam. Everyone, please take your assigned seats. We will begin the Written Exam."
I had noticed rows of simple desks and chairs and wondered what they were for, but to my surprise, it was a test of intellect.
Since this was a Knight Commander Exam, I had assumed they would only look at raw strength... but that wasn't the case at all.
I wondered what kind of questions they would ask.
The Academy students looked relatively composed.
However, in contrast to their earlier bravado, the grizzled knights had gone pale.
If the previous stage was a test of power in the name of resolve, was this one purely about intelligence?
Studying was important even in this world, it seemed.
Then, Flare came over to my side.
"Well, a Knight Commander needs enough brains to understand a strategy, after all. No one wants to entrust their life to an idiot!"
"Are you confident, Flare?"
"I still rank in the upper-middle of our year! Push, push!" Even though she wasn't wearing glasses, Flare pushed up her imaginary frames with a confident smirk. "I'm pretty sure I can manage at least sixty points."
She was Gaia-san’s daughter, so her education had likely been thorough, and yet she was only aiming for sixty.
"Well, they’re super difficult questions... apparently, you pass if you get forty, so let's do our best! It's okay, Leo. Your natural intelligence is probably... not terrible!"
"Is that a compliment?"
After that, we took our seats, and the exam began.
"Now, begin!!"
Feeling a little nervous, I looked at the exam questions.
Question: A Knight Order consisting of 100 people is marching, using 1,000 kilograms of water for the unit, divided equally among everyone. Assume the amount of water consumed per person is 2 kilograms every day at noon. If 10% of the unit leaves the front line every night, calculate how many days the water will last.
"......Japanese compulsory education is a lifesaver."
I finished every single question.
~ After a while.
"Exam over!!"
Since I had finished quite early, I had spent some time looking around. The veteran knights, in particular, looked like they were about to vomit.
Flare was currently collapsed at her desk, with smoke practically venting from her head.
"Uu... that was hard... so many numbers. Uuuu."
"Was it?"
"Leo, you mustn't give up just because it was difficult. You seemed to finish early, but... are you okay?"
"Probably... I’m okay."
The test papers were collected.
Jin-senpai tore through the grading at an incredible speed.
"Fail! Fail! Fail! Fail! Pass! Fail! Faaaaail!"
A huge number of people failed.
Becoming a Knight Commander was clearly a daunting task.
"Hm?"
Then Jin-senpai looked at me. He smiled just a little.
"Now, I will announce the results! Many of you will likely be disappointed by the outcome. However, a Knight Commander is someone to whom lives are entrusted. From operational planning to military science, logistics, and tactics—every single element correlates directly to the deaths of your comrades. You cannot protect lives through martial force alone. However, if you possess the resolve that saw you through the First Exam, you will surely break through next time. I look forward to your next challenge."
Then Jin-senpai called out the names of the failing candidates one after another.
I thought it was odd that he wasn't calling the passing names first, but I realized he was handing something to each person.
"By all means, please read this and study up."
"Thank you very much!"
So they actually had reference books. I wondered what it was like.
Written Exam Preparation for Even Commoners — Author: Jin Ashtress
I decided to pretend I hadn't seen that.
In the end, only about sixteen passing candidates remained.
Our answer sheets were returned to us.
"I’m safe!! Safe!! Phew... sixty-five points! I did it, Leo! Leo, you're... eh? Full marks?"
"I guess I just got lucky."
"......I'm... the stupid one... No way. Good grief, I guess it can't be helped, I'll have to teach you how to study. I was going to say, 'Leo, you're hopeless,' but... the stupid one... is me."
Flare fell to her knees. I wondered if Flare was aiming to be a comedy character lately.
Then Jin-senpai walked up to me and patted my shoulder.
"Splendid. Even as a commoner, you have studied well!! I am moved! How did you study?"
"Uh... my mother sent me some reference books (that was a lie)."
"I see, I see! Still, to think you'd get full marks. I wonder if even I could have achieved that. I shall report this to my father as well. He got full marks! Everyone, applause!!"
A round of applause echoed through the plaza.
It was a little embarrassing, but honestly, I had studied for over ten years throughout my previous life.
It wasn't that I was particularly motivated, but because Ryu had drilled it into me, I had all the basic knowledge.
Ryu taught me many things, not just baseball. I never had trouble with school exams.
"Now, let us move. It is time for the Final Exam. I trust you are prepared."
""Sir!""
Then—
"Leo-kun! Flare! Do your best!"
"My soul brother, I await your return. Flare, as your ex-boyfriend, I pray for your luck in battle."
"I'm not your ex-girlfriend, so just pray normally."
It seemed that everyone except Jin-senpai was staying behind. Only Jin-senpai and a few examiners followed us.
The next one was the final. I thought it was surprisingly quick, but the place we arrived at was... a port?
The Royal Capital Arcana was a port city facing the sea.
I hadn't been to this side before, but the vast ocean was certainly no different from my previous world.
Ships bearing the emblem of Arcadia were lined up at the docks.
They were made of wood, but they were massive. Some looked like luxury cruise ships, but most seemed built for war.
In terms of appearance, they felt like the Royal Navy ships I’d seen in history textbooks.
I supposed there were naval battles in this world, too.
Come to think of it, while Crest Power could negate external physical attacks, you could still suffocate. I imagined that was how people were defeated in such battles.
Then again, since we were essentially wearing superhuman power suits, it seemed like we could just swim back even if we fell into the ocean.
"Now, everyone, please board."
We boarded the ship.
It set sail immediately.
I felt the wind from the waves and smelled the salt in the air.
It was my first time on a ship in this world. Actually, thinking back, I never rode a ship in my previous life either.
We had baseball away games, but I think we always took planes—mostly on Ryu’s dime.
I didn't think anything of it at the time, but Ryu had spent so much on me. And yet... I never gave anything back.
As I gazed at the sea, memories somehow began to swirl.
I understood it now. Just how many things Ryu had done for me. Baseball, studying, even training.
I don’t know if it was love... but I received so much from him.
But I couldn't do anything for him in return.
If... we could ever meet again... I’d want to give something back. And I’d want to say it.
...Thank you.
No, something like that would never happen. It was pointless to think about.
"Why are you acting all nostalgic?"
"It’s nothing. By the way, where are we actually heading?"
"The final stage for the Knight Commander Exam is always the same. It's the most difficult part... or rather, they say this is pretty much the actual exam itself. Ah, I can see it."
"What is that?"
"Valhalla Island."
An island was visible in the distance. When I squinted my eyes... were people fighting?
Yeah, they were fighting. Knight against knight.
One side was Arcadia, flying a flag with a sword motif.
The other... had a motif where three rings were connected, almost like the Olympic rings.
It wasn't Dragonia.
"It's the island between the Odixia Federation and Arcadia... a front line where they've been fighting for decades. Whoever takes this island controls this entire sea area."
"That's the Odixia Federation..."
"Yep. Their territory and population are the largest of the Five Great Nations. You're going to fight against an opponent like that. Under the command of a Five Star Sword, no less. That, Leo, is the exam."