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“Get out of the way!”
“Gain!”
The battle for places was intense from the very beginning, especially since everyone must at least place in the top 10 in order to pass, not just run 10 laps on the field.
People jostled each other as they circled around the field.
For the first three or four laps, everyone was fine.
But as the number of laps increases, their stamina gradually falls. The more laps they did, the slower and slower they became.
Eventually, people started slowing down or falling backwards.
“That’s all!”
“That’s a pass!”
“Ugh.”
“Cough, cough!”
The supervisor relentlessly announced the end, once the top ten runners crossed the finish line.
Those who completed ten laps, and those who didn’t, slumped to the ground and gasped for air.
Tears streamed down their faces in frustration as they grunted because of their cramped legs.
The others even needed their servants to assist them in order to get up.
And so it went on, and on, and on, and on for a while.
I watched with growing boredom as those who had made the top ten and those who hadn’t crossed the line, showed emotions of joys and sorrows.
Eventually my turn finally came.
“Young Viscountess Sabrina!”
“Yes!”
At the sound of my name, the gazes turned my way again, and whether I liked it or not, I still stood at the starting line with my upper body half-bent and my toes tapping.
“Go!”
The most important thing when it comes to running is to get a head start and hold it until the end.
That’s something I realized after watching the previous races, so the moment the knight lifted the flag, I stomped the ground and ran.
“Huh?”
“What was that?”
I thought I heard something behind me, but I didn’t care.
The most important thing right now was to run faster than anyone else and get ahead.
Fortunately, I was able to get the head start.
‘Good.’
After I succeeded in gaining an early advantage, I focused on widening the gap as much as possible so that the competitor behind me couldn’t catch up.
“Whoa.”
With no obstacles in my way, I picked up the pace.
I ran with all my might and quickly became out of breath.
As I neared the ten-lap mark, my legs were shaking.
I gritted my teeth, put my foot down, and gave it my all until the end.
“First place, Young Viscountess Sabrina!”
“Hah!”
“Second place, Count Brass! Third place, Baron Moria!”
‘Okay, first place!’
I steadied the breath that had been building up to my chin.
I surveyed the crowd of people coming in behind me, Edwina, who was standing next to a archivist, congratulated me.
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“That was really fast.”
Edwina looked somehow impressed.
“You were incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so domineering on a test!”
“Really?”
For ten laps, I didn’t allow myself to be overtaken by anyone.
However, I didn’t have time to look back, so I didn’t know how far behind the gap was.
“You must have really good stamina.”
“I think it’s just average…”
Edwina’s compliment made me feel a little embarrassed.
I wiped the sweat that’s sliding down my forehead roughly with my sleeve, and a cool breeze immediately swept through the fissure, washing it away.
‘Sylph? Did she do it?’
I couldn’t thank Sylph because Edwina was still in front of me, so I gently stroked the spirit stone instead.
“That’s not normal, you still look so relaxed after all that running.”
Edwina exclaimed in pure admiration, and true to her word, I seem to be the only one still standing after all those laps around the training field.
“What’s your secret?”
“I don’t know, maybe it’s because I climb the mountains around my estate every day….”
“Mountains?”
“Yes. The Sabrina estate is surrounded by mountains.”
Sabrina estate was a sealed basin surrounded by mountains.
The beasts and herbs found on that mountain were our main source of income.
And everyone had to cross those mountains just to reach the other neighboring estates or the sea.
I never thought that climbing mountains every day to make a living would be so helpful.
I don’t mean to sound cocky, but honestly, it was harder to climb the mountains in the Sabrina Estate than it was to run ten laps around this training field.
That’s probably why I’m so strong! I mean, there’s nothing like a mountain to boost my stamina.
Edwina nodded in sympathy.
We talked briefly.
While we were exchanging pleasantries, the first test, which was to run on the training fields ten times, was finally over.
“After a short break, we will proceed to the next one! Anyone who failed the first test, please go home.”
The proctor’s voice was cold.
He ordered a squire and a servant to escort the people who failed the test outside.
I realized that more than half of applicants didn’t make the cut.
“Whoa.”
I closed and opened my eyes as I felt my rapid breathing gradually subside.
I know it’s because of the first test, but I still felt like I hadn’t run in a circle for a long time.
As I tried to catch my breath and think about what the next test would be, several servants grunted and brought several large boxes to the platform.
Thump!
The sound rang out as each box was placed on the floor.
What the servants pulled out of the crates were…
Wooden scarecrows…
“What is that?”
“A scarecrow?”
Everyone stared curiously while sitting on the floor of the training hall with exhausted expressions, or leaning against a tree.
The scarecrows were then set up at regular intervals, then I saw Edwina standing in front of the platform again.
“This time, we’re going to evaluate your concentration and accuracy. Take a wooden sword that fits you and then stand in front of a wooden scarecrow.”
As soon as Edwina finished speaking, everyone stood up and gathered in front of the platform.
We then approached the boxes in front.
Inside the box were a mixture of wooden swords of different lengths and thicknesses.
I picked up a few and put them down before I could choose the right one for my hand.
After selecting my sword, I stood in front of a nearby scarecrow.
When everyone was roughly ready, Edwina spoke again.
“From now on, think of the scarecrow in front of you as an enemy and attack it. You can stab it or hit it. Only those who have broken the scarecrow with a wooden sword within twenty blows will pass.”
“Is that possible?”
As Edwina finished her speech, a sudden murmur erupted from all sides.
The Applicants held up their wooden swords and looked at each other in bewilderment.
“If you think it’s impossible to smash the scarecrow, give up. I won’t talk you out of it.”
A proctor stepped forward to quell the chaotic atmosphere.
“If you’re going to be eliminated for standing still, just get out!”
He bellowed, suddenly urging the applicants to start.
Eventually, those who were left with no choice picked up their wooden swords and began beating the scarecrows.
“Hmmm.”
I pondered for a while, I then clenched and unclenched my grip on the wooden sword in my hand.
Normally, one would need strength to break something, but strength alone isn’t enough.
How many craftsmen could break wood with their bare hands?
Even if you lacked strength, you could still break something if you had the concentration to find its weaknesses or the ability to find and cut through it with precision.
In other words, you needed the skill!
“Whoa.”
I decided to give it a shot, just for once.
I stood up straight and focused my attention.
With the scarecrow in front of me, I immediately remembered the wooden practice dolls that my butler gave me when I was a child.
Some of them were broken after I hit them hundreds or even thousands of times, while the others were broken immediately when I deliberately aimed for a crack in the wood.
Cracks would often form when bugs bit on the wood or when there was a mishap with the handling of the wood. Some may not look obvious so I would often pay attention to the grains.
“Found it.”
As expected, the scarecrow had cracks too.
After finding a small crack where the scarecrow’s neck joined its body, I tightened my grip on the wooden sword then–
Crack.
The moment the wooden sword, I swung with all my might hit the crack with a sound that cut through the wind, a tremendous sound immediately echoed out.
‘It’s still too weak.’
I decided to swing again.
“What?”
I blinked as I saw the scarecrow split into two.
I blinked again.
No matter how I think about it, I really didn’t expect that it would break at once.
Was this a defective product?
“Ha, pass!”
As I stared at the split scarecrow, a nearby supervisor stuttered and shouted,
“P-Pass!”
“Young Viscountess Sabrina, please return your wooden sword and stand by for the next test.”
“Ah, yes.”
Well, that was too easy.
I scratched the back of my head, then strode off to return the wooden sword.
I turned my head to see the situation in the hall, that’s when I saw the other applicants around me, stare at me with their mouth gaping in shock or with a blank expression.
They all looked like they just saw a bear coming out of the mountains.
✤
“This is the end of the morning test. We’ll take a long break after, and then start the final test in the afternoon.”
The proctor announced the end of the morning test in a businesslike manner.
I knew he was going to say a few more instructions, and as soon as he announced the break, I quickly moved away from the crowd.
‘Let’s go.’
I looked around for a quiet spot, and the spirit stone glowed as if it could show me the way.
I followed Sylph’s lead and walked downwind.
As we made our way through a thicket of bushes, I saw a rock large enough and flat enough for me to nestle under a large oak tree.
“Thank you, Sylph.”
I said to the good sylph who kept helping me.
As a sign of gratitude, I put the side of my mouth on the stone, and the stone, which used to be white, turned as red as a well-poisoned apple.
Looks like Sylph was embarrassed.
“Hah.”
I took a breath, while sitting down on the rock, it seemed to have shook a little as I laid my worn out body.
‘I’m beat.’
Leaves were swaying in the wind. I could see the blue sky through them.
‘Let’s see…’
As I lay on the cool rock, I recalled the tests that I’ve partaken earlier.
“Running through the Training field, splitting a scarecrow, Simultaneously hitting all the flying objects that went my way, Moving quickly from side to side with a sandbag around my ankle, and miraculously avoiding obstacles while blindfolded…. Was that all?”
As my fingers drifted, I organized the tests I had taken in the morning one by one.
‘Five.’
After five tests, there were only 200 people left.
Considering that there were about 2,000 applicants for the selection test, only about one-tenth of them passed.
‘Hmm. Is this the kind of test where so many people will fail?’
‘I was expecting too much just because it was said to be a normal training routine for Imperial Knights.’
This first test failed to meet my expectations.
To tell you the truth, I was very disappointed with it.
“I didn’t know if the tests were too easy or if I was just too strong?”
I don’t know which one is the case, but all the tests I took in the morning had good results, and the look in people’s eyes changed a lot from the first time I arrived.
Their stares that were initially hostile and disapproving due to the newspaper hype were mostly replaced by surprise and admiration by the end of the morning tests.
Now all that remains is to duel with an imperial knight in the afternoon.
So far, I’ve passed with flying colors, but the duel is different.
It was probably the biggest challenge of this exam.