CH 14.1

BY ARTHAS - JULY 07, 2023

During the time when Ulan faced the Two-Headed Dragon, another significant event was happening at the Blacksmith's Forge in the west. The Imprinting Test - a specialized test in the field of craftsmanship - had just reached its conclusion.

"Shante Arb. Grade B."

"Orti Delzi. Grade A!"

"Rakan Yufeld. Excellent. You possess such intricate Imprinting skills without a flaw. Grade S!"

"Thank you!"

Rakan, the young boy, was overwhelmed with gratitude, and rightfully so. Among over a hundred test takers, the Grade S had just made its first appearance.

On the other hand, there was a completely different result.

"Noah Darshen. Grade D."

"........."

It was Noah. As she had anticipated, disappointment washed over her, causing her to lower her head in dejection.

"Wow, there truly is someone deserving of a D-Grade."

"Why did she choose this test?"

"Let's go. We won't meet her anyway once we enter."

"Such a person is bound to fail."

Laughter erupted from all directions, staining Noah's ears a deep shade of crimson as she tightly clutched the fabric of her robe.

She had chosen the Imprinting Test, believing it would provide her with the greatest chance of success. After all, she possessed some confidence in her ability to imprint.

Furthermore, as long as she completed the craftsmanship, she believed she could utilize the power of magic to engrave the symbols.

‘However….’

That's where the problem started.

The test was about engraving on metal armor or shields, and the problem was that the examinee had to personally choose the item and bring it to the examination hall. 

The supervisors, who were there to select the quality of the items to be engraved, believed it to be a talent of the craftsmen.

The other candidates had no trouble moving their equipment and getting to work. But Noah was different.

‘A character with low physical strength.’

She was one of the three main characters who possessed the highest magical talent, but had miserably low strength and stamina.

And there was a penalty as well.

Even if she acted just like everyone else, Noah felt the consumption of her stamina was much greater.

‘Maybe five times as much?’

For example, if she had to move a 5kg object, Noah felt it weighed as much as 25kg.

This was the penalty imposed on Noah Darshen. It was similar to the penalty "Stonehead" given to Ulan.

And the result.

Just lifting the smallest shield consumed half of the given time.

However, the quality of the shield she had brought was not great, and her stamina was significantly depleted from transporting it. Her concentration also dropped, leading to her failure in the test.

‘Ugh, I didn't notice that in the game…..’

She had no idea carrying a shield of this size could be so exhausting.

At least when she was doing chores in the meadow, she didn't notice because she was taking it easy and not in a hurry. Even when she was chopping firewood, she always rested for ten minutes after splitting one.

It seemed like she needed to obtain a treasure that could improve her stamina.

Noah sighed, feeling disheartened.

‘It's okay, I still have a chance.’

At least she had avoided the F-Grade. Now if she could just get an S on the remaining tests, she'd be safe.

Most importantly, the remaining two tests were ones where Noah could demonstrate her talent.

Here, she will somehow earn an S-Grade. Noah's eyes sparkled with motivation.

"I'm sure Ulan will be fine, right?’

She shouldn't have to worry about that.

In the main scenario alone, he was the youngest of the Seven Heroes to pass the Trial of the Hero, so it was natural for him to receive a S-Grade.

Having organized her thoughts, Noah left the examination hall. She didn't want to stay here any longer because it would only make her more frustrated.

"Let's see, what time is it……."

It was 11:30 AM.

There was still some time left before lunch break.

She could have proceeded to the fountain and waited for Ulan, but she chose otherwise, unwilling to appear pitiable in front of others.

"Should I just take a look at the next examination venue in advance?"

Noah's second speciality test.

It was scheduled to start right after lunch, so it was important to know the location of the test beforehand. Noah turned north.

And at that moment, someone caught her attention.

"Huh? Isn't that person..."

Flowing golden hair, cascading loosely.

A beautiful prosecutor walking with a black ribbon firmly tied around her hair. Noah's eyes grew as big as a lamp when he saw her.

It was a familiar face.

Noah blinked her eyes three times in a hurry.

━━━

[Name]: Ibella Elearde

[Age]: 17 years old

[Grade]: S

[Talent]: Guardian of the Sword

━━━

In that fleeting moment, a snippet of concise information appeared and Noah's suspicions turned to certainty.

‘Of course, it's her!’

The Sword Maiden, Ibella Elearde.

Ibella Elearde, one of the main characters and a genius in swordsmanship.

Later, along with Ulan, she would become the vanguard of the party of the Seven Heroes.

She was an indispensable party member when facing the Ruler Of The Abyss, the Howling Eyeball.

The difficulty of the gameplay strategy could swing between heaven and hell depending on whether Ibella was a companion or not.

In any case, there's no harm in making her a teammate.

So Noah pondered.

‘What should I do?’

Should she approach her now?

Would it seem suspicious if she pretended to know her? While Noah was deliberating over various thoughts, Ibella had already disappeared.

‘Let's just say hello later, after we get in.’

There are still plenty of opportunities.

No, upon careful consideration, opportunities were not so abundant after all. It was because of the character story related to "Ibella" that Noah remembered.

‘She withdrew from the academy just before becoming a second-year student, right?’

She left the academy under mysterious circumstances. Noah needs to make friends with her quickly. That way, when the gates to the Abyss eventually opens, she can borrow her strength.

After concluding her thoughts about Ibella, Noah headed towards her original destination.

She checked the location of the test venues for the two upcoming tests and turned her body around. It was to head towards the fountain where she planned to meet Ulan.

However, in the midst of it all, Noah's steps halted once again.

Just like Ibella whom she had seen earlier, there was someone who seemed oddly familiar.

"Ahem! So, that's how it is."

A middle-aged man engaged in conversation with the supervisors.

Stroking his well-groomed beard, he finished speaking and turned his body. Noah blinked her eyes quickly.

━━━

[Name]: Dirac Ormine

[Age]: 42 years old

[Grade]: B

[Talent]: Grace of the Wind

━━━

"Ah, so it was Professor Dirac!

The flow and detection of magic.

Professor Dirac Ormine, responsible for the major of wind elemental magic training and application. He wasn't a main character, but Noah had her reasons for remembering him.

‘He appeared as an event boss.’

During a specific event at Arsene Academy, Professor Dirac turned into a monster driven by slaughter. Noah remembered that the rewards were quite abundant.

‘He's also Count Dermore's brother-in-law.’

What else was unusual about him?

Noah racked her brain for a moment, and then a piece of information flashed through her mind.

‘Wait, now that I think about it, wasn't he the test supervisor for Ulan’s 《Magic Detection 》test?

It must have been.

His specialty was also the flow of magic.

In the midst of it, Noah's ears caught the conversation of the assistant supervisors. It was the voices of those who had been with Professor Dirac earlier.

"Professor Dirac is quite the character."

"Why would he change the test contents all of a sudden?"

"I heard rumors that the content had been leaked."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, that's why he changed it."

The moment she heard their conversation, Noah's brow furrowed slightly.

Professor Dirac was a character who focused on his research and didn't really care about anything else. That's why the entrance exam questions were simply modified versions of the ones he had previously given.

‘But he suddenly changed the test contents?’

And that too on the same day that Ulan was taking the test?

Could this really be a coincidence? No, it wasn't a coincidence.

As far as Noah knew, this had never happened before in the 『Arsene Continental War』.

'.....I have a bad feeling about this.’

She couldn't explain it in words, but a sense of foreboding washed over her. She needed to inform Ulan about this. With her thoughts concluded, Noah hastened her steps.