Chapter 4: Chapter 4 – Exam

It's been 3 days since I last visited the smithery. The sheath was recently finished, and today was the day I would receive it via delivery. 

*ding* 

Ah, perfect timing. I took Dainsleif into my hands and went over to the front door. 

Opening the door, I was satisfied to see a lengthy box sitting right outside. I instantly knew what it was. 

Bringing the package back inside, I closed the door and prepared to gaze at the God Of Smithing's handiwork.

"Wow…" 

I was stunned the moment I saw it. My mouth was left agape by the beautiful craftsmanship Duvari displayed. 

The sheath itself didn't look too fancy at first glance, but once I ran my hands across its surface, I was easily able to recognize the material used.

"Hunter's Prize…"

It was a name for one of the most durable types of leather in the world. It was said that anything made from this would likely never break. 

"That guy, he really spent this much money?" 

Hunter's Prize was also known for its extremely expensive price tag. A single pound of these could cost the same as a house. And I wasn't talking about the normal ones. 

Even Mansion-level homes were inferior in cost. 

"Hmm?" 

While I was inspecting the sheath, I caught sight of two symbols engraved into the far end of the sheath. I didn't recognize them, but I knew they were most likely enchantments. 

"Maybe he left something inside the box."

Aha, there it is. I had somehow missed a handwritten letter. Taking it out, I read it aloud. 

"I figured you would want some enchantments in preparation for the entrance exam. The runes I inscribed aren't anything that great, but they should be enough to help you."

"The rune that looks like a hammer is an enchantment that can passively regenerate Dainsleif's durability. So unless it's been really damaged from fighting too long, you don't have to come to me."

"The one on the other side, the one that's a sword symbol, has the ability to sharpen Dainsleif's blade. Neat, yes? It's like you have your own whetstone. Having a weapon that's always at the peak of its condition will surely help you in the long run."

Well, what a treat. I didn't think he'd actually spend time inscribing runes onto the sheath. 

Runes were a part of the lost language of the dwarves. These little symbols carried mana, which was used to activate the effects imbued into them. 

It was quite difficult to learn these. You needed an extensive understanding of the dwarven language. And even then, it was necessary to remember each of the runic symbols.

"Thanks, Duvari. I really appreciate it." 

"P.S.  I'm holding you to that promise you made. Please don't forget. It's for her."

I once again made a firm will to increase my strength even faster. With that, I went back to training. 

Tomorrow will finally be the day of the entrance exam. I needed to make sure I was prepared for anything. 

***

I woke up thirty minutes early today. Once I finished my morning stretches, I grabbed the sheathed Dainsleif and after finishing breakfast, headed for the Academy. 

"Ah, I guess this is the last time I'll be living here for the next three years. Farewell, apartment. Even if I've only been here less than a week, you served me well."

Now that I had a sheath to accompany Dainsleif, it looked just like any ordinary sword. 

The rule stated in the entrance exam was that participants were only allowed to bring one artifact with them. And it had to be below A rank. 

Which was just perfect for me. Dainsleif (at the moment) was only a B rank artifact. Nobody could take it away.

If I managed to pass the entrance exam, I would officially begin my time at the academy, which lasted three years. 

The inner adult in me wasn't cool with spending so much time with teenagers, but seeing as my body looked reasonably young in this world, I would probably be able to fake it. 

Ah, speaking of body, I wonder who this used to belong to? Just from appearance alone, you couldn't tell the difference between my past body and my current one, but I knew this wasn't mine. 

I was part of the small percentage of authors who were able to keep a healthy lifestyle even when swamped with work. Thus, I had plenty of time to take care of myself. 

I guess I'll figure that out later. Multitasking was never a good thing. 

"Now approaching: Hero Academy District."

A voice resounded across the train I was in, signaling that we had finally arrived at the destination. 

It was called the Hero Academy District because the school quite literally owned everything inside it. A part of the city was owned by the institute. 

All the restaurants, malls, and even hotels were owned by the school. 

While mulling over whether I should head for the academy right away or explore a bit, my thoughts were interrupted by the voice I heard earlier. 

It was announced that the train would be leaving soon. I quickly grabbed Dainsleif from its place beside me and walked out. 

The station wasn't too far away from the Academy, but I decided to head there right away even when I had time to spare. 

I figured I could start some connections with individuals who had great capability. Using my knowledge as the author, I could help them reach their full potential by getting them the items they need. 

And then, I'll have a team of reliable Heroes to help me! 

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Yup, that's what I'll do. 

As I walked past various groups of students, I thought to myself. 

"How are they already this friendly with each other?" 

They probably didn't even know each other's names at the moment. Were friendships really created over the span of a few minutes? 

Well, I probably won't understand the mind of these people. Maybe they knew each other before their arrival at the academy. 

It wasn't long before I finally arrived at the Hero Academy. 

I looked up at the building in front of me. Unlike the other skyscrapers that towered over the city, the school was built in a large, uninhabited area. 

This amount of space was necessary for the heroes who would be spending most of their time honing their skills. 

Students of all races were walking through the gate. From a glance, they all looked ecstatic. 

It was understandable, though. Even if I didn't share the same excited feeling they had, I still respected the great deal of effort it must've taken to build something this grand. 

I didn't want to be late for the test, though. I quickly passed through and made my way to the campus. 

My first destination would be the back of the school, where the entrance exam would be held. 

***

I'm finally here. I'm glad I decided to head here early. The inside of the school was beyond impossible to navigate. Hallways would stretch on for what seemed like forever and stairs would be in every corner of the floor. 

But now that I was here, I was finally able to see the lobby. It was located on a huge, open field. 

People of varying ages had gathered here and were speaking amongst each other. 

They seemed to have already been briefed on the content of the exam, I think. They were already going around forming teams. 

Two groups had actually approached me asking for cooperation, but I politely refused. 

I was looking for a certain group of siblings. Ah, there they are. 

Amidst the crowd of people, I was able to spot two students of similar appearance. One was a boy with jet-black hair, the other was a girl with snow-white hair. 

Although their hair color couldn't be more different, both siblings held something inside them that even John didn't have.

It was their extreme aptitude for magic. 

Even if his mana capacity was far above the norm, John leaned more toward the physical side. 

But these siblings were naturals. From a young age, they were both able to sense mana and use it to conjure their deadly spells. 

By the way, the black-haired boy is named Percivale Eri. The white-haired girl is Alter Eri. 

Percivale was a frail-looking guy who often stuttered with his sentences. He has a sort of messy hairstyle like mine, which his sister loves to play around with. 

Alter was the more lively out of the two. She sported a slightly taller stature than Percivale. Her pure white hair was untied, dragging down behind her head. 

I finally found my perfect team. I approached the two and waved my hand. 

"Hello, nice to meet you two. My name is Dignitas Qwerdan. If it's okay with you two, would you like to form a team with me?" 

"Ah! Well…" The first one to reply was Percivale, who stuttered. 

Unlike his independent older sister, Percivale was a timid young man. Much to the point that he couldn't hold normal conversations if his sibling wasn't there. 

"Halt. Why would you team up with us? There are so many candidates to choose from." Alter walked in front of Percivale. 

Ah, there it is. That headstrong tone. Of the two, Alter was the more outgoing one. 

She was even a potential successor to the Student Council President but didn't take the position for reasons I wasn't able to write. 

Either way, what mattered was that she was the key to me captivating Percivale's heart. 

Because even if she didn't look like it, Alter was a huge bro-con. Overprotective, at the very least. 

This probably stemmed from the fact that they had no parents. As such, one of them had to step up to lead the other. 

Alter just so happened to be that person.

"My eyes just happened to rest upon you two. I don't tell this to other people, but I have an acute sense for mana. I could tell just how much you two held."

"And? So?" 

"And so, I wish to team up with you two. As you can see, I am a melee user. If we were to band together, we could decimate any monsters that come our way, no?"

The entrance exam was divided into three stages. The first exam was…

"Attention all cadets. The first phase of the entrance exam will begin shortly. Please team up with any available cadets and prepare for the Mountain Cave Escape mission."

A maze. The main goal to achieve was the successful escape from the cave, which, by the way, was the size of a city.

And I would have to take on a personality I am not in order to accomplish it. Gaining the siblings' trust.

I would have to take advantage of their lust for affection. I didn't like it, but the only way I could do so was through… painful means. 

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