Entrance Exam Encounter

The next three months went by set by set, rep by rep. I saw my parents only at breakfast and dinner, not that it would have been much different if I were home more often. They were busy preparing for their next research expedition. Perhaps that was for the best. When we did speak it was to argue about my future.

As I left for the test, they departed for Eirundale. Pass or fail, they wouldn’t be there to support me when I returned. Part of me was bitter about that, but mostly, I was relieved I wouldn’t have to suffer through their false congratulations if I passed.

Just as we were parting, my father tried one last time to dissuade me. “Are you sure, Seishin? It’s not too late. You can still go to a normal school, and college. You don’t have to throw your life away in a dungeon.”

“I’m sure, Dad. Take care of yourself. You too, Mom. See you in nine months.” With that, we went our separate ways.

Miraculously, Blade and Shield Academy was a fifteen minute walk from my house. I’d never heard of it before, but that wasn’t unusual. Adventuring schools had only existed for a few years, and most people were skeptical of them.

It was a Sunday, so the school was nearly empty when I arrived, but there were signs pointing me to a room near the rear of the building. Taking a deep breath, I walked through the open door.

Inside, a woman with fair skin, dark hair, and the longest ears I’d ever seen sat behind a desk. Her hair was tied back in a tight braid, a style I often saw high elves wear. She wore a sharp black skirt suit that did little to hide how frail she was, making her feel completely out of place at a warrior school.

She smiled as I entered. “Mr. Yamaguchi? You’re right on time.” I was actually twenty minutes early, but pointing that out would mean admitting how nervous I was. “I’m the principal, Ms. Orithiel. Please, have a seat.”

The principal? That explained her appearance. Running a school took completely different skills than fighting monsters.

I walked over and sat down. As my weight settled on the chair, I felt it shift to the side, but just as I was about to stand back up, I noticed Ms. Orithiel was observing me closely, and I realized the test had already started. Widening my stance and engaging my core muscles, I held myself in a sitting position without relying on the chair.

I wouldn’t be able to hold the pose for more than a minute, but luckily, I didn’t have to. After a few seconds, Ms. Orithiel smiled. “Very good. You may stand.” As I rose to my feet, so did she. “Forgive me for saying so, but you don’t look the part of a student applying for this school. Perhaps it is because you arrived completely unequipped. A bold choice to leave yourself completely at the mercy of the school’s rental equipment.”

Inwardly, I swore at myself for my stupidity. Over the last few months, I had spent plenty of time researching what it took to be a good warrior, but hadn’t thought to look into what the actual test entailed. A warrior, however, needed to always put on a brave face, so I smiled back at the principal. “Robolina said luck played a part in the test.”

Ms. Orithiel’s eyebrow twitched and her lips tightened. “Well, today might be your lucky day then.” She waved her arm at the wall behind me. “Take your pick. Each test taker is offered a random selection from the school’s stores, but choose carefully.”

My eyes were drawn to a sword hanging on the wall, flanked by other weapons on both sides. Its blade shone silver like the full moon and seemed to beckon me toward it. Too obvious. Must be another trap. Robolina had said the test would be difficult, not that it would be dangerous. What use would I have for a sword? Ignoring the weapons, I grabbed a crossbody item bag, a red potion flask, and a pair of leather gloves.

As I was about to turn away, I hesitated. I wasn’t just applying for the school, I was being recruited for the Dungeon Relay team. Maybe they expected me to fight monsters after all. I couldn’t admit that I’d never held a weapon before, so I reached out to take one of the bo staffs hanging on the wall, and only then did I realize how foolish I had been.

I’d assumed the school provided them to help students, but item identification was an important skill in itself. There were plenty of stories of adventurers being injured or worse using an item they found in a dungeon. Sometimes, they didn’t grasp how it worked; other times, the item was cursed. Was this part of the test? Would the bag I wrapped around my body strangle me at an opportune moment? Would my gloves cause the potion flask to fall between my fingers and shatter on the ground?

Nothing I could do about that now. I didn’t know the first thing about identifying items, so all I could do was leave it to luck, and if I was going to do that, I might as well go for the strongest-looking weapon. Sure, it could be a trap, but maybe thinking it was a trap was the real trap. Make students paranoid with the collapsing chair so they’ll question anything that looks too good. Only students skilled in item identification would see through it.

“May I?” My question was addressed as much to the sword as to the principal.

“At your own risk,” Ms. Orithiel answered.

When my fingers closed around the hilt, I knew I had made the correct choice. The sword was heavy, but it felt light, as if it were an extension of my arm. I cast around for a sheath, but quickly abandoned the idea. This sword was too dignified to be encaged, and I felt perfectly safe with it in my hand.

“Looks like your luck paid off,” Ms. Orithiel said. “Follow me. We’ll see if you have the rest of what it takes.”

She led me out of the room and to the field behind the school. The oni coach was standing next to the track. As we approached, I bowed to her, sword still in hand. “Nice to see you again, coach. I’ll be in your care.”

“Huh?” The coach took one look at me and turned her attention to the principal. “Who’s this wimp, and why is he carrying your sword?”

Completely ignoring her rude behavior, Ms. Orithiel smiled up at the oni. “This is Seishin Yamaguchi. He’s here to try out for the team.”

“Is this another one of your practical jokes? I don’t have time for this.”

“That’s what I thought at first too, but Mr. Yamaguchi comes highly recommended by Robolina.”

“Seriously? I knew she had no common sense, but this is rich, even for her. Forget what I said about being busy, I’ve got to see this so I can rub it in her face. OK, Yamada, give me a lap. Show me what you can do.”

“It’s Yamaguchi,” I said, puffing myself up as best I could in a vain attempt to hide how much she intimidated me.

“Oh, is that so? My bad.” Her response was so chill that it gave me whiplash. Where had all that aggression gone? Guess that’s why Tatsukiba and Robolina felt so comfortable arguing with her: She backed down when she was wrong rather than getting angry and stomping them into the ground.

But I had more important worries at the moment. There were obstacles set up on the track. As I started jogging, it occurred to me that running with a sword was dangerous, but somehow, I felt completely safe. Besides, professional adventurers run with their weapons all the time, right?

Immediately, I hit the first obstacle, a giant fan blowing against me from just past the first turn. Seriously, I didn’t know they made fans this big. It was even taller than the coach. Wasn’t so bad at first, but as I got closer, I had to strain to make any progress at all. In pure desperation, I held the sword in front of me, as if to cut through the air, and surprisingly, it kinda worked. I still had to push hard, but when I reached the turn, the fan shut off, and I was able to continue.

Halfway through the turn, a wall stretched across the entire track. Without missing a beat, I kicked off from the bottom of the wall, reached my arms over my head, and pulled myself up.

When I dropped down on the other side, an ant the size of a lion was waiting for me. It cocked its head to the side, flexed its mandibles, and charged.