Chapter 56: It’s only an evaluation or is it?

"Ah... that’s going to sting at night," Victor gasped, holding his chest dramatically, trying to keep his shocked expression hidden. His voice wavered just enough to sell the performance, though his eyes betrayed genuine surprise. "You have truly surpassed my expectations. Sixty credits to Chloe."

"Sixty? That’s even higher than what Lady Starveil received." A murmur of disbelief rippled through the cluster of students.

"She deserves it. She moved so fast that I couldn’t even follow her movements." The speaker shook his head, still trying to replay the sequence in his mind.

"Did you see how she rose to her feet at the end? It was so elegant." A girl’s voice carried a note of pure admiration.

"She is strong and beautiful. She is the real goddess of our batch." Several boys nodded in enthusiastic agreement, their faces flushed.

The hall filled with the murmurs of teenage students. The girls looked at Chloe with admiration, eyes sparkling, while the boys had their faces flushed as if they had found their first academy crush. Whispers bounced from one small group to another, each retelling of her movements growing slightly more exaggerated.

Chloe ignored all of them. The more attention she received, the more annoyed she felt. She moved down from the platform, placed the wooden katana back in the rack and walked towards Noah, who was sitting alone, taking a nap.

"She should interact with others more," Vlad sighed as he clearly understood her reasons for choosing the place beside Noah. He knew that she would be swarmed by students if she went to the side where the whole class was sitting. She had deliberately chosen the spot beside Noah because no one would approach him, so they would not approach her there either.

"Go sit with them," Noah muttered without opening his eyes as Chloe sat beside him. His voice was flat, dismissive. "Don’t bother me."

"I’m not bothering you," Chloe answered in an even tone. She settled against the wall, making herself comfortable. "You have a problem, you sit with them."

His eyebrow furrowed, a deep crease forming between his brows. "Why are both you and your boyfriend so unreasonable?"

"Then stay away from him," Chloe replied, a faint annoyance mixing into her voice.

It only fueled his annoyance further.

"For the last time, I am the last person who wants to be close with your boyf—"

His words stopped mid-sentence as he realized he was barking up the wrong tree. Her eyes were closed, her head bobbing gently. The girl had fallen asleep before even hearing Noah’s explanation.

Veins bulged across his forehead, his jaw tightening. When had he fallen so low as to be bullied by a girl who rarely talked?

"Go to hell, both of you," he muttered, slamming the back of his head against the wall before closing his eyes.

---

Vlad had chosen a wooden longsword from the rack. He was the last remaining student to be evaluated. Just as he was about to move towards the platform, Victor said,

"Grab a real sword. I don’t think you will be able to show your abilities with a wooden sword."

Vlad halted in his steps, his eyes slightly widening in surprise. Victor had seen him fighting only once before, yet he made a spot-on assessment. The wooden sword was too weak for him to demonstrate his skills. Only a quarter the strength put into his swing and it would immediately break.

"Haha, don’t be so surprised," Victor chuckled, reading Vlad’s expression. "To be honest, there is no need to evaluate you. I just want to see how much of my power you can make me draw out."

A wave of shocked and confused gasps rippled through the students. Why was Professor Victor holding him in such high regard? Was there something more to Vlad other than his manipulative skills that earned him the title of Crownbearer and his absurd muscles that allowed him to lift several tons of weight so easily? Whispers flew back and forth, none finding an answer.

"Professor, you are seriously overestimating me," Vlad sighed as he moved back to place the wooden sword in its slot.

He reached the other rack, his fingers coiling around the metallic hilt of a steel longsword, its sharp edges reflecting his crimson eyes.

He drew the sword with a sharp shing and held it before him, taking a few moments to familiarize himself with its weight.

"I think I am still underestimating you," Victor said as Vlad climbed the stairs of the platform.

"Attack me as if you want to kill me," Victor said, his voice serious. The previous playful visage was completely gone. His jaw was set, his eyes sharp as flint. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The students turned completely silent at the sudden change in Victor’s demeanor, their eyes locked on the duo in front of them.

Vlad nodded. He removed the long coat from his shoulders, letting it fall behind him. The red fabric pooled on the floor. He unbuttoned his blazer but did not take it off. The fabric was light, flexible, and allowed for a full range of motion, making it comfortable to spar in. He rolled his shoulders, loosening the muscles.

Vlad’s eyes narrowed at Victor. His posture was relaxed, the sword resting lazily on his shoulder. Vlad could see multiple openings: on his shoulder, knee and belly. Yet somehow all of them seemed false, like mirages over hot sand.

’There isn’t much to think,’ Vlad murmured inwardly. ’The person before me is a Bulwark Knight. I just need to give my all.’

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. His gaze turned sharp and predatory, the shift palpable in the air between them.

His one foot dragged back, his knees slightly bending as he lunged high into the air, covering the distance between them with a single jump. His sword came descending upon Victor in a vertical motion. The blade whistled as it cut through the air.

Victor raised his sword high, holding its edge from one side and the hilt from the other. It was the first time he grabbed his sword with both hands. His knuckles went white.

The blade struck the scabbard with a loud screech, its sharp edge digging into the wooden sheath. A ripple of air erupted outward from the impact, stirring loose strands of Victor’s hair.

Vlad kept the pressure on him with his hand while he swung his leg mid-air toward Victor’s face.

Before he could land the kick, Victor bent low while moving his sheathed sword downward to shift Vlad’s center of gravity.

Vlad responded instantly, placing one hand firmly on the ground and rising to his feet in an instant side flip.

"You and Chloe have similar fighting styles," Victor said, glancing at his scabbard, which now bore a deep mark with cracks spreading outward where Vlad’s blade had struck.

"Do we?" Vlad asked, his blade coming straight for Victor’s throat.

Just as the blade reached his shoulder, Victor’s sword appeared between the blade and his neck from upward, his other hand descending the sword downward as a wall. The block was so fast it seemed to have materialized out of thin air.

Vlad clenched his teeth, the veins on his forearms bulging as he changed the trajectory of the sword mid-swing, twisting its blade and thrusting it downward toward Victor’s shoulder.

Victor’s eyes widened. Just as the sword was about to cut his shoulder, his scabbard thrust into Vlad’s gut. The impact sent him skidding backward across the platform. His boots scraped against the stone.

"Cough, cough..." Vlad coughed out, holding his stomach. He doubled over slightly, the breath knocked from his lungs. "Y-you never said that you would be attacking as well."

"You are holding a real sword. Of course you should be prepared for counterattacks," Victor shrugged, his voice even.

However, underneath he was anything but calm. ’Th-this kid...I didn’t intend to counterattack. Is he really D-Ranked?’ He gasped inwardly.

Vlad clicked his tongue, his back straightening as he prepared for another round, this time ready for both offense and defense. He raised his sword again, his eyes never leaving Victor’s.