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A powerful being that could be compared to high-ranking knights or mages of a Lord’s castle.

I stared intently at him and asked Tane.

“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Is the abbot skilled in magic?”

As soon as I heightened my senses, I felt that the abbot had a significant amount of magical power that matched his level.

Judging by his physique, he didn’t seem to have trained his body, so I thought he might be a mage.

However, Tane responded unexpectedly, as if he didn’t understand what I was talking about.

“No, I don’t think he’s particularly skilled in magic. He’s just an ordinary person.”

“Is that so?”

Ordinary? The fact that the abbot was a strong person seemed to be completely unknown to Tane.

Could it be that the abbot was hiding his power from the people in the monastery? Why?

I had a moment of doubt, but it felt like prying, so I didn’t ask any further.

Does he have a hidden past or something?

I looked back at the distant figure of the abbot again.

***

Time passed, and it was the day of the selection test.

At exactly noon, some knights and priests, as well as boys and girls, gathered in the courtyard of the monastery.

The head knight of the monastery, who had taken a look at the applicants, spoke up.

“Well then, let’s begin the selection process for apprentice holy knights.”

The selection process was simple. After a duel with the holy knight in charge of the exam to prove their skills, it was over.

Tom calmed his mind and looked around.

Most of the applicants were boys older than him.

Challenging the position of apprentice holy knight was usually reserved for those who had reached adulthood when they received baptism, and Tom was definitely one of the younger ones among them.

Holy knights, especially as fighters who proved their faith with swords and armor, were much more admired by energetic boys than priests.

If he became an apprentice holy knight, he could establish a priestly relationship with the monks of the monastery and receive much higher-level teachings.

Meanwhile, children who did not apply for selection were watching the scene.

Among them, of course, were Erica and Heron.

“Look at his expression. He’s so nervous,” Erica pointed to Tom, leaning against a tree and giggling.

In the end, Tom was the only one who applied for the test.

Heron glanced at her and then turned her gaze back to Tom.

“Erica.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m seriously asking. You really have no intention of becoming a holy knight?”

Erica looked at Heron with a frown.

But instead of shooting back as usual, she remained silent for a moment before answering in a somewhat reluctant tone.

“There’s no reason for me to become a holy knight.”

“It’s just that it’s a waste of your talent to become a nun. The elders always say that you were born to be great.”

Some of the holy knights who recognized Erica’s talent early on hoped that she would become a holy knight like Tom and Heron.

If she became just an ordinary nun without learning swordsmanship or magic, she would likely spend her entire life in this monastery.

However, if she became a holy knight and honed her martial arts skills, she could eventually be recognized for her abilities and even move up to a larger organization or headquarters.

It was clear from the reactions of the holy knights who had taught Erica even a bit that her potential was outstanding.

Heron thought it was a shame. If his dear friend could receive great honor and recognition, it would be a good thing.

“I don’t know. Anyway, I’m not sure yet.”

Perhaps things could change later.

Heron nodded his head and didn’t ask any further questions.

Anyway, this selection test was not the last one, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

“By the way, aren’t you uneasy about that?”

Erica pointed to a young knight who was in charge of this selection test.

Heron also looked at him with a worried expression.

It was Holy knight Varian, who had been eyeing Tom for some time now.

It was nothing important. He had corrected Tom’s swordsmanship stance before, but Tom had continued to practice swordsmanship according to the teachings of another holy knight, thinking it was more suitable for him.

From Tom’s perspective, he was just following a training method that he thought was more appropriate for himself, but from Varian’s perspective, it was a blow to his pride.

“It’s a test, so I’m sure he won’t mix personal emotions into it. And I doubt he’s still holding onto that.”

The exam was about to begin. Following the announcement, the candidates stepped forward one by one to face Varian in a duel.

“You still lack the overall basic foundation. It’s a shame, but you didn’t pass.”

“Your form is excellent, but your swordplay is too simple. Train harder and aim for the next opportunity.”

“You passed. You did great without any major flaws.”

The duel was conducted with a sword that did not have a sharp blade.

It was then Tom’s turn, and he approached Varian with his sword in hand.

Varian looked at him with a strange look and said, “Show me your best swordsmanship.”

“Yes.”

Tom took a deep breath and immediately attacked Varian.

Clang! Thud!

The dull blades clashed with each other.

Varian stood still and avoided all of Tom’s attacks.

It was natural that the attacks did not land, so Tom concentrated on showing his best.

“Stop.”

After about a minute, Tom stopped swinging his sword at Varian’s command.

Breathing heavily, he looked at Varian with a hopeful and tense look in his eyes.

But the words that came out of Varian’s mouth were firm and uncompromising.

“You didn’t pass.”

Tom’s expression hardened.

Heron’s face darkened as he watched, and Erica frowned deeply.

“What? Not passed?”

There was a reason for Erica’s strong reaction.

If Tom’s ability had been clearly insufficient, there would have been no reason not to accept it obediently.

But in her view, Tom’s skill was not much different from the one who barely passed among the two preselected people. But one passed, and the other failed.

“When swinging a sword, the body’s center of gravity is not stable. You’re not completely untalented, but you still seem lacking in various ways.”

Varian said so and turned to one side.

There were three people in charge of the evaluation, including Varian, who directly confronted the applicants.

However, even those who were ambiguous in expression nodded their heads to Varian’s evaluation and ultimately came to the same result.

“Unfortunately, it’s not passed. Work harder in training and aim for the next opportunity.”

Tom’s skill was an ambiguous level that barely passed the pass line, whether passed or failed.

Therefore, if Varian had passed Tom, there was a possibility that the other two people would have followed suit and passed him.

It was unclear whether he had failed Tom because he sincerely judged him to be insufficient, or whether some personal emotions were involved.

However, Tom couldn’t pursue it.

Anyway, there was no chance of reversing the result, even if he protested.

Thinking about the next test, he knew that it was better to quietly withdraw without attracting the attention of the other holy knights.

“Thank you.”

Tom muttered with his sword tightly gripped, and he had no choice but to bow his head, say goodbye, and step back.

And Erica saw it.

As Tom turned and returned to his spot, a faint smirk flickered on Varian’s lips.

Thunk.

Erica caught it and raised her hand, shouting, “I will take the exam!”

Everyone’s gaze was suddenly focused on Erica due to her unexpected shout.

Heron was also surprised and turned to look at her.

He immediately noticed from her expression, and voice that she was completely fired up.

“Hey, hey… Erica?”

“I have to give that bastard a punch.”

Erica muttered to herself and strode forward.

Although Tom usually lacked seriousness and was light-hearted, he was sincere about his dream of becoming a knight.

When she was convinced that Varian had only dropped Tom because of minor negative feelings, she couldn’t stand it anymore.

Tom approached the center of the field, looking surprised and flustered, and looked at the standing Erica. The holy knights all widened their eyes.

“Are you serious, Erica? You want to apply for the selection exam?”

She had always ignored their persuasion to become a holy knight, so it was natural for them to be surprised.

Erica took the sword from Tom and stood facing Varian.

“Let’s duel. I request it now.”

Varian’s eyes twitched.

“Fine. Do your best and show me your swordsmanship.”

Erica immediately rushed towards him with her sword raised.

***

I watched the situation of the field where the next duel had just started.

I was watching from a distance for a while, knowing that there was a test to select apprentice holy knights today.

Did she get angry because her friend failed?

Erica was wielding her sword fiercely against the examiner.

She seemed to have challenged the selection test in a fit of discontent over Tom’s elimination.

As I could tell from her level, Erica’s swordsmanship was the best among the applicants.

I was watching with some interest to see how the duel would turn out when I felt a sudden presence behind me.

“…?”

I slowly turned my head back.

I had no choice.

It wasn’t just the feeling of a monastery person passing by. The energy contained in that feeling was quite large.

[Level 81]

What came into view was the appearance of a middle-aged man in a gray robe.

I didn’t know all the faces of the monastery people, but I realized that he was an outsider.

He smiled softly at me and naturally approached this way. Then he asked politely.

“Excuse me. Are you a priest of this monastery?”

“…”

I glanced at him briefly.

A rosary with a symbol representing the Rael Church was hanging around the man’s neck. I could guess that he was a priest.

I saw a sword on his waist and wondered if he was a knight. Was he from a different congregation?

Regardless, I could tell just by looking at his level that he was not an ordinary person. Level 81… Who was he?

“No, I’m just an outsider who is staying at the monastery for a short while. And you?”

The man replied.

“I’m just a believer who happened to be passing by nearby. But can you tell me what’s happening here?”

He turned his gaze towards the open field where I was looking and asked suddenly.

I answered him.

“They’re holding a selection test to choose apprentice holy knights.”

“I see. An apprentice holy knight…”

The man let out a small sigh.

He didn’t reveal the purpose of his visit to the monastery.

After he turned his gaze back to watch Erica’s sparring for a while, he suddenly said with admiration in his eyes.

“She’s an excellent fighter.”

He stood next to me and began to watch the sparring naturally.

I looked at him with some surprise. What’s going on all of a sudden?

***

Varian defended himself against the attack with some amazement.

Erica’s attack was much more powerful than he had anticipated.

The knights of the monastery already knew about her exceptional sword skills, but he didn’t expect them to be this good.

Of course, she still had a long way to go before she could be compared to a full-fledged holy knight.

The two swords clashed low to the ground.

It was the moment when Varian was about to strike his sword to end the duel…

“…?!”

Suddenly, Erica’s sword drew a sharp arc and immediately aimed for Varian’s neck, thrusting forward.

Varian, who was somewhat relaxed due to the counterattack against that of a beginner, reacted late.

The duel was, of course, being fought without using magic, but he instinctively pulled in magic and struck an attack aimed at Erica’s neck.

Varian’s sword, which he couldn’t control, shattered Erica’s sword. It didn’t stop there and continued forward.

Erica’s frail shoulder was exposed to the full force of the sword strike.

At that moment, when her shoulder was about to be smashed, like her sword…

Clang!

A small magic bullet suddenly flew and hit Varian’s sword, shattering his sword as well.

“…Kuk!”

Varian, who had lost his grip on the sword, fell to the ground and grabbed his wrist.

Erica, who had lost her balance and fallen to the ground, looked at the scene dazedly.

The onlookers of the duel were momentarily confused as to what had happened and suddenly turned their attention.

A strange man was walking slowly in their direction.

“I apologize. The duel seemed to have escalated too much, so I interfered unavoidably.”

The man in the robe apologized with a polite but servile voice.

“…Who are you, sir?”

Varian, who stood up, glared at the man with hostile eyes. The other holy knights also looked at him with guarded eyes.

The inability to control power was clearly the fault of Varian, but it was natural for outsiders who suddenly intervened in the duel to not receive a positive reaction.

The man wearing a hooded robe responded with an incredibly gentle smile, “I am a believer who happened to be passing by.”

“A believer? From which congregation…?” asked a knight who was speaking.

As the man continued speaking, the knight’s eyes widened as he saw the emblem engraved on the man’s scabbard.

A brilliant golden cross engraved within a pure white border.

“The, the Radiant Knight…?”