Chapter 44: Third Examination, Force?

Thanks to the swift response of the senior mages at the Snowflower Tower, they were able to apprehend the suspect, Gadi.

Since he hadn’t yet completed his preparations for the terror attack, Gadi was still in the Snowflower Tower. Eerily

enough, he was found in the underground facilities, actively plotting his scheme.

It seemed he intended to take advantage of the key figures of the Snowflower Tower being away at the Ice Castle due

to Grace’s visit.

When Gadi was caught red-handed by Sophia and Orlan, he tried to resist but was quickly subdued and imprisoned

in the tower’s underground cells.

Having been captured on the spot, Gadi had no way to deny his actions and openly admitted his crimes without excuses.

The Snowflower Tower, realizing that Gadi had been meddling with more than just the cannons, initiated a thorough

inspection of their entire facilities. Every act Gadi committed was about to be uncovered.

With this, the terror incident at the Snowflower Tower—originally a significant event in the novel—was successfully thwarted in advance.

‘Hmm… Is that it?’

Now that it was over, I felt an odd mix of relief and disappointment.

It ended far too easily, especially compared to all the preparations I had made.

Honestly, I thought it would be much harder.

Given that this incident had inflicted a massive blow to the North in the original story, I expected tension and

excitement—something more dramatic.

However, Gadi was utterly overwhelmed when he faced the combined assault of the tower elder and the elder-level fire mage.

‘Well, I suppose that’s a good thing.’

Of course, there wasn’t much Gadi could have done in that situation.

Even though I deliberately threw out a few breadcrumbs to lure him in…

The ones who responded to those breadcrumbs were none other than the Northern Guard Captain, the elder of the

Snowflower Tower, the Tower Lord, and the Northern Duke himself. Basically, the North’s top powers were all

gathered in one place.

What could a mere mage, who wasn’t even at the level of a tower lord, possibly achieve against them?

Moreover, Gadi was just a lone operative without any significant backing.

The key point had always been uncovering his true identity. Once that was done, he was far easier to handle than the

Silver Sabertooth.

‘Tsk. I had hoped to play a bigger role in capturing Gadi myself.’

The knight exam is essentially a test to determine one’s qualifications to become a knight.

However, just as modern police recruitment has both general and special exams, I thought capturing Gadi could earn

me some bonus points.

I mean, capturing a terrorist who posed a serious threat to the North should warrant some special consideration,

right? I figured I could skip the remaining trials and get knighted directly as a reward.

That would’ve been ideal. No need to go through the hassle of fighting against the other candidates in the third trial.

That’s why I timed everything so precisely.

Apparently, all the senior guards had passed the earlier stages of the exam without any dropouts.

As expected, those people are monsters.

Unfortunately, the situation at the time was far too intense for a mere soldier like me to intervene. With so many

capable people around, everything flowed smoothly once the tide turned.

‘Well, it can’t be helped.’

In any case, my primary goal was to prevent the terror attack at the Snowflower Tower, and that mission was accomplished.

Perhaps it’s fate telling me to complete the knight exam fairly and with my own abilities.

‘But, you know…’

The day before the third trial, as I was stretching and preparing for a light sparring session, a thought crossed my mind.

‘No matter how friendly the Snowflower Tower is to outsiders, and even if Gadi managed to gain favor with them…

Would they really share all of their most critical facilities with an external mage?’

The reason why the novel’s hidden villain organizations are so dangerous is because of how cunning and devious they are.

Aran’s former comrades know all too well how harsh the Northern lands can be.

So why would they entrust such a crucial task to Gadi, someone who wasn’t even part of their core group?

“Hmm… Why does this bother me so much?”

Though Sophia was personally leading the investigation, I couldn’t shake off the unease. I clicked my tongue,

glancing at the towering Snowflower Tower in the distance.

In the midst of that quiet discomfort, the day of the third trial arrived.

The highlight of the knight exam—the third trial—was a test of strength, where the remaining sixteen candidates

would engage in one-on-one duels in a tournament-style competition.

However, it wasn’t just about winning.

The key was to showcase one’s skills.

It wasn’t about how easily you won but how well you fought.

Still, if you wanted to make a strong impression, making it to the finals was essential.

“All right, let’s go all the way to victory!”

Clap, clap.

I gave my cheeks two quick slaps to psych myself up and began walking forward.

“Waaaah!”

Although the number of candidates had noticeably decreased after the first two trials, the atmosphere was more heated than ever.

The audience had grown significantly, with many people coming to witness this grand event.

The empty spots left by the fallen candidates weren’t even noticeable anymore.

The spectators were not here just for entertainment. There was genuine admiration and anticipation in their eyes,

directed toward the knights who would shape the future of the North.

Standing here, I didn’t feel like a mere gladiator in a colosseum.

Instead, it felt like I was an athlete at the Olympics, representing the North.

Once all the candidates had lined up, Duke Grace of the North stepped onto the podium, just as he had during the opening ceremony.

Accompanied by renowned knights and dignitaries from the North, his entrance only intensified the crowd’s excitement.

‘Maybe this isn’t the Olympics but a concert?’

Grace raised his hand to acknowledge the crowd before beginning his speech.

“You have all endured much to reach this point, warriors of the North! I am truly proud of each and every one of you!”

Although the final trial hadn’t even begun, my heart was already swelling with pride.

I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. The candidate next to me was visibly trembling with excitement.

“…Show your bravery and determination to the people of the North. Prove that you are the new lions of the North!”

“Do your best until the very end!!”

As soon as Grace’s speech concluded, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause once more.

Perhaps my Northern body had fully assimilated with their values.

Because being in this atmosphere made my body itch with excitement.

I was itching to fight.

“Haha, that’s hilarious.”

It seemed I really did have an exceptional adaptability, just as Sophia had said.

In a tournament with 16 participants, it naturally starts from the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals,

semifinals, and the finals.

That would make a total of 15 matches.

Even if duels in the knight exam were considered a popular sport in the North, wouldn’t 15 matches take too long

and become a bit tedious?

Apparently, I was the only one thinking that way.

Everyone else looked excited at the prospect of getting to watch 15 matches.

‘Well, they’re not amateurs. These are people who’ve made it through the grueling knight exam to get here, so their

skills are guaranteed.’

As expected of Northerners, the battles were fiery one-round duels.

Each duel would last a maximum of 30 minutes. Of course, if a match concluded before that, it would end immediately.

During the second assessment, weapons were wooden for safety reasons, but now, participants were free to use real weapons with blades.

The rules were simple: do not kill your opponent after the outcome is decided, do not use poison or curses, and fight with honor.

The tournament would take place over three days—on the first day, the round of 16 would be held. The quarterfinals

and semifinals would take place on the second day, and the finals on the third.

‘The key to winning would be how well one manages their stamina over the three days.’

That definitely wouldn’t be easy.

“How heartbreaking, my dear junior.”

“Oh no! If your heart hurts, that’s a medical condition, senior. You should quit and get treatment right away.”

As I watched the duels of other participants, my heart thumped in anticipation, wondering who my opponent would be.

And then, a formidable opponent appeared right from the start.

“Heh, I figured this would happen when you passed the second assessment. I’ve been wanting to face you. Let’s see

what kind of talent the best rookie of our group has.”

“Just because you’re my senior doesn’t mean I’ll hold back. Actually, I can’t afford to.”

Jimmy, a member of the Third Squad of the escort unit, was my opponent for the round of 16.

With the crowd’s cheers in the background, and the pressure from the prominent figures of the North watching, we

locked eyes and raised our fighting spirit.

“Begin!”

At the judge’s command, we both swung our swords at each other simultaneously.

Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed heavily.

‘It’s heavy!’

Though we were usually friendly, exchanging jokes, Jimmy was, like me, handpicked by Grace to join the escort unit.

And he wasn’t just any squad member—he belonged to the Third Squad, the fiercest among the four groups.

Compared to Alec, whom I had fought during the second assessment, this was an entirely different level of opponent.

Even after just one exchange of blows, I could feel the weight of his sword.

I took a deep breath.

This fight was far from over.

At that moment—

Boom!

“?!”

A sudden explosion brought everything to a halt.

Both the participants and the spectators froze, turning their heads toward the source of the sound.

The noise came from—

“The Snowflower Tower?”

I felt like I’d been struck by a hammer.

But Gadi had already been arrested.

What was going on?

“Luke, this isn’t the time for jokes.”

“You’re right, senior.”

Looking toward the spectators, I saw that Grace and Elaine had already risen from their seats and were moving swiftly.

The knight exam was in full swing, but the Snowflower Tower was still in chaos from cleaning up Gadi’s mess.

Although we’d apprehended him before he could cause any real damage, the aftermath needed to be dealt with.

Since Gadi hadn’t spoken a word after being imprisoned, it was uncertain if an intruder had managed to pull

something off, and they needed to be found.

Meanwhile, in the midst of the commotion, Sien, a mage of the Snowflower Tower, sat anxiously in her locked room,

clutching something precious in her hands.

She was restless.

How had things turned out this way?

Why had he done something so terrible?

What about their promise to get married?

“You.”

“?!”

Though the door was locked with both a latch and magic to prevent entry, a man’s unfamiliar voice echoed in her room.

Startled, Sien instinctively opened her mouth to scream.

“Shh.”

The man raised a finger to his lips, and a dark shadow slithered up her body, sealing her mouth.

Feeling the eerie sensation, Sien tried to move her hands to cast a spell, but her wrists were already bound.

The red-haired man, who appeared like smoke and bound Si-en, slowly scanned her entire body with a chilling gaze before speaking.

“I hate lengthy explanations. Are you Ga-di’s lover?”

“Ah, so it is you. Just hearing the name makes my pulse quicken.”

The red-haired man, Ro, approached Si-en and gently placed his hand on her head.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. People do anything for love, right? I’ll make sure you can do anything for Ga-di.”

“……!”

“You don’t need to be so scared. It won’t hurt. In fact, you might even enjoy it. This is an expensive potion, far too

valuable for a fool like you. Haha.”

Ro took out a suspicious-looking bottle filled with liquid from his coat. He opened it and forcefully poured the

contents into Si-en’s mouth.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“Come on, drink it all.”

Si-en struggled desperately, but her throat bobbed a few times as she swallowed the liquid.

Soon, her body went limp.

“Now, your task is simple. Head to the fort and explode your magical power, taking yourself and the fort down with you.”

“……Yes.”

“For the dreams of the one you love, Ga-di. To prove your love for him. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Ga-di… love…”

“Off you go, now.”

At Ro’s command, Si-en stood up with vacant eyes. She unlocked all the security spells on the door and started

walking slowly toward the fort.

Watching her retreating figure, Ro chuckled to himself.

“That guy… His magic skills are decent, but his way with women must be top-notch. I wonder when he seduced the

woman in charge of the fort’s defenses. Now then, time to take care of my next task.”

Ro leisurely walked down the hallway where Si-en had exited.

With each step he took, shadows from the floor crept up and wrapped around his body. When he stepped through

the door, the hallway was empty.

Moments later, a deafening explosion echoed from the third floor of the Snowflower Tower, sending the tower’s

mages into a frenzy as they rushed to the source.

Once they had passed, the corridor was once again deserted.

Just when it seemed that no one was left—

“Stop right there.”

The voice came from the basement floor of the Snowflower Tower.

Sofia stood alone in the empty corridor, her staff raised and her body brimming with magic, clearly prepared for battle.

“Oh? Guess I’ve been found out.”

Ro, who had just been on the upper floors, appeared once again.

As he examined Sofia closely, his expression shifted into one of interest.

“Oh? Is that… a Mana Eye? I never expected to see another one besides that fake brat. So, you spotted me using that?”

Ro gave an impressed whistle.

His stealth magic was so perfect that even knights and most mages couldn’t detect him. Only two people had ever

managed to do so—an annoying mage and an irritating hero.

But now, he saw that very same Mana Eye here.

No wonder she had seen through his concealment. That eye didn’t just see physical objects—it saw the flow of magic

itself, rendering stealth useless.

“Who are you? Hiding yourself with shadows… You look like an intruder. Are you one of Ga-di’s accomplices? What’s

your connection to the explosion?”

“Hmm, looks like sneaking past isn’t an option. Well, this is perfect. I’ve always been curious—if I pluck out a Mana

Eye, will it still work outside the body? Rare items like that deserve to be tested.”

“…So, you’re an enemy. I’ll remove you.”

Sofia struck the ground with her staff, and a blazing magic circle formed above her head.

Ro simply grinned wickedly at the sight.

“Wow, a magic circle with an elemental attribute? You must be an expert in flame magic. Are you at elder rank?”

His lips twisted into a sinister smile as he adjusted the gloves on his hands, pulling them tight.

“I’m not a fan of women who act tough outside the bedroom, but rare goods are always welcome. I’ll be taking that eye.”