“Hmm?”
Knight Department. The staff member in charge of recording data while checking the magical tool stiffened his expression.
“…What is this?”
[1st Place – ??? (58.01 seconds)]
[2nd Place – Camilla Bliss (58.02 seconds)]
“Is it a malfunction?”
The staff scratched his head, thinking this was troublesome.
Judging by the record, the gap between first and second place was minuscule. But there was no way to remeasure it.
“Looks like the name wasn’t properly registered.”
Still, being flustered by something like this wasn’t acceptable for a staff member of Tane.
Clicking his tongue, he pulled up other data.
There were a total of 60 second-year students in the Knight Department, split across three classes.
So by checking all 60 registered names one by one, he should be able to figure out who the unregistered “???” was.
“…Huh?”
But then the staff member was once again taken aback while reviewing the data.
There was something odd about the number that appeared on the magical tool.
[Number of participants evaluated: 61]
“61? Not 60?”
Something strange was going on.
The measurements themselves had clearly been performed properly.
But the number of people evaluated was one more than the total number of students.
“Then… who exactly are these three question marks…?”
A clear problem had arisen.
These were important records.
They would be officially documented as student grades and later sent to various knight orders and organizations across the Empire upon graduation.
Thanks to the prestige of the name Tane, the reliability of these records was considered second to none. Some organizations even recruited purely based on these records.
“I’d better inform the professors.”
Realizing that the situation was beyond his authority, the man made his decision.
He could try to ignore it and let it slide, but if the issue grew, he might be the one blamed.
Besides, deleting the record wasn’t an option either.
The magical tool itself was protected by security spells to prevent tampering.
“Uh, Professor. There’s a problem. The evaluation record…”
“Hmm? You’re saying one extra person was measured?”
And so, the report that a mysterious figure had inserted themselves into the Knight Department’s evaluation records was made.
The incident had begun.
***
The internal evaluations at the Knight Department continued.
Not just the Sword Run, but also tests involving the subjugation of real monsters.
A test where one must carry an injured person out of a situation surrounded by various spells.
Another test determines whether a student can swing a sword and circulate mana in a room heated to extreme temperatures or in a room that’s been frozen.
There are also tests on emergency treatment in the event of losing various body parts.
Sparring, javelin throwing, and aura manifestation…exams that require long-term preparation and physical conditioning are postponed until the final exams.
In contrast, evaluations on how well students respond to specific situations have been moved up.
As expected of the elite curriculum of the Knight Department. A nonstop sequence of tests throughout the semester.
Although all students possess the superhuman power of “mana cores”, fatigue inevitably builds up over time.
But this too was part of the environment intentionally designed by the Knight Department.
They believed that the ability to make correct judgments in extreme conditions and in a dazed state of mind was the most essential skill for a knight.
As such, this week was nothing short of hell week for Knight Department students.
And yet there was one person who consistently placed first in every evaluation, completely unaffected by the harsh environment.
“…Camilla got first place again?”
“She’s a monster, plain and simple. I bet she could beat most real knights.”
“Well, even in her first year…”
Camilla Bliss.
The genius female swordsman of the Knight Department.
Ironheart, Undefeated Blade.
A knight whose sword has never known defeat, and whose heart is made of steel.
Right now was the school-age period of someone who would later be known by that name, the strongest of all.
Camilla at present was considered a natural first-place finisher.
That’s my sister’s pride.
And I know that fact well.
Even when she hadn’t resolved her family issues. Even after she had killed the original Adel.
What had supported her all along was that very pride.
The reason Camilla’s stern demeanor came off as intimidating, and why people around her saw her as a noble and exalted knight—
It was all because she had the skills to back it up. That overwhelming strength was what allowed her to uphold that image.
But what if that first-place position is shaken? And by an extremely narrow margin at that?
Of course, it would bother her.
I spent several nights staying behind at the academy, subtly tampering with the magic recording tool.
[Beast Defense Evaluation]
[1st Place – ??? (30.01 seconds)]
[2nd Place – Camilla Bliss (30.02 seconds)]
“Camilla didn’t get first?”
“What? Where? In which event?? By who?”
“She was first until just yesterday, wasn’t she? Are you telling me someone from Class C beat her?”
I confirmed the rumors were spreading quickly. Given the fact that they started from the Knight Department, the speed was impressive.
[Extreme Condition Endurance Evaluation]
[1st Place – ??? (90.00%)]
[2nd Place – Camilla Bliss (89.99%)]
“That’s the one where you have to maintain aura output at room temperature in both 50°C heat and -50°C cold, right?”
“Yeah. And there’s the swamp and desert environments too…”
“She lost first place by just 0.01%? Senior Camilla did?”
“Apparently so.”
Even among first-years, whispers had begun to spread.
By now, Camilla must have heard that her ranking had slipped…without her even realizing it.
But of course, she wouldn’t stop here.
I kept up the tampering, relentlessly.
[Escort Escape Evaluation]
[1st Place – ??? (21 minutes 15 seconds)]
[2nd Place – Camilla Bliss (21 minutes 16 seconds)]
[Hostage Rescue Simulation]
[Joint 1st Place – ??? (0 casualties)]
[Joint 1st Place – Camilla Bliss (0 casualties)]
“……”
“…That’s strange.”
Just like someone had said.
Once could be a coincidence.
Even twice was within the realm of understanding.
But if the same thing happened three, even four times?
An unmistakable anomaly. No way around it.
Someone was consistently taking first place by the slimmest possible margin, something almost impossible to achieve deliberately.
Camilla’s long-established standing could be on the verge of collapse.
At this rate, Camilla’s “brand value” and that mysterious aura that made everyone think she could do anything might take a serious hit.
But the reactions of those around her were more of disbelief than suspicion.
“There’s no one in the second year who could beat Camilla, right?”
“Right? If there were, we’d have known long ago.”
“Could it be a prank by a professor or upperclassman?”
“More like some underhanded scout from a knight order.”
“Whoa, yeah. Now I’m curious which one.”
Just as expected. That’s a relief.
I shrugged. I had anticipated reactions like this, though it didn’t sit well with me. In a way, this was no different from targeting Camilla directly.
There was a simple reason I could predict their response.
First off, the total number of participants was recorded as 61, not 60.
Besides, the entire Knight Department only adds up to 60 people. They spar with each other day in and day out. If there were someone even close to Camilla’s level, it would’ve been obvious long ago.
They were so familiar with each other’s skills that everyone in the department knew this wasn’t the work of one of their own.
Of course, that was only possible because Camilla’s results were leagues ahead of the rest of them.
So instead of downgrading Camilla’s abilities, most people were more focused on the strange situation itself.
“……”
Still, that didn’t mean Camilla herself wasn’t bothered by it.
Swaaahhh…
That day, I was once again skipping out on my duties as a butler to secretly observe Camilla.
“……”
With the faucet running, her silver ponytail let down, she stared into the mirror…then bit down hard on her lip.
It was a look of wounded pride.
Right after, her eyes filled with a fierce determination that was almost frightening.
The intensity, as if facing down an enemy, was strong enough to reach even me, spying from a distance.
“Who are you?”
For a moment, I flinched, thinking I’d been caught. But thankfully, her eyes remained fixed on the mirror.
It seemed to be a mutter aimed at whoever was narrowly beating her records.
I let out a quiet chuckle at the sight.
You really don’t break, do you, Camilla.
Strangely, it made me happy.
Those eyes that were cold yet burning like fire were so far removed from the Camilla who had shown me her tears.
This version of you is more familiar to me, Camilla.
It’s not that I disliked how soft she became around Adel.
I had just been worried that, unlike in the original story, she might lose her edge now that all her desires had been fulfilled.
Part of me, even if just a little, missed the old Camilla who charged toward her goals with venom in her veins.
I thought to myself.
Right now, I’m hiding the fact that I’m Adel and laying the groundwork to call Camilla out separately—
All under the pretext of dealing with the Demon of Harunsdel.
But once everything related to Harunsdel is over…
When she finds out that both were me, eventually…
What kind of reaction will she have?
“Today will be different. Absolutely.”
I covered my mouth, watching Camilla slap her cheeks and tie her hair back.
It was to stifle the laughter that was slipping out.
“Heh, heh heh…”
Seriously.
Maybe the saying’s true. That siblings really are programmed to torment each other.
***
“This is strange. This shouldn’t be happening.”
“Could someone be taking the evaluations in secret?”
“Still, four in a row? Even if that were the case, these are official evaluations. The fact that no one has witnessed the noise or flashes late at night makes no sense.”
The professors of the Knight Department were sitting together in small clusters.
It was during a heated evaluation session at the training grounds. They looked like mischievous kids huddled together plotting some prank.
Except they were all large, middle-aged men. So the scene resembled more a group tending to war injuries than conspiring mischief…
Not that any of them cared about how they looked.
They were focused solely on uncovering the one who dared to mock such a sacred process as the evaluations.
“Could it be a malfunction in the magical tools?”
“Hmm… Something like this has never happened before.”
“What if we halt all evaluations and send the tools to the Magic Tower for inspection? If this continues, trust in the results will start to crumble.”
As expected, the first suspicion was directed at the magical tools themselves.
“The magical tools we’re currently using…who made them?”
“Most likely Archmage Maria.”
“Then there’s no way this is a malfunction…”
If Adel had heard the name that came up next, he would have found it interesting.
“What about the mage who most recently inspected them?”
“If that’s what you’re asking… it would be Heinel Shifter.”
“Ah. That arrogant…”
“Still, there’s no denying Heinel’s skills. If we request a re-inspection, it’ll look like we’re tarnishing her honor. It’ll seem as if we in Tane don’t trust her abilities.”
Hmm. The professors let out low murmurs, sinking deep into thought.
What eventually came out was an idea that, at first glance, seemed rather clever.
“Someone should stand watch. Stay up all night guarding the evaluation tools. If the same issue happens again, we’ll have the grounds to request a re-inspection.”
“Ooh, that’s not bad.”
“A reasonable approach.”
With unanimous agreement, they looked around at each other.
“So… who’s going to do it?”
“…Hmm… I’ve pulled so many night shifts on the front lines…”
“…If I don’t maintain a strict sleep schedule, my muscles…”
“My stomach gets messed up if I don’t sleep at night…”
Despite their burly builds, weak excuses began to spill out.
No one wanted the job.
And in cases like this, there was only one surefire solution.
“Let’s settle it with rock-paper-scissors.”
“…Rock, paper, scissors…?”
“Hmm. You’re saying we should decide night duty with such a barbaric game?”
“Hah! I am the undisputed champion of rock-paper-scissors. No one bested me on the Northern Front!”
And so, with knightly reflexes and exceptional eyesight in play… what looked from the outside like a pathetic spectacle decided the night watch.
“Um… Professors, the evaluations are finished.”
“Ooh! Right!!”
Just then—
At the student’s approach, masking a look of disbelief, the gathered professors quickly scattered.
[Magic Counter-Swordsmanship Evaluation]
[1st Place – Camilla Bliss (500 points)]
“Huh?”
The professor in charge froze stiff as the record was suddenly pushed into his view.
“…500 points? Full marks in all five categories of disarming, smashing, evading, parrying, and blocking?”
Quite literally, an unprecedented perfect score.
“……”
In the corner of his vision—
He spotted Camilla Bliss, breathing heavily, and stood there with his mouth hanging open.
“Camilla Bliss… a perfect score.”
Staring blankly at the report once more, the professor finally murmured under his breath:
“We’ll need to prepare the ‘Sword and Shield’ emblem…”
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