Helmut: The Forsaken Child - H.F.C Chapter 60 (Part 1):

Sabbat Rugal’s expression twisted in anger.

“What? Are you saying you’re a commoner?”

“Yes.”

“Madness!”

Sabbat Rugal raised his voice, fuming.

“Ah, this is infuriating. You, a mere commoner, dare to stand up to me.”

He had approached Helmut because of rumors about Alea, knowing who Helmut was, and because Helmut stood out among those present. He thought it might be good to build a rapport with him in advance, even if he wasn’t sure Helmut would pass the practical exam. But to think he was a commoner!

To Sabbat Rugal, who had only interacted with the nobles of the sword, commoners were nothing more than stable hands. They weren’t even worthy of being spoken to as equals, let alone in such a manner! To think he had tried to be friendly with such a commoner meant there was a problem with his judgment. Sabbat Rugal’s face turned red with wounded pride.

However, before Sabbat could do anything more, an overseer approached and blocked his path.

“The exam will start soon. Please be quiet.”

‘What’s this? What a strange guy.’

After suddenly speaking and getting angry, Helmut glanced at him and looked away. If provoked, he naturally had to retaliate. However, he planned to stay quiet until his admission to the academy was confirmed.

After the angry Sabbat Rugal backed down, the attitude of the applicants around them changed. It was as if they moved away from Helmut, smelling something foul, and glanced at him from a distance with cold faces. Even if Helmut were dull, he couldn’t miss such a change.

‘Is being a commoner the problem? I heard that the academy doesn’t discriminate based on status.’

He thought he would have to ask Ethan about this. For now, the immediate concern was the exam ahead. The overseer clapped to gather attention and began to explain.

“We will now explain the format of the exam. The exam consists of two parts. The first is a test to see the training method of Vis, which involves splitting ebony wood with a wooden sword. Only those who pass the first test will proceed to the second. Please follow me when your name is called.”

“What’s the second test, that they won’t tell us?”

“It must be about swordsmanship.”

Two people who seemed to know each other whispered and conversed. Helmut calmly waited for his turn. After about twenty minutes, it was finally his turn, the third in order.

“You need to split this ebony wood with that wooden sword. You may swing your sword multiple times. The time limit starts from the moment you first swing and lasts for 5 minutes. You must split the ebony within this time.”

The overseer appeared to be an academy staff member, not particularly knowledgeable in swordsmanship. This kind of test didn’t need much expertise in swords or discernment. There was nothing to manipulate in the middle. It was a simple test of splitting the ebony with a wooden sword.

Although it was a simple test, the ebony provided was extremely hard and thick, almost like a tree stump, making the test not so easy. It wasn’t like chopping with an axe; there wasn’t a sharp edge to use, and the wooden sword couldn’t be considered stronger than the ebony. For an ordinary person unable to wield Vis, it was almost impossible.

Even summoning second-year academy students might not easily result in someone who could split the ebony. The first two people managed to split it, albeit with much difficulty.

“If your wooden sword breaks, we’ll provide a new one, so don’t worry and use your strength.”

The overseer looked at Helmut with pitiful eyes. Although he was unmistakably unique in appearance, Helmut didn’t seem particularly strong. He seemed well-trained and muscular, but there were plenty of applicants taller and bigger than him.

Helmut stood before the ebony with a wooden sword in hand. The ebony was hard and dense, with clearly visible growth rings. The practical exam seemed to have gotten harder, just like the written exam. The wood he had split at Ethan’s request was larger, but its material wasn’t as tough as ebony. Helmut gauged how much Vis he needed to use. He wanted to split it cleanly without wasting strength. It was meant to be a training exercise, after all. However, the overseer didn’t allow him to take his time.

“People are waiting behind you, so start now.”

Before the overseer could finish speaking, Helmut swung his sword. The wooden sword, imbued with Vis, struck the ebony with rapid speed. Crack! The ebony split perfectly in two with a single strike, as easily as splitting an apple. Helmut looked down at the perfectly divided ebony and asked.

“Is it done?”

“Ah, yes!”

The overseer’s eyes widened, shocked as if he had been struck on the back of the head. It was unclear what he had seen, or rather, he hadn’t seen it properly. The clean split through the ebony, as if chopped with an axe, was an incomparable result to the previous two applicants who had struggled.

“Pass. Leave the wooden sword and move on to the next place.”

Helmut nodded and followed the overseer. They arrived at another pavilion. The first two examinees were sitting apart, grimacing and flexing their hands as if their grips were sore from trying to split the ebony within 5 minutes.

Helmut sat on a bench and waited. After a long and tedious wait, the first part of the exam ended. Out of the remaining 20 people, 12 would be eliminated. It seemed the exam had been made more difficult due to the large number of applicants.

“Please take your food. The next test will be after lunch. You have one hour for your meal.”

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