Chapter 26. I Do Not Want to Join the School
After everyone had completed their assessnts, John gathered the apprentices and began announcing the results.
“…All of the above have passed this assessnt.”
Despite the intense duels that had taken place on the field, quite a few apprentices were actually not accustod to using swords, or had been preoccupied with other matters and had barely attended the Swordsmanship Class assessnts at all.
The apprentices present held their breath.
What mattered to them was what ca next. They had worked so hard for so long precisely for this mont.
“Five of you have received an Excellent rating: Fulan, Bella, Mason, Lit, and Lotas.”
When this announcent was made, several apprentices turned pale, as though they could not believe what they had just heard. Their hands and feet began to tremble.
One apprentice from a noble family had already known that his performance had been poor. Even so, he had still held onto a sliver of hope.
But the result struck him deeply.
He had not even received an Excellent rating. That ant the recomndation qualification would certainly not fall to him.
His vision nearly went black as he almost fainted on the spot. Fortunately, an apprentice who had failed the course assessnt beside him grabbed him.
“Are you all right?”
“I… I’m… fine.”
His face was pale as he forced out the words, his mind already filled with dreadful thoughts.
If he failed to enter the Sword Chant School through this recomndation slot, the future awaiting him would be bleak.
Most likely, his father would be disappointed in him and stop sending the ten silver coins he received every month.
From then on, he would either slink back to the family territory and rely on his barely adequate Physique to beco a knight’s attendant, serving his younger brother or soone else as a humble retainer.
Or he could join the uncertain wars of Antir and gamble on the chance of earning a knight’s title through sheer luck.
He knew there were other ways to enter the Sword Chant School.
But none of them were as simple as this one, and most required connections.
If he could not even obtain an Excellent rating here, how could he possibly succeed through those harsher routes?
“Do not take it too hard. Swordsmanship Class is not even a required course for graduation.”
The apprentice who had failed the course remained surprisingly optimistic. He did not actually know the noble apprentice who had almost fainted, and he assud the other person was simply upset about failing the course.
“As long as you pass the required courses later, you will be fine. Those Excellent ratings are basically toys for the big shots.”
“Once you graduate, you can definitely find a job in another city.”
The noble apprentice stared blankly at him as he continued talking.
He did not understand what those words ant at all.
Would any of those jobs co with servants attending him?
After finishing the announcent of the Excellent ratings, John continued speaking.
“In addition, I have three recomndation slots that can recomnd you to the ‘Swordsman’ Society under the Sword Chant School. I will select three candidates from among the Excellent apprentices.”
As soon as he said this, several apprentices who had not known about it suddenly realized what was going on.
So there were recomndation slots!
No wonder so many people had practiced swordsmanship so seriously.
It turned out that others were simply too strong, competing for the opportunity to beco a Senior Apprentice.
It was not that they themselves were too incompetent to even learn the sword properly.
Mason clenched his fists tightly, desperately hoping that his na would be called next.
Long ago, after the very first sparring lesson of the Swordsmanship Class, Instructor John had told him about this opportunity.
From that day onward, Mason had doubled his efforts and practiced sword techniques tirelessly.
Until today, he felt that none of his days had been wasted. Everything he had done had been devoted to seizing this chance to beco a Senior Apprentice through this path.
Originally, choosing the Swordsmanship Class had simply been a mistake.
But as the classes continued, the sword gradually felt more natural in his hands, and he had never felt such happiness before.
Yet now, at this final mont, he felt confused.
He knew he had already pushed his swordsmanship to its limits.
However, after Instructor John regretfully told him that physical ability was also a crucial factor in the evaluation, Mason felt powerless.
His finances could not support practicing the Body-Tempering Technique, so his Physique lagged far behind those noble apprentices.
If he had even fifty silver coins, he could have improved his Physique sowhat. It might not match those noble heirs, but the gap would not be so large.
But he did not have it.
All he could do was stand here quietly and wait for the final result.
He had once imagined that John might show him a little favoritism.
But John had made it clear that he would remain fair.
“Fulan, Bella, and Lit have obtained the final recomndation qualifications. I hope that you will…”
When Mason heard the first two nas, he was not surprised.
Those two had long since surpassed the rest of the apprentices by too great a margin.
But when he heard the third na, the heart he had been holding tightly suddenly sank.
Only disappointnt remained.
His clenched fists slowly loosened.
From his right side ca a burst of uncontrollable delight—an accidental cry that sounded particularly sharp amid the murmurs of the apprentices.
Mason tried to take a deep breath.
But the breath refused to co.
“Instructor John, I do not wish to join the Sword Chant School right now.”
The entire field fell silent.
Mason looked toward Fulan in disbelief.
He was certain that the voice had co from her.
A strange premonition arose within him. The heart that had sunk suddenly rose again, and the breath that had been stuck in his chest climbed higher.
“You do not want my recomndation qualification?”
“Yes. I would like to continue looking at other schools and see what their spells are like.”
John found it difficult to accept.
Such an obvious talent for the Sword Chant School was saying she wanted to see what other schools were like?
“But you…”
He paused for a mont before sighing.
“Very well. If you still wish to join the Sword Chant School later, co find .”
He truly had not expected Fulan to refuse the recomndation qualification.
If he had to choose who resembled a Sword Chant School mber the most, he would place Fulan ahead of several people who had already beco formal mages.
Yet Fulan had rejected the opportunity.
Was she joking?
For most people, possessing talent for a Breathing thod was already rare enough. Did she believe she would also possess extraordinary talent in magic?
Even if that were the case, the Sword Chant School would still be the place best suited for her.
That was why he told her to co find him if she changed her mind.
He believed that through other channels, people would still offer the recomndation slot to Fulan. By saying this, he was leaving her a convenient path so she would not have to search for opportunities to prove herself again.
“Thank you, Instructor John. I appreciate you respecting my choice.”
“Since you do not want this recomndation slot, I will give you four points instead.”
Then John continued, sounding sowhat pleased.
“Since Fulan does not want the slot, we will give it to the fourth-ranked apprentice.”
The reason he had not tried harder to persuade Fulan was simple.
First, he knew that obtaining such a slot would always be easy for her. With Fulan’s ability, it would be the Sword Chant School asking her to join, not the other way around.
Second, it led directly to another outco he had hoped for.
“Then Mason will be the final person I recomnd…”
Mason nearly jumped with joy.
A few tears slipped from the corners of his eyes.
The tight knot in his chest finally disappeared.
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