Troll.

The creature, also called a "man-eating demon," is said to have once been a guardian of the forest before its fall from grace. According to legend, this guardian was betrayed by humans and fused with the rocks, transforming into a monster that feasts on human flesh. This story, well known in both children's tales and comedic folklore, serves as a reminder for even children to be aware of the violence and threat that trolls pose.

A typical legend about trolls goes as follows:

• "Its entire body is covered in solid rock, yet it moves with the cunning and agility of a wolf."

• "It possesses regenerative power like an ever-burning flame, and with its immense strength, it can shake mountains and kill everything in its path—a true butcher."

• "It is the demon of the rock that feeds on people."

These monsters were, in every sense of the word, nightmares. The kind of creatures that would have deprived children of their sleep, regardless of their social status.

In reality, the power of the trolls, whose legend has been passed down through generations, was truly terrifying. So much so that an entire knightly order would need to mobilize to defeat one, and even then, sacrifices might still be made. Thus, trolls ruled as the nightmares of warriors.

However, the immense value of a troll's heart and blood could make even such nightmares worth forgetting.

It is said that consuming troll blood can heal almost any disease and wound, while eating a troll’s heart offers numerous effects, including extending one’s lifespan.

Of course, if consumed without proper refining, it would be fatal.

In any case, a troll appearing in the forests or mountains near an estate was considered a treasure that had to be hunted down at any cost. Even if sacrifices were required, a successful hunt promised unimaginable rewards.

Thus, countless mercenaries and explorers have sought out trolls, but unfortunately, trolls have now become rare creatures. Due to reckless hunting, they are no longer commonly found in typical forests or mountains. One must venture into the so-called "demon realms" to encounter them.

So, when someone asked today, "Will we really be able to fight a real troll in the swordsmanship department exam?" it was undoubtedly a foolish question.

It was clear to anyone who thought about it for even a moment that a real troll wouldn’t be in the capital city.

That icy remark came from Karin Guinevere, a girl with a beauty resembling a delicate violet. Meanwhile, a boy whose hair she was brushing like a beloved doll blushed and tried to respond.

“L-Lady Karin, could you please give me some space?”

“Isn't it funny? How could anyone catch a real troll? All we have is the [Stone Troll] made through alchemy.”

“…Well.”

Her intoxicating scent was tormenting him. His young, fresh body was starting to react in ways he couldn’t control. Being naturally introverted, Derek bent his body, trying his best to distance himself from her.

Slap.

“Where are you going?”

“...”

It was useless.

“Honestly, calling that thing a troll is ridiculous. It’s just stones drenched in troll blood. Oh, and that blood was artificially reproduced, wasn’t it?”

“Well, still, it’s a dangerous existence.”

“To ordinary people, sure.”

The artificial man-eaters, or the stone trolls as they were called, weren’t even truly living creatures. They were more akin to golems. Created by alchemists who tried to replicate the properties of a troll’s heart and blood, they barely managed to mimic twenty percent of a real troll’s abilities, which left many disappointed. But even that 20% was still significant.

Thanks to that, numerous products were developed, one of which was the [Stone Troll].

...It was nothing more than stones soaked in replicated troll blood.

Many didn’t fully understand how these stone trolls were created, but their combat power was far inferior to the original, which is why they were often used for training or combat evaluations. Such was the case for the swordsmanship department's exam.

"I’ve seen one before. Sometimes my family buys them to spar with our new knights. They’re pathetic. As a creature once called the demon of the forest or man-eating monster, it’s shockingly weak."

"...That’s expected since it’s just a replica."

Derek, now resigned to having his hair combed by her, accepted his fate. Yet he still answered her questions with a somewhat strange expression.

"Is there something wrong with what I said? Why the sudden reaction?"

"Oh, no. I just had something on my mind."

"Hmm, having other thoughts while being with someone as amazing as me… I’m disappointed."

"!?"

“Hmph!”

“L-Lady Karin…?”

“Hmph—!”

"..."

How do you even go about soothing a girl’s mood in a situation like this?

Derek pondered over this world’s greatest unsolvable mystery.

‘Besides, I really need to figure out what to do soon...’

Even while trying to placate her delicate feelings, Derek’s mind was consumed with worry. They were entering the Academy’s exam 'chapter' earlier than expected. Normally, the previous chapter should have occurred first, but oddly, it hadn’t.

‘Illegal wizards were supposed to carry out an attack, but nothing happened.’

He had been preparing to report the illegal wizard, who had infiltrated the Academy disguised as a teacher, to the knights, but overnight, the wizard had vanished. While it was a relief that no attack had occurred, it was also unsettling.

‘What about Oddwal’s corruption route?’

With the main story not unfolding as expected, Derek was beginning to feel uneasy.

It felt like all the information he had was becoming useless, completely thrown into disarray.

As a result, Derek couldn't predict what would happen in this chapter, which made him even more anxious.

‘The exam chapters are something I have no control over, which makes me even more nervous...’

It was impossible to foresee what kind of butterfly effect might have occurred.

The exam period chapters were filled with uncertainty, and despite having knowledge, Derek had no power to stop what was coming.

All he had was his status as a mere cadet.

‘I’m powerless.’

What good was all the information if he couldn't act on it?

“...Why do you have that expression?”

“Huh?”

“I asked why you suddenly look so sad.”

“Oh, it’s nothing...”

“I’m not angry. I can just see that you’re holding something back, so I’m asking.”

“...”

“Come here.”

“I... I’m...”

“Come on, are you going to refuse a lady’s courage?”

“...”

And so, before he even realized it, Derek was pulled into her arms. It was embarrassing to receive comfort from a girl younger than him.

But still…

‘I feel a bit better.’

No matter how mentally mature one is, it seems the physical body cannot be ignored. He was at an age where hormones were in control.

Derek received her comfort as Karin gently stroked his gray hair, hoping that his weary eyes would soften, if only a little.

...Of course, despite their sincere feelings, from others’ perspectives…

“They’re at it again.”

“Lucky bastard.”

“…I wish I could have a romance too.”

It just looked like they were flaunting their relationship.

It was summer.

Kwoong!

“Ah, is that the stone troll?”

Ihan, in his capacity as an instructor at the swordsmanship department, was given the chance to inspect the troll the cadets would face.

[Gru…Aaa…Aagh…!]

"...It looks like a doll with a speaker attached."

The original form of a troll boasted a height of about 6 meters, comparable to a large excavator transformed into a robot. Its body was entirely covered in rock, and its savagery made it an untamable beast.

But this thing...

Whoosh!

“It’s slow, small, and weak.”

The 3-meter-tall troll, or rather, the stone creature it was, moved sluggishly.

While it may appear intimidating to some, Ihan felt no such thrill.

“This is no troll.”

He concluded. This was not a troll. It was a poor imitation, a mere replica of a troll’s form.

Thus...

“Boring.”

Crash!

Ihan’s palm struck the stone creature hard. Though it was akin to a simple slap, the impact it created was immense.

Boom!

The stone monster’s back shattered as it crumbled to the ground.

“Hmm, I’ve been using this technique a lot lately.”

His attack was packed with far greater destructive force than anything shown by Levi Folt the previous day. It was a technique based on Baltar’s Neutron Heavy Force Method, a powerful but unsettlingly convenient move that made him feel uneasy.

‘Next, I should research another technique.’

Convenient techniques were fine, but to become truly strong, one couldn’t rely solely on shortcuts.

Twinge.

“…Though it does have a good defense.”

As he pondered, Ihan felt a slight tingle in his hand. It wasn’t particularly painful, just a bit numb.

This imitation may have lacked offensive power and had plenty of weaknesses to exploit, but its defense was nothing to scoff at.

Furthermore...

Crawl...Crawl...

“It has some regenerative ability, I see.”

Now it made sense why it was called a troll. The creature’s shattered body was attempting to reattach itself.

It wasn’t entirely without merit.

Ihan was convinced as he crushed the creature’s head under his foot, ensuring its demise.

...This thing wasn’t an opponent the cadets could defeat.

‘That reincarnator and those three will win easily, but the assistant instructor might barely scrape by. As for the rest, they don’t stand a chance.’

This wasn’t just true for the bear cubs series, but for the young masters series as well. Maybe if they trained for another year, but at their current level?

It would be a complete loss.

The reason?

‘They lack destructive power.’

Ihan knew this because he had trained them. They weren’t nearly strong enough to handle the stone troll.

Thus, he realized that passing this exam didn’t necessarily require defeating the creature.

‘The examiners are military elders, right? They’ll assess combat ability, but they’ll also pay close attention to how cleverly the warriors handle the situation.’

It wasn’t a bad system.

By pushing the cadets to their limits and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, they would gauge their potential. It was an appropriate method, and even if they hadn’t learned advanced techniques, showing “excellence” and “the will to fight” would suffice.

However...

“…Now I understand why the bear cub seniors only make it to the second year.”

The bear cubs’ seniors—the commoner cadets from the previous year—were weak, but they had surpassed the standard Ihan had set for them.

That’s why they made it to their second year. But they probably realized something as soon as they reached the second year.

They were strong soldiers and good strategists, but they were not knights.

Sensing their limits, many likely chose to drop out.

What a pity.

“-It’s foolish. Such talented people should be nurtured, even if it means granting them access to advanced techniques. Why discard such promising individuals just because they’re not extraordinary?”

“…”

“Don’t you agree, my friend?”

“…You’re not allowed here.”

“Haha, don’t worry. I snuck in.”

“You’re quite shameless.”

Despite the sudden appearance of the outsider, Ihan didn’t react with surprise. He had sensed the unfamiliar, or rather irritating, presence earlier but hadn’t bothered to confront it.

There was no murderous intent or hostility, after all.

However, the stranger’s behavior, as if he could read Ihan’s thoughts, was unsettling.

Did he master some form of mind-reading?

“It’s not quite mind-reading. I’ve just developed a knack for reading people’s thoughts. It wasn’t intentional. Just a clumsy skill I picked up.”

“…Isn’t that the same thing as mind-reading?”

“Haha, you could call it that, but true mind-reading belongs to my older brother. That’s what real mind-reading is. This little ability of mine doesn’t even come close.”

“I don’t ever want to experience that.”

“Haha, you’d think differently if you met him. Despite the rumors circulating in the capital, my brother is quite an amazing guy.”

“Whatever. Why would I want to meet him?”

“Wait, did I ever mention who my brother is?”

“If I didn’t figure it out, I’d be an idiot.”

“?”

“...”

What a strange guy.

Despite being able to read people like a mind reader, he lacked common sense.

Did he really think no one would recognize him, even with the ‘winged lion’ [mark] etched on his arm?

Not to mention, even if the mark wasn’t a giveaway...

“Hide your hair and eyes better.”

“Oh, did they stand out that much?”

His jet-black hair, characteristic of Northerners, wasn’t the only giveaway. His predatory eyes, reminiscent of a lion, were a symbol that could only belong to the family bloodline of the one known for inheriting the heart of a lion.

And those with the eyes of a lion were generally...

“Hmm, I was trying to conceal my identity, but too bad.”

“You didn’t seem to be trying at all.”

“Haha, I was initially, but after watching for a while, my blood started boiling, and I lost the patience to hide it.”

“…”

“I’m not usually inconsiderate, but… this is just one of those things—our family’s quirk, you could say…!”

Smiirk.

“-Would you be willing to fight me until one of us dies?”

A mad [Berserker].

A knight of Lionel’s bloodline made a proposal to Ihan that sounded like a love confession for a blood-soaked deathmatch.

“…You crazy bastard.”

Why did it have to be someone from the demonic North Sea Cult?

‘Why do only these kinds of lunatics approach me?’

Ihan couldn’t understand it.