Raising A Hero – Chapter 24

Ch 24: Preparing for the Exam

Fruit-selling Orcs, Lizardmen soliciting customers, Trolls performing, rich Goblins, Fairies carrying goods…

All sorts of races adapted to life here to survive.

The saying “beware of being caught unaware” meant not to easily trust anyone. Even a mere Goblin wasn’t a pushover here.

Aizel and Ji-hyuk got out of the carriage and began to walk. There were numerous examiners at the enormous city gate. They were responsible for filtering out those whose identities were unclear. …Of course, it was often the case that they would let people pass with a bribe, but that money was quite a significant amount.

The two, man and woman, had a Badge, so they presented it and passed through the city gate smoothly.

The inside was less complicated than the outside. That didn’t mean it wasn’t bustling, though. It was just a bit less noisy.

“Follow me.”

Aizel walked somewhere. And entered the alley like her own house, which would make you lose your way if you went in.

Sometimes, children with shabby appearances would swarm around, clamoring for food. Then, the Fairy would glare with fierce eyes, threatening them to leave immediately. If she showed them the sword hanging at her waist, they wouldn’t come any closer. It was because they could get into trouble if they bothered a person with a sword.

“Be careful of those kids. If you’re not, they’ll take everything from you.”

Aizel said those words and walked again. She went like that for a long time, and then came back to the main street. Carriages went back and forth there without a break. People avoided the carriages with their wits and crossed the main street.

They soon arrived at the Arhoenteu Academy, located in the eastern region of the capital. The scale alone was enormous, and it was the Hero Academy boasting the longest tradition on the continent. And it was also a place where Aizel had spent decades and produced numerous Heroes.

The Fairy glanced at her disciple, as if asking, “What do you think?” in a pleased manner.

“How is it?”

“It’s big.”

Ji-hyuk’s impression was a bit bland.

You son of a…, at least pretend to be surprisedㅡ.

The Fairy glanced at him with a somewhat displeased expression.

The two slowly headed towards the academy’s main gate. The name Arhoenteu was written elegantly above the arched iron gate.

Two guards stood at the entrance. They didn’t recognize Aizel. They seemed to be new recruits who had just entered.

“Who are you?”

Because there were so many prominent people attending the academy, many of the visitors had great statuses. So, the guards’ attitude was very polite. They could get into big trouble if they made a mistake.

“Could you call the Captain of the Guard?”

“The Captain, you mean?”

“Yes.”

The guard didn’t understand why they needed to call the Captain of the Guard. But if they were told to, they had no choice.

Soon, a guard captain who looked middle-aged came out. He jumped at the sight of Aizel.

“Elderㅡ!”

He immediately ran to Aizel and bowed his waist.

“Oh, what brings you here?”

“I have some business to take care of.”

“Go in quickly. What are you doing, hurry up and open itㅡ!”

“…Yes?”

“Open the main gate wideㅡ!”

The main gate was not often fully opened unless it was an unusual event. Moreover, they didn’t even have a carriage. But to open the main gate meant that a great person had arrived.

The guard opened the main gate, wondering who that Fairy was. Aizel, with her hands behind her back, slowly walked into the wide-open main gate with her disciple.

Of course, the academy was in an uproar. That legendary figure of the Arhoenteu Academy had appeared.

The students who were training all swarmed out and created a commotion as they looked at her. The instructors raised their voices. They were sweating as they tried to control the students.

Aizel slightly smiled and lightly nodded her head. Nothing has changed hereㅡ.

“Teacherㅡ!”

Many of the instructors were also Aizel’s disciples. They were very pleased to see her.

“Oh, have you all been doing well?”

“Have you been doing well all this time, Teacher?”

“I’ve always been doing well.”

She exchanged light greetings and entered the building. There, the greetings didn’t stop either. It was only after going up to the third floor that the hallway became a bit quieter. Ji-hyuk, who was quietly following, said something.

“You’re very popular, aren’t you?”

“I’m a famous Fairy. I told you. Even a Duke can’t treat me carelessly.”

Aizel raised her chin slightly, saying, “Your teacher is a really great personㅡ.” Fairies usually have great pride in themselves, but she had even more. …I wonder how she worked so gently like a servant.

The two soon arrived in front of the Dean’s office. A young woman who looked like a secretary asked what they had come for.

“Tell them Aizel has arrived.”

The secretary went into the Dean’s office and reported it. Soon, she came out and bowed deeply, telling them to go in quickly.

“Ji-hyuk, you wait here for a moment.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

The Fairy left her disciple outside for a moment and went into the Dean’s office.

The old-looking Old Man saw her and smiled brightly, spreading his arms. He looked very pleased.

“…At first, I thought my ears were mistaken.”

“Aren’t you getting old, so your ears are going bad?”

“You act like you’re not getting old.”

“Then you become a Fairy too, you idiot.”

The two, man and woman, laughed and embraced each other. The reunion with an old friend made Aizel’s heart swell with affection.

“I thought I wouldn’t be happy to see you, since I’ve seen you so many times…”

“Aizel, you’ve gotten old too. You even say such things. Hmm?”

The two laughed. The Dean offered her a seat. And offered her a teacup with warm tea in front of her.

“So, why did you come here? It wouldn’t be just to see my face, coming all that distance. …Is it because of that person outside?”

“That’s right.”

There was no need to hide it.

“Who is it?”

“My disciple.”

“…Disciple?!”

This time, even the Dean was quite surprised. It was about three years ago that she had declared that she would no longer take on any disciples. Considering her personality, which always keeps her word, it was hard to believe.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t raise any more?”

“…It just happened that way.”

Aizel gave a meaningful smile.

“This is really the last time. …Really the last.”

“But, why did you come here?”

“Because of the recommendation letter.”

The Dean’s expression became serious.

“…You’re serious.”

“I put everything on the line. …I think meeting him was my destiny.”

“That much?”

“I can put my honor, or even my life on the line. He will definitely become the best on the continent.”

There was such strong conviction in Aizel’s eyes.

…Honestly, it was an event that would turn the continent upside down. The Fairy Aizel, called the teacher of Heroes, was so convinced that she would risk her life. Then, how great a talent was he!

“He’s a genius, unparalleled in history. To the point where I wonder if someone like this will ever appear again.”

Hohㅡ. The Dean wanted to meet him. How good would he have to be for her to have such conviction?

“Can I meet him?”

“Of course.”

Clangㅡ. The Dean rang the bell. The secretary came in.

“Bring the guest in.”

“Yes, Dean.”

Soon, Ji-hyuk entered. The Dean felt that this guy wasn’t ordinary from the restrained energy. Certainly, it was a real dealㅡ. He looked at his Fairy friend, wondering where she had found such a person.

“Elraim, do you remember?”

“…Ah, that Fairy?”

“She told me to meet you. So, he came to me.”

“I should give that child a gift sometime, hmm?”

The Dean smiled benignly.

“What’s your name?”

“My name is Gang Ji-hyuk.”

“As a fellow human, I am so happy to see such a great talent come out. A human, not a Fairyㅡ!”

Aizel’s expression slightly soured.

“…Did you just take a jab at me?”

“What jab?”

The Dean pretended that wasn’t the case. …In fact, he had given her a little jab. Ever since, Aizel had been singing how humans have no talentㅡ!

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Dean. I’ve heard a lot from Teacher.”

“Really? …You didn’t only hear good things, did you?”

“…I won’t deny it.”

The two humans laughed. The Fairy was indifferent.

“Then…, you’ve come to apply for the Hero Exam.”

“I will find my comrades in advance.”

The Dean already? He was about to say that, but he stopped. If he was confident of passing the first exam, then it wouldn’t be bad to find comrades in advance. Then, he could avoid some competition.

Of course, it was usually done after the first exam was over. Because there were so many competitive rivals, he couldn’t guarantee whether or not he would pass.

“By the way, can you stay here for a while until the exam is over?”

“Of course, that much.”

“By the way, tell the academy students not to act like they know me. Because it’s annoying. Got it?”

“…It’s hard to block them all, even if I tell them. You know that.”

“No, at least announce it that way.”

“You’ve got a lot of demands. …Alright, alright. I’ll do it, okay?”

When the Fairy glared a little, the Dean waved his hand and said he understood. Soon, Ji-hyuk and the Dean’s eyes met slightly.

━ You must have been through a lot.

━ You too.

The two exchanged such a conversation with their eyes.

“Anyway, get to know it. We’re tired, so we’ll go and rest.”

“You know where the Dormitory is, right? Use it wherever you want.”

“Okay. You don’t have to worry about us. We’ll take care of it. You’ll have a lot to worry about anyway.”

“Yes…, make yourself at home. If you need anything, tell me.”

Aizel and Ji-hyuk came out of the Dean’s office. The secretary stood up again and bowed her waist towards the two.

They left the main building and headed for the Dormitory building for Reception. It was a Dormitory occasionally provided for visitors from outside.

Aizel said to Ji-hyuk as soon as she put her luggage in the room.

“It’s a good place to train. But don’t stand out too much to the academy students. …You will also get a lot of attention. There’s nothing you can do about that, so be prepared. And from tomorrow, you will be very busy. Because there’s a lot of things to do.”

“Yes.”

“Okay, get some rest.”

“You rest well too, Teacher.”

The two headed to their respective rooms. Ji-hyuk went to the window and looked at the training ground in the distance. The academy students, who looked small like ants, were training hard to become Heroes.

It’s been a long timeㅡ.

It had been 16 years since he became a Hero in the 14th Round. …Everything was unfamiliar yet familiar.

He thought about the Hero Exam. The first one was honestly nothing much. All it was, was to line up the participants by fighting each other in a tournament style.

Of course, just because it was nothing much didn’t mean it wasn’t important. The order of selection for the second exam was determined by the rank of the first exam.

The second exam was to choose one of the actual missions that Heroes receive. Of course, the missions were all different and the difficulty level varied, so the order of selection was very important. The lower the rank, the higher the difficulty of the mission.

Of course, if you failed the mission, you had to drink the bitter cup of elimination as it was. Then, you had to look forward to the next exam.

So, it was also important to recruit comrades. …In fact, whether or not you had a strong backing here had a considerable influence. After all, if the candidate was from a great family, it would be much easier to find strong comrades.

It seemed like a very unequal structure for Earthlings, but surprisingly, they considered it natural here. It was the concept here to think that family or status was also one of the abilities they possessed. In a word, why is it bad to use what you have?

In that respect, Ji-hyuk, who had the backing of Aizel, was at a considerable advantage from the beginning. Because there would be few figures with as much influence as her among those from the Arhoenteu Academy.

…There should be a good guyㅡ.

Of course, whether he could satisfy Ji-hyuk’s high standards, he would have to see it for himself.