Iron Blooded Hound

"...."

Vikir stood there, his face still expressionless.

And behind him, a female student with white hair walked out.

Sinclair, the head of the Hot Class.

She walked toward the stage, as if sensing it was her turn.

"Class A, Hot Mages. Number 69. Are you Sinclair?"

By this time, she heard Professor Sady's voice calling out Sinclair's name.

It was a line of genuine interest.

Despite being from a commoner's background, Sinclair's performance in practical and written exams is better than anyone else's.

Not only that, but she has a reputation as an alpha girl who takes multiple general education classes, clubs, volunteer work, and a part-time job in her spare time.

In fact, Sinclair's name is known to students, professors, and even some of the most polarizing parents who are interested in the inner goings-on at the academy.

Is that why? Professor Sady had her eye on Sinclair.

Dolores stepped up to Sinclair's side, looking concerned.

"Sinclair, you might as well drop out of the exam. In addition to being a professor at the Academy, Professor Sady is an advisor to the Imperial Guard's Arrest and Torture Unit, which means she's very capable, and she's just as likely to do you harm as she is to be a cranky professor who'll try to bully you if she sees a talented student."

But. Sinclair shook his head, looking more determined than ever.

"I was expecting that."

"...what?"

"I've been expecting it, more or less, since my proctor became Professor Sady."

Sinclair lifted her head. Her sparkling gaze was fixed on Dolores.

"I appreciate your concern, Ms. President. But I need to do well on these exams so I can get a scholarship to pay for my tuition."

"... I see what you're saying, but Professor Sady's case isn't typical. Even if you fail this exam, I'm sure your professors in other subjects will make up for it somehow, whether it's by giving you extra credit or extra points or whatever."

"... but."

Sinclair turned her head.

She could see a number of students lying there, groaning.

The damage was especially severe among the hot class, who had relatively little stamina compared to the cold class.

Seeing this, Sinclair bit her lip tightly.

"I can't hide from the person who made my friends look like that."

"...."

"I want to take the test on the same terms as my friends, Ms. President."

Sinclair's desperation was enough to get through to Dolores.

Why don't I know? Dolores had been a freshman herself when her friendships with her classmates were strong.

"...Yes. There is such a thing as comradeship and country love."

"Thank you, Ms. President!"

"No problem. But if you're in any real danger, you should give up the test and run right to me. I'll heal you."

"Yes!"

Sinclair replied with a flourish and leaped up onto the stage.

Now, Professor Sady's curious gaze is on Sinclair.

The innocent look of a child looking down at an insect to tear it apart.

"Oh, so you're 'the' Sinclair, the one with the good grades, the great combat skills, the sweet personality, the good nature, and all the classes, volunteer work, and clubs?"

"Thank you. You're flattering me."

"Wow, you have a nice voice. You have a pretty face, too."

Professor Sady began to ramble on.

"It must be worth ruining."

The atmosphere would have been quite warm if it weren't for that last comment.

Tsutsutsutsuts...

At this point, Professor Sady's aura began to radiate.

Professor Sady's avatar, a mud golem that closely resembled her figure, stood up on its slender legs.

In its hand, it held a long vine whip.

The golem's mouth moved to convey Professor Sady's voice.

[There's been a ridiculous rumor going around the school lately that I'm bullying a talented student.]

Sinclair cringes at the words.

Rumors? Surely Professor Sady's true intentions were not jealousy or inferiority complexes?

Sinclair was confused for a moment, wondering if she had misunderstood.

But Professor Sady's next words were certainly more insane.

That must be a real misunderstanding, because... [I bully everyone, talented or not, hohohoho!]

At the same time, the golem's whip flew out.

Crack-

With a loud crack, the stone floor cracked.

Sinclair dove and dodged, but the whip moved as if it were alive, chasing after Sinclair's feet.

Kiririk-

With a vicious motion, like a salmosa...

[Except that the talented ones struggle a little longer, so they're unusually full of it.] hohoho!]

"...."

Was that Sancho back there? I guess he had some expectations, but the academy's standards have dropped a lot, and such a lump of lousy talent is the ace in the hole for cold class. I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed.

Professor Sady licks her dry lips with her tongue and continues to flick them into thin air.

[How about you?] Try acting like an ace in the hot class game.

At the same time, the whip makes countless bends and knots, bursting the air around it.

Puff-puff-puff! Crack, crack, crack, crack!

The surrounding cobblestones explode.

Sinclair cast a wind spell on her body to help her move faster.

"Haste!"

With a quickened movement, Sinclair dodged the noose created by the whip and moved to the edge of the training grounds.

Speed like the wind, indeed.

But.

[Haste? That's how fast you can move with haste. Kid, if you do that in real life, you'll die right away.

Professor Sady's golem caught up with Sinclair's movements far too easily.

"Huh!"

This gasp came not only from Sinclair's mouth but also from the mouths of all the students and professors watching the test.

Sady piloted the golem with such ease that even the professors were amazed at her godlike skill.

Ordinary professors, no matter how skilled in combat they were, could not control a golem from a distance so perfectly.

A body synchronized to a golem has a slight slowdown when moving, and the golem also has a momentary synchronization delay when it is avatarized.

Additionally, the distance jamming would be more challenging as you would be trying to intercept a distant opponent, and you would be unable to calculate the difference in length or thickness between your limbs and the golem's limbs, which would introduce small errors.

But.

[Hohohoho—you don't get points for running away, do you?]

Professor Sady had none of that.

Her incredible focus and physicality flowed like water, as if she were actually fighting the student in front of her.

It's as if she's actually in close combat with the person in front of her.

"That's right. I don't get points for running away, so thanks for the advice!"

Sinclair stood firm and cast a spell.

A multiple-spell cast.

Three circles, three layers, nine mana circles in all.

Quack, quack, quack, quack!

A whopping three Class 3 magic spells exploded.

A song of fire, ice, and wind.

She has a tremendous talent rarely seen at her age. In terms of mana affinity alone, she could match or surpass the mages of House Morg.

However.

[Hohohoho-]

Seeing the spears of fire, ice, and wind, Professor Sady could only chuckle softly.

[Hohohoho- The Aces of the Hot Class are nothing special, either. [I would rather be bothered by the big guys from Varangian.]

Professor Sady muttered, her interest waning.

And then.

Pfft!

With a single kick, all of Sinclair's magic was destroyed.

"Kuck!"

Mana flowed back as the spells were forcibly canceled.

Sinclair stumbled backwards, blood pouring from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Above her head, the golem's fists and kicks began to rain down.

Quack, quack, quack, quack!

The physicality of Professor Sady's golems was astonishing.

The amount of mana that can be injected into the golem is obviously limited, but Professor Sady chooses the moves that are most efficient with that limited amount of mana.

This, coupled with the unparalleled physicality of the explosive bursts of mana, results in an unbelievable level of control over the golem.

Insanely flexible, bizarrely contorted, incomprehensibly bent, and monstrously fast.

It's as if its entire body is one long whip.

"Kyaaaagh!"

Sinclair couldn't help but scream.

Sinclair stumbles backwards, frantically dodging the golem's fists and kicks.

And then she hears the voice of the Grim Reaper in her ear.

Oh, no, my dear, there's something else you've forgotten. Have you forgotten my whip? ]

The golem's fists and kicks are so fearsome that she forgets for a moment.

Professor Sady's primary weapon is a whip.

"...!?"

Sinclair snapped out of her reverie, and she could see the whip stalks sprawling around her body like some kind of bird.

... snap!

The noose tightened in an instant, binding Sinclair's entire body in a single bound.

"...! ...! ...! ...! "

Unable to move, Sinclair turned her head.

Killheel's pointed heel came so close that it almost touched the surface of Sinclair's eyeball.

seupas!

Sinclair quickly jerked his head back to avoid Professor Sady's kick, but not the second one that followed.

... Pow!

A heavy middle kick.

Sinclair didn't need to see it to know that all of her ribs were broken, piercing her internal organ.

Sinclair was sent flying through the air.

Like a kite with a broken string, she tumbled out of the arena.

At the same time, a status window popped up.

<Cadet Sinclair, A Class-069, Hot Mages>.

<Professor: Sady>

Effective hits: 3 (1 point each)

Effective dodges: 16 (1 point each)

Effective Defense: 0 (1 point each)

Critical hits: 0 (10 points each)

Total score: 19 points

Top of the class. Never missing out on first place in any test, her total score was only 19 points.

Barely above average.

"Sinclair!?"

A startled Dolores picked up the falling Sinclair.

Heal Magic was cast on Sinclair, who coughed up blood.

The professors rushed over and began to heal her.

Meanwhile, Sinclair looked up at Dolores and smiled faintly.

"I'm sorry, Ms. President..."

"Don't talk, Sinclair; it takes time for your internals to heal!"

"Cough! Cough! I guess I won't get the scholarship."

At that, Dolores cried and held Sinclair's hand tightly.

For all we know, Dolores could pay Sinclair's tuition.

She was quite wealthy, coming from the prestigious Quovadis family.

But that wasn't what mattered now.

It was about doing things on her own, whether it was exams or tuition, without anyone else's help.

That's what mattered to Sinclair.

Then.

"Hohohoho-"

Laughter pierced the silence.

Professor Sady. She was smiling broadly at Sinclair's tears.

"Are you crying because you didn't get the scholarship? Honey, I'll pay for it; don't cry about it; you're not a beggar."

Not an unknowing remark, but a knowing one. It made Sinclair's stomach flip twice.

Students and professors alike stiffen at Prof. Sady's words, like thorns on a tongue.

... but.

There was one person whose face didn't change at all.

"...."

Vikir. He just stares at Professor Sady with his usual expressionless face.

But.

Professor Sady opened her mouth to speak, and Vikir's expression finally broke through.

"Okay, let's get right to it. Next on the agenda is class B of the Cold Warriors."

Her flesh-colored eyes snapped open and rolled in Vikir's direction.

Then her lips curled in a soft arc, crimson against her pale skin.

"Piggy. Come up?"

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