“I will support you!”
Heria bound the bear’s feet with Ice Magic.
Taking advantage of the opening, Joshua activated the mana within his body and strengthened his muscles.
SLASH―
He slashed its flank with all his might, but the beast’s hide was so thick that he left only a shallow wound.
‘A thrust will work better than a slash.’
The ambushed bear turned toward Joshua and charged. The ice shattered before the enraged beast.
ROAR―!
Its massive forepaw came crashing down.
The instant Joshua noticed the attack, he rolled aside on instinct and escaped the shadow of death.
“The binding is not working! I am switching to offense!”
Heria made a swift decision.
“I will draw its attention.”
Joshua rose from the snow and lured the beast away from Lunae. Even amid the desperate situation, Heria calmly orchestrated her magic.
“O frost of the bitter cold, erupt.”
An Ice Crystal rose into the air and shattered in a brilliant burst. Its fragments dug into the bear’s entire body.
‘Now.’
As the enemy roared, Joshua shot his sword forward with blinding speed.
Drawing upon his enhanced strength, he pierced the thick hide and drove the steel deep into its wounded flank.
WHOOSH―!
Before he could pull the sword free, the beast endured the blow and counterattacked. Left with no choice, Joshua threw himself backward and caught his breath.
It truly was the strongest monster in the North.
“Joshua, use this!”
At that critical moment, Heria displayed quick thinking and created an Ice Sword with magic.
“Thank you.”
“Yes. I hardened it thoroughly, so it should hold together for one use.”
Joshua trusted his comrade’s magic. Without hesitation, he charged toward the bear.
ROAR―!
The enraged beast charged at Joshua as well.
Just before its savage teeth could tear into his face, he reinforced his lower body with mana and leaped high into the air.
Feeling the chill wind against his skin, Joshua hurled the sword. It lodged squarely in the bear’s back.
He continued into a somersault and landed perfectly on both feet.
“Detonate it!”
As though she had been waiting for the command, Heria chanted her spell.
“Explode!”
BOOM―!
The fragments drove deep into the wound. As blood poured from it, the bear’s movements gradually slowed.
As the tide turned in their favor, the wounded Lunae joined the battle.
“Devour it.”
Her spell displayed the raw destructive power unique to an Enhancement-Type Mage.
The bear, shrouded in murky mana, collapsed with a heavy thud.
“Rest, Lunae. Your wounds are severe.”
“I’m fine… I’m used to pain.”
“Even if you are accustomed to it, pain remains a terrible thing. Cherishing your own body is also part of chivalry.”
Alvan, who had been watching the three of them fight, finally emerged from his state of shock.
“…I’m sorry. I boasted so much, yet I failed to do my part.”
He berated himself as he began healing the girl’s wounds.
“There will be plenty of time for self-reflection later.”
Just then, the fallen bear began to rise.
“Let’s finish it, Joshua.”
Heria created another Ice Sword for him as she spoke.
Joshua nodded, approached the enemy, and baited it into attacking.
WHOOSH―
The instant its shoulder moved, Joshua accelerated sharply and slipped inside its reach. Its weakened strike cut through empty air.
“Freeze.”
Heria’s magic bound its injured leg.
In the meantime, Joshua retrieved the steel sword embedded in its flank and easily leaped above its head.
SHNK―
The sword pierced straight through the beast’s skull. After a brief convulsion, it stopped moving entirely.
Only then did Lunae quietly release a sigh.
“…I was a burden.”
“There is no need to apologize. The treatment has already regenerated your wounded flesh, so return to camp and rest.”
“…All right.”
Alvan approached the girl, who had lowered her head.
“I am truly sorry. When the bear attacked, my body would not move. If not for me, you would never have been injured. I said I would protect you, yet look at how pathetic I was.”
“…It’s all right. Thanks to you, I’m healed now.”
“No. I suppose I truly am unfit to become a knight. I thought building up my body would rid me of fear, but inside, I am still weak.”
Joshua lightly patted the boy on the shoulder.
“What lies within is important, but so is a strong exterior. You already possess an excellent vessel. We can work together to make what lies inside worthy of it. Take heart, Alvan.”
“Joshua…!”
Alvan shed tears of emotion and pulled Joshua into an embrace.
“You are a true leader! Very well, I will strive to improve, just as you said!”
Joshua pried the reinvigorated boy away and carved meat from the fallen bear. With that, they had secured enough food for several days.
“Let us return. You two should divide the food between you. Lunae, climb onto my back.”
“…I can walk by myself.”
“This is not merely consideration for you. It is a decision made for the sake of the team. Everyone is exhausted, so we should return quickly and rest.”
The empty-eyed girl obeyed without further protest.
As he began walking, Joshua offered her gentle advice.
“Lunae, when you have comrades beside you to lean upon, rely on them without reservation. Only then will they be able to rely upon you just as freely.”
“…All right.”
At last, the girl relaxed. Her chest naturally rested against his back, and he could feel her heart beating rather quickly.
“By the way, Joshua, how are you capable of moving like that?”
Heria asked as she walked beside him.
“It is a swordsman’s basic discipline. Just as you must be able to control magic, we must be able to control our bodies.”
“That is considered basic… I suppose there is a reason swordsmen disappeared.”
Her barbed words cut him to the bone. Since she was right, he could offer no reply.
When Joshua’s expression fell, Heria belatedly waved both hands.
“I-I did not mean to disparage the sword!”
“It is fine. It is the truth. More importantly, your judgment in battle was excellent. Were you thoroughly educated from a young age?”
“T-That is….”
The flustered girl evaded the question.
‘She appears to be the daughter of a noble house. Does she want to conceal her origins?’
Reading the desperation in her eyes, Joshua did not press her further. They followed the marks and quickly returned to the campsite.
“Is everyone safe?”
Galev rushed out the moment he heard them approaching.
Joshua lowered Lunae from his back and briefly explained what had happened.
“A-A bear? Still, I’m glad no one was seriously injured.”
“Yes. By good fortune, we managed to protect everyone.”
“You must all be exhausted, so get some rest. I’ll make dinner. I’m a good cook.”
Galev rolled up his sleeves and approached the fire.
He roasted the meat over the campfire with several herbs, reducing its distinctive gamey odor.
‘…As expected, elves are exceptional cooks.’
After finishing the excellent meal, they established a Night Watch rotation and lay down inside the warm shelter.
Heria and Joshua took the first and final watches, respectively, while Galev and Alvan volunteered for the more difficult middle shifts.
Lunae was allowed to rest throughout the night and would take a middle watch the following day.
“May we all awaken safely.”
The second day of the examination passed without incident.
Since they already had food and shelter, the necessities of survival, they spent all their time keeping watch over the area and training individually.
With snow everywhere, they did not need to worry about drinking water.
However, as soon as the following day arrived, cracks began to form in what had seemed likely to be an uneventful examination.
That night, they had fallen asleep amid a tremendous snowstorm.
“E-Everyone, wake up!”
Galev, who had been standing watch, urgently awakened his teammates.
“What is it?”
Joshua instinctively seized his sword as he asked.
“There is an ominous sound coming from farther up the mountain. It sounds as though something is rushing down toward us.”
Joshua’s heart dropped.
“It is an avalanche! Everyone, run!”
In the dim predawn darkness, before the sun had risen, nature launched its assault.
“S-Should we not take the food?”
“We can find more food, Alvan! Our lives matter more!”
Joshua, who had remained calm even before the bear, was visibly agitated.
He had lost countless comrades to avalanches before.
“It will be too late if we run downhill! Move sideways along the ridge!”
With a deafening roar, masses of snow and shattered trees surged down the mountain. The disaster approached far faster than they had imagined.
“I will try to stop it with magic!”
Heria raised an Ice Barrier. However, as expected, it collapsed almost immediately.
“Th-This cannot be….”
“There is no time to panic! Run! If it comes to it, we must consider shattering the Crystal Orb!”
They ran desperately to escape death’s grasp, but the avalanche continued to spread farther to either side.
‘Could someone… be causing the avalanche deliberately?’
Just as suspicion hardened into certainty, a red flame flashed within Joshua’s vision.
SLASH―
Joshua immediately kicked off the ground and cut through the spell.
As the powerless attack dissipated, mocking laughter came from the source of the avalanche.
“You pathetic sword-wielders! Get out of the sacred Squire Examination!”
It was the fire-wielding boy who had displayed exceptional ability during the obstacle race.
“You claim to aspire to knighthood, yet you would do something this dangerous!”
“Shut up! How could sword-wielding fools like you ever become knights?”
His teammates joined him and unleashed a barrage of magic.
As Joshua continued defending against their attacks, his team lost any chance to flee.
The avalanche was already crashing down directly above them.
‘Why are the Instructors not intervening?’
Under the rules, the fire-wielding boy’s actions warranted immediate disqualification.
“I will buy us as much time as I can!”
Heria drew out her mana to its limit and erected another Ice Barrier. The two swordsmen and Lunae devoted themselves entirely to defending it.
“It seems you are the one I should target?”
A blast of Fire Magic suddenly shot toward Heria.
‘No!’
Joshua was too far away to block it.
If Heria fell, they would all be wiped out. If the Instructors did not intervene, every one of them might die.
BOOM―!
A heart-stopping explosion thundered, and smoke billowed outward.
Yet the burly Alvan stood before Heria, shielding her.
“Y-You!”
“I will be fine. I can simply heal the wound.”
Though blood flowed down his back, Alvan smiled. The courage of the once-timid boy had saved them all.
“L-Let us see how long you can withstand this!”
The flustered enemy gathered the flames he had scattered and compressed them into a single mass.
However, Joshua refused to allow Alvan’s sacrifice to be in vain.
‘The backlash will be immense… but I can worry about that later.’
FWOOSH―!
Joshua closed his resolute eyes and opened them once more. Blue light burst from his gaze.
At that moment, the mana throughout the area answered the call of the blessed one.
“W-What? My magic!”
The raging flames died away, and Aura—the power of Joshua’s conviction—rippled along his sword.
‘O you who walk the Path of the Sword, you shall become one whom death and cold fear.’
It was Joshua’s unique Secret Technique, which allowed him to transcend his limits through the Sacred Eye.
“Snow Mountain Breaker!”
The force shot forward, plunging the world into silence as it split the avalanche in two.
After severing every one of the enemy’s magical staves, it vanished immediately.
“W-What in the world was that…?”
Having come face-to-face with death, their enemies’ legs gave out beneath them, and they collapsed.
Joshua’s comrades could not utter a word. The display had been utterly overwhelming.
“Cough.”
Blood surged up from Joshua’s organs as the price of wielding such power. He would likely have to devote the next several days entirely to recovery.
“Are you all right, Joshua?”
Alvan hurried over and cast Healing Magic upon him. Thanks to the treatment, Joshua’s breathing eased considerably.
“Everyone, halt! By my authority as an Instructor, I am temporarily suspending the examination.”
At last, a stern-looking woman appeared.