When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 148

Episode 148

Jez was astonished at the immense power of his step, which exceeded his expectations. Despite his attempt to downplay it with a nonchalant remark, it was clear he was genuinely surprised. 

Normally, in his morning training and during classes, he didn’t have the chance to release his full magical power. So he didn’t fully understand his current capabilities, leading to this unexpected result. 

Before coming to the Royal Academy, Jez had trained extensively in the expansive training grounds of North’s core city, Foresval. He had been honing his skills there, practicing full-power magical releases and other techniques. The quality of the training grounds in Foresval was exceptionally high, especially with Gerald Norman being there. The strength of humanity’s strongest man often led to changes in the terrain during training.

Additionally, Foresval’s larger land area compared to the capital allowed for more lavish use of space. The Royal Academy, on the other hand, lacked such extensive space and facilities. While the grand coliseum met these conditions, it was not suited for everyday use.

As a result, Jez usually practiced his movement and magical power in separate sessions, either near the dormitory, in regular sports fields, or indoor training areas. With further advice from Victor and others, he had made considerable modifications. It made him somewhat uncertain about his true abilities. Jez frowned, realizing this was not ideal, but decided to put thoughts of training aside until after the exams.

The field had become a mess due to Jez’s powerful step, but the 10-minute limit had not yet expired. About 7 or 8 minutes remained. The scoring teachers and the spectators who had been watching Jez’s exam were regaining their composure and intently watching his progress. This was the level of concentration expected from Royal Academy students.

Although Jez had caused significant damage to the arena with his Earth-Shaking Step, he was unsure how many targets he had actually destroyed. The goal of this exam was to destroy the targets. Jez began to worry that he might not have destroyed any targets at all and rushed to the center of the collapsed field.

However, upon entering the field, he found that no targets were appearing. It seemed the targets were malfunctioning. Jez searched for a while, but the rubble and dust made it hard to see. With the remaining time dwindling, the situation was looking less than ideal.

Jez checked the condition of the gloves and boots Victor had given him before the exam. He decided to make one last effort. He clenched his fists, readying himself. Victor, watching from the stands, was reportedly smiling broadly.

Miriam noticed Victor’s smile and approached him, demanding to know what he had done. But Victor managed to evade her pursuit. He had trained hard every morning and knew that he couldn’t be easily caught by Miriam.

Regarding the gloves and boots Victor had given Jez, which he had received with suspicion but later discovered to be useful, they turned out to be prototype evaluation-type Conceptual Armaments. These Armaments, meant to embody specific concepts, usually change shape. However, Victor’s creation was designed to amplify the concept embodied by its current shape.

For example, the boots were intended to enhance the power needed to tread any terrain, while the battle gloves were meant to enhance the force of punches and protect the fists. While this was meaningful, the Armaments were still far from their final form in terms of effectiveness and power.

Unaware that he was using prototype evaluation-type Conceptual Armaments, Jez struggled to control his power accurately. Nevertheless, standing firm in the center of the combat field, he pressed on with the goal of the exam.

After a few practice swings of his fists, Jez aimed to find the right amount of force.

“…Hmph.”

Earth Strike.

With a light breath, Jez struck the ground with the intent to destroy the targets embedded in the arena’s combat field. However, the gloves, responding to Jez’s strong will to break something, emitted a faint glow. As he continued to strike the ground, the Royal Academy’s grand coliseum literally lifted from the impact of the Earth Strike.

・　・　・

“I honestly think I overdid it.”

Jez and Victor were summoned not just by their homeroom teacher and examiners, but also by the vice principal, principal, and even the school’s board of directors.

The conclusion of this incident was that the issue was caused by Victor’s magical tools (provisional). Normally, the use of weapons or magical tools is not prohibited in the Royal Academy’s exams, as acquiring good weapons is considered part of one’s skill. 

However, Victor’s specially made gloves and boots were deemed excessive. Consequently, Jez’s martial arts exam would be retaken.

Interestingly, despite the trouble this caused for the teachers, Jez was still able to score extraordinarily high in martial arts without Victor’s gloves and boots. However, the initial impact of the event led to mixed reviews of Jez Norman within the academy. Although there was no doubt about his strength, the exceptional power seemed to be attributed to the magical tools.

Jez himself did not actively address these rumors. As a result, his reputation remained divided throughout the exam period.

On the other hand, Victor, having obtained excellent combat data from the prototype evaluation-type Conceptual Armaments, was pleased and continued to advance his research.