Chapter 68
“{……Roll to the left.}”
Daphne obediently rolled de-gur-rur to the left.
Immediately following the commanding words, she obediently rolled to the right, did a plank, completed push-ups, and then did jumping jacks. There was no sign of hesitation in the process.
So Daphne stood out uniquely among hundreds of children. Not only Kenrick, but also Nike and Fiona discovered Daphne and their eyes widened.
‘One two, one two.’
But Daphne was calm.
And for good reason, because this kind of training was all too familiar to Daphne.
-Dragon. Head down.
-Dragon. Roll. Roll. More!
-Dragon…….
Do you know how humiliating it is for a great dragon to be called a lizard?
Daphne had endured under Bertio for years, gritting her teeth through that humiliation.
Therefore, she could fully handle this child’s play-like training.
“{Everyone stand up.}”
How much time had passed? At Kenrick’s words, Daphne quickly stood up. Kenrick scanned the children with indifferent eyes and said.
“{As I said, those who didn’t move are all eliminated. Follow the assistant and go outside.}”
Then the surprised children screamed.
“No, what can you evaluate with this!”
“Ye, yes! We just couldn’t move because we were surprised by the sudden command!”
“Please give us another chance!”
Kenrick’s brows narrowed. He noticed that most of the protesting children were from noble families.
“{Do you think the Specters announce and attack? Do you plan to make the same excuse in front of them?}”
“Th, that……!”
“{Follow the assistant and go outside. If you disobey, I’ll hold your family responsible.}”
“Ugh……!”
The children with faces flushed red stomped their feet and huffed as if unable to contain their anger.
“What kind of place is this! Fine! Let go!”
“I’m going out and telling my father everything! Just you wait!”
Why do those kids all say the same things.
Kenrick clicked his tongue and turned his gaze back to the other children.
“{A total of 114 remain. But the number is still high. I plan to drop the number of enrollees to less than half of this.}”
“Wh, what?”
“Wh, what does that……!”
“{From now on, run around the training ground.}”
He pointed to the wide training ground and said.
“{There is no set time. Run until 50 remain.}”
“Uh, uh……?!”
“For real?”
“{Run!}”
Right then, a black-haired boy dashed out first. Behind him, children gritting their teeth started running as if eating mustard while crying.
And Daphne was running slowly at the very back with the slowest speed.
“Ha?”
Kenrick’s lips curled up seeing Daphne.
“At this rate, she might really pass?”
***
“Ugh, ah…… S, save me…….”
“Haa, ha…… Ho, how many are left?”
The children were running in an exhausted state.
During the time the sun lengthened by half a span, the number of children reduced to nearly half, but it seems it hasn’t reached below 50 yet.
Normally, wouldn’t they just let it go at this point? What if someone collapses like this?
The children who initially thought they’d be lenient gradually realized this was no joke, so they were gritting their teeth and running somehow.
“I, I feel like dying…….”
Bunny, who thought he had confidence in stamina from living in the mountains, but apparently not. It felt like his breath would stop any moment.
He wanted to give up like the eliminated children, but then mom would be disappointed. He wants to be a son mom can be proud of. He doesn’t want to disappoint anymore.
So Bunny shut his eyes tight and took one step, then another.
But mental strength and physical strength are strictly different areas.
“Ah!”
His weakened legs couldn’t support his body, and he eventually fell forward.
‘I’m hitting!’
Bunny shut his eyes tight and prepared for the impending impact.
But even after a few seconds, he didn’t hit anything. Bunny then slowly opened his eyes.
Right then, the face of a child with splendid golden hair occupied half his view.
Next, clear light green pupils contrasting with the somewhat hollow complexion were seen.
Uh…… Who? Bunny blinked.
“If you’re going to fall, at least do a breakfall, you almost hurt your face.”
“Uh, uh……!”
“Not many left. Run.”
“Th, uh, ye, thank you!”
“Okay.”
Bunny blankly stared at the back of the child running ahead.
Smaller than him, skinny, and even looking haggard. Yet the blonde child was running with eyes sparkling more than anyone.
The child was running slowly from the very back, but didn’t seem like she’d be eliminated. Because her breathing was much more regular than his, unlike him.
‘Capital kids are amazing…… Even that small, but strength is different.’
Feeling a bit of self-deprecation, but Bunny soon shook his head vigorously and started running again.
Because he didn’t want to lose here!
***
“Ugh, ah…….”
“Passed, passed…… passed…….”
“Uweeek!”
The children who made it into the 50 and passed lay on the ground gasping for breath. At the end, because a couple were tumbling over each other, it took a long time.
“Hmm.”
Kenrick looked down at the children with arms crossed.
Even just the noble children he knows total eight. He thought only two or three would remain, but more remained than expected.
‘It can change again in the last test.’
Kenrick briefly met eyes with Nike standing behind, then turned his head again to look down at the children.
“{With this, 50 remain. But the number is still high.}”
“Aaack! At this point, just pass us!”
“{The number is high.}”
“That crazy…….”
Kenrick glanced down at the silver-haired girl boldly cursing, then cleared his voice again.
“{The last test is sparring.}”
Sparring? We haven’t learned swordsmanship or anything?
The non-noble children muttered that, and the noble children sparkled their eyes thinking it was finally their turn.
However, that expectation was very brief.
“{In consideration of those who haven’t learned swords yet, weapons are prohibited, and you can only compete with pure physical strength. The moment a knee touches the ground, eliminated.}”
Kenrick continued firmly.
“{This also continues until 30 remain. Not one-on-one, one-on-many is possible. Just running away is possible. But you must not go outside this training ground.}”
In short, fistfight until 30 remain.
Murmuring grew among the children.
“{Now, start!}”
But Kenrick shouted loudly without caring if they were flustered or not.
Well, we all did it too, so these kids can do it. He thought, being the epitome of an old fogey.
“Uh, uh…….”
The children rolled their eyes and gauged each other. But among them, there were children who moved quickly.
It was the black-haired boy who dashed out first in the run. He strongly kicked the back of the knee of the boy next to him.
“Uwaak!”
“……One.”
Next, he immediately jumped and grabbed the neck of the child dazing next to him and slammed down.
Boom! The hit child fainted right away and foamed at the mouth.
“Two.”
The black-haired boy licked his lips and flew up, and with that as a cue, other children came to their senses and started
dashing out.
“Ah, aaack!”
“Come at me! Aaack!”
They started hitting and fighting each other, and one or two began dropping out.
Kenrick looked down at the children with a proud expression.
That’s when.
“Ha! Lowborn bastards dare……! Get lost, get lost!”
A chubby boy started huffing and growling.
“You, you……! Do you know who I am?! If you come at me, just try! I’ll destroy your family when I get out!”
Then the children hesitated.
No matter that all are trainees, the fundamental status difference can’t be ignored.
In a situation where noble children are openly threatening, there was no child who could easily step up.
Hans Viscount’s second son, Jo laughed giggling seeing the scared children.
From their appearance, they were obviously commoners or lowly, so he could openly disregard them like this.
“Hey! Fine! All kneel! How dare you stand straight in front of me?”
Jo shouted kicking the belly of a nearby commoner child. The children hesitated and gauged.
Then they looked at Kenrick, who was watching the whole situation but calmly observing. Seeing him yawn widely, the children were sure he would absolutely not resolve this situation.
What to do? Dark air sank below the training ground.
That’s when.
“Kneel, you bas, aak!”
Jo who was speaking fell right down. Because he was hit on the back of the head.
“What. Who the hell……!”
“Me.”
Behind the fallen Jo, a blonde child suddenly appeared.
“Who are you?”
Right then, Jo’s face started turning pale white. He immediately recognized who the child who hit him was.
“I’m Daphne though.”
The rascal of the archduke family, Daphne
Akion.
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By Anna 💓
