Chapter 50: Test
Hearing his words, Dapper didn’t respond. He didn’t feel pity or remorse for Shinro. After all, it was the same thing he used to do back in his early days as a thief in his previous world. Countryside kids were always the easiest targets, they were naive and too trusting. Since Shinro was from a village, it made sense he got swindled by rookie thieves.
"You got scammed because you were dumb. Why would you trust a stranger with your money?" Dapper said with a small chuckle.
"That’s the point! That’s exactly why I don’t want to trust you!" Shinro shot back, waving his hands as if to prove a point.
"But you’ve got nothing for me to steal. If you still think I’m a thief, fine. I don’t need to prove anything to you. Besides, I already got the answer I needed," Dapper shrugged casually.
Shinro sighed but still stayed next to him.
Suddenly, the massive academy gate swung open and a tall man, roughly six feet, stepped forward, dressed in an all-white suit with a matching hat perched on his head. As he approached, he removed the hat, revealing his face. He had short black hair and two dangling earrings. His features were sharp—defined brows, a chiseled jaw, and a noticeable pendant hanging from his neck. Dapper instantly recognized it—it was a holy church pendant. Uncle Roy often wore a similar one, though smaller in size.
The man halted a few feet away from the crowd.
"Sucks that I got stuck overseeing this year’s enlistment," the man muttered, scanning the crowd with calm, sharp eyes.
"My name is Deegan. I’ll be your instructor for this year’s academy intake. I’m also the only one in charge of screening. Over the years, we’ve seen a surge in fake applicants. As per the academy’s rules, only those with Combat or Magic systems are qualified. Yet, for some reason, Craft-type users still apply and last year hit an all-time high. Normally, we weed out the fakes during screening, but this year I personally requested to handle things... and I will punish anyone found lying," Deegan said, his tone turning serious.