Chapter 34: To the Academy
The Rookie Selection Tournament held annually at the Academy was one of the Empire’s three great recruitment gateways, alongside the Imperial Youth Swordsmanship Competition and the Tower Exchange Meet. For gifted newcomers, it was a major event.
Of those three, the Youth Swordsmanship Competition only took place once every three years, and the Exchange Meet—due to the nature of the Tower—was conducted in near-total secrecy. Thus, the Selection Tournament, held every year and open to outside spectators, was by far the most widely watched competition, drawing attention from powerful figures across the continent.
Naturally, Academy students saw it as a golden opportunity to showcase their skills to potential sponsors. Competition was fierce.
“So... you're saying my little sister is currently first in line as a candidate?”
“She’s not just first—she’s practically already confirmed.”
The problem was that, according to Parsha’s analysis, my sister had broken through that competition and was already designated as the replacement participant for the vacant spot.
“...What’s your basis for that?”
“Well, it’s not in alphabetical order, and it’s definitely not first-come-first-serve. The list looks weirdly ordered by skill. And since the info Bergen got was internal data from the Academy, it makes sense to assume it's ranked by strength.”
I asked just in case she was unwell and had made a mistake, but the logic Parsha laid out was sound—even to me.
“Lunelle, what would you say is my sister’s skill level, objectively?”
“...If she entered the same swordsmanship tournament I competed in, with her current skill, she'd rank in the upper tiers. If she’s lucky, maybe even fourth place.”
Growing anxious, I turned to Lunelle—who had taken to following me everywhere, even to the bathroom—since the last incident. But what I got in return was an unexpectedly high appraisal.