I Don't Want to Join a Faction

After everyone had finished their assessments, John gathered the group and began to announce the results:

"...All of the above individuals have passed this assessment."

In truth, despite the display of god-like prowess on the field, many apprentices were unaccustomed to using a sword or were so preoccupied with other matters that they had not attended the swordsmanship assessment at all.

The many apprentices present held their breath, focusing intently; the announcement that followed was what they truly cared about. They had worked so hard for this very moment.

"The five who achieved 'Excellent' are Fran, Bella, Mason, Lit, and Lotus."

Upon hearing the names of those who achieved excellence, many apprentices turned pale, as if unable to believe the reality of it, their hands and feet beginning to tremble.

One apprentice of noble birth had known deep down that his performance was poor, but he had still clung to a sliver of hope.

Yet the result struck him deeply; without even an 'Excellent' rating, the recommendation would certainly not fall to him.

His vision nearly went black, and he almost fainted, but fortunately, an apprentice who had failed the course caught him.

"Are you alright?"

"I... I... I'm fine."

He spoke the words with a ghastly complexion, his heart already sinking as he contemplated the terrifying consequences.

If he failed to enter the Sword Chant School through this recommendation, a dark future awaited him.

His father would likely be disappointed in him from this day forward and would stop sending the monthly allowance of ten silver coins.

He would either have to slink back to his territory and, relying on a physique barely sufficient to be a knight's squire, serve as a lowly attendant to his younger brother or someone else.

Or, he could join the war in Antir, where life and death were uncertain, and hope he was lucky enough to earn a knighthood.

He knew there were other channels to enter the Sword Chant School, but none were as simple as this, and they all required connections.

Without even an 'Excellent' rating, could he possibly pass through those even more rigorous channels?

"Don't take it to heart; swordsmanship isn't a mandatory course for graduation anyway."

The apprentice who had failed the course was quite optimistic. He didn't know the man who had nearly fainted and assumed he was reacting to his own failure.

"As long as you pass the mandatory courses that follow, that's all that matters. Those 'Excellent' ratings and such are just toys for the big shots."

"Once you graduate, you'll definitely be able to find work in other cities."

The noble-born apprentice looked at him, completely failing to understand the meaning behind these words. Could those jobs provide servants to wait on him?

After John finished reading the list of those who achieved excellence, he continued:

"Additionally, I have three recommendation spots for the 'Swordsman' club affiliated with the Sword Chant School. I will select three from the 'Excellent' apprentices to receive these recommendations."

As soon as these words were spoken, some apprentices who hadn't known about this were struck with realization. So there were recommendation spots! No wonder so many people had honed their swordsmanship to such a degree.

It turned out others were just too strong, competing for this chance to become a 'High-Level Apprentice'; it wasn't that he was too incompetent to even learn basic swordsmanship.

Mason also clenched his fists, yearning for his name to be among those about to be called.

Ever since the first sparring session in the swordsmanship course, Teacher John had told him about this, and he had begun to work twice as hard, studying sword techniques.

Until today, he felt that not a single day had been wasted; he had poured everything into securing this chance to become a 'High-Level Apprentice'.

Choosing the swordsmanship course had originally been a mistake, but in the subsequent lessons, the sword had become increasingly natural in his hand, and he had never been happier.

Yet at this moment, he felt lost. He knew his swordsmanship had reached its peak, but Teacher John had regretfully told him that physical fitness was also a crucial part of the assessment.

He was powerless; his finances could not support the use of a Breathing Technique, so his physique was left far behind by those noble-born students.

If he only had fifty silver coins, he could have improved his physique significantly—not enough to match the nobles, but it wouldn't have been such a wide gap.

But he didn't, so he could only stand there quietly, waiting for the final result.

He had fantasized that John might show some favoritism, but John had explicitly told him that he would be impartial.

"Fran, Bella, and Lit are the three who have ultimately earned this qualification. I hope that you will be able to..."

Upon hearing the first two names, Mason was not surprised; he knew those two were far beyond the reach of apprentices like them...

But when he heard the final name, he felt his heart drop. Only disappointment remained, and his clenched fists loosened.

From his right, a sound of indescribable surprise escaped—an accidental outburst that sounded jarring amidst the murmurs of the apprentices.

He wanted to let out a breath, but he found he couldn't draw it in.

"Teacher John, I do not wish to join the Sword Chant School at this time."

The scene fell silent. Mason looked at Fran in disbelief, certain that the voice had come from her.

A premonition struck him, causing his fallen heart to rise again. The breath he had been holding in his chest remained stuck, but it had shifted significantly higher.

"Are you saying you do not want my recommendation?"

"Yes. I still wish to look into other schools and see what their magic is like."

John found it hard to accept. A talent so clearly suited for the Sword Chant School was actually saying they wanted to see what other schools were like.

"But you... Very well. If you still wish to join the Sword Chant School, come find me."

He truly had not expected Fran to refuse the recommendation. If he were asked to choose who most resembled a member of the Sword Chant School, he would have ranked Fran ahead of those who had already ascended to become formal mages.

Yet Fran had refused. Was this not madness? It was rare enough for a normal person to have a talent for Breathing Techniques; did she also think she had immense talent for magic?

Even so, the Sword Chant School remained the most suitable place for her, so he told Fran that if she ever changed her mind, she could come find him.

He believed that any other channel would undoubtedly offer Fran a recommendation spot, so he was essentially leaving a convenient path open for her, sparing her the need to seek out further opportunities to prove herself.

"Thank you, Teacher John. Thank you for respecting my choice."

"Since you do not want this recommendation spot, I will grant you four points instead."

He continued, his tone tinged with delight:

"If Fran does not want this spot, then it shall go to the fourth-place candidate."

The reason he did not try to persuade Fran further was, first, he knew that obtaining such a spot was effortless for her; given Fran's level of skill, it was the Sword Chant School that needed her to join.

Second, this led to another outcome he had been anticipating.

"Then, Mason shall be the final person I recommend..."

Mason was so overjoyed he nearly jumped, hot tears spilling from his eyes as the heavy weight in his chest finally vanished.