Chapter 287

Before the entrance exam, I went to Sung Yu-Da to seek his advice once again.

I tried to avoid meeting Ha-Yeon by meeting Sung Yu-Da outside his house.

Sung Yu-Da analyzed and handed me the contents of all the Central Paladin Order entrance exams for the past few years, the list of successful candidates, and the personalities of the interviewers and examiners for this year.

As I read the chaotically written characters across the documents he handed me, Sung Yu-Da said, "The content of the Central Paladin Order entrance exam varies depending on the situation at the time."

I continued reading the documents while listening to him.

"For example, when I took the exam, the Satanist Executive named Greed was going on a rampage. So we selected people who valued beliefs and convictions over material desires."

"Ah, then this time..."

"Rumors are circulating that a spy has infiltrated the ranks of the Romanican Church these days, so we need trustworthy people. We also need astute people who have discerning eyes that can detect spies... In other words, they will choose a person with the qualities of an inquisitor," Sung Yu-Da calmly said.

The rumor that there were cultist spies within the Romanican Church was more or less a rumor that had appeared because of me. The fact that he spoke in such a detached manner felt awkward.

I continued reading the documents. Then, I came across the contents of the Central Paladin Order entrance exam that took place fourteen years ago.

I pointed to a section of the document I was reading and asked Sung Yu-Da, "Do they even conduct exams like this?"

Fourteen years ago, during the peak of Satanist Executive Greed’s rampage, he attacked cathedrals and Florence Academy. The Central Paladin Order chose to conduct a mock battle with a fake Satanist Executive for the entrance exam under the pretext that they wanted to select students with quick-thinking skills.

The examinees naturally did not know that their opponent was fake, and they engaged in the battle, thinking that the real Satanist Executive Greed had raided the exam venue. Those who ran away or gave up due to fear were naturally disqualified. Apparently, those who courageously participated in the battle or inflicted significant damage on the examiner disguised as the Satanist Executive passed.

"In an era of turmoil where Romanicans have to face Satanists and Voodoo Cultists, they will always select quick-witted people. They want people who can remain composed and respond quickly even when cultists attack. The exam held fourteen years ago was designed to select such individuals."

"The exam content seems quite violent. Some examinees might have been injured or traumatized."

"There were. However, the Central Paladin Order doesn't care about such things," Sung Yu-Da said with a stern face.

"If one gets injured or traumatized from just a mock battle, then it means that they are not a right fit for the Central Paladin Order to begin with... That's the kind of mindset that the Central Paladin Order has. Whether the disqualified ones get injured or traumatized, it doesn't matter."

"Aren’t they a group of psychopaths?"

"...You could think of it that way. Since the Central Paladin Order has the sole authority to access the underground prison, they have a relatively high number of emotionally flawed individuals.”

Thinking back, all the Central Paladin Order members I had seen so far were all a bit peculiar in some way. Sung Yu-Da and Joseph were both from the Central Paladin Order.

"Just like fourteen years ago, there is a possibility that the exam might involve battling a fake Satanist Executive," Sung Yu-Da said.

"Is it because there have been many attacks by Satanists recently?"

"That's one reason, but there is the possibility that they want to test whether the candidates can distinguish between real and fake Satanists this time while being aware of the rumors that cultist spies have infiltrated the Romanican Church."

Sung Yu-Da tapped his desk as if pondering something and then continued, "There is no better way to test adaptability and keen insight than this.”

"Indeed.”

Adaptability and keen insight were two qualities, along with the ability to be emotionally detached and maintain composure even when facing Satanists. This was the perfect exam to evaluate all those aspects. I carefully read through the contents and patterns of the exam that took place fourteen years ago.

"Oh, and I bribed a few of the interviewers who have connections with the purification clan," Sung Yu-Da said.

I continued to read the documents as I nodded.

Sung Yu-Da continued, "So if you make it to the interview, you’re almost guaranteed to pass. The problem is with the interviewers I wasn't able to bribe..."

"That part shouldn’t be a problem."

Sung Yu-Da nodded and said, "Yes, I think so too."

The interviews were not going to be a problem. It would just be simple and obvious ideological verification questions.

I had lived the past few years as a member of the Romanican Church and as a diligent student of Florence Academy. I would be able to easily pass the ideological verification questions that the interviewers would throw at me for the sake of formality.

"Ah, ahhhhh—!!"

Thus, that was how I alone was able to maintain my composure even after a Satanist Executive attacked the exam venue.

The other examinees either panicked and blankly stared at the Satanist Executive or screamed and frantically ran away. Only a few particularly calm examinees watched the approaching Satanist Executive with eyes filled with killing intent.

While that was all happening, I quickly assessed the situation by looking around. The examiners who had been guiding the examinees had suddenly disappeared, and in their place crude training weapons were scattered around.

Among the weapons were dull swords and spears, and as well as maces.

I picked up a spear and looked at the approaching demons, demonic beasts, and the examiner disguised as a Satanist Executive.

The demons and demonic beasts seemed incredibly slow and frail as if they were going easy on the examinees. They were most likely captured during battle and were being used for training sessions.

In any case, the demons and demonic beasts that real Satanist Executives such as Jun-Hyuk or Lust controlled were on a completely different level compared to the ones we were facing. Comparing the two was basically an injustice to the real deal.

"Bossou."

I used Bossou's power and tightly gripped the spear. Then, I threw it toward the heart of the demon at the forefront of the pack.

Splurt!

The spear cleanly pierced through the demon’s heart. The demon collapsed powerlessly and spewed out black blood. I pulled out the spear from the demon’s heart and raised it again.

After seeing my attack, the demons and demonic beasts approaching the examinees seemed either shocked or terrified. They no longer moved and stood frozen in their tracks.

I raised my head and looked at the examiner. The face of the examiner pretending to be a Satanist Executive also showed signs of shock.

I walked past the trembling demons and the demonic beasts.

Whoosh.

I stood in front of the examiner and aimed the spear at his neck. The tip of the spear was dull, so it was no different from a stick, but from the examiner’s perspective, it must have been threatening. After all, I had just pierced a demon’s heart and killed it with this stick.

"Are you an examiner?" I asked.

Although I already knew that the person in front of me was an examiner, I still asked for confirmation. That way, I could prove that I had the ability to distinguish between real Satanists and fake Satanists.

The examiner seemed to be highly conscious of the spear pointed at his neck as he awkwardly nodded.

***

I had an interview immediately after the entrance exam.

Those who fled in fear when the examiner disguised as a Satanist Executive attacked were excluded from the exam, and only those who grabbed weapons and tried to fight, or those who calmly analyzed the situation and helped others evacuate, were given the opportunity for an interview.

While waiting for the interview, I met several people. One was a Florence Academy senior, and another had been taking the exam for several years to join the Central Paladin Order.

I listened to what they had to say and responded appropriately. Someone said that they would provide me with interview tips and other information in exchange for my information.

I naturally refused. The information from Sung Yu-Da, an ex-member of the Central Paladin Order, was much more valuable than the information I could obtain from an examinee.

When I refused, the person clicked their tongue and then went to request to exchange information with others.

Soon, it was time for the interview, and I entered the room. I sat down, but the interviewers stared daggers at me without saying a word.

They looked at me with eyes devoid of emotion for a few seconds, then carefully scanned the document with my personal information written on it.

“...”

I observed the faces of the interviewers during the long silence. There were a total of five interviewers, and among them, two were the ones Sung Yu-Da had bribed. Thanks to previously seeing their faces in a photo, I could immediately recognize them.

One of the interviewers not bribed by Sung Yu-Da broke the silence and said, "During the entrance exam, you showed a very calm attitude. You also quickly realized that the examiner was not a real Satanist."

I nodded and replied, "Yes, that's correct."

"I can understand you maintaining a calm demeanor, but how did you realize that they were an examiner and not a Satanist Executive? Since demons and demonic beasts also appeared, it must have been difficult to distinguish," the interviewer asked.

I pretended to ponder. I had anticipated the question, but I thought a bit of hesitation would make me appear more thoughtful from the interviewer's perspective.

"...I could tell because the conditions of the demons and demonic beasts were not very good."

"Conditions? What do you mean?"

"The place where the exam was being held, in other words, the training ground, is supposed to be the headquarters of the Central Paladin Order and Central Crusader Order. They were attacking such a place, but the attackers were either weak or flawed subordinates. If they were a real Satanist, I believe they would have put more effort into the assault."

"So, are you saying you were able to determine the true identity of the Satanist based solely on the conditions of the demonic beasts and demons?"

"The Satanist who appeared at the examination site... in other words, the examiner, had a completely different aura compared to a real Satanist."

As I answered, the two interviewers hired by Sung Yu-Da nodded. On the other hand, the interviewers who had not been bribed seemed to be somewhat puzzled, as they tilted their heads or furrowed their brows.

At that moment, the interviewer that Sung Yu-Da had bribed asked, "A real Satanist... How do you know what a real Satanist is like?"

I looked into the interviewer's eyes. They obviously wanted to hear a certain answer from me, and I knew exactly what they wanted.

"Because I have had direct encounters with them. Twice."

The interviewers who had not been bribed widened their eyes at my response.

"Twice? When was this?"

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

I casually continued, "I have had encounters with the Satanist Executive named Envy at Florence Academy. And recently, I battled Lust at the cathedral affiliated with the Central Priesthood."

The interviewers who had been bribed chimed in.

"Ah, now that you mention it..."

"I remember. I heard you contributed to defeating demonic beasts during the confrontation with Lust recently."

I nodded and replied, "Yes."

The interviewers who had not been bribed carefully examined the document containing my personal information, and soon nodded as if they had found the relevant section.

The interviewers who initially stared at me with empty eyes suddenly started looking at me with lively gazes. They pulled their chairs closer and continued their questioning.

"So, you must have experience in battling Satanists. Do you also know about black magic?"

"Yes. I have also assisted Inquisitor Joseph in this regard."

"Ah, Inquisitor Joseph you say..."

One of the interviewers seemed pleased. It seemed like they knew Joseph.

Joseph had originally been assigned to monitor me, but outwardly, it was recorded that he had sought my advice on Satanism and black magic, which was confirmed by the recommendation letter that Joseph had given me in the past.

The interviewers suddenly became very curious and asked me several questions.

They asked about how I came to know Director Han Dae-Ho, as he had written a recommendation letter for me. They asked about my achievements when I underwent dispatch training at the Eastern Paladin Division. They said that I would be much younger than the other members of the Central Paladin Order, and they asked whether I would adapt well to such an environment.

They were all questions I could answer adequately, and I did so.

All the questions that could be asked were asked, and just as it felt like the interview was coming to an end, one of the interviewers asked, "Lastly, I have one more question for you. If you have your own beliefs and motives for joining the Central Paladin Order, could you please share them now?"

"I..."

I hesitated for a moment. I clearly understood my own beliefs and goals for joining the Central Paladin Order.

The Central Paladin Order had the unique authority to access the underground prison. I wanted to join the Central Paladin Order because it was the most certain method of reuniting with my mother.

However, that was not my only goal.

“I wish to create a world... where no one will be hurt or killed by cultists any longer.”

As a cultist, I should not have said that. However, my statement was not a lie.

At least for now, I believed it was not a lie.

So, the interview came to an end, and the interviewers all had satisfied expressions.