The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knight’s Rampage Through Another World
“…Okay, stand up straight. Alright, time to measure your height. …Hey, don’t stand on your tiptoes!”
“Ouch!”
Thud! A jolt of pain shot through the top of my head.
Damn it. I thought I’d lifted my heels just enough to avoid getting caught, but he saw right through me.
To notice a difference of just 5 millimeters is impressive…!
No, wait—how the hell did this old teacher in charge of physicals notice my little trick?
I was pushing the limit, keeping my heels just barely off the ground so my skin wouldn’t touch the floor…!?
But now that I look at him closely, the old teacher has a scar on his cheek and an unusually sharp gaze—he clearly exudes the aura of a battle-hardened knight.
This guy… he’s no ordinary teacher!
Damn it, I got fooled by that white coat he was just wearing for show…!
“…Seriously, did you really think I wouldn’t notice? Don’t worry, your height won’t affect your future evaluations. Now, get moving!”
“Ugh… Thank you…”
In the classroom—which had been completely converted into a testing venue—there was a line of people waiting for their exams, just like me.
I can’t afford to dawdle here.
Shooed away by the old teacher, I staggered out of the room.
“Alright, next!”
“Got it.”
The guy who took my place in front of the teacher was about two heads taller than me.
I mean, being nearly 6 feet 3 inches at the same age of 15 is just crazy.
That guy could probably go toe-to-toe with a Minotaur bare-handed.
I don’t need that bull-like, intimidating face or those broad shoulders, but I’d love to have just a head’s worth of his height.
“Haa… Um, so next up is the magic power test, huh?”
That said, there’s no point in glaring at that bull-like guy with such resentment, so I check the information board in the corner of the testing area to confirm the next location.
The physical measurements are being held on a different floor of the classroom building where we took the written exam, but it seems the magic power test is in a separate building… the Magic Research Building.
Come to think of it, the magical devices that quantify magical power are only found in the Magic Research Building on campus, aren’t they?
Well, it’s right next to this classroom building, so it’s fine.
I leave the classroom and walk down the hallway.
Through the hallway windows, I can see the large main gate building—the Administration Building—in the distance.
Even just the area around this classroom building and the Administration Building is about the size of a small fortress town, but that’s still only a fraction of the scale of the entire Knight Academy.
Besides this area, there are also the dormitories and training grounds where we’ll be living, as well as fields and forests for gathering magical materials, and even a dungeon, albeit a small one.
The grounds of the Royal Capital Knight Academy are vast.
Come to think of it, Twina, Nora, and the rest of the girls were supposed to have their check-ups in the administration building above the main gate, weren’t they?
It must be tough for them—once their physical exams are done, they’ll have to walk all the way over to the Magic Research Building.
With those thoughts in mind, I left the classroom building and entered the Magic Research Building.
In stark contrast to the relatively new classroom building, this one had a well-worn interior.
The hallway leading from the entrance was dim and chilly, and the scent of damp earth mixed with the smell of medicinal herbs tickled my nostrils.
“Um, I think the exam room is on the first basement level, right?”
I checked the location on the sign posted on the wall and headed down the stairs I saw nearby.
Seriously, I haven’t grown any taller…
The height the guy in charge of physical measurements told me was in the mid-160s.
To be honest, it hasn’t changed much since I was 14.
Of course, for a 15-year-old in this world, it’s a bit on the short side, but it’s not like I’m a total midget.
There are people here who are shorter than me, and for that matter, Klaus—the original protagonist I met earlier—was just a tiny bit shorter than me.
But I do feel a bit frustrated—my family is supposed to be big-boned, so why am I the only one with such a modest height…?
My dad is huge, broad and tall like a wall, and Alissa, while she looks slender at first glance, is actually pretty tall for a woman…
No, I shouldn’t be so negative.
It’s not over yet. It’s not time to panic.
It’ll be fine. I’m sure that “growth spurt” phase is still coming…!
“Hey, you. Could you stop muttering to yourself and cooperate with the test?”
Damn it.
The height measurement results were such a shock that, before I knew it, I was standing in line for the magic power test—and it was already my turn.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
I apologized to the woman in a white lab coat and glasses—who looked like a magical device technician—and, according to the name tag hanging from her neck, her name was “Lilia”—and immediately stepped up to the device.
The magical power testing device was shaped like a standing mirror, about two meters in diameter and one meter wide, with a faint magic circle glowing on its surface.
The cord-like thing connecting the back of the magical device to the wall—is that a magic power supply line, perhaps?
The paint is peeling in places and there’s rust showing, so it looks quite old.
Come to think of it, this inspection device is imbued with the “Appraisal” magic, which specializes in detecting magical power, isn’t it?
Speaking of which, “Appraisal” is rare among support-type magic, and it’s subject to strict restrictions on its usage conditions.
In fact, learning magic requires a license, and the places and situations where it can be used are strictly regulated… that was actually one of the options on the magic studies exam earlier.
Well, depending on the complexity of the spell, “Appraisal” is a magic that can completely lay bare the private affairs of its target.
If it were used without any restrictions, it would essentially allow unlimited access to other people’s personal information and spying.
That’s why I’ve heard that nobles of the rank of Count or higher are required to learn “Anti-Appraisal” magic as part of their general education from a young age, but with the emergence of enhanced Appraisal magic capable of breaching those defenses, all their past efforts go down the drain… it’s a never-ending cat-and-mouse game.
In any case, I’ve heard that magic of that sort is subtly applied to the kingdom’s dignitaries, important facilities, and buildings.
Well, putting that aside.
“Alright, just relax. I’m going to ‘appraise’ your body now, but it’s only your magical power.”
“Got it.”
“Also, it might tickle a little, but it won’t hurt you, so just bear with it.”
“I’m fine. Just go ahead and get it over with.”
“It’s not like I’m using an execution device or anything…?”
Glancing sideways at Lilia, who was giving a wry smile, I cleared my throat and steeled myself.
After all, unlike previous physical exams, the results of this magical power measurement would serve as the basis for class placement.
Well, whether I psych myself up or not, it won’t actually change my magical power reading…
“Alright, here we go—”
At Lilia’s cue, the massive magical device in front of me flashed brightly for an instant.
At the same time, a strange sensation—like a shiver running down my skin—spread throughout my body.
Oh…!
I see. So this is what it actually feels like to undergo an “Appraisal.”
It’s not exactly pleasant, but it’s a much more ordinary sensation than I’d imagined.
“Ah, is it over? Well, I’ll be off then…”
“…Huh?”
I was about to leave since the “Appraisal” was over.
For some reason, Lilia was staring at the magical artifact with a troubled expression.
Then she looked at me, looking confused.
“Um… Gerald, was it? Actually, the magical artifact seems to be malfunctioning, so it didn’t scan properly… I’d like to run the ‘Appraisal’ again. Is that okay?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
I nodded and stood in front of the magical artifact once more.
Well, I suppose these things happen.
After all, this magical artifact is incredibly old.
I gathered my resolve once more.
As Lilia called out, “Alright, here we go again,” I felt that familiar sensation of something gently brushing against my body once more.
Alright, I guess that’s it.
…Or so I thought.
“……Huh?”
This time, Lilia was the one tilting her head in confusion.
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh, sorry! It was fine this time!”
But after saying that in a flustered tone, Lilia hurriedly jotted down what looked like measurement results on the chart on the desk.
I caught a glimpse of the numbers: ‘0621’.
……Wait, that’s totally normal, right?
Admittedly, as far as I know, it is a pretty high number.
As a freshman at the academy, I probably rank near the top.
But it’s not like it’s ridiculously high.
At the very least, as a result of me—born an ordinary person—training my ass off, it’s a result I can accept, and I think it’s a sufficient value to draw out the power of “Sword-Making sama.”
As an aside, I’m pretty sure Nora’s starting magic power in the game was the highest among all the new students, in the 900s.
Plus, the protagonist Klaus started out with a measly two-digit number, but after his divine protection awakened, his magic power exploded and eventually reached the low four-digit range, so compared to them, my magic power isn’t anything special.
But then again, maybe they were surprised because, despite my appearance, I’m actually a high-output type.
After all, if we’re talking about “knights,” it’s a pretty high number.
At the very least, there’s no doubt I’ve avoided being in the bottom tier, though I probably won’t make it into the top tier either.
It’s just the right kind of number, I guess.
So, deep down, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Um, that wraps up all the measurements. Good work!”
“……? Yes, thank you.”
……Come to think of it, Lilia’s smile seems strangely stiff… but whatever.
Feeling lighter after the magic power test results, I left the testing venue in high spirits.
◇
――Immediately after Gerald left the testing venue.
Lilia, the magical device technician, compared the numbers on the magical device with those on the medical chart and tilted her head in puzzlement.
“Hmm… Did this ever show a ‘0’ when the display was set to three digits…?”
It shouldn’t have shown a reading like this before…
This “magic power meter” is high-performance, but it’s quite an old piece of equipment.
I believe I’ve heard it’s been around since the academy was founded.
It’s practically an antique.
At the very least, I know it’s been here long before I started working at the academy as a magical device technician.
“If that’s the case, maybe it really is broken? Once the check is done, I’ll have to request a full repair from the magical artifact workshop… What a hassle…”
That said, there are still plenty of children left to test for magical power.
Lilia decided to put her doubts aside for now and focus on the task at hand.