Chapter 253: Let's Take the Exam
“Y-You forgot about me!?”
The young man, who was apparently an acquaintance of Mina-san, flew into a rage upon being told she didn’t remember him.
“My name is Triton!! Triton Venek!!”
“Triton… Venek?”
“Come on, there was a gathering of mages in the Royal Capital the spring before last!!”
Heeh, so there are gatherings like that in the Royal Capital.
“Ah, there was some troublesome event like that. Grandfather dragged me there against my will.”
“Yes! We met there!”
Even after telling her his name, Mina-san still couldn’t recall, so Triton-kun, albeit irritated, began speaking about what happened back then.
“I was there when my father went to greet your grandfather, wasn’t I!?”
“Greet my grandfather… Ah, Grandfather’s subordinate, Venek-san!! …Wait, are you his son?”
“That’s right! You finally remembered!!”
Seeing that Mina-san remembered, Triton-kun broke into a wide smile.
“I challenged you to a match back then!! A match at the Magic Academy’s entrance exam!!”
“Did you say something like that? If I recall, back then…”
“Let us leave it at that.”
The one who interrupted the conversation with those words was Principal Zenzar. However, it didn’t seem like he was trying to join the conversation; if anything, he looked angry.
“You all should be in class at this hour. So why are you here?”
Ah, I see. Principal Zenzar was on edge because this guy, who should be in class, was here. Similarly, the students surrounding us must have abandoned their classes to gather here.
“That is because I brought them here, Principal.”
The one who answered Principal Zenzar‘s question was not Triton-kun, but an unfamiliar man.
“Instructor Quantro, is this your doing?”
The man called Quantro let out a smirk at Principal Zenzar‘s words.
“Yes, I heard that the Former Principal’s granddaughter would be taking the exam. Thinking that someone related to him must surely be exceptional, I brought the students here to observe. After all, there is no rule against spectating an entrance exam.”
“Even so, you must consider the feelings of the one taking the exam…”
“I don’t mind, you know?”
Mina-san told the frowning Principal Zenzar that she didn’t mind.
“Mina-kun!?”
“Ooh, as expected of Former Principal Nagibelt’s granddaughter! We look forward to seeing your magnificent magic.”
“Yes, I shall show you something that won’t be an eyesore.”
Mina-san flashed a sweet smile at the amused-looking Instructor Quantro, but for some reason, that smile was a little scary.
“Uwa, this is bad, Mina is pissed.”
“Eh? Is that so?”
When I asked Jairo-kun, who was trembling with a shiver, he nodded, “Yeah.”
“When that girl is truly angry, she usually smiles elegantly like that.”
“Nn, Mina has completely classified him as an enemy.”
“When she gets like that, we end up getting dragged into it too…”
It seemed there was something only Jairo-kun and the others understood, and they all let out a collective sigh.
“Because of that, I’ve decided to show them what’s what. I’ll go hard right off the bat, so everyone else, make sure you do it flashily too.”
Mina-san returned, fully motivated, and announced our strategy for the exam.
“Oh, is that okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine. We need to smack types like him down and clearly teach them who’s above who.”
“Hehe, that old guy caught the eye of an unbelievable monster, huh.”
Told he could go all out flashily, Jairo-kun laughed gleefully.
“What are you talking about? He’s the one who messed with us first. He’s not thinking about doing something to us; he’s trying to use us as stepping stones for some other purpose. In fact, even when he was talking, he wasn’t looking at us.”
From her conversation with Instructor Quantro, Mina-san had grasped that he was acting in accordance with some hidden agenda. But I see. I wondered why so many people came to watch our exam, and it turns out there were ulterior motives like that.
“We will now begin the examination.”
While we were talking, the academy’s discussions and preparations seemed to have finished, as a person who looked like an examiner raised his voice and began explaining the rules to us.
“For the exam, you will cast your magic at the targets set up over there, and the examiners will judge the results.”
Looking over, several targets had been prepared in the testing grounds.
“Now, will the first participant please stand here.”
Called by the examiner, Mina-san moved to a spot a short distance from the target.
“Begin the exam!!”
“Well then, let’s give it a go!”
Despite being evaluated by a large crowd, Mina-san showed no signs of feeling pressured. She concentrated her magic power and activated her spell.
“Here I go! LIGHTNING STRIKE!!”
The lightning emitted by Mina-san shot toward the target.
“Wh-What is that!?”
“A p-pillar of light!?”
And when the unleashed lightning struck the target, it blew it away flashily with a thunderous roar.
“Well, I suppose that’s about it?”
The Lightning Strike Mina-san cast is a spell characterized by its flashy visual appearance, just like that. While its power is incredibly high, it is also a spell ill-suited for small targets like the one she was aiming at this time. It could be said it’s a spell unsuitable for use in an exam, but what on earth was Mina-san’s intention…
“I-Impossible! Lightning magic!?”
“Unbelievable! Lightning magic is a high-difficulty magic used by Court Mage-class individuals! And such a young girl used it!?”
“And what incredible power!!”
Ah, I see. Mina-san must have appealed to the examiners that even with a highly powerful spell that’s difficult to control precisely, she could splendidly pierce her prey. As proof, the blown-away target had been splendidly shattered into pieces.
The examiners seemed surprised by her bold appeal. Even in my life before last, magic capable of precise manipulation was favored in shooting-type stages like this, after all.
“…Hah!? No, wait, when did she chant the spell!?”
“Chant? Come to think of it, she didn’t seem to be chanting… wait!? Don’t tell me, chantless magic!?”
“N-No, there’s no way!?”
Hm? Why is chantless magic a ‘no way’? Mina-san had apparently only learned the bare minimum of magic techniques due to her grandfather’s educational policy, but others should be different… Ah, could it be that Mina-san’s educational policy is in line with the modern basics, just like the radicalization of the academy’s educational policy…
Hmm, it seems educational policies have changed in various ways while I was dead. But I was also surprised by the advancements and changes in technology and education when I reincarnated from my life before last to my previous one, so there must surely be some advantage to this method too.
“More importantly, did I pass?”
When Mina-san, losing patience with the examiners who were still discussing among themselves, called out to them, the examiners snapped back to their senses.
“Y-Yes. You pass!! The power, accuracy, and casting speed were all magnificent.”
“By the way, regarding the casting of that magic just now, please do tell us more in detail…”
“Alright, I’m going next!”
The examiner started to say something, but it was drowned out by the energetic voice of Jairo-kun, who came to take her place.
“H-Hmph, the one before was the Former Principal’s granddaughter. It’s only natural she could do that much. If anything, the real test starts now.”
The students who had been discussing Mina-san’s magic turned their blunt gazes toward Jairo-kun.
“He looks like a swordsman, so why is a guy like that taking the exam?”
“Hah, there’s one every now and then. Idiots who don’t know their place like th—”
“FLAME BOMB!!”
When Jairo-kun unleashed his magic, the target was blown away along with the ground beneath it, leaving a small crater.
” ” ” Wha!? ” ” “
“Hell yeah, I smashed it to pieces!”
No, doesn’t ‘smashing to pieces’ kind of defeat the purpose?
“Wh-What was that magic’s power just now!?”
“It was on par with the high-tier magic used by upperclassmen!?”
“Is that guy actually a mage!?”
The students raised a commotion at the power of Jairo-kun’s magic. It’s true that Jairo-kun looks like a warrior at first glance, so he must appear surprising to those who have specialized in studying magic.
“P-Pass!!”
“Next is me.”
Trading places with Jairo-kun, Meguri-san stepped up this time.
“Nn, WIND CUTTER.”
Meguri-san didn’t do anything as flashy as the previous two, severing the target from its base with Wind Magic. Then, the wind tossed the target upward, chopping it into pieces little by little from the base, and finally dicing it all the way up to its top.
“Pass!”
” ” ” …!? ” ” “
“Hey, hey, wasn’t that a bit plain?”
“Using unnecessary magic power doesn’t make us money.”
Even though Jairo-kun called it plain, Meguri-san coolly replied that she didn’t want to do anything wasteful.
“Isn’t it fine? Even with standard magic, displaying that level of power and precision makes the difference in skill painfully obvious.”
Saying so, Mina-san directed her gaze toward the students.
“What was that Wind Magic…”
“Was Wind Magic a magic capable of such delicate manipulation?”
No, no, if anything, Wind Magic is a magic capable of extremely precise manipulation.
“W-Well then, it’s my turn next. Ahh, I’m so nervous.”
Switching with Meguri-san, Norb-san looked a little anxious.
“Th-This time it’s a priest, so Attack Magic is, you know?”
“A-Yeah, tha—”
“EARTH NEEDLE!”
The countless rock thorns unleashed by Norb-san riddled the target with holes.
” ” ” …Hah!? ” ” “
“Pass!!”
“Wow, they somehow hit. I’m not very good at Attack Magic so I was worried, but I’m glad it worked out.”
“W-With that… he’s not good at it?”
“Then what is he good at…”
“It’s my turn now.”
Taking Norb-san’s place, it was Liliera-san’s turn.
“ICE ARROWS.”
Liliera-san generated countless ice arrows and made every single one of them hit the target. And the moment the final arrow struck, the target shattered into powder and scattered in the air.
” ” ” Hah!? ” ” “
“Pass!!”
“I am an A-rank adventurer, after all. Was that magic at least not embarrassing?”
“What was that ridiculously massive amount of magic arrows just now…”
“How could she hit the target with all of them? Normally, you’d lose control…”
“More importantly, how much magic power does that woman have…”
With this, everyone other than me has passed. Looking around, the examiners—no, everyone present—was staring at them with eyes full of astonishment.
“Who on earth are they…?”
“Earlier, guys who clearly weren’t mages were using magic, weren’t they?”
“To begin with, why can a priest use Attack Magic?”
“Or rather, all of them can use magic…?”
“Fufun.”
At their surprise, Mina-san directed a satisfied smile at Triton-kun and spoke.
“Oh right, you asked me what I’ve been doing until now. I became an adventurer and was gaining actual combat experience.”
“An adventurer… You?”
“Yes, that’s right. And I am currently C-rank.”
“A C-C-rank adventurer, you say!?”
Hearing that Mina-san was a C-rank adventurer, the students raised voices of surprise.
“C-rank means a veteran adventurer, right!? Is that something you can become in a single year!?”
“I-Impossible, right!? Even reaching D-rank, which is treated as a full-fledged adventurer, in one year would mark you as highly skilled!”
Heeh, I thought academy students wouldn’t be interested in outside affairs, but they are surprisingly knowledgeable about adventurers.
“Y-You are C-rank!?”
“It’s not just me. Everyone present here is above C-rank.”
“E-Everyone!?”
At Mina-san’s statement, Jairo-kun and Meguri-san proudly struck poses, while Norb-san smiled wryly in embarrassment. Yeah, Liliera-san and I are technically C-rank or above adventurers too.
“To think they are all C-rank adventurers. But I see, in that case, that magnificent magic manipulation makes some sense.”
“The fact that they are all chantless must be related to that as well.”
Hearing that we were adventurers, the examiners voiced their understanding. Yeah, yeah, first-rate adventurers really are amazing, after all. Though, in reality, we are pretty much rookies who just recently became adventurers, so we aren’t that amazing.
“In that case, the last one must surely also be…”
Just as I thought that, for some reason, the examiners’ gazes gathered on me.
” ” ” ” Stare… ” ” ” “
Eh? Huh? Why am I the center of attention?
“What kind of magic is this guy going to use…?”
“All the other guys were amazing, so he’s probably going to use some crazy magic too…”
It seems that because everyone used such flashy magic, they’ve ended up expecting something big from whatever magic I use. Ugh, I really wished everyone hadn’t used such flashy magic.
Haa, I need to use a spell with as little flashiness as possible.
“…In that case, maybe that one?”
A spell that lacks the flashiness of everyone else’s, yet properly conveys my skill to the examiners—that one would be the easiest to understand.
Taking my position to attack, I gathered magic power in my hand and activated my spell.
“DIMENSION BREAKER!!”
When the magic activated, a black line ran precisely through the center of the target.
“What is that?”
The next instant, the perfectly circular target suddenly changed shape, distorting into an oval.
” ” ” ” ” Whaaaaaa!? ” ” ” ” “
The target rapidly transformed into a slender, elongated oval, and finally became a single line before disappearing entirely.
Yes, this is the Spatial Magic I used to defeat the demon that appeared near the town of Togai previously. This time, I scaled it down, sucking only the target into the dimensional rift and annihilating it.
Unlike other spells, this magic doesn’t flash brightly or explosively break things, so it shouldn’t stand out unnecessarily. Moreover, by activating Spatial Magic indoors—where designating valid coordinates is a hassle—the examiners should have understood that my magic control is decently high. Because specifying coordinates for Spatial Magic without a marker is quite troublesome.
However, for some reason, no voice from the examiners declaring I passed arose. Eh? That’s strange. I definitely destroyed the target, though?
“Ah, could it be that I was supposed to destroy it by hitting it with magic, not sucking it in!?”
Crap, I completely forgot the possibility that the target itself was a magic item for measurement, equipped with a function to gauge the power of the magic it received! In this case, do I have to do a retake? Or am I the only one who failed to produce a result and gets disqualified!? Wh-What should I do!?
“J-Just now, that was…”
“Magic like that…”
“What on earth…”
H-Hieee! This might be bad!
“Kyukyukyu.”
It was right at that moment. Fluffy passed by my side and took up a testing position in front of another target.
“Fluffy?”
“Wh-What is this creature?”
The examiners and surrounding spectators were bewildered by the suddenly appearing Fluffy. Yeah, honestly, I’m bewildered too. What on earth is it doing?
“…Kyuu!”
Then, judging that it had gathered enough of the surrounding attention, Fluffy nodded in satisfaction and began gathering magic power in both of its paws. Ah, could it be that Fluffy is…
“Kyuu! Kyukyuu!!”
Exactly as I predicted, having stored up magic power, Fluffy forcefully swung its arms. Thereupon, with a shubaba sound, three claw-shaped waves of magic power flew from each arm—six in total—toward the target, splendidly shredding it into fine pieces.
” ” ” ” ” Wha!? ” ” ” ” “
“Kyuffun.”
Perhaps satisfied with having destroyed the target, Fluffy pattered back to where everyone was, making soft pote-pote footsteps.
“Umm, sorry. It’s our pet, but it seems seeing everyone else do it made it want to imitate them. You see, it’s still a child.”
“Eh? A-Yeah, sure. Little kids can be like that…”
Ah, thank goodness. They don’t seem to be angry. A-Alright, I’ll just ask using this momentum.
“Umm, so, is it okay to say I passed the exam? I did properly destroy the target, though.”
“Ah, yeah, that’s right. You did properly destroy it. I guess you pass…”
Thank goodness. It seems I properly passed.
“W-Well then, we will be taking our leave.”
The atmosphere has become incredibly awkward, and since we did what we came to do, I don’t want to stay here forever. Trying my best not to look panicked, I speed-walked back to everyone.
“Everyone, I managed to pass too~.”
“Kyukkyuu!”
“I was never worried about you passing from the start, Lexus.”
“If anything, I was more worried about whether you’d overdo it.”
When Liliera-san said that, everyone laughed, agreeing with her.
“Eh? What’s that about, that’s mean.”
Overdo it? You make me sound like a wrecker. I train properly to output maximum power exactly on a pinpoint target so as not to cause collateral damage indoors.
“Well then, we all passed, so is it alright if we go home for today, Principal?”
Mina-san asked the Principal—who was blankly staring in the direction where the target had been—for permission to go home.
“…Hah!? Y-Yes. Good work. I will have a subordinate contact you later regarding the necessary items, so you may head home for today. Either way, it seems today is no longer a day for classes.”
No longer a day for classes? What does that mean? Do the teachers have some errand they need to prioritize over classes? Well, since it’s a state institution, perhaps its aspect as a research facility is stronger than as an educational one.
I wondered what was going to happen for a moment there, but I’m glad we properly passed. Letting out a sigh of relief, we decided to head home.
“Wait, why is an animal using magicccccccc!?”
Eh? I feel like I just heard something…?
