Sylvia gripped the remaining scrap of the map in her hand. Glaring at the mere corner of it, she slowly closed her eyes.
Schools of magic, or attributes. Such things had nothing to do with this now.
She remembered the texture of the map she had touched. She recalled its composition. She reviewed its function.
Then, the three primary colors took shape.
The map they had stolen. The object Sylvia had felt began to regenerate from the corner, turning soft and pliant.
Though she had never attempted it even once, it was soon restored perfectly.
The revived map was hardly different from the original.
The red circles were moving “exactly” the same way.
“Rayleigh of the Red Garnet Adventurers.”
Sylvia murmured coldly. She clenched her two dainty fists tight.
—Iliade grows by feeding on anger. Trials that cannot kill you will instead make Iliade stronger.
Was this what Gileon meant by growth?
Rayleigh. Dozmu.
I believed in the achievements I read of in fairy tales.
You can look forward to the price you’ll pay for betraying me. We are certain to meet at some point during this exam, and I will never forgive today’s betrayal.
“I won’t be fooled anymore.”
Sylvia acknowledged her lack of experience. She keenly felt the foolishness she had shown until now. Slowly, she was beginning to understand actual combat.
“······.”
She looked up at the sky.
Before she knew it, the sun was setting.
She took a mana stone from her pocket. She wove it together with mana and created a bat. The bat flapped away and shared its sight with her.
While keeping watch over the surroundings through the bat, Sylvia looked at her map.
Why had Rayleigh said she needed “three maps”?
Suddenly, she remembered what the Chairwoman had said just before the exam began.
She had said, “No matter how I think about it, a thousand is far too many.”
With that, Sylvia understood.
“It isn’t a destination.”
Not an objective, but a target.
If everyone marked on this map was her target······.
Then it was simple.
“Rayleigh of the Red Garnet Adventurers.”
As she murmured those words, her eyes had already sunk coldly.
······.
Meanwhile, on the coast at the outskirts of the Training Island. Walking along the sea spread over the sky island, Dozmu muttered.
“Gileon is one strange fellow. Offering money if we torment his own daughter.”
Rayleigh gave a small laugh. As members of the Red Garnet Adventurers, they had received an absurd request from Gileon the moment they applied to participate in the Solda Exam.
“Dozmu. Don’t try to understand those creatures called mages. You won’t understand them anyway.”
“We’re mages too.”
“We ran away because we hated that society~ But, well, I think I roughly understand Gileon’s intentions. Sylvia is young. He must think it’s better for her to get lightly burned by us than to be gravely deceived once through inexperience.”
After all, lions raise even their cubs harshly.
Rayleigh murmured as she took out the maps. There were four in total, including Sylvia’s.
“Now~ since we’ve got them all······.”
Rayleigh had understood the meaning as soon as she received the map from the proctor.
The nine circles on the map signified targets. However, there was no need to steal all nine people’s maps.
If roughly three maps were overlaid, a “portion” of the hidden magic circle inside would be revealed, and with insight on Rayleigh’s level, she could infer the whole from that portion.
“Shoo!”
Dooooong—
A blue passage appeared. It was a 「Short-Range Portal」.
“Complete~”
Clap—!
After high-fiving Dozmu, Rayleigh was about to step inside when she hesitated.
“Hmm?”
She sensed someone’s presence. To be precise, she spotted a group in robes emerging from the sea of the Training Island.
The ones who had climbed from the sea onto land advanced into the bushes.
“How did those guys get up here?”
“······The altar, perhaps.”
At Dozmu’s words, Rayleigh pouted.
“Who knows. Well, let’s go for now. This kind of thing is the job of the ‘Chief Security Officer,’ isn’t it?”
“You mean that seventh strongest one.”
“That’s right. Senior Deculein’s job.”
Rayleigh and Dozmu, laughing softly, entered the 「Short-Range Portal」 together.
* * *
Dark night.
—Rayleigh of the Red Garnet Adventurers. I won’t forgive you.
I looked at Sylvia reflected in the control tower’s glass wall, then turned off the screen.
Beyond it, a large moon had risen. Using its pale light as illumination, I took the [Untitled Notebook] from my inner pocket.
“······.”
An artifact containing Deculein’s memories, a diary.
Within this exists a past I do not know.
Sylvia and that child’s mother.
Gileon and Deculein.
Yukline and Iliade, of course, as well as Deculein and his father.
However, as Kim Woojin, I am hesitating.
If his memories inside the diary and my memories become mixed together, at that point, will Kim Woojin no longer be me······?
“······Ridiculous.”
It is an emotion that does not suit me. This is nothing more than a mere diary.
My ego, my mental strength this firm—there are no memories I cannot overcome with them.
—Can you hear me?
Just as I was about to explore the diary, the crystal ball in my inner pocket rang.
It was Yuli’s voice.
“I hear you.”
—Ah, are you all right?
Unfortunately, Yuli could not come up to the floating island. She had attended the last symposium, the “Place of Proof,” once, but after that they had been strict as a blade.
“I am fine.”
—Is that so? What a relief.
Yet her tone was quite serious. I laughed softly.
“Are you unwell in body and mind from worrying about me?”
—This is not the time for such jokes.
I felt needlessly embarrassed.
“······What is it?”
—We’ve received news that all airships on the floating island have ceased functioning due to a mana disaster.
“Hmm.”
Airships. The only means of transportation connecting the Training Island and the floating island.
—However, another flying object has been detected on radar. It seems someone has infiltrated the Training Island. It has been determined to be an emergency situation, so I am on my way there as well.
“You’re coming? Didn’t you say the airships had stopped functioning?”
—There is a way. Please wait just a little. Soon—
Bzzzt— The crystal ball cut off.
It seemed, in any case, that something was going to happen.
“We’re in trouble!”
The upper floor of the control tower.
Louina came clattering down. Having decided to stay just one more day, she was holding a fountain pen and gasping for breath.
“We’re in big trouble!”
“You mean the airships.”
“······You knew?”
Louina’s face twisted strangely.
“I just received a report.”
“Ah, honestly. The project is in full swing······ Why exactly did you tell me to stay, Boss?”
“······.”
It was because of a death variable. Of course, I had avoided it, but the fact that a death variable existed meant that a dangerous element was present.
Still, I hadn’t thought Louina would actually stay.
She has been oddly cooperative these days.
“······You’re not saying anything.”
Louina pouted as she made a cup of coffee. Then she handed me a sheet of paper. It was filled with complex formulas.
It seemed to be the project she was currently working on.
“I’m stuck here. If possible, could you at least give me a hint, Boss?”
“A hint?”
I looked through it with 「Comprehension」. The structure of this magic seemed, roughly, to be a “remote protective barrier.” An invention that would be quite helpful in defending against magical beasts.
It was related to the book I had read before, 「Advanced Grimoire: Principles of Protection」.
“Yes. It’s a protective barrier, but the circuit is too inefficient. It takes 10 kilograms of mana stones to maintain it for one day. Who would use it like that?”
“I’ll check it once.”
I controlled the fountain pen Louina was holding with 「Psychokinesis」. Then I wrote as my trait and mind dictated.
Scratch— scratch—
Amplifying thought, a mind in a state of selflessness. The fountain pen made the appropriate notes and revisions to Louina’s project.
The mana consumed amounted to no less than 2,000, but it would be fair to call it repayment to Louina for staying.
“······Take it.”
“Hm? Why so fast, Boss? You didn’t just scribble something, did you······.”
Her eyes widened as she read through my corrections while pouting.
“······Oh? Goodness.”
Louina’s reaction was honest. As expected of a genius, she understood it at once, and I shrugged.
“I recently read a book that will help with your project. I’ll lend it to you when we return. In the meantime, you can assist me with my work here.”
“Work······ security?”
Her eyes remained fixed on my corrections as she asked with her mouth.
“Yes.”
“But will I even be of any help? The seventh—”
“Do not say ‘strongest’ in front of me.”
“······Why, Boss? It’s true.”
Louina lifted her head and blinked. But soon, she let out a small sigh and nodded.
“Well······ it is empty, isn’t it? Titles like that.”
I did not know the reason, but the tone of her answer was lonely.
“Yes, I’ll help you. You shouldn’t overdo it, Boss.”
Louina’s mood was strange. Without a word, I turned the magical glass wall back on.
Instead of the distant sky, the scenery of the exam site appeared.
And then──
A suspicious group was spotted.
······.
When night fell and it grew cold, Epherene dug a burrow. She made supports to keep the inside safe, and covered the top with fallen leaves to take care of camouflage as well.
Drawing on her experience from when she used to play “war” in the countryside, she used magic in place of the things she had made by hand as a child.
“Amazing~ It’s completely cozy~ Cozy~”
Meiho clapped and exclaimed in admiration.
“What’s a co-zy? Are there rats here?”
“It’s cozy. It means comfortable in the Yuren language.”
“······Didn’t you say you were from Reok?”
When Epherene asked suspiciously, Meiho flinched in surprise. She laughed, ahaha, and changed the subject.
“Then, are we spending the night here~?”
“Hwaaam······ I am a bit sleepy. But we can’t sleep until we know what the map is.”
Epherene yawned and set down her map.
“These circles keep moving, you know? Annoyingly.”
Bubble, bubble— At that moment, the sound of soup boiling could be heard. Epherene looked that way. Carixel was cooking.
As Epherene smacked her lips, Meiho asked her.
“By the way, where are you from, Miss Epherene~?”
“Me? The Imperial Magic Tower.”
“Ah! Then you must know Professor Deculein too~?”
Meiho clapped as she asked. Epherene answered roughly.
“Ah, yes. I even took classes from that professor.”
“Wow! Amazing, amazing! Then Professor Deculein is your master?”
“······What master? If anything, he’s my enemy.”
“What?!”
Meiho’s eyes went round, and Carixel, who had been boiling the soup, also flinched and looked at Epherene. Epherene smiled bitterly and shrugged.
“I’m joking.”
As expected, it was not something she could tell just anyone.
Epherene was still crouching low. For the sake of the day she would take revenge.
······In truth, these days, it was also true that she had been experiencing what people crudely called a “sage time.” Deculein and Yukline were far too overwhelming for her to burn her will with anger alone.
At first, she had even fought with Sylvia, grabbing each other by the hair, and had resisted the noble professors who were strong against the weak and weak against the strong, but each time, what piled up were demerits, demerits, demerits, demerits.
On top of that, as she suffered things resembling bullying from the noble crowd······ Epherene was gradually growing dull.
Little by little, she was giving up.
Was this proof that she was becoming an adult?
“Now, the soup is ready.”
At that moment, Carixel ladled the soup into bowls and held them out. It was soup made from pumpkins gathered on the Training Island and adventurer’s spices.
Epherene and Meiho scooped up heaping spoonfuls and ate.
“Wow. It’s delicious.”
“Really~ It’s super delicious, delicious~”
“How did you make this soup? There wasn’t even any water.”
“You can think of this as my talent. Haha.”
Carixel took out a cup. It was clearly an empty cup, but water appeared naturally inside it.
“?!”
Epherene was greatly surprised. Understanding what it meant, Carixel explained.
“It becomes complicated if I explain in detail, but I call it 「Midas’s Hand」.”
“That’s incredibly practical. If it’s magic, could you teach me too?”
“It is not the kind of thing one can learn. This is something innate. Haha.”
Carixel smiled shyly, and Epherene looked disappointed.
At that moment.
“Shh.”
Carixel suddenly placed a hand to his lips. Epherene and Meiho ate their soup without making a sound, while Carixel closed his eyes and focused his five senses on the ground above.
Rustle— rustle—
Several sets of footsteps were gathering.
Their location was nearby.
No, to be precise, it was this very hideout.
Karixel bit his lip.
“We have to go up. There are enemies above.”
“Huh? Enemies?”
If they stayed underground, they would be surrounded in no time. Karixel hurriedly opened the ceiling, and Epherene and Meiho leapt out as well.
“......”
When they climbed up, there were figures in black robes. Strange assailants clutching daggers instead of wands or staves. Epherene immediately began priming her bracelet.
“......I’m sorry. It’s probably because of me.”
Karixel sighed and lamented. Epherene looked at him.
“Because of you, Karixel?”
At that, Meiho shook her head. Her face was sorrowful.
“No. No. It must be because of me. If only I hadn’t......”
What is with these two?
Even as Epherene frowned in confusion, the assailants’ ominous killing intent drew closer by the second.
“I’ll hold them off.”
Karixel stepped forward. In that instant, a keen edge settled over the assassins’ entire bodies. It intertwined with their killing intent and released a vivid mana. Karixel bit his lip.
“You two, hurry and run—”
The men charged before he could even finish speaking— —
But in that instant, a voice froze everything.
“I’ll warn you in advance.”
The assassins, who had leapt up and were rushing in, faltered in midair. Their jumps fell apart, and they landed imperfectly.
“During the exam, the training island is off-limits to outsiders. Therefore, you are to be expelled.”
They glared into the darkness from which the voice had come.
Rustle......
Rustle......
Crushing the undergrowth underfoot, a man was approaching.
“If you take even a single step closer and attempt to harm the examinees.”
Deculein.
Vwoooong— steel rose beside him.
Twenty Wood Steel shuriken took aim at the assassins.
“I will kill you.”
The assassins did not move. They listened to him very well. Cold sweat even beaded at the temples of a few of them.
Today, Deculein was benefiting from his reputation for once.
The seventh strongest on the continent.
The opponent acknowledged by Rohakan.
As they recalled those titles, the assassins trembled.
No matter how little an assassin feared death, if the end waiting for them was a worthless dog’s death, they had no choice but to reconsider.
It was not a matter of their lives, but of so-called “cost-effectiveness.”
If they could not even reach a hair on Rohakan’s head, how could they possibly face Deculein?
“Let’s go. Hurry!”
Taking advantage of that opening, Karixel fled with Epherene and Meiho.
With nothing they could do but watch the three vanish in an instant, the men—whoosh!—ran off in the opposite direction as though giving up.
It was an astonishing sprint, but Deculein sent one Wood Steel after them in pursuit. Its speed was not much different.
* * *
At the same time.
A forest that was extremely peaceful, unlike Epherene’s.
“H-here. Please take it, Lady Sylvia. I’ll give it to you.”
Sylvia obtained the third map from her target. Then she gathered the three sheets and layered them together.
Afterward, just as Laili had done, she inferred the magic circle and opened the 「Short-Range Portal」.
Dooooong—!
A blue passage appeared in midair.
“......”
Sylvia glanced at the male mage from whom she had just taken the map. Kneeling, he swallowed hard as he looked at the 「Short-Range Portal」.
Step. Step.
Without a word, Sylvia entered the portal.
Exactly three seconds later, with a scream of Gyaaah—! the male mage also passed through the portal.
......It had not been a portal that only one person could use. In other words, there had been no need to fight at all.
She had been stabbed in the back again.
“Haah, haah, haah......”
Ignoring the male mage sprawled on the floor and panting, Sylvia looked around.
The scenery was underground. Several long church pews were placed against the dark walls.
There were about twenty mages who had passed the exam. Some were eating, some were sleeping, and among them were those “two people.”
Laili.
Dozmu.
“Ah!”
The moment their eyes met, Laili flinched in surprise. But soon, she approached with a bitter smile.
“Ah~ Young Lady, as expected, as expected, you came?”
“......”
Sylvia glared at her without saying a word. In her eyes, an icy flame was blazing.
Laili slowly reached her hand toward Sylvia.
“Come on~ Why are you like this~ I believed in you, you know~?”
“Don’t touch me.”
“......Haha. Hahaha. Hahahaha...... You see...... we had our reasons......”
Sylvia looked ready to unleash magic at any moment. Laili, just slightly frightened, stealthily looked for Dozmu, but he had already run away.
Laili cursed inwardly. What the fuck is that bastard of a teammate doing?
“Mm. Twenty people?”
Just then, the exam supervisor appeared. Laili focused her gaze on him, and Sylvia clicked her tongue.
“Not many have arrived yet. Still, I’ll make the announcement in advance. Everyone, please pay attention.”
Supervisor Mimin continued in a boy’s voice.
“The second exam is ‘Mentor’ and ‘Mentee.’”