124 – An Unexpected Enemy
I frowned at Rachel’s sudden action.
What should I do if I go out on my own like that!
Of course, I didn’t set the exact timing, but anyone could tell that I moved half a step faster than others.
I can’t help it now that it’s like this. For now, I have no choice but to move in line with Rachel’s movements.
“What, what!?”
“Ugh!”
The enemies who find us and are taken aback. Before they could respond properly, Rachel’s flames completely covered her opponents.
“Control your strength!”
“There is no need to point out such obvious things!”
All students entering the exam hall are prevented from mishaps with advanced protection magic.
The examiner who casts the spell is the teacher and the members of the Mage Tower, so it is not pierced at the level of a moderate student.
However, absolutes do not exist in this world. There is a good chance that some strange species that are out of the standard of an ordinary student can break through the protection magic and cause damage.
The most representative example is Grainger, who is ranked #1.
The same goes for Rachel, who competes for the top rank in terms of simple firepower.
That’s why strength control is essential. After all, this is a test that is conducted under strict control.
There’s no way there’s no extra points for breaking through the protection magic and hurting the opponent. Rather, it would be fortunate if it was not considered cheating.
“Ouch!”
The opposing team couldn’t help but panic at the strong flames.
At this level, it would be embarrassing to even call it a battle. As I expected, they were obviously kids who had just entered the academy.
“Everyone in Group F is eliminated.”
The protection magic prepared by the examiner calculates the accumulated damage received, and if it exceeds a certain amount, it is immediately eliminated.
If you are eliminated, the return magic is used immediately on the spot and you are moved outside the test site.
It was to protect students and prevent cheating at the same time.
If the return magic does not work properly for a special reason, an examiner will be immediately dispatched to the scene and enforced. If intentionality is proven, cheating is handled without exception and may result in suspension or expulsion.
Well, there’s no way that kind of situation would come out at all.
“What? It’s a lot easier than I thought.”
Rachel shrugs her shoulders as if she is proud of the fact that she has finished on her own line.
“Rachel. Let’s talk for a minute.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“What if I jump out like that without a signal? It could have been dangerous.”
When Yulia protested earnestly, she sneered at her with a red flag and retorted.
“It’s dangerous, damn it. Did you sleep earlier? Everything was sorted out with my magic.”
“That’s not what I meant. What if it was a much stronger team?”
“You must be mistaken. He did it because he knew he was a weak opponent in the first place. Don’t I know what you know?”
Are you saying you don’t intend to keep your head down until the end?
It was as initially feared. Rachel, apart from her skills, is opinionated and self-centered.
This is the biggest stumbling block for our team in this test, where cooperation is the most important.
“If you want to keep doing this, just go back.”
“Ha. Why me? If you don’t like it, you can grab it first. Aren’t you confident?”
As the atmosphere gradually became overheated, I had no choice but to intervene in the middle.
“Both of you, cool your head first and calm down.”
“Huh.”
“Sheesh…”
I didn’t expect Yulia to react this far.
Of course, Rachel was obviously right. But maybe because it’s an important test, Yulia seems more sensitive than usual.
I thought that if this happened, either I or Sharon would protest against Rachel. Rather, we were much calmer and Yulia became excited.
What should I do with this? Even in this situation, the examiners will be closely watching and reflecting it in the score.
In other words, it is impossible to get a good score the moment the cracks in the team disappear.
Let’s calm down Yulia first. If she returns to her usual self, wouldn’t it be easy for her from then on?
“Yulia.”
“Yes. Did I care too much? Actually, it’s not that serious of a problem. Sorry.”
I only called his name once, but he got better on his own.
Is this self-healing?
“No. Honestly, everything was right.”
“···What? So you’re saying I’m all wrong?”
Rachel grumbled, pouting her mouth.
You’re not even a kid, are you mad at me for something like that?
Well, it’s not because he has a particularly bad heart. It’s just that she couldn’t understand Yulia’s argument because it was her natural nature.
Then I have no choice but to explain to him at eye level.
“Rachel. What is this test?”
“…What kind of nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Uh huh. Don’t be silly and answer me quickly.”
When she scolded her like a teacher treating an elementary school student, Rachel, who was glaring at her with her eyes narrowed, answered with a sigh.
“Cooperative exam. Are you okay?”
“I know. Then you know what I’m talking about, right?”
“You just looked like my older sister.”
Blinking her eyes for a moment, I tried interpreting the words in her ears.
Rachel’s older sister…
That stupid woman?
Her images pass through her mind like a panorama for a brief moment.
I don’t know why it reminds me so vividly even though I’ve never met him.
“That is very rude.”
“Oh, I admit it honestly. What I just thought was a bit too much. I will apologize.”
No, I meant to be rude to your sister.
What the hell did Rachel think of her sister, so she handed her an apology without hesitation?
“Anyway, let’s get back to the main topic. Even if you do a great job alone, the score is bound to be bad. Because it’s not collaboration.”
“I just need you guys to support me.”
He’s amazing at this level. Not being sarcastic, really.
Yes. A person should have such a consistent side. Because everyone has pros and cons.
I still miss the elegant and neat Rachel.
Um. Cancel what you just said. Sometimes, a twisted charm is also necessary.
“Of course you should. But in the end, support is only possible when the sum is right. If you pop out on your own like you just did, you won’t be able to properly support them.”
“Okay. I won’t. Are you done now? Is the nagging over?”
She gave a rough answer and used her last resort against the guy who tried to turn her back.
“You should get a scholarship.”
Stand tall.
Rachel, who had been listening with only one ear until now, flinched at a single word and showed signs of agitation.
“If you fail in the practical skill you said you were most confident of…. It might fail next semester.”
“Oops! That’s all…!!”
This is an unexpected response. I know the situation is difficult, but I never thought he would care about the scholarship that much. Seeing that, I suddenly feel pity again.
As a director of the foundation, I felt sorry for hiding and lying about the fact that grades had nothing to do with scholarship selection, but there was no card that was more effective than this.
“Okay. Then what should I do to get a good grade?”
“Co-op! Think of the team before me! Let’s go!”
I nodded my head in satisfaction when I saw the corrected figure very desirable.
Yulia, who watched the change in real time, said with admiration.
“Cro. I can become a trainer later.”
“…Something has a strange tone.”
“It might suit you unexpectedly.”
Even Sharon, who was quiet.
She shouldn’t be more leisurely than that. Even if she caught one team, the process was not very good, so if the test ended like this, she wouldn’t get much marks.
As much as we had been stagnant due to coordination of opinions, we moved quickly. In fact, no matter how we fought, there was little chance of our team losing. Just like the first battle, the gap with the other team was so great that even if Rachel complained in front of her, she would knock them all down.
So what we cared about was the process rather than the outcome of the battle itself. To be precise, I focused on balance as much as possible so that everyone could play evenly.
Rachel’s flame, Yulia’s recovery and buff, my card magic.
And Sharon’s normal magic.
For some reason, Sharon only participates in battle with normal magic while hiding her own unique magic from her.
Mysteriously, the usability of magic was so great that I didn’t feel any lack of doing that.
It’s not particularly unusual. There are quite a few wizards who focus on general magic because their individual magic isn’t very helpful in battle.
Aren’t I the only one who is acutely aware of the fact that ‘magic’ alone is not enough?
“Looks like you got almost everything. Where are the rest hiding? Plaguy.”
As Rachel said, the one-sided battle structure continued and it felt quite bland.
In fact, 1st place is already confirmed, and the only thing left is how to raise the score?
That complacency evaporated without a trace as soon as he saw the last enemy he encountered.
“Whoa. Who is this? I never expected to meet you here.”
Pure white silver hair. Red eyes burning bright red.
A slender body and a graceful appearance enough to be mistaken for a woman.
“Just in time, you had a debt to pay. Minus.”
That guy. Was it the same time as us…?
This seems like a big deal.