Chapter 45. Sudden Test (4)
Nemesis Knight Order Meeting Room.
In the center of the massive round table, dozens of translucent screens floated like holograms.
On those numerous monitors, the scenery of the examination grounds was being transmitted in real-time via drones.
“Ugh!”
A Nemesis knight watching this slumped back in the meeting room chair and stretched wide. Then, he opened his mouth in a light tone.
“The selection test is finally over!”
The small-statured female knight spun the Nemesis Knight Order formal cap on her finger and said.
“Drone operators, whether on site or at the examination grounds. You always work so hard~.”
At her bright tone, another Nemesis knight sitting opposite nodded briefly.
The female knight who operated the reconnaissance drones.
She, monitoring the examination grounds with artifacts as usual, replied simply.
“You too. Luca.”
The female knight called Luca winked her cat-like eyes once at her.
“Huhu, right! Reconnaissance knights should understand each other’s hardships! They always give us the troublesome missions.”
Luca, complaining slightly in jest, leaned her head back fully against the chair back, supporting it with both arms clasped behind her head, and said.
“Anyway, surprisingly, Knight Candidate Enoch passed the selection test splendidly…”
Luca watched the screen with some amusement.
“But he got screwed at the team selection stage? No. Seriously, can a team have such bad luck drawing lots?”
“Indeed.”
Beside Luca, another male knight scanning the participants’ personal information charts agreed.
He checked Enoch’s team data and commented lowly.
“In this Magical Beast Hunt examination, swift operations utilizing mobility and combat power will be needed above all. For a team composed only of mages with opposite tendencies… This really seems hopeless.”
In the Empire, besides simple magic skill, ‘combinations’ exist among groups of combat mages.
‘Combination’ is a part usually influenced by the compatibility between their main magics or combat styles.
But like all things, combinations aren't always formed in the best possible state.
Sometimes, ‘combinations’ of mages completely unsuited for the objective like that can certainly appear depending on the actual operational situation.
“Well, luck is luck. Speaking coolly, shouldn't they be able to break through even such difficulties?”
Luca put her Nemesis formal cap back on and leaned her small body back against the chair, saying.
“Actually, weird combinations like that get formed often depending on the mission site, right? I suffered through it a lot when I was a newbie too.”
“Still, it doesn’t change the fact that team is unlucky. Passing this exam with such a combination will be tough.”
Just then, another knight sitting near the round table said so, then casually asked someone.
“Deputy Commander Teano, what is your assessment? Do you think the team he belongs to will pass the examination?”
Nemesis Deputy Commander.
Everyone’s gaze turned towards Teano.
She calmly watched the monitor as usual, then replied impassively to the knights looking at her.
“I have no personal opinion. I am merely supervising for the mission.”
“Haha, just like our Deputy Commander, isn't it?”
The knight who asked her laughed dryly once and turned his head back to the screen.
Teano too, beneath the shadow of her formal cap, turned her eyes and focused again on Enoch shown on the screen.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
‘Is he truly associated with dark magic?’
Unknown.
Even if so, it was only circumstantial evidence.
There was still no known information about Enoch. Thus, she wanted to confirm it even more on this occasion.
‘Either way.’
A faint shadow fell over Teano’s neat eyes.
‘In this 1st examination, everyone will have to sufficiently reveal their abilities.’
Moreover, the situation in the examination grounds was being monitored in real-time. His capabilities would soon be grasped.
She had to confirm it directly if possible.
“If, by any chance, he is truly related to dark mages…”
Swish.
Teano quietly pressed down her formal cap. A shadow fell over her amethyst-like violet eyes.
‘…Then, as a member of Nemesis, I will have to kill Enoch Elsyde.’
Teano watched Teleos, who was conducting the proceedings in the examination grounds, through the projected screen.
He was just finishing the final guidance stage before the examination began for the participants.
“…Lastly, I will guide you through the basic rules.”
On the stage of the examination hall where participants who passed the selection test were gathered in teams.
Teleos snapped his fingers and continued.
“The rules applicable to this Magical Beast Hunt examination are as follows.”
The magic circle he deployed instantly rotated and activated.
Spatial transition magic circles cast by Teleos simultaneously appeared before each participant's eyes.
Woong.
Soon, rule guide sheets dropped in front of the participants.
-
「Rules」
? The Magical Beasts existing in the examination grounds are classified as ‘Low-grade’, ‘Mid-grade’, and ‘High-grade’ according to their strength. High-grade individuals are the fewest, and Low-grade individuals are the most numerous.
And there exists only 1 ‘Special-grade’ Magical Beast, 「Baphomet」, within the examination grounds.
(Photos identifying each individual attached below.)
? Hunting Low~High-grade Magical Beasts in the examination grounds grants the respective team 1, 2, or 3 points according to the beast's grade.
However, hunting the highest grade Magical Beast corresponding to ‘Special-grade’ grants 50 points as an exception.
? Points are calculated as acquired by the team that finally disposes of the Magical Beast.
Even if two or more teams contribute to hunting a single Magical Beast, points are awarded to the team of the individual who dealt the final blow.
? Exiting the defined radius of the examination grounds results in immediate disqualification. Approaching the out-of-bounds border triggers a warning sound in advance to notify participants.
? Only teams with a total score of 50 points or more by the end of the examination pass.
? The time limit for the 1st examination is 6 hours.
-
Below the rules on the guide sheet were attached photos of the examination ground Magical Beasts with their point values.
A brief stir arose among the mages carefully examining those photos.
Because the most dramatic condition for passing the examination, tempting to anyone, was visible.
“…Wait, if the Special-grade Magical Beast is 50 points. Then just catching one Special-grade Magical Beast means passing the exam immediately…”
At someone’s murmuring voice, Teleos nodded slightly.
“Correct. Whichever team catches the Special-grade passes immediately.”
The examiner’s confirmation caused a brief commotion in the room.
Because those words essentially meant the Special-grade Magical Beast was a guaranteed pass ticket for the 1st examination.
But Enoch inwardly laughed coldly.
‘…Once they enter the examination grounds and learn the ‘truth’, reactions like that won't come out.’
“And one more thing you bastards should pay attention to. Especially the Magical Beasts in this examination ground were specifically chosen for their notoriously strong sense of smell.”
Teleos added just then.
He looked around the interior of the examination grounds and continued.
“As most here know, typical Magical Beasts become extremely agitated and track once they smell human blood.”
Teleos smiled savagely and added.
“Be warned. Cooperate thoroughly with your teammates, and try your best not to get injured!”
On Teleos's outstretched hand towards the examination grounds stage, a flow of mana had already gathered. Beyond the light of the translucent magic circle, he added.
“Remember this. If you don’t want to be torn apart and killed by a horde of Magical Beasts drawn together by the smell of blood. Because fatalities are actually common in this examination.”
Before he even finished his advice.
Around Teleos, an immense amount of mana instantly began to swirl violently.
“Then, as of this time, the examination begins.”
Simultaneously with his declaration, magic circles formed beneath each team's feet and began to rotate.
“Good luck.”
Woooong!
The geometric patterns formed on the floor where each team stood instantly emitted dazzling light.
All participants' vision was flooded with flashes.
The next moment.
Everyone inside the room teleported simultaneously.
***
When the storm of mana blinding the vision subsided.
The scenery around Enoch had changed in an instant.
Though brief, Enoch instinctively knew he had teleported to the examination grounds along with his teammates.
‘This place is…’
Under the brightly shining noon sky.
Instead of the interior of the selection examination hall from moments ago, the panorama of a massive city unfolded.
But not a normal city.
The desolate ruins of a city, all broken and destroyed.
Only the bare skeletons of tall buildings soared high into the sky, as if supporting traces of the past.
The entire vista of the long-abandoned city lay clearly visible beneath their feet.
Ticke, briefly admiring the scenery beside Enoch, murmured the fact as if finding it strange.
“…Huh, beneath our feet?”
How could the vista of a tall city be seen below?
Naturally, there was only one reason.
Their current location wasn't the ground.
And sure enough. The next moment, an immense sensation of floating enveloped their bodies.
“Uwaaaaargh!”
Along with the screams of three people echoing beside Enoch, the four teammates, including him, began plummeting from the sky.
The wind of freefall rapidly brushed against his cheeks.
Glancing down, he saw they were falling towards the rooftop of a ruined high-rise building.
A height that would break an ordinary person’s legs and more.
Enoch immediately hooked his staff onto a tree growing on the ruined building's rooftop and landed slidingly.
From above his head, a slightly sulky voice was heard.
“…What kind of reckless examination is this?”
Bianca, unlike Enoch, cautiously grumbled while hanging upside down from the tree.
When their eyes met, she blushed slightly as if embarrassed by her posture and averted her gaze.
“…I just didn’t expect to be dropped from the sky!”
Hey, I didn't say anything.
Besides her, it seemed none of the teammates had managed a normal landing either.
First, right next to Bianca.
Ticke, who had barely landed with magic on the edge of the building rooftop, looked horrified at the fact that she would have fallen straight off the railing if she moved half a step back, and was seen cautiously trying to move away from that spot.
“Phew. I almost, almost died… Waaaaaaah!”
But perhaps because the building was old, the floor gave way beneath Ticke, and she fell to the lower floor with a scream.
Fortunately, judging by the light 'thump' sound, she seemed to have gotten tangled in vines and wasn't injured.
And below, Ina hadn't even managed to land.
Stuck halfway into soft mud, frozen stiff, she clutched her staff tightly and trembled.
“Uuugh…”
But regardless of the other teammates.
Enoch checked the surroundings of the rooftop he landed on.
Bianca, having just climbed down from the tree and removing leaves stuck in her hair, approached Enoch’s side and spoke.
“Fortunately, it seems we’re the only ones nearby.”
…Only us, huh.
Enoch didn't reply to Bianca’s words and silently glanced up at the sky.
He couldn't agree with that statement.
‘Other mages might not have noticed, but…’
Enoch could see them all.
Lines of mana covering the sky limitlessly.
‘Surveillance artifacts under cloaking magic.’
「Reconnaissance Drones」
This too was one of the products of modern Magic Engineering boasted by the Magic Empire.
The mana covering the sky was the same mana that had been observing the candidates even in the selection examination hall.
‘At least several dozen units.’
Seeing that, Enoch was certain.
‘Good thing I brought the magic gear from the selection examination hall.’
As expected, the examiners were watching, so he couldn't openly use his sword here either.
Having finished that assessment, Enoch spoke to his teammates, still preoccupied with assessing the surroundings.
“We need to move now. There’s no time.”
“Huh?”
“I know a way for our team to pass this examination.”
Ignoring Bianca’s puzzled words, Enoch approached Ina, still half-buried in the mud.
Then, lifting her like a cat by the scruff of her neck, he pulled her out of the mud and retorted.
“Follow my plan. Then we can pass.”
“…Lord Enoch, are you intending to take the role of this team’s leader?”
At Bianca’s words, Enoch placed the still trembling Ina down on the ground and turned to look at her.
“Dissatisfied?”
Enoch said towards her.
Bianca slowly shook her head.
“Not at all. I’ve heard many rumors about you, Lord Enoch. I’m well aware you achieved the excellent result of succeeding in the unprecedented Exemption Mission just a few days ago. However……”
Bianca looked straight at Enoch and said.
“That’s a different matter from becoming the leader who decides the entire team’s will.”
Enoch nodded.
An opinion his teammates could reasonably raise.
Besides, they likely couldn't fully trust him, currently on another trial by the family.
He asked Bianca calmly back.
“So?”
“Do you have a definite plan? If so, please explain your intended plan to us.”
Bianca looked straight up at him and said.
“Although this team was hastily formed. We cannot follow a plan we cannot at least find convincing, for the sake of passing the examination. Would that be alright?”
…‘Us’, huh.
Enoch’s eyes narrowed very slightly, having noticed something in his conversation with her from earlier.
Consciously or not.
Bianca and the other teammates seemed to feel quite a distance between themselves and Enoch.
- …….
Watching them staring intently, awaiting an answer, Enoch could easily guess the reason.
‘The distance between someone from the Elsyde Main House, which governs combat mages, and themselves, who are not.’
Especially in this team, Bianca and Ina, though combat mages, weren't even from the Elsyde domain but outsiders.
All three here, judging by their inexperienced feel and background, couldn't be said to have much practical combat experience yet.
In contrast, Enoch hailed from the direct lineage of the Main House governing combat in the Empire.
Furthermore, the recent fame gained from the Exemption Mission incident likely had a significant impact too.
“If it’s a convincing plan, you’ll follow?”
“Yes, of course.”
Just as Bianca nodded as expected.
-Kwazzzzzik!
Instantly, beyond the ruins mixed with buildings and trees.
Along with a tremendous explosion, the echo of a loud shout reverberated through the silent buildings.
“Special, Special-grade Magical Beast sighted!”