Chapter 130
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Ilno
Day 2, lunchtime.
We had barely passed the morning exams and were in the middle of eating.
"J-Just one more exam to pass, and we'll say goodbye to this trash class..."
"..."
Chinya muttered as she chewed her fish down to the bones, her eyes filled with madness.
In our team, "trash class" naturally referred to me.
Especially in the last exam, we almost failed because I messed up the "foot positioning when escorting Archmage Duchess from the carriage."
But thanks to Ilno knowing the "procedure for a tangled step during Archmage Duchess escort," we scraped by with a pass.
The other exams had followed the same pattern.
Thanks to the three of them, we all made it through safely.
"I truly thank you all. Without you three, I would've been eliminated ages ago."
At first, I thought they were weirdos, but it turned out to be a stroke of luck.
These three were dead serious about the exam.
More serious than anyone else from the other teams.
Honestly, there were times when hope seemed lost, but none of them gave up.
I owed them a debt I could never repay.
I bowed my head sincerely.
"N-No need. We're just glad you kept up, Ian."
"I-I thought my learning ability was pretty good too..."
"Exactly! You've got talent. If we pass, how about joining the stocking laundry team together?"
"I'll pass on the stockings."
And so, we finished our meal in high spirits.
Then came the final group exam: the Day 2 afternoon test.
"The last group exam is the 'Archmage Duchess Escort Mission.'"
Finally, an exam worthy of the name.
The specifics: Escort the carriage carrying Lee Sooa along a forest path to the destination.
Perfectly protect the carriage from all threats until arrival,
and ensure Lee Sooa inside feels no discomfort whatsoever.
It was a test that brought together every skill we'd needed so far.
Magic prowess to fend off ambushes was key, as was real combat experience,
but equally important was keeping the Archmage Duchess comfortable amid it all.
Strategy mattered a great deal.
Some would assist Lee Sooa inside, others guard outside—personnel allocation was crucial.
But our team didn't need to deliberate.
The three besides me had the highest skills among the participants.
The moment the exam details were announced, they swiftly devised a strategy among themselves.
"Th-The problem is Ian. He won't help wherever we put him."
"H-How about I take him inside to assist the Archmage Duchess? Covering for him in combat seems tough..."
"But if fighting breaks out outside, Ian might slip up while attending her. A mistake right in front of the Archmage Duchess ends the exam."
"Hm, yeah. So, best to use him as a meat shield after all..."
My role was ambiguous.
We couldn't entrust escort to a first-year,
but offending the Archmage Duchess from inside would be disastrous.
"I'll fight outside."
But this exam suited me best of all.
The threats during escort would be things a 6th-circle mage could handle.
With thought acceleration active, I could manage.
"B-But Ian, you're a first-year..."
"True, but I can handle 5th-circle magic proficiently. Even one 6th-circle spell."
I showed them a bit of my magic prowess.
All three were shocked speechless that a first-year could perform at this level.
"A-A first-year? That's not a lie...?"
"Wh-What's the academy's level these days...?"
"I'm on the stronger side. Anyway, I'll guard the carriage without a scratch."
"Perfect! Then I'll guard with you, Ian. If you slip, I'll cover. Don't worry!"
And so, Ilno and I took outside guard duty, while Taevor and Chinya handled inside service.
Several teams ahead of us took their tests first.
Watching them, we judged we could pass comfortably.
"Pl-Please let us pass without issue...!"
"J-Just this one, and the heart-attack exams are over...!"
"We'll pass! Haha!"
Then it was our team's turn.
We steeled ourselves and entered the exam ground.
"We'll escort you safely, Archmage Duchess."
Under Taevor's lead, the escort of Lee Sooa (stand-in) began.
The Archmage Duchess double boarded the carriage, and the real test started.
"Ian. One more reminder: No matter the attack, our bodies may burn, but the carriage can't shake even slightly."
"Got it. I'll keep it in mind."
Ilno and I moved at the carriage's pace, scanning all directions.
Our carriage was a bit faster than others'.
Yet it didn't shake at all.
A sign of Taevor's exceptional driving.
And inside, Chinya was likely using sound-blocking magic.
So as long as the carriage didn't shake from outside chaos, no sounds would reach.
"Incoming."
I said, having spread detection magic.
Ilno nodded and began computing spells.
-Kieeeek!
Five 6th-grade beasts burst from the forest.
But the moment they entered view, Ilno finished her computation.
Five magic bullets—pew-pew—and all beasts dropped dead instantly.
Not a drop of blood touched the carriage.
For a stocking sniffer, Ilno's skill far exceeded expectations.
"Impressive."
"Don't let your guard down."
Ilno stayed fully tense.
She handled two more beast waves perfectly.
Up to there, all good.
Rumble...
Suddenly, the ground shook like an earthquake.
No previous teams had ground shaking itself.
Driving unshaken through that was near impossible.
But impossible wasn't in their dictionary.
By the time I glanced back, Ilno had already cast vibration-canceling magic on the carriage.
It vibrated precisely opposite, rolling steady despite the quake.
Click.
Taevor's thumb popped out the driver's window.
"Why's the ground suddenly shaking? No previous team had this..."
"Stay calm and proceed. It's manageable."
The unexpected only sharpened Ilno's focus.
Her expression was the most serious I'd seen.
She maintained vibration cancel while fending beasts.
Now I had to join attacks too.
Even Ilno couldn't fight perfectly while canceling vibrations.
Roooar—
But vibrations intensified.
No, not just vibrations.
Mountains lined the right path,
and soil, rocks, trees were cascading down.
"Landslide?"
A landslide.
It accelerated rapidly, surging toward us.
"How do we block this...!"
Illimost Archmage Duke retainers must never swear, no matter the crisis.
If I forgot that rule, I'd be cursing up a storm.
"Ugh..."
Ilno grimaced too.
Dodging alone was easy.
But the task was "perfectly assist Archmage Duchess's travel."
Once boarded, Lee Sooa must reach the destination in comfort.
Common sense: Ask permission and flee.
But these retainers defied common sense.
They'd devoted their lives to keeping their lady in peak comfort every instant.
No "landslide coming, carriage will shake, milady."
They'd burn their bodies to block a mere landslide before letting it sour her mood.
That was the essence of an Illimost Archmage Duke "retainer."
Thus, Ilno wasn't even considering evasion.
She pondered only "how to block the landslide and keep her comfortable."
'But she'd understand something like this.'
The Lee Sooa I'd seen wouldn't nitpick over it.
Still, retainers set the serving standards.
Blindly loyal to Lee Sooa.
"Ian. Know any inefficient defense spells?"
Efficient defense targets only the impact area.
"Inefficient" meant massive barriers, wasteful but necessary for wide coverage.
And now, we needed the most inefficient desperately.
"I can. I'll try. But the carriage vibration..."
"I'll manage. This spell requires overseeing the whole carriage from outside for perfect control."
Vibration cancel couldn't be left inside.
Taevor and Chinya were giving their all inside.
Serving and driving as if nothing happened outside.
Ilno and I had to handle it.
Ilno poured effort into vibration cancel.
I'd slow the landslide.
"I'll block it. Don't worry!"
I stopped running beside the carriage and mounted my broom.
I flew ahead to survey the landslide.
Couldn't stray too far.
Retainers must stay within set distance of Archmage Duchess during escort.
Roooar—
Up close, the landslide was fiercer.
Quake-spooked beasts swarmed too.
Full block would drain hugely.
But only needed to slow until carriage passed.
Synapse Plasticity Hyperactivation
Thought speed surged, senses expanded.
Landslide slowed in perception.
In brief time, faster, more dams to halt it.
[The time it takes for sedimentary rock to form]
[The time it takes for sedimentary rock to form]
[The time it takes for sedimentary rock to form]
.
.
.
The most inefficient 4th-circle defense, repeated.
Sedimentary rock megawalls erupted everywhere.
Landslide piled like river against dam.
Soil, rocks stacked before walls; drifting trees crack snapped.
But temporary.
Soon cracks in walls.
Mass piled, walls collapsed, debris flowed again.
Rebuild, collapse.
Repeat, slowing the landslide.
5500 mana per cast, repeated, but reserves ample.
Compression circulation pushed total past 200k.
Distance left: No depletion likely.
If just blocking landslide.
But quake beasts swarmed en masse.
"Ilno!"
"Focus on the landslide!"
Ilno shouted below.
Her pupils strained, computing spells.
Vibration cancel firm, attacking beasts amid it.
But too many beasts.
Not high-grade, but overwhelming numbers.
Ilno alone couldn't handle.
I built walls while advancing.
[The five elements of dust explosion]
[The five elements of dust explosion]
Thought acceleration allowed attack computation.
Close blasts risked carriage.
Instead, dust explosion on distant swarms.
Far beasts thinned; Ilno cleared near ones.
"Mana holding, Ian?"
"Plenty!"
Bluff: razor-thin.
Distance left: Manageable without burnout.
Assuming status quo.
Then 5th-grade beasts mixed in.
I could take 5th-graders.
But more mana drain.
Numbers exponential; wave overwhelming.
'This is off.'
Too abnormal vs. prior teams.
Below, Ilno computed madly.
Beast count rose.
In accelerated sight, anomaly spotted.
'Examiner...?'
Deep forest: an examiner, distressed.
Slowed time: his body turned slowly.
Then magic at ground.
Quake worsened, beasts rampaged more.
"What the—"
Clear sabotage.
Retainers eyed me hostile pre-exam.
Our team's exams uniquely hellish from start?
Swallowed curse, flew at him.
"Ian! What are you doing!"
Ilno urgently called as I strayed.
"Sabotage! Explained why only our exams so hard—examiners deliberately screwing us!"
I yelled in fury.
Ilno blasted incoming beasts regardless.
"Don't go! Retainers can't stray beyond distance from Archmage Duchess during escort!"
"But they're intentionally failing us!"
"So what! We must escort Archmage Duchess!"
"No,"
"That doesn't matter! My duty is escorting Archmage Duchess! Whatever comes! Any foe! We protect her! You abandoning her as retainer? Have you lost your mind, Ian!"
"But..."
Ilno ignored the sabotage claim.
As if irrelevant.
Examiner interference?
Landslide?
Any-grade beasts?
Didn't matter.
Duty: Protect Archmage Duchess.
This wasn't an exam to her.
"Protect Archmage Duchess!"
Just safeguarding Illimost Archmage Duchess.
Nothing else mattered.
She lived solely for that.
Damn. Swallowed inner curse, returned.
Blocked landslide, felled beasts again.
Even stronger beasts emerged, yet we progressed.
Ilno computed spells amid nosebleed.
Ilno used no thought acceleration.
Multicasting, yet fixated on one: Protect Illimost Archmage Duchess's carriage.
Though she needed no guard.
That was Ilno's sole law.
Couldn't break her immersion.
Couldn't let her fail.
I poured mana recklessly, screw it.
Screeech—
Finally, carriage reached destination.
Crossed line: Beasts halted.
Examiners gawked at our wave-block.
Mana near zero.
Regen filling fast, but body screamed to collapse.
Ilno propped me up despite worse fatigue—no acceleration.
Yet no slump; prepped next.
"Stand and show etiquette. Until Archmage Duchess alights and enters destination."
Ilno wiped smeared nosebleed neatly with handkerchief.
Fixed hair, clothes; straightened mine too.
Her eyes bloodshot.
Body trembling.
No depletion?
No, she'd fought beyond limits.
Collapse normal.
How stand so resolute?
More shocking followed.
Knock-knock.
"Archmage Duchess. Destination reached. May I open the door?"
Ilno knocked.
Wreckage gone;
Pained face serene,
Tremors vanished; perfect escort etiquette.
-Proceed.
Reply from inside.
I snapped to, bowed as trained.
Main escort Ilno's, but I needed perfect form behind.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Exactly 5 seconds post-reply, Ilno opened door.
Flawless assist as Lee Sooa alighted.
Taevor, Chinya descended opposite silently, bowed.
"Good work."
"You honor us, milady."
Archmage Duchess arrived, minor praise to retainers.
Praise response perfectly scripted.
Us three behind echoed gratitude.
She glanced once, turned, entered building.
Only after her footsteps fully faded did we relax.
"Whew... G-Good job. Outside okay...?"
"You two handled outside great. B-But why so many beasts?"
Insiders unaware of full chaos.
Taevor saw beasts but not full landslide due to cancel.
"Sudden landslide. Without Ilno, no chance..."
Anyone else couldn't.
Not skill—pure will to protect.
But Ilno's state odd.
"Ilno?"
Still in bow pose.
Right hand on chest, waist bent.
Immobile.
Something wrong.
Blood dripped from bowed head to floor.
"Ilno. You okay? Exam's over..."
Sway—
I touched her shoulder gently.
Her body toppled limply.
Thud.
Ilno collapsed flat.
Right hand still on chest.
"I-Ilno!"
We checked frantically.
"Breathing... P-Passed out."
Ilno fainted.
Blood trickled from mouth.
She'd bitten her tongue.
"Held out even like this..."
Post-extreme battle, wrecked body hidden.
Before Archmage Duchess, no disarray—she bit tongue, endured tremors.
Perfect etiquette to her last.
Only after footsteps gone.
Collapsed in that salute pose.
Fainted Ilno's half-lidded eyes smiled faintly.
A subtle satisfied smile on her lips.