Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: 4. Temporary Hero Promotion Exam (2)
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The 4th Exam Hall.
The name "exam hall" might make one imagine a tidy building.
But that place was a dungeon.
A labyrinth deep underground, with tunnels branching out like a maze.
The dungeon keeper and exam guide stood guard at the damp entrance leading below.
Vivian and Ian arrived first.
"Ian here."
"Aspiring mage Vivian."
The receptionist confirmed the two of them.
"Ian, Vivian. Confirmed. Exam guidance will proceed once all participants have gathered."
Vivian consciously breathed slowly.
Ian had told her to get a good night's sleep yesterday, but she hadn't slept a wink.
Maybe she'd managed a brief nap at best.
Even with Mercy hugging her from the side and singing lullabies, it was no use.
Even when Kati, transformed into a cat, allowed her to touch the tips of her paws, sleep still wouldn't come easily.
Her heart raced like she was running a marathon the whole time she lay there.
'Calm down, calm down...'
Mercy, aware of it all, patted her reassuringly from the side.
"No need to be so tense!"
"Ugh..."
"It's not just you! Ian probably didn't sleep either yesterday!"
"Really...?"
"Huh? I slept like a baby."
"You clueless jerk!"
Mercy smacked her back, but Kati's paw blocked it.
-Smack!
The two ended up looking like they'd just high-fived.
"You damn she-cat!"
"Both of you, quit fooling around and behave."
Mercy and Kati glared at each other before turning away.
It was a scene utterly devoid of any tension.
Vivian couldn't help but smile a little.
Mercy and Kati bickered lightly now and then, but in the end, they acknowledged each other as close friends.
Ian seemed indifferent and aloof, but he never treated his own people carelessly.
And right there in the middle was Vivian—herself.
'Yeah, I can do this.'
After steeling herself, a sudden question popped into her mind.
'But... why on earth was Ian fired? I can't see any reason for it...'
For someone like Ian, where could such a reason even come from?
If it was someone from the 1st Party level, maybe there was some reason beyond her understanding.
'Thanks to that, I got to meet Ian, so if anything...'
Vivian quickly shook her head.
'What kind of awful thought is that! No matter what, he managed the 1st Party for so long—he must be heartbroken. I don't know how well I can do, but I need to try even harder...'
Even if she could never measure up to Sylvia.
She would become Ian's Vivian.
Soon, the second party arrived.
A woman in a loose robe with a hood took the lead.
She had abundant, curly brown hair.
"Manager, Marie."
Her curt tone sounded like that of someone utterly exhausted.
"Knight, Leon. Archer, Yates. Mage, Kaltz."
She called out the aspirants' names just as bluntly.
It contrasted with her cute features.
"Marie, Leon, Yates, Kaltz. Confirmed. Exam guidance will proceed once all participants have gathered."
Marie nodded.
Vivian sneaked a glance and observed her; she looked just as weary as her tone suggested.
Somehow aloof, indifferent to everything, with a face worn down by fatigue.
'She kinda looks like Ian...'
Just then, Ian and Marie made eye contact.
The two similar-looking managers exchanged perfunctory greetings.
Even their single nod was alike.
"Pfft..."
Seeing those two sharp-faced managers nodding in unison made Vivian burst out laughing for no reason.
"Hm? What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. Ahem."
The tension she'd felt moments ago melted away completely.
Vivian emptied her mind and focused on training to open her mana circuits.
She needed to practice even a little more.
She couldn't afford to falter in real combat.
"They're taking their sweet time."
Marie muttered.
Her mouth was as rough as her expression.
Thinking of who that latecomer might be made Vivian's tension spike again.
'Felix... No, don't think about it.'
She focused on her breathing, in and out, opening her circuits one by one.
As she concentrated on practice, the sound of multiple footsteps approached.
Her focus broke, but Vivian pretended otherwise and kept her eyes closed.
The footsteps stopped between Ian's and Marie's parties.
"Felix here. Aspirants..."
As Felix rattled off names, Marie shot him a glare and muttered.
"Coming late and acting all casual..."
Ian pulled out a candy stick and popped it in his mouth.
He quickly reviewed what Taylor had passed on yesterday.
'Felix. Pretty famous in the guild. Good track record promoting aspirants. But multiple unsavory incidents along the way. Other parties get hurt, or forfeit the exam. He claims coincidence or accident, but... who knows.'
Taylor's info was a warning.
To watch out for Felix.
Ian scanned the four aspirants Felix had brought.
'Knight, archer, priest, mage. Textbook lineup. Well-equipped too. Not sure about skill, though.'
For aspirants, they had decent spirit.
You could glimpse Felix's determination to crush Vivian.
But to Ian's eyes, it wasn't nearly enough.
'One of those massive Ice Spears from her would skewer all four like kebabs.'
"Felix... Confirmed."
The 4th Exam Hall had three participating parties in total.
All had gathered.
"Now, the exam introduction."
The guide spoke up.
*
"The 4th Exam Hall is the 'Three-Way Path Dungeon'."
Ian listened attentively, even though he knew the details.
There might be changes from previous rounds.
"As you can see, the structure is simple. From the entrance, you'll split into three paths and enter separate straight corridors."
The guide unfurled a large map.
It showed two large circles, one above the other, connected by three paths in the center.
"Along the paths, you'll encounter Green Slimes. Clear all the slimes, then reach the final chamber."
The guide pointed to the topmost circle.
"Eliminate all remaining slimes there. Once all slimes are defeated, contribution verification will proceed immediately."
Contribution verification.
The process of determining who contributed most to clearing the dungeon.
It wasn't manual; the dungeon handled it itself.
Ian hadn't figured out the exact mechanism.
"Only the party that emerges holding the Mana Stone will pass the exam."
When all dungeon monsters die, the ground in the chamber's center rises like circular stairs.
A 'Mana Stone' reward sits atop it.
Only the hero with the highest contribution can climb those stairs and claim it.
No one else can even set foot on them.
An invisible barrier blocks the way.
Mana Stones have myriad uses and fetch high prices.
It's a big reason most superhumans aspire to be heroes.
Once recovered, the portal closes, ending the run.
Perfect winner-takes-all.
That's why weaker parties often decline entering dungeons with strong ones.
The reason the last spot in this 4th Exam Hall filled so late.
"The Managers' Guild and administrators bear no responsibility for any injuries or fatalities during the exam."
Harsh, but par for the course.
If you get hurt or die even in a provisional exam, forget about hero work.
Heroes were humanity's hope, but that came with bedding down with death.
"Any questions?"
The guide looked around.
No hands went up.
"Then, enter shortly. One final note: Mutants like Big Slimes may appear in this exam hall. Even then, the exam proceeds as is. Fail to clear the dungeon, and there are no passers."
Hearing the final warning, Felix smirked.
'That's why I built my party to hunt Big Slimes too.'
Felix's gaze turned to Ian.
With Vivian visibly tense beside him, Ian casually chewed his candy stick.
'That cocky act ends today. Arrogant little shit...'
While Felix burned with rivalry,
Ian had no particular thoughts.
'King Slime, only heard about it—never seen one. Wonder how big it is.'
The keeper cleared the rock pile blocking the entrance.
"Enter. Choose paths freely, but no overlaps. Only managers and aspirants may enter."
Felix stepped forward confidently first.
Sneering as he passed Ian, he muttered.
"Do they think they're Philip and Sylvia or something...?"
There were two fads circulating among training hall managers.
One was 'Philip Syndrome.'
Inspired by Philip turning the beggar girl Sylvia into a star, it was the habit of picking up no-talent aspirants from who-knows-where.
To Felix, Ian right now fit the bill perfectly.
'Saw Vivian's magic has raw power and thought he'd ape Philip. Good luck with that.'
Felix, who'd tested Vivian himself, knew.
Her magic was utterly useless in real combat.
Even decked out in fine robes and staff, she was still just Vivian.
"Well then, good luck on the exam."
Felix flashed a mocking smile before hurrying inside.
Kati's glare from behind was piercing.
"Be careful out there! Vivian! Do your best!"
"Y-Yes...!"
Ian and Vivian entered the dungeon too.
Felix took the middle path.
Ian the left, Marie the right.
The exam in the 4th Exam Hall had begun.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ They descended a damp, dark downhill path and turned into the left corridor.
The long path ahead stretched into unseen darkness.
Candles flickered at intervals, providing enough light to see.
"Ian..."
"Yes?"
"Can I really do well...?"
...Ah, that bastard Felix flipped the switch.
She'd been fine for a while.
There were two fads among training hall managers, and one was 'Penny Syndrome.'
Imitating Penny by squinting, smiling, and politely needling others.
The other was Philip Syndrome—everyone seemed out of their minds.
God knows why some Penny knockoff moron provoked my mage.
"Whether someone like me can really do well... I have no confidence..."
"Vivian."
I called her, but she couldn't lift her head.
The environment warranted it.
Failed the exam ten times over two years.
All the insults she'd endured.
And sharing an exam hall with the manager who'd pushed her out.
No wonder old wounds resurfaced.
"Remember the promise we made last time?"
"Promise...?"
"Yeah. No more 'someone like me' or 'trash like me' talk."
"Ah... Yes, sorry..."
"We also agreed no apologizing when you've done nothing wrong."
"Ugh..."
Her face crumpled into a pout as she pulled her pointed hat down over it.
"Do it again, and there'll be a penalty."
"Penalty...?"
"Yep. Anytime, anywhere, when I say. Shout, 'Sylvia is a low-tier trash mage compared to me-!'"
"Wh-What?!"
Vivian jerked her head up.
Her teary face flushed with shock.
"H-How could someone like me say that about Lady Sylvia...!"
"Huh? What was that just now?"
"Ack! S-Sorry... Oops!"
"Again?"
"Ughhh..."
Vivian clamped her own mouth shut.
"This won't do..."
"Mmph!"
She couldn't speak, just shook her head vigorously with hands over her mouth.
"I'll pretend the last one didn't happen, so don't do it again. Got it?"
"Mmph..."
She nodded, still covering her mouth.
"And if you can't believe in yourself, believe in me. Ex-1st Party Manager—worth trusting, right?"
...Or not.
Now I feel awkward.
I averted my gaze sheepishly, and Vivian's voice came.
"Yes. I'll believe in you."
I turned back; she was beaming at me.
"Then let's go."
"Yes!"
As they advanced, a single Green Slime appeared.
I'd given her a rough rundown on the way.
Now it was time for the real thing.
"Ready, Vivian?"
"Yes! Ian!"
Vivian answered confidently.