Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Practical Exam Where Screams Echo (2)
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I sat alone in the professor's office, leaning my head back to stare at the ceiling. My loose hair nearly brushed the floor.
I had a lot on my mind.
I'd been assigned to proctor the practical exam. Sure, I'd talked a big game about snapping fingers, but I couldn't actually go chopping off students' fingers.
'If they'd told me to train knights, I would've done it.'
These were students, after all.
So, I was agonizing over it.
'Combat Magic.'
The department that dealt with the Battle Mage class.
Back in the day, I'd thought it was some baseless major. But now that I knew the truth...
'If I'd known it'd come to this, I should've at least left a thesis behind before retiring.'
That thought crossed my mind every time I saw it.
Honestly, it was understandable why the Battle Mage class seemed rootless.
The ancient mage who created the Wizard class left behind dozens, hundreds of books.
The ancient alchemist who birthed the Summoner class wrote memoirs.
'Even those shady shamans left something.'
Every class had at least one foundational text. Except Battle Mage. It couldn't have one.
'Because I never left anything behind.'
I hadn't even realized I'd created the class.
"Mm."
I let out a short groan, head still tilted back.
How should I run this practical exam to make the students truly grasp this combat style?
'One practical exam.'
What core concept did I need to burn into their minds through it?
"Roots."
I muttered suddenly.
"What are roots?"
Battle Mage.
If I were to write a thesis on this class, what would be the opening line defining its roots?
A word floated into my head.
I voiced it.
"How to smash skulls."
No, that's not it.
It was a combat method for smashing Skeval, but I decided to broaden it.
In the end, this was the class modeled after me.
What mindset had I on the battlefield when casting spells? That's what I needed to think about. And thinking that way, the answer came quickly.
"Flexibility."
I voiced the word that surfaced.
Flexibility was indeed the key thread running through this magic system. Not buckling or hesitating when blocked, but immediately finding another way.
That was what I'd valued most on the battlefield.
'How do I convey that to the students?'
I looked at the paper in front of me.
It had the bold word 'Survival' and an exam outline.
- Main Theme: Survival.
- The Battle Mage class takes the battlefield as its primary stage. This exam creates a battlefield-like environment using illusion magic tools to test students.
- A sort of 'maze' breakthrough concept.
...Not bad?
It was already close to perfect with just a few tweaks.
- Primary goal: Indirectly experience the battlefield through the practical. Secondary goal: Naturally recognize the advantages of Battle Mages.
"Oh..."
I couldn't help but admire it.
McHart might be a weird guy, but he had roots. It was spot on.
'Discuss real combat magic without battlefield experience?'
What bullshit. That's exactly what having no roots means.
'This is a good approach.'
Still, I spotted some shortcomings.
Looking at the list of projected beasts for the illusion magic tool, I clicked my tongue.
'This is all you're throwing at them?'
It'd just be a half-assed exam like this.
No stimulation, just ingraining bad habits.
"If you're gonna show it, show it right."
I scribbled changes to the types of projected beasts. I was the one activating the magic tool anyway. Projecting what I'd seen and fought was easy.
Monsters that'd fucked me over in the Demon King's army.
Things you'd occasionally spot wandering the demon realm.
I jotted them down on the paper one by one.
'Now this is more like it.'
Practicals are best when they're overflowing with realism. Recalling my battlefield experiences, I filled in the list.
Mana-eating Mana-Eaters.
Black wolf packs that sense mana.
Mute shadows that leap from the darkness the moment you draw a circuit.
Yeah, this level at least.
"Hm."
I nodded in satisfaction.
It might be a bit harsh, but it'd be fine. It was all illusions anyway—they wouldn't die.
'It'll sting a little, though...'
Compared to the insights they'd gain, it was nothing.
"I created this while smashing things like these."
It's the class modeled after me, right?
So what I say goes.
"This'll do."
I held up the revised paper.
Even to me, it looked like a satisfying practical exam.
2.
A night after the sparring match.
Rak had been wandering the academy grounds aimlessly since early morning. Something felt off.
"Hm."
Stroking his chin, Rak walked the hallway.
His thoughts wouldn't settle. What should he do in a situation like this?
'Hunt?'
First thing that came to mind was heading to the snowy mountains to hunt wild beasts blindly... but that wasn't possible here.
'Uh... train?'
That didn't feel right either.
He'd trained till he dropped after yesterday's spar.
"Mm..."
In the end, Rak headed to the garden and slumped on a bench. He slowly sorted his thoughts under the morning sun.
He recalled the spar with Belnoa.
Every action from that fight replayed naturally in his head. It wasn't mere review.
'If I'd done this there.'
He ran hypotheticals.
'What if I hadn't blocked but pressed in? What if I'd dodged instead of striking...'
Countless assumptions swirled in his mind.
But the conclusion was always the same.
'I'd lose no matter what.'
A perfect defeat.
Whatever move he made, Belnoa countered. Belnoa was stronger. Just a step ahead.
'Belnoa is strong. But it wasn't always a one-sided fight.'
Early semester, they were evenly matched.
In fact, during class placement exams... Rak had once fought Belnoa to a draw.
But now?
'I can't win.'
The more they sparred, the harder it got to beat Belnoa. Belnoa hadn't grown exceptionally.
He wasn't outstandingly stronger than Rak.
Always, Belnoa was just one or two steps ahead.
Rak couldn't grasp what created that gap.
"Why did I lose?"
He said it aloud.
"Am I weak? Am I weak?"
Making a sound, Rak stroked the hilt of the short sword at his waist.
'Is this feeling because I'm weak?'
He couldn't pinpoint why he'd felt off since yesterday.
As he stroked his chin, a shadow suddenly fell over Rak.
"Um, what are you doing here?"
Rak looked up abruptly.
First into view: platinum hair sparkling gold. Only one person in the academy had that.
"...Princess Aila?"
"You don't have to call me 'Princess' here. This is Aphria."
"What brings you to me...?"
She shrugged.
"You looked like you had a lot on your mind. I noticed you passing by and thought I'd say hi. Plus, I'm personally interested in you, Lord Rak?"
"Me?"
Rak tilted his head.
"I need to build connections at Aphria. For good reasons."
"Hm."
"Any worries?"
"I do. But I don't know how to explain it..."
"Just try. I'll think it over."
She plopped down beside him.
Rak slowly explained yesterday's events. It didn't take long.
"...So now I feel unsettled."
"Hm..."
After hearing it all, Aila made a subtle face. Then she blurted to Rak,
"Isn't it just frustration from losing?"
"Frustration?"
"You know, that thing where you feel competitive with people on your level?"
"But why would that frustrate me?"
Rak tilted his head.
To him, defeat and frustration didn't connect easily.
"I was taught that accepting defeat is the warrior's way..."
"Rak."
Aila's golden eyes fixed on him.
"Accepting defeat and competing are different."
"..."
"You want to beat Belnoa, right?"
"I... do want to win."
"But no answers yet?"
"Yes."
"Then why not ask for advice?"
She shrugged again.
"Aphria has great professors. Some incredibly strong ones."
Strong professor.
At those words, one figure flashed in Rak's mind.
'Professor Lania.'
The professor with a beast-like aura.
The one who'd clashed evenly with the royal family's famed hound.
"Mm..."
As Rak stroked his chin and groaned,
"Rak!"
"Rak, the academy bulletin board... Oh, prin—Princess?"
A few classmates approached Rak, then froze and bowed to Aila.
Aila shook her head at the sight.
"Talk. I'll head out."
"Yes, sure."
As the princess left, the students urged Rak to check the academy bulletin board.
"Combat Magic practical exam notice went up."
"But something's off about it."
"Off?"
"Yeah, just go see."
Heading down the hall, they saw students gathered at the board. Belnoa was among them, pointing with his thumb.
"Hm."
Rak nodded and checked the notice.
It outlined the practical exam.
- Exam Location: Crepica Family Forest.
- Exam Theme: Survival.
- Exam Duration: Up to 3 days.
Murmurs rose about the scale. But they faded.
"...Huh?"
"Why's the proctor...?"
The name at the bottom.
Students voiced doubts. Rak too.
- Proctor: Lania van Trias.
Lania van Trias.
The proctor wasn't McHart Crepica, but Professor Lania.
'Why Professor Lania?'
Rak blinked at the name.
He didn't know why the Mana Trading basics prof was proctoring.
But one thing was clear...
'Something feels ominous.'
Like something ridiculous was about to happen.
It was more prediction than instinct. Predictions come from experience.
Lania van Trias.
Rak remembered every incident involving that eccentric professor.
"Hm, mm..."
The more he recalled, the worse the foreboding. Rak felt a trickle of cold sweat down his back.
3.
About a week later, the practical exam began.
As planned, it was held in the Crepica Family forest where McHart belonged.
Chirp chirp.
Early morning, students gathered at the forest entrance amid birdsong. At their forefront stood the professor.
A professor with ashen hair cascading down.
She looked almost like a student at a glance, standing before them to brief the exam.
"As announced, the practical exam theme is survival. Main scoring criterion: adaptability. Stay calm and respond to any situation."
She handed out bracelets to each student.
"Bracelets that record impacts reacting to the illusion magic tool. Exceed the limit, and you're forcibly ejected from the illusion maze. Reattempt in one hour, but penalized."
Bracelets that transmit and log impacts.
As students donned them, Professor Lania continued.
"Advice before the exam: Stick to circuits you already have. If you haven't stocked any, stock them before entering the forest."
...Don't draw new circuits?
Students tilted their heads. Even Battle Mages drew circuits as needed, right?
Clap.
No time for questions.
The forest shook as the professor clapped. A massive barrier enveloped the entrance.
"I'll track all your positions. Every beast in the exam is from the illusion tool. Don't panic."
She pointed to the forest.
"Exam starts now."
One by one, they entered.
Portals activated on stepping in. Scattered randomly inside, students began cautiously exploring.
End conditions: two options.
Survive three days.
Or hunt the hidden boss monster.
Most aimed for the latter. No one wanted three days in this forest.
And.
"...Huh?"
They realized soon enough.
"What the hell is all this...?"
They'd been mistaken.
Blinking, they scanned around. The forest felt off. Eerie. Dismal. Low fog, thick air.
Something alien.
Panicking at the unexpected, some backed away. Some activated circuits. Others forgot the warning and tried drawing new ones.
The exam showed no mercy to the forgetful.
Plop plop. Something fell.
The student mid-circuit looked up. Branches rustled.
Thud, plop.
Something dropped from the shaking branch.
It landed on the student's hand.
'...Bug?'
He shook his hand to flick it off, but it stuck. Soon he realized it wasn't just a bug. His face paled.
'Mana-Eater.'
A monster that blocks mana in response to it.
"A, aaaaagh!"
As he screamed, the Mana-Eater stung his hand. Its venom disrupted mana.
The disruption caused severe headaches. Unbearable for a first-timer.
Thud.
One student collapsed.
Onlookers froze, halting their drawing fingers.
Mana-Eaters lurked in the forest.
That alone spiked the difficulty, but it couldn't end there. Students scanned around.
Then spotted something in the fog.
Grrrrrr.
Red eyes gleamed in the fog.
Low growls spread with the mist. Beasts emerged.
Mana-tracking specialists.
Black wolves.
And wolves always hunted in packs.
"This is insane."
At that point, students realized.
The main theme 'survival' meant literal survival.
And.
"A, aaaaagh!"
The difficulty was beyond imagination.
"Wh-what the hell is that!"
"A, aaaaagh! Fuck, fuck!"
"KyaAAAAAHHH!"
"B-bugs! KyaAAAAAHHH!"
Students' screams echoed throughout the Crepica Family forest.