Chapter 68
Chapter 68
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Commence Calculations!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Commence calculations!]
No sooner had the judging begun than the cadets started drawing magic circles on their parchments. The spectator stands at Dragon Hole Field were in absolute pandemonium.
“I hear it seats five thousand, and it’s packed solid?”
Tirintid from the Magic Blind Special Forces peered around with keen interest. Lunen, the burly man with the charming mustache, nodded.
“That’s how much attention is focused on this golden generation. Must bring back memories for you, Senior Tirintid.”
“Hmph, memories? I’m from <Winterhold>. Unlike those southern softies, I learned real magic.”
<Winterhold> was one of the Empire’s three great magic universities, located in the north, where nearly every northern mage was trained.
The Blado Marquess family, famed for northern magic houses, was no exception. In their long history, only once had a Blado entered <Delaiten>.
In any case, with seats already full, the two stood in the northern aisle, looking down at the exam grounds.
“So we’re supposed to pick our juniors from here?”
“The boss already has his eye on Rain Ludwig.”
“That genius (天災) young master? Ugh, these are the end times. Look at him picking a creep like that. I’m against it. Totally against!”
“He’s the top cadet. What’s the problem?”
“Hey! I can’t stand guys who don’t live steadily and then suddenly pretend to hide their power while showing off?”
“Then who do you want to pick, Senior Tirintid?”
Naturally, the one the Tirintid—who had graduated top of <Winterhold> four years ago—had her eye on was Christa Warden.
Her talent was solid, her diligence a sight to behold, and she was a woman like herself, which sealed the deal.
That fondness wasn’t unique to Tirintid; already, a crowd of judges swarmed around Christa Warden.
“Two squares, so that’s earth-element magic? Right?”
“Yes. Precisely, it’s summoning magic.”
“Summoning? Heh, nothing that grandiose is needed...”
“It’s not grandiose. It’s just an all-purpose golem that can do anything.”
A magic circle spun atop Christa Warden’s palm, and in the next instant, sand soldiers rose up, snapping to attention in formation behind her.
“From a minimum of two to a maximum of four. Just order them to do whatever you need. From odd jobs to civil engineering works, anywhere.”
The sand soldiers lifted heavy logs, erected foundations across the area, and raised pillars, drawing wild applause from the crowd.
“Give me one sheet!”
“Me, two sheets!”
“Oh, hell, just give me all three!”
Reconstructing a bloodline limit into a magic circle and processing it for others to use was no small feat.
To pull it off so flawlessly—her dominance of the elementary and intermediate divisions wasn’t for nothing.
Caroline the professor smiled faintly as she overheard the murmurs from countless magic officials.
‘That’s right. No need to rush at all. The world already knows your worth.’
Led by Christa Warden, the frontrunners were predictably from the Eight Great Academies.
Lilian Carline of Rivendel Academy with her fierce flames, Kaden of Harimun Academy with his clear tones...
Logan of Chaihak Academy was the exception, stuck after putting a muscle-growth spell for workouts on his scroll.
‘That... that shit-for-brains...’
Professor Owen pressed his forehead with a sigh. Meanwhile, Chaihak mages observing the exam wondered why it wasn’t popular.
“You fools, it’s not Logan’s fault.”
“Vice Chancellor?”
“The world’s too immature to appreciate muscle’s beauty. Logan prepared the pinnacle of magic as our successor.”
“Urgh, as expected! I believed in you!”
Chaihak mages were refreshingly simple.
Compared to Chaihak, Weiber of Rohwinen Academy was shattering scroll sales records at breakneck speed.
“Fan-shaped... Young mage, may I ask what attribute this magic is?”
“Wind attribute. Rohwinen Academy’s specialty.”
Wind meant freedom.
That free nature naturally infused wind-attribute magic.
“But if it’s just simple wind magic, what’s the point of buying it on a scroll?”
“My explanation was lacking. This isn’t mere wind. It’s wind that shifts freely.”
“Shifts freely... wind?”
Weiber snapped his fingers, and the orbiting wind in the air changed form into a fierce gust.
The gust tore through the ink clouds Weiber had conjured with magic, clearing the sky.
Moments later, the wind spread into a circular barrier, shielding the judges from the drizzling rain caused by the dispersing clouds.
“Maximum duration is twelve hours. It shortens with each change, but you can use it at least three times.”
Wows of genuine admiration rippled out, followed by judges eagerly raising hands to buy scrolls.
1. Christa Warden: 56 sheets.
2. Nora Reden: 49 sheets.
3. Kaden: 48 sheets.
4. Lilian Carline: 47 sheets.
5. Weiber: 46 sheets.
6. Gertrude Fenton: 44 sheets.
The string of text that had floated at Dragon Hole Field’s center before the exam still shone brilliantly, exposing the cadets’ rankings starkly.
“The top cadets are all leveraging their houses and academies’ strengths in fierce competition. Quite intriguing.”
“Yeah, it looks that way.”
Marhena nodded at Kyle’s words, with a hint of disappointment.
That disappointment was natural for anyone following <Delaiten>’s trends.
Why not?
The genius young master—who’d claimed top cadet against all odds—wasn’t even in the top five.
“Wasn’t that Ludwig genius the top cadet?”
“Must’ve been rumors.”
“No way. The dragon bone ornament on his uniform cape proves it.”
Indeed. Rain Ludwig’s current scroll sales: ‘0’.
Even Logan, clearly sabotaging himself, had sold eleven. Rain’s was pathetically low.
‘So this is your approach...’
Rain slowly rubbed his chin.
Can’t show magic, can’t draw interest. No interest, no sales.
In this simple setup, Rain’s chosen magic was the absolute worst possible.
‘Range is too vast.’
Even with Dragon Hole Field’s expanse, demonstrating a flood-control levee spell on-site had limits.
‘No, not limits—impossible.’
Someone would get hurt. Instant disqualification. So now what?
“What the hell is that guy doing?”
Christa, scribbling her magic circle while checking the board, narrowed her eyes at Rain’s name.
‘Still at zero... Not even joking. What gave him the confidence to slack off with girls during exam week?’
If this is how it ends, I won’t let it slide. I worked my ass off, fully intent on crushing you.
“Rain...”
Kasena, watching from beside the chancellor as a special privilege, looked pleadingly at her mother, but Madelia shook her head firmly.
“There’s nothing I can do. Even if I intervened, would it help Rain? It’d just bring him infamy.”
While Kasena was passive, Seri Ludwig—biting her nails in the first-class box—leapt to her feet.
“This is wrong! People are jealous of big brother, that’s why! Aunt, intervene and protest─”
“─Quit the hysterics and sit.”
Elin’s shout made Seri stare at her with teary eyes. Elin sighed shortly.
“Watch closely, you pathetic niece. A mage’s qualities aren’t just casting fast.”
Can you stay composed in any situation? Reacting rashly to every setback means you’ll never be first-rate.
“She’s right, dear.”
Brim pulled Seri into her embrace, soothing her hair.
“What Seri needs to learn from Rain isn’t just solving equations well.”
“Then...?”
“Better to see for yourself than hear it. Watch closely.”
Undeterred by the surroundings, Rain on-site showed no despair. No crumbling in self-recrimination.
“This prelim task seems too tough for a pampered young master like you. Feeling despair?”
Weiber taunted now that he had breathing room, but Rain smirked back.
“Why?”
“You’ve totally bombed, and that’s your line?”
“What fun is a math problem solved in one go? Now it’s getting interesting.”
Weiber flinched at that inexplicable confidence, eyebrow twitching.
Zero sheets... grinning now?
Forty minutes left. No stunt could overtake the top five leaders.
“The first fifty minutes? Just a handicap for promising juniors.”
“What?”
Before Weiber could retort, rings of light bloomed on Rain’s palm, weaving intricately.
“First, grab attention.”
Three concentric circles shattered with a clear chime, blanketing the sunny sky in thick clouds.
The clouds vomited torrents, panicking judges—then silence.
“Huh, what?”
“What the...?”
No rain fell.
Precisely, it wasn’t falling everywhere—just one spot. Right where Rain stood.
Exactly, into the seven-meter circular tank he’d made before his desk.
‘Rain concentration—that’s insane water-attribute control...’
Professor Caroline admired the bizarre sight genuinely. But that was it.
‘Thirty-eight minutes left, zero sheets sold. No score to flip now.’
Human curiosity, though, is unpredictable. Already, dozens of judges headed his way.
“Wow, rain only here? How?”
“Can scrolls do this?”
About thirty gathered.
Good enough.
Now a rectangular array shattered on Rain’s palm. The earth writhed, birthing something artistic.
“Whoa...?”
“What’s that...?”
“A map...?”
Among those drawn by the crowd was Willem, court count serving the Aegin Archduke family.
“No, not just a map. It’s like... a miniaturized terrain.”
Spot on.
Forest, village, streams, river.
Crown Prince Raida Aegin gawked in disbelief.
“Yeah? But what’s the point? Who wants a toy scroll like this?”
Trained as emperor-in-waiting, his insight was sharp beyond his years.
“Exactly. Scrolls are for urgent real-life magic needs. A model like this...?!”
Then, an anomaly.
Repeated downpours overflowed the tank.
The water savaged the model forest and village, then surged as a flood toward the onlooker judges.
“U, ugh!”
“R-run!”
Terrified judges stumbled back; Willem glared at Rain in disbelief.
“What the hell... why...?”
Just pranking?
In a do-or-die final for magic university cadets?
Rain smiled at the question.
“To show you this, of course.”
Uncomprehending, the next instant a miracle unfolded on the boy’s palm.
Magic circle: three rectangles.
Runes engraved: Gyeol (闋), Du (阧), On (鞰).
Earth-attribute magic
imparted with
‘Gyeol (闋): closing gates’,
‘Du (阧): surging up’,
‘On (鞰): piling’ properties.
The threatening floodwaters that had swept Dragon Hole Field were flanked by earth swelling like waves, then shooting up like cliffs.
The natural barrier blocking all flood damage stretched onward, reaching the drainage in the field’s corner before stopping.
The disaster that had ravaged everything was quelled in a blink, like a lie. To the gaping, mumbling judges, the boy finished.
“This is my ‘anti-flood response magic.’ Had to show a miniature since the power’s too immense.”