Chapter 41: The Practical Exam Has Begun, But…
After the written exam, a brief respite was followed by the practical exam. The candidates were divided by their respective departments, and Rest was set to take the exam in the Magic Department. Following the instructions of the examiners, they moved to the grounds.
“Ho ho ho! Now then, we shall commence the practical exam for the Magic Department!”
Welcoming the hundred or so candidates on the grounds was an elderly man clad in an impressive robe. He sported a long white beard and a completely bald head. Though he appeared to be well over seventy, he stood tall and exuded a vigorous presence.
“My name is Verloid Harn. I am, in a sense, the head of this academy.”
“Verloid Harn… The sage and headmaster of the academy? Why is he here…?”
One of the candidates exclaimed in surprise.
Verloid Harn. Rest recognized the name from a book he had read while studying for the exams. He was a member of the Council of Sages, the world’s foremost magical society, and the strongest magician in the country. Though he hailed from a commoner background, he had connections not only with the country’s influential figures but also with royalty from other nations. He held the title of Honorary Duke, making him one of the highest authorities, second only to the royal family.
“Originally, another instructor was supposed to oversee the exam, but it seems that person had an urgent matter to attend to and has left the Royal Capital. Apparently, it was something like, ‘My adorable little sister has a boyfriend! I can’t be supervising exams right now!’ Quite troublesome, isn’t it?”
The old man chuckled as he stroked his beard, but his eyes were devoid of mirth. Internally, he seemed quite angry at the subordinate who had abandoned their duties.
“Well, regardless of who is supervising the exam, the tasks remain unchanged. I shall now explain the content of the practical exam.”
The headmaster pointed with his staff to a spot a short distance away. White lines marked the ground, and a circular target stood about ten meters away.
“You will stand at that line and attack the target. The target has a function to measure the power of your attack numerically, and that number will directly translate to your score.”
This was the same exam content Rest had heard about beforehand. It was consistent with previous years.
“However… you may only attack once, but you are allowed to use multiple spells. Think carefully about which spells you will employ.”
Most of the candidates tilted their heads in confusion at the headmaster’s explanation. They could use multiple spells, but could only attack once… it was a perplexing instruction.
(Ah… I see now.)
Rest nodded inwardly.
(In other words, I can combine multiple spells for a single attack.)
Multi-Casting Magic leading to Composite Magic. This was a highly advanced technique, one that many court magicians struggled to master. After all, the very act of multi-casting was challenging; combining spells activated simultaneously was no easy feat.
(But… as Professor Dible said, even a combination of basic spells can exceed the power of advanced magic, depending on how they are used.)
Rest’s mentor, Dible, had also mentioned that he rarely used advanced magic. Dible had become a court magician due to his exceptional skill in using magic and his ability to perform Composite Magic. Of course, he had taught Rest how to use Composite Magic during the past year of training.
(This exam is perfect for me… Truly, having an excellent mentor is invaluable.)
“Now, we will proceed in order of candidate numbers. First up is Jack from Rosand Village.”
“Y-Yes!”
A seemingly innocent boy stepped forward to the line. After taking a deep breath, he activated his magic.
“[Wind Cutter]!”
The released spell was a basic wind attribute magic. The blade of wind shot straight toward the target, striking it.
“Hmm, 57 points.”
A white number appeared above the target. The letters materialized in mid-air, likely an application of light magic’s illusions.
“Next, we have Celsy from the Royal Capital.”
“Y-Yes…”
The next candidate stepped forward as called by the headmaster, taking turns to unleash their magic. Observing the scores of more than half the candidates, the average seemed to be around 60 points. Most were using basic magic, though a few managed to cast intermediate spells.
“Next… Yuri Cattleya.”
“Here I go!”
With an especially lively response, the girl Rest had met before the exam—Yuri—stepped forward. Given that she hailed from the prestigious Cattleya Marquis Family, Rest had assumed she would be taking the Knight Department exam, but contrary to his expectations, she had chosen the Magic Department.
(She demonstrated athletic abilities on par with mine when I used [Body Enhancement] without magic… Could it be that her magical prowess is impressive as well?)
“Hey, Cattleya…”
“Oh, from the marquis family…”
“Why is she in the Magic Department…? And why is she taking the exam as a commoner?”
A murmur arose among the other candidates. It was tempting to point out that if she wanted to hide her identity, she shouldn’t announce her family name.
“Alright, here I go! [Stone Bullet]!”
Yuri raised her hand and activated her magic. The spell she used was [Stone Bullet], a basic magic that hurled stones at the target.
“Haahhhhh!”
Yuri concentrated intensely, and slowly, almost agonizingly so, a stone began to materialize in the air. After taking over five minutes, she finally produced a small stone that fit in her palm.
“……Seriously?”
Rest couldn’t help but mutter. It was clear that her magical power was lacking. She was straining every bit of her magical energy just to create such a small stone. Not only was her magical power insufficient, but her activation speed and output were also below average. There was no way she could gain admission to the Magic Department with such performance. In fact, it would be more challenging for her if she did.
(At this rate, it’s sad but there’s no way she’ll pass…)
Rest shook his head in sympathy. However, what happened next was completely unexpected.
“Alright… here goes!”
“Whaaat!? No way!”
Rest’s voice cracked as he witnessed the unbelievable scene. Yuri grabbed the small stone she had conjured and hurled it with all her might. The thrown stone sliced through the air with a sharp whoosh and struck the target, leaving a significant crack where none had existed before. The number displayed above the target was… “175.” It seemed that the maximum score was not capped at one hundred.
(W-What a feat of strength… Wasn’t this supposed to be a magic exam…?)
“I did it! Highest score!”
Leaving the stunned crowd behind, Yuri raised her fist triumphantly toward the sky.