**Chapter 41: The Practical Exam Has Begun, But…?**
After the written exam concluded, a brief break was followed by the practical exam. The candidates were divided by their respective departments for the practical assessments. Rest was set to participate in the Magic Department.
Following the instructions of the examiners, they moved to the training ground.
“Ho ho ho! Now, we shall commence the practical exam for the Magic Department!”
Welcoming the hundred or so candidates gathered on the ground was an elderly man clad in a magnificent robe. He sported a long white beard and a completely bald head. Despite being well over seventy, he stood tall and exuded a vigorous presence.
“My name is Velroid Hahn. I am, in a sense, the head of this academy.”
“Velroid Hahn… the sage and headmaster? Why is he here…!”
One of the candidates gasped in surprise.
Velroid Hahn. Rest recognized the name from the books he had read while studying for the exams. He was a member of the world-renowned magical organization known as the Sage Council and the most powerful magician in the country. Although he hailed from a commoner background, he had connections not only with the influential figures in the nation but also with royalty from other countries. He had even been granted 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 individual had an urgent matter to attend to and has left the capital. Apparently, it was something like, ‘My adorable little sister has a boyfriend! I can’t be supervising exams right now!’ Quite troublesome, indeed.”
The elderly man chuckled while stroking his beard, but his eyes held no mirth. Internally, he seemed quite furious with the subordinate who had abandoned their duties.
“Well, regardless of who supervises the exam, the tasks remain unchanged. I will now explain the content of the practical exam.”
The headmaster pointed with his staff to a spot a short distance away. On the ground, white lines had been drawn, and a circular target stood about ten meters away.
“You will stand behind that line and attack the target. That target has a function to measure the power of your attack in numerical form, and the resulting number will be 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 puzzling statement.
(Ah… I see now.)
Rest nodded inwardly.
(In other words, I can combine multiple spells for a single attack.)
The concept of multi-casting spells to create a composite magic 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… even low-level spells can exceed the power of high-level spells depending on how they’re combined, as Diable-sensei mentioned.)
Rest’s mentor, Diable, had also admitted to being unable to use most high-level spells. Diable had become a Court Magician due to his exceptional skill in utilizing magic and his ability to perform composite spells. Of course, he had taught Rest how to use composite magic over the past year.
(This exam is perfect for me… truly, having an excellent mentor is invaluable.)
“Now, we will proceed in the order of your candidate numbers. First up is Jack from Rosando Village.”
“Y-yes!”
A seemingly innocent boy stepped forward to the line. After taking a deep breath, he activated his magic.
“[Wind Cutter]!”
A low-level wind attribute spell was unleashed. 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 illusion.
“Next, Celsy from the capital.”
“Y-yes…”
The next candidate stepped forward, casting their spell in turn. Observing the scores of more than half the candidates, the average seemed to hover around 60 points. Most were using low-level spells, 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 her connection to the prestigious Cattleya 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 comparable to mine when I used [Body Enhancement] without magic… could her magical prowess be impressive as well?)
“Hey, Cattleya…?”
“Ah, from the marquis family…?”
“Why is she in the Magic Department…? No, why is she even taking the exam as a commoner?”
Whispers spread 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 spell. She used [Stone Bullet], a low-level spell that hurled a stone projectile at the target.
“Haahhh!”
Yuri concentrated intensely for an unusually long time, and slowly, almost painfully slowly, a stone began to materialize in the air. After more than five minutes, she finally produced a small stone that fit in her palm.
“……Seriously?”
Rest couldn’t help but mutter. It was clear that she lacked sufficient magical power. She had strained herself to create such a tiny stone. Not only was her magical capacity lacking, but her casting speed and output were also below average. There was no way she could gain admission to the Magic Department with such performance. In fact, she would likely struggle if she did manage to enroll.
(At this rate, it’s sad, but there’s no way she’ll pass…)
Rest shook his head sympathetically. However, what happened next was entirely unexpected.
“Alright… here I go!”
“Whaaat!? No way!”
Rest’s voice cracked in disbelief as he witnessed an unbelievable sight. Yuri grabbed the small stone she had conjured in mid-air and hurled it with all her might. The thrown stone sliced through the air with a sharp whooshing sound, striking the target and leaving a significant crack where none had existed before.
The number displayed above the target was… “175.” It seemed the maximum score was not capped at one hundred.
(What incredible raw power… was this not a magic exam…?)
“I did it! Highest score!”
Leaving the stunned crowd behind, Yuri raised her fist triumphantly toward the sky.