**Chapter 42: Mocked, Yet Leaving a Mark**
Even after Yuri Cattleya left all the examinees in awe, the exam continued. The targets were replaced with new ones, and the candidates took turns casting their spells. By now, seventy percent of the participants had completed their tests, and Rest’s turn was drawing near.
“Next is… Cellic Brute.”
“Yes.”
A voice called out from behind Rest, followed by a forceful shove to his back.
“Ugh…!”
“Get out of the way, commoner!”
The one who shoved Rest was a remarkably well-dressed boy. He had introduced himself by name, so perhaps he was a noble?
“I’m from a branch of the House of Brute! Don’t obstruct my path!”
(Oh, so he’s a commoner after all.)
Among the old nobility, there are families that have branch houses derived from the main line. While these branches often carry the same family name, they do not possess titles or lands like the main house, making them legally commoners.
(He’s acting all high and mighty despite being a commoner… His name is similar to that one, and he seems like a worthless brat…)
With a sigh at the boy who shared a name with Cellic, Rest quietly stepped aside. He had no intention of causing unnecessary trouble while the exam was still ongoing.
“Hmph!”
The Cellic boy snorted and stepped forward to the line.
“Watch closely, commoners! Behold the magnificent magic of one who bears the illustrious blood of the House of Brute! **Thunder Bolt!**”
The spell he unleashed was a mid-level lightning magic. A fierce flash of lightning struck the target. True to his boastful words, it was a reasonably powerful spell. The score displayed above the target was “98,” placing him second overall after Yuri.
“Hmph! This is all I can do!”
The Cellic boy laughed arrogantly, puffing out his chest with pride. He strutted back, cutting through the air with an air of superiority.
“Next is… Rest from the royal capital.”
“Yes.”
At last, it was Rest’s turn. He walked toward the line, but from behind, he heard a voice dripping with disdain.
“Haha! What can a shabby commoner like him possibly do?”
“………”
The voice belonged to the Cellic boy from earlier. What could possibly bother him about Rest?
(Could he be some sort of clone of Cedric? He’s really getting on my nerves…)
Shaking off his disbelief, Rest steadied himself and stood before the line.
“I’m going.”
Taking a deep breath, Rest activated his magic.
“**Fireball!**”
A fireball materialized in front of him, a basic fire attribute spell he often used.
“Haha! What can you do with that?!”
Mocking laughter erupted from the other examinees. It was needless to say who the source of that laughter was.
(Laugh all you want… You won’t be laughing for long.)
“**Amplification!**”
Rest simultaneously cast a spell to enhance the power of his magic. The fireball grew larger, eventually surpassing human height.
“Wha…!”
“Whoa, that’s huge!”
Gasps of astonishment came from the other examinees. He hadn’t checked, but surely the Cellic boy was left speechless as well.
(But… this isn’t the end.)
“**Compression!**”
Rest compressed the now-massive fireball. Most of the onlookers wouldn’t understand what was happening, but by compressing the flames, he was significantly increasing their power.
(It’s been proven that this magic is effective even against fireball-type spells. And the pièce de résistance is…!)
“**Accelerator!**”
A spell that increases the speed of an object. While it’s often used to enhance one’s own speed, it can also be applied to magical attacks. He unleashed the maximally enhanced strike toward the target using a quartet of spells.
“Firing…!”
The accelerated fireball shot through the air, its penetrating force amplified. It flew at near-sonic speed, striking the target dead center and resulting in a massive explosion.
“Wha…!”
“Whoa… what power…!”
“N-No way… that commoner could do that…”
When the flames subsided, all that remained were the shattered remnants of the target. Though completely destroyed, a number remained to indicate the power of the attack. That number was… “387.” Without a doubt, it was the highest score of the exam.
“Maybe I didn’t need the **Accelerator**? I could have easily passed without adding unnecessary speed.”
“No way! There’s no way a low-level spell could produce that kind of power! You must have cheated!”
Before Rest could bask in the glory of his victory, protests erupted from among the examinees. Unsurprisingly, it was the Cellic boy again.
“Cheating! Invalid! There’s no way I could lose to a commoner like him!”
“Silence, you there!”
Despite the boy’s vehement protests, the headmaster, who was overseeing the exam, scolded him.
“The more you compress magic, the stronger it becomes. Even low-level spells can exceed the power of high-level spells when enhanced by other magic. Moreover, only a handful of Court Magicians can perform magic in a quartet. That was truly impressive.”
“Ah… um…”
“Instead of belittling those who surpass you, strive to learn from them. That will benefit you in the long run.”
“………”
The Cellic boy fell silent, looking frustrated. It seemed he had been recognized as ineffective.
“I did it… Professor Diable.”
Rest sighed in relief, his heart finally at ease with the remarkable results of his exam.