Skip Magician 93

 Test

Chapter 93. The Advancement Exam Was Hell

"Alright, let's get started."

"Why?"

In front of me stands Liester, all fired up and brandishing her weapon. And here I am… seriously confused.

The trouble began with the advancement exam. It’s the time when we're pressured to decide whether to transfer from the Magic Knight Department or stay in it, but… this year, with the National Founding Festival, a significant number are transferring, and it seems about 600 people are taking the exam. Considering it was nearly 1,000, to begin with, that means 40% of the first years have already dropped out… I guess it shows how tough it is to get into the Magic Knights, but isn’t that a bit too harsh?

"Now, we will begin the advancement exam. Students will take their tests in order of rank."

So, in order of rank, I’m 10th… I don’t even know what the exam entails, so how will that work out?

"…What does the advancement exam involve?"

"Huh? It was posted on the bulletin board."

When I asked Princess Elissa, she gave me a look like I was an idiot. The student bulletin board, huh… I haven't really checked it since the dorm is far away. I wish they’d put more of those around the school, but maybe I'm just being lazy? In a world with advanced technology, they’d probably print and distribute tons of paper… but I guess that's impossible in this world.

"I guess I have to tell you… The advancement exam varies for each individual, but basically, it’s a duel against a Magic Knight to assess your abilities."

"Oh… but isn’t most of the crowd going to lose?"

"The goal isn’t to win, but to evaluate your skills. If you can defeat the Magic Knight during this exam, you’ll even get an invitation from the Magic Knight, so there’s a reason to give it your all. Even if you can’t win, if you show enough ability, you can still advance… although it seems you really have to mess up to fail the first-to-second year advancement."

You sure know a lot… You really are a member of royalty. And despite saying it’s a hassle, you’re being incredibly kind to explain it to me… I think I’ve started to like Princess Elissa.

"You just thought something rude, didn’t you?"

Never mind, I don’t like you anymore.

"Rank 10, Theodore Anthem."

"Oh, uh, yeah."

While I was talking to Princess Elissa, my turn came up… or so I thought, but it seems more than ten people will take the exam at once. It makes sense; if they did it one by one with 600 participants, it would take forever. As I followed the knight handling the registration, I caught a glimpse of pity in their eyes. I wondered why, but when the door to the arena, the exam venue, opened—

"Hey there."

"Huh?"

Liester was there, grinning and looking cheerful.

"Wait, are you in charge of this exam? Then everyone coming here must be unlucky."

"Only you."

Well… yeah… I knew that. After all, everyone else was taken to the outdoor training grounds, but for some reason, I was brought to the indoor arena.

"Alright, let’s get started."

"Why?"

So, for some reason, I ended up doing the advancement exam with Liester. Isn’t it odd for a division commander to show up for this kind of thing?

"The higher-ups in the knight order officially want to assess your abilities."

As she said that, Liester glanced towards the audience seats, so I turned my head in that direction and saw a few magic knights sitting there. Given the opulence of their armor… they must be important figures.

"Seated on the far right is the Captain."

"The Captain!?"

In other words, my dad’s boss… the highest-ranking person in the Magic Knights.

"Well, that aside… get ready. There’s no formal countdown here."

I was about to ask what that meant when Liester was suddenly right in front of me. I hadn’t even summoned my Grimoire, yet this speed… to be honest, it was a miracle I could even react.

"That was close, wasn’t it?"

"You can tell?"

"Alright, I’m stepping it up."

Stepping it up? As I drew Verethragna, something flew at me, and I deflected it.

"…A needle?"

"It’s called a magic needle. It’s a basic ambush technique that can be used to deter by solidifying magic power lightly."

Well, if you say it’s a magic needle, I can understand.

"Isn’t that a technique from the Dark Division?"

"That’s right. But a Magic Knight uses anything they can."

So, the chivalric spirit is just a hindrance for the knights of the realm, huh? As a flurry of magic needles came flying at me, I deflected them with Verethragna, only to realize that Liester had vanished. I heard a sound like air being displaced from my blind spot, and reflexively crouched down, locking eyes with Liester as she passed overhead, wrapped in lightning. She just casually started using her Grimoire during the advancement exam.

"…It’s the first time you’ve avoided a surprise attack from behind. My Grimoire can move faster than sound if it wants to."

"That was slower than sound, though. But… if you go all out, I can’t win, so can you not do that?"

There’s a thing called compatibility in everything. To be honest, someone like me who swings a sword and casts spells the orthodox way is really bad against someone specialized like her. If she were just too fast, that would be one thing, but Liester surely has high standards in everything, right? Maybe I should try using repulsion to deal with her.

"Hm?"

This time, Liester approached without vanishing, and when I generated repulsion, she seemed to sense something and didn’t come any closer.

"…A force that pushes you away."

"That’s right."

With this, I can respond to Liester’s high-speed movements, wait, what!?

"Oh?"

"Huh, what was that?"

Lightning just flew at me, completely ignoring the repulsion. Does that even happen? I think… that was an attack from high-purity magical power rather than simple physical lightning. The repulsion I’m generating only sends a force outwards using magical power, so it’s not really pure repulsion… so if the magical power is stronger than the repulsion, it should be able to break through, but does it really fly lightning that fast?

"I really want to try my full power against you."

"Please don’t, I’ll die."

But Liester ignored my pleas, enveloping herself in lightning and vanishing from sight. This is bad.