The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 35

“Did I hear you correctly?”

Logan, who had been guiding my workout, blinked and stammered, looking bewildered. I placed the barbell back on the rack and sat up.

“You know the redhead, what was her name? Lillian? Do you know her?”

“How could I not, sir… But why are you asking about her all of a sudden?”

Logan swallowed hard.

Lillian is an absolute beauty. If a pretty boy like Rain sets his sights on her and starts making moves… a match made in heaven? No, that’s unlikely, but just in case…

“Yesterday, after the practical exam, we had a written test.”

“That’s right.”

“I thought I finished it relatively quickly, even though I was a bit sloppy, but she finished and came out about a minute or so after I did.”

What’s bothering me isn’t her talent, but something underlying that talent… Is it hatred? Resentment? Hard to tell.

Logan glanced around the weight room and spoke cautiously.

Only these two first-year weirdos would bother to come to the weight room at the crack of dawn during the exhausting exam period. There were a few second-years, though.

“Lillian Karaine. The secret weapon of Rivendell… She’s been the subject of many rumors since she enrolled in the academy, sir.”

“Like what?”

“They say she could use 2-star fire magic from the age of five, and that she made a contract with one of the Four Divine Beasts at the age of seven…”

The Rivendell Academy, representing the South, was rooted in the Flamepeak of the Scarlet Mountains.

More like worshipers of the Red Dragon Legion than scholars researching magic, this academy has been exploring the essence of fire magic under stricter discipline than the military.

The academy’s secret lies in contracting and summoning fire-attribute spirits, and they have been famous as the Four Divine Beasts since long before Rin’s era.

“As you know, redheads are said to have received the blessing of fire, so their fire-attribute sensitivity is innately several times higher than that of ordinary people.”

No correlation has been identified, but… it was true. When red dragons took human form, their hair was always red. For example, the fire dragon priestess Friede’s hair was also red.

“If Christa Warden is called a ‘genius’ among our Eight Great Academies, Lillian Karaine is known as a ‘monster.’”

Logan had even heard the academy elders say this before:

– With that much talent… Rivendell Academy might produce a second Archmage.

Rain, who had been listening to Logan’s story with interest, suddenly lit up.

“You know a lot about her? Are you actually interested in Lillian?”

“H-How did you know…?!”

Logan stammered, his face turning red in an instant. Mages from the Chaihark Academy are so simple.

“You two would make a good couple, wouldn’t you? I’ll root for you, Master.”

“D-Do you think so? Really?”

“I’m telling you, yes.”

I nodded at the grinning Logan and pondered for a moment. Rivendell’s secret weapon… It seems like all sorts of characters are gathering.

‘And this is just a hunch…’

I had a feeling that I would clash with Lillian in some form or another soon. And that feeling was spot on.

* * *

Midterm exam, day 4.

Even before hearing the explanation, I could tell that today’s exam would be significantly different in scale and difficulty from what we’ve had so far.

First of all, the location.

A vast barrier was spread from the foot of the Scarlet Mountains, where the heat was intense, all the way to the peaks.

“Four layers of magic circles…”

“Does that mean 4-star magic…?!”

“Wow, this is crazy…!”

Among the faculty, only Chancellor Madelia could freely handle 4-star magic.

“Everyone, pay attention, you brats.”

The old woman walking out with a cane, Chief Professor Marchena, was the one.

“Today’s practical exam will be conducted by dividing you into groups A, B, and C, each with about 60 students, and entering a visible illusionary world.”

Illusionary world, huh…

That must mean wide-area illusion magic. If I’m right, everything will take place within the illusion once we enter that barrier.

“The magic you use inside will only act as part of the illusion.”

“……?!”

“In other words, no matter what attacks you make on your opponent, they won’t actually get hurt. But the pain will be real.”

As the students blinked, a magic tool projected a map into the air. It was the maze-like terrain of the Scarlet Mountains. An assistant professor stepped forward.

“The practical exam will be conducted in a battle royale format.”

“Battle royale…?!”

“Treasures are placed in each area. You will earn 1 point for each treasure you obtain. Oh, and hunting illusionary monsters is the same.”

From afar, a bright-looking female student, Christa Warden, raised her hand. The assistant professor nodded, acknowledging her question.

“So, is it a fight over who catches the most monsters or obtains the treasures the fastest? If so, it doesn’t really seem like a battle royale.”

“Of course, it will seem that way.”

“?”

“If there wasn’t a rule that you could steal points by attacking your opponents.”

The students were puzzled, but for a brief moment, Marchena’s eyes seemed to flash with a sinister smile.

“That means killing or injuring your opponents and taking their treasures is also allowed, you brats.”

“No, you mean we can actually do that…?!”

“As I said, this year’s practical exam is a battle royale. Only the two students with the highest scores in each group during the exam time will ultimately receive an S grade.”

See that… From start to finish, all the exams are adopting a competitive format. Rain raised an eyebrow.

This is the selection for [something]. As I heard during the entrance ceremony, it’s really a method of pushing us into endless competition to nurture us. Some dangerous-looking guys were reacting here and there.

“So, you’re saying we can just kill everyone?”

“Only the top two get an S grade? Even if you survive to the end, it’s meaningless if your score is low?”

As the commotion arose, Marchena struck the ground with her staff, and the light emanating from the magic tool vanished, bringing silence at once.

“The founder of magic, Emmissa Page, once said, ‘It is the duty of a mage to allow people to dream, even in such a world.’”

That’s a really famous saying.

Many people who chose the path of a mage did so because of the power in those heart-stirring words.

“To fulfill that duty, what is most needed is none other than skill! And the world of magic, both now and in the past, is based on skill! Now, show off your skills to your heart’s content!”

The students straightened their backs, and the promising ones shone with their own emotions. Five assistant professors came out and called out the students’ names.

“Wiber, Group A.”

“Logan, Group A.”

“Christa Warden, Group A.”

Then Christa, who was standing next to me, crossed her arms arrogantly and looked at Rain.

“Hmph, it seems like a task worth taking seriously has finally come.”

“Oh, weren’t you serious last time? You were crying because you lost.”

“W-What?! Who was crying!”

Christa, her face red, flapped her arms and expressed her emotions fiercely. But soon she calmed down and arrogantly flipped her hair.

“Don’t fall behind and get an S grade. The only one qualified to keep you from getting an S grade is this Christa Warden. I won’t tolerate losing to anyone else.”

At that moment, Logan seemed about to approach, but he saw Christa, glared warily, and turned away.

‘Hmm, so we’re rivals in this exam, huh.’

Group A was scheduled to be投入 into the exam immediately, so they soon lined up in front of the barrier entrance under the guidance of the assistant professors.

“Gertrude Panton, Group B.”

“Lillian Karaine, Group B.”

“Rain Ludwig, Group B.”

Gertrude Panton, the pigtail-wearing tomboy who’s always next to Christa.

With a youthful face and small stature, she always wore a cocky expression, but today she looked uncharacteristically nervous as she stared at the barrier.

“Are you nervous?”

I asked, approaching her slyly, and she startled, taking a few steps back and glaring at me resentfully.

“Nervous? This Gertrude, who serves Lady Christa? That’s a really ridiculous question, Master.”

“Really? I thought you were biting your nails.”

“I wasn’t?! Hmph! Shouldn’t you be nervous, Master?”

“Me? Why?”

Then Gertrude’s face lit up, and her eyes sparkled.

“Why, because you’re in the same group as this Gertrude. You might be eliminated upon meeting me for the first time, you know?”

There was no trace of playfulness in her voice or eyes.

Perhaps finding such provocation absurd, Rain stared at her silently, then suddenly chuckled and waved his hand.

“Nah, there’s zero chance of that.”

“Ugh, we’ll see, really!!”

She was as short as Seri, so she felt more like a younger sister than a classmate. As Rain was talking, he glanced back.

“So, what’s your business?”

I can sense someone’s presence with just the subtle fluctuations of mana, but when you blatantly emit mana mixed with murderous intent like this, I can’t help but notice.

Lillian Karaine.

Her red hair, swaying in the wind shaking the mountainside, was as menacing as flickering flames.

“I have something to talk about, is that okay?”

Hmm… Since entering the school as the eldest son of a powerful family, it was the first time I’d been addressed without honorifics by a classmate, except for Christa.

Even that impudent Wiber and Logan had shown formal courtesy.

Perhaps feeling the same disrespect, Gertrude narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, but Rain reached out to stop her.

“Sure, if what you have to say is interesting.”

* * *

“Sandstone!”

The Sandstone Golem, a giant of sand that soared to an overwhelming size, swung its arm, grinding the ground and turning the monsters standing in that space into minced meat.

“Hmph, that’s 280 points.”

Even though she was already firmly in first place with an overwhelming number of points, Christa clicked her tongue as if dissatisfied.

‘I can’t be satisfied with this much. I don’t know how many points that Rain guy will get.’

At that moment, the bushes rustled ominously somewhere… As Christa snapped her fingers, sand spearmen rushed to the spot and dragged out the uninvited guests.

“You’re going to steal my points?”

The students struggled desperately, their napes caught on the sand spearmen’s spears.

“Th-That’s…!”

“I-I’m sorry…!”

Christa looked at those hoodlums with a disapproving gaze, then crossed her arms with a hmph.

“It doesn’t seem like I’d get many points killing you guys, and it’d just be unpleasant… So, earn points honestly from now on.”

The professors, who were watching all those situations with Vice-Chancellor Kyle’s clairvoyance, smiled.

“The ability to freely handle 2-star summoning magic at that age, truly a hidden gem.”

“To be the undisputed number one just by defeating monsters.”

“Wiber of the Rohirrim Academy is also very impressive.”

Wiber acquired 253 points by using the strengths of wind magic, namely quick mobility and disruption, to obtain treasures.

Logan of the Chaihark Academy honestly just defeated the illusionary beasts he saw, without any strategy, earning 249 points.

As the three continued their unrivaled run, the professors praised them, but Chief Professor Marchena shook her head disapprovingly.

“There are no useful vessels, eh.”

Listening to that, Elin Ludwig thought.

‘The virtues that Marchena-nim’s exam requires of students as mages are really clear.’

Even if they’re called mages, not all mages are the same, and their parameters are generally distributed differently depending on their individuality and aptitude.

1. Is their mobility excellent?

2. Is their information gathering ability excellent?

3. Or is their combat ability excellent?

You can only get a high score on the exam if you know your strengths accurately and can use them calmly in any situation.

‘The results of this exam will be used as data to provide customized education to the students in the future…’

It can be said to be an exam that judges the basic talents of a mage… Elin smiled and looked for her nephew somewhere in Group B.

‘Rain, I’m already looking forward to seeing what talent you’ll use to surprise this picky old woman.’