The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 8

8.

317 years after the end of the Antarctic War.

The Great Mage, Rain Ludwig, is now fifteen years old.

In the middle of a bustling street where countless people pass by, the boy lets out a short but deep exclamation.

“Wow, the view is really great.”

The Holy Human Empire’s First Magic University, Emitsa Academy.

Founded by the progenitor of magic, Emitsa Page, Emitsa Academy was built in the heart of Page, the city of the Page Marquis family, a leading magical lineage.

The Magic City, Page.

When viewed from above, this southern city, intricately spread out in the shape of a rose, is always teeming with people.

“Magic books for sale! We have plenty of reference books compiled by a tutor who is an expert in magic!”

“We have magical tools that amplify the power of magic! These were brought directly from the labyrinth by the Silver-ranked adventurer, Katt!”

Most were merchants and magic students, but there were also some adventurers belonging to the Alliance (Adventurers’ League).

The center of magic, hence the Magic City.

It was even said that all the knowledge in the world first passes through Page, that is, Emitsa Academy, so the status of this city was obvious without saying.

“Young Master!”

“Young Maaaaster!”

“Young Master!”

The problem was that this city, the fifth largest in the empire, had a very nasty disposition towards first-time visitors.

It was too complicated.

Children and those with a poor sense of direction would often get lost and become strays within just 10 minutes, not to mention on days like today when the Emitsa Academy entrance exam is causing such a crazy concentration of people.

“Young Master Rain!”

“Where are you!”

“Huhu, Young Master!”

The family guards, who had stopped the carriage by the side of the road and were shouting at the top of their lungs, must have been facing the same crisis.

“Oh my, it’s going to take some effort to find him.”

“Which family is it?”

“It’s the Ludwig Marquis family. They’re a magical lineage.”

“Ludwig… Ah, is that the family with the notoriously talentless young master?”

Where is Rain Ludwig now, and what is he doing?

A boy in black silk clothes with black hair.

The boy, wearing a robe with the family crest artistically embroidered in red thread on the back and sleeves, and adorned with ruby earrings and a necklace, was standing in the bustling street.

“How much is this?”

“Just 10 copper coins, please.”

“10 copper coins, you say?”

A clear smile lingered on the boy’s lips as he casually asked the price of interesting items at every passing stall.

– This is 10 copper coins?

In the year when the flames of war subsided and pushed the Abyss to the south, an open-air market was held in a riverside village near the red city of Cerna.

At that time, Rista, dressed in casual clothes, flirted with the merchants and asked about the prices of various items.

I asked him why he was asking even though he wasn’t going to buy anything, and his answer was still vivid in my mind.

– You can tell what kind of era it is by looking at the price of food.

– ……?

– Those grapes, they wouldn’t even cost two coins in peaceful times. And I think they soared to twenty coins last year. Now they’re down to ten coins? Isn’t that proof that we fought hard?

As a boy who was always only interested in magic and his own affairs, that view was truly perplexing yet intriguing.

So you can think like that.

So you can see the world like that.

Then Rista suddenly added with a sad smile.

– Rain, I can’t live long. Because I received the physical modification that I have to receive as a Feyquerier [a magically enhanced soldier].

– …….

– So later, Rain, after you’ve lived a really~really long time, will you tell me when we meet again somewhere in heaven?

It feels like it was just yesterday that we had such a conversation, but I died earlier than Rista, and Rista died waiting for me. Fate is truly ironic.

“Something that used to cost at least 80 coins is now 10 coins, I wonder what that guy would say if he saw this.”

As he was looking at the red gemstone with interest, the stall owner cautiously spoke to him.

“Excuse me, young master?”

“Hmm?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to hurry? The clock tower is ringing. The exam is about to start soon. It might already be late……”

Those words snapped him out of it.

Oh, right……

Come to think of it, when did I get separated from the guards? After entering this street, I don’t know how many hours I spent immersed in the echoes of the past.

After frantically running through the vast streets of Page and asking passersby for directions, when he arrived at the exam hall, the teaching assistant guarding the gate said this.

“I’m sorry, but even if you are a descendant of a powerful family, the school rules state that those who are late will be disqualified without exception. Moreover, it’s already been 5 minutes since the exam started……”

“Is there no way?”

It’s really stupid.

I vowed to fulfill Rista’s wish, but I’m starting off on the wrong foot like this.

“Well, there is an additional exam for those who fail the written exam. It’s held in the Second Exam Hall.”

“Do I also have the qualifications to take it?”

“The professor in charge will decide, but it’s not impossible. It’s for those who failed the regular written exam. But it might be a bit much for a descendant of a powerful family to take…… Hmm?”

The teaching assistant, who was scratching his chin as if he was in trouble, blinked his eyes.

No, where did he go?

* * *

The Second Exam Hall was located near Clock Tower No. 3 on the university grounds.

As he was congenitally directionally challenged, by the time he barely managed to find his way there, the written exam failures had gathered one by one and were already forming a bustling crowd.

It was only natural, but most of them had dark expressions. The boy stared at them intently.

Is it because it’s an additional exam? There weren’t many disciples from the Eight Great Factions. The Kashta Faction, which was somewhat famous among the minor factions, was visible, but the Great Factions and mid-sized factions were not visible at all.

“But it’s supposed to be an additional exam, why are there so many people?”

The boy had long since taken off the family’s silk robe and was carrying it folded haphazardly under his arm. If the maid or butler saw it, they would be horrified.

Page was really hot.

This place is in the south, Sunset Land. It is a land that is climatically influenced by the Red Mountains, which separate the Yongin Republic and the Holy Human Empire.

It is different from Rich Land in many ways, a blessed land where a clear and cool climate is maintained throughout the four seasons. Especially the temperature.

“Of course there are many. What is Emitsa Academy?”

At that time, a boy answered Rain’s murmur. He had a refreshing impression and was wearing the robes of the Epicuro Faction.

“It’s the best magic university in the empire, where getting in is next to impossible, not to mention getting a degree.”

“?”

“If you get a degree here, your life will be wide open. You’ll be welcomed in any magic tower and you’ll make a lot of money as a magic tutor. Taking the additional exam is definitely not something to be ashamed of.”

The boy smiled brightly and held out his hand to Rain.

“I’m Rimjo. I belong to the Epicuro Faction. What about you?”

Rimjo, huh. It’s definitely not the name of a noble. He doesn’t even have a surname.

“I’m Rain Ludwig. I don’t belong to any faction. I learned family magic.”

As soon as he said that, Rimjo’s face twisted with contempt. The refreshing smile suddenly disappeared.

“Ha… So you’re the young master of Ludwig.”

“?”

“This is not a place where you can come just because you have a family and lineage. It’s a place where only those with a genius-like talent for magic can come.”

Why is this guy suddenly like this?

He was wondering why his attitude had suddenly changed 180 degrees after hearing his name.

“Look. The guy walking in front of you is a disciple of the Tolay Faction. The guy walking over there is the ace of the Rentami Faction.”

Hmph……

A descendant of a noble family taking an additional exam?

How incompetent must he be…… Or is he trying to get in through connections? As Rimjo turned away with a sneer, a female student said.

“You’re so bold, picking a fight with the heir of Ludwig.”

“What does it matter if he’s so incompetent? He deserves to be ignored.”

“Incompetent? What incompetence. Hey, I graduated from Cerna Magic School, and when we were students, he was a teaching assistant……”

At that time, two female mages walked into the Second Exam Hall.

“Welcome, examinees. My name is Caroline, and I’m a professor at Emitsa Academy. Please, call me Cat.”

She was a young but very experienced female mage. But what was even more concerning was the female student standing next to her.

A beauty with distinctive brown bobbed hair reminiscent of wet soil. She neatly opened her left forehead with a hairpin. A pure beauty blooming from within her ruggedness.

She was a girl with the natural beauty unique to easterners living in the mountains, but strangely enough, she looked familiar.

‘Emitsa Academy Uniform……’

The boy tilted his head.

That girl, she must be the same age as me, why is she already wearing the uniform?

Cat smiled brightly and said.

“Actually, my teaching assistant suddenly fell ill yesterday, so she couldn’t help with your exam screening.”

“……!”

“So this child will be helping you with your additional exam screening, Crista.”

Then the female student standing next to her took a step forward. Rather than aristocratic arrogance, she had a sense of confidence in everything she did.

“This child is Crista Warden. She’s this year’s recommended student. You all know her well, right? She’s received official permission from the school, so you don’t have to worry.”

Ah, so that’s why……

Warden.

The Warden Marquis family.

As you can see from the title of Marquis, Warden was one of the Five Great Magical Families along with Ludwig. The region where they took root was the eastern part of the empire.

‘I think I saw her once when I was seven years old.’

The meeting place was the Sega Council.

It was before Rain regained his memories.

– You need to put in some effort!

– Do you like living like a fool?

– You’re a descendant of a noble family! Even the eldest son! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?

I remember her pouring out those words when we first met, but I just listened and ignored them. Because I wasn’t very interested in the world.

“Crista Warden……?”

Unlike the boy who nodded as if he understood, the examinees were whispering in fearful voices.

“She’s only fifteen years old, but she’s already earned the Limites rank (2 stars) and is aiming for the Atlas (3 stars) position……”

“Isn’t she a magical genius who only appears once every 100 years……?”

“I heard she also obtained the Associate Battle Mage qualification last month……”

As if she was used to and disdainful of these whispers, Crista Warden crossed her arms and scanned the examinees one by one.

“Now, we will have a magic duel with Crista in the Ilu Weden style, and those who inflict even one effective hit will be immediately accepted. Fatal wounds are not allowed. In that case, you will be disqualified.”

“……!”

“As you all know, the additional practical exam is originally conducted in this way. You don’t have to win, you can pass even if you inflict a slight effective hit, so don’t feel pressured and focus on using magic!”

Cat chuckled.

While the examinees were staring blankly back and forth between themselves and Crista, Caroline lightly flipped through the examiner’s documents.

“Then, from now on, will the additional exam registration number 200, who I will call out, please come forward?”

While everyone was swallowing nervously, the 200th examinee hesitated and went up onto the platform.

The moment she opened her magic book and tried to use magic…… Crista’s magic hit her chest, and she fell backward in an unsightly manner.

“Disqualified.”

As soon as she said that, the disqualification notice fell like a ghost. The 200th student pleaded with trembling lips.

“No way…… Just one more chance, just one more chance! I’ve been preparing for years……!”

There was absolutely no mercy from the examiner at Emitsa Academy, where only the best students in the empire are admitted.

“No. 201, come up onto the platform.”

Then another one.

This time, she did cast a spell, but the coordinate calculation was wrong and the fireball hit the wrong place. And she was hit in the chest by Crista’s magic and disqualified.

“Disqualified.”

Then again another one.

Next was that Rimjo from earlier.

“Disqualified, 216, come up.”

“Disqualified, 244, come up.”

“Disqualified, 267, come up.”

Examinees who went up onto the platform with the call and left the exam hall with bewildered faces.

There were many examinees who received disqualification notices, but the number of examinees who felt the difference in skill and gave up altogether was also considerable.

In that way, each screening ended in about 20 seconds.

After watching about 100 examinees leave like a tide in about 30 minutes, Crista sighed and shook her head.

“They dress up like great mages on the outside, but when you look inside, they’re nothing. How did they even get the Bandoran (1 star) rank?”

“It’s proof that Crista is that good. The old saying that empty wagons make the most noise is also true.”

“So is it over now? Can I go study?”

Among the test takers walking out of the test site with slumped shoulders, a bitter smile formed on Rain’s lips as he watched Crista.

Yeah.

I used to be like that too.

So arrogant that it was unpleasant, with no sociability, and only interested in my own improvement without caring about the circumstances of others…… If she had that skill, she could have been a little more lenient.

– Rain.

– Rain?

– Rain!

If I hadn’t met those three people, I probably would have spent my youth like that and grown old looking like that. That kind of life is too unsightly. What should I do in this case? Should I teach them that the world is wide?

“So, you’re saying I can just overwhelm them with magic?”

At that arrogant remark, Cat and Crista’s eyes widened almost simultaneously. In the place where nearly a hundred examinees had left, it was only then that they saw a boy remaining.

‘What did he say……?’

A beautiful boy with black hair and eyes that elegantly shone redder than rubies. Rain Ludwig lightly stretched and waved his hand.

“You don’t need to go study. I’m going to give you an important lesson.”