“Ho ho, what an utterly eccentric mentor indeed…”
Heinz muttered under his breath with a voice tinged with irritation.
Each time he stroked his beard, surging mana charged with fury rippled through the air.
The professors overseeing the exam averted their eyes at his menacing presence.
They feared the depth of his anger, for Heinz was not one to lose his temper easily.
“Really, to mess up the order like this… No matter how esteemed the teacher, there’d be no handling any arising issues.”
“But since all the instructors are gathered, shouldn’t it be fine? They’ve already been sent to their designated positions anyway…”
As everyone else tried to keep a low profile, Cain Aldeon nonchalantly interjected.
“… Hmph”
Turning his sharp gaze, Heinz exhaled a small sigh upon recognizing Cain as the speaker.
Cain, who handled the Applied Swordsmanship class, maintained his usual optimistic demeanor.
Rather than explaining the gravity of the situation, Heinz chose to refute Cain’s words.
“There’s still one person missing, isn’t there.”
“Oh.”
Only then did Cain realize Allen wasn’t present in this location.
Even so, his opinion remained unchanged.
“Well, it doesn’t really matter, does it? That monster doesn’t seem likely to die anywhere.”
“That may be true… Tch, but that’s not the main concern right now.”
Shaking his head, Heinz deployed his mana.
[Transcendent Magic: Shell of the Blue Turtle]
A blue light of mana spread out centered around his staff.
This magic’s effect was simply ‘blocking intruders.’
But when its range could cover the entire island, it became something different entirely.
Having expended vast amounts of mana, Heinz spoke with a somewhat weary expression.
“Hmph, though unexpected, this situation… Everyone, please proceed to your respective positions. Remember, the students’ safety is the top priority.”
“Yes sir!”
Following Heinz’s orders, the instructors dispersed across the island.
Cain alone remained behind, as his charge wasn’t a student but Principal Heinz himself.
“Are you alright? You look quite exhausted.”
“It’s because I activated Transcendent Magic without prior preparation. Don’t worry about it; I’ll recover with a bit of rest.”
Saying that, Heinz snapped his fingers to summon a chair.
Reclining into the plush seat, Heinz quietly questioned Cain.
“… Do you sense any intruders in this interval?”
“Hmm, I don’t feel anything unusual right now… But we can’t let our guard down yet. There’s always the possibility they’re lying in wait.”
Cain’s ability to detect approaching danger was so accurate it could almost be called ‘precognition.’
That’s why he had been selected as Heinz’s bodyguard.
“Troublesome. This magic only blocks external threats, so if there’s already someone inside, its effectiveness will be halved.”
“At any rate, even if there were intruders, there’s nothing we can do about it immediately. Prioritize recovering your mana first.”
“… Can’t help it then. Please guard me.”
“Understood.”
With that carefree reply, Heinz frowned but soon began meditating to restore his mana, trusting in his abilities regardless.
“Haa, this is such a hassle. Why do we have to conduct such dangerous exams?”
Cain couldn’t comprehend it at all.
No matter how much it was tradition, did they really need to put the students’ safety on the line?
If this were Minerva, the second safest place after the capital, there wouldn’t be any need for such worries.
And with so many enemies targeting incomplete gemstones in the world…
Would these hyenas pass up such a golden opportunity?
Though everything had ended without incident until now, there were no guarantees it would happen again this time.
At the very least, some support troops from the royal palace would provide reassurance…
“Tch, focus on guarding then.”
Erasing useless thoughts, Cain sharpened his senses even further.
At that moment, an overwhelming aura shook the island.
– …!!!
“What is that?”
Such an immensely powerful presence wasn’t something one encountered often.
At minimum, a Master-class powerhouse.
Since his ‘Danger Sense’ hadn’t reacted, it probably wasn’t an enemy…
But there were no guarantees about that either.
“This exam… Something feels off about it.”
From the aura’s influence, his palms had grown clammy with tension.
With a stern expression, Cain could only fidget with his sword’s hilt.
***
“Psst, can’t see anything at all.”
I climbed up a tree first, but judging my surroundings from just this height seemed too much to ask.
Letting out a small sigh, I glanced downward.
– Keee!
The wolf that had been drooling moments ago now lay belly-up in submission.
Next to it, the horrifying aftermath of my doing caught my eye.
“Hunwonbongju is great and all, but it causes too much unnecessary destruction.”
Must’ve used a bit too much force mixed with irritation, as the hole created was larger and wider than the ones I made at Minerva.
Anyone looking would think it was land excavation for construction.
Surveying the devastated nature, I scratched the back of my neck.
Then I looked at the whimpering wolf.
“Not sure if sparing one was the right choice.”
Seeing the rest of his kind vanish without a trace must be terrifying.
I gave the trembling creature a light kick with my foot.
– Keee! Keeng!
“Quit whining… Hey, can you carry me?”
– Nng?
Whether he understood me or not, the wolf blinked his eyes.
How am I supposed to traverse this vast island on foot?
Though it came to mind spontaneously, it wasn’t a bad idea.
I gave the wolf a bright smile.
“Your name is now Taxi.”
– Kee…
***
Despite the poor seating comfort, Taxi’s speed wasn’t bad.
Enjoying the cool forest breeze, I looked around.
“Everyone should be surviving fine, right? I taught them well enough.”
Though Erias messed up the schedule, the students were destined to scatter here anyway.
An examiner’s role was to observe quietly without being noticed by the students – secret protection, essentially.
The problem was that to do that, I needed to find the students first…
“How far away did they send us?”
Besides this cute taxi, all I could see were bugs.
Surely I won’t fail to find anyone until the exam ends, right?
While pondering uselessly and expanding my senses further…
“… This is…”
Far off in the distance, ominous energy could be felt.
It was sticky like mud, causing goosebumps upon approach.
One of the things I intensely loathed – ‘Demon Energy.’
“Hey, can you sense it too? Let’s go.”
– Nng…
Following my command, Taxi reluctantly headed toward the source of the demon energy despite his fear.
Any living being instinctively avoided demon energy.
Especially animals, who relied more on instinct than reason, would naturally feel greater terror.
Too bad – don’t pick fights with me if you’re mad.
Emerald waves lapped against the shore as we emerged from the forest.
Crunch crunch – the sound of sand beneath my feet tickled my ears.
“Psst… What a mess.”
– Kee…
The closer we got, the stronger the unpleasantness turned into an actual stench.
Thinking my precious mode of transport might get damaged if I approached further, I had no choice but to dismount.
“Stay here in the forest. If you run away… you know the consequences?”
-Grr!
With a powerful response, Taxi sped off faster than ever before.
So he was holding back his strength this whole time?
After watching him disappear quickly, I slowly drew up my aura.
Only then did I feel the annoying demon energy blocked.
Fully prepared, I took a few more steps forward to reveal the source of the demon energy.
“This is… What the hell is it?”
A neatly square-shaped trail of demon energy left on the beach sand.
There was no particular sorcery imbued within, nor any magical circle drawn.
It was simply there, like footprints left by beasts passing through.
All I could deduce from this was that a dangerous entity had entered the island.
Judging from the dome-shaped barrier of mana visible along the coastline, Heinz’s magic was functioning properly.
Meaning this entity must have been here before the magic activated.
Moreover, the Island of Wisdom was a strategically important location constantly guarded by the navy.
To penetrate the navy’s defenses and infiltrate the island, whoever handled demon energy had to possess exceptional skill.
The only person I knew capable of such feats was the High Priest.
“Shit, what grudge do I have with this guy?”
Is this the second encounter since coming to Minerva?
I sighed deeply while erasing the demon energy trail.
If left as is, it would surely corrode the surroundings.
The only thing that could eliminate demon energy was Divine Magic, its direct opposite.
However, continuously smashing it with aura produced similar effects.
A highly inefficient method, but I had no other options.
After pouring aura for quite some time, the demon energy finally faded.
Having finished the task, I fell into thought.
Should I search for the High Priest?
Or report this to Heinz?
Both choices had their pros and cons.
“Still, joining up first would be best…”
KWAANG!
Just as I was about to make a decision, a massive explosion sounded in the distance.
Confirming the rising smoke, I had no choice but to head that way.
Protecting the students was ultimately the professor’s greatest responsibility.
“Taxi! Double fare!!!”
***
Awakening shortly after being transferred to the Island of Wisdom by Erias,
“Here… Island of Wisdom… Ah, this must be Lady Erias’ Spatial Transfer Magic.”
Quickly assessing the situation with her characteristic sharpness, she scanned her surroundings.
The lush forest and chirping birds suggested no immediate major threats.
“First, I should meet up with the others.”
Surviving alone as a magician was difficult.
She needed to quickly reunite with Ariana, who could handle the vanguard.
Though she was aware of this examination format, feeling alone on the island brought creeping fear.
“… I can do this. Just take it step by step with what I prepared.”
Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions, Amy reminded herself.
For a magician, maintaining composure was most important.
‘Responsible for firepower, a magician must never fail magic under any circumstances.’
Allen’s teachings came to mind, recalling his hellishly difficult lessons.
Feeling her tension ease naturally, Amy smiled faintly and began moving.
“Alright. First, look for signals…”
Just as she was about to move,
Thud-
“!”
An ominous sound echoed in Amy’s ears.
Hastily casting protective magic and turning around, she saw an unidentified beast glaring at her.
Clearly resembling a brown-furred bear,
Yet its crimson flashing pupils,
Grotesquely large canine teeth,
Drool streaming from its mouth,
Most importantly, its gigantic size comparable to surrounding trees and bulging veins,
Made it impossible for anyone to mistake it for an ordinary animal.
“Could it be…?”
She sensed an unfamiliar energy from the beast.
A fear so intense it nearly weakened her legs.
Amy realized this faint energy was the legendary ‘Demon Energy’ she had only heard about.
And at that moment
– ROAAAR!
The beast charged at her.
With speed akin to a seasoned warrior, Amy failed to react.
“AAAHHH!”
CRASH!
Thrown back by the beast’s forepaw, she collided with a tree.
Had she not instinctively focused mana on her protective magic, she might have lost consciousness from the powerful impact.
“This much pain…!”
Without Allen’s training, she wouldn’t have been able to respond or endure this pain.
All her hard work wasn’t wasted after all.
Smiling faintly, Amy whispered.
“Now… It’s my turn?”
[Fire Magic: Swirling Heat Haze]
Crimson flames blossomed at the tip of her wand.
The same magic she blindly cast at Allen during her first lesson…
“Now I’m different.”
[Bloodline Liberation: Helios’ Fire Eye]
Small suns appeared in Amy’s pupils.
A divine technique usable only by those chosen among the Helios family blessed by the Sun God.
In Helios, this was regarded as the mark of the next Archmage.
As the Fire Eye’s flames flickered, the crimson flames gradually faded,
Eventually transforming into transparent flames that distorted the scenery with intense heat.
The true power of the Fire Eye enhancing fire magic to the next level.
“Die!”
Extending her wand forward, the heat haze instantly enveloped the beast.
-KROOOOAR!
Trapped in the vortex of transparent flames, the beast howled in agony.
Its demon-energy reinforced skin slowly melted and crumbled into ash.
In its final throes, the beast swung its forepaw at Amy, both a last desperate attack and…
A meaningless gesture.
Watching its struggles, Amy gripped her wand tightly.
“Hurts, doesn’t it? I’ll end it for you soon.”
Concentrating mana, she swung her wand.
KWAANG!
A massive explosion shook the forest.
– …!!!
“Guh…!”
Unfamiliar roars forced Amy to cover her ears.
WHOOSH-
As the smoke rising to the sky dispersed in the wind,
The beast collapsed onto the ground with its enormous body covered in black ash.
Looking at the charred remains, Amy smiled faintly.
It resembled Allen’s smile somehow.
