Chapter 12

"Hey, you. You should take it here."

I pretended not to hear and kept walking forward.

Give me a break.

I just heard clearly from the receptionist that I could take it anywhere!

I'm going to go where I need to go?

Without slowing down at all, I headed straight for the exam proctor who looked kind.

I've decided on you!

To such a me, the scruffy-bearded man called out again.

"Can you hear me?! Don't ignore me! ...You're qualified, so stop for a moment!"

Huh? Qualified?

At the sound of the beloved word, I couldn't help but stop.

"...Really. Aren't you the kid who has been running around the school for the past three days? There are rumors about you, you know?"

??

I didn't understand the meaning of his words.

I was also puzzled as to how he knew I had been running, and what kind of rumor could arise from just running around the school.

Seeing my confusion, the scruffy-bearded man sighed.

"You underestimate the security of this school.

Did you think it would be fine as long as you didn't touch the fence?

...Especially before the entrance exam, there are many fools who think of doing bad things.

If an unfamiliar kid runs at an unusual pace around the fence, the security staff like me will be notified immediately."

I don't remember running at an unusually fast pace, but indeed, it was a bit careless to run around the school to get a feel for the inside just before the entrance exam...

There were probably magical surveillance devices like cameras, and my movements were being monitored by the school.

"Indeed, I have been running around the school for the past three days, but is there a problem with that?"

Considering the possibility that I might be caught, I admitted the fact and asked cautiously.

"Ah, regarding that, many experts have analyzed the footage and concluded that you were just a country bumpkin running around the school without any ulterior motives.

So, there's no punishment for you."

So, there are devices that record video...

Still, many experts?

I had considered the possibility of surveillance cameras, but I'm glad I didn't try to climb the fence and peek inside...

"Anyway, since I received a notification from the security staff, I also confirmed that you were running in the footage.

You meet the standards, so at least you've passed the practical exam."

I see. So, you already knew my abilities before the exam even started.

Just from a brief look at my running.

...Can you really judge someone's abilities that easily?

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, I asked.

"From a brief look at my running, I don't think you can clearly determine my abilities..."

Sure, a top-notch practitioner might be able to estimate the level of magic control to some extent...

Hearing my question, the scruffy-bearded man sighed again.

"Well, usually that's the case... But you, it was raining, and you even came to run this morning on the day of the exam. What were you thinking?

What were you going to do if you failed the magic power threshold?

...Probably to recover your magic power until the last minute, right?

The only one who bet on you coming to run today was the old man Godolphin, and he won."

Ah, I see! I get it now!

For a moment, I thought Fei had developed a magic device to measure combat power and delivered it immediately, which made me panic...

...Was I the subject of a bet?

◆

"As you know, rain is quite troublesome. It requires a much finer level of magic control."

The scruffy-bearded man, probably with a hangover, continued while pressing his temples.

"But you ran the course that took you 1 hour and 28 minutes yesterday in 1 hour and 40 minutes this morning. In such heavy rain, it's not easy to maintain your pace at that age."

Hmm, I see...

I shouldn't mention that I did 12 hill sprints today instead of the usual 10, as it might complicate things...

"Anyway, just by looking at the difference over these two days, your body enhancement magic, especially your magic control, is proven.

Of course, there are still issues with your stamina and magic power."

...It seems there are no surveillance cameras in that nice slope to the southeast, as I suspected.

Saying that, the scruffy-bearded man showed a fierce smile.

"Anyway, you're qualified, but I need to score you. Give me a hit, even just one."

"...I heard that the sparring is done between examinees."

"Unfortunately, there's no suitable opponent nearby to measure your score.

Of course, I will defend, but I won't counterattack, so give me your best shot..."

Just as he finished speaking, I suddenly increased my power and closed the distance, delivering a powerful overhead strike from above.

But this strike was deflected by a surprisingly agile footwork and a twist of the upper body.

Indeed, he is one or two levels above me.

Taking a risk for a quick battle is the only option.

Using the momentum from the twist, the scruffy-bearded man swept his wooden sword horizontally.

I had anticipated this, so I pretended to block it with my wooden sword and deliberately let it fly away.

I don't have the skill like my sister to draw out an opening from a defensive stance.

Losing the wooden sword is painful, but I decided it was necessary.

The scruffy-bearded man's body moved slightly to the left due to the lack of resistance.

I aimed a left high roundhouse kick at that spot.

Perfect timing—

"Whoa!"

The kick grazed only the front of his hair and was dodged by a sway.

By the time the scruffy-bearded man took a step back, I had already taken a wooden sword from a nearby examinee and held it in a ready position.

"...What a rude kid... You, the big, clumsy overhead strike at the beginning... was a feint, wasn't it?"

"Since you said you wouldn't counterattack, your stance looked like you were aiming for a counter. I thought limiting your options would be better."

Hmm.

That grumpy section chief has a hangover.

And he lost a bet because of me (though it wasn't my fault).

He wouldn't just defend passively.

"...To begin with, I didn't expect you to attack before the conversation ended.

Normally, you should say 'I understand' or 'I'm going' before attacking, right?"

??

Indeed...!

I wished I had a kind sister who would call out before attacking...

"...Sigh. Well, it's fine. The practical exam is over.

As I said, you... what's your name again? You're qualified, so go eat and take the written exam at noon.

You can't leave the school until 3 PM when all the examinees who passed the practical exam enter the school building. Be at the school building visible from the main gate 5 minutes before."

"Thank you! My name is Allen Lovain!"

First impressions are important.

Following the practice I had done for job hunting in my previous life, I introduced myself clearly and cheerfully.

Perfect.

Phew. Good! I managed to fend off this scruffy-bearded man and avoid being cut from the practical exam!

I returned the wooden sword to the examinee who kindly waited for me, thanked him politely, and walked back to the school building.

◆

On the way, I passed a group of determined people and, when asked by a stranger what the exam was like, I told them it was a simple sparring test between examinees.

While I was at it, I secretly told a kind and cute girl, "The scruffy-bearded proctor near the reception is in a bad mood because of a hangover, so it's better not to approach him."

I hope we can become friends after entering the school.

I ate the portable solid emergency food (salami flavor) I brought for lunch and entered the school building, the venue for the written exam.

As expected of the capital, where the latest things are available.

I was moved when I found the new salami-flavored emergency food during my tour of the capital yesterday.

...But I prefer the plain flavor...

Following the instructions, I entered the exam venue before noon.

Physics, magic theory, geopolitics and history, military strategy and politics, linguistics.

I was given five exam papers at once, so I tackled them in order of my strengths, reviewed them, and checked the clock. It was still before 3 PM.

There were no notable irregularities in the written exam.

Some subjects were a bit more difficult than usual, but the conditions were the same for everyone.

If I don't understand a question, no matter how much I think about it, I won't understand it.

Everything is decided before it starts.

That's what academic tests are.

As a precaution, I reviewed until 3 PM and then left the school building.

Thus, my three-month-long exam war came to an end.