Chapter 8 Part 2
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Am I dreaming with my eyes wide open?
From then on, the examination went on like a child’s playground.
“Fireball!”
“Wind Edge!”
“Ice Needle!”
The examinees who had gathered here were each forming their own magic using the magic tool that matched the color of their eyes.
No. I do not feel comfortable calling this, magic.
I never thought that there would be people who cannot handle magic properly even if they use magic tools as a support item.
In hindsight, even Bass, the rich kid of nobility (older brother), might have been an excellent magician in this world.
“Err. Then, last but not least, examinee number 27, Abel-kun. Would you like to take the examination?”
asked the examiner in an oddly gentle voice.
Good grief.
Perhaps this examiner, like all the examinees here, has the prejudice that amber-eyed magicians are not capable of using magic.
It is hard to imagine what the future holds when such educators are responsible for the training of future magicians.
“I will take the examination.”
I replied and moved to the place the examiner had indicated.
“Then please begin.”
The examiner signaled the start of my examination.
Now then, how should I go about this? Simply constructing magic according to the given syntax is too dull. I might just make some fine arrangements and show my ability in a casual way.
“Hey. Look at that amber-eyed commoner.”
“Hahaha. I can’t believe it took him this long to form a fireball. As expected of the inferior eyes.”
As I was concentrating on the magic, I did not pay any mind to the onlookers.
I quickly modified the magic syntax and adjusted the entire thing so there would be no flaws.
<<Bullet Velocity Level ―― Fastest>>
<<Power Level ―― Boost (Large)>>
<<Additional Formula ―― Scatter Shots>>
Oh, yes. I forgot one last important thing.
<<Limiter Release>>
That should do it.
All that remains now is to focus on the target and activate the magic.
It is ordinary magic that is not even worth a mention, but considering the abilities of the magicians gathered here, this is for the best.
“Fireball ―― Spread Rain!”
The next moment, the air trembles.
What I formed was a fireball about one meter in diameter.
However, it would be boring to activate the same magic, so I modified the magic syntax for this magic so that it would split up mid-air.
*Hoowl*
*BOOOOMMM*
The Fireball that flew toward the air split up and rained down toward the target like rain.
Oh? Looking closely, the target, which was said to be unbreakable, is broken. Perhaps they had used dark matter made of inferior material for the examination. Otherwise, there is no way dark matter could dissolve with this level of magic.
“T-T-T-This…”
Hm? What is wrong with him? For some unknown reason, the examiner next to me was sitting on his butt, with his mouth repeatedly opening and closing like a washed-up fish gasping for air.
“W-What… just happened…”
“I-I can’t believe it… It’s a scorched field all around…”
The other examinees were all looking in my direction and muttered something.
Could it be that the magic I cast earlier was so rare?
No, that cannot be it.
The ‘Scatter Shots’ are the absolute basics of applied magic.
Even though the level of magicians has declined, there should still be many people who can use this level of magic.
“W-Why can an inferior eye use this kind of magic?”
One of the examinees cried out while collapsing to the ground.
I see. That made sense.
Perhaps the people around me overreact because an amber-eyed magician could form magic normally.
I am glad that I have corrected the wrong perception of an amber-eyed magician.
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The Arthurian Magic Academy was built by renovating the Royal Library, which had deteriorated and was no longer in use.
Careful observation of the walls, which are made of rock colored like the scales of a white dragon, reveals that they are three libraries that have been constructed, fused together to be one large structure.
Inside the building, dark matter was used in abundance and the structure was so robust that it would not break even if magic were to break out.
(…The Arthurian Magic Academy is a truly outstanding school. The level of the facilities is exceptionally high. It is no wonder that it is said to be the best in the country.)
This is Hall B, which is in the opposite direction from where Abel and the others are taking their practical examination.
In Hall B, there is a girl who looks bored and lets out a sigh while her scarlet hair flutters in the air.
Her name is Eliza.
With her outstanding ability and good looks, Eliza had already become the center of attention among the other examinees taking the examination.
“It’s her, isn’t it? The one who protected the commoner.”
“She’s unpleasant. I mean, she’s supposed to be a noble, right?”
“I’ve never seen that family crest before. Must be from the countryside, anyway.”
What Eliza had been hearing is a torrent of unjustified slander from the other examinees.
(That said, the quality of the examinees is not the best in the country.)
There was no need to deal with people whose only skill is talking behind someone’s back.
According to Eliza’s estimation, there are probably less than half who can pass at this Hall B.
There was no need for her to be concerned about their jeering as they might not even cross paths after this.
“Next up. Examinee number 86, please come forward.”
“Yes.”
When her number was called, Eliza stood up straight.
“Please state your name.”
The content of the practical examination is the same in both Hall A and Hall B. The only difference was that here the examiners were looking at the examinees in the order of their number.
“Examinee number 86, Eliza. I’m ready.”
The hall was abuzz.
Madder red hair, pure white skin. Her elegant appearance is further complemented by her burning eyes like a freshly polished ruby.
Above all else, that beautiful bow.
She mistakenly thought she was being ridiculed, but she was not.
Her well-groomed appearance and demeanor captivated everyone as if she were a regal noble. And the examiner was no exception.
Even the girls were the same as they held their breaths when admiring her beauty.
“…May I begin?”
“Y-Yeah. Please, go ahead, Eliza-san.”
After getting the examiner’s permission, Eliza readied her magic tool.
The magic tool was the same red color as her eyes.
“Flame Edge!”
At that moment, the air trembled.
The magic syntax that had been constructed in advance was quickly altered to do more damage to the target.
*Clash!*
The Flame Edge unleashed by Eliza pierced the target.
“I-I can’t believe it…! The dark matter has been damaged!?”
The examiner, who witnessed Eliza’s magic, shouted in astonishment.
The examinees also sensed the difference in their abilities at a glance and seemed to shrink completely.
(…Ahh, it’s so boring. Only low-level people can be surprised by this level of magic.)
Eliza let out a sigh, but then she noticed a sense of discomfort.
At the back of the hall, more than twenty meters away from Eliza, a teacher came running with a strange expression.
<<Body Strengthening Magic, Hearing Enhancement>>
Eliza wondered what was going on and decided to stand there and listen.
“Fedia-sensei! There’s an emergency! Something huge has happened! Please come quickly!”
The white-robed examiner summoned by the young teacher was a magician who oversaw this examination.
(Heehh. That pompous-looking examiner is called Fedia. That said, what do they mean by an emergency?)
When Fedia instructed her to speak clearly, precisely, and concisely, the young teacher just smiled bitterly as if she was having trouble saying it.
“The dark matter target was smashed to pieces by an amber-eyed examinee…”
“WHA――――!?”
Eliza could not believe her ears.
But as she heard more details, she also doubted herself and her common sense.
Apparently, the boy had not only smashed the target to pieces but had also turned the surrounding grassy field into a burnt wasteland.
“What is the name of that examinee? Which noble family is he from?”
“It… It seems that he is not a noble… but he is from the Langobalt’s territory. His name is…”
Hearing the name of the boy in question, Eliza’s heart swelled with anticipation and excitement.
Abel.
The teacher answered in a small voice.
How could that be?
How could a boy with the <<Inferior Eyes>>, which has zero aptitudes in all attributes, be able to form magic that surprised everyone around him?
From then on, Eliza began to develop a strong sense of rivalry with the boy called Abel.
