Chapter 17

(2)

4.

Right after all the orbs were shattered.

A quiet stillness filled the arena.

“······.”

The examinees, the assistant proctor, even Dirck and Diplyn were left dumbfounded, their mouths agape.

Except for one. Ulan.

What he had done was simple.

He highly compressed the Spirit that was always active within his body and then released it externally through his fist.

This caused the compressed Spirit to explode momentarily, creating a whirlwind and a powerful shockwave.

A technique he often used in his past life.

Though its purpose was slightly different back then.

‘Originally, it was created to wipe out swarms of insect monsters in one strike.’

Tiny, annoying creatures that moved in groups, spraying deadly poison. Ulan had created this technique to annihilate them in one go.

‘But the power isn’t as strong as before.’

In his past life, he would have completely destroyed the wall the orbs were stuck to.

Feeling a bit disappointed, he clicked his tongue, but he didn’t dwell on it. After all, it was power he would regain eventually.

“U, Ulan······.”

At that moment, the assistant proctor’s voice rang out.

She announced Ulan’s result in a flustered, stuttering voice.

“······Ulan Bator, 3 seconds.”

Once again, silence fell over the arena.

Then.

A cheerful voice broke the silence.

“Wow, what did you just do?”

A girl with apricot-colored hair swaying.

It was Diplyn. She looked at Ulan with eyes full of curiosity.

“No matter how I look at it, that wasn’t magic, was it?”

“······.”

What’s with this girl?

She doesn’t seem to be a proctor. As Ulan looked at Diplyn, Noa’s advice suddenly came to mind.

If you’re ever questioned, just deny everything. Insist it was magic.

Ulan decided to follow that advice.

“It was magic.”

“Huh? But there was no magic response······.”

“My magic is just like that.”

Ulan stubbornly insisted.

Diplyn made a bewildered expression.

But only for a moment. Covering her mouth, she laughed as if amused.

“Ohoho, well, let’s just say that. Even if the method is a bit unusual, you definitely achieved the goal of the exam.”

As soon as she finished speaking.

The other examinees began to murmur.

“Is that really allowed?”

“No matter how you look at it, that wasn’t magic.”

“But according to the rules······.”

The exam was to find and shatter the orbs with different amounts of magic power as quickly as possible. Also, there was no penalty for choosing the wrong orb.

And Ulan had shattered all the orbs without his body touching them. Whether that was magic or not, he had achieved the goal.

Meanwhile.

Dirck’s expression was completely twisted.

His bloodshot eyes were wide open, and his tightly clenched fists trembled with intense anger.

‘That damn barbarian brat!’

What the hell did he just do?!

As Diplyn said, Ulan’s magic hadn’t reacted at all. Meaning, that wasn’t magic but something else.

He wanted to disqualify Ulan on the grounds that he hadn’t used magic.

But to do that, he should have set the condition that magic must be used from the start.

‘Besides, the dean acknowledged it.’

No matter the process, the goal was achieved.

If he raised an objection now, it would only embarrass the dean. So, he had no choice but to swallow his anger and back down.

And so, the first exam ended.

Soon, the results were announced.

Ulan got 5 points, and Delia got 4 points.

Perhaps dissatisfied with the result?

Delia’s eyebrow twitched slightly. But only for a moment, as she quickly returned to her usual expressionless face.

Then, the second exam began.

“The next exam is to hit the target with this spear. The spear has five layers of weight-enhancing magic applied, and the only way to lift it is to find the magic core and trigger a magic response.”

A spear made entirely of steel, from the blade to the handle.

Due to the weight-enhancing magic, the spear was incredibly heavy. So heavy that it would take five knights to barely move it.

“Since most of you probably haven’t thrown a spear before, accuracy won’t be factored into your score. However, we will be evaluating how quickly you can lift and throw the spear.”

After finishing the explanation.

Dirck looked at Ulan with anxious eyes.

‘According to the original plan, he should have failed at the magic verification, or at least the first exam······.’

But Ulan had passed.

Using something that didn’t even seem like magic.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would have prepared the remaining exams to be much harder to pass.’

The second and third exams for magic detection were just slightly modified versions of last year’s special exams.

Because he thought Ulan would fail before reaching them.

But it was too late for regrets. As he tried to swallow his anxiety, the exam began.

“Yupi Davien, 3 minutes 51 seconds.”

“Zerbein Colt, 4 minutes 33 seconds!”

The time it took for each examinee to lift and hit the target was measured and announced. It varied, but most took around 4 minutes.

“Delia Arpen. 1 minute 15 seconds!”

Delia, who had stood out in the previous exam, also took over a minute this time.

She found the magic core and triggered the magic response in just 30 seconds, but her lack of skill in handling the spear caused her to waste time.

“Tsk, still weak in strength. I told you so many times to train your strength and stamina, not just magic.”

Diplyn clicked her tongue.

But her expression was bright. Even though it took over a minute, she was still the fastest among the examinees.

Soon, it was Ulan’s turn.

Once again, all eyes were on him. But this time, some examinees noticed something strange.

“Huh? But that spear looks different, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. It’s bigger than the one we had.”

“It looks even heavier.”

This is why I hate perceptive people.

Dirck frowned. As they said, he had indeed tampered with it this time as well.

‘I applied eight layers of weight-enhancing magic and even added gravity-enhancing magic.’

It was so heavy that even ten knights might not be able to lift it. No matter how strong Ulan was, it should be impossible.

But he felt an uneasy premonition.

What if he easily solves this too? He tried to shake off the worry, but it lingered.

‘No, that’s impossible. No matter how strong he is, humans have limits. Unless he’s a legendary giant, lifting that is impossible.’

So, this time, he was confident.

There was no way Ulan would pass easily.

“Begin!”

The assistant proctor’s shout echoed through the exam hall.

Ulan walked over and grabbed the spear.

And then, he simply lifted it.

“······Huh?”

Dirck muttered in disbelief.

Why is it lifting?

Thinking the magic might have been dispelled, he quickly checked, but that wasn’t the case. The magic circles densely covering the spear were proof.

‘T-that means······.’

Did he just lift it with pure strength? Really?

As Dirck’s eyes widened.

Ulan threw the spear.

Kwaaaang!

The steel spear tore through the air, piercing the target in one strike. Not stopping there, it even shattered the wall behind it.

Kwoong! Kugugugu!

The impact was so powerful that the entire exam hall shook slightly from the shockwave.

“U, Ulan Bator. 5 seconds.”

“······.”

Silence fell once again.

The examinees whispered among themselves.

“What? Did he use magic?”

“It looked like he just lifted it with strength······.”

“If that’s true, isn’t that even more impressive?”

Regardless, the exam requirements were met.

And as a result.

Ulan once again scored 5 points.

Dirck, whose plans had crumbled, turned red as if his face would explode, while Delia, who unexpectedly got 4 points, twitched her nose.

‘That······.’

It was a reaction she showed when she was quite upset.

Probably because Ulan had taken points in an absurd way.

But he couldn’t afford to be careless. If he had been lax during the exam, Dirck might have found some excuse to disqualify him.

Now with a total of 10 points.

The final exam had arrived.

5.

“······The third exam is to retrieve the magic cores from magic golems. There are five golems in total, and the goal is to retrieve as many magic cores as possible without destroying them.”

With a somewhat haggard appearance.

Dirck explained the exam in a weak voice. Most of the plans he had prepared had gone up in smoke.

“However, as mentioned earlier, this exam will be conducted in teams. Cooperation will also be highly evaluated, so work well with your teammates.”

But Dirck hadn’t given up.

He had tampered with this exam as well.

Currently, there was an odd number of examinees taking the magic detection exam. So, inevitably, one person would be left without a team.

‘And at that moment······.’

He planned to assign a bribed assistant proctor to Ulan as a helper. Then, before Ulan could retrieve the magic cores, the proctor would move first and destroy all the cores.

After reviewing the plan once more.

Dirck shook the prepared box.

“Then, we’ll form teams by drawing lots. The order will be based on the amount of magic power.”

This way, Ulan would be left last. As a smile crept onto Dirck’s face.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, the box for drawing lots was engulfed in flames.

“······!?”

A sudden unexpected situation.

Dirck, startled, dropped the box.

The culprit was immediately identified. There was only one person here who could have used magic.

“W-what are you······.”

“Sorry. I changed my mind.”

The one who burned the box was Diplyn.

The dean of the Magic Department. She smiled brightly as she looked at the examinees.

“There’s a fairer way than this.”

“······Fair?”

“Yes! Form teams based on magic power. The person with the highest magic power pairs with the one with the lowest, and so on.”

At this, Dirck realized.

She was trying to pair Ulan and Delia together. He didn’t know the reason, but that was clearly Diplyn’s goal.

Meanwhile, as soon as she finished speaking.

Some examinees raised objections.

“But that’s a bit······.”

“Isn’t that unfair?”

“Huh? Why?”

“If you do that, examinee Ulan and examinee Delia would be on the same team, and they’re currently first and second, right?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

She muttered as if pondering.

But only for a moment.

“Ah! Then how about this? If Ulan and Delia’s team fails to retrieve all the magic cores, they get 1 point.”

With a somewhat absurd statement.

Diplyn smiled brightly.

“However, if they retrieve all the cores perfectly, not only will they get 5 points, but I’ll also give them a special benefit. A benefit that might greatly help their future academy life. I promise this as the dean of the Magic Department.”

“······!”

At her last words, the hall buzzed.

The dean of the Magic Department. Diplyn had clearly said so. Even Dirck, the proctor, didn’t deny it, so the buzz grew louder.

“How about it? Fair conditions, right?”

No one objected.

Whether it was fair or unfair, now that the dean of the Magic Department had spoken, no one could go against her words.

Then Ulan muttered softly.

“Not bad.”

Currently, he already had 10 points.

Even if he failed to retrieve the magic cores and only got 1 point, he would still get at least a B grade. That alone would secure his admission.

But if he successfully achieved the goal, he would also receive a ‘special benefit.’

In other words, there was nothing to lose.

“Right? Then let’s do it this way?”

“I don’t mind. But······.”

“But?”

“Swear on your name and mana.”

Ulan’s gaze deepened.

Diplyn made a bewildered expression.

“A swear? Oh, come on, I’m the dean. The dean of the Magic Department! Do you think I won’t keep my promise······.”

“There’s a high chance you won’t.”

Cutting off Diplyn’s words.

Ulan stared directly into her eyes.

“Your eyes are full of lies.”

“······.”

“I’ve seen many eyes like yours. People with such eyes can’t be trusted.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

Diplyn’s gaze changed strangely.

Not her usual emotionless look, but one filled with interest. After staring at Ulan for a moment, she burst into a bright smile.

“Ahaha! Fine! I swear on my name, Diplyn Cernio, and on the mana of this world. I will fulfill the promise I just made. Is that good enough?”

Ulan nodded silently.

A sign of agreement. Delia also accepted Diplyn’s proposal without any objection.

As Ulan and Delia were paired together, Dirck laughed hollowly.

‘Haha, it’s over.’

Of course, he could still interfere.

But doing so would harm Delia as well, and that would only incur Diplyn’s wrath.

With the vision of research funds flying away, Dirck fainted on the spot.

6.

After Professor Dirck fainted.

The exam proctor was replaced by the dean of the Magic Department, Diplyn. And no examinee objected to this change.

Suddenly paired together, Ulan and Delia.

Only silence filled the space between them.

Delia silently stood, polishing her staff, while Ulan held an axe in each hand.

‘Retrieving the magic cores won’t be difficult.’

Just like hunting demon beasts, slicing through from the surface would suffice. The use of tools was allowed in this exam.

‘Or······.’

Like in his past life.

He could rely on Delia’s help.

She was loved by mana. Reading the flow of magic to locate the cores would be child’s play for her.

Either way, this exam was a sure win.

As he thought this.

Poke poke!

Someone poked his side.

“······Can’t see.”

The silver-haired girl frowned.

It was Delia. She had approached without him noticing and was scrutinizing Ulan as if he were some strange creature, then pointed behind herself.

“Stay back. Watch from behind.”

Hearing this, he couldn’t help but laugh.

It was almost the same as what she had said when they first met. Back then, Delia had said this upon seeing Ulan.

「Are you, by any chance, a giant?」

Just like now.

With a disgusted expression, looking him up and down.

And after learning that Ulan was a barbarian warrior, she said with a blank face.

「Don’t get in the way, stay back.」

At the time, he thought she was looking down on him.

But as they spent time together, he realized.

Delia was just bad at expressing herself. She simply didn’t want to see her comrades get hurt.

Perhaps feeling nostalgic?

Ulan repeated the exact words he had said back then, without missing a single syllable.

“I refuse.”

“What?”

“I don’t listen to the words of a mage brat.”

“What are you······.”

“No matter what you say, I’ll fight ahead of you. That’s what a warrior does.”

Ulan grinned and took the lead.

Delia frowned.

But she didn’t say anything more. The exam preparations were almost complete.

The first team was Ulan and Delia.

As all the examinees watched with various gazes. The assistant proctor’s shout echoed through the exam hall.

“Exam begin!”

At that moment, the magic golem rose.

Its eyes glowing bright blue. Just as Delia gripped her staff and began to chant a spell.

Ulan took action first.

Whoosh! Whooosh!

Ulan suddenly threw his axe.

The spinning axe struck the golem’s forehead in an instant.

“······Huh?”

Delia muttered in disbelief.

The golem was split in half.

Chapter 6. My magic is just like this.

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