Chapter 259

On the day of the third test.

The selected venue was a huge forest area near the capital.

Participants were divided into groups of fifty, each assigned a color, scattered at various points in the forest, while dozens of spirits fluttered above, watching them.

These spirits were controlled by court wizards who weren’t participating in the competition.

Some argued that it was unfair for the court wizards, represented by Alingd, to act as judges when they were participants. However, no one could offer an alternative capable of overseeing such a large group aside from them.

Given that this grand banquet was a test to choose the “Emperor’s Sword,” and considering the royal family teamed up with the South Witch, a slightly uneven playing field was inevitable.

Nevertheless, it was true that the royal side wanted to minimize any backlash, thus installing magical devices throughout the forest to function as separate “eyes,” apart from the spirits.

The first thing the participants did once positioned was… so-called ranking division.

“Listen up, everyone! We can’t just jump into the test haphazardly; we need to select a captain among us!”

“A captain? What do you mean by that?”

“What’s with the random talk?”

“This test is a team competition! If the group wins, individuals win; if we lose, all are doomed! So we shouldn’t act alone but support one another!”

This was a natural conclusion.

Fifty individuals moving separately versus fifty moving in an orderly manner under one command were entirely different entities.

Moreover, there were other advantages to being a leader.

‘In the end, only a thousand will belong to the elite guard. This time, only 200 will pass, 50 from each of four teams. Thus, even among those who fail this test, some will surely be selected for the elite guard. Rumor has it that some who failed the second test have already received standby orders due to their notable skills.’

‘Passing the test is crucial, but how one performs during it is also vital. It’s natural for a leader guiding others to be rated higher than just a strong warrior.’

‘If you lead others to victory, the commanding position in the elite guard is all but secured, and even if defeated, you’ll likely receive extra points. You must seize initiative!’

However, the others had caught on to this reasoning, and among competitors, there are always those who like power, so anyone wanting to be a leader had to prove their worth somehow.

“I am the rightful heir of the Pharen family, Fin Pharen! Warriors, follow me! Let’s become the sword of our great Emperor together!”

Using family names.

“Hey, are you guys not going to team up with me? Regardless of passing or failing, I will ensure ample rewards. This is an advance payment.”

Buying with money.

“Don’t you know who I am? You still see this red helmet?”

“I-I’m Garond of the Adventurer’s Guild!”

“One of the top three!”

Receiving some mysterious martial response out of nowhere.

And amidst this fierce struggle for dominance, what about the Tin Knight’s group?

“Just give the orders.”

“Whether it’s scouting or charging, we’re ready!”

“Are your legs tired? I’ve set up a resting spot over here; take a breather for a moment!”

“…….”

They hadn’t actually expressed a desire to lead, but seeing the members fervently jumping at the opportunity to follow orders, Adelheid felt quite flustered.

She approached Sophia nearby and whispered, “Why is everyone behaving like that?”

“Well, if they’ve made it this far, they must have information, skills, or at least some intuition or luck. Isn’t it only natural?”

Though the Tin Knight’s group was practically in cahoots with the organizers, other participants were not entirely oblivious either.

The collateral branch girl of the Lenart family had destroyed the Tower of Control for the sake of family revenge.

At first, people laughed off the rumors, but as time passed, the details began to spread across the continent, and they couldn’t ignore the story any longer.

Of course, the Lenart family tried to dismiss the tales propagated by the Tower of Control as mere gossip, but due to the empress’s interference, their attempts to block this information weren’t very effective.

Even if they couldn’t shout about it openly, those with some level of power could easily uncover information if they made an effort to investigate.

According to these details, there was still an unfulfilled grudge between the collateral branch girl and the main family.

Not long after the tower’s collapse, the recruitment examination was held.

And at that examination, the masked blonde girl who wreaked havoc on the Lion Duke’s Bloodline was awarded.

Bringing these two points together wasn’t particularly difficult.

After all, Adel herself had worn a mask as a form of emotional control; she hadn’t intended to hide her identity seriously.

Moreover, even if the masked woman in her sights wasn’t the same individual as the avenger from novels, there were still plenty of reasons for participants to curry favor with Adel.

Having crushed the widely renowned Lion Duke’s Bloodline with ease showcased her skills, not to mention there were rumors about her staying at the estate of the top authority in the empire, Alingd Goodwitch, regarding her power, she was unimpeachable.

Yet, for Adel and Sophia, this posed a problem.

“What do we do if I’m not good at leading? Do you know how, Sophia?”

“I’ve read a few related books, but still, it seems difficult to suddenly lead based on that.”

While Dorothea can manipulate a mass of undead like her own limbs, or the Tin Knight, who’s bizarrely capable in combat, might have potential as a commander, the two belonged to different teams from Adelheid.

With the participant teams set to the top four, securing victories spread across multiple teams would yield a larger share than merely overwhelming everything under one group.

Whether to let everyone act freely or to pick a commander among those supporting each other, Adel’s gaze caught something peculiar at that moment.

In that corner, three shadows were making a suspicious effort to avoid her gaze.

They appeared to be trying hard to suppress their presence, but to someone whose senses have transcended to half a biological radar level like Adel, it was insufficient.

More accurately, while everyone else was working to catch Adel’s attention, these folks were attempting to act in the opposite manner, making them stand out even more.

Proof that the saying “standing still gets you nowhere” was truly sad reality.

“You three!”

At Adel’s call, the three goofballs, or rather the trio of rank C adventurers, flinched and trembled.

Quick exchanges of glances followed, and Kumara, prodded in the side by Magia, shot forward quickly to Adel.

“D-Did you call for us, Miss? Is there a task you’d like us to do…?”

“Could you take on the role of commander? I’m not very confident in that sort of thing, but since adventurers should value judgment and leadership, I thought you could manage it, Kumara.”

What kind of fresh nonsense is this?

Kumara’s restraint to suppress a nearly escaped comment was truly commendable.

This was a problem born from Adel’s bias.

In the adventure novels she sometimes borrowed from her older brother, the protagonists often lead a sizable group of allies to victory with brilliant strategies.

Yet, separating reality from fiction was essential; unfortunately, the ‘adventures’ Adel had experienced far surpassed the protagonists in her novels.

If real adventurers picked up those novels, they’d probably laugh, thinking “Could this even happen?” Yet, Adel had a tendency to treat the contents as “there might be some exaggeration or distortion, but it could very well happen.”

‘Kumara must be a high-ranked adventurer, and the knight rated their skills highly as well, so surely, they’d do better than I would. But if they refuse, there’s no helping it.’

“Ah, if it’s an unreasonable request, you can refuse.”

“…….”

In terms of power or authority, with someone holding their life in their hands saying that, it’s rare anyone would dare respond, “Yes, that’s asking too much. Why would you say such a thing?” Kumara wasn’t among those rare individuals either.

His answer was virtually predetermined.

“I-I may be lacking, but if you entrust it to me, I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”

While cursing the industry’s veteran that threw him into this bizarre situation, Kumara stayed true to his role.

“First, let’s split roles within our team. The heavily armored knights and mages should remain hidden here, and the lighter members, please scout ahead.”

“So, we just wait? What about creating traps or strongholds?”

“That’s fine if it’s simple, but we must be ready to abandon it and move if need be, so nothing too excessive is necessary.”

“According to these test rules, shouldn’t we be focusing more on conserving our strength and waiting for others to annihilate each other instead of aimlessly roaming about to find foes?”

“That’s true, but do not forget that the underlying premise of all these tests is ‘to select participants who show outstanding performance.’ The higher-ups are watching and evaluating us, so if we act too cowardly, we might win but still not make it to the elite guard.”

Though Kumara typically spoke in a nonchalant manner befitting an adventurer, having taken high-ranking requests before made adjusting his tone and demeanor easy enough.

His directives prioritized survival over recklessly going all out and were straightforward and rational enough that the participants had no significant grievances while following them.

With the addition of Adelheid’s somewhat abnormal power and Sophia, a healer, the orange team was able to smash through the other three teams without sustaining significant damage.

As the test progressed smoothly, a strange report came from the scouts.

“It seems there was a battle up ahead. There are a lot of fallen people, but they look like… members of the Lenart family?”

Following his words, moving ahead revealed several blonde knights unconscious on the ground.

They didn’t appear mortally wounded; all looked relatively unharmed, but the symbols tied to their shoulders had all been ripped off, signaling they were already disqualified.

‘Did the knights take them down? Or was it another team?’

While pondering, Adel and her team pressed on.

Next came.

“H-Hold on, there are more people down here. Looks like Lenart family members too.”

And then.

“Again, the same situation! It seems they took a beating without even being able to retaliate!”

“……”

Adel’s face painted with perplexity and curiosity.