Chapter 27 - Examination (1/2)

Chapter 27: Examination

“Crying won’t work! Shouldn’t you be used to water by now Sylv?”

“Kyuuuuu…” Sylvie finally escapes from my grasp and flees out of the shower, still wet.

“Haa…” I shake my head as I finish washing up.

Wearing nothing but a simple T-shirt and pants, I take one last look at the room I was living in for the past couple of months. I put on my glove and ring, packing the coat and mask along with a few other necessities into my bag. I strap on Dawn’s Ballad and my short sword, both on the back of my waist where I was most used to before walking out.

“Trust in Jasmine when things get rough. She may be the youngest but don’t doubt her strength and experience as an Adventurer.” My father advises while giving me one last firm hug.

“Why are Brother and Sylviee leaving? No! Stay here!” My sister was now struck with realization that I wouldn’t be home for a while. She was bear hugging my waist and refused to let go.

“Honey, your brother will be back okay?” My mother tries to console her.

“NONONONONONO! Stay!!” My sister wasn’t listening anymore and starts shouting while crying.

I kneel down and give her a big hug.

“Can you protect Mom and Dad while I’m gone for a bit Ellie? You’re a big girl now right?”

“UUuuu…hic…I can protect them…” I wipe the tears streaming down her face.

“Atta girl. Your big brother is going to be gone for a little bit but I’ll be back. I feel a lot better that we have someone strong like my little sister here to protect the house.”

“Eng!” Her eyes still filled with tears, she looks at me with a look filled with determination.

Patting her head, I give Mother and Father a hug. “We’ll miss you. Don’t forget to keep the ring on your finger okay?” My mother squeezes me tightly.

“Stay safe and know your limits Arthur.” My father gives me one last advice.

Know my limits.

I walk down the front stairs to where Jasmine was waiting.

I wave at them one last time, my sister waving both her hands while she was biting her lips to keep from crying.

“Let’s go Jasmine.” I say while putting on the mask and coat.

She nods as we head downtown to the Adventurer’s Guild Hall.

______________________________________

The Guild Hall was not what I expected it to be. A place filled with thugs seated around wooden tables downing beer was what I imagined inside my head. Instead, it was a marble structure with an intricately designed interior. There were tables made from metal where I could see other Adventurers giving us a pa.s.sing glance. The whole place had a luxury hotel-like décor that didn’t suit some of the more barbarian-looking Adventurers here but I just kept walking.

“Welcome! How can I help you two?” The front lady gives me a professional smile.

Before I say anything, I see Jasmine slide something towards the clerk lady.

“I would like to sponsor him to take a rank examination.” Her face remains expressionless as she says this.

“Y-yes! I understand.” Nodding several times before handing back whatever Jasmine pa.s.sed to her.

“Please, come over this way.” She guides us towards the back door

*Murmur* *murmur*

“Oy, there’s someone taking a rank examination.” I hear whispers around us from the Adventurers seated.

I keep my questions to myself for now as we follow the clerk. Pa.s.sing through the door, we’re inside a small room with two couches facing each other. On the far end of the room is a desk facing the door with a slender man seated, his head down.

“Hmm?”

The man looks up revealing an angular face. The man had black hair parted down the center that reached his shoulders. His gla.s.ses were thick and frameless, giving his narrow eyes an even sharper look.

The clerk next to us gives the man a deep bow before explaining, “A Cla.s.s Adventurer Jasmine Flamesworth has requested this er… gentleman to take the rank examination.”

“Ah! Miss Flamesworth. How are you doing these days? I met with your father not too long ago…” The slender man gets up from his desk, walking towards us.

I turn to look at Jasmine as she gives him a silent, curt bow. I raise an eyebrow when I notice that her fists are clenched at the mention of her father.

“Cough… Anyway, it is a pleasure to meet you! My name is Kaspian Bladeheart and I am in charge of this branch. You must be a friend of Miss Flamesworth. Is there a name I can address you by?” He casts his studying gaze at the masked figure that had a small reptilian kitten on his head.

“Kuu!” Sylvie answers for me.

I made Sylvie go into her original form during my time as an Adventurer, so her horns protruded out more and her red spikes were visible.

“Please just call me Note.” This was the ident.i.ty I was going to go by from now on. I got the idea from looking at my mask. The blue streak that went through the left eye slit reminded me of a single half note.

Kaspian does a quick double take when he noticed Sylvie, but other than that, he doesn’t mind the small beast on my head. Seeing mana beasts doesn’t seem to surprise him because of his line of work. “Yes! Well… Sir Note, we will proceed with Miss Flamesworth here as your sponsor. Do you know how this will work?”

Shaking my head, I let him explain. “An Adventurer of B cla.s.s or higher has the power to sponsor a new Adventurer to an examination. Depending on how well you do, this exam will give you the opportunity to be placed into a suitable rank. The rank exam will consist of only a practical portion. Now, judging by your weapons, I can a.s.sume that you are a Fighter or Augmenter yes?” He looks quizzically at the black stick tied to my waist below my short sword.

“Yes.”

“Okay! Usually there would be a quick application along with an inspection of your mana core before the exam but since it is Miss Flamesworth here sponsoring you, I will just waive that. Mary, take these two to the examination hall.” He ushers us towards another door.

“Y-yes! Please, Mr. Note, Miss Flamesworth, right this way.”

I look at Jasmine through my mask as we walk through a long corridor. Is this why she wanted to be the one to follow me? What was the Flamesworth house?

I squint as my eyes try to adjust to the brightness change from the dark pa.s.sage. We were inside a brightly lit, indoor, dirt-floored coliseum. The seats were just exaggerated stairs that were mostly empty except for around 10 people sitting in random spots. On the stage at the bottom were two Augmenters fighting.

“Please follow me to your seats. There are a couple other exam takers today so please stay seated around here until the examiner calls your name.” The clerk gave us one last bow before walking back down the rows of stone seats.

I lean forward after I put Sylvie down between to Jasmine and I. Jasmine just leans back with her arms crossed.

“Haa!” A large mage with a shaved head swinging the polearm was at a disadvantage as the opponent he was versing, a man of average build and short black hair and a scar down his cheek, was easily dodging all of the clumsy swings.

The scarred man looked bored, as he didn’t even bother using the broadsword he had in his right hand.

“Take this!” Daring to announce his next attack meant he was either confident or he was just an amateur. In this case, it looked to be the latter.

The polearm he held high above his head suddenly glowed a dim orange as a heat wave surrounded his weapon.

The scarred man raised an eyebrow in slight surprise but otherwise remained the same.

“h.e.l.l Smash!” He bellowed as he swung down. Just like how Conjurers chant spells to focus their intent, many Augmenters also choose to do something similar, like vocalizing the name of their move. However, for such a simple move, it seemed unnecessary.

Shaking his head, the scarred man held up his broadsword.

*CLANG*

The polearm was flung up into the air as the shocked examinee just looked at his empty hands.

“Your skills as a polearm wielder is nonexistent and your battle senses are lousy… and that’s me being nice. You depend too much on physical strength compared to your mana reinforcement, throwing your attack’s balance off. It says your age is 35 but you’re now only at the dark orange stage. I would normally put someone of your caliber at E cla.s.s but seeing how you have a fire affinity, if that little heater move you just did can even be called fire, I’ll pa.s.s you as a D cla.s.s…barely.

I nod in agreement at the scarred examiner’s a.s.sessment.

“NEXT! DIANE WHITEHALL!” The man bellows as the bald man dispiritingly walks back up into the rows of seats, picking up his polearm along the way.

“Yes! Coming!” A woman on the other side of the stadium hurries down from the seats, almost stumbling along the way.

She was a freckled girl that looked to be well into her teens. She had her curly brown hair tied back and was wearing the standard conjurer’s robe. She fumbled with her wand, almost dropping it while trying to get it out from her robe pocket.

I hear snickers and giggles around the stadium from the scarce audience.

“Pfft! This should be good!” I look to my left at the sound of the voice, to see a boy laughing and pointing at the girl down at the stage.

He didn’t look much older than me, which surprised me. His attire was that of a n.o.ble’s. He had medium length blond hair that covered his forehead and ears with dull green eyes. I had to admit he was a good-looking boy, and by his c*cky demeanor, I’m sure he knew that too. By his side was a white wooden staff that was taller than him. Embedded at the very top of the staff was a large ruby colored gem.

I just turn my head back towards the stage.

The scarred examiner was sitting down at the stage while a woman wearing the typical oversized hat used by many Conjurers in the shape of a pointed sun hat, replaced him. It didn’t surprise me that there were separate instructors for each type of mage.

The pale instructor with small, thin eyes wearing a yellow conjurer’s robe that matched her hat coughed to get the audience to quiet down.

“Ahem! Diane Whitehall, age 18, a Conjurer at the light orange stage with a single specialization in water. Let us begin.” She threw the notepad towards the scarred examiner and held up her grey staff.

Once a Conjurer reached the orange stage, almost everyone chose to focus solely on the element they were best at instead of wasting time trying to be adept at all 4 elements. Single specialization, in her case, meant that she only focused on water spells. Dual specialization and up, there would be a strict test to see if you really are adept at both elements.

Instantly, the freckled examinee murmurs a spell and a bubble of water surrounds her.

The basics of battling as a Conjurer is setting up a defensive spell. They do this since most don’t have the ability to reinforce their body with mana.

She had the fundamentals down at least.