Chapter 30. Imperial Magic Academy Entrance Exam (4)
The teleportation magic circle in the auditorium was quiet for a while.
Inette, looking at the number board still showing 2, clasped her hands again. She hadn't prayed before, but she felt she should at least pretend to.
Seeing that, Gusto said a word.
“That’s a good posture.”
This brat?
Inette immediately unclasped her hands.
She had almost forgotten that Gusto was next to her.
"I'm getting annoyed because I feel like I'm being watched."
“I only said it because I thought the princess was finally developing some faith.”
This apprentice holy knight never lost a single word.
“It’s not like that.”
“I know. I was just saying.”
It was a look that said, 'What kind of faith would the princess have now?'
Inette exploded with the irritation that had been building up.
"Ugh! This is so frustrating!"
“It would be best for you to calm down.”
“It’s because of you!”
Gusto, while giving a perfunctory answer to Inette who was throwing a tantrum, also glanced at the teleportation magic circle.
He understood Inette's restless heart. However, Gusto believed that Radel would definitely pass the entrance exam.
Faith is something that is difficult to explain to someone else, so he was just being quiet.
It was at that moment.
Flash!
Suddenly, a light emanated from the quiet teleportation magic circle.
A successful applicant who had passed the academy entrance exam was being teleported here.
Those among the successful applicants whose friends or companions had not yet arrived looked at the teleportation magic circle with anticipation. Inette, who had been fuming, also regained hope after seeing the light of the teleportation magic circle.
'Could it be?'
Soon, the light of the teleportation magic circle disappeared and someone appeared.
Golden hair and golden eyes.
An expression as cold as ice.
It was Leon, who had the same face as Radel.
“What the. I almost got fooled.”
Inette pouted, making it obvious that she was greatly disappointed. She had almost mistaken him because of his similar face.
Then, when their eyes met, she completely turned her head away.
"Why do you have to look exactly the same?"
"What……?"
Leon was dumbfounded by the cold shoulder he received as soon as he arrived, but he couldn't say anything because of the Magic Supremacists who soon surrounded him and had to move to the side.
"As expected of His Highness!"
"I believed you would come soon!"
“Was there anything difficult?”
Anything difficult? There was.
But he couldn't tell anyone. That he was ridiculed by that weakling Radel!
Not only did he pass him off to the damn tree spirit, but he even humiliated him in front of the professor.
His anger continued to boil from the humiliation he had received because of Radel.
No matter how skilled Leon was in magic, he was just a challenger in front of an ancient spirit.
Leon had defended against the tree spirit's attacks until his whole body was tattered and then escaped at an opportune moment. Escaping was humiliating, but the bet with the professor he met afterward was humiliation itself.
He had quickly come to his senses and escaped, but if he hadn't gotten out of there, he might still be doing that ridiculous fishing.
Himself, fishing next to the incompetent Radel!
The next time they meet, he would not miss the chance to eliminate him from the world.
Leon clenched his teeth.
The number floating in the center of the auditorium was now pointing to 1.
Inette, who had been throwing a tantrum until just a moment ago, became quiet.
The calm Gusto also silently checked the number. It was because the entrance exam would end as soon as one more person crossed over to the auditorium.
'Please protect His Highness.'
He offered a prayer to the Supreme Deity in his heart.
* * *
"Haaam."
Radel, sitting side by side with the professor who was yawning constantly, asked.
"Professor, about this bet."
“Yeah.”
"Do I win if I catch more fish than you?"
Professor Bronson Sendert chuckled. And he looked at his own bucket placed next to him.
Several quite large fish were swimming in the bucket. On the other hand, there was nothing in the bucket placed next to Radel.
Professor Bronson also knew well how difficult this bet was for an entrance student's level. Still, he thought that an applicant who was able to find him would be able to do it.
He had also deliberately prepared two types of fishing rods.
If they chose the one with a hook, they would fail.
He had planned to just pass the time by fishing until the sun set and then fail the applicant.
Radel, whether he was lucky or not, chose the fishing rod without a hook. So he had hoped that he would learn how to control mana by watching him fish.
If he succeeded in imitating him and caught even one fish, he had intended to pass him.
But Radel couldn't catch a fish.
At this rate, he was in danger of failing.
Professor Bronson opened his mouth.
"You have to catch more than me or a bigger one, right?"
At that, Radel, who was holding the fishing rod, smiled.
It was like the smile just before playing a prank, and also like a smile filled with confidence.
He got a bite!
Radel cheered inwardly.
The flow of mana.
All living things, whether a lot or a little, have mana.
Magicians were those who could feel the mana in nature and convert it into magic power to use.
Radel, who had become able to feel mana in the 8th Prince's Palace, had at some point become able to read the flow of mana, and now he could sense the magic power within his body.
He didn't know how to use it, but he got a feel for it while fishing with Professor Bronson. It was similar to following the flow of mana.
Radel explored the sea by repeatedly releasing his magic power while finely following the flow of mana through the fishing line.
'I have to find a big and strong one.'
There was a being that had been detected by the magic power he had released into the sea for a while now. The moment he realized that, Radel gathered the magic power he had been loosely spreading around into one place.
Then, he felt it rushing toward the magic power.
It took a while to find it because it lived in a very deep place, but it was certain. It seemed he could pass with this.
The sea in front of the rock where Radel and Professor Bronson were standing instantly darkened. Something huge was rapidly rising to the surface.
Swoosh!
A huge amount of water shot up into the sky.
What appeared between the streams of water was a giant kraken!
This monster, which looked like an octopus, brandished its eight threatening legs and created a splash in the sea.
Every time the kraken moved its body, the seawater poured down like rain.
Professor Bronson's mouth fell open.
“Wow……. I didn’t want a big fish like this.”
No wonder he had been concerned from the beginning.
For a guy with little magic power to catch a kraken of this size, he had to be considered to have a fraudulent level of mana control ability.
To think he was looking for such a big fish behind the leisurely appearance he had shown while fishing.
Professor Bronson felt cheerful for the first time in a while.
Radel grinned and asked Professor Bronson.
“It’s bigger than your fish, right professor?”
Is it just big?
There would be almost nothing that could beat the big fish this guy had brought.
Bronson chuckled as if he couldn't help it.
"Yeah, you can go now."
When Bronson gestured in the air, a shining teleportation magic circle was drawn at Radel's feet.
It was now time for Radel to return to the auditorium.
Radel bowed his head and greeted the professor who had taught him while testing him.
At that moment, a kraken's leg flew toward Radel, who had bowed his head. It was a fast speed that was unbecoming of its large size.
Swoosh!
At this rate, it seemed Radel would be caught by the kraken before he could be teleported to the auditorium.
But there was someone faster.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going!”
It was Professor Bronson.
He imbued the fishing rod he was holding with magic power and threw it at the kraken's leg that was about to crush Radel's head.
Swish!
The fishing rod pierced the kraken's leg in the blink of an eye.
At that, the kraken writhed in pain and retreated.
Flash!
At the same time, the teleportation magic circle that was being drawn at Radel's feet was completed.
* * *
A strong flow of mana was felt on the floor of the auditorium.
The people gathered here, befitting of successful applicants of the magic academy, were all those who could feel mana and handle magic power.
After experiencing teleportation magic a few times, everyone knew that a magic circle would be activated without being told.
The last successful applicant would soon appear.
Inette and Gusto were also watching the teleportation magic circle.
Inette, who had clasped her hands without realizing it, closed her eyes tightly.
'Please.'
Inette, who didn't have a single friend.
The only person she could rely on was Radel, and the thought of attending the academy alone without a comrade made her vision go dark.
On top of that, if Radel wasn't there, the only person she knew was the impertinent apprentice holy knight.
It would be really troublesome if Radel wasn't there!
Gusto sighed inwardly as he looked at Inette.
She was pretending to pray, but Gusto could see everything. That wasn't a prayer.
Inette didn't know, but when one prayed sincerely, divine power was bound to react.
It was to the extent that even an apprentice holy knight like Gusto could feel it.
'As expected of the royals…….'
Gusto waited for the magic circle to be activated, thinking that the royals, excluding Radel, were as selfish and lacking in humility as ever.
Flash!
Finally, a light emanated from the teleportation magic circle.
However, it wasn't just light that came out this time.
Swoosh!
A huge amount of seawater poured out through the magic circle.
"What is this?!"
“Aaargh!”
The unprepared successful applicants were swept away by the seawater.
On top of that, something even more tremendous was waiting for them next.
Crash!
A giant kraken's leg was summoned through the magic circle.
Even though it was a severed leg and not the whole kraken that had come through, the successful applicants were terrified.
The sight of the leg twitching and the suckers moving, as it had been severed not long ago, was terror itself to them.
“It’s still moving!”
“Everyone, get back!”
The successful applicants, who were drenched in seawater and had come face to face with the kraken's leg, were divided into half who ran away and half who took out the weapons they could use.
Inette and Gusto did not belong to either.
What was important to them was who had crossed over through the teleportation magic circle.
While the kraken's severed leg was twitching, Inette and Gusto headed forward without hesitation.
Their eyes were filled with the desire to know who the successful applicant was. However, to others, it was a very dangerous act.
“Wait!”
“Don’t get close! It’s dangerous!”
Just then, someone was seen moving on top of the kraken's leg.
A boy soaked in seawater was holding onto the slippery kraken's leg and barely keeping his balance.
“What’s that now?!”
“There’s someone up there!”
Inette and Gusto looked at each other without realizing it.
And they were certain.
The last successful applicant was Radel!
Radel was disoriented from suddenly coming over, but he recognized the two and waved his hand.
“Gusto! Inette!”
Seeing that, Inette's expression turned sullen, as if she had never been worried.
A smile appeared on Gusto's lips.
While the two were rejoicing, the number indicating the admission quota floating in the center of the auditorium changed to 0.
At the same time, confetti was scattered in the auditorium.
Pop!
Following that, the voice of the principal congratulating them on their admission was heard.
[Everyone worked hard. This is truly the best entrance ceremony!]
The successful applicants, looking like drowned rats, stared at the colorful confetti falling in the auditorium.
The feeling of being dazed was greater than the joy of passing.
And though they didn't know it yet, the entrance ceremony of the Imperial Magic Academy was like this every year.