By now, the obsidian targets that Rorschach had shattered were being cleared away by the staff. In their place, dozens of humanoid targets glinting with silver light were being set up.
“Why are there so many targets for Mr. Midir? What is that silver material? Is it mithril?” Rosal asked Aila as she watched the dozens of targets rising throughout the room.
“Mithril? It doesn't look like it. Those targets look more like they're made of magic steel used for crafting magic tools. That material has an extremely high tolerance for mana. I'm not sure if it's mixed with other components, but the Mages Guild certainly is wealthy,” Aila replied, her eyes fixed on the gleaming targets as she pondered.
“I wonder how many minutes it will take Mr. Midir to pass this evaluation. It shouldn't be hard for him, right?”
As the three of them whispered among themselves, the examiner's voice rang out clearly from the other side of the arena.
“Midir, listen closely to the requirements for your fire-attribute Grand Mage evaluation: Within five minutes, you must destroy more than eighty percent of the targets on the field. The use of any amplifying items is prohibited during the evaluation. You may use area-of-effect magic, but you must strictly control your mana to avoid damaging the surrounding environment. If the room's protective arrays are damaged by your power, it will be considered a failure, and you will be required to pay for the repairs. If you have any questions or need clarification, please speak now.”
“Hahaha! No damage to the room? Doesn't that effectively ban the use of large-scale spells? How could you possibly destroy those targets one by one within five minutes? Old man, you should just give up and go home!”
Outside the arena, Rorschach Knuckle burst into laughter and mocked Midir loudly upon hearing the evaluation requirements.
“No questions. I'll begin then,” Midir replied calmly, turning a deaf ear to Rorschach's taunts.
The golden hourglass appeared at the top of the hall once more, starting the countdown. The targets in the room began to float and move irregularly around the area.
Scanning the rapidly moving targets, Midir silently counted a total of eighty. He then closed his eyes with a look of indifference.
“This guy... is he just giving up because things look bad? Why isn't he chanting? What's with the closed eyes?” As Rorschach’s comments continued, the three examiners also began to frown.
At that moment, a tiny, pale-golden flame appeared beside Midir. It was only the size of a thumb, flickering in the air like a candle flame that could be extinguished by a mere breeze.
Seeing this tiny flame, Rorschach laughed even more shamelessly.
However, in an instant, that tiny flame split into two, then four, then eight. In the blink of an eye, the space around Midir transformed into a sea of light, with flickering candlelights resembling a field of stars.
Midir gave a soft shout and waved his hand. The surrounding flames seemed to come to life, scattering in all directions.
To the onlookers outside the array, those flames looked as if they had eyes, each one accurately chasing down a moving target.
“Bloom, Flame Rain.”
Midir’s calm voice echoed in everyone's ears. At his command, all the sparks exploded simultaneously, tightly enveloping every target in the arena within a sea of pale-gold fire.
To the others, the hall suddenly became as dazzling as a summer firework festival, glowing with beautiful light. The targets, acting like fuses for the fireworks, melted away at a visible speed until they vanished entirely.
In the eyes of the three examiners, however, there was an unmistakable look of shock, even tinged with a hint of terror.
Others might not have known, but as examiners, they were well aware of how high the magic resistance was for these alloy targets infused with magic steel. Yet, the targets were melting before their eyes like ice. This was absolutely not the level of strength a normal Grand Mage should possess.
“Could it be that this Midir possesses the power of an Archmage, or even... a Grand Archmage? If that's true, this is sensational news.” The examiners exchanged meaningful glances while continuing to monitor the evaluation.
The protective arrays on the targets didn't even have a chance to activate before disappearing into the glow of the flames. What amazed the three examiners most was that despite such high temperatures, not a single trace of heat leaked out of the room...
When Midir slowly lowered his hand, the eighty targets in the room had all been reduced to nothing. Only silver-glinting metallic liquid remained on the floor, sizzling and emitting steam. The sand in the golden hourglass above his head had only just begun to cover the bottom.
“Mi... Midir, Fire-attribute Grand Mage evaluation: Passed. Time... eigh... eighteen seconds...”
As the examiner read out the terrifying result with a trembling voice, Aila and the other two broke into happy smiles.
Meanwhile, Rorschach punched the protective array in front of him like a madman, screaming loudly.
“Impossible! Impossible! You must have used the wrong targets! How could this happen? I protest! He's cheating!”
“Mr. Knuckle, please do not question our professionalism!” The three examiners had already hurried over, waiting respectfully at the door for Midir to emerge. Hearing his protest, they shook their heads and immediately dismissed his claims.
“Does this mean I've passed?”
Midir appeared at the doorway, his expression as calm as ever, not even slightly out of breath.
“Yes, yes, yes! Mr. Midir, would you like to schedule an Archmage evaluation? The association can apply for an expedited appointment for you. We feel you are more than qualified!” the examiners asked eagerly, their voices full of admiration.
“Continue the evaluation? There's no need. This rank isn't particularly useful to me; this is enough for now.” Midir simply shook his head at their request.
He had only come for the evaluation to increase his adventurer rank so he could take on high-level commissions, just like Rosal. Now that he had it, there was no point in wasting more time.
The examiners were surprised by Midir's flat refusal, but they didn't press him. They exchanged glances, asked Midir to leave his contact information, and stated that they could arrange an appointment for the next level whenever he wished before heading off to handle the certification registration.
After watching the three excited examiners leave, Midir turned his gaze toward the still-stunned Rorschach and extended his right hand.
“So, I believe I've won our wager. Pay up.”
Rorschach Knuckle finally snapped out of it, his face looking incredibly sour, as if he had just swallowed a fly. He glanced at the three coin purses on the table, took his own wallet from his attendant, and threw it hard at Midir's feet.
“I misjudged you this time. We'll see about next time! Here are three hundred gold coins. Take them and be gone!”
With that, he gestured to his attendants and turned to leave.
“Wait! Stop right there! What is three hundred gold coins supposed to cover?” A clear, bell-like voice came from behind, causing him to pause.
“Isn't three hundred enough to compensate you paupers? What do you want?” Rorschach turned back fiercely, staring at Aila, who had called out to him.
“Of course it's not enough. And who are you calling a pauper?” As Aila spoke, she opened her own coin purse and pulled out three gleaming gold cards.
“Our stakes here exceed three thousand gold coins. But then again, I won't bother calculating the small change with you. Shouldn't you also compensate for these three cards at their face value? Or are you... a sore loser?”
Seeing the gold cards swaying gently in Aila's hand, Rorschach Knuckle was enraged, his eyes practically spitting fire. He was about to make a threat, but he was silenced by Aila's next words.
“I know you didn't bring that much money. Just remember to send it to Duke Mars's estate later. Oh, and right! Make sure to note that it's for Aila! Don't get it mixed up.”
“Fine... Fine! A Mars, huh! Let's go!”
Rorschach Knuckle glared resentfully at Aila after she revealed her family name. He didn't dare say another word and could only lead his attendants away in shame under everyone's gaze.
Rate on N.U.
