Please, Just Read It

Please just read it!

Chapter 27

Selection Test (2)

“Ugh, seriously, what kind of nonsense is this…”

Becky, frowning fiercely, shot a sharp remark at Riley.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Seriously, ugh….”

Becky swallowed the words she was about to say. It seemed she couldn’t accept that she was teamed up with Riley.

Well, it must be infuriating, especially considering how much she looked forward to fighting alongside Riley, only to have those plans shattered in an instant.

[Sigh…]

I let out another sigh and turned my gaze to Riley.

‘Why did I end up on the same team as Becky?’

[…]

Riley was busy complaining about her current predicament.

Yeah.

On the surface, anyway.

[Wipe that smile off your face and just say it.]

“Hehe.”

Contrary to her words, Riley looked endlessly joyful. She was practically giddy just because Becky was having a rough time.

Anyway, she has a surprisingly simple side to her.

I’m the one who feels like I’m going to lose my mind being on the same team as that killing machine.

[Ugh…]

I’m really going to lose it.

Why on earth did I end up in a team with Rebecca Duncan out of all the participants?

She looks like the kind of magician who can’t be controlled…. I can’t even imagine what kind of disaster she might cause.

I could only resent the heavens for assigning me to a team with someone like her.

‘There’s no way she’d suddenly attack me in the middle of the exam, right?’

[No way.]

Even someone reckless wouldn’t cross that line.

There’s no way she would attack a teammate, right?

Right?

Right…

[….F*ck.]

I’ve lived for thousands of years.

I’ve seen countless cases where “no way” ended up costing someone their life, so I couldn’t say for sure that this situation was safe.

“Are there any other questions?”

Suddenly, I heard the voice of the administrator standing far away on the platform.

In the midst of worrying about other things, I hadn’t realized that he had been responding to the participants’ questions all this time.

“Me, Administrator! Me!”

At that moment, Becky, who was sitting next to me, jumped up and waved her hand wildly.

“What is it, Rebecca Duncan?”

The administrator looked down at Becky with a gentle smile.

From the fact that the administrator immediately recognized Becky’s name, it was clear he had memorized the names and faces of key figures.

Of course, Becky didn’t care about this fact and continued with her question.

“What happens if teammates fight each other?”

“Umm….”

The administrator paused briefly before responding skillfully.

“It’s natural for disagreements to arise among people who just met for the first time. However, if you keep adjusting your opinions to move forward correctly….”

“No, I mean, what if we just blast magic at each other and fight?”

“….”

The administrator’s previously calm expression twitched slightly. However, she soon regained her usual smile and answered Becky’s question earnestly.

“As you all know, team battles are a test of mutual cooperation. Therefore, if one member of your team dies, the entire group is disqualified. Please keep that in mind as you participate in the exam.”

That was a clear answer.

It was a bit indirect, but in essence, the administrator was outright stating that they shouldn’t fight among themselves.

This made sense, as fighting among teammates in a perilous area like the ruins would likely lead to disastrous accidents.

“No way, that’s ridiculous!”

But Becky seemed quite displeased with the administrator’s answer.

With an incredulous expression, she shouted incredulously.

It wasn’t just Becky who was unhappy with this testing method.

The hall buzzed with voices from other participants.

“What? If one team member dies, the rest are disqualified?”

“No way, even in a team battle that’s too harsh.”

“Damn. The one thing I hate is when someone holds me back…”

Magicians were, by nature, very individualistic.

They didn’t particularly favor cooperation between each other.

Let alone expecting teamwork among magicians who were meeting for the first time today.

Naturally, in such a situation, the news that the life of one team member could determine everyone’s outcome was not welcome among the participants.

Murmurs─.

As time went on, the voices of the participants grew louder. In the hall, that murmuring began to echo everywhere.

Commotion brings about more commotion.

What had initially been a low murmur of discontent from the participants was rapidly turning into shouts.

“Silence!”

But then in that moment.

A voice filled with magical authority resounded throughout the hall.

“……..”

Simultaneously, a heavy silence fell over the venue.

Murmuring, whispering, even the breathing of the participants seemed to vanish, as if the world had come to a halt.

The administrator, once standing atop the platform, now surveyed the participants with a chilling expression.

It was but one high-ranking magician’s aura, yet it was enough to overwhelm dozens of participants.

Now that everyone’s attention was focused on the platform.

The administrator slowly began to speak.

“I don’t know what kind of lives you have lived up until now.”

“……..”

“Perhaps it’s been as a magician that you’ve been treated like you’re above others. And no matter what nonsense you spew, others wouldn’t dare say a word against you.”

“……..”

“Magicians are precious. They play crucial roles in any given task. No one would want to leave a negative impression on someone so valuable.”

Some magicians flinched as if struck a direct hit by his words.

Whether they did or not, the administrator continued.

“Because of this, you must have felt free to act recklessly. After all, no one would dare reprimand you if you caused a scene here.”

“……..”

“As a result of these situations persisting for decades, your character has inevitably warped. Your personalities have likely deteriorated, and your social skills have declined.”

There wasn’t a single false word in that statement. It provided perfect insight into why many magicians tended to be awful.

No matter how low-ranked they were in the mage towers or academies, they would receive all kinds of respect as soon as they stepped outside.

Mercenary groups, adventurer parties, etc…

In many other places, magicians were treated as valuable assets and were catered to. That was just how immense the power of a ‘magician’ was.

“But no more.”

However, that was all just outside talk.

In the Five Great Towers, where outstanding magicians gathered, they would not receive any special treatment.

“Party play, cooperation, and many other group missions. You are no longer individuals but must act as members of a team.”

The administrator continued speaking slowly.

“That is why we’ve implemented team battles as the second test. It’s to see how well you can work together with people you’ve just met.”

The rule that if one team member dies, the remaining participants are all disqualified.

This was a chain that would force magicians, who are inherently selfish, to cooperate.

“If you’re not prepared to take on such a risk, I suggest you forfeit the exam right here.”

The administrator pointed at a portal at the end of the hall.

If you dislike the testing method, just leave—his gesture made that clear.

No one dared voice any objections to that firm declaration.

Just moments before, the participants had been all grumbling, but now they had quieted down like they’d been fed a spoonful of honey.

But well…

As I mentioned earlier, there are always exceptions.

Not every magician in the hall was silent.

“Ugh, AAAGH, AAAAAAAAAAH!”

“……..”

[…]

A scream erupted right next to me.

Curious, I turned to see Becky, ruffling her hair in frustration as if to express her dissatisfaction.

[….That girl is really insane.]

A perfect example of doing things her way.

Her boldness in expressing her temper despite the people around her was almost admirable at this point.

*

“What a mess…”

Some time passed.

As the attention shifted and other participants began greeting their teammates again, Becky mumbled in a slightly calmer voice.

“Don’t… hold me back.”

“Of course not.”

“Honestly, I really don’t want to do this, but since this is happening…”

She let out a deep sigh and extended her hand.

“…let’s do our best together.”

“Me too, Becky.”

Riley and Becky’s hands met in a light handshake.

[…]

Seeing this, I felt a bit relieved.

If Becky was willing to endure this much during the exam, it meant she had some desire to pass.

It seemed I had underestimated her, thinking she would just go wild without a care.

[Well.]

In retrospect, Becky seemed to be apprehensive about failing the selection test from the very start.

—She didn’t want to disregard the administrator’s warning and get disqualified.

Right, well.

Fortunately, Becky wasn’t just a psychopathic thrill-seeker who only cared about her own enjoyment.

‘You never know. It’s also possible this is all an act.’

[Hmm…]

That was a sharp observation as well.

Anyway.

The second test consisted of forming a team of three participants.

Honestly, I don’t know why it’s three. It seems the administration considers three to be the minimum unit to form a team.

[Hmm…]

As I contemplated this, I looked ahead.

A magician I had never seen before was hesitantly approaching us.

“Uh, um, hello…?”

I see.

That girl must be the last member of our team.

[…]

Let’s take a closer look at her.

Fluffy, almost messy red hair covering her eyes. A demeanor that felt strangely withdrawn. A quiet voice barely audible even if I strained my ears.

[…]

Just a typical hikikomori loner kind of vibe.

She had her back turned to society, locked away in her room, solely researching magic; a true shut-in magician.

That wasn’t good news.

As I mentioned before, magicians like that are brutally lacking in combat sense.

While others are out partaking in battles, they’re just cooped up studying.

Expecting them to have actual battlefield experience would be naive.

Usually, these types contribute only theoretically…

But with me around, that wouldn’t even be possible.

No one in this world knows more about magic than I do.

“Uh, um, hello……”

“……..”

When she received no response, the hikikomori magician shrank even further and greeted us again.

“Um… I like ancient magic.”

What a peculiar self-introduction.

“Ancient magic,” huh.

Now I know a name for a person I didn’t even know.

After only one line, it became obvious that her social skills were severely lacking.

“And, um, what else should I say…”

“Just say your name first.”

“Ah, right……”

Unable to bear it any longer, Becky interjected, and only then were we able to hear the last team member’s name.

“I’m Olivia.”

“……..”

“Oh! Also, I’m part of the Blaze Arcane Academy!”

“What?”

Becky suddenly raised her voice, eyes wide as she stared at Olivia.

From her reaction, it seemed the Blaze Arcane Academy was quite famous.

Of course, in a bad way.

“Those people are just morons who only know ancient magic! Ugh, this is such a disaster! Why did I get teamed up with such an idiot…!”

“……..”

Listening to Becky’s outcry, Riley turned to me and asked,

‘Is ancient magic really that bad?’

[…Well, it does have a bit of a negative reputation.]

After all, it has ‘ancient’ right in the name, doesn’t it?

It’s a system of magic that was mostly used back in the day and is almost non-existent now. On the bright side, you could say it’s traditional, but on the not-so-bright side, it’s outdated.

No need to explain further.

Ancient magic is simply an obsolete system that has been overshadowed by modern magic.

‘Those who practice such ancient magic…’

[Just fools chasing romance.]

Fairy tales that sound like they belong in a storybook.

Like, for instance, someone claiming they used magic to remove a mountain.

Or maybe that they parted the sea, etc.

Those who indulge in such impossible fantasies were often referred to as “fools chasing after myths” and treated like idiots.

[…How are they still around?]

Such “fools chasing myths” have occasionally turned up both then and now.

Yet, after three hundred years, I thought they’d have faded away, but they were still clinging on.

In any case, it’s clear that one thing is certain.

[Haha…]

I let out a hollow laugh and quietly surveyed the team.

One killing machine driven by a rage disorder.

One socially inept ancient magic fanatic.

And then there’s Riley.

[What a perfect lineup, really…]

A truly fantastic team.

I can confidently say that it will be hard to find a better team than this.

[…It’s hopeless.]

Actually, I’m just joking.

To be honest, I want to cry.