Fortunately, we managed to escape just before the cave completely collapsed. However, the moment I looked back, I couldn't tell if fortunate was the right word. The cave, our test site, had been reduced to rubble.
I muttered, "This isn't my fault, right?"
Lorcan stood beside me, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Are you seriously saying that?"
"If we had stayed put, we'd all be dead. Shouldn't a mercenary thank the person who saved his life?" I shot back, my frustration clear.
"That's true," he admitted.
The examiner, who had been waiting by the carriage, came running toward us. His usually blunt voice trembled slightly as he demanded, "What exactly happened here?"
Seeing that, I couldn't help thinking, Even this emotionless man is capable of feeling something.
"The demon that was sealed in the jar went berserk," I said flatly. "The cave collapsed during the battle."
The others who had escaped with me gave me puzzled looks, but I ignored them. I had left out plenty, yet nothing I said was untrue.
The examiner studied me for a moment before asking, "What about the demon?"
"We defeated it," I answered.
His question made me wonder whether the Hero Society's examiner hadn't been monitoring what was happening inside the cave. Perhaps he was testing our reaction, or maybe their surveillance system had been destroyed during the battle.
I didn't see any communication crystals.
The cave was vast, so it was likely that their monitored areas were limited. If that were the case, someone could have seen Verita smash Peron's head in. However, judging by the examiner's reaction, I doubted anyone actually had.
Speaking of Verita, what happened to her? I turned toward the cave entrance, which was sealed shut by dirt and rocks. It looked like a torrent of earth had exploded outward. Could Verita have died in the collapse?
"Luan Badniker," the examiner called.
"Yes?"
"How did you defeat the demon?" he asked.
"I used maximum firepower and burned its entire body. It would split if I cut it and would stick if I touched it. There was no other way," I replied.
"Burned it?" he repeated.
"I have this type of mana." I summoned a tiny flame at my fingertip, like a candle's light, then blew it out.
"It is true that fire works best against that kind of demon," he muttered. "You took it down with a single blow?"
What was he getting at?
The examiner seemed strangely hesitant as he studied me again. After a brief pause, he asked, "To my knowledge, you aren't affiliated with a clan yet, correct?"
I was puzzled. "Clan?"
"I'm referring to the individual units within the Hero Society. You haven't heard of them?" he asked.
As I listened, it started to make sense. The Black Rose that the Iron-Blooded Lord had mentioned must be one of those clans. Of course, contrary to his expectations, I had no intention of joining Black Rose.
"No," I replied.
"I see," the examiner replied with a faint nod. "Then I hope you can stop by Beowulf when you have time."
"Beowulf?" I repeated, arching an eyebrow.
"This is the clan I belong to," he explained.
"Examiner, what is your name?" I asked.
"Kyron," he answered.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Kyron nodded and instructed, "Take the carriage back to headquarters. The examiner there will direct you to the third test."
"Understood." I returned his nod and stepped into the carriage.
Lorcan climbed in after me and said, "You already got a recruitment offer. That's incredible."
"Is that such a big deal?" I asked, glancing at him.
Lorcan nodded. "Of course. Besides, Beowulf is an A-class clan. I've heard that they rarely recruit B-class heroes."
It's that damn A-class again. Why did this organization obsess so much over rankings?
In any case, I let Lorcan's excited chatter pass through one ear and out the other while I turned to gaze out the window. The sky had dimmed, quietly signaling the end of a long night and the approach of dawn.
***
By the time we returned to the Hero Society's headquarters, morning had already arrived. The sun was bright, the streets were noisy, and the sunlight beat down on the top of my head.
I stifled a yawn. Staying up all night for a day or two wasn't difficult, but the fatigue always caught up eventually. It wasn't just a physical issue; it affected my mood.
Is it due to my days when I was a loser? Back then, I used to drink myself half to death until sunrise, drowning in emotions that couldn't be summed up in a few words such as regret, bitterness, self-loathing, and shame.
Perhaps those memories were why I always felt strange when I saw the rising sun after a sleepless night. It was as if my mind had reached a higher level, as though I had become a sage for a brief moment. In short, it was a fleeting moment of enlightenment.
At that moment, a long-haired hero called out to us. "Hey, you over there. You're the promotion test examinees, right?"
The voice belonged to a woman with several scars across her face, and her bulging muscles put most men to shame. Her tanned skin and clothing suggested she was from one of the eastern barbarian tribes.
Lorcan nodded.
The female barbarian looked us over and asked, "The four of you, right?"
"That's right," Lorcan replied.
She grunted in acknowledgment. "Then everyone is here. Follow me."
Everyone? I understood what she meant soon enough. We followed her into a fairly large room that reminded me of a lecture hall I often saw at the academy. Several people were already waiting inside, and Verita was among them.
"We're here," the female barbarian said.
I let out a genuine sigh, a little unsettled by how my stress spiked the moment I saw her face. She waved at me with her usual bright smile. Sitting beside her were two familiar figures from the first test: the scholar and the merchant.
The hero guiding us placed her hands on her hips, then gestured toward the seats. "Now that everyone is here, please take your seats."
I complied and sat down. Verita, who had been sitting a bit further away, got up, and took the seat next to me. Before she could say anything unnecessary, I cut in with a question. "What about the other six?"
"They are all safe but haven't regained consciousness yet. The result—"
"They are no longer eligible to take the third test," the hero interrupted.
Verita smiled faintly and nodded.
The hero continued, "In any case, I just received the second test's results. This is the first time in the Hero Society's history that the cave trial was cleared in such an extreme way. I had heard that this group of examinees was special, and it seems that your reputation was well earned."
The hero looked at us with a smirk. "The genius alchemist of Ulkah, the Ghost Spear of the Roland family, the Crimson Mace of the Seventy-Two Churches, the next Archmage, and..."
For some reason, she paused, and her gaze landed on me.
"The Youngblood who saved the capital—the Golden Fairy," she concluded with deliberate suspense.
Why is my nickname the only ridiculous one? I'm really starting to get irritated.
"My speech has gone on long enough," she said. "I have one question. Is there anyone who doesn't wish to participate in the third test?"
"Ah." The merchant raised his hand. "I will stop here. Honestly, I thought reaching C-class was already a miracle. Haha... "
"Alright. Your name's Hamish, correct?"
"That's right."
"Okay. Hamish will only go this far. What about the rest? No one else? I thought so. Judging by your faces, none of you seem like the type to settle for C-class," she remarked. "Alright then. I will tell you about the third test in the evening. The Hero Society has arranged rooms for you, so get some rest. Dismissed."
She ended the briefing and left first. The others rose and filed out one by one. Before leaving, Coralis shot me another glare.
She is going to get herself killed. I inwardly shook my head. How can I make the young mage understand that there's a bomb sitting right next to me?
In any case, I stayed in my seat, and so did Verita. Soon, only the two of us remained in the large room. At last, I asked, "What happened after the cave collapsed?"
Verita chuckled. "The cave was as intricate as an anthill. Even if one passage collapsed, there was no real danger of being trapped. Rather..."
She looked at me again, her eyes wide with awe. "I saw it!"
"Saw what?"
"The mighty wave of mana! Black flames that overwhelmed even the miasma! And that blazing palm of fire that pierced the entire cave! Ahh...!" Her voice trembled with excitement. "Such a powerful wave of mana can only come from grand magic! I still get chills just thinking about it!"
How sharp are her eyes to have seen that? I wondered while trying my best to mask my unease.
"Thanks to the cave collapse, things turned out better in the end," Verita added cryptically.
"Things turned out better? Ah." She meant the disposal of Peron's corpse.
A faint sigh escaped me as I recalled the dead knight's face. Of course, Peron had once served the church, carried a radical side, and wasn't particularly likable as a person. However, if someone asked whether he deserved to die, I wouldn't know how to answer. Yet if they asked whether he was completely blameless in his own death, that wouldn't be true either.
Ultimately, Peron had tried to kill Verita and died instead. The process was unusual, but the outcome was the same. If he hadn't lost control when he found her, he wouldn't have shoved me when I tried to intervene. I wouldn't have been injured, and he wouldn't have died.
Naturally, no one could have foreseen that chain of events. This was something beyond human calculation. If I had to call it something, it would be a clusterfuck.
I looked at Verita, thinking, No matter what the third test turns out to be, it's too dangerous to leave this ticking bomb unchecked. Something had to be done.
***
The third test would take place in the evening, giving us half a day to rest. Perhaps the Hero Society believed that taking the first and second tests back-to-back was already demanding enough.
The room they provided was spacious and comfortable—ideal for sleeping. I opened the window and looked out at the exceptionally clear sky, then decided to rest without performing any internal energy circulation. Ever since coming to Teper, I had learned the importance of rest. At this point, sleep seemed more beneficial than internal energy circulation.
When I finally got out of bed, the sun had already set. I had gone to bed at sunrise and woken up at sunset.
"A scoundrel's life," I muttered. I wasn't exactly lazing about, but I still felt pathetic. I couldn't help wondering whether humans really were creatures meant to wake with the sun and rest when it set.
In any case, my stomach started growling. I needed food. I had been hungry ever since roasting that octopus demon, and the feeling had only grown stronger. My appetite was insatiable.
There must be a cafeteria here. In a building this size, there must be at least around ten. I entertained such pointless thoughts as I reached for the doorknob.
Then I stopped. A strange sense told me that if I went to any cafeteria in the Hero Society now, I'd run straight into Verita. It was almost inevitable. That woman was probably still looking for me.
I went back to the bed and sat down.
"Countermeasures..." At the very least, I needed a plan for dealing with Verita before stepping outside.
Just then, something happened; a white window appeared before my eyes.
[The Blind Heavenly Demon is looking at you.]
"Eh? Senior Sister Tian?"
[The Blind Heavenly Demon asks if anything is wrong.]
"There is, but... what is happening all of a sudden?"
In the carriage, I had been steadily drinking the holy wine Hellstar had given me while occasionally calling out to Senior Sister Tian. She hadn't answered. Eventually, I realized that I could not contact her whenever I liked, so I stopped trying. Yet at this very moment, she finally reached out to me.
[The Blind Heavenly Demon smiles slightly and replies that she can spare the time to talk.]
Could we only communicate when she had time? Then what kind of situation prevented her from speaking?
I wondered how Senior Sister Tian was doing. I had many questions about the Book of the Birth of Heavenly Evil, but there wasn't enough time to ask them all.
Well, this works out. Senior Sister Tian is experienced, knowledgeable, and above all, wise. Moreover, I don't have to hide that I am a church member. I can speak freely and ask for her advice.
"So the situation I am in right now..." I summarized the whole thing as clearly as I could. Since this was the Hero Society's headquarters, I couldn't use direct words like church member or priest . I told her someone knew my weakness and that this person's mental state was unstable.
After hearing everything, Senior Sister Tian responded.
[The Blind Heavenly Demon remembers a method.]
"Oh? What is it?"
[Kill her.]
As expected, her radical side kicked in.
"That is a bit—"
[The Blind Heavenly Demon is speaking.]
Senior Sister Tian seemed to be saying, "Judging by her actions, she is a villain who even knows your weakness. Once such a person becomes a threat, killing them is the only reliable solution."
"Unfortunately, she seems to be much stronger than me," I noted.
[The Blind Heavenly Demon confidently offers to teach you the secret of surprise attacks.]
"I don't know," I replied. "She has a monstrous regenerative power. To be honest, she might not die even if I cut her throat or destroy her heart."
My reply caused her to stop responding for a moment. She seemed to be lost in thought.
At that moment, an unexpected person appeared.
[The Iron Ascetic appears.]
The Iron Ascetic? Naturally, I pictured an individual with a body like iron.
"Fourth Senior Brother?"
[The Iron Ascetic nods.]
" Wow ." I felt a thrill. I could really talk to the other senior disciples.
I asked with a bright expression, "How are you? Are you feeling well, Senior Brother Arang?"
I was referring to his actions at the academy. If Senior Brother Arang hadn't handled the hundreds of armored troops, there would've been hundreds of casualties. I was aware of his strength, but the armored troops were an Archmage's secret weapon.
[The Iron Ascetic says that he got good inspiration.]
" Haha ."
Senior Brother Arang used to say, "Everything we encounter in life is a part of training."
Then I asked, "Have you heard everything?"
[The Iron Ascetic nods.]
"Senior Brother Arang, what do you think?"
[The Iron Ascetic says that there is a clear algorithm for every human behavior. Even if someone appears irregular and like the embodiment of chaos, they still show patterns: characteristics, thoughts, habits, and ways of drawing conclusions. He asserts that if you can understand such patterns, there is no one you can't understand.]
I laughed at the tone. It sounded exactly like Senior Brother Arang. Even though I was only reading a few lines of text in the message window, it somehow felt as if both senior disciples were watching me.
"Ah, that's right. What about Third Senior Brother?"
At my words, a message popped up as if it had been waiting.
[Tough Guy Who Skips Breakfast and Plays Hard at Internet Cafes is watching you...]
What did that ID mean?
[He is currently unavailable, so he can't be contacted. You will be connected to the voice recorder after the beep.]
[Beeeep—]
I was at a loss for words.