Chapter 87: Solda Promotion (1)
Inside the airship heading to Training Island.
Betan muttered bluntly. “She didn’t eat that soup in the end.”
“Don’t be obsessed about it. It’s not a foolproof method anyway.”
“… Well, that’s true. I should’ve eaten it instead. Maybe then it wouldn’t have been spilled on the floor. Such a waste.”
40g of Rotaily was enough to render Demon Bloods unable to breathe properly and their complexion to turn red. However, in the case of mixed blood, the reaction that would occur in their physiques would be subtle. Hence, it couldn’t be said to be a very reliable discrimination method.
It wasn’t possible to randomly use the delicacy Rotaily, which was much more expensive than gold and whose demand outweighed supply, to distinguish Demon Bloods. Even if it were, it wouldn’t be cost-efficient.
Nevertheless, if Primienne had eaten it, her face would’ve turned deep red. Her true race ran deep in her blood, after all, since she was an important Named.
“Is it true that you open their heart to check their origins, Betan?”
“Ah, yes, but that’s an inefficient method since I can’t confirm anything until I kill them. I need to know if they’re demon-blooded while keeping them alive. That way, I’d be able to torture them. I can’t just feed those insects with the precious Rotaily, though, so I’m focused on developing blood magic these days.”
Betan smiled, and I averted my gaze from him.
His expression was disgusting.
[The Villain’s Fate: Death Variable suppressed.]
◆ Acquired Reward: Store Currency +1
I didn’t know what kind of action Primienne would have taken if Betan’s provocation continued, but it didn’t matter now. I at least gained another story currency as my she exuded for a short moment.
I pondered back then if I should tell her that I already knew she was a Demon Blood or leave it like this for a little while, considering I would surely need her cooperation someday. It seemed too early, though, so I twisted the course instead.
“The Rotaily soup really was delicious, though. As expected from the mountain’s treasure.”
Bethan licked his lips, recalling the dish. His eyes seemed dazzled, expressing his satisfaction.
“Your estate is very fertile. You even have enough Rotaily here to turn into soup.”
It was close to an elixir, making it impossible to be put on the same level as ordinary mushrooms. A delicacy that grew only in a demanding environment yet blessed by nature.
After Marik opened, its price showed signs of a sharp increase. Nothing was as good as Rotaily in detoxing demonic energy, after all.
“I don’t know if it’s because it’s a special menu, but… Slurp— its flavor is still lingering in my mouth.”
“It’ll be difficult to do this during winter because there isn’t much supply, but anytime in the summer, go ahead and tell them my name. You’ll be able to eat your fair share of it.”
Betan looked moved.
*****
By the time I arrived at the Training Island, it was already morning, and I no longer had the time to fulfill the rest of my previous schedule.
Yesterday, I went to the Imperial Palace, Hadekain, Isle of Wizard’s Wealth, then rode an airship to this place.
Even though I had [Iron Man], I was mentally exhausted.
“Oh?! You’re here!”
As soon as I disembarked, the chairman greeted me. She seemed to have been walking with her dog on the seashore.
“Our seventh strongest!”
“…”
I grew a little dizzy upon hearing that.
“I see you came with Betan!” She expressed her surprise upon noticing my company.
“Haha. It’s always an honor to be with the Professor.”
… It was gradually getting uncomfortable to be with Betan.
“More importantly, Professor Deculein! Have you heard?!”
“What?”
“One of the overseers died on the way!”
“…”
The way she said such serious news brightly made it seem quite eerie.
I shook my head and walked side by side with the chairman. Betan followed us three steps behind.
“You don’t seem shocked!”
“What’s the cause, and who’s the culprit?”
“I don’t know! I haven’t done any research yet, but I’ll let you know when the results of the investigation come out!”
Like a woman living in luxury, she had lots of interests and liked gossip. If I waited patiently, she would give me the information I needed on her own.
“I see. Where’s my accommodation?”
My heavy workload prevented me from doing any magic training, which had the utmost importance among my agendas.
Nevertheless, I was close to reaching the peak of [Intermediate Psychokinesis]. I needed a place to practice alone now more than ever.
“Oh! Follow me!”
The circumference of Training Island was 3km², which was similar to Yeouido or the collective size of 300 soccer fields, and in its vast territory was a total of five buildings: the student dormitory, supervisor dormitory, control tower, supply station, and the Yukline auditorium.
Among them, I was guided to the control tower, an infrastructure standing tall like a lighthouse at the northeastern tip of this island.
“You can stay here!”
The chairman opened the door, revealing its plain interior, though its decoration was arranged to make it look like a luxury mansion. It at least seemed to have been deep-cleaned in advance since its atmosphere didn’t bother me.
“And this!”
The chairman handed me a crystal ball.
“The external security team will keep an eye on the exam! If something happens, we’ll contact you!”
She then ran back and pointed at the glass on the right side of the control tower.
“This is a magic mirror for the general manager. Do you know how to use it?!”
I approached and injected a small amount of mana into it, causing its reflection to change. It was like looking down at the Training Island from an artificial satellite.
I touched the ‘student dormitory’ with my finger.
In response, it displayed the place.
Swiping across its surface, I caused the landscape to move in that direction. It was like a modern road map.
“Oh! You’re using it quite well! That’s the most cutting-edge, state-of-the-art magic technology these days!”
“…”
To me, it was as familiar as breathing.
I even missed it a bit.
A world in one hand, a smartphone.
“So you don’t need an explanation! I’m going to go for a walk with Adrienne II again!”
“Okay.”
“Woof! Woof!”
Adrienne went on an adventure with Adrienne II.
Through the magic glass, I looked all over the island.
On the sports ground of the dormitory, wizard-adventurers played soccer, and in the restaurant, Epherene ate with a certain Named.
Among them, I found ‘significant figures.’
“… As expected.”
There were many loaches in the first Solda test. After all, all events on the continent would be heavily interfered with by the Altar or the Underworld from now on.
“That’s amazing. It seems all magical skills have been gathered on this island, and you noticed such an uncanny fact with but a glance. You’re simply impressive.”
Betan’s long praise entered my ears.
“… Betan.”
He still hadn’t left.
“Yes?”
“You should go take a rest.”
“Oh~ okay. Alright. I’ll be going, then. Please rest well, Professor.”
It was fortunate he wasn’t completely blind.
After Betan left quickly, I went up to the roof of the control tower while looking through the glass.
Wheeeeng—
A gust of wind.
To my right, I could see cliffs and clouds in the distance, and to my left, an overview of Training Island. The mana that this place’s nature contained was two to three times more pure and abundant than that of the continent.
I sat cross-legged on the floor, basking in this wide view, then used [Vision] on myself.
◆ Understanding Status
– Beginner/Intermediate Psychokinesis (49% progress)
┏ Beginner/Intermediate Fire Control (23% progress)
┣ Beginner/Intermediate Earth Control (18% progress)
┗Metal Enhancement (80% progress)
I engraved the [Psychokinesis]’s magic circle all over my body.
As soon as I began this arduous training, the grass, stones, branches, fallen leaves, and sand in my vicinity trembled profusely.
Whooong───!
Resonance and vibration occurred in the hot spring area. The surface shook slightly, and a tornado rose. An instantaneous magnetic field was generated, and the atmosphere twisted like a haze.
As I gradually upgraded my [Psychokinesis] to an intermediate level, magic that was too large and complicated was conjured by itself…
*****
Carixel sighed as he spied on Deculein with a telescope a distance away from the control tower.
“He seems strong enough.”
“What? Really?”
Someone answered his complaint.
“Yeah. I don’t know what he’s trying to do, but it’s like he’s trying to rip the ground apart with [Psychokinesis].”
“I want to see it too.”
“Here.”
He handed the telescope to his company and shrugged.
Carixel’s magical talents were related to equipment. That was why his telescope could see into areas several tens of kilometers away.
“[Psychokinesis]? Isn’t it [Earthquake]?”
“Yeah. Anyway, attempting to assassinate that professor is absolutely impossible. Failure will only make things worse. Even if we succeed, there still wouldn’t be a good outcome for us.”
“… I know. I already expected it would turn out in vain.”
The person with him nodded, their long hair fluttering, as Carixel took back the telescope.
*****
While my training was in full swing, I tilted my head at the notification that popped up.
[The Villain’s Fate: Death Variable avoided.]
◆ Acquired Reward: Store Currency +1
“… Huh?”
There seemed to be someone here trying to target me.
It was a little surprising, but it was good that I avoided whatever was about to happen.
After accepting it with gratitude, I immersed myself in training again.
*****
The next day.
As soon as morning came, professors, adventure leaders, advisors, and wizards from and companies, arrived one after another on the Training Island.
Their purpose was scouting and networking.
All of them gathered in the ‘Yukline Auditorium’ on the eastern side of the island. As the name suggested, it was built with Yukline donations.
Divided into the ground floor and grandstands on the upper floors, about 1,000 test participants were expected to arrive on the ground floor soon, while the official who wanted to scout them stood by on the grandstand.
“Please take your assigned seat.”
I sat down in the first-class seat, which offered a clear view of the auditorium through the glass.
“Professor. Good morning. Hahaha.”
Betan attended on behalf of the Beorad family. Millet, the representative wizard from [Crumakto]. Louina, the representative of McQueen, Essecil, the representative of the Bran family, etc…
“Everyone, please take this acrylic plate.”
The staff handed me an acrylic plate with the names of the wizards on it. Since Sylvia was at the top of the first page, this list was probably sorted by grade.
It wasn’t comfortable to see her name.
“… Oh, Deculein. Aren’t you the seventh strongest?”
Glitheon, the representative of Iliade.
Sitting next to me, I calmly greeted him.
“Long time no see, Glitheon.”
In an instant, the atmosphere around us grew colder.
The chairman’s ‘antenna’ seemed to have been activated while she was looking at us, considering she immediately intervened.
“Glitheon! I saw you were the tenth strongest! Deculein overtook you by three ranks!”
“Haha. That’s right. It’s a bit sad, but it’s only natural. I’m aging, and this man’s still growing.”
“Still, shouldn’t you compete at least once?!”
“Well. That wouldn’t be bad either. It seems like they ignore me too much these days since I don’t go to the frontlines anymore.”
“That’s right, that’s right! That’s right!”
The chairman was very excited while stimulating us to fight. Glitheon smiled.
“Ha! Aren’t you too old now to be able to attack the Professor?”
Betan, who seemed to have become my henchman, joined in.
Glitheon looked at him with a slightly puzzled look.
“What… Gosh. Have you become friends now?”
“That’s right! Why not challenge each other to a magic duel?! That would prevent either side from getting too cocky!”
“What nonsense is this?”
Louina von Schlott McQueen stopped the chairman, who immediately glared at her.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
“I mean, what’s the point in encouraging them? Since when did wizards line up only by combat power? If that were the case, only the destruction-type wizards should be considered, right? Glitheon and Professor Deculein’s ranks are even lower than Rose Rio here.”
“Hmm? Haha. I was just having fun watching this. Why are you getting me involved? Hahaha.” Rose Rio scratched her pink hair and smiled bitterly.
A genius in the ‘soft/assistant’ type, she reached the etheric rank in her mid-20s due to her legendary feat of building a gigantic castle in a single day.
“That’s a shame. I wanted to compete with the seventh strongest man. Who knows? They say an old eagle is better than a young crow, so this old man might win. No, I think I’ll win.”
Glitheon’s words bothered me.
Of course, if we actually fought, I would lose.
This wasn’t the kind of ego that would simply accept these provocations.
“Glitheon.”
I stared at him, unconscious anger flowing from my mouth.
“Someone could die.”
“Hmm. that’s not bad either.”
He smiled, the chairman and Betan exclaimed, ‘oh my!’, watching with interest, and Louina sighed.
“…”
His expression bothered me. It seemed to seriously wish for my death.
“… Enough, Deculein. Glitheon, you too. The exam will start soon.”
Gindalf, the eldest among us, sternly restrained us. Without another word, I watched the wizards gathering in the auditorium outside.
The Solda Promotion Test was a pretty big event both wizards and adventurers participated in. No one even knew what kind of unexpected situations would occur throughout its duration due to the nature of the Isle of Wizard’s Wealth, where crimes no longer defined criminals and ex-convicts once they had come as wizards of a magic tower.
“Everyone, please look at the acrylic plate we gave you. The personal information and specifications of the examinees are recorded there. Feel free to check the most notable ones as well. It’s part of the exam, so please do not forget to do so…”
The wizard continued earnestly then repeated it a couple more times.
I checked Epherene, Sylvia, and some other familiar names.
*****
Epherene looked around the auditorium from her seat, finding a lot of attendees.
After Solda, she could finally be called a full-fledged wizard. There were also many adventurers here who wanted the Solda ticket, and there were wizards who were already ‘Solda’ but had retaken it.
She heard that if one passed the Solda test with flying colors, it would be easier to advance to the next rank.
“Nice to meet you all!”
After waiting for a few moments, a loud and clear voice echoed from above the auditorium.
It was Adrienne, the chairman of the Imperial University Tower. She was famous for her vast mana and powerful destructive power, yet she smiled like a child.
“The Solda Promotion Test will now be starting, but before that, do you see the grandstand over there?!”
Everyone looked up to the floor where many people in luxurious clothes sat behind glass.
The one that stood out the most was, of course, Deculein.
“A lot of people have come to see you all. Of course, some of you are already part of an adventure team, but it would be better to show good results, right?!”
The chairman raised both hands. It was a hooray pose.
“They will watch you during this exam! They won’t be stalking you the entire exam period, but if you work hard and show good results, they might just prove to be a huge help for the future of your career! After all, the people before you are all one-of-a-kind in the magic world!”
Knock, knock, knock-
The chairman knocked on the desk three times.
“Now then, let’s start the Solda test in earnest! No matter how I think about it, a thousand people are too many! We need to lower that number a bit!”
Closing her eyes, mana soon rose from her body, transforming her into a single magical mass.
“──.”
A very quiet mumble.
Whooooosh!
Immediately afterward, her magic engulfed the entire auditorium as a blinding beam of light shot through the roof.
“Ugh.”
“Everyone! Welcome to your first test!”
Everyone opened their eyes at the words of the chairman.
“… Crap.”
Epherene cursed involuntarily.
She found herself in a forest.
Adrienne had just used [Grand Magic: Mass Teleportation].
Archmage Demakan was said to have manifested greater magic alone, but Adrienne had reached the brink of that state.
“Where am I…”
A forest covered in pure white mist.
Epherene looked around with narrowed eyes, finding 100-200 students just as bewildered as she was.
‘The chairman said a thousand people were too many, so she divided us by 20% and sent each division to different places?’
“Nice to meet you.”
A male voice startled Epherene, who soon found a short man buried in the middle of the fog.
“I am Mimic, a supervisor of the Solda exam.”
Mimic. It was a strange name. He was dressed in a plain robe and a messenger bag, but he was quite short.
Perhaps 140 cm?
“The Solda Promotion Test evaluates your abilities, qualifications, and aptitude as a wizard. Think of this as a practicum that goes beyond academies and universities.”
Wow~!
Epherene looked in the direction that voice filled with admiration came from, finding a woman whose face was almost entirely covered by her beret and mask.
“The first test is simple.”
From his bag, Mimic pulled out a map. It then multiplied into hundreds and flew to the students.
“You just have to reach the destination of the second test. It doesn’t matter what means or method you use.”
Epherene looked at the map, finding several circle marks on it.
The problem was she didn’t know where she currently was.
“There isn’t only one indicated destination. On the contrary, there are nine in total. Now, please go.”
After saying that, Mimic disappeared into the fog.
“Epherene!”
“Whoa! Gosh. You scared me.”
She turned to look at Carixel, who suddenly appeared behind her.
“Haha, I’m sorry. Shall we go together?”
“… Together?”
Epherene looked around again.
No matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find Sylvia. Perhaps she had been moved to a different place.
“Okay.”
“Hey~ Hey~ if it’s okay, can I go with you as well?”
They soon heard a clear, languid voice. Epherene looked at her with slight suspicion.
“Who are you? Please present yourself.”
“Oh, um, I’m… I’m M-Mayho! It hasn’t been long since I learned magic, but luckily, I was able to take the promotion test!”
“Where are you from?”
“Y-Yuren, no, I’m from the Reok Kingdom~”
“… Is it Yuren or Reok?”
“Reok~” She smiled.
Epherene crossed her arms and pondered but then nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go together. I’m Epherene. This is Carixel.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Oh yes~ Thank you~ I’ll do my best not to become a burden!”
The trio formed a team.
… I watched their footage through the magic glass.
“Is something wrong?”
Louina asked. As soon as I left the auditorium, she followed me while drinking coffee.
“Are you staying long?”
“No. With only this acrylic magic plate, we can consistently receive reports.” The representative of the McQueen family, Louina, shook the acrylic plate she held in her right hand.
“Do you want me to stay here, boss?” She then asked mischievously, the corners of her eyes curving like a fox.
“No.”
“Right. I heard you’re also a supervisor?”
“I don’t have any missions yet.”
The supervisor’s role had already been discussed in writing, so I’d just have to follow it.
“Is the security okay? Ah, well, who would even want to mess with the seventh strongest, am I right?”
I clicked my tongue.
Seventh strongest. My hands and feet trembled every time I heard it.
After finishing her coffee, she looked at her pocket watch and put her cup down.
“Oh, the airship’s about to arrive. Then I’ll be going, boss~”
“No.”
I called out to her as she turned around, causing her to look back at me before she could walk away.
“I changed my mind.”
“What?”
“Stay.”
“… What?”
Louina tilted her head.
I repeated myself.
“Stay.”
“…?”
Louina’s expression became strangely distorted.
*****
Through the mist, Sylvia rode a horse she created with her three primary colors.
Pausing for a moment, she looked at the map.
“… It’s moving.”
The circles on the map weren’t stationary. Its position was clearly different from the beginning.
‘Why is this happening? Is it an error, a bad quality map, or is the destination itself changing?’
She only needed 15 seconds to come to a conclusion.
“The destination is not a building. It’s a person.”
That would explain its movements and the number of destinations there were.
They were most likely the supervisors of the second test.
“Hey.”
Sylvia gently pulled the reins.
If the target was a person, she didn’t have to move fast. Moving slowly and figuring out where it was would be far more efficient.
“….”
Not long after, she found a strange box buried among vines.
Sylvia looked at it blankly.
Was it part of the test?
She thought about it, then got off her horse and reached for it.
“Stop!”
A voice then resounded, startling her enough to make her turn around.
“Who’s there?”
Through the mist, a woman and a man appeared.
“Hello, Miss Sylvia? I am Reylie. This is Dozmura.”
“…”
“I stopped you because you were about to grab a box-shaped beast called Mimic. Look.”
Reylie manifested a fireball.
Keeek—!
When the spherical flame reached it, the box screamed, stretched its legs out, and ran away.
“… They’re clever bastards. Oh, don’t be so disappointed. Even if you’re a genius, it’s still difficult to discern them without experience.”
Sylvia nodded. If she had stretched out her hand to it, she would have been seriously injured.
“I know you.”
“Me? How?”
“Red Garnet Adventure Team.”
Reylie seemed moved.
“Thank you~ Well, we have become a bit famous these days. Hehe!”
“Why did you come for the Solda exam?”
“Um, I’m still a Solda. This might sound a bit strange, but the first time I took the test, I failed so much that I couldn’t go any higher. So I’m here to take it again. Oh, the guy next to me came for the same reason. This is Dozmura.”
She smiled. Then stood by Sylvia’s side.
“Wow~ you can make a horse with three primary colors. That’s really amazing. Anyway… Miss Sylvia.”
“Yes.”
“We found some suspicious things on our maps. I think we should compare and contrast at least three of them to determine what they mean, so can you show me yours? I already compared mine with Dozmura.” Reylie asked, twirling her hair with her finger. The man named Dozmura yawned as if he had no interest in the situation.
“Sure. Here.” Sylvia held out her map.
As soon as she did, Dozmura, yawning, immediately reached out and grabbed it, then fled with Reylie at the speed of light.
Silvia stared blankly at the two of their backs, which disappeared into the fog.
“…”
It was so sudden… No, she couldn’t even imagine such an event happening, leaving her unable to react.
“Come back.”
A barely squeaky voice.
It just rustled in the mist.