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Chapter 210: The Rank 4 Exam (Easy) and the Notice Board
“Nooooooooooooo! Niiiiitaaaaa! Don’t gooooo!”
As expected, the usual cries and wails fill the air on exam day.
During the Rank 6 exam, Phe managed to hold back her tears, but it seems this time she couldn’t. She cried during the Rank 5 exam as well, so I should’ve seen this coming.
Just because it worked once doesn’t mean it’ll always go smoothly.
Phe, clutched tightly in Mom’s arms, reached out towards me, crying and screaming.
“I’ll be back soon.”
That’s all I could say to comfort her right now.
“Noooo! Don’t leave Phe aloooooone! Phe loves Niita! Phe loves Niita so muuuuch!”
Ugh… Every time, it’s like a dagger to the heart…
Phe’s cries stab right into my soul. But for the sake of a better future for her, I have to harden my heart and leave.
I can’t take her to the exam venue, so please forgive your helpless brother…
With a heavy heart, I walked away from my crying little sister.
The exam began.
The mana capacity test was easy as always. It’s just touching the device, so there’s nothing exciting about it, but I could see some people nervously reaching out. If you fail this part, you can’t proceed to the practical or written exams, so it’s a tense moment for those on the edge.
The written exam was fairly challenging. All I could think was, “Good thing I studied.”
Now that I think about it, I spend almost all my time studying, except when I’m playing with Phe or training.
Other examinees must have to juggle their studies with their daily lives. They’re probably having a much harder time than I am.
Plus, I have a specialist in magic at home. With Abel as my teacher, I can get the best answers immediately whenever I ask questions.
So even if I filled out the answer sheet properly, it doesn’t feel like something I should brag about.
And then came the practical exam.
This was the part I was most anxious about.
But surprisingly, it was the easiest.
Yes, easy.
There were two major differences compared to the Rank 5 exam: safety and difficulty.
The format was still a mock battle, but this time, they emphasized safety and conducted a very proper and fair exam.
No vicious combo attacks filled with killing intent, no drills that would leave you injured if they hit—none of that.
Most of the spells used were just water bullets. Even if you got hit, you wouldn’t get hurt, which helped me relax and focus on the exam.
I almost shouted, “This is how it should be!”
A fight that prioritizes safety—this is what the exam should ideally look like. The last one felt more like a real battle, with people getting injured left and right.
The proctors this time seemed significantly weaker compared to the tanned pretty boy from last time or the parrying old man from before that.
The proctor’s movements were so slow that I almost thought I was watching them in slow motion.
It was honestly easy. So easy that I kept doubting if there was a hidden catch somewhere.
But I’m the type who, when asked whether I prefer something hard or easy, will always choose the easy path. So this is fine by me.
I have no desire to fight strong opponents.
If anything, I’d rather avoid strong opponents at all costs.
In any case, I felt confident. I finished all the exams with plenty of energy left.
I don’t know if I scored a perfect mark, but I’m pretty sure I met the minimum passing score.
Humming a little tune, I was about to leave the venue when—
“Hm?”
A pamphlet caught my eye.
It’s only natural that the people coming to this exam venue are all magic users, and magic users are rare.
Though I’m surrounded by people with magic power, they’re actually a minority.
That’s why, whether it’s adventurers or government officials, magic users are highly sought after.
There are always people looking to hire them, and magic users looking to promote themselves.
To cater to both sides, there’s a notice board and a table filled with pamphlets and flyers in the hallway inside the exam venue.
The board had recruitment information from the country, advertisements for magic-related items, and even calls for new members from various magic societies.
Of course, not just anyone can place their flyers here. There’s a proper review process, and only approved materials are displayed.
For example, the flyers from that bothersome “Magic Supremacy” group are never found here.
They’re probably handing out those flyers just outside the venue since they aren’t allowed inside.
(Some of the pamphlets look similar to the ones Trudi-san gave me when she scouted me. The contents are simplified, though.)
But why is there even a recruitment flyer for the “Heaven’s Punishment Brigade,” that infamous group that stirs up trouble every year in the lover’s season? How did they pass the review? Is this country okay?
I’d always thought it might be fun to browse through these, but I never had the chance.
The reason is simple.
My little angel, Phe, would be waiting for me in tears.
I can’t waste time here knowing she’s sad. Besides, as a child, most of the postings here aren’t relevant to me anyway.
So I’ve always tried to ignore them.
But today, I stopped.
Why? Because one pamphlet caught my attention.
It wasn’t particularly fancy or well-decorated compared to the others, but it somehow stood out to me.
It was like when you’re at a bookstore and a book cover just catches your eye. You have no idea what it’s about, but you feel like it’s going to be interesting.
That’s what happened here.
“Futt’s Magic Tool Shop…”
Judging by the name, it’s a shop that deals in magic tools.
There are a few shop flyers here as well, including catalogs from the Shorshina Association.
The Shorshina catalog is well-designed, as expected from an established merchant house. It’s easy to understand and makes you want to buy something.
Even without the catalog, if I were to buy something, I’d choose the association’s shop.
They offer a wide range of products, have guaranteed quality, and the president or vice-president will personally help you find what you need.
Given the quality and the trust, there’s no reason to go anywhere else.
And yet—
“Hmm. This shop intrigues me.”
For some reason, I felt drawn to it.
But it’s far away. According to the flyer, the shop is located at the edge of the commercial district.
Even further away from the warehouse area.
It’s probably a small shop.
In any case, I doubt I’ll be visiting anytime soon.
If I were free, I wouldn’t mind taking a look, even if it turned out to be a waste of time. But I have neither the freedom nor the time right now.
Wait… time?
“Oh no!”
I got too caught up browsing here!
Phe must be crying!
Panicking, I rushed out of the exam venue.
