CH 112

“I did tell you guys your levels, but it’s a different feeling when you confirm it yourself. You’ve all been toiling in dungeons until now without checking even once. The captain isn’t that narrow-minded. He won’t complain that you measured your levels before going to him.” I persuaded the kids. It was a bit sad to see them so timid when it came to Mayer, like freshmen being afraid of their seniors. Thinking my words alone would have little effect, I asked for August’s agreement. “Isn’t that right, August?”

“…Well, Sister Jun will not give up her stubbornness regardless of His Excellency’s mood. I think it is better to give up and just follow her.”

“Oh, come on. You’ll scare the kids even more if you put it like that. And I’m not that stubborn.”

“Hmm?” The priest didn’t bother to argue, only raised a brow. The kids and Vegan also stared at me, which was a little uncomfortable. Sure, it was my stubbornness to challenge dungeons up to level 40, but still…!

In the end, I couldn’t give any retort until we arrived at the measuring hall. It was crowded here too, and with the addition of those following us, it made for a veritable sea of people. Fortunately, no one blocked Vince’s path, an authority in Nochtentoria Castle. Thus, we managed to reach the levelometer without trouble. The butler pointed to the levelometer and said, “I did not call on a priest as Reverend August is here.”

Holy power was required to use the levelometer. It involved borrowing Saint Marianne’s power to read someone’s abilities. Accustomed to the process, August stood before the tool in a natural manner. The levelometer looked more like a religious work of art rather than a magic tool. In the center of the large hall, numerous magic circles were inscribed layer by layer.

August knelt on top of a small magic circle and, after taking the posture of praying, he summoned his holy power. In private, the man was a fanatic. But, as far as appearances went, he looked grand and noble like a stone statue guarding a cathedral. His golden holy power colored the circle beneath his feet and golden lines spread across the magic circle in the hall. The priest’s reverent pose was like a gift from the goddess, and it was marvelous no matter how many times I saw it. But while the others would watch dazedly, I had to try not to laugh every time as it reminded me of Gr*nzört…

Expedition corps were serious about levels and about Saint Marianne too. Needless to say, what a solemn moment it was when you measured your level. I couldn’t slip up and break the atmosphere at such a moment and draw hate on myself. I desperately suppressed my mirth. It wasn’t long before all the patterns in the measuring hall were shining gold. August parted his praying hands as he stood up and said, “You may now proceed with measuring.”

“There’s a hierarchy when it comes to measuring level too, so why don’t you start first, Sevi?”

All three were rookies the same, but Sevi was the slightest bit higher in the pecking order. He was the youngest, but it was necessary to be strict about this sort of thing. The boy stepped forward with a brave expression. His hair, previously only green at the tips, now had a perfect green sheen to it. He relaxed and stood still in the center of the magic circle, keeping his eyes straight ahead. And yet, I knew that having the attention on him had to be stressful. Soon after, the golden holy power contained in the magic circle passed through Sevi’s body.

In theory, the levelometer worked by the same principle as to how I controlled Mayer’s mana. The holy power passed through Sevi’s body and entered one of the small magic circles. Before long, his level measurement result began to be engraved inside the circle.

“Level 41… Mana Rank: SS; Magic Attack Rank: SS; Magic Defense Rank: C; Evasion and Agility Rank: A…”

Everyone gasped at the result.

“Mana rank SS? Isn’t this the first time someone’s got this rank since Axion?”

“He really was a mage…”

“His magic defense is low, and his physical aspects are a mess of E ranks, but…”

“What does that matter? He’s got a double ‘S’! He’s a ranged magic striker anyway, so he doesn’t need physical attack or defense. Plus, his evasion is A-rank.”

It was as they said. Not to mention, Sevi possessed good evasion and agility thanks to his experience in using the bow. Even if you had a paper fragile body, you only needed to dodge attacks. He wasn’t even in the position to be under attack in the first place, but even if that moment came, he could evade. This was a significant advantage, which was why the crowd was even more impressed. Simply having a high rank wasn’t a good thing; you had to have high ranks in the aspect that matched your role in a party. And in that sense, Sevi was perfect.