Chapter 82

New Student Placement Test (6)

The word ‘deviation’ has a strange magic.

How wonderful it is to walk alone in the rose garden of the Ofilis Building in the night breeze and to swim among the crowds of Gyosu-dong without a single escort.

To Clarice each and every one of these things was a deviation.

Actually it’s not that big of a deal. But to Clarisse such little things are so special... It’s been less than a week but I’ve thought more than a dozen times that I was glad I came to Sylvania.

– ‘The saint always walks around under the protection of the holy law so I have less to worry about.’

Seonghwangdo the largest and most magnificent building in Chengdu.

On the day of leaving the Holy City Archbishop Verdio looked at Clarisse with worried eyes.

– ‘However please always be careful of your appearance so as not to reveal your true identity. You must always carry the magical engineering supplies I gave you with you.’

The camouflage magic cast by the saint’s wizards was so effective that Clarice herself almost flipped out when she looked in the mirror.

The silver hair which used to shine softly like glass has now been dyed a warm chestnut color like sable fur so it looks like it is not a ‘vision’ spell but an actual disguise.

His ruby-red and bright eyes still retain that color but after taking off the accessories he always wore as part of his body he looks like nothing more than a simple student A. It was much more effective and convenient than disguising oneself.

– ‘You look like a different person so who would suspect Verdio?’

– ‘There is no doubt about the skill of the Saint’s wizards... ‘

There is less concern about threats to one’s safety. The ‘protection of the Holy Law’ that Clarisse is surrounded by cannot be destroyed by ordinary means.

– ‘When it comes to work no one knows how it goes Saint Clarice. Even if the preparation for the role is perfect the illusion magic is clear and there is nothing that would raise suspicion in the first place... You never know.’

– ‘As expected Verdio is very worried.’

– ‘There’s no harm in being careful.’

Before leaving for Sylvania Verdio was very worried when he saw the excited woman but since the staff at the Holy City were not incompetent he decided to put his worries aside for now.

– ‘I have double and triple preparedness... Although you would never notice it unless it was someone who told you in advance.’

Clarisse smiled softly and nodded to Verdio’s words.

I was also thankful to the people of the church. As an ordinary student Clarice put in a lot of effort to enjoy his bachelor’s life. All of these things are valuable as they are experiences.

What is an ordinary bachelor’s life?

It is certainly a far cry from a life where you are praised as a saint everyone bows their head when you make eye contact elderly bishops come to you for confession and you become chaste whenever you go anywhere.

It hasn’t been long since I came to Aken Island and I’ve only been to a few places but already every day feels new and romantic.

They say it’s still quiet because it’s vacation but in Clarice’s eyes even this leisurely academic scene is closer to a market.

I go to the bustling living quarters alone and purchase all kinds of flashy products and I sit in the corner of the student library and read all kinds of snobbish romance novels that I would never have dreamed of in the student library.

After overcoming a tragic ordeal when the characters even touch each other’s lips you can’t control the heat that heats up your spine and you glance at your surroundings with your nose buried in the spine of the book. I feel like I’ve committed a sin just by reading a book so I end up criticizing myself unnecessarily.

No one pays attention to Clarisse as she sits on the wooden bench along the main street in Gyo-dong.

There is no one to bow down to and no one to look up to. Everyone has a long way to go so they are just pacing their steps.

That fact alone made Clarice’s breathing heavier and she felt extremely satisfied.

No one recognizes your identity. As a fellow student I really like this feeling of blending in with the crowd.

Although her facial features are a bit similar there is a double who is living the life of a bachelor as a real saint... Who would think that Kylie is a saint?

At least among the students in Sylvania there is not a single person who can guess Kylie’s true identity.

That much was a clear fact.

– Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

And now.

A raging storm. I couldn’t hear anything except the sound of my collar flapping and the wind hurting my ears.

Ed Rosstaylor the boy sitting among the wind blowing over the altar... He was looking down at Kylie with such a sad look on his face.

*

A roar echoes from the wolf’s wide open mouth. It is not a high-pitched roar typical of wolves but a growl similar to that of a lion or tiger.

The waves of sound press down on my chest. The trembling heart sends signals to the brain and stimulates human instincts. It means to run away.

‘Is that sane... ? No matter who sees it... It’s a high-ranking spirit... !’

Even students who have devoted their entire lives to training in elemental arts cannot handle high-ranking spirits of that level.

Graduate level... It has already passed the limit. Even spirit masters who are actively engaged in research and combat activities are considered veterans if they can handle about five or six middle-level spirits. However it is difficult to realistically exist as a student who can handle high-ranking spirits.

That’s why Yenica Palover is said to be a genius spiritist. That’s the extent of the status of a high-ranking spirit in magic.

“You have to think rationally. Miss Tanya! Anyway this... !”

Kylie shouted to Tanya in a trembling voice.

Actually what Kylie said is correct.

I wonder if this situation makes sense but if Ed really summoned a high-ranking spirit it would be right to run away without looking back.

Tanya has a history of encountering Tarkan a high-ranking fire spirit summoned by Yenika. Rather than a spirit it felt like a monster had been unleashed alive. The trauma from that time begins to seep into my mind again.

But Tanya held her shaking legs and opened her eyes straight.

I forcibly held on to the reason that was trying to fly away and never loosened the strings of my thoughts.

High-ranking spirits are monsters that consume magical power. With a reasonable amount of magical power just making it ‘manifest’ will be enough to bottom out.

If you want to deal with such a spirit and even use the spirit ceremony... Ultimately it is necessary to maximize magic efficiency through ‘spirit sensitivity’.

However it is easy to say but it is difficult to understand with a reasonable amount of sensitivity.

‘I know very well what kind of level my brother was at two years ago... It’s so unrealistic to have grown that much horsepower in just two years... !’

Tanya’s insight was right to the point.

Regardless of the reality in front of us right now if we think rationally it makes no sense that Ed could handle a high-ranking spirit.

– Whaaaaaaaa!

A huge wolf sitting on a tombstone with its tail wrapped around its head leaps forward. The blowing wind threatened to sweep away the area again.

High-ranking wind spirit Merilda landed in front of Tanya and Kylie who were barely able to hold their bodies together. It was accompanied by a loud noise.

The landing alone chipped away at the marble floor sending shards flying into Kylie’s face. Kylie was dizzy and she was stunned.

The mere act of flicking his tail and shaking his body created a storm that almost sent Tanya and Kylie flying.

But Tanya miraculously overcame her fear and took a step forward. He grabbed Kylie’s wrist tightly and ran quickly to the side.

“Kylie! Listen carefully!”

Kylie who was busy shivering suddenly started walking after Tanya.

“There’s a chance!”

Tanya’s legs were shaking from fear but she took action first.

No matter how powerful or strong the opponent may seem he does not give up without even trying. I no longer wanted to live a life accustomed to defeat.

For Tanya Ed was like a high wall blocking her path throughout her life.

The reason Ed was able to exist with such a high wall was because he had a firm position as a successor.

However that status has now been reversed. You can no longer just be scared like before.

“The odds are... There is... ?”

“I don’t know about anyone else but I know! “That person absolutely has no ability to handle a high-ranking spirit!”

Anyone who meets him for the first time may think that he is a person who has achieved great achievements through natural talent and hard work but Tanya who has background knowledge about Ed has a different perspective.

There is also reality in achievement.

I clearly remember what it was like two years ago. There is no way that this level of growth could be achieved with depleted magical power response and a small amount of magical power.

For sure... “There are tricks and tricks!”

It was quite an accurate insight.

Ed used Glast’s ring to draw magic but Tanya cannot know all the circumstances surrounding it.

However the circumstances can be inferred.

“I’m not using my magic power at all! You’re trying to fight using only the magic power inherent in a magic stone you’re not familiar with! “There must be a reason for forcing the use of magic that is difficult to control!”

Merilda’s eyes turn to Tanya who runs away to the outskirts. If he lightly leaps again and swings his feet once he could quickly overpower Tanya but he won’t do that.

Instead he shook his head and let out a light cry as if he was noticing Ed’s attention.

“Miss Tanya! “No matter what there’s no way you can beat a high-ranking spirit!”

no! “In fact we have a chance of victory because we summoned a high-ranking spirit from over there!”

I didn’t even have time to ask what that meant.

Tanya quickened her pace and looked at Ed who was sitting at the altar.

He is still sitting still and looking down.

I am not embarrassed to see Tanya not losing her fighting spirit. But this is probably an unexpected situation.

The biggest reason Tanya was able to win was... The point is that Ed is exhausted.

The clothes with rolled up sleeves are scorched in places and the entire body is covered in dust. Minor scratches remain and traces of repeated use of magical power are also evident.

Edda’s strength must have been stretched to its limit due to repeated battles. I didn’t feel like it was a war from the beginning.

It was obvious that he wanted to quickly kick out Tanya and Kylie and finish the exam.

It’s about squeezing into that gap in your heart.

“From the beginning... The goal is to make you lose your will to fight by showing the overwhelming difference in power! If you really wanted to fight you wouldn’t have unleashed a monster that inefficiently gobbles up magical power like that... “He must have tried to subdue it himself!”

“Then...” !”

At the sight of Tanya who was startled took a step back and fell to the floor... Only then did the magic equipment ‘Welcome Disk’ scattered on the altar floor come into view.

Although it is difficult to create such high-quality items with basic magical engineering knowledge it is possible to at least improve them with a deteriorated plate.

Although it is not as powerful as the illusion contained in the purple disk it can be modified to manifest a ‘weak illusion’.

Above all Ed himself who was in a state of complete disrepair was truly weak... Implementing this level of illusion would not have been that difficult.

In the first place the knowledge part of magical engineering was a different world to Tanya. Tanya doesn’t even know if Ed has any knowledge of magic.

The only thing that can be inferred is that quite a few students have fallen victim to this method.

So where is Ed himself?

Tanya’s eyes turned to the direction the arrow came from. The trees are draped in the direction of the altar with their heads bowed in an unnatural way.

A boy jumped out of one of them.

After landing with difficulty Ed shook himself off and stood up. She was in worse shape than she had appeared in the illusion. It almost made me wonder how she was moving.

In one hand is an improvised bow.

A bluish magical thread was pulling tightly at both ends of a tree trunk that could somehow be used as an arrow shaft.

‘That’s what happens... ? How much training have you done on magic sensitivity... ?’

‘No in the first place...’ I know how to use a bow... ? A person who couldn’t even hold a knife handle properly... ?’

Tanya sat down and tried to push the floor with her hands but her legs which had completely lost their strength had no intention of doing their job.

Even though I whined and tried to get up the fear my body felt had already reached its limit.

The distance with Ed who was trudging forward narrowed but his legs were completely broken.

– Wow

Before you know it there’s even a giant wind wolf... After subduing Kylie Ed returns with a bow.

As she sat down and looked up the shadow of a huge wolf was looming in the background which seemed to confirm that Tanya had no chance of winning anymore.

“Hey Iik...” . Hehe... !”

Ed approaches Tanya and looks down at her.

Her battered body is full of bruises and sores here and there. Suddenly I even see traces of blood.

Although he is covered in dust and exhausted he is at his limit but he still shows no sign of difficulty.

The cold gaze looking down at Tanya who was sitting down... It brings up Tanya’s trauma again.

Those who used the dagger that was given to them by the person whose behavior was trash that we saw in the Ross Taylor family were screaming in pain and their eyes were full of fear.

It sweeps across Tanya’s mind as if it were a magic light.

Goosebumps as cold as those gazes ran down Tanya’s spine and all over her body. The trembling of my body is uncontrollable.

Eventually when Ed stretched out his hand Tanya closed her eyes tightly.

“You must have tried your best but I feel sorry. “There are circumstances here too.”

-Whaaaaaaaaaa!

A strong wind blew once again... When I came to my senses the image of the giant wolf had disappeared.

What was in Ed’s hand was the magic stone that Tanya had brought with him.

Tanya began to tremble and opened her eyes little by little. The sight she saw was Ed destroying the magic stone.

It was the moment of failing the exam.

“But you can’t just treat them as blood relatives. If that were the case you would have been more angry due to your personality. Isn’t that right?”

yes... .to... ?”

“But I saw it again Tanya. “You had that side too.”

Ed also released the magic power contained in the improvised bow. When the magic thread broke and the arrow shaft that served as a bow returned to an ordinary tree branch I roughly picked it up and threw it nearby.

Ed sighed and looked up at the high sky. She was in the dark. The arduous freshman class placement test is slowly coming to an end.

The Tanya Rosstaylor that Ed knew was just a girl who showed off her arrogance by appearing in the student body president election with the glory of her family and then leaving... She is nothing more than a wasteful villain.

I thought that if I scared him with a moderately high-ranking spirit he would run away... Surprisingly there was also a strong appearance.

“If I had been in the opposite position I would have run away without looking back. It’s really amazing that they used it as a trick to somehow subdue me who was exhausted. No one can do that... You can be proud. “You’re kind of amazing.”

“Uh... uh... ”

Her body was already completely relaxed but as the feeling of relief that the situation was over hit her Tanya began to feel overwhelmed with emotions inexplicably.

“Ah.. hmm... Black... ”

Ed felt very embarrassed. Because I never thought I would get this kind of reaction.

Anyway test time is over. Tanya’s magic stone was also destroyed.

Since I had no intention of fighting anymore I was wondering how to offer some words of comfort.

“Don’t come any closer!”

A girl suddenly slid in between Tanya and Ed... I quickly blocked Ed with a face covered in dirt.

The trembling face with arms outstretched is the look of Tanya running despite the fear that she might be harmed.

Kylie felt a great sense of fear at the sight of the boy who looked more like a warrior than a nobleman. But he wanted to somehow ensure Tanya’s safety.

“I’m telling you... That me... If you are recklessly hostile and attack... Ugh... something bad happens somehow! Really! Don’t move... !”

I can’t figure out who is threatening whom when they talk tremblingly as if asking me to please trust them.

Ed had no intention of doing anything so he just sighed.

But the moment your gaze turns slightly downward... Ed’s pupils suddenly widened.

Ed who had never shown embarrassment since the test began shook his eyes for the first time. And he quickly begins to look around.

Kylie felt very uncomfortable at that sight but did not put down her trembling hands. He did not relax his eyes even as he stared at Ed.

“The exam is over! Ed! Come here and help! Clevious has completely lost his mind... !”

“Assistant Professor Claire... ! Please update the scorecard here... ! There’s already a mountain of work to be done... ! “There will be a student council president election starting at the beginning of next semester..!”

Suddenly Assistant Professor Claire’s voice was heard from the entrance to the altar. Judging by the voices of Anise and Onyx it seemed like they were slowly coming to clean up after the exam.

Ed threw the last remaining magic stone onto the Altar of Grinding. A surge of magic energy enveloped Ed’s body.

And a small fire bat ‘manifested’ hovers above Ed’s head.

“What are you doing... ! The exam is over... ! What are you still going to do... ?!”

Kylie shouted in a trembling voice but Ed didn’t seem to care and sent the fire bat flying toward the altar clearing.

There is no reason to fight any more. It seems like the teaching staff are slowly coming in so I guess I just need to stand guard and prevent them from harming Tanya until they arrive.

Kylie thought so pursed her lips and squeezed her chest. and... She notices her strange behavior late.

When I focus my gaze on my own body for a moment I realize the identity of the discomfort. The ends of her chestnut hair had gradually discolored giving it a silver aura.

The ‘illusion magic’ cast by the magicians of Saint City is maintained by the semi-permanent magic equipment ‘Crescent Moon Brooch’ that they brought with them when they came to Sylvania. You must carry it with you at all times for the effect to continue without stopping.

– ‘Kagagan kang!’

It was only then that Kylie realized the identity of the sound that had been made the moment she was thrown off by Merilda. It was the sound of the crescent moon brooch that she always carried in her arms rolling on the floor.

“This...” !”

The faculty and staff are on the verge of attacking.

Kylie felt goosebumps rising all over her body. In an instant her heartbeat became louder and her breathing became heavier. Kylie quickly whipped her head toward her altar clearing.

However the fire bat that Ed had sent out had already brought the brooch.

Ed took the brooch and quickly pushed it into Kylie’s arms.

“Be careful not to lose anything... be careful.

This is the first time I have experienced a large hand being held in my arms. Due to the already embarrassing situation Kylie was so shocked that she took a step back.

My inhalation and exhalation were intertwined at will and just looking at Ed felt like blood was rushing to my head.

A soft light bloomed again from the brooch in her arms and Kylie’s hair which had been dyed silver also regained its original color.

uh... Tsk... ”

Because the situation was so sudden Kylie couldn’t think of anything to say. The end of her words keep getting stuck in her throat and she can’t react.

“I’m leaving now!”

“Oh my god Ed! “Why are you hurt like this?”

Until Ed collected the spirit and led his battered body with difficulty back to the staff... Kylie had no choice but to stand still like that.

Fortunately... Tanya was also having a hard time coming to her senses so it seems like she didn’t properly understand the situation that happened so quickly.

Kylie... I stood still and dumbfounded for a long time.

Simple coincidence. There is that possibility.

It may have just been a kind act of taking care of lost items at the right time.

However even Ed Rothtaylor who has always been astute is ultimately only human.

Because the situation was too sudden and we had to react quickly we ended up giving ourselves a momentary lapse.

It’s nothing special to ordinary people... It may have been a very minor gap. It is such a small and meaningless gap that it is difficult to even notice.

However for Kylie who has lived her entire life in reverence the size of the gap is different.

– ‘Be careful not to lose anything... be careful.’

‘just now... I was trying to say something polite but ended up... ‘

The setting sun signaled the end of the placement test.

Underneath the world dyed red Kylie’s ruby ​​eyes... It stuck to Ed’s back as he walked away and didn’t fall off.