The Magic User Exam

Several more years passed after that, and Heiter's health remained much the same, neither improving nor noticeably worsening.

Fern, once a little girl who barely reached an adult's waist, had grown quite a bit taller. She had also learned plenty of magic from Frieren and become increasingly adept at using the Volumen Hydrargyrum, to the point that she could even use it in her daily life.

As for Übel, her understanding of magic remained as casual as ever.

Others had to study magical theory and practice for a long time to steadily improve their magic, but with Übel's "magic that seemed able to cut through anything," all she had to do was believe she could cut something, and she could. There was no need for her to go to the trouble of practicing at all.

This utterly unreasonable magic had left Fern deeply dissatisfied. After all, she had to practice diligently every day just to make progress, while Übel could sleep all day, every day, and still remain just as powerful.

Who could feel that was fair?

Dissatisfaction aside, though, the two had grown closer and closer. They often visited each other: sometimes Fern went to the Holy City with Frieren or Lorenzo, and other times Übel came to Heiter's home by herself and stayed for days.

They occasionally wrote each other letters as well.

Fern's letters were always packed full, from what magic she had learned recently to whether Heiter had been sneaking drinks... She carefully recorded just about everything.

Übel's replies, however, were usually only a few lines long.

Fern had specifically asked Übel why she wrote such brief letters, but Übel had answered with her usual matter-of-fact expression:

"We don't live that far apart anyway. If there's something to talk about, we can just do it in person."

She didn't like sitting at a desk writing letters. Rather than putting what she wanted to say into words on a page, she was clearly more accustomed to showing up in front of Fern and saying it.

"Then why do you bother replying at all?"

"Because if I didn't, you'd definitely get mad, wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't get mad over something like that."

"Really?"

Übel clearly didn't believe her.

Besides these changes in their daily lives, Lorenzo had also made a new breakthrough. After years of observation, he had finally completed Saturn Magecraft and successfully established a connection with it, gaining a series of new abilities.

Frieren's work deciphering the grimoire was still progressing steadily, but the more she deciphered, the more pessimistic she became about the possibility that it contained immortality and resurrection magic. If Heiter hadn't insisted that she decipher the whole thing, she might have tossed it aside long ago.

One morning, after Lorenzo and Fern had eaten, they gathered their things and prepared to leave for the Holy City.

"What are you two going to do?"

Frieren asked, looking at the two of them in confusion.

"Today's the day of the Third-Class True Magic User exam. Fern, Übel, and I are going to give it a try."

"An exam? How come I didn't know about it?"

Frieren tilted her head slightly.

"Didn't I tell you a month ago, Lady Frieren?"

Fern said.

Frieren thought hard for a moment.

A month ago, Fern did seem to have told her something over dinner, but that day her attention had been entirely on a dessert newly bought from the Holy City.

Come to think of it, that dessert had been quite delicious. It was a jelly chocolate she had never seen before, with an outer layer of blue jelly that wobbled nonstop at the slightest touch and a little ball of dark chocolate inside.

When she bit into it, the jelly first spread through her mouth, followed by the slightly bitter sweetness of the chocolate. The two otherwise unrelated flavors blended together surprisingly well.

As for what Fern had actually said back then...

She naturally hadn't remembered a word of it.

"You weren't listening at all, were you, Lady Frieren?"

Fern saw right through her reaction.

Frieren fell silent. How strange. Human memories sometimes discarded unimportant things on their own and kept only what was truly important. Apparently, elves were the same.

"Then remember to bring me some of that jelly chocolate from last time."

Frieren spoke as if nothing had happened, as though changing the subject naturally enough would wipe away the fact that she hadn't paid attention to Fern.

"Would you like to come along too, Lady Frieren?"

It seemed Fern had grown used to this attitude of Frieren's, so she continued with another question.

"No way. Exams are such a hassle, and I don't need something like that to prove my strength, do I?"

Frieren replied to Fern.

"But are you a qualified magic user, Lady Frieren?"

Fern looked at Frieren skeptically.

"Of course I am."

Frieren jumped down from her chair and rummaged through her little case for a while before finally taking out an old-fashioned badge.

The badge was a dark gold color, with a staff surrounded by intricate patterns engraved on its surface. Its edges were visibly worn, probably because it had been kept for so long.

"This is the Proof of the Holy Staff. Back in the day, only recognized magic users were allowed to have one."

Frieren proudly handed it to Fern.

Fern looked down at the badge in her hand.

"But the organization that issued this badge no longer exists, does it? That means you don't have a qualification recognized by the current True Magic Association, Lady Frieren."

"...I suppose so."

"In that case..."

Fern seemed to have suddenly thought of something.

"If I pass the Third-Class True Magic User exam, then by the current True Magic Association's standards, my official rank will be higher than yours, won't it, Lady Frieren?"

Although Frieren had never believed a magic user's strength could be determined by a certificate, hearing Fern say that her rank might be higher than Frieren's still left her with a rather complicated feeling.

It was like a child she had worked so hard to raise suddenly buying a fake ID labeled "certified adult" from the little shop by the school and announcing that from today onward, she was the adult of the family.

"Qualifications are just a formality. What really matters is strength,"

Frieren said at last.

"But you were so proud when you took out that badge just now, Lady Frieren."

The world has really gone downhill. How did Fern end up like this? It must be because that Lorenzo fellow hasn't set a good example.

"Anyway, I'm not taking that exam or whatever it is. You go with Lorenzo. Just remember to buy me some dessert while you're there."

Frieren lowered her head and returned her attention to the grimoire in front of her, looking as though she had no intention of discussing it any further.

"All right, don't give Frieren such a hard time."

Heiter stepped in to rescue her.

"Off to the Holy City with you. Don't be late."

He handed Fern the lunch he had prepared earlier. The cloth bag contained sandwiches, fruit, and a small bottle of juice.

"Good luck on the exam!"