Another encounter

"Aaaaargh... I'm so mad!"

After the two women left, Froya grabbed her twin tails and raged helplessly.

"Senior Froya..."

Roland and the other two stood in a neat row like frightened quails, watching her with both concern and sympathy.

It was awful. Truly awful.

Even Apprentice Mages like them, who had yet to venture beyond the Mage Tower, could tell that Senior Froya had been utterly outclassed by her peers.

After quite a while, Froya finally pulled herself together. "Phew... that's much better. That busty freak, and Polina too-they're still as obnoxious as ever. They haven't changed a bit!"

"I thought she was all right. Miss Polina seemed pretty friendly," Skord said, his eyes shining with pure, unclouded stupidity.

"Are you an idiot? A few little favors, and you think she's friendly!" Froya scoffed. "You have no idea how snobbish people like them are!"

"Snobbish? Surely not. She didn't seem like that."

"What could someone who judges people by their looks possibly know?

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Those people who seem polite and friendly on the surface but are always scheming underneath are the worst!

"Forget it. I can't be bothered explaining it to you. Have you had lunch? If not, hurry up and eat. You've still got the practical spellcasting exam this afternoon!"

After a hasty lunch, Froya took them to the Spellcasting Training Ground for the next part of the exam.

"Candidate number 11, please proceed to the designated area to cast your spell. Candidate number 12, please get ready..."

As the magical announcements rang out, staff directed them to a nearby registration point to collect their numbers. Then they sat down nearby to wait.

This wasn't their first time experiencing something like this. Back in their academy days, a group examination had been organized every year.

Back then, though, it had felt more like a sightseeing and shopping trip around their own city.

Now they had to come to Rune City, and the whole affair was on a considerably grander scale.

Roland and the others watched a brilliant blue light emerge in the center of the grounds. Interplanar Summoning activated, summoning a Lesser Demon.

It was a monster from the outer planes, resembling a flayed wild man with a hideous face.

The candidate currently taking the exam was clearly a novice. Frightened by the creature's hideous appearance, he panicked and made a mistake halfway through the incantation for Magic Missile, forcing him to stop and cry out in fright.

The next instant, the examiner beside him immediately banished the Lesser Demon and announced, "Failed!"

The candidate looked utterly dejected.

According to the law of conservation of smiles, his happiness had transferred elsewhere.

The corners of the spectators' mouths curled upward, and the air promptly filled with glee at his misfortune.

"Magic Missile, huh? It might be a classic, but it's not much use. You'd be better off walking up and smashing the enemy's head in with a staff," Skord griped.

"Absolutely," Roland agreed with solemn indifference.

"Oh, give it a rest, you two rookies. When it's your turn, you might get so scared your legs give out and you start crying for your mothers!

"And you want to charge in with a staff? Who could a human mage possibly beat without a dozen buffs or a transformation spell?"

Skord considered that seriously for a while. "A kobold?"

Froya rolled her eyes at the fool, not even bothering to reply.

After a long wait, it was finally Roland's turn.

"Good luck, Roland!"

"You can do it!"

"Just perform as you normally would. Don't put pressure on yourself."

With encouragement from the three of them, Roland made his way to the edge of the testing area.

"Candidate Roland. Examination subject: Tongues..."

A moment later, a string of strange sounds came from the magical device ahead of him, mingling the roars and wails of various creatures amid a cacophony.

Those particular sounds could not only cancel out certain syllables in the incantation and set back the chanting process, but also made the listener's skin crawl.

But Roland had become thoroughly familiar with this spell lately. He chanted in flawless Elvish, successfully finished the incantation, and cast the spell.

"Passed!"

The examiner raised a placard.

Next came a break and a rotation of candidates. After Skord, Yvonne, and the others also passed without trouble, they moved on to the practical spellcasting exam for Scholar's Zeal.

This time, the negative effect was a different, randomly selected hypnotic sound wave, which severely disrupted the effects of Scholar's Zeal.

Roland steadied himself, calmly cast the spell, and passed just as before.

"Congratulations, candidate Roland. You have successfully passed both the written and practical examinations. Your mage record will now be updated."

List of mastered spells:

(Level 0) (omitted);

(Level 1) Tongues, Scholar's Zeal;

Current spell quota: 2/1...

Since he had not yet mastered at least ten Level 1 Spells and passed their corresponding written exams, he had not advanced to First-Rank Mage or received the corresponding quota. However, the special spell slot originally reserved for Tongues had successfully been converted into an unrestricted slot, which he could now use to prepare other spells.

This was intended to encourage mages to truly master the spell.

Smiling, Roland returned to share the good news with everyone. They congratulated him and told him they had passed without trouble as well.

They had only come because they were fairly confident to begin with. With their usual performance, there was naturally no problem.

After the celebrations, Froya announced, "We can't go back today. We have to wait for tomorrow's Teleportation Array. I booked a hotel while you were taking your exams, so let's head over now."

"Why don't we visit the Hilt Consortium first? It's in the upper city too, so checking in a little later won't hurt."

"Do you have something to do there?"

"Nothing in particular. I just decided on the spur of the moment to have a look around. Mr. Rick has invited me several times, but I never accepted. Since we're already here, we might as well go. We might even get a free dinner out of him!"

With the publication date of his paper approaching, the Oracle Spell Scroll Company under the Hilt Consortium was about to be officially established. Rick had warmly invited Roland to come and visit.

Roland had never accepted. Only now did he think of going to take a look.

At the prospect of a free dinner, everyone eagerly agreed. They went outside the Mages' Guild examination venue and hired two carriages at a rate of 2 copper coins (20 copper cents) per kilometer, then headed for the Hilt Building owned by the Hilt Consortium.

One carriage owner tried to charge 2.5 copper coins (25 copper cents) per kilometer on account of Skord's weight, but Skord's vehement protests and threat to hire another carriage persuaded him otherwise.

By the time they got out, it was already evening.

The sunset clouds were especially beautiful that day, blazing with colors as though they had been set alight, seemingly poised to turn the entire sky golden.

The setting sun shone down, making the paving stones look as though they had been covered in bright gold, its light falling on the pedestrians and the buildings lining the street as well.

As pigeons fluttered overhead, a long procession of carriages approached, drawing curious looks and a gathering of onlookers. In its midst was an especially splendid carriage. Once it stopped, a woman as proud and beautiful as a white swan lifted her skirt and slowly stepped down.

It was Polina.