Please, Just Read It

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Please Just Read This

Chapter 54

Final Exam (1)

The night after the banquet.

Selection Test Management Office.

On a table cluttered with alcohol and food, a young man was gazing intently out the window.

Flash─!

In an instant, something appeared beyond the thick lenses of the young man’s glasses.

“……?”

His expression soured.

Having witnessed an unusual phenomenon, the young man straightened up and began to focus on that ‘something’.

Just as he was completely engrossed in the scenery outside, he felt a presence behind him.

“Auran Seks. What are you doing over there?”

A sudden voice echoed.

The young man, Auran Seks, jumped in surprise, flinching at the unexpected sound.

“……Ah.”

As he jolted, his vision wobbled along with his body.

Auran Seks looked back out the window, but the phenomenon he had seen earlier had vanished.

“Haah…….”

In frustration, Auran Seks let out a deep sigh.

Removing his glasses, he rubbed his tired eyes and spoke.

“……I was just spacing out.”

“Is that so?”

It was Isabella Mage Triwizard, the High Mage in charge of this Selection Test, and one of the seven elders of the Irantes Magic Tower, smiling gently at him.

“Hm, so you were just spacing out, huh……”

Thud.

With her characteristic sweet smile, Isabella took a seat next to Auran Seks.

Picking up a goblet haphazardly placed on the table, she asked again.

“So, how does it feel to meet your disciple after such a long time?”

“He has grown a lot.”

“……Is that all?”

Auran Seks flashed a small smile.

“Of course not.”

“……”

“It fills me with pride to see how much he has grown in the time we’ve been apart.”

Auran Seks’s disciple, Arpel Mage Stingwood.

He was the second son of the renowned magical family, Stingwood, founded by the Archmage Chrome Bell Stingwood.

Thanks to the family’s ancestral vision magic, “Plant Manipulation,” and Auran Seks’s generous teachings, Arpel had shown exceptional talent in magic from a young age.

“If it’s that kid, I think he might smoothly reach the rank of High Mage without much trouble.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Nodding, Auran Seks continued.

“At this growth rate, he’ll definitely become a High Mage within ten years.”

“Hmm.”

Hearing this, Isabella raised her eyebrows in intrigue and asked.

“Auran.”

“Yes?”

“How old is your disciple right now?”

“29 years old.”

“Oh.”

Isabella let out a brief admiration.

“Then that means he’ll definitely reach High Mage status before he turns forty, no matter what?”

“That’s right.”

It was extremely rare for a magician to reach the rank of High Mage before turning forty.

Both Isabella and Auran Seks needed to surpass fifty years of age to achieve High Mage status themselves.

Let alone considering Garon Edward von Theobalt, known as the ‘Empire’s Greatest Shield,’ who reached High Mage status at forty-three…

“……A genius, huh?”

Arpel Stingwood was indeed a magician worthy of the title ‘genius.’

The significance of being a High Mage was considerable.

There were less than fifty individuals at that peak level across the continent.

Aside from legendary ranks like Archmages, the High Mage level was realistically the highest level a magician could achieve.

“He is a genius.”

“……”

“There aren’t many magicians who show signs of becoming High Mages at such a young age.”

“Hmm……”

Isabella slowly nodded.

“But, Auran.”

At that moment, she wore an enigmatic smile and suddenly asked.

“What do you think about a genius being defeated by a 15-year-old kid?”

“…….”

Upon hearing that, Auran Seks found himself at a loss for words.

If he hadn’t personally witnessed that day’s situation, he might have laughed in disbelief.

Crash───!

Six days ago.

Inside the ruins where the second exam took place.

Even after aiming for the location known as the Giants’ Garden, Arpel Stingwood had been effortlessly defeated by a girl who was only fifteen years old.

“Hey, do you know who the youngest magician to reach High Mage status is?”

Isabella continued her questioning.

The answer was so obvious that Auran Seks didn’t waste time thinking and answered immediately.

“It is Marta Parherich. She reached High Mage at exactly thirty years old.”

“Yep, that’s right.”

Archmage Marta Parherich.

At the age of thirty, reaching High Mage status, she was called a genius among geniuses throughout the Empire’s history.

“Do you know when that genius, Marta Parherich, reached the Intermediate level?”

Once again, Auran Seks’s response was quick.

“……At the age of twenty-one.”

At twenty-one.

Marta Parherich went through a “Second Awakening” at adulthood, and immediately the following year reached the Intermediate level.

This was also the fastest record in the history of the Empire.

“No way…”

Thinking back, this record was no longer the fastest.

Just today.

The incredibly remarkable record of reaching Intermediate status at twenty-one was surpassed by a girl named Riley by six whole years.

“Gaining elemental affinity at fifteen, it’s quite…… something.”

Isabella muttered to herself.

Elemental affinity occurs only in magicians whose magic power exceeds a certain threshold.

And today, during the public duel, Riley had demonstrated an attack spell imbued with electrical attributes.

This meant that Riley possessed a magical power level comparable to an Intermediate Mage at such a young age.

“……”

After a moment of silence, Auran Seks cautiously spoke.

“……Senpai.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Do you think that girl has the potential to become an Archmage?”

Archmage.

Those who made a remarkable mark in the history of magic.

Having flourished during their respective eras, they left behind unimaginable achievements that significantly influenced the next generation.

“Do you think that monster of a talent could inherit Marta Parherich’s position?”

“…….”

Could Riley truly take on the role that had been vacant for three hundred years?

Upon hearing this question, Isabella once again wore that ambiguous smile.

“Hmm, I don’t know.”

“……”

“Well, a kid like her could probably aim for the position of an Archmage.”

Isabella slowly swirled the wine in her glass.

The red liquid rippled at the edge of the goblet. As she observed the precarious movement of the wine, she continued to speak.

“But it might be difficult for her to immediately succeed Marta Parherich.”

“……”

“As you know, there’s someone who will reach the Archmage position before her.”

She spoke in a gentle tone.

“Three months, Auran.”

“……”

“Only three months are left now.”

Just as Auran Seks was about to respond to her words…

Whoosh──!

He couldn’t get his words out.

In an instant, Isabella vanished like smoke.

“…….”

Clang!

The wine goblet, left floating in the air, crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The contents splattered, even hitting Auran Seks’s glasses.

“……Ah.”

Letting out a sigh mixed with irritation, Auran Seks lightly manipulated his magic.

Zoom─.

The interior of the building began to tidy itself up instantly.

The chairs that had been strewn about returned to their original places, and food that had fallen onto the floor or table floated up and settled into trash bags.

As everything hovered gracefully, Auran Seks wiped the wine off his glasses and looked back out the window.

And then.

Suddenly, he recalled what Isabella had said a few days ago.

—Was I right? This year is going to be full of spectacles, right?

Whoosh─.

The cold dawn wind swept through.

The night view of Wilhelm unfolded before Auran Seks’s eyes.

“…….”

As he focused on the scenery outside for a while, ‘something’ started to come into view once more.

Zoom──.

A blue line painted across the sky.

Magic boundaries drawn with the Selection Test Management Offices at the ten key locations in Wilhelm as their vertices.

The lines connected, forming a huge shape in the night sky.

“……Stars.”

Stars.

To be precise.

An inverted pentagram.

This figure acted as the core circuit and essence of all magic circles.

Whoooooosh───.

Auran Seks couldn’t help but admire it inwardly.

What a beautiful circuit it was.

Despite containing strong magic power, it was inscribed with spells like “Cognitive Disruption” and “Magic Block,” as well as concealment, illusions, tricks, etc.…

There were truly countless high-level spells interwoven with it.

“Haah.”

Just how many magicians had dedicated themselves to creating that magic circle?

Three years?

Five years?

No, that must have been a project lasting dozens of years.

“……So beautiful.”

So beautiful it was that it evoked admiration just by looking at it.

But that was also why.

It felt even more regrettable.

The magic circle, said to have been created for the first Selection Test, actually had another purpose.

“……”

If that magic circle was not a ‘trap’ designed to ensnare and kill their enemies in three months…

This scene would have felt so much more beautiful.

*

Noon on the day of the Final Exam.

The interior of the Selection Test Management Office, now thoroughly accustomed to the surroundings.

“It seems everyone has gathered.”

“……”

“Then let’s begin the final selection test.”

Five gates were prepared in the building for the candidates.

Each leading to the highest floor of the magic tower.

According to the manager, beyond this door, the tower master would be waiting for the candidates in his abode.

“You can enter here.”

Riley stood in front of the door, following the guidance of one of the managers.

Above it was a small sign with a brief description.

【 Irantes Colorless Magic Tower: Top Floor, Room of Yan Irantes 】

Reading the sign, Riley spoke in a cautious voice.

“So, beyond this door, I will see Yan Irantes.”

[……Yeah.]

Yan Irantes.

A fraud posing as the disciple of Archmage Marta Parherich, and our target for revenge.

That damn bastard was right behind that door.

[…….]

Half a year.

That was how long it had taken for Riley and me to reach this point.

A short amount of time to some, but to me, it felt like an incredibly long journey.

Perhaps because I had been running solely towards the goal of taking down Yan Irantes.

I had so many questions to ask him.

Why he had been impersonating Marta Parherich’s disciple.

How he deceived the world into believing he had succeeded with the immortal spell.

And.

And more……

[……Haah.]

Yes.

So many questions.

But today, I won’t be able to voice all those questions boiling up in my throat.

Because we would have to go through many steps to complete the plan we had set out.

Today was just about making a small mark on that vast canvas.

So even if I couldn’t punish Yan Irantes right away,

I was certain the day would come when we could make that damn fraud pay when my ‘big picture’ was complete.

“Then I will go in.”

[Okay.]

Crreeeak─.

Riley opened the door.

Before her stretched a dark hallway, where not even a foot ahead could be seen.

“…….”

[…….]

Step.

Riley took a step forward.

A void filled with darkness.

A world of nothingness.

With each step she took, the sound echoed in the stillness, giving her the feeling of drifting through a silent universe.

Step.

One step.

Then two.

We kept moving forward.

Step.

Three, four, five…….

And so.

At a moment when multiple footfalls sequenced together.

“……Line?”

A line.

A red line came into view.

“Suddenly what…?”

Suddenly, a red line appeared against the deep dark space. Feeling something was off, Riley had no choice but to stop.

And the very next moment.

I was able to discern the identity of that line.

[……Death Line.]

The Death Line.

The threshold of death.

In truth, that line was not drawn on the ground.

It was merely the acute sensitivity of Riley’s powers that rendered a virtual line visible to the naked eye.

If.

If, by any chance, Riley had not stopped there and taken just one more step…

Then.

Yes, she would’ve lost her life right then and there.

“…….”

[…….]

Swoosh.

Having confirmed that much, Riley slowly lifted her gaze to face forward.

Since when?

Before she knew it, the landscape that was once solely filled with darkness had transformed into the glamorous interior of a palace.

Fwhooooosh──.

Irantes Colorless Magic Tower.

Top Floor.

The abode of the master, Yan Irantes.

Whack, tap, tap──!

Against the backdrop of a blazing hearth, a massive throne stood imposing.

And seated atop that massive throne was an old man.

A bent back.

Wrinkled skin with spots of old age, and murky gray eyes.

He wore a sly smile, exactly like the portrait we had seen in books.

“You’re quite perceptive, child.”

Yan Irantes.

He spoke quietly while looking down at us.

“If you had taken just one more step over there, your head would’ve been severed.”

“…….”

[…….]

Was it an illusion?

Or did I missee it?

Yan Irantes’s gaze was not directed at Riley.

[Ha…….]

Instead.

His focus was on the inside of Riley’s robe.

[……Look at that bastard?]

In other words, he was staring directly at me.