I feel heavy.
At any rate, I feel heavy.
I was thinking it was obvious I would become a student and didn’t confirm the documents and the recommendation letter Rembrandt-san arranged. This may be because I was naïve. But I am still only in my teens. I am aware that even my outward appearance is seen as younger than my actual age. I didn’t think even for a second that they would recommend me as a teacher.
The subject called tactics specialized, in simpler words, seems to be a subject that teaches real combat techniques. Honestly speaking, there is no way I can do it.
I have lived in here for a while after coming to this world, but I myself understand that I am a strange existence. With just that one point, I think it is impossible for me to teach techniques. It seems that I am able to do my lectures in the area I am most suited in, but the magic I used, made Lich call me a pervert once.
Just like that, 3 anguishing days passed and yet, I still head to the test location. I had a recommendation letter on top of already making the formalities after all.
Shiki lined up for 6 days too. To invalidate all that is a bit… I tried to ask if they could change the working personnel test, but it seems I can’t anyways.
Not only that, they thought I got scared (I actually did thought) and recommended me to withdraw from the test. When I thought this might be an option as well, Shiki perfectly managed to worsen the situation with the personnel involved.
In the time I was trying to calm the situation, I was made to take the hardest test of all. They said it was a test that one could count the number of people that had passed it.
I was a bit internally happy that the test changed from a written test into a practical one. In short, a test where practical skills is a 10 while written is 0. An extreme barrier, or so it seems.
I think that being able to choose the balance between practical skills and theoretical knowledge is a special system. By the way, in the theoretical 10, it seems one has to do a test of 18 subjects. And after that, an interview.
… That I didn’t have an interview at all, might be because of the effects of Rembrandt-san’s recommendation letter.
Truly an authority that makes the test bow down.
Well, I have no choice but to do it. I don’t know what Rembrandt-san was thinking putting me as a teacher, however, I can’t tarnish the name of the person that went through the trouble of writing a recommendation letter for me. He will be relating with Tomoe and the others after all. I at least want him to have peace of mind when working with us.
Uhm.
I remember the explanation of the test. Remembering the interruption of Shiki makes my head hurt, so I just remember the general outline.
Right now I am in a vast field. It seems to be the place where the test will be done, but the scale is on a whole different level. Just how many kilometers is it from each side? Counting me, there are only 4 people taking the test.
Before being send here, we met face to face. From what I saw, they seem to be veteran adventurers and scholars. An elf, a beast and a hyuman. I think they have the same ability as the people who serve as backbone in Tsige. Over there, Tomoe and the others as well as Toa-san’s party, their levels increased quite a lot. The next time I visit, they might have increased their level even more. Their levels may increase but I don’t know about their skills though.
Well, it is just an assumption but I think they are approximately level 150. They know I have come with a recommendation letter and that I am associated with the merchant guild. I wonder if they will charge me for deception because I hid that I am registered in the adventurer guild as well. Not saying it, is a bit different from lying, but I am a little worried. Still, writing that I am a level 1 is just… Well, it is fine if I answer when they ask. When I wrote that I was a merchant, the personnel in charge had quite the impression.
Ah right, the confirmation of the test’s content.
In this field with mountains and valleys, there are three types of spherical objects quite separated from each other, so the objective is to bring three of them back within 3 days. Everyone who fulfills this, passes. Fighting between us is prohibited. Food will be self-provided.
When I tried to check with Sakai, these three people and I were really the only ones in this field. Moreover, it seems all of us have been send to locations pretty far away between us. With this, unless the examinee intends to, battles should not happen.
However, it’s not like the wastelands, but it is possible that they have released wildlife here. I can feel the presence of a number of mamonos. I wonder if the others will be okay. We have been provided with a give-up item, so it might not turn into a worst-case scenario.
What they provided us was a bell in case of danger and a feather-shaped ornament we use to leave when the test is over. If one takes it in his hands and reads the exact words written on it, a door to leave the test field will appear and will be able to return to the place where we received the test explanation. In the end, both of them seem to have practically the same effects, but the fact that they went through the trouble of having us hold the two makes me have a bad feeling.
They also told us about the special characteristics of the three balls. Basically, all of them move at high speed. They showed us a sample and it was pretty fast. It’s the size of a fist, floats and from zero it makes an instant acceleration that makes you wonder what the hell happened to inertia. It just gave me the impression that it seems to follow the conventions.
If we are able to deal damage to it and accumulate it, when a determined line is passed, its movements will stop and one will be able to capture it.
A ball that will be destroyed if hit by magic. A ball that will explode the moment a person gets close to a certain distance. And the last ball will crumble if hit by physical attacks. All attacks aside from those, they possess high defensive capabilities.
There might be a lot of other methods, but what I thought of was: get close and punch it, shoot from a long distance, bring it down with magic. Each one of them is: short-distance physical, long-distance physical and magic.
If we stop their movements, it seems that they will return to normal balls, so it is okay to just put them inside a bag.
I don’t want to sleep outdoors in such an empty place, so let’s finish this in one day. I am glad it is an easy and anticlimactic test.
However.
I was soon showed that this was an incredibly naïve and fleeting illusion.
I was quickly able to locate the balls with Sakai. This was no problem.
Closing in quite a bit, I grasp the location of the close-distance type with my eyes and use Sakai to acquire the details of the ball. This also passed with no problems.
The problem came after that.
Approaching the punching-type ball, I punch while laughing. It was supposed to stop its movements… but it turned into smithereens.
I shoot the shooting-type ball with the bow I brought with me. Bull’s-eye. It was supposed to stop its movements, but it turned into smithereens.
I shoot the magic-type with a brid. Bull’s-eye. It was supposed to stop its movements, but same story!
My way of doing it wasn’t wrong.
It seems I put too much power. Even though I did it lightly. I was in a mental state where I wanted to shout out not to make lies of it being sturdy.
It makes me suspect that at the front, it may look like a test, but it is actually an absurdity used in order to drive out claimers.
Without being discouraged, this time I lightly pressed my finger while holding back to test it out. Totally destroyed.
Now I do it softly, as if touching a baby. It was unnecessarily tiring for my body, but no choice. Totally destroyed.
……
…
Uuooooooooo!!
My stress is! My stress is not stopping!! It’s accelerating and going at Mach speed!! I am balding! It’s all going to disappear in one day!!
In the end, the fight with myself that lasted until night, resulted in zero spheres obtained.
When I decided to just go and rest, I search for a random place. In the middle of it, a gorilla-like something attacked me and I left it half-dead. A something that had a long nose like a Tengu, everything else omitted.
In the end, I had to sleep outdoors. Damn it.
The next day.
I was now challenging them with a feather-like touch. Everything hit the target, and then, every single one of them escaped. I didn’t hear that they could teleport?!
Could it be… they don’t intend to let anyone pass?
Fu… fufufufu~ this region, should I make it scorched earth?!
C-Calm down. Fuh~ Fuh~
In these situations, adults would probably feel the urge to smoke a tobacco with trembling hands. No one around me smokes so I don’t know, but if that were the case, I would totally understand that person’s feelings.
Tentatively! Tentatively speaking!
I have now understood that I am able to attack them with a feather-touch without destroying them completely. At the third strike it broke but… O-Oh well, I am certainly doing a step forward!
If I don’t take that much time and attack it again, it seems it won’t teleport.
Trial and error. This is the only choice huh. Bring it on.
What I lack in talent, I compensate with persistence. Let’s do this then. I don’t care if it’s tactless frankness, there is no problem if I bring out results in two days.
At this moment, the test that I didn’t really have that much enthusiasm in, changed into a summit I had to conquer.
After that, I must have destroyed quite a bit of balls. It was already a memory that felt like a nightmare when I think back at it.
By the time the stars took the leading role in the sky.
I was finally able to complete the three types of ball.
I-It took so long. Today I am totally sure I have learned the art of holding back.
With this I can finally return!
But let’s leave that for tomorrow.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
“Ah, Raidou-san. Did you finish gathering them? Or maybe, withdrawing?”
Instant sarcasm huh. The examiner made a complacent smile. His expression irritated me.
I used the feather to return. Can’t you confirm it from your side?
[I gathered them. Please confirm]
I hand over the bag to the one in charge. It is now the third day, but I was somehow able to finish. To think I would taste such a mental training. Out of my expectations.
“… Hoh~ you gathered them, you say. Then let me see… T-This is?!”
The person in charge looks at my balls and shows clear agitation.
Was there a rare bonus ball or something? Even if there was one, I didn’t have the leeway of aiming at something like that! Not a single bit!
Oya?
The other three people that took the exam at the same time as me were here.
Fast people can return in the first day after all. They must be people with skills surpassing my expectations. I was the only one left at the third day after all.
Anyways, as long as the conditions were met, everyone would be able to pass, so there was no sense of competition. More like, comrades?
It seems it was a harsh test right, everyone.
“Raidou-dono, just what in the world are you?”
N, what’s wrong examiner?
You changed from –san to –dono you know?
I just brought the number of things I was told to bring and returned, so I don’t know the reason to call me –dono.
[I am just a merchant with combat experience though?]
“These balls, there are one of each type. People that have passed this test with this kind of result… there have been none”
Don’t understand what you are trying to say.
You were the one that said there are three types of balls and to bring three here.
……..
But maybe my doubt was the one lacking common sense. The three examinees that had returned first had their eyes wide open and stood up vigorously.
What is weird?
[I thought that was how the test went]
“Yeah. I did say to bring three back. If you were able to capture three of the balls that are incredibly sturdy with the “special method”, it would be okay. And yet, Raidou-dono brought one of each type. That means, you used the three methods in order to capture them. Is that right?”
[Yeah, that’s how it is]
“For the academy, this is a test that lets us gauge the abilities of the “specialists” in each area. The other three gave up long ago and returned, and yet, to think someone would appear that would surpass the passing line, bringing all three types”
…
Oh! I see.
So the original objective was to bring three of the same type huh. Maybe I missed something while listening, or it might be because I just let it slip by. So it wasn’t to bring one of each type huh!
Now I get it. That’s why it was so troublesome. Moreover, the other three gave up. Even though I was doing my best trying to learn how much I had to hold back… You guys are not my comrades!
“As expected of someone that has survived in the borders of the world. The power you hold is on a different level. I thought the contents of Rembrandt-shi were quite ambiguous unlike him, but if it is like this, I can comprehend. You are able to clearly communicate your intentions with writing and we don’t mind if you use your retainer to talk for you. What we judge is the skills and not the outward appearance anyways”
It seems there won’t be problems in having Shiki as my assistant. At the end, the person in charge talks about me.
I didn’t want to retort about that unnecessary remark of him.
“There are no complains. You pass. Raidou-dono, Academy Town welcomes you as a temporary lecturer. You can choose to be a teacher of a new lecture, or serve as an assistant with the class of another lecturer. Also, taking into consideration your circumstances, we allow your retainer to accompany you”
Telling me that the details will be at a later time, he asked for a handshake. Of course, I accept. A part-time teacher huh. I am glad. If I suddenly become a homeroom teacher, I would die.
Also, he told me it was in Rotsgard Academy. I am glad I don’t have to move to a town in the area and can stay living here.
With this, I might be able to visit the Gotetsu local in a near future. I actually didn’t have any plans of going, but if I am going to be staying in this town for a while, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go at night. If a bogus nabe appears, I can only laugh. If that happens, it would be nice to bring Tomoe here.
Different from my objective, I have now become a teacher in Rotsgard. Moreover, in the center town that elite students gather.
Like this, our life in Academy Town began.