Volume 2 Chapter 5 Junior Adventurer Promotion Exam I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
’Aah, everyone, quiet down.’
A woman in her forties named Irina spoke into a megaphone, enhancing her voice.
’Thank you all for coming to take the promotion exam for lower-rank adventurers at the Adventurers Guild. Everyone here should have passed the first exam, but if there’s anyone who hasn’t, please leave immediately. The same goes for anyone not involved in the exam.’
Irina glanced around at the chattering lower-rank adventurers, making sure there was no significant movement before murmuring, “Is this alright?” and then spoke into the megaphone again.
’This is the venue for the second exam for the promotion to lower-rank adventurers. I repeat, this is the venue for the second exam for the promotion to lower-rank adventurers. Please make sure you haven’t gotten this mixed up. Now, the staff will be checking your exam tickets, so please stay in place and don’t wander around.’
The martial staff swiftly entered among the lower-rank adventurers, starting to check their exam tickets.
Perhaps time was tight, as Irina began to explain the content of the upcoming exam.
To summarize, the exam content involved entering one of the rooms located at the deepest part of this Dungeon, the “Catacombs,” defeating a monster prepared by the Guild, and then retrieving proof of the defeat to return here.
The dungeon exploration would be done in groups of 3, and the trio would need to work together as an impromptu team.
If one person was abandoned and the other 2 just went for the goal, there would be significant penalties.
’The teams of 3 will be chosen randomly. Depending on luck, you might get assigned to a party that is not very balanced. However, individual assessments will also take place, so don’t throw in the towel and think, ‘This is impossible’ right from the start. Think calmly about how the team can achieve their goal without giving up.’
”Damn, I can’t team up with the usual guys.”
”Heh…, I have no problem with that. I didn’t have any friends to begin with anyway…”
”I hope I get paired with strong people, I hope I get paired with strong people!”
Kian heard various voices around him.
’It was an exam where adventurers had to defeat the final boss and return here, but of course, those who worked faster would be rated higher. However, you shouldn’t neglect accuracy. …And also, in the dungeon, basically anything goes. Since it’s a practical format, don’t hold back or let your guard down during the exam. Healers from the guild’s healing clinic were on standby as well.’
Hearing Irina’s voice, the eyes of the adventurers sharpened even more.
Anything goes.
That meant it was acceptable to push others down.
In fact, seeing that they had healers ready seemed to encourage that.
”…..”
Next to Kian, Serena wore a serious expression.
Depending on the situation, Kian might end up having to fight her too.
On the stage, Irina raised her voice.
’Now we will divide into teams. Staff, please!’
As she spoke, guild staff in magician robes stepped forward, pointing towards the examinees.
The exam tickets held by the examinees began to emit a colorful, luminous glow.
’We will randomly assign teams with 11 different colors!’
Irina said this loudly.
’Everyone, find the examinees with the same color and form teams of 3!’
”..Looks like we ended up on different teams.”
Serena said, holding up her glowing silver ticket.
Kian showed her his orange ticket.
”Seems like it. Let’s wish each other good luck. I hope we both pass after the exam.”
”Mm.”
Serena nodded once and started walking towards a female magician who was shining with the same color.
It appeared she would team up with her and another person──a lanky swordsman with a mohawk.
The female magician looked at the color of Serena’s ticket and said, “Alright!” while clenching her fist, and the lanky swordsman paled with relief, saying, “Phew, I got lucky!”
(Now, I should look for my teammates…)
He thought about pairing up.
When told to team up, Kian felt a slight unease, as he only remembered being left out in the past.
However, since it was the Guild exam, he was relieved it didn’t turn out to be, “Unfortunately, Kian was the only one with an orange exam ticket!”
A few seconds later, Kian spotted 2 hooded figures quietly standing in the corner of the exam hall like ghosts.
They were holding glowing orange exam tickets.
(It was hard to see in the torchlight, but they looked like the real deal. Thank goodness! If I had ended up solo, there was a chance the other teams would give me a hard time.)
”Hello.”
Kian raised his exam ticket next to his face as he approached the two hooded figures, greeting them in a clear voice.
Both of them were shorter than Kian.
He stood in front of them and extended his right hand.
”I’m Kian. I usually play as a vanguard scout or swordsman. If neither of you is a healer, I can drop back to rearguard and heal. I can’t repair missing body parts, but I can dissolve poisons, disperse curses using energy, and heal wounds. Just keep in mind that my magic is pretty weak.”
”────.”
”────.”
They wore thin, small robes.
They were about the same height as Serena.
After listening to Kian’s self-introduction, the two exchanged looks in silence.
Kian chuckled awkwardly.
”Uh… Are you listening?”
”…”
”…”
”We are the team for the second exam. You can tell by the color of our exam tickets──.”
”Ah, ah. I get it.”
Interrupting Kian, one of the adventurers, who was about the same height as Serena, sighed.
The woman quickly removed her hood.
”Eh────?”
An unexpected scent of clean soap wafted through the air, not quite fitting for a novice adventurer.
She had black hair, black eyes, and fair skin.
Her overall expression exuded strength as her face came into view.
From beneath her well-trimmed bangs, she shot a piercing glare at Kian.
She pulled out a blue jewel-studded tin staff she was hiding behind her back and tapped it against the stone floor with a clack.
Her sharp, confident eyes radiated intelligence.
Under her right eye, there was an enchanting beauty mark.
She seemed to examine Kian, shaping her thin lips into an ‘^’ as she looked at him.
”White skin… Are you from the southern part of Azrael?”
”You’re saying that, but are you from the desert area of northern Azrael? As for me, unfortunately, I was born and raised in the Franz Kingdom.”
”Oh, I see.”
”Well, Margrave Izerland’s territory is close to Azrael, so I think there are quite a few people who look like me.”
”Hahaha, that’s true. Oh, I’m Kian. Nice to meet you.”
”I just heard about that. I’m Christina. I have to take care of this child, so I can’t pay attention to you, but I’d be happy if you could at least try not to die.”
”Y-yeah. I’ll do my best.”
(Once again, I ended up teaming up with someone who seems to have a strong personality. Normally, it would be nice to pair up with a regular person in times like this…)
Kian flashed a friendly smile and turned to the other one──an even smaller figure.
”Um, who is that over there?”
”Oh, this kid is──.”
”Christina.”
The small hooded child raised her thin arm to restrain the girl with the straight black hair.
She pinched the hem of her hood and raised it a little.
From below, a face covered in a white mask appeared.
”────.”
Kian furrowed his brows as he noticed her spotless, pure white fingertips.
Dark blue eyes gazed up at him intently from beneath the mask.
Just like Christina, he had no recollection of this girl.
In fact, this girl didn’t seem like she would be able to fight at all.
Judging by her balance and the thinness of her arms, her physical abilities seemed to be comparable to that of an average young girl.
She had quite a bit of magic power, so maybe she would fight using magic?
As Kian was observing the masked girl, she pinched the skirt portion of her gray robe delicately after a while.
”Nice to meet you, Sir Kian. I believe you were the one who single-handedly defeated the Griffin that appeared on the western town the other day…?”
”Oh, yes…”
”Well, I knew it. ──-I’m Manon, a Rank 9 adventurer. Please get to know me.”
”Thank you for being so polite. I’m looking forward to working with you, Ms. Manon, and Ms. Christina.”
”Ah, you can just call me Christy or Chris.”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Christy said this.
”It’s long and hard to say, don’t you think? For someone like you commoners.”
”Huh…?”
”I’m of noble birth! Everything about me is different from someone like you, a peasant.”
With a flick of her black hair, Christy──no, Chris──proudly arched her chest and scoffed at Kian with a “hmph.”
Next to her, Manon chuckled quietly from behind her mask.
Unlike Chris, she had a completely flat chest.
Her hood swayed, and strands of shining blonde hair peeked through the gap in her mask.
”Both she and I come from commoner backgrounds. So please don’t mind that too much.”
”Huh. You both are… quite the odd ones, huh?”
”People say that all the time. Right, Christy?”
”I just stated the facts… Well, whatever.”
The black-haired magician──Christy tapped her staff against the ground again, then stared at the club strapped to Kian’s waist.
”For now, should we check our gear? Though, it looks like you’ve got nothing but a pretty weak weapon anyway.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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