By Zephyria 
Everyone’s attention was focused there. Cloud, who appeared while receiving all the attention, waved his hand, telling them not to mind, and then came this way. Not that there was anyone who wouldn’t mind. After giving light greetings to the Class A children he knew, he walked up to me and scanned me up and down before smiling.
“Thankfully, it seems like nothing happened.”
Hearing those words, I became even more convinced that the participation of two Black Class members in this exam was related to my protection. With the vacation starting and Corso no longer sticking to me, I thought I was finally free…
I never expected to be monitored like this.
Of course, they say it’s to protect me from Fiends, but if I feel like I’m being watched, then I’m being watched.
“Aren’t you showing up a bit too often?”
“Are you starting to get attached?”
“I’m getting sick of it.”
“Hmm! Don’t say things like that. You better make a good impression on me too. Who knows? I might give you extra points in the interview?”
“……”
“Hahaha. Just kidding.”
Seeing my expression, Cloud laughed as if it was amusing. Perhaps displeased by that, Ardian, who had been quietly standing by, gently tugged at my sleeve and pulled me to his side.
It was then that I let out a small sigh.
“Cloud! Stop fooling around and come back!”
Someone wearing glasses poked their head out from the right room, which burst open, and yelled angrily. Cloud, looking embarrassed, turned around and gave an awkward smile. Then, he waved lightly and went back into the room. A more angry voice continued from inside, so it seemed Cloud was being scolded by the man from earlier.
The children, who had stopped moving for a moment to watch, resumed registering for the exam. I also filled out the necessary documents and sat down, waiting for my turn.
Afterward, the counter employee, who had organized all the children’s documents, nonchalantly crumpled the stack of papers into their mouth and began to eat. While the bewildered children watched, the employee finished eating everything and disappeared, breaking down into Mana units.
That Mana flowed into the right room.
‘It was a Doppelganger.’
In short, they input information into a Doppelganger made of Mana and then reabsorb the entire memory. I know it’s a Magic with a rather complex Formula… Even if they’re not Black Class, they must be quite skilled.
Then, a ‘mouth’ that appeared on the right door began to call out names.
That ‘mouth’ was a Magic that emitted Amplification magic through another medium.
Entering was one person at a time.
The children who went in before me didn’t spend a very long time inside before coming out again. There were children who pressed them about what they were asked inside, but whether it was because the examiners had told them to keep it a secret, none of them readily spoke about what had happened inside.
-Raymond Valentasia. Please come inside.
Before long, my name was called. Tom, who was still waiting for his turn, clenched his fist next to me, telling me to do well, and after glancing at him, I moved my steps inside.
Click.
When I opened the door and went inside, a small space appeared first. There were two doors on the wall, and a woman sitting at the end pointed to the left room and spoke to me.
“You can go in that way.”
It was the same woman who had been sitting as the counter employee earlier. I was a little curious whether it was a Doppelganger or the real person, but I put that curiosity aside and went into the left room as instructed.
The left room was a pure white space with nothing in it, and the right wall was made of glass. And beyond that glass, four examiners, including Cloud, were sitting. When I stood facing them, their voices could be heard through the mouth attached to the glass.
-Nice to meet you, examinee Raymond.
It was the man who had been angry at Cloud earlier.
-We also watched the events of the first exam with interest. No one has ever passed with such ‘antics’ before. Anyway, congratulations on passing the first exam. We will proceed with the second exam immediately. You just need to have an interview and a simple verification process.
When I nodded, the examiners, taking it as agreement, seemed to check some documents inside for a moment before speaking again.
-We heard that you use Black Mana. We would like you to show us your Magical Energy to verify this. Please also show us about three Magic spells that you can use. Since it’s the White Class Exam, you can show us basic Magic.
It wasn’t a difficult task.
I forcefully released Mana from the Energy Aperture of my entire body so that the Magical Energy was clearly visible. Afterward, as they requested, I chose and showed them up to three Magic spells that I could use. Healing Magic, Reverse Magic Circuit, and Twin Fish Interpretation were excluded because they were difficult to activate visibly and were passive. What I showed them was mainly offensive Magic.
It seemed to be enough, and they moved on easily. After a while, an examiner whose name I didn’t know spoke to me.
-Good work. There’s only one gate left now, so do your best until the end. Examinee Raymond, would you please look to your left?
It was when I turned my head to the left at that request.
Greenish Mana began to gather.
The condensed Mana took shape according to the Formula, and the shape was not unfamiliar. It resembled the Amorphous monster, Ramble. While I was watching it, a voice continued.
-What’s in front of examinee Raymond right now is a Lesser Ramble that we artificially created. It’s slower and weaker than the real one, but… that level is just right for a graduate who is just rising to White Class.
I had been wondering why they had thrown me into a pure white and spacious room and separated me with a glass window if they were just going to have a simple conversation, but I realized it was for this reason.
-Please deal with that Lesser Ramble as you wish.
The newly born Lesser Demon screamed.
However, the killing intent was very faint, and as such, its aggression toward me also seemed to be low. It was much smaller than the Lesser Demon of Polargehen that I had seen during the training camp last time, so I couldn’t feel any sense of threat at all.
“……”
I quietly watched the Fiends slowly approaching as if sensing my presence. And I raised my hand.
Whoosh!
Immediately afterward, a huge Magic Circle formed above the Fiends’ head in an instant, radiating heat along with a brilliant light. What was created from the center of the Magic Circle and revealed its appearance was one of the offensive Magic spells that could be performed with a late 4-star achievement, and the Great Fire Lance, which belonged to Transformation magic.
It was a large, long spear made of blazing fire.
Then, when I gestured downward, the spearhead, which was burning like Hellfire, was thrust down with all its might toward the Fiends.
Hwaaaak!
At the same time as piercing through the Fiends’ body, the flames spread greatly, starting to burn everything around it. The Fiends, writhing in the hot pain and letting out a death cry, soon remained as a handful of ashes. It could be said to be a rather excessive attack against an enemy who couldn’t even resist properly.
But all of that was intentional.
There was no way the examiners would have given me such an easy task because they couldn’t gauge my skills.
This was a kind of showmanship.
Whether I killed it blandly or killed it using powerful Magic, the result was the same anyway, so it meant they wanted me to appeal to them as much as possible. That’s why I also showed them the showmanship they wanted, in line with their intentions. They must have been satisfied with this much.
As expected, the examiners watching from beyond the glass briefly exclaimed and made satisfied expressions. Among them, I made eye contact with Cloud. He grinned and waved his hand gently.
-The exam is over. Thank you for your hard work, and you can leave now.
-The exam results will be notified individually to your home later. Ah, and please do not reveal what happened inside to the children waiting outside. If you do, your passing of this exam will be canceled, so be careful.
When I nodded, the woman who had been sitting in the temporary space outside the door opened the door and gestured for me to come out.
I heard the woman say thank you for your hard work and went out through the outer door. As I went out, the large lips that had formed on the door were calling out the name of someone to enter next.
“Ray! How was the exam? Was it difficult?”
Tom, who had been waiting anxiously, asked me frantically, but I didn’t answer at all. Eventually, it was his turn, and he trudged in with a nervous expression.
After Tom, Zeon, Herman, and Ardian entered in turn. When Ardian entered, a loud roar was heard from inside, which startled me for a moment, but Ardian, who came out unscathed, didn’t say anything about it, so it ended as a happening.
And some time later.
While I was resting at the Valentasia mansion during the vacation, a notification of the Class Certification Exam results arrived.
[We sincerely congratulate you on passing the White Class Certification Exam. White Class is divided into a total of three ranks, from 8th grade to 6th grade, and the ‘first grade’ is determined according to the exam results. … However, in this case, exceptionally, you will be awarded a Red Class Certification, 5th grade.]
The first grade I received was ‘Red Class 5th grade.’
Reading it, it seemed that going from White Class to Red Class in the White Class Exam was extremely rare.
Originally, I should have received White Class 6th grade, which is one level lower, but it seemed that this measure was taken for those who were skilled enough because once you reached White Class, you couldn’t advance to Red Class until the next Red Class promotion exam.
After that, it was said that you would naturally rise to Red Class 3rd grade depending on your performance.
A few days later, I learned through Tom’s contact that everyone in Class A had achieved a grade of White Class 8th grade or higher, and Newit, Zeon, and Ardian had also obtained Red Class 5th grade like me.
Then Tom suggested that we all go out and have fun together before the second semester started. I, who wanted to look around other areas, readily accepted the offer….
Tom, me, Zeon, Herman, and Ardian.
A trip with five people was decided.