ALL NOVEL Chapter 19 The Prodigies
The Golden Youth: Assembly of Prodigies
Chapter 19
The Prodigies
By the time Phil and I finished changing, the start time for the exam was fast approaching.
We hurried to the waiting area for examinees and met up with Raquel.
Father, Mother, and Mr. Posford had already headed to the spectators’ seats in the first martial arts arena, where the exam would take place.
The entrance exam for the Spirit Arts Academy, especially the combat test, is said to have an aspect akin to a proxy war among nobles.
In this country, one’s prowess as a spirit artist directly correlates to their fame as a noble. Therefore, most of the academy entrants are children of nobles or wealthy merchants—essentially rich kids. Phil and I are no exception.
Thus, this aptitude test also serves as a stage for each family to showcase the talents of the next generation.
For many children, this might be their first chance to bear the family name alone— even from a quick glance, many children appeared extremely tense. Mentors or seniors from the same school tried patiently to calm them down everywhere.
Thanks to my earlier encounter with Azalea, I wasn’t all that nervous. Phil was even less so. However, to an onlooker, Phil, Raquel, and I would likely appear just the same as the others.
“The combat test is a mock battle against an academy student of the target grade level. In Jack’s case, he’ll be fighting a second-grade student,” Raquel confirmed. I nodded.
“Just how strong are second-grade students, really?” I asked.
“Well…” Raquel thought for a moment.
“Remember the female leader of the Crimson Cats you fought last year?”
“Of course,” I replied. I was almost killed by her, after all.
“From what you told me, she’s about fourth grade in terms of spirit artistry.”
What? Fourth grade? Vicky was…!?
“Even taking her skills and know-how as a thief into account, at best she’d be third grade. You were initially scouted on the condition of taking the third-grade exam. If she had indeed been a user who could freely teleport herself with the Absolute Void, as rumors had it, she might have reached first grade at best. But she wouldn’t make it to the ‘dan’ level, which is the professional recognition threshold.”
Talent is a given. Effort is a given. What Rachel had been telling me was starting to sink in.
“So, I’ll be fighting someone stronger than Vicky, then,” I said.
“That’s right. But Jack, I’m imposing a restriction on you,” Raquel declared.
“What?”
“A restriction?”
“Fight in a way that doesn’t reveal you’re a ‘Spirit Possessed Roost’.”
What…!?
“You mean I should hold back? Against someone stronger than Vicky…!?”
“No. I’m just setting limits. You can use the Wings of Departure to lift up to 300 kilograms. Make sure not to accidentally summon your avatar.”
When I go all out, I subconsciously summon my spirit avatar. In other words, I mustn’t let myself get into a situation where I need to go all out.
“So, this sword too…” I looked at the sword hanging at my waist—the sword made of the heaviest metal in the world, Hihi’irokane, which only I could wield.
“The Akatsuki Sword is off-limits, right?”
“Of course. Just keep it at your waist.”
Sure, if I left it lying around and accidentally released my spell, it would create a hole in the floor…
“Why such a restriction…? Is this part of my training?”
“Jack, the existence of Roost is heavier than you think. Roost’s mere existence affects national power strategically. If it’s discovered that you’re a Roost, who knows what you’ll get dragged into. If that happens, even I might not be able to protect you…”
I remembered being kidnapped by the thieves. That was the only time Raquel had raised her voice so much. I must never worry my stern yet kind master that much again. Never again.
“It’s okay,” Raquel reassured me with a smile, placing a hand on my shoulder.
“You’ve become remarkably stronger in the year since the thieves incident. Show the world that strength,” she said, gazing at me with firm eyes.
“Got it,” I replied.
Since the time I fought to the death with Vicky—no, since those days of despair and fear when I was powerless, how much stronger have I become?
I’ll find out with my own eyes.
“Master! Master!” Phil, who had been left alone, raised her hand to get our attention.
“What about me? Do I have anything?”
“Phil, you’ll be fine as long as you do your best. No need to worry.”
“Oh, okay!”
So, I’m the one to worry about. Well, I know Phil’s extraordinary talent. She’ll probably top the espionage aptitude test with ease.
“Let’s go watch the other children’s tests. It’s important to get a feel for the atmosphere beforehand,” Raquel suggested.
Phil and I followed Raquel, who started walking.
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Not just this Combat Arena, but the entire Spirit Arts Academy is said to be covered by a barrier that nullifies acts of violence, cast by a great spirit artist long ago. Here, even if you’re stabbed through the chest with a sword, it hurts but won’t kill you. Similarly, being poisoned only makes you feel sick or paralyzes your body; it won’t kill you.
In place of this, there’s the concept of ‘spiritual power.’ The barrier’s power to protect humans—spiritual power—has its limits. When it runs out, you become immobilized, with your body focusing solely on recovering spiritual power. This state is called ‘Element Out.’
The mock battles in the combat aptitude test are decided by accumulating damage until one side reaches E.O. or by the surrender of one or both sides.
“Third Testing Ground! Joel Flanagan, under Chuck Edwards, 7th rank! Exam grade: 4th grade!”
The largest of the Combat arts arenas, the first arena, was filled with the sound of a spirit-powered broadcast announcing the testing ground, the examinee’s name, and exam grade to the entire circular venue.
“Oh. The son of Viscount Flanagan.”
“Aiming for 4th grade is ambitious.”
“He’s just trying to show off. Typical of that fool.”
…Such whispers could be heard everywhere. Nobles can be scary.
From what I could see, most examinees were aiming for 5th grade. Even if they failed, they still had a good chance of making it into 6th grade.
By the way, if you fail the 6th grade, you are unconditionally placed in the trainee class, which is the preparatory 6th grade. Rumor has it that over 90% of children placed in the preparatory 6th grade drop out within six months.
Fearing that outcome, many students aim for the 5th grade instead. Up to the 4th grade, you can take the exam freely without the academy’s permission.
Pass or fail isn’t based solely on the mock battle’s outcome; it’s judged by the academy’s faculty based on the content of the battle. In reality, most students were defeated by the senior students they were up against.
That’s to be expected. They have spent much more time honing their skills at this academy than we new students have.
However—there are always exceptions.
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“Second Testing Ground! Ruby Bergson, under Hosea Bergson, 8th rank! Exam grade: 3rd grade!”
The moment that announcement was made, the audience erupted in murmurs.
“This year’s first 3rd grade examinee! But, speaking of Bergson…”
“That ‘Scavenger Bergson’ again! How dare he keep dumping trash into this prestigious academy!”
“But the fact that the 3rd grade exam was permitted is true. Let’s see what they’re made of.”
Scavenger Bergson…?
I was distracted by the overheard term.
“Bergson 8th rank is known for picking up waifs from the slums and adding them to his disciples,” Raquel whispered to me.
“All of them are very talented, so traditionalist nobles despise him.”
I see… In other words, they are a thoroughly merit-based group.
I focused on the second testing ground.
A man in the academy uniform stood at the edge of the circular stage. That must be the 3rd-grade examiner. And across from him—
It was a girl.
She was probably around the same age as Phil and me—about 9 or 10 years old. She wore a large beret over her light brown hair. Her attire was extremely simple. Unlike other new students, who balanced mobility and dignity, her clothes looked like they were randomly picked up at a second-hand shop, making her appear shabby.
A bold statement of ‘I’m from the slums, so what?’ Her proud shabbiness conveyed her difficult personality quite clearly. Not that I dislike it, though.
“Begin the test!”
Even after the announcement, neither side moved immediately. The academy student seemed cautious of the first 3rd-grade examinee of the year. The girl, too, appeared wary.
A tense standoff continued for a while—until the academy student made the first move.
SFX: Whoosh
A gust of wind blew.
I faintly heard the girl say, “Whoa!?” while shielding her face.
That was bad.
By shielding her face, she blocked her own vision…!
I heard a whizzing sound.
It was the sound of blades of compressed air, created by spirit magic that manipulates the atmosphere.
Wind-based spirit magic has two significant advantages.
One is that the attack is invisible to the opponent.
The other is that your own attack does not obstruct your view.
Depending on the environment, it is less likely that you will lose sight of your opponent because of your own attack.
To fully utilize this, the academy student was likely preparing his next attack while launching his current one.
However.
“What…!?”
“Huh?”
Phil and I exclaimed simultaneously.
No, the entire audience was murmuring in confusion.
She had disappeared.
Even though no one had taken their eyes off her for a moment—everyone in the audience lost sight of the girl!
In the next instant, the girl reappeared.
Right behind the academy student, her opponent.
In her right hand was a small dagger—
Which was already deeply embedded in the academy student’s throat.
When she was hit by the gust, she certainly looked surprised.
So she quickly shielded her face without thinking, not considering that it would block her vision—
That’s what everyone, including myself, had thought…
However, beside the academy student with the dagger in his throat, I saw her lips move like this.
“Just kidding…”
Element Out.
The critical hit to his throat drained all of the boy’s spirit power in one blow, causing him to collapse.
“Match over! Victory goes to Ruby Bergson!”
As I listened to that announcement, my thoughts were racing.
…Was it an act?
Probably from the moment of the stalemate—when she was giving off a cautious vibe.
It was a trap to make her opponent believe his attack was successful—
…What a cunning kid.
I was already feeling like I wanted to take my hat off to her, but this was just the beginning—
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“At the first test site! Under the tutelage of Denholm Bastead, the Iron General, we have Gawain MacDonnell! Candidate for grade 3!”
As that was announced, the audience started murmuring again, just like with the previous girl.
“Oh! Under the ‘Iron General,’ Lord Bastead!”
“So he has taken on a disciple.”
“MacDonnell, from a knightly family for eight generations. I wonder how capable he is…”
Standing at the first test site was a boy covered from head to toe in heavy armor, looking like a heavily armored infantryman.
The age limit for academy admission is twelve.
So he shouldn’t be older than twelve either, but…he’s huge. How tall is he?
Even if someone told me he was a high schooler, I’d believe it.
“Start the match!”
After the match started, the armored boy did not move a single step, standing with his sword and shield at the ready.
Even when his opponent began attacking, he didn’t move an inch.
He blocked every attack with his body and shield.
His durability was abnormal, beyond what could be explained by just having a strong physique.
By straining my eyes to the limit, I discovered part of the secret.
Every time he took a hit, his shield and armor would get damaged.
But then, they would quickly repair themselves.
No matter how many times they were damaged, they would return to pristine condition…
But could that alone grant such extraordinary durability?
Armor doesn’t block all the damage.
The impact of the attacks should be transmitted to his body…
Yet he stood there, as if merely feeling a gentle breeze.
I couldn’t understand the reason from a distance.
His opponent must have tried to figure it out too.
Growing impatient, the opponent closed the distance himself.
However—that was the boy’s aim.
With graceful swordsmanship, he dominated the close-quarters combat with ease.
In a few minutes, he was the only one left standing on the test site.
“Match over! Victory goes to Gawain MacDonnell!”
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The moment that girl appeared at the fourth test site, everyone was captivated.
Her red hair glowed like flames.
Complementing it, she wore a crimson dress reminiscent of roses.
Azalea Austin—
Standing on the circular stage, her presence was the most striking of all.
…In fact, I had seen that dress just a little while ago.
I had thought, in the back of my mind, “Is she really going to take the test in that outfit?” But it seemed she intended to.
However…I must say.
She is incredibly photogenic on stage.
She seems even more impressive when viewed from a distance.
“Ja-kun, look over here.”
Phil suddenly cupped my cheeks with both hands and turned my face towards her.
“Wh-what?”
“Just look over here! Don’t look at that girl!”
She really sees her as an enemy…
This was the first time I saw Phil so hostile towards someone.
I wonder what makes her feel that way.
She probably thinks she’s going to lose me to her.
…Oh.
Maybe Phil has hardly ever met girls her own age?
She must have acquaintances I don’t know about, but this is the first time a girl her age has been part of the circle of people involving me.
Does this mean she’ll react like this every time she meets a girl from now on?
…I might need to come up with a strategy.
“At the fourth test site! Under the tutelage of the Flame God Amaterasu school, Azalea Austin! Candidate for grade 3!”
…She’s a grade 3 candidate too, huh.
So far, only a few children have taken the grade 3 test, and only two have won the mock battles.
Winning isn’t necessarily required, but I wonder how she’ll do.
Azalea lightly lifted the hem of her dress and raised her heel in a curtsy towards her opponent, the academy student.
Her noble and graceful gesture seemed to declare, “I’m not nervous at all. I have plenty of composure.”
This might turn into an intense battle…
As if to back up my prediction—
“Start the match!”
Her opponent launched a swift attack.
Water materialized from nowhere, forming a barrage and rushing towards Azalea all at once!
Spirit Focalor’s [Ocean Hand]…
A simple water-controlling spirit magic.
And as far as I know, Azalea’s spirit magic is also quite simple.
Spirit Aime’s [Dawn’s Light].
A fire-controlling spirit magic.
I heard from Raquel earlier that Azalea’s Enjin Tenshou school specializes in [Dawn’s Light].
It’s reputed to be a particularly powerful and influential sect within the Spirit Magic Guild, but—
This time, her compatibility is terribly poor.
To me, [Dawn’s Light] is a magic with deep significance.
After all, I fought against it for the first time when I was just one year old.
So, I know it well.
That spirit magic is extremely weak against water.
The person who assigned her opponent must have known this.
What a nasty, mean-spirited choice.
Pairing a newcomer with such a poorly matched opponent…
Azalea didn’t move a step in the face of the water barrage.
Was she frozen in fear, or immobilized by that dress—
No, even if she tried to run, she wouldn’t be able to dodge.
Azalea just stood there, leaving her beautiful crimson dress to be riddled with holes…
—That was what everyone, including myself, thought.
The next moment.
We saw the water barrage being engulfed by a massive wall of fire.
The wall of fire scattered into sparks, revealing Azalea, still in her luxurious dress.
With a defiant smile on her refined face, she clearly said:
“Why not graduate from the illusion that ‘fire is weak against water’ along with your diapers?”
What followed was a rampage of crimson flames.
It was Azalea Austin’s one-woman show.
“Match over! Victory goes to Azalea Austin!”
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“Jack, it’s about time.”
As Azalea’s match ended, Raquel quietly spoke.
…Is it time?
“Phil still has a bit of time, so you can go watch with your father and the others if you want.”
“Got it! Do your best, Ja-Kun! I’ll be watching!”
“Yeah. Leave it to me.”
Phil raised her hand for a high-five, which I met.
Then, she ran off towards where Dad and the others were.
Raquel and I started walking towards the waiting room for candidates.
With each step, the murmuring of the crowd seemed to fade away.
“…I’ve said it before, but you have become truly strong. Stronger than anyone else.”
As we walked, Raquel spoke quietly.
“But right now, no one knows you. You’re just one of the characters in vague, uncertain rumors.”
While her words were harsh—
Raquel, my mentor,
With her smile, she encouraged me.
“—Let’s make them aware of the existence of Jack Lieber.”
I smiled broadly and answered, “Yes!”