147 – Exam (3)

＊

Just by looking at Sylvia’s stiff expression, it was easy to see how flustered she was.

I guess he was planning to finish it off by surprise the moment I opened the door and came out, so it wasn’t surprising that he read my thoughts.

You might think that it was a bit too much for her to make such a surprise attack when she was much stronger than me, but I had no intention of criticizing her as a coward.

Sylvia already knew that he preferred the strategy of using overwhelming force and ruthless, one-sided violence to break his opponent’s will.

Certainly, from the adventures she told me and the way I had observed her over the years, I could guess that Sylvia’s tactics, while not heroic, were certainly effective.

However, I already knew her too well to be taken by surprise like this.

“…!”

Is it experience, or is it a habit that has built up over a long period of time?

Before her panic had even subsided, she was already preparing for her next attack.

Before she knew it, another piece of ice had appeared and taken hold in her palm.

No, it was too big to be a sculpture.

It was a sphere of ice so large that it couldn’t fit in a fist, it was the size of a lump of ice.

At that moment, when I was about to question Sylvia, who was surprised by the size of the shell,

I saw Sylvia’s hand holding the ice withdraw significantly.

“shit!”

Sylvia’s hand holding the ice swung forward as if it was shooting.

I watched her arm until the end, then moved it and rolled heavily to the right while reciting the spell.

Maybe because I memorized it in a hurry, all I could create was a tiny spark the size of a fingernail, but that was enough.

Because I have a piano.

“Pia!”

At the same time that I felt a little bit of magical power being sucked out of my body, the small spark in front of my eyes instantly transformed into the shape of a large fox.

All the snow and frozen soil around it melted, and the dry, dead grass burned and scattered into the air.

The wind, accompanied by intense heat, tossed my hair all over the place.

I covered my eyes with my arm to prevent the hot air and ash from getting into my eyes, then lowered my arm slightly and looked at Pia.

“It’s cool…”

The back of the fox engulfed in blazing flames looked so sturdy that it was worthy of the name Guardian Spirit.

“Ash, wait…!”

Pia shouted at me urgently.

At the same time, I saw Sylvia frozen in an awkward position beyond the flames and haze rippling around Pia’s body.

The ice was still in her hand.

“It’s a trick!”

Oh my.

A little while ago, you were just pretending to throw it.

The moment Pia tried to rekindle the flame,

The ice flew at me so fast that I couldn’t even hear it, piercing through Pia’s flames and my left shoulder.

“big,”

Swish,

Only after a sharp pain shot through my shoulder did I hear the sound of a ripple cutting through the wind.

Even before the pain, what I felt more clearly was the goosebumps.

If I had been hit in the head with something like this, I would have died on the spot without even being able to heal myself with divine powers.

“Hey, isn’t that too much?”

“… The Demon King is more dangerous than this.”

“Aside from the power, it’s only been a while since the test started and you’re already pretending to throw it… There’s a limit to how strict you can be.”

“Even a simple trick like this can cause great harm, Ash. This is the journey you are about to embark on.”

Sylvia created ice on her palm again.

Two of them, too.

Sylvia slowly rolled two ice cubes across her palms and sighed.

“The job of a hero who catches the Demon King is to somehow get through the unreasonable danger of death at any time.”

I said with a sigh.

“I feel once again how wonderful my wife is.”

“It is also a virtue of a warrior not to fall for the sweet talk or flattery of the opponent during battle.”

“Oh, then you won’t say something like that again?”

“The same goes for threats.”

“Ha, shit.”

No, by having this conversation, Sylvia was already giving me some free time.

I slowly checked my injured shoulder while we talked.

My left arm doesn’t move.

To be exact, I can move, but it’s like I can’t move because it hurts too much.

It seemed that he wasn’t completely unable to use his left arm, as his fist was clenched, but at least he didn’t seem to be able to raise his arm.

I gritted my teeth and staggered to my feet, holding my shoulder, which was bleeding profusely.

Pia’s voice was heard through the blazing flames.

“Ash, how’s the operation going?”

“Ugh, what should I do, like I said before… I have to go.”

“It’s a strategy that can be used only if you get close to that woman… Ash, with that body already…”

“Phew… I can do it.”

It was fortunate that it was my arm that was injured.

My legs, which have been training for the past few weeks, are still feeling great.

“I have a little pride in myself too”

“…?”

“I have no talent for magic, I’m a coward, I don’t like fighting, and I still can’t use spirit magic at all…”

I slowly rotated the magic power throughout my body.

It wasn’t a particularly meaningful action.

It is not an action that has any effect such as healing an injured shoulder, strengthening the body, or increasing the power of magic. It only makes it a little easier to activate magic.

In fact, it was an action that was all about calming one’s mind.

However, ever since I was young, whenever I was about to do something big, I would often wrap my body in magic.

For example, when you have a difficult written test coming up, like one given by your tutor.

“I’ve never failed a test before.”

Written exams on history, liberal arts, religious studies, etc., a practical magic exam that I had been preparing for all night, and even an ice melting test that Sylvia had me do.

Of course, I failed the ice melting test several times before passing it, but that was before I learned the trick, and after getting a few simple tips from Sylvia, I somehow managed to pass it.

It may be too insignificant to brag about in front of the legendary warrior who even made the Demon King hide, but it is a childish sincerity that comes from the depths of my heart whenever my self-esteem is shaken.

I am good at exams.

It was one of my few remaining points of pride.

“under,”

Sylvia smiled faintly, either because she was so absurd or because it was so ridiculous that she found it a little cute.

Meanwhile, Pia whispered very quietly through the flames.

“You didn’t get into the academy.”

I whispered softly enough that Sylvia couldn’t hear.

“It’s invalid because I knew I wouldn’t be able to take the academy entrance exam before I even took it.”

“her,”

“And Pia, you have to take my side.”

“Oh, right.”

＊

Sylvia looked at Ash for a moment.

The ice that pierced his shoulder was slightly melted by the flames, but it was still powerful enough to inflict significant damage.

Even though it was covered by the clothes, it was clearly visible that the shoulder line was slightly lower than the right side.

That Ash’s shoulder would be wracked with pain that would be unbearable for a normal person.

However, Ash did not break down.

Judging from the way he was joking around leisurely, it seemed like he wasn’t scared or confused by the pain, and judging by the firmness of his legs as he stood on the ground while frowning in pain, his body’s balance wasn’t that bad.

Thinking back to their first meeting, when he appeared before her with an already tattered body, Ash’s self-deprecating tendencies tend to support his mental strength to some extent.

For Ash, who was more shocked by others dying than by himself getting hurt, it seemed like he could endure that level of pain.

But what was truly surprising to Sylvia was that Ash’s body did not collapse, more than his mind.

“…You’ve gotten stronger.”

Sylvia muttered softly.

In any case, Sylvia, who had spent her past days as his training instructor, couldn’t help but be impressed by the results of Ash’s training.

A warm feeling spread through Sylvia’s heart.

When have I ever felt this way?

I think it was when I saw a rat I had secretly fed pregnant during my training camp days.

Sylvia closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warm feeling.

“But, that’s that.”

Sylvia opened her eyes again.

The warmth and smile that had been visible just a moment ago were completely gone from those bright red eyes.

“This one won’t break easily.”

Sylvia gripped the two ice cubes tightly in both hands.

The ice surface, almost as hard as rock, dented along the shape of her fingers with a small crack.

Thanks to that, the two ice cubes fit perfectly in her hands.

It didn’t shake at all and was the perfect shape for throwing.

Sylvia called Ash.

“Ash.”

“why,”

“I have to avoid it to pass, but… I’ll ask you this anyway, please don’t avoid it.”

“… why?”

Sylvia looked at her target beyond the flames and haze with her ghostly eyes.

“Because if you move around for no reason and get hit in the head, there’s no turning back.”

.