Chapter 3 – Magic Ability Measurement

Luke explained the fine details to me, who was dumbstruck at the very unexpected invitation.

「I think the salary will be around this amount.」
「I-I will get this much?」
「Full-scale five-day work system with thirty days paid holidays a year.」
「Eh? Paid holidays, huh, that’s an urban legend…」
「Subsequently, you can use the grand library at the royal palace as you please.」
「I can!?」

The shock those words gave me was huge.
The grand library of the royal palace that only a small number of people could access was the longing of everyone who loved magic.

I heard that it housed lots of amazing books that couldn’t be circulated to the public such as grimoires left behind by the great sages of old and books containing prophecies found in the Dead Sea.

I never thought I would be able to go into that place in my life!

「How is it? I don’t think those terms are bad.」
「U-un, to the extent that it’s too good to be true.」

It was like a dream, I couldn’t get a real sense of it at all.

However, what moved my heart more than anything else was the joy of being needed.

『I don’t need someone like you. Useless.』
『I’m sorry but I will pass up hiring you this time.』
『Sorry. The town mayor’s son will get angry if I hire you.』

Wherever I went, I wasn’t needed.
It was depressing because I was worthless as a magician.

Like a dog left unsold, he picked me up who was curled in a ball.

That’s how happy I am.

Luke hasn’t realized it for sure.

「Thank you very much for inviting me. I’ll do whatever it is if there’s anything I can help you with. Anything at all, just say it.」
「It’s fine, just do what you normally do. You’re the only one whom I can leave my back to with a peace of mind.」

If I were to work as a royal magician, I would need to move in to the royal capital, though.

When I told her that I plan to move out, okaa-san was against it at first but as soon as she saw Luke, who came by to say hello, her attitude changed immediately.

「Is he really a royal magician…? Eh, the youngest to have ever been promoted, you say, the one in the rumors?」

After looking at Luke in blank amazement for a while,

「A minute, Noelle.」

she called me.

「What is it, okaa-san?」
「What’s your relationship with that gentleman?」
「Nothing in particular. We’re just friends during academy days.」
「Well done! It’s a big chance!」

Okaa-san spoke emphatically in low voice so that she couldn’t be heard by Luke.

「You will be boarding a bejeweled palanquin if you marry that gentleman! Your future will be secured! It will be your life’s happy ending!」
「No, that’s impossible. He’s of a duke household so he’s not in a position where he can marry me, a commoner.」
「That’s such a trifle before the power of love.」
「No because we’re just friends to begin with.」

We were always together before but looking back, I never really thought about it like that.

As far as I could remember, since Luke’s outward appearance was that of a fresh honor student who looked like a prince, girls had always been crazy over him back then.

But unexpectedly, he didn’t go out with anyone.

Was there someone he liked, I wonder?

「That’s good…! You must absolutely make him yours…!」

I answered ambiguously since it was troublesome.
I think the talk of having such relationship with Luke was really impossible.

More than anything else, at the moment, I’d like to give magic my all so that I could eat whatever I wanted.

But in a sense, it was convenient since okaa-san allowed me to move in to the royal capital.

With the carriage that Luke arranged, I would be moving in to the Royal Capital with okaa-san.
The townspeople were dumbfounded at the luxurious carriage owned by the duke household.

「My daughter is friends with a son of a duke household. He came to talk to her about becoming a royal magician. Ufufu, it’s not a big deal at all.」

I stared at okaa-san, who was boasting, with a stunned expression.

Seeing the surprised expression of the townspeople were quite satisfying, though.

As for the magic item craftsman guild master, he was standing stock still with his mouth wide open.

Then, I moved in to the rental house in the royal capital that Luke referred after a few days.

Finally, my first day reporting for work as royal magician arrived.

「All ready? Make that person yours by any means. If pushing doesn’t work, just push down! Love is war!」
「No, it’s not like that.」

I left the house without paying attention to it.

The royal palace, which I reached on foot in twenty minutes or so, was incredibly grand and magnificent for a commoner like me.

I-I might have come to an absurd place……

Can I really work here?

「Uh, I think it’s unbelievable but it seems like I’m going to work here. Well, if it was a mistake, it’d be totally fine.」

While putting my guard up, I spoke to the guard knight.

「Do you have something that can prove it?」
「I was told to show you this letter.」
「……I see. You’re the one in the rumor, huh.」

Said Knight-san, his eyes shaking.

「Go in, there’s a magic training ground to the right. There, Marius-sama and Luke-sama are waiting for you.」
「Thank you very much.」

I got in.
With a restless feeling, I headed to the place I was instructed to go.

In the vast training ground, Luke and a grey-haired man were waiting.

「Hoh. This is the person, huh.」

I think he should be around 50 years old.
The grey-haired man in a robe stared at me with a scrutinizing-like gaze.

「Good morning! It’s nice to meet you!」

To build a good relationship with senpais at work, start with a lively greeting.
I thought so and bowed my head.

「……」

But the grey-haired man just stared at me with cold eyes.

Huh? Did I bomb it or something?

After chuckling with ‘kusu-kusu‘ at the confused me, Luke said,

「Morning. This person is Marius-san, head of the human resources department. He’s a very fussy person but he doesn’t seem to be pleased with the matter of inviting you in.」
「Naturally. Although I acknowledged that as the authority of a scared-goldADAMANTITE-ranked magician, something like bringing in an outsider, who doesn’t have any track record, is unheard of. Not to mention, things like suddenly being chosen as buddy, is unthinkable.」

Marius-san said in a calm voice.

「I’ll have you show enough ability that will convince me, otherwise we won’t accept you.」

After falling silent for a moment, I told Luke.

「Don’t tell me I won’t become a royal magician if I don’t bring about a result here?」
「That seems to be the case. Well, it’s fine, isn’t it?」
「It’s not fine! Inform me in advance!」

What we talked about was supposed to be an employment without a test!
It totally caught me off guard!

Pursing his lips to stop himself from smiling, Luke told me, who was flustered.

「The content of the test is ‘Magic Ability Measurement.’ There’s a big wall over there, right? That was made with the same material as measuring ball and could measure a person’s ability as magician. If you can make a hole in that wall, you pass. Easy, right?」
「No no! I think it’s really hard though.」

Even looking at it from afar, I could tell that the wall had considerable durability.
It would take a very skilled magician to do something like making a hole in that, wouldn’t it?…

「If you’re going to be a royal magician, you should be able to at least do that much, right?」
「…That’s right.」

Agreed.
Only a small handful of the kingdom’s magicians could become a royal magician.

People, who came to be called geniuses, put in their best effort to finally make it.

The wall was naturally high.
It might be really hard for me, who wasn’t needed by anyone even in a remote town, to break through.

『You’re useless, it’s impossible—』

But I shook my anxiety off.
Using 《Synchronous[1] ChantingMULTICAST》, I maximized my magic power with 《Magic Power AmplificationENHANCE》 and 《Magic Power ReinforcementMANA•BOOST》.
After using 《Inherent Time AccelerationSPELL•BOOST》 and 《Automatic Magic Power RecoveryMANA•CHARGE》 simultaneously, I sharpened my mind and put the magic formula together.

There might also be some people who would say I couldn’t do it.
No, for sure there were many people who think so.

But I still would like to believe.
I think I had a shot at doing it.

I neither had a day off nor time for myself.
Still, cutting down my time for sleep, I continued to study magic.
I loved magic.
No one could take that power of love away.

I put so much effort into studying magic.

I’d like to believe that those times…

had not been in vain.
That there was significant meaning to them.

I’m sure- I’m sure I can do it.

There was no hesitation.
My mind was clear.
–Go, my love.

《Gale GunWIND•BLAST》

In an instant, a strong gale swept towards the wall.

The ground shook and rumbled like a thunderous roar.
A sudden gust blew my hair around.

I reflexively closed my eyes and then, became scared.

I think there was no mistake.
It should definitely show my strength.

But, that was why I was scared.

If it couldn’t reach it-

The wind became weaker and weaker and then—

There was a hole in the wall where some of the now former equipment of the training ground were peeking out.

「I did it…!」

I managed to do it…!

‘Kusu-kusu,’ a familiar chuckle, which swallowed my joy whole, reached my ears.

「I can’t believe it’s really broken.」

Mu.
That fellow Luke, it seemed like he didn’t believe in me.

Even though he said something like “you can do it, you know” at that time, what a cruel thing for him to say.

I was actually a bit happy to be trusted.

「Humph. You really thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, huh.」
「Sorry, sorry. But I don’t think that even a royal magician would be able to open up a hole in that wall which only a small handful of people could break.」
「Eh?」

‘No way,’ I turned to Marius-san while thinking so.

Looking at his appearance staring dumbfoundedly at the wall, I could guess various things.

「Could it be that I would be able to pass even without breaking it?」
「Un. It’s a facility that measures ability in numerical value so there was a proper passing line. You broke it, though.」
「T-That means, I have done something quite difficult.」
「I think it would be the talk of the town for at least a week and His Royal Highness, the Prince would remember your name. Congratulations, you’re also now a celebrity.」

I was left greatly perplexed by the smiling Luke.
H-His Highness, the Prince would remember my name, he said…

I might have done something really unthinkable.

「I really hate that side of you, Luke.」
「I really like that amusing side of yours though.」

Luke smiled mischievously and said,

「Well, you’re the only one whom I couldn’t defeat so you have to be able to do this much. And you’ll be my buddy from now on so please treat me well, Noelle.」

While listening to the commotion of the royal magicians who gathered around, I was feeling greatly perplexed.

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[1] 多重詠唱 lit. Multiple Chanting. [<–]