Chapter 260 - Infinite Mage

Shirone couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that he was witnessing people he had only seen in the newspapers, casually passing by. It felt less like a magic school exam and more like looking at a tapestry of politics. "The graduation exam is really something else, isn't it?" Iruki remarked nonchalantly. "It's like this every year. It's such a spectacle. I just hope my dad doesn't show up," he added. "Hey, Shirone, isn't that Amy's dad over there?" Karmis Shakora, arm-in-arm with his wife Isis, stood in front of the coliseum. Having retired from active duty, the influence of a first-class noble like him was still overwhelming. Understandably, a swarm of parents approached him to exchange greetings. Shirone, along with his friends, took the opportunity to approach Shakora when there was a slight break in the stream of nobility greeting him. "Hello," Shirone greeted politely. "Ah, Shirone, isn't it? How have you been?" Shakora responded. "Thanks to you, I've been well," replied Shirone with a polite bow. Isis approached with a slightly anxious expression. "Shirone, how's our Amy doing, huh? Do you think she can pass?" "How would Shirone know that? Don't worry the boy unnecessarily and just stay calm," Shakora mildly chastised his wife, causing her lower lip to pout. "Haha! It's alright. I saw her yesterday, and she seemed to be in good condition," Shirone assured. "Hmm, that's a relief," Shakora said, a hint of relief in his expression. Despite acting unaffected, it seemed even a first-class noble was just a parent at heart when it came to his child. Iruki and Nade, who stood behind Shirone, also introduced themselves. Shakora showed particular interest when he heard the name Mercodine. "So, you're Iruki, aren't you? How is your father doing?" "He's... still around, I guess," Iruki replied, his answer brazen but accepted with a chuckle from Shakora, who knew Iruki well enough to overlook the impudence. "Shirone, bring your friends and visit our home sometime." "Yes, I definitely will." After exchanging courteous farewells, Shakora and Isis headed towards the entrance designated for parents, while Shirone made his way into the coliseum through the student entrance. While receiving curious and slightly envious glances from underclassmen and peers, Shirone took solace in the company of fellow magic enthusiasts who shared his earnest passion, ultimately forming a circle around him, hoping to exchange insights. Leading them was Dante, followed closely by Closer and Sabina. Canis and Arin were visible on the opposite side, and Boyle and Pandora followed suit. Lastly, Mark, boldly leveraging his connections with the senior class, strolled in proudly with Maria to the honorary seats. Apart from Mark and Maria, the final ten candidates poised for graduation gathered, ensuring their presence was noticed by their classmates, whose expressions soured slightly at the sight. With a smirk, Dante teased, "So, how does it feel to send your sweetheart off to the battlefield?" Shirone gazed at the arena. "Not sure yet. What do you think?" Dante then turned to observe the arena himself. "There seems to be a difference in levels between the participants. Judging objectively by capability alone, she should make it into the top ten. However, much will depend on the exam subjects, as unexpected scenarios usually arise from asymmetric power dynamics." Given Dante's expertise in information processing, Shirone saw no reason to argue. As the conversation continued, Sabina waved at Nade. "Hi!" "Uh, hi," Nade replied out of politeness, not having established a close rapport with her. Sabina lingered, hoping for more, but when Nade showed no interest, she dejectedly took a seat next to Dante, followed by the muffled laughter of Pandora. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's about to start," came the announcement. Thirty students, participants of the graduation exam, lined up in the center of the coliseum. They were each wearing an Icheon-beon bracelet. However, the spectators had no need for bracelets, as viewing wouldn't be hindered. By national regulation, locations for such exams were designed to be of the highest grade, such is the nature of Icheon-beon. The entire coliseum was nothing less than an immense image zone. Arin clasped her hands together, silently praying for Amy's success. "Will that really help? If passing depended on prayers, anyone could become a mage. Besides, you don't even believe in anything like that," Canis remarked skeptically. "Ugh, still, it makes me nervous. Don’t you want Amy to pass?" Arin pouted, casting a sidelong glance at Canis. "Why should it matter who passes? It’s not my exam," he replied nonchalantly. Arin glanced at Canis, feeling slighted, but in reality, he paid closer attention than he let on. Leaning on his hand, he watched the arena intently where Amy, in full battle mode, caught his eye and a subtle smirk crept onto his face. ‘Do your best, pumpkin,’ he thought. With Alpheas and Olivia presiding, the teaching staff took their seats, while parents to the left, and scouts and correspondents to the right filled the stands. After Alpheas’s opening speech, Olivia explained the grading criteria. The exam was divided into two rounds, where participants would randomly select two out of six categories via roulette. This uncertainty ensured students prepared equally across all subjects. It was a rule aligned for fairness between combat and non-combat mages and favored repeat candidates by the Mage Association standards. The preliminaries concluded with students pledging fair competition. As the thirty participants assembled in a semicircle along the coliseum’s walls, Saad, who was overseeing the proceedings, shouted from the podium. "We will now commence the Alpheas Magic Academy graduation exams!" A massive, circular hologram appeared in the sky above the coliseum. Six categories were evenly divided within it, the central pointer rapidly spinning. The participants clenched their fists in anticipation, performing a sequential ritual. The moment the pointer stopped, the Icheon-beon magic would activate. Quick reflexes would be crucial. Finally, the pointer pointed to the category for the first round of exams. "Wowwwww!" Roars exploded in the coliseum, electrifying the atmosphere with enthusiasm. Night descended upon the scene. A throng of people poured out of the coliseum's exit, their faces still flushed with excitement. Shirone and his group remained silent until they stepped outside. At the exit, Nade turned to Shirone. “What do you want to do, Shirone? Iruki and I are famished, so we’re thinking of grabbing something to eat.” “Sure. Go ahead. I’ll head home with Amy,” Shirone replied. “Alright, see you tomorrow then.” After parting with his friends, Shirone exhaled into the frosty air, trying to dispel the chill within. Noticing the light emanating from the coliseum, he turned to see the electronic board displaying the names of the successful candidates—ten students who would venture out into the world as magicians. 1st Olte Amira 2nd Ludwig Aconnell 3rd Connie Cale 4th Tanto Selena 5th Ekins Samuel 6th Aresa Depo 7th Fortress Seriel 8th Lara Coril 9th Andres Raul 10th Dolin Rixton Amy's name was absent. She had been eliminated in the first round of the exam, being the third to drop out. The first evaluation was combat assessment, which inherently favored combat mages. Amy became the focus of everyone's attention, or rather, she was the target of what could only be described as a relentless attack. She was eliminated before Seriel had a chance to intervene, with her mental gauge hitting zero. Despite experts' predictions, this was an unexpected turn of events, highlighting the unpredictable nature of graduation exams. Amy had likely anticipated such outcomes and prepared thoroughly. Still, something felt off. Collusion is a natural tendency in battles as weaker parties often band together when a single entity becomes too powerful. However, was it just his imagination, or did it seem like the stronger participants had colluded together? Initially, the battle was chaotic. Amy wasn't the only aspiring combat mage, and with thirty participants, the assaults were bound to be scattered. But once Fermi's group acted, the dynamics sharply shifted. They exclusively targeted Amy, skillfully avoiding attacks from other students. As this persisted for about a minute, even those initially unaware caught on, realizing aligning with Fermi's group made things simpler. Ultimately, everyone except Seriel targeted Amy, a situation even the great Amy couldn't withstand. It seemed impossible without Fermi's group's combat prowess surpassing the combined might of all other participants. Could this truly be called natural collusion? Curiously, none of Fermi's group passed the exam. During a clash with Samuel, it even seemed as if they deliberately threw the match. 'Samuel.' Many students sensed that Fermi’s group seemed to support Samuel during the first exam. Still, the notion was subtle enough to cloud judgment. The harsh reality of graduation exams? The oddities were too numerous to attribute to mere randomness. Most unsettling was that Fermi, the perennial top scorer for the past six years, was at the center of all suspicions. ‘Perhaps it's just a misunderstanding. In real battles, such instances aren’t unprecedented. Even if it isn’t a misunderstanding, what difference would it make?’ Simply put, those with the highest combat power prevailed in the assessment. Even if it was the result of orchestrated collusion, it wouldn’t alter the criteria used for evaluation. ‘Unless a personal incentive was involved.’ There might have been some sort of agreement between Fermi and Samuel. Yet Shirone hastily dismissed the thought. If it wasn't true, such speculation would be a grave insult to Samuel. Moreover, if there had been any wrongdoing, the faculty would already be investigating. ‘Yes, no matter how much I ponder, it's not something I can change.’ For now, his concern was for Amy. Having been eliminated early, she should have regained her mental strength by now. However, considering she had to watch from the waiting room for so long, his heart ached just thinking about how she must feel. Amy’s parents exited from the entrance designated for parents. Unsure of how he should approach them, Shirone moved forward. “Shirone...” Isis greeted him with tearful eyes. Both barely acknowledged dancer Shakora and Isis, having likely noticed the oddities during the combat scene. “How could this happen, Shirone? How could Amy be eliminated? It felt like...” “Please, watch your words. Imagine how such talk would affect Amy.” Shakora cautioned his wife. He, too, recognized some areas that could stir suspicion, but nothing beyond reason. Other than Fermi’s group failing, the battlefield’s flow seemed logical and rational. Additionally, since the second exam was non-combat, it couldn’t be argued that Fermi’s group's elimination was unnatural. Shirone swallowed nervously as he saw the students who had been eliminated exiting the coliseum. His mind went blank when he spotted Amy among them. Amy glanced once at Shirone, then approached her parents, a playful smirk on her face as she stuck her tongue out. “Hehe, Dad, Mom. Sorry, I failed spectacularly.” “It’s just an exam. You did your best, so don’t be too disheartened.” “Disheartened? Not at all. Ah, I think I just misjudged. I'll have to aim for next year.” While relieved by Amy’s cheerful demeanor, Shirone couldn’t help but worry. There was no way she felt normal. She was simply prioritizing her family’s feelings. Then the successful candidates emerged. Seriel rushed over to Amy, tears streaming down her face. “Amy, Amy...” Amy was genuinely happy for her friend’s success. And how could she not be? Today, Seriel graduated from the magic academy and took her first step as a magician. “Congratulations, Seriel. Do your best, even for my share. I’ll catch up soon.” Seriel shook her head. Why her, and not Amy? To anyone watching, Amy should have been among the successful ones. He should have realized it sooner. If he had stepped up to support Amy more swiftly when Fermi's group was ganging up on her, the flow of battle might have been different. “Amy… I…” Amy firmly gripped Seriel’s shoulders. “Seriel, get a hold of yourself. You passed the exam. Do you understand what that means? You took your graduation exam, and so did I. You passed, and that’s all that matters.” Seriel swallowed her tears with difficulty. She couldn't cry. If Amy wasn't crying, then how could she? "I'm sorry. I know it's bad for me to say this to you, even though I passed… but I'm just so angry." “It’s okay. I would feel the same. This isn’t the only exam there is. It's me who should apologize. I don't think I'll be able to make it to the party.” It was a tradition for successful candidates to gather and have a graduation party after the exams. While anyone could attend, no one who failed had ever shown up before. After all, there was no reason to dampen the celebratory mood. “What’s the point of a party now? I’m not going either!” Amy looked at Seriel with loving eyes. Despite her own early elimination, she admired her friend who had persevered and achieved her dream amidst the chaos. “Promise me, Seriel. Promise you’ll go to that party. If you can't enjoy this moment, even if I pass next year, I’ll never be truly happy. I don’t want to steal this once-in-a-lifetime joy from you. Smile with pride for me, please.” Seriel pressed her lips together and nodded. For Amy, who faced another year of struggle, there was nothing more important. A bit of self-pity could be sacrificed for the sake of a friend. “Okay. I won’t think about anything else. I’ll enjoy and cherish this as if it’s going to be the last time. So, you must promise to pass next time.” “That’s the spirit. Thank you, Seriel.” A voice called out from the dim distance. “All successful candidates, gather now for an orientation! Hurry, we don’t have time!” The reality of their success would settle in once the morning sun rose. And with the graduation party set for late tonight, it was the perfect time to have this briefing. “Go on. I’ll see you at the graduation ceremony.” “Alright. Make sure you get some rest.” Before leaving, Seriel turned to look at Shirone. She understood Amy was consciously avoiding meeting Shirone’s eyes. Thus, it fell to Shirone to support her in these last moments. Aware of this, Shirone nodded reassuringly. Only then did Seriel relax, bid farewell to Amy’s parents, and hurry off to join the other successful candidates. Amy watched her friend's retreating figure with satisfaction, then exhaled deeply. “Ah, I'm exhausted. Mom, Dad, you can leave now too.” “Are you going to be alright? Why not take a walk or something? I can inform the school,” Isis offered. “Oh, stop fussing. I wasn’t the only one who failed. We’ll see each other during the holidays anyway.” Shakora decided to respect his daughter’s feelings. “Then we’ll head back. I’ll send a carriage on the day of the graduation. Rest well tonight.” “Alright. You both take care on your way back.” Isis turned to leave, unable to hold back her tears any longer. Shakora paused to look back at Shirone. “Shirone.” “Yes. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of things.” With a look of gratitude in his eyes, Shakora departed. In such moments, parental comfort offered little solace; it was fortunate Shirone was there. Left alone with Amy, Shirone didn’t offer any platitudes. He was prepared to answer any questions she might have, but if silence was what she wanted, he would respect it. “Aah! This is driving me crazy! I failed again!” “Damn! It’s just rotten luck! How many times do I have to take this graduation exam?” A shadow emerged from the coliseum’s exit, walking with a delinquent swagger. Shirone recognized Fermi’s group just by the sound of their voices. Noticing Amy, Fermi turned and approached. He had failed the exam seven times, yet showed no sign of disappointment. “Oh, running into a fellow failure feels awkward, doesn't it? Don’t take it too hard, little lady. That’s life. Same goes for me. How about it? Care to join us tonight...?” Shirone shifted to block Fermi’s path. The cold stare he delivered made Fermi awkwardly scratch his head, responding with a sheepish grin.