"Whew!"
Derek heaved a sigh of relief when he finally stepped out of the examination hall.
Because he was the first to finish, he had received overwhelming attention from the rest of the examinees. He was quite used to being scrutinized by many people, especially since he grew up in the Lewis Estate, so he ignored their gazes.
However, now that he had finally left the auditorium and no longer felt any tension, he felt enormous relief coursing through his body.
"I wonder if I should head back to my quarters now... huh?" Derek had barely taken a few steps away from the exit when he noticed someone else walking out of the same building.
It was a different exit from his, but he was more captivated because he recognized who she was.
’Ivy Logue... She’s already done?’
Just like the previous night, Ivy sported an elegant gothic gown that matched her flowing black hair.
She suddenly turned in Derek’s direction as soon as he noticed her, and her eyes widened slightly. Whether it came from recognition or shock, it was difficult to tell.
Still, she walked up to him as soon as they locked eyes.
Once she was right in front of him, Ivy simply stared at him without saying anything.
Not even a greeting.
"You’re done already? That’s quite fast..." Derek mumbled, now walking towards their residence.
Ivy followed suit, matching his pace yet again.
"You are... Derek?" She muttered with a stoic tone before nodding to herself. "Yes. The test didn’t take very long."
’But it’s weird...’ Derek found himself asking a question. ’If she has that sight impediment, how can she participate in any written test?’
Ivy seemed to have noticed his curiosity, so she continued speaking.
"I took my test in a special hall. The proctor dictated the questions to me and I told her my answers."
"Oh..."
Derek felt a little guilty once again.
Even though he hadn’t directly asked the question, perhaps she had sensed his curiosity and unease.
Her giving him an answer ended up adding to the awkwardness.
’I’m used to being the weaker and more disadvantaged person in an interaction. This is a new experience for me...’ He nearly held his breath as they walked side by side.
’I shouldn’t behave this way to her.’
Derek smiled.
Yes, Ivy was partly blind... but that wasn’t all she was.
She was smart enough to finish her test as soon as he did, and she didn’t have the Magus Codex’s help. This alone proved how competent she was.
There were also other things about her that Derek wasn’t aware of.
She couldn’t simply be reduced to her disability.
’In the end, she is still a person with her own unique experiences. Instead of being awkward, maybe I can get to know her more. We could even become friends?’
The more he thought about it, the more Derek seemed to prefer that outcome.
"How many questions in each section did you answer?" Derek asked. "I’m curious about how you tackled the second question in Section 3."
"Hm?" Ivy raised a brow upon hearing the question. "I only answered one question per section. Any more, and there’s a risk of point deduction if you get the answer wrong."
"True... but you can gain a higher score."
"Why should I take such a risk?" Ivy coldly responded. "My current results should pass the required threshold, so there’s no need to exceed it if that means I could end up suffering a detriment."
Derek lightly chuckled.
It appeared he and this girl had fundamental differences when it came to approaching problems.
Even if he didn’t have the Magus Codex, Derek was certain he would attempt as many questions as he could for the chance of obtaining a higher score.
That was his nature.
’But she’s satisfied with doing the bare minimum if it guarantees success...’
In all honesty, Derek was a little disappointed. Suddenly, her finishing so early didn’t seem as impressive as he initially thought.
The two parted ways once they arrived at the examinee residence, and Derek returned to his quarters.
It wasn’t long before he forgot all about Ivy and started to think about what kind of test awaited him the following day.
"Whatever it could be, I’ll be counting on you, Max!"
.....
The next day quickly arrived, and the examinees were taken to an open field instead of a standard hall.
The proctor—a different man this time—called this test a "Practical" one, so most of the eager but nervous participants already made guesses as to what it would entail.
Since they had all been gathered in a field, the most probable scenario was a sparring match between one another, or some variant of the same concept.
However, much to everyone’s surprise, the proctor denied these claims.
"You are all standing above what will be the examination hall for your second test," he said with a grim countenance.
Then, he explained.
"The Practical Test is a simple obstacle course that takes place in a mystical labyrinth. All you have to do is reach the destination within the time limit. Of course, the use of Magecraft is allowed and, in fact, encouraged."
After hearing this, Derek’s countenance turned a little dark.
’This is definitely not going to be a simple obstacle course.’ He could already tell that the labyrinth they were about to venture into would contain various traps and dangers.
"The rules are simple. Overcome the hurdles you are presented with and leave through any nearby exit."
’At least there’s more than one...’ Derek heaved a sigh.
"All participants will have different starting points. Although it is highly unlikely, you may run into an examinee during your obstacle course. In that case, you should ignore them and focus on finding your exit."
After explaining everything to them, the proctor glanced in Derek’s direction.
His colleague had specifically told him to watch out for this examinee’s performance.
’The second test examines the various applications of Spells and Runes, as well as the ingenuity of the participant. It’s different from the written test in so many ways. Still...’ Hiding his smile, the proctor returned his attention to the general populace.
Then, he snapped his fingers.
All of a sudden, a brilliant surge of light, followed by a vast surge of energy, swirled around the one hundred and five examinees.
One moment, they marveled at the effects of the mysterious Rune, and in the next—
—They vanished.
Now standing alone in the field, the man placed both hands in his pockets as he stared meaningfully into the empty space.
’... I look forward to what you’ll show me.’