Marina and I entered the lounge alone.
I sat on the sofa while Marina stayed standing, glaring at me.
"Bold, aren't you? Do you really think you can take the exam?"
"I have a recommendation. Why wouldn't I be able to?"
"That recommendation is the problem."
The Deputy Lord is the person in charge of this exam.
He creates the questions and chooses the final winner.
Since he recommended me, there will be claims of unfairness.
Marina scoffed.
"Go on, run and beg to be excused now. Do you have any idea how important this exam is? A fool like you…."
"You're thinking about your and your uncle's future, right?"
I was trying to focus on my task, but she kept buzzing at me, making concentration impossible.
Marina raised her eyebrows sharply.
"You're stupid. Do you really think one exam could affect your uncle's future?"
Though she acted bold, there was a trace of fluster in her eyes.
'I should stop talking so she doesn't bother me further.'
"You ran to your uncle asking for help because I caught that you involved the alchemist, didn't you?"
"…!"
"Before your uncle could even help you, the Deputy Lord caught him embezzling military funds."
"…!"
"You must have thought you'd be expelled and went to the extreme of kidnapping candidates."
"…!"
Marina went pale.
Her expression asked how I knew all that.
'I may not know about the kidnapping, but the first two involve me.'
With just a little reasoning, I could figure out why the kidnapping—which wasn't in the game story—happened.
"Ah, no. My uncle and I…!"
Even after I said that much, Marina shouted.
I sighed.
"Enough excuses. If you don't quiet down…"
I showed her my clenched fist.
Marina flinched, recalling the time I had flipped her and made her cry.
Finally, she went quiet.
'Good. Now I can think without distractions.'
The important thing now was the exam.
If I failed, I wouldn't be able to stay in this castle.
'No, I probably wouldn't be able to live in this city either.'
I had already provoked the Viscount of San Miguel.
So somehow, I had to pass this exam.
'I've played this game before, so I know the exam content.'
But this exam was prepared by the Deputy Lord.
Since I was recommended by him, the content would likely be changed for fairness.
Especially if the Viscount of San Miguel had recruited his retainers.
Then the exam would favor Marina.
'If I were the Deputy Lord, what kind of exam would I suggest?'
And it would have to be a condition that the Viscount of San Miguel would eagerly accept…
I shivered and grabbed my skirt.
'If my guess is right, this exam is a guaranteed failure.'
It was a game I couldn't possibly win.
Colosseum Inside the Castle
When the time came, Marina and I were called and looked up at the stage.
The Viscount of San Miguel and the Deputy Lord stood side by side on the platform.
The terraced seats of the Colosseum were filled with retainers and guards.
The Viscount spoke.
"Marina Galban."
"Yes!"
"Yustea Unknown."
"Yes."
He emphasized the lack of a family name.
The retainers, thinking this was a prince's apprentice selection, looked displeased.
Sending a commoner for a prince's apprentice exam didn't make sense.
The kidnapped candidates were noble girls, even if their families' prestige had fallen.
They couldn't just let the girls be kidnapped.
'So the exam that fits all these conditions is….'
"The one who finds the kidnapped girls will be the winner of this exam."
I shut my eyes tightly.
'As expected.'
Unlike me, Marina struggled to suppress her cheers.
After all, the girls had been kidnapped by Marina's uncle.
It was almost as if she already knew the answer.
The Viscount continued.
"Marina Galban and Yustea Unknown, each take seven soldiers from San Miguel to form search squads."
Marina frowned this time.
The elite among San Miguel's soldiers were all irregulars.
So, I, recommended by the Deputy Lord, could form a far superior search squad.
"This exam will be broadcast through the magical realm."
After saying that, the Viscount sat in the chair on the stage.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
With the sound of stamping feet, the soldiers lined up behind the Colosseum appeared before us.
Antonio glared at the Viscount with a resentful expression.
One of Antonio's subordinates spoke with determination.
"Shall we kill them?"
"When I give the signal…."
At that moment, the Deputy Lord, seated next to Antonio, said:
"Do not kill. Do not signal."
The subordinate, who had drawn a weapon, froze and sheathed it.
But Antonio still looked displeased.
"Does this exam even make sense?"
"Write that down," the Deputy Lord said, smacking Antonio on the back of his head.
"If the exam weren't favorable to her, Yustea wouldn't even get to take it. It's equally absurd that I, the person in charge, would recommend a participant."
"But the Deputy Lord said he wouldn't judge," Antonio said.
"To prevent complaints of fairness if Yustea passes," replied the Deputy Lord.
Antonio frowned.
'He said "if."'
The Deputy Lord hadn't assumed Yustea would pass the exam.
"You don't trust her? Then why make her take the exam?"
"…."
"Why push a kid into a fight she's sure to lose and just watch?"
Antonio, a former gladiator, understood how cruel hope could be.
Victory here meant freedom.
Countless gladiators killed family and comrades for that hope.
Antonio glared at the silent Deputy Lord.
One of the Deputy Lord's subordinates explained hesitantly.
"It was unavoidable."
"What kind of person do you turn into circus animals?"
"This exam could not be avoided. The Viscount is targeting Antonio."
"…."
"The Deputy Lord had to choose between Antonio and the girl."
He chose Antonio.
And if a choice was unavoidable, it had to leave some advantage.
Hence, this absurd exam:
'Bring back the kidnapped girls.'
The Viscount eagerly accepted it.
Antonio said sternly:
"Quite the calculation. Only the little teacher suffers."
The Deputy Lord's subordinate glanced awkwardly between Antonio and the Deputy Lord.
"The Deputy Lord tried to make the conditions as fair as possible."
"By letting her select her own team, right?"
"Yes. The little teacher gets along well with the team… so this should help her in the exam… huh?"
The subordinate froze mid-sentence, noticing how Yustea was picking the team.
'The state of the selected soldiers…?'
Antonio stared with cold eyes.
"Where's the advantage in that?"
Yustea picked the soldiers freely.
"One, the big one. Then the bigger one. And the one at the very back. Oh, and the biggest one."
"Why pick only the big ones?!"
The subordinate looked at the Deputy Lord in panic.
The Deputy Lord, who had frowned since Yustea started selecting, covered one eye with his hand.
Yustea had just ruined her own slight advantage.
The subordinate swallowed nervously.
'Doesn't she know what's happening?'
The Viscount had kidnapped the girls, so he would naturally lead Marina to their location.
In that case, they needed stealthy soldiers, not just big ones.
The soldiers under Antonio muttered blankly:
"All of them are tanks."
Strong ones meant to rush in physically. They had no idea about stealth.
"Are we assuming a fight when the girls are found?"
"First, you need to find them. How can you track them with these 2-meter giants?"
"A herd."
"Then…."
"Ah."
Those watching Yustea had a distant look.
'The little teacher… she's picking the strongest-looking ones….'
You can teach letters well, but not this…
Marina, who had been nervous that Yustea might manage her team well, chuckled.
The Viscount laughed and tapped his waist as a signal.
It meant to pick those with red inner armor beneath.
'They are all pros who can use communication birds.'
Communication birds: special birds that can relay situations over a distance. Very useful for search.
Marina organized her team as instructed.
All were soldiers hidden among the Viscount's troops, unrelated to the Deputy Lord or Antonio.
Thus, Yustea's large search squad and Marina's squad were ready.
A whistle blew sharply from the stage.
The exam had begun.
In the Magical Realm
[Then do your best.]
Yustea's cheerful voice rang out.
The big soldiers she picked were…
[Little teacher, are you sure about us?]
[Hmm… should we switch even now?]
…They didn't look confident either.
The spectators in the magical realm burst into laughter.
"Quite an interesting sight."
"I thought she had some amazing skill, given how cocky she was."
"Indeed."
Some retainers recruited by the Viscount teased the Deputy Lord.
Antonio's soldiers muttered among themselves.
"They don't even know the taste of her braised ribs."
"Yustea only likes big ones, but she cooks those ribs perfectly."
"And she brews alcohol well too."
"Yes."
Yustea smiled brightly.
[It's better to move together.]
'I need to spread them out!'
We had to split the seven into four and three to cover maximum area.
The Deputy Lord's subordinate held his head with both hands.
While Yustea struggled to get a sense of the exam, Marina executed it flawlessly.
Forest Near San Miguel Castle
Marina recalled the Viscount's words.
"You'll find the girls' carriage hidden with the forest dwellers in the Beech Mountain region."
'My uncle is impressive.'
He probably chose that place to pin the kidnapping on the forest dwellers.
One subordinate handed her a map.
Marina glanced at the broadcasting magical tool.
"The initial search squads would have scoured the area as soon as the girls were kidnapped."
"Yes."
"And the fact they weren't found means someone familiar with San Miguel's terrain did it."
"Where do you have in mind?"
Marina pointed at two spots on the map.
"A mining village familiar with underground tunnels. And… a forest dweller village that knows Beech Mountain well."
You can't act like you know the answer too obviously. Performance matters.
'I'll make at least one fake option for you, Yustea.'
I wasn't sure if those big soldiers could act stealthily, but let's see them try.
"Let's split into two teams of four each for the search."
"Yes."
"You four take the mining village. The three of us go to Beech Mountain forest."
The knights stomped in unison.
Back at the Colosseum
Antonio's soldiers groaned.
Marina's team in the magical realm moved seamlessly.
The retainers were pleased.
"The mining village and forest dwellers' village? Makes sense."
"Those two areas were especially rebellious against the castle."
"Now we see Marina's broad perspective."
The Viscount smiled.
"She treats San Miguel's matters as her own. Though recommending her niece was awkward, I trusted she would do her best for San Miguel."
"A wise choice."
While the Viscount and retainers exchanged smiles, Antonio's expression soured.
Marina could act so well because she knew the answer.
Moreover, her chosen soldiers were skilled in searches.
[Mining village. Near view. Arrived.]
[Forest. Entrance. Arrived.]
"They're using communication birds."
The Deputy Lord's subordinate frowned.
"If found on one side, they can regroup immediately."
"Team composed of soldiers who can use communication birds? The Viscount is ruthless."
Antonio's soldiers muttered.
There was no way Yustea could turn this around.
'I guess we just have to be satisfied with finding the girls.'
The Deputy Lord's subordinate sighed.
Yustea was talented in many ways, but this exam was unfortunate.
Had she not participated, she might have stayed as a subordinate.
The fact she entered this exam purely out of goodwill for Chari and Antonio made it even more painful.
Then…
"Huh?"
The Deputy Lord's subordinate flinched, seeing the magical realm.
[Mining village. Near view. Girl. Found.]
A communication bird on a subordinate's shoulder chirped this.
The Viscount, watching the broadcast with a smile, immediately stiffened.
'What?'
The girls were in the forest dwellers' village, not the mining village.
Yet it said they were found in the mining village?
Marina, in the magical realm, also looked confused.
[Impossible. Not the mining village…!]
She then noticed the broadcasting magical tool and covered her mouth.
Marina brushed her hair back, deep in thought.
The Viscount hurriedly looked at his aide.
The aide whispered urgently:
"They weren't moved from the forest dwellers' village."
"Then why did the communication bird…!"
At that moment, Antonio, shielding his forehead with his hand, said:
"On that tree… isn't that the little teacher?"
A girl sat on a thick branch, playing a small flute.
The flute couldn't be heard, but every time she played the notes…
[Mining village. Near view. Girl. Found.]
The communication bird reported.
Antonio and some of his soldiers recalled Yustea's self-introduction in the cave:
"Yustea Andres, 15! Daughter of the Viscount of Andres, expelled three years ago! Since then, dishwashing, information disruption, taking bets at the market…."
'Right. Information disruption…!'
Antonio and his subordinate soldiers sprang up.
"Waaaaah─!"
"Waaaah─!!"
They roared like thunder.