Ch.147Exam (3)

*

Just from Silvia’s rigid expression, it was easy to see how flustered she was.

She probably intended to end this with a surprise attack as soon as I opened the door, so it was no wonder she was shocked that I had read her thoughts.

One might think it was a bit much for her to resort to such ambush tactics when she was far stronger than me, but I had no intention of condemning her as a coward.

I already knew that Silvia preferred a strategy of overwhelming force and merciless, one-sided violence to break her opponent’s hostility along with their will.

Certainly, based on the adventure stories she had shared with me and my observations of her so far, Silvia’s tactics might not be very heroic, but they were undeniably effective.

However, I knew her too well to fall victim to such an ambush.

“…!”

Was it experience, or a habit built up over years?

Even before her surprised expression had faded, she was already preparing her next attack.

Another piece of ice had appeared in her palm, settling into position.

No, it was too large to be called a piece.

It was a massive sphere of ice, a chunk too big to fit in a single fist.

Just as I was about to protest the almost artillery shell-sized ice,

I saw Silvia’s ice-gripping hand draw far back.

“Damn it!”

Her hand shot forward, hurling the ice.

I kept my eyes fixed on her arm until the last moment, then rolled sharply to the right while casting a spell.

In my haste, I only managed to create a spark the size of a fingernail, but that was enough.

After all, I had Pia.

“Pia!”

As I felt a small amount of magical power drain from my body, the tiny spark before me instantly transformed into the shape of a large fox.

It melted all the snow and frozen soil around us, and the dried grass blades burned and scattered into the air.

A wind carrying intense heat tousled my hair completely.

Shielding my eyes with my arm to keep the hot embers and ash out, I lowered it slightly to look at Pia.

“Impressive…”

The back view of the fox engulfed in roaring flames was incredibly reassuring, truly worthy of being called a guardian spirit.

“Ash, wait…!”

Pia called out to me urgently.

At the same time, through the flickering flames and heat haze, I saw Silvia frozen in an awkward stance.

She still held the ice in her hand.

“It’s a feint!”

Oh no.

So she had only pretended to throw it earlier.

Just as Pia was about to intensify her flames again,

the ice, flying at a speed too fast to even hear, pierced through Pia’s flames and straight through my left shoulder.

“Gah,”

Swoosh,

Only after the sharp pain shot through my shoulder did I hear the sound of air being cut.

Even more vivid than the pain was the chill that ran down my spine.

If this had hit my head, I would have died instantly, with no chance for holy power healing or anything else.

“Ugh, isn’t this going too far?”

“…The Demon Lord is far more dangerous than this.”

“I’m not talking about the power, but… how long has it been since the test started and you’re already using fake-throw feints… there should be limits even to unfairness.”

“Even falling for such a simple deception can cause you great harm, Ash. This is the journey you’re choosing to undertake.”

Silvia created more ice in her palm.

Two pieces this time.

She slowly rolled the two chunks of ice in her palm as she murmured.

“A hero’s job is to somehow navigate through unreasonably dangerous situations where death could come at any moment.”

I sighed and said.

“I’m reminded again of how amazing my wife is.”

“Not falling for flattery or sweet talk from an opponent during battle is also a hero’s virtue.”

“Oh? Then I won’t say such things again.”

“Threats are the same.”

“Ha, damn it.”

No, even having this conversation meant Silvia was already giving me time to recover.

While talking, I slowly examined my injured shoulder.

My left arm wouldn’t move.

More precisely, I could move it, but it hurt too much to be of any use.

I could still clench my left fist, so I hadn’t completely lost the use of my arm, but I definitely couldn’t lift it.

I pressed down hard on my bleeding shoulder, gritted my teeth, and staggered to my feet.

Through the blazing flames, I heard Pia’s voice.

“Ash, what’s the plan?”

“Ugh, what plan… we go with what we discussed earlier.”

“That strategy requires getting close to that woman… Ash, in your condition…”

“Huff… I can do it.”

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

My legs, which I had been training for the past few weeks, were still in good shape.

“I have my own little pride.”

“…?”

“I may have no talent for magic, be a coward, hate fighting, and still can’t handle spirit arts at all…”

I slowly circulated magical power throughout my body.

It wasn’t a particularly meaningful action.

It didn’t heal my injured shoulder, strengthen my body, or enhance my magic power—it just made casting magic slightly easier,

essentially just a way to gather my thoughts.

But since childhood, I often enveloped myself in magical power before facing something important.

Like when preparing for difficult written exams assigned by my private tutors.

“I’ve never failed a test yet.”

History, liberal arts, religious studies, and other written exams; practical magic exams I’d stayed up all night preparing for; and even Silvia’s ice-melting test.

Of course, I failed the ice-melting test several times before passing, but that was before I learned the trick. Once I got a simple tip from Silvia, I managed to pass somehow.

It might seem utterly insignificant to boast about in front of a legendary hero who had forced the Demon Lord into hiding, but it was a childish sincerity that welled up from deep within me whenever my self-esteem was shaken.

I’m good at tests.

It was one of my few points of pride.

“Ha,”

Whether she found it absurd or so pathetic that it was somewhat endearing, Silvia gave a faint smile.

Meanwhile, Pia whispered very softly through the flames.

“You didn’t get into the Academy.”

I whispered back, quietly enough that Silvia couldn’t hear.

“I gave up on the Academy entrance exam before even taking it because I knew I wouldn’t make it, so that doesn’t count.”

“Hmph,”

“And Pia, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Ah. Right.”

*

Silvia observed Ash for a moment.

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

Even though it was hidden by his clothes, she could clearly see his shoulder line slightly slumped compared to the right one.

She knew that pain that would be unbearable for an ordinary person must be throbbing in Ash’s shoulder.

However, Ash hadn’t collapsed.

Judging by how he could still make jokes, he wasn’t frightened or confused by the pain, and though his brow furrowed from the pain, his legs stood firmly on the ground, showing that his physical balance hadn’t been greatly disturbed.

Recalling their first meeting when he had appeared before her with an already battered body, Ash’s self-destructive tendencies seemed to bolster his mental fortitude to some extent.

Certainly, for Ash, who was more shocked by others dying than by his own injuries, this level of pain seemed bearable.

But more than his mental state, what truly surprised Silvia was that Ash’s body hadn’t given out.

“…You’ve gotten stronger.”

Silvia murmured softly.

Having spent the past days as his training instructor, Silvia couldn’t help but find the visible results of Ash’s training quite endearing.

A warm feeling spread through Silvia’s heart.

When had she felt this emotion before?

Was it when she saw that the mouse she had secretly fed at the training camp was pregnant?

Silvia closed her eyes briefly to savor this warm feeling.

“But that aside.”

Silvia opened her eyes again.

The warmth and hint of a smile had completely vanished from her crimson eyes.

“So you won’t break easily, huh.”

Silvia firmly gripped the two ice chunks in both hands.

The ice surface, almost as hard as rock, caved in with small cracking sounds, conforming to the shape of her fingers.

As a result, the two pieces of ice fit perfectly in her hands.

They wouldn’t wobble, making them ideal for throwing.

Silvia called out to Ash.

“Ash.”

“What?”

“To pass, you’ll need to dodge… but I’ll ask you anyway, don’t dodge.”

“…Why?”

Silvia stared at her target standing beyond the flames and heat haze with predatory eyes.

“Because if you move carelessly and get hit in the head, there’ll be no coming back.”