LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 50
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Episode 50
Underwater Operations (1)
Buzz—.
As I stepped out into the arena shrouded in the “Veil of Silence,” I could hear a murmuring sound from all around.
Just as I expected.
The audience, having witnessed Riley use “Lightning Magic,” looked at her with strange eyes, whispering amongst themselves.
In truth, the audience consisted only of applicants who had passed the second selection exam along with a few administrators.
[Wow….]
Regardless, I couldn’t help but marvel.
[Those eyes are like they’re staring at a complete monster.]
Riley also nodded in satisfaction, a pleased expression on her face.
‘The purpose of promotion seems to have been perfectly accomplished.’
[Yep.]
It was absolutely flawless.
The spectators kept gazing at Riley with astonished looks.
Well, naturally, there was no way they wouldn’t look at her like that.
After all, it was unprecedented for a magician who had yet to undergo a second awakening to wield the power of “Attributes.”
“I can’t believe it…”
It wasn’t just the audience who held such gazes.
“…I can’t believe she actually completed her attribute awakening.”
Garon Theobalt approached Riley, mumbling. He sighed deeply and asked her.
“How on earth did you manage that? Awakening your attributes before undergoing the second awakening?”
Experiencing “Attribute Awakening” before the second awakening was an act against the principles of magic.
An occurrence that could never happen naturally.
Therefore, any ordinary magician would surely be left questioning that process.
Of course, we had been preparing an excuse for quite some time now.
“I gained enlightenment.”
Enlightenment.
Such an abstract term.
“During the second selection exam, while fighting against Count Theobalt, something suddenly came to mind.”
“…”
“I didn’t want to lose that sensation, so I locked myself in my room for five days and meditated, and before I knew it, I had achieved ‘Attribute Awakening.’”
Enlightenment strikes unexpectedly.
Moreover, it doesn’t discriminate against the subject, and the methods or triggers vary from person to person.
That’s why ‘enlightenment’ is conceptual and mystical to the point that it’s somewhat difficult to explain in detail to others.
What could they even say if we claimed we gained enlightenment? Well, there was no real way for the other side to dispute it.
“Indeed…”
Furthermore, Riley was a genius that no one could deny. And geniuses typically struggle to explain their experiences.
Especially in the field of ‘magic.’
Thanks to that, such vague excuses always tended to work well.
“…It seems my eyes weren’t wrong.”
As expected, upon hearing Riley’s reply, Garon Theobalt nodded in understanding.
“Riley, you are a genius.”
“…”
“However, don’t become overwhelmed by your talent. Laziness is a more lethal poison than anything else. Keep honing your skills steadily and diligently…”
Honestly, he was a nagging old man.
But still, well.
It was all advice aimed to help.
“Hey, Riley.”
“…?”
Suddenly, another voice came from behind us.
Turning my gaze towards the direction of the voice, I saw someone walking towards us.
It was Becky.
“Ahem…”
Seeing her, Garon Theobalt’s expression slightly hardened.
By the way he coughed and trailed off, it seemed he was uncomfortable around Becky.
Sorry, Garon Theobalt, but for now, I had to ignore him.
It was time to talk with Becky.
“Great job! I saw you awakened the Lightning attributes just now?”
“Ah, yes.”
Getting closer, Becky smirked and smiled.
“Lightning… Well, it pairs well with your chaotic and scattered personality.”
I wasn’t sure who was calling who chaotic.
Anyway.
After glancing around the audience, Becky murmured.
“By the way, aren’t you going to thank me? I gathered all those people for you, you know?”
Becky was the one who spread the rumors.
Using dozens of clones, she informed everyone that Riley and Gilbert’s duel was happening.
Thanks to that, administrators and applicants were able to gather in less than half a day.
If it weren’t for Becky, Riley’s ‘Attribute Awakening Promotion Plan’ would have never succeeded.
“Come on, hurry up. You should say thank you.”
“…”
Becky wore a proud expression as she urged Riley for a thank you.
However, Riley unbotheredly replied.
“If you think about it, Miss Becky, you also passed the selection exam thanks to me.”
“…”
“So, hurry up and say thank you.”
Riley mirrored Becky’s words, smiling.
Yeah.
To use such a small favor as leverage when she had passed the selection exam thanks to us was shameless.
“Tsk…”
Left with nothing to say, Becky started to roll her eyes and grumble.
“…You really won’t say a word in the end, huh?”
Well, after that, the mages in the audience began to gather on stage one after another.
“Wow! Amazing! Our Riley really is something! How can someone so pretty also be so good at magic? Goodness!”
Dorothy jumped up and down, genuinely congratulating Riley on her “Attribute Awakening.”
Now that I think about it, her voice and mannerisms were somewhat similar to Becky’s.
Except for the slight charm.
“Congratulations! I’m really curious about how you achieved your ‘Attribute Awakening.’ If you wrote a thesis on that subject, you’d definitely win the ‘Wizard of the Year’ award.”
Arphel Stingwood also couldn’t hide his admiration.
Of course, his interest was more focused on “Attribute Awakening” than Riley.
“It was incredibly impressive to see you take down Gilbert in one blow! That swift lightning magic! It was truly astonishing!”
Additionally, another applicant who had just started chatting offered his greetings.
His name was Darin Underblade.
He was a member of Pamela and Gilbert’s team who passed the second exam. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about his potential.
[Haaam…].
In that moment, I yawned without realizing it.
It was boring.
The formal compliments from other applicants didn’t evoke any feelings in me.
No matter how they thought, it had nothing to do with me.
The truth was, what we needed to pay attention to was not the reactions of these applicants…but…
Tap—.
…Right.
We should pay attention to those people’s reactions.
“Ahem.”
In a place where all the passers from the second exam had gathered.
Just as the conversation was heating up, someone’s cough suddenly silenced the bustling auditorium.
“…”
“…”
Tap, tap—.
The clacking of heels echoed again.
Everyone’s gaze turned towards that direction.
“It seems everyone has gathered in one place.”
Gray hair cascading down to the ankles.
A mischievous smile always present around her eyes, and a leisurely stride.
[She has finally arrived.]
It was the familiar figure of the Head Administrator.
Following her, other administrators from the ruin hall began to line up one by one.
“Hmmm…”
Now stopping in front of the applicants, the administrator smiled lazily and spoke again.
“Shall I take this opportunity to convey the additional announcement regarding the final selection exam?”
No one responded.
Seeing the silence as a positive sign, the administrator nodded and continued.
“Very well then.”
Snap—!
Swoosh—.
With a snap of her fingers, parchment appeared in thin air.
The administrator received it with one hand and smiled as she slowly began to speak.
“Now I shall convey the additional announcement.”
The formal start of the final exam had begun.
*
“As I mentioned before, the final exam consists of one-on-one interviews with the heads of each magic tower.”
I had heard that five days ago.
The final exam involved individual interviews with the heads of each tower.
The details of the exam would vary by tower. The results of passing or failing relied solely on the head of the tower.
[In short, they will gauge the applicants’ dispositions through the interviews.]
If the disposition of the tower aligns with that of the individual applicant, they pass, and if not, they fail.
At first glance, it didn’t seem all that different from a typical interview.
“The Five Great Towers each hold one ‘Selection Right.’”
[……Selection Right?]
I focused my ears on the unfamiliar concept as the administrator continued.
The gist of her explanation was roughly this.
Selection Right.
This allowed each tower to appoint one applicant prior to the one-on-one interviews taking place two days later.
The administrator began explaining this “Selection Right.”
“The applicant blessed with the Selection Right will have their interview with that specific tower first.”
In other words, if an applicant was granted the Selection Right from Tower A, they would meet with Tower A first.
“If the applicant’s admission into the tower is decided during that meeting, all subsequent scheduled meetings will be canceled.”
Essentially, it was a structure where towers could directly snatch an applicant they favored.
The Selection Right can be viewed as a kind of invitation.
It’s akin to saying to the applicant, “Come to us. We’ll support you in every way. We’ve been observing you throughout the selection exam.”
‘Then, getting the Selection Right means a magician has essentially passed the selection exam, right?’
[Yep.]
Of course, if the magician who received the Selection Right didn’t wish to join that tower, then it’s a different story…
But, how many such cases could there even be?
Just being able to enter one of the Five Great Towers was already a tremendous blessing.
“Administrator! Administrator!”
At that moment.
Dorothy, who was next to me, began to jump and wave her hands.
The administrator looked at her.
“Do you have a question?”
“Yes!”
Brightly replying, Dorothy lowered her hand and posed her question.
“So what happens if someone receives two or more Selection Rights? How do they decide the order of their interviews?”
“The applicant can choose the order themselves.”
“Oh wow.”
So getting double Selection Rights was indeed possible.
From the towers’ perspective, it would definitely be a headache.
They would have to engage in a subtle battle over who to give the Selection Right to.
‘But, Administrator.’
[What is it?]
‘The fact that they’re announcing the Selection Rights now means that the list must have been finalized a day or two ago, right?’
Well, that’s plausible.
They wouldn’t announce a list that was composed just 10 minutes ago.
‘Then, there wouldn’t have been any reason for our public duel.’
[……Huh?]
That is true.
They would have completed the list of “Selection Rights” before promoting Riley’s “Attribute Awakening”…
[……There was truly no reason for the public duel.]
Tsk.
I felt a disappointment wash over me.
Why couldn’t we have started the work on Attribute Awakening just a day earlier?
Actually, we should’ve started right after we finished the selection exam and recovered in the temple.
Then at least we would have secured one “Selection Right.”
[But, you know, it’s fine if we don’t have a Selection Right, right?]
Because……
[In any case, whether we get the Selection Right or not, our choice is still only one.]
‘That’s true.’
The Selection Rights were merely an invitation.
The choice was ultimately up to the applicants.
And there was really only one option for me and Riley.
Yan Irantes.
We will head to the “Irantes Magic Tower,” where that scoundrel rules as the master.
“Now, I will announce which ‘Selection Rights’ each tower has chosen.”
In the auditorium on the third floor of the Arphel Grand Hotel.
In this space where all the applicants held their breath, the administrator began to call out the names of the magicians who received the Selection Rights.
“The first, the Selection from the Blue Tower of Yucuria.”
“…”
The Yucuria Tower.
The first tower established simultaneously with the founding of the Empire. Rooted in the “Yucuria School,” it gave rise to the great mage Ian Shishikin, solidifying its influence.
Well, as you might guess from the name Ian Shishikin, it also had quite a history with me.
And the choice of the Yucuria Tower was…
“…Garon Edward von Theobalt.”
It was Garon Theobalt.
“Hmm…”
Nods—.
The applicants all seemed to agree with Yucuria Tower’s choice, nodding their heads in unison.
Not a single person raised a question.
‘It appears to be an expected atmosphere.’
[Yep.]
I guessed this atmosphere might continue on.
They did mention needing a sense of discernment, but most towers would naturally use the Selection Right on Garon Theobalt.
The reason being, as mentioned multiple times, the Five Great Towers sought fully-fledged magicians.
And currently, in the Empire, no one had gotten to the height of accomplishment more than he had.
“The second, the Selection from the White Tower of Dwight.”
“…”
“Garon Edward von Theobalt.”
“The third, the Selection from the Violet Tower of Gaya.”
“…”
“Garon Edward von Theobalt.”
As expected, the next two towers also chose Garon Theobalt for their Selection Rights.
“Wow, is that old man going to sweep up all the Selection Rights…?”
Dorothy murmured, mouth agape.
That just goes to show how overwhelming Garon Theobalt’s presence was.
The commander of the magical troops at the Western Front, the Empire’s finest shield, a high-ranking magician, and so on—his titles made his reputation soar to the skies.
Unless something unusual happened, I was sure he would take the remaining tower’s Selection Rights as well.
“The fourth, the Selection from the Red Tower of Yadon-Gratan.”
But, there’s always a twist.
And that twist didn’t take long to arrive.
“Olivia Mage Triwizard.”
[……Huh?]
An entirely unexpected name.
Suspicious glances from the applicants all focused on Olivia.
Only Pamela nodded up and down with a frightened expression.
Nod, nod, nod—.
Oh, just to mention…
Pamela was huddled in a corner, trembling, while serving as a pillow for the unconscious Gilbert.
Is Olivia that terrifying simply by being in the same space?
Now, I felt a bit sorry for him.
The most renowned Pathfinder from Wilhelm was reduced to this state.
What could possibly have caused such deep PTSD…
[Well, aside from that.]
Swoosh—.
Riley and I diverted our gazes towards Olivia.
Excessively focused upon, she stammered as always, glancing around nervously.
“Uh, uh…”
Thump—!
“…Ah, oh!”
Someone suddenly poked Olivia from behind.
It was Becky.
“What’s this? You dimwit, you’re from the Mage-Triwizard family?”
“Uh, um, that is…”
“Right! That’s why your talents make sense!”
“Uh, uh…”
“But you’re quite a rare breed! With that lineage and talent, learning ancient magic isn’t a waste?”
At that moment.
“Rebecca Duncan.”
“What, why are you calling me, you old geezer?”
Garon Theobalt, standing nearby, called out to Becky with an unhappy expression.
“You might not have been aware since you weren’t there, but Lady Olivia has succeeded in manifesting lost ancient magic.”
“…What?”
Becky replied.
“Don’t kid me, old man. Who are you trying to prank…?”
“Pardon me for interrupting,”
The administrator interjected, cutting off Becky’s words.
It seemed to be an action meant to prevent any further delays in the proceedings.
“Lord Garon Theobalt’s words are indeed true.”
“…”
“Miss Olivia has manifested ancient magic. The head of the Red Tower of Yadon-Gratan has taken an interest in her abilities.”
“Uh, uh… wait, really?”
Becky’s expression turned blank as she processed the administrator’s testimony.
[Well… if Yadon-Gratan chose her, it wouldn’t be strange.]
As far as I knew, the first head of the Red Tower, ‘Yadon-Gratan,’ was also an ancient magic enthusiast like Olivia.
True to their identity as a Red Tower, Yadon-Gratan initially specialized in powerful magic, like wide-area spells.
Though their fame had waned over time since such firepower became unnecessary…
They still held strong in the “Five Great Towers” thanks to their aggressive lineage.
With Olivia successfully demonstrating ancient magic, it’s perfectly reasonable for Yadon-Gratan to want to reclaim their past glory and focus on her.
[They played their cards well.]
While everyone was fixated on Garon Theobalt, it appeared that the ‘Yadon-Gratan Tower’ made a wise selection.
Anyway.
I briefly brushed off the interference that stirred up the auditorium.
“Lastly, the fifth.”
Now it was time to find out who would receive the final Selection Right.
“The Selection from the Colorless Tower of Irantes.”
Yan Irantes.
I wondered who that filthy scoundrel would choose.
“…”
Pausing briefly.
The administrator’s gaze skimmed the parchment’s edge before stopping for a moment.
Smirk—.
[……?]
A subtle, mysterious smile appeared on her lips.
“Riley.”
“…”
“Yan Irantes, the Master of the Irantes Tower, has chosen to exercise the Selection Right on you.”