42 – Entrance exam (3)

The summit of Mount Grace was not very high.

However, because of the long ridge, it took a long time to move down the gentle slope.

‘Do I really have to go this far?’

Cecil was quite dissatisfied with Eternia’s test method.

I thought the test itself was biased in favor of the Ministry of Combat and the Ministry of Magic, who had excellent combat skills.

The Faculty of Magic and the Department of Alchemy, which were relatively weak in responding to Plantera, had to follow behind others.

‘I’d rather take a different test for each department.’

Cecile was also in a situation where she was following someone.

A few steps ahead of her was a man wearing a mask.

The paths just coincidentally overlapped. Like people passing by on the street, they didn’t greet each other or say aloud.

However, when Plantera came, partial cooperation was achieved by taking charge of each area, so it was not completely ignoring each other.

There are only a handful of advanced vanguards, and even those are scattered all over the place, avoiding the Plantera swarm.

So it was good not to fall apart when I met anyone. Since this man and I seem to have different faculties, there was no particular reason to compete.

And so the quiet companionship began.

Cecil had watched him from behind fighting Plantera.

Even if several Planteras rushed at it, it handled it skillfully, and the way it handled it was quite unique.

Insert a wooden sword into the joint and twist to dislocate it.

It was closer to the feeling of dismantling rather than cutting.

test… rather than a technician. It wasn’t fancy, but it was quite effective.

Anyway, thanks to the man, I was able to save magic bombs and magic stones.

Occasionally the man would turn his head to check Cecil. As if he was trying to make sure she was following along.

I don’t know what the man was thinking, but Cecile had no plans to stay with him to the end.

I have no intention of making friends. It was only for convenience to accompany them to the first base indicated on the map.

On the way, the masked man sat down on a rock and asked for a break.

Cecile also noticed and stopped about ten paces away.

While I was taking a break, I was thinking of clearing things up that bothered me.

Cecile hooked the cone hat she was wearing on a tree branch and drew out a dagger.

After that, the hem of the dusty black linen dress was cut so that her thighs were exposed, and the side slit was left out.

It was then that I felt refreshed.

‘It’ll be a little easier to climb a mountain now.’

Throwing away the cut pieces of clothing, she took a cigarette from her bag, bit on it, and lit it.

The man was watching Cecile closely as she spewed puffy smoke.

‘what… .’

It was difficult to trust blindly because he wore a mask and didn’t talk.

Seeing him carrying a wooden sword to the entrance exam, he seemed to be in an unusual state of mind.

‘It might be a strange guy, so I’ll have to do some research.’

After breaking the silence, Cecile finally spoke first.

“Hey you.”

the man responds

“What are you so twisted about? Is this your first time looking at a woman’s thighs?”

“… … .”

There is no answer.

“Are you a pervert? Why are you wearing a mask?”

No response to this either.

Cecile tossed out the burning tobacco and took out a new one.

“Why are you so frustrated? Can’t you hear me?”

Do not respond to provocative questions.

Because her face is covered, she can’t read her insides.

‘I don’t know what you’re thinking.’

Rather, it felt like Cecile was caught up in the man’s pace.

The man quietly observed her face, then suddenly stood up and began to approach Cecile.

“… Well?”

Cecile, taken aback as the distance narrowed, took a slight alert.

The wooden sword was placed on a rock, so it didn’t seem like it was meant to be a threat.

Still, just in case, Cecile put one hand on her bag so that she could take out the magic bomb right away.

Facing Cecile, the man rummaged through his pockets before pulling out something and handing it to her.

“… what.”

Concerned, Cecile carefully held out her palm, and a finely wrapped candy fell on it.

“candy?”

she said with a suspicious expression.

“Do you know what poison is in here? Haven’t you heard that you shouldn’t eat candy from strangers to your mother?”

“… .”

The man took the candy back, lifted the mask slightly, and put it in his mouth.

It seemed like the intention was to prove that there was nothing in person.

Suddenly, a faint scent of gardenia flowed from the man’s body.

‘Suddenly, what kind of scent is this?’

He took another candy out of his pocket and placed it in Cecil’s hand.

Then he left her and left.

Cecile rubbed the tobacco with her foot and put the candy in her mouth.

The thick, acrid aftertaste of tobacco was erased and the scent of lilac flowers spread.

Cecile muttered for a moment, contemplating.

It didn’t take long to come to a conclusion.

“… You don’t look like a weird guy.”

Cecil took the cone hat and followed the man who had left.

***

About three hundred people entered Grace Mountain.

Some of the applicants who remained in the test site recovered their bodies with potions and magic, and tried to forcefully enter again, but were thrown out.

Lilith looked at the entrance of the mountain range, now darkened by the setting sun, with a depressed face.

It was not possible to solve everything just by entering.

Of the advance party that entered first, about forty were carried on Plantera’s shoulders and thrown back to the test site.

Even if you go in, if you fail once, will you come back to the starting point?

Witnessing that scene, now that peaceful Mount Grace felt like a huge labyrinth or dungeon.

Applicants seemed to realize it themselves now. It’s just that it won’t work if you push it with the number of people in a crowd.

It was impossible to break through to the top without meticulous strategy and systematic team play.

Perhaps because of that, among the remaining applicants at the exam center, the movement to find a group has become active.

Information was also closely shared between the vanguards who entered first and then spit out.

All they said was the same.

“Follow the path that the kids who went first pierced.”

It was said to follow the path paved by people like Luna, Shion, and Gale as starters.

Because the advance team is dragging the Plantera, the speed of breaking through will be very slow.

For that reason, the second team was able to pursue it quickly.

There were some things that Lilith found out herself while carefully observing the other applicants.

It is that Plantera does not respond aggressively to those who are exhausted or have run out of magic power. It seemed like a mechanism planted to prevent casualties.

This can be used strategically, but no one has been able to catch it.

‘I’m the only one who needs to know this.’

There were also quite a few people who approached Lilith and suggested a group.

“I was here. Lilith, there is only a wizard seat left, so come join our group.”

A man didn’t listen to her answer, grabbed her wrist and pulled her out half forcefully.

It was Jerome, an old acquaintance of Lilith, one of those who wrote to her every time and pampered her.

She shook her hand and said.

“Let me think about it.”

“No, why is this? Will it be late if I think about it? You’ve already formed a group and are determined to start at dawn?”

“yes. Thank you for your consideration. I’ll take care of it.”

He said, frowning slightly dissatisfied.

“Tsk, yes. I’ll wait until night, so tell me when you’ve got your thoughts sorted out. It’s all late, so don’t regret it then.”

Lilith replied coldly.

“yes. thanks.”

In the body of a woman, you have to camp in the mountains at night. In such a situation, I couldn’t be with a man who gave me a sly look and was accusing me.

A colleague had to be a woman or a man who had no feelings for Lilith.

Those who remained here were not trustworthy in terms of their skills or feelings.

Thinking about it, someone’s image kept flickering in Lilith’s mind.

The image of him dealing with three thieves alone.

A man who is cunning, has some skills as an advance guard, and has no interest in Lilith.

I felt uncomfortable and tried to shake it off, but to no avail.

Even if you close your eyes and shake your head, the answer is the same.

‘If it’s that man, he must be breaking through alone. Because the personality itself is that shape.’

Other advance party members will already have groups formed.

He was the only person in the advance party that could be considered a colleague.

If we started now, Lilith could have joined by the time the majority of the advance party reached the first base.

She finally made up her mind and walked away alone from the crowd of volunteers.

Then, the spirit was strengthened. Soon, only a speck of magic was left behind, and the rest was released into the air.

A feeling of extreme fatigue soon set in.

In preparation for physical problems, I brought a lot of vitality potions.

Lilith suddenly gulped down a potion that was twice the recommended amount per day.

Then, I struggled to the foot of the mountain where there was no light.

The Planteras quietly let her go, but no one witnessed it.

***

We lit a bonfire and prepared for camp.

Cecil shamelessly held out her hand to the masked man grilling fish beside her.

“Hey, give me one more.”

The man seemed to be thinking for a moment.

“hurry! Give me another one and I’ll give you important information.”

He reluctantly took a candy from his pocket and handed it to me.

Cecil had become a colleague with this man, whom she had not even spoken to.

At least until we arrived at the base, I planned to move with him as a team.

Cecile put the candy in her mouth and checked the letter.

There were four stitches hovering around the campfire.

She finally reached the news with her colleagues who had been scattered in the chaos, and was being informed of the progress.

“The kids who reached the base tried to go further, but they were all blocked by the Plantera gatekeeper.”

There was a gorge halfway up the mountain road to the summit. It was the first base and safe zone marked on the map.

“Are you listening?”

He nods.

“The gatekeeper must be very big and strong. They say they are holding out one by one in the canyon and other detours.”

Cecile received a letter from another Stitch and opened it and read it.

“And… Gail and Victor. People of interest, including Iris and Luna, failed to break through and remain at the base?”

All of them were talented enough to aim for the top spot in each department.

When she finished speaking, the man quietly took out a candy from his pocket and handed it to her.

It’s as if he’s reciprocating that he listened well.