Chapter 8
NOTICE
There will be a basic test for this round of mercenary applicants.
The following 64 applicants for the magic division are requested to gather at the First Training Ground at the Mercenary Corps Headquarters by noon on Wednesday.
Mars Mercenary Corps, First Squadron Commander Karl Mori
Three days after Cain submitted his application to join the mercenary corps.
As scheduled, a large notice was posted in front of the Mars Mercenary Corps headquarters.
There were 485 applicants in total. Of these, only 64 had applied for the magic division, a remarkably small number compared to the swordsmen. This was unavoidable given the nature of magic.
For that reason, mercenary corps generally tended to value mages more highly than swordsmen of the same rank.
“Wednesday…”
“Brother Cain, the pride of our Adrian family!”
Tap!
Just then, someone called Cain’s name and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
Turning at the familiar voice, Cain saw Lopes.
“You too?”
Cain asked.
Everyone gathered here had come to check the test announcement, so he naturally assumed that Lopes had applied as well.
“Yes, Brother! It’s been a while. We’re members of the same family, so why does it feel so awkward whenever we see each other?”
“Shut up.”
Cain pushed Lopes aside as he spoke in a cold tone.
Lopes nodded as if he understood, waved his hands, and gestured for Cain to calm down.
“So you’re a mage after all. Looks like your magic skills are better than I expected.”
Apparently, he had noticed Cain’s name on the announcement.
“What about you?”
“I’ve got some basic skills too. I really underestimated you as a mage. I almost ended up getting roasted alive if things had gone wrong… Anyway, good to see you.”
Lopes held out his hand.
Cain, who had always maintained hierarchical relationships with others rather than treating anyone as an equal during his time as emperor, found Lopes’s carefree behavior difficult to get used to.
Squeeze.
Yet Cain’s hand instinctively grasped Lopes’s.
Lopes was clearly a person filled with positive, bright energy.
He had a charm that could make even Cain, who rarely smiled, let out a faint chuckle.
“How about a glass of dark beer? I know a quiet tavern. My treat. There are some things I want to talk about, too.”
“Fine.”
There was no particular reason to refuse.
Perhaps it was because Lopes was the first person from the old Zergard whom Cain had met since coming to the Lohan Empire, making him feel even more familiar.
As a precaution, Cain raised his mana utilization to its maximum and followed Lopes.
Gulp, gulp—
“Ahh, this dark beer isn’t bad. But when it comes to dark beer, Zergard was still the best.”
“You said there was something you wanted to talk about?”
Cain asked.
He was curious about Lopes, but more importantly, Lopes also seemed to be curious about him.
Lopes set down the glass of dark beer he had been drinking and adjusted his seat.
“I don’t think you trust me yet, so I can’t tell you everything in detail. But there are far more people from Zergard mixed into the Lohan Empire than you might think.”
“……”
Cain showed no particular reaction.
It wasn’t something he hadn’t anticipated. It was welcome news, too, but he wasn’t about to reveal his true feelings so easily.
“Most of them managed to sneak in and conceal their identities successfully, just like us. They’ve infiltrated all sorts of places, and each of them is following their own path.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because we’re all people of Zergard.”
Cain said nothing more.
Without his knowledge, countless people from Zergard had protected their beliefs and lost their lives, while others, like Lopes, had hidden themselves within the Lohan Empire while pursuing their own plans.
Though he did not show it outwardly, Cain felt an indescribable sense of reassurance knowing that he was not alone.
He could not reveal his identity yet, but someday there would surely come a day when he could reveal his true self and pursue a greater dream.
“When you open your heart to me, we’ll have a more honest conversation then. I hope your intentions aren’t different from everyone else’s. I hope you won’t become a traitor like Duke Radian.”
Gulp, gulp.
Thud.
After downing his beer, Lopes suddenly left the tavern.
Cain remained seated there for a long while, lost in thought.
3
Wednesday noon.
The weather was exceptionally clear.
Applicants for the Mars Mercenary Corps had begun gathering at the First Training Ground an hour before noon, preparing for the test.
Cain arrived exactly on time, only to realize that he was the last one there. He quickly found a place and stood there.
Perhaps because they were all applicants for the magic division, most of the people gathered here appeared to be fairly old.
Some of the mages had numerous scars on their faces, almost like medals of honor, and it wasn’t uncommon to see someone with only one eye. They had been injured in battle.
Of course, there were also a few young, refined-looking individuals who appeared to be sons of high-ranking noble families.
However, most of them were people who had taught themselves magic in order to make money, or had started out as novice mages but applied to the mercenary corps after reaching a point where they could no longer advance.
Others had been unable to enter an academy because of their age, or had been unable even to approach one because of their social status.
“……!”
As Cain surveyed the people gathered at the training ground, one person caught his eye.
“That… Was his name Frey…?”
Although his appearance had changed considerably with the passage of time, there was no doubt that he was Duke Radian’s son.
Duke Radian’s son had been five years younger than Cain, but with ten years having passed, their ages had reversed. Now, he was effectively five years older than Cain.
Back when Cain had been the emperor of Zergard, he had seen Duke Radian’s son once. At the time, he vaguely remembered hearing that Radian intended to raise his son as a mage.
“But what is he doing in a mercenary corps like this?”
Indeed, someone with Frey’s noble background had no reason to come to a mercenary corps like this.
Unless, of course, he was concealing his identity for some reason.
In fact, the reason Frey had applied to the mercenary corps instead of going to a Mage Tower or the Imperial Mage Corps was because of the personality of Emperor Ascen IV of the Lohan Empire, who placed great value on practical combat experience.
The tyrannical and warlike Ascen IV was more interested in practical studies centered on actual combat and experience than in abstract academic disciplines that merely expounded upon theories and ideals.
He held a similar attitude toward mages and swordsmen. Regardless of their origins, he frequently favored and promoted capable swordsmen and mages.
It was almost like a truth he had learned through decades of ruling the country.
He had come to realize that everything in the world responded more flexibly to quick reactions proven through actual experience than to a few predetermined theories.
Knowing the emperor’s disposition well, Duke Radian had permitted his son to apply to the Mars Mercenary Corps.
Just then, a group of people approached the training ground.
Among them, a mage wearing a white robe stroked his black beard as he climbed onto the platform at one side of the training ground. At a glance, he appeared to be at least a seasoned mage.
“Welcome, everyone, to this place. I am Allen, and I am in charge of training the new mages in our mercenary corps. It’s a pleasure to meet you…”
‘Allen…’
Cain focused on the platform and listened, but soon heard whispers nearby.
“Damn it! Allen?”
“Exactly. If it’s Allen, this test is going to be tough.”
Cain didn’t know what kind of relationship those mages had with Allen, but it was none of his concern.
By then, Allen was almost finished speaking.
“As you all know, our mercenary corps isn’t a place where every mage is automatically allowed to join simply because they’re a mage. Only those who prove their abilities through a rigorous test will be permitted to join us.”
Just as Allen said, the Mars Mercenary Corps was famous for its demanding tests. It was said that the swordsmen’s test was comparable to the test for trainee knights, and the same was true for the mages.
“The test is divided into two stages. An evaluation of magical ability and an evaluation of combat ability. There is no limit to the number of people who can pass, but anyone whose abilities fall below the required standard will be eliminated. Now, everyone, follow me.”
At Allen’s gesture, soldiers lined up on both sides of the applicants and began leading them away.
Frey appeared displeased about something as he glared at Allen, but Allen seemed unconcerned. He simply turned away and began heading toward the training grounds.
“Phew.”
His first step.
A deep breath escaped Cain’s lips.
It was finally beginning.
He was taking his first steps into the new world of the Lohan Empire, the land of the sworn enemy that had destroyed his empire.
“Fire Wall, cast!”
“Fire Wall!”
“Fire Wall!”
“Applicant Ryton, deduction. The hand signs for Fire Wall were not formed properly, so you couldn’t even complete the casting. Your score is below the required standard. The maximum class you are permitted to enter will be lowered to the 3rd Circle. You cannot join as a battle mage.”
“Applicant Pendon, pass. You meet the required criteria.”
The applicants who arrived at the training ground were called forward two at a time, and they repeatedly cast several spells selected by Allen.
During the process, mages whose spellcasting or execution was unstable or who failed to properly cast their spells were mercilessly deducted points.
Depending on the circumstances, they were either eliminated outright or downgraded by one class from the level they had originally applied for.
The admission test proceeded as follows.
First, the total score was 300 points, and only those who scored at least 250 points would pass the test.
The first test, which evaluated magical ability, was worth 100 points in total.
There were four spells that had to be cast: Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Wind-type magic.
Each was worth 25 points, which was further divided into five categories, each worth a maximum of 5 points.
Anyone who received less than 50 points here was automatically eliminated, regardless of whether they took the second test.
Next was the combat ability evaluation.
The applicants would engage in mock battles against battle mages who were actually active within the mercenary corps. This evaluation was divided into four categories, each worth 50 points.
The categories were crisis-management ability, spellcasting ability, magical efficiency, and movement utilization.
Allen was a seasoned mage who had worked in these fields for decades.
Testing mages who looked like inexperienced novices to him was hardly difficult.
“Chain Lightning, cast!”
“Chain Lightning!”
“Chain Lightning!”
“Applicant Cain, excellent. Good.”
“Applicant Frey, clean. Good.”
Cain passed the test without difficulty.
Normally, the quality of a spell’s casting and execution depended on how naturally one could control their mana, and that was something Cain was confident in.
Frey, too, completed every stage flawlessly.
Having received instruction from renowned mages since childhood, he appeared to be living up to the investment that had been made in his education.
Thus, after the first test was completed, only 18 of the 64 applicants had passed.
Even though scoring 50 out of 100—simply getting half the questions right, so to speak—was enough to qualify for the next test, an enormous number of applicants had still been eliminated.
