I have done everything I can to take the exam.
As a tamer, I learned how to handle Shif and Lime, and almost forcibly tamed my body with the physical enhancement of supportive magic.
I could only write a few letters, but I managed to get the minimum in terms of knowledge.
It's okay. We should be ready.
Sitting at the table of a waiting room in the guild, he glanced at his hands set up to defuse tension and waited.
On the table I was on, Shif and Lime in the black cat state peeked at my expression.
"Exam number five..."
Looking at something like a patch that was given to you when you were guided to this room.
It seems to be a symbol to distinguish those who take the exam, but I don't think this kind of place is plainly similar to the original world.
"Kate, I don't think I'm used to this kind of occasion."
"No, no, I'm too young to get used to this...."
"Really? No, I'm unfamiliar with human culture, but I don't get it...."
Queue!
Shif has a human personality, but he's a monster.
It seems that the person who became his friend has taught me words and letters, but there are parts of the world where he is not as accustomed to the culture and customs as I am.
Well, you just have to help each other out.
"But if I had to take the exam, it wouldn't be enough."
"They do it once a month."
There are people in the room who are going to take the exam.
They run the exam quite frequently once a month, so the number of participants is not so large, and only about four people are in the room now.
Everyone has tingling before the test.
Therefore, I also have a conversation with Shif who is in a black cat state in a low voice.
Queue!
"Are you cheering me up? Haha, thank you."
The lime that moved slightly hit my hand. [M]
I was also reassured by the cool feeling, and the door of the room behind me was opened.
The eyes of the four people in the room, including me, are directed at the person who came in.
Is that the examiner? I thought so, but it was a suspicious person wearing a black robe who came in.
"Kate, he's...."
"Mmm...."
When I first came to the guild, I suddenly asked for my name.
And if it wasn't because of my mind, it was a mysterious person who knew my name.
He and Lime began to watch out for the mysterious figure, as he later told Sif about it.
……
Are you looking for a place to sit?
The mysterious person I saw around me yesterday, when he found me, he shouted, "Ah," and somehow came closer to us.
I got even more nervous, but nevertheless the mysterious person approached me and stopped.
"Can I sit in front of you?"
"Well, please...."
Sif, scold me later for not turning me down here.
The mysterious person sitting in my face-to-face seat, the girl in the hood, looked somewhat surprised at her hands.
……
"... what's wrong?"
"Yeah, I just calmed down to surprise myself."
... what do you mean?
Confused by a little incomprehensible language, she opened her mouth after a few seconds of silence.
"--Jacob, did you come to take the exam?"
"Jacob?"
"... that's your name, right? Is it different?"
... I'm shitting you!?
Speaking of which, I named him Jacob Rising, a sparking pseudonym!
As he tried to ask Sif for help, he shook his little body and laughed.
Looks like my pseudonym is off. [M]
If I hadn't been a party, I'd be bumpy, but I can't laugh at all right now.
"Ah, oh, yeah. What's your name?"
"Speaking of which, I didn't have a name before. I'm sorry."
When she realized that she was not named, she lowered her head small.
"My name is Reefah. Incidentally, the test number is four."
The more you introduce yourself, the more you cover your head, the more you don't seem to take off the hood.
Is that why you're hiding your face? I decided to ask her why she was here.
"When I say you're here... do you take an exam to be an adventurer?"
"I don't particularly want to be. But it seems adventurers are more convenient if you're looking for friends, so I do."
"Looking for friends?"
"Yeah, trust as many people as you can."
... I have a lot to ask, but I don't like to make you angry with your bad mouth.
Among me, she is still the subject of attention. [M]
"Are you Tamer? They seem to be carrying monsters."
"Oh, yeah, that's right."
"Are you good at backup? What can a wizard do? I used to look like I was talking."
I hear a lot of things.
She sees Schiff and Lime and gets confused by her quick questions.
I have a lot to ask her, too.
How did you know my name? When asked, I may need to reveal my name, but the girl in front of me can be an important source of information for me. [M]
Um...
"Everyone who takes the exam! Now that you're ready, gather with your Alliance at the training ground behind you!!"
The moment I tried never to ask my intentions, the door of the room was opened, and a woman who looked like an employee of the Guild made a voice directing us to the training ground behind the Guild.
"It's time. Shall we go? Jacob"
"... yes"
Regardless of Jacob's call, for some reason I went to the training ground with her in a natural flow.
... no, we should focus on the exam in front of us first.
The first exam is practical.
It's time to deliver on the achievements of the past two weeks.
We headed to the training ground behind the guild to take the first exam.
In addition to me and Rifa, the blonde man with his sharp eyes appeared in front of the five examinees.
The man's waist belt is equipped with a sword decorated with a sheath, revealing that he is an adventurer of the guild to which he belongs at a glance.
"Nice to meet you. I'm the supervisor of this exam, Rick. This time, we will continue to rigorously review it, so please take care of it."
Rick, the man who stared at us in a row next to him, looked at each of us.
The people who took the exam listening to his name look surprised.
Rick? Rick Casing?
"You're a gold ranked adventurer...!"
"Rumor has it that the vetting criteria are strict...."
Rick flickers his eyebrows at three words other than me and Reefer.
The three of them, who were upset at him and apparently in a bad mood, shut up as they blushed their faces.
"... first of all, I don't treat anyone special here. Probably the Guild Leader's recommendation, the minister's connection, the famous warrior, but only the results of this test will determine your strength. Rather, the compliments and achievements you have received so far today are meaningless in front of me."
In Rick's words, there are some people who look puzzled.
It's convenient for me to be confused myself, but to think about it, I have no credit in this world. [M]
"The most important thing in an Alliance is trust. A single major failure affects the entire Alliance - no, the people it belongs to. New members of the Alliance must be carefully selected to avoid such a situation."
He took the wooden sword that had been prepared for the training ground.
Hyun, he pretended with a wind chirp, looking at us again.
"This exam is a mock fight against me. Use every means you can to prove yourself to be an adventurer."
I hear it's a mock fight, and I'm going to show you a mess, except for me and Reefer.
Seeing them like that, Rick continued to speak with a nail.
"Of course, I won't attack from here... but anyone who thinks they can't do it at the moment should be prepared for the next opportunity. It's a waste of time."
……
"Now, let's start a mock fight in volunteer order... does anyone have a question before that?"
"Yes"
Then the neighboring referee shows a neat raise of hand that can't be imagined from a suspicious look.
Rick, who unexpectedly rounded his eyes, allowed her to speak.
"What is it, number four?"
"What exactly should I do to prove my strength?"
"You can show them what you deserve as an adventurer or show them the future. It's my key, though."
"Hmm...."
Proper strength and future?
... I'll ask for confirmation too.
I raised my hand when I finished asking Rifa,
"What's number five next?"
"Yes, I said, by all means, but does it also apply to fights against user demons?"
"Of course. I'm not a demon enough to force Tamer to fight without demons."
Looking at Schiff at his feet and Lime on his shoulders, Rick said so.
That gaze seemed to explore us, but I don't feel anything malicious.
"... are there any more questions? Now give them time to prepare before they start a mock fight. Make up your mind, make up your weapon, make up your mind. Take the challenge from the first person who is ready."
A test to become an adventurer.
It seems simpler than I thought, but there is much that can be done, and yet the judgment standards are high.
With the certainty that it would not be a straight line, I tried to discuss it with Shif once again to plan the operation.