And so, the day of the graduation examination finally arrived.
The venue was the arena near the royal palace.
Not only could it accommodate a large number of spectators, but it had also been reinforced and protected with defensive magic to ensure that the facility and audience would not be harmed by magical duels. It was a magnificent facility, built only a few years ago.
"Thanks to our groundwork, today, not only the Minister of Finance but also other influential nobles, the royal couple, and the prince and princess are in attendance. There are also many representatives from guilds of other countries.
When we were doing the groundwork, I really hyped it up, saying there's an amazing new talent. It's all up to you now!"
In response to Elbert's words, Reina and Maevys were full of enthusiasm, Pauline had a "wow" expression, and Mile was rolling his eyes.
Soon, the 'Graduation Examination Mock Battle,' which would determine the fate of the graduates and the Hunter Training School, was about to begin.
The 'Graduation Examination Mock Battle,' commonly known as the 'Grad Exam,' is not something all graduates take.
Among the graduates, only those who wish to take it are selected by the instructors, and only those deemed worthy of C-rank in both skill and character are allowed to take the exam. If they pass, they can graduate as C-rank.
Even if someone doesn't wish to take it, the instructors might strongly recommend it. If they fail the exam, don't wish to take it, or are deemed insufficient by the instructors, they graduate as D-rank.
However, in such cases, they are considered to have completed the minimum required years, so some can rise to C-rank quite quickly. "Just a bit lacking" is the treatment, so even if they fail, there's no need to be too pessimistic.
After all, those who are truly incapable would have been expelled long ago.
This time, all 40 graduates applied to take the exam.
Since there was nothing to lose, it was natural for everyone to apply.
Even Mile, who was already planning to take the exam before Elbert asked him, had applied.
Being D-rank would be inconvenient for solo work, so he had applied before Reina invited him to join her party.
This time, in addition to Mile and his three companions, there were five swordsmen led by Bael, two spear users, three archers, and four mages, making a total of 18 examinees, including Mile and his group.
The B-rank party 'Mithril Roar,' which was requested to be the opponents for the exam, was a rare small party of six members.
While F to C-rank parties usually consist of 4 to 6 members, B-rank and above often have over ten members, sometimes even dozens, to ensure they can take on jobs even if some members are injured, sick, or on leave, or to split into multiple parties to take on multiple jobs simultaneously.
Of course, in such cases, there might be some members with lower skills or questionable character, but the B-rank party 'Mithril Roar' seemed to be a small, elite group. All members were thought to be highly skilled.
Finally, the start of the graduation examination mock battle was announced by the school principal, Elbert, and the match began.
'Mithril Roar' consisted of a leader in his early forties who was a greatsword user, a seasoned spear user of the same age, a slightly younger swordsman in his mid-twenties, an elderly and experienced mage, a mage in his late thirties, and a female mage in her late twenties. There was no archer, but with an excellent mage capable of long-range attacks, the lack of an archer was not a problem.
To allow the examinees to showcase their full potential, there needed to be a significant skill gap. That's why a B-rank party was requested, and for them, engaging in a few mock battles with beginners was a simple task.
High-rank hunters also need the ability to guide and educate young talent, so the young members were assigned to face the examinees, while the leader and the elderly mage observed to ensure the young members could bring out the best in the examinees.
Even though they were called "young," they were B-rank members and could serve as mainstays in other parties.
The mock battle proceeded smoothly, and while the examinees couldn't win, they appeared quite capable thanks to their opponents, who skillfully brought out their strengths. Most of the examinees were satisfied with their performance, though they didn't realize it was largely due to their opponents' skill and consideration.
Finally, only Mile and his three companions, and Bael, remained.
Mile and his group would go next, with Bael last. Of course, this was arranged by Elbert at Mile's request.
"Pauline, do your best!"
"You can win, just stay calm and be careful!"
"It's a matter of luck. Just do your best and don't regret it."
The three encouraged Pauline, who was trembling with tension and excitement, but she seemed timid and unlikely to perform well.
"But... if I were as simple-minded as Maevys, as naive as Reina, or as sheltered as Mile, I wouldn't be this nervous..."
"..."
Maevys, Reina, and Mile were deeply hurt by her words.
"Well, it's your turn, little girl? You seem to be shaking. Are you okay?"
Pauline's opponent was a female mage in her late twenties, Olga, who had already faced several support and healing mages. She was of the same type but, being B-rank, was also skilled with a staff for self-defense.
"Please, go easy on me..."
"Sure, sure. Are you friends with those girls over there? They're so young...
I wonder if the quality of the training school has dropped, admitting such young ones."
*Click*
"Maybe you'll all get wiped out on your first mission. Maybe it's better to fail you..."
*Snap!*
"Then, I'll let you attack first, so go ahead..."
"Shut up! Stop barking, you flat-chested bitch!"
The arena fell silent.
The arena was designed to enhance the audience's experience, with acoustics that allowed even whispers to be heard. While Olga's initial mutterings were inaudible, Pauline's shout was heard clearly.
"What is that girl saying!"
"How disrespectful to a senior B-rank hunter, insulting her physical features in front of the country's dignitaries, important figures from other countries' hunter guilds, and a large audience. Their party's name will become famous, but not in the way they wanted."
Reina held her head in her hands, and Maevys turned pale.
"Ugh, flat-chested, flat-chested..."
Behind them, Mile was quietly taking damage.
"What is that new talent doing!"
"How disrespectful!"
The audience, initially silent, began to murmur.
"Well, if she snapped, there must have been a reason. She's not the type to lose her cool over personal insults. She must have been insulting us. We just need to show our worth through our results."
Reina quickly recovered from her initial panic. Whether it was due to her thick skin or her trust in her friends...
"My precious friend was insulted! I'll make you regret it!"
"Poor, flat-chested... flat-chested..."
Olga was trembling. She was a tall, slender, and quite beautiful woman who had been quite popular due to her B-rank status. However, she had never managed to find a good man and was still single despite her age. She had often wondered why.
Hearing the insult, she felt as if the reason had been pointed out to her, and she was thrown into confusion.
"Flat-chested... flat-chested..."
"Burn, my heart! Turn my anger into scorching flames and bring forth fire before me! Fireball, Vooooo!"
Seeing the large, unstable fireball in front of Pauline, Olga, who had been dazed, regained her composure.
"Fireball? It's large but lacks focus and is spreading. As a support mage, being able to use even one offensive spell is a plus, but such an unstable and weak one..."
"Go!"
The unstable fireball headed towards Olga, who easily defended against it.
"Rise, magic barrier, block the fireball!"
Pauline's fireball hit the barrier and spread out, not having enough power to penetrate it. The flames blocked Olga's view, but she took no damage.
"Such a weak attack, guah!"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Olga's left side, and she cried out in agony. Looking at her side, she saw a staff embedded in the gap of her leather armor. The staff was quickly pulled back, and its tip approached again.
"Ugh!"
Ignoring the pain, Olga used all her strength to block the incoming staff and struck Pauline with her own staff, followed by a kick to Pauline's abdomen.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Checking her side, Olga found that while the pain was intense, there was no damage to her bones or internal organs. The leather armor had done its job, even though it was hit in a vulnerable spot. The person she had kicked was lying a short distance away, and she had felt a solid impact. The person's bones were likely broken.
She might be reprimanded later for going too far against a student, but she couldn't afford to take it easy and risk another hit. It was a matter of necessity.
"Pain relief, injury recovery, High Heal!"
The pain began to subside, and Olga, catching her breath, looked at Pauline, who was already standing. However, Pauline's face was contorted in pain, and her left arm was bent in an unnatural direction.
"Cheating, aren't you? After all the effort I put into my surprise attack, you just reset everything with a spell. Healing magic is really unfair and convenient...
Because it's so unfair and convenient..."
Pauline smirked.
"Pain relief, bone restoration, fixation, joint repair! Muscle regeneration, blood vessel repair, nerve regeneration. Mega Heal!"
Olga and the audience were speechless as Pauline, whose left arm was supposed to be completely broken, began to rotate it.
"Such nonsense..."
A C-rank healing mage who can use basic healing spells and has sufficient mana and some self-defense skills is generally welcomed. But to use offensive spells, even weak ones, and then that ridiculous healing spell!
Olga had heard from her master about a powerful healing spell that could surpass her 'High Heal' and instantly heal broken bones and severed limbs. It was a distant goal she had yet to reach. And now, this young girl?
"It's impossible..."
Ignoring Olga's stunned mutterings, Pauline began to chant again.
"Burn, my heart! Turn my anger into scorching flames and bring forth fire!"
"What? Another weak fireball?
I won't fall for the same trick twice!"
Pauline, ignoring Olga's outburst, continued her chant.
"Shrink!"
"Impossible! You only had that one incomplete attack spell..."
Olga screamed as the flames shrank into two perfect fireballs.
"Did you think I needed special training to master such a basic attack spell?
Now, I will deliver the hammer of justice to those who insulted my friend. Go!"
*Whoosh!*
The two fireballs grazed Olga's armpits and flew past her, embedding themselves in the stone wall. Olga, stunned, slumped to the ground.
"Enough!"
At the loud call signaling the end of the match, Pauline turned and walked away.
"Yayyyyyy!"
Pauline raised her hand in response to the thunderous applause from the audience.
"Is that the amazing new talent you mentioned? Impressive!
To be honest, I didn't believe you. I thought you were exaggerating to get more funding. I'm sorry! I apologize."
Elbert, relieved, listened to the Minister of Finance's sincere apology and praise. Beside him, Lord Christopher, who had worked hard to establish the training school, smiled happily.
"Truly impressive. With those powerful healing spells, strategic mind, and offensive magic! I would love to recruit her as a court mage. The training school has proven its worth in discovering talent. She is the standout of this year's class."
Elbert had a slightly awkward expression as the king spoke.
"Hmm? Is something wrong?"
Elbert, with a complex look, replied to the king's question.
"Well, she said something before..."
"What did she say?"
"Um, she said, 'Hahaha, I'm the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!'"