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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Nikolseta Heisman.
The fourth son of the Heisman family, which had amassed great wealth through the sale of emotion and enhancement scrolls.
He was currently enrolled at Clarice Academy along with his older brother, Macleod Heisman, the third son and chairperson of the Auxiliary Magic Department.
From a young age, Nikolseta lived a life of constant comparison to his brothers.
‘Tsk, tsk. If only you were half as good as your brothers…’
‘Don’t even think about it. You should be grateful if you can even cling to the family’s coattails.’
-……
It wasn’t that he lacked talent. Nikolseta was more interested in general combat magic than the auxiliary magic that amplified mana, which was his family’s specialty.
Forced to study auxiliary magic due to family expectations, his will to learn was completely crushed, leaving him unable to keep up with his brothers.
And at some point, that feeling turned into an inferiority complex.
At first, cadets approached him because of his Heisman family background, but they all left once they realized he was all bark and no bite.
And now, his engagement with the Artina family had been broken off.
‘Why me? You all like my family… So why?!’
All he had left was the unearned wealth of his family and an inexplicable jealousy.
‘But… this time… it’s different!’
An opportunity had presented itself.
“Hello~ junior~friend.”
“Senior Yellody…?”
Yellody Latasia, a senior from the Magic Department whom he had admired, had sought him out. She was a member of Crow Fey, a guild comprised of the most skilled individuals.
Her request was simple.
“It’s really simple~ during the selection exam… Nikolseta? Just take the lead in attacking the monster at the bridge in Area 3, and that’s it~”
“…What?”
She instructed him to incite the cadets and initiate a battle with the three-headed dog—Cerberus.
“If you succeed~ Regillus will invite you to join the guild!”
“R-Really?”
“Yes! Plus, I can personally tutor you in magic, one-on-one. But you have to keep it a secret~.”
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To carry out her instructions, he had spent a fortune recruiting second-year cadets weeks in advance.
Admittedly, seeing the Cerberus in person was terrifying; it was even stronger than he imagined. But it was fine.
‘In case of danger~ drink this~.’
He had an enhancement scroll, perfect for a quick escape, and a secret elixir from Yelodi.
‘I-I’ll definitely… succeed…’
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Back at the selection exam, between Areas 2 and 3, at the bridge.
“A-Anyone?!”
… Nikolseta Heisman’s call was met with silence. The massive Cerberus, though dormant, exuded a menacing aura.
“We’ve reported to the academy. Shouldn’t we wait for their response?”
One of the second-year cadets suggested to Nikolseta, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“He’s right. It looks too dangerous…”
“It’s only the second day. Waiting won’t affect the exam.”
“I agree.” Several others, finding his words reasonable, voiced their agreement.
“Ha…!”
But Nikolseta wasn’t giving up.
“Are you all c-chickening out?”
He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a scroll, and held it up for everyone to see.
“?”
“Looks like an enchantment scroll.”
“How much is that worth?”
Custom-made enchantment scrolls from the Heisman family were expensive consumables. Crafting them took days, even weeks, and while their effects were potent, they only lasted for minutes.
A quick power boost, but not very cost-effective.
Nikolseta made a drastic offer.
“I-I’ll give these to anyone who helps me… as many as they need!”
Murmurs. The crowd stirred.
“Hmm… if we have a raiding party of twenty or more, I’ll help.”
“Me too. The academy must have scouted ahead. There’s no way a real monster would be out in the open like that.”
A few confident second-years stepped forward. And then,
“Everyone! Calm down…! Doesn’t this situation seem strange…?”
All eyes turned to the voice. Yeriel Artina, a maiden dressed in white. Someone Nikolseta had admired from afar and considered his potential fiancée, though they’d never spoken.
He had used his family’s influence to arrange an engagement with the Artina family, but… they’d refused. He’d heard that Yeriel Artina herself had voiced her disapproval.
“The communication blackout might be because of the monster. I doubt the school intended for this to happen…”
Yeriel’s words sparked a discussion among the cadets.
“…She’s right. The student council will be here soon, so waiting might be a good idea.”
“Yeah… there’s no way communication would suddenly cut out. What if there’s an accident?”
“Yeriel Artina. She’s the top student in the second year. We should probably listen to her…”
Grind…
‘Yeriel Artina… That failing family with a widowed head!’
Nikolseta gritted his teeth and approached her, frustrated that things weren’t going his way.
“Wh-What do you know?! If you’re scared, just don’t come!”
“!”
“S-Set an example… as the top student!”
As he aggressively stepped towards her,
“Pathetic. Truly pathetic.”
“…?”
A man with ash-gray hair blocked his path.
“Someone who couldn’t even speak to her at the academy resorting to using his family’s influence.”
-Whispers.
Lev Denec. His words caused a stir among the cadets.
What’s he talking about?
Who knows?
And then, Nikolseta remembered.
That annoying pretty boy. The one lurking around Yeriel lately. As the whispers grew louder, shame and anger consumed Nikolseta.
“Get o-out of my way! You half-baked noble who got kicked out of his own family!”
He tried to shove past Lev, but…
-Thud!
-Crash!
“…What are you doing?”
Despite the forceful shove, Lev didn’t budge. Nikolseta, however, ended up sprawled on the ground.
‘Y-You…! You got to A-rank by luck!’
It was a predictable outcome. A student from the Auxiliary Magic Department was unlikely to have undergone rigorous physical training.
“What? He’s that weak, and he wants to fight…?”
“Forget it. Let’s go.”
“I’m already tired from the demonic pressure. Let’s just rest.”
“W-Wait…!”
“Sorry, we’re out. The others aren’t keen on it either, and it seems more dangerous than we thought.”
“We’ll return the money when we get back to the academy.”
“No wonder the reward was so high…”
“…”
With even his bribed party members abandoning him, the situation was resolved.
Shudder.
He was utterly humiliated. Then, Nikolseta started laughing, his shoulders shaking.
“Hehehe. Ahahahaha…”
It didn’t matter. He realized he could do it alone.
‘I-I’ll… kill you all…’
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Meanwhile, at the 5th Legion, where Marcosias resided.
“Great One, Kaelan Heath is approaching the sealing stone.”
“Good. What about the other matter?”
“Lady Yellody has summoned the gatekeeper monster. Though slightly weakened, even five of the creatures’ war heroes would struggle to defeat it.”
“Are you certain?”
“Absolutely. The Cerberus is a type of monster the creatures have never encountered. With its regeneration rate, any half-hearted attacks will only result in a war of attrition that favors us.”
“I see. And if they fail…”
“I will offer my insignificant soul.”
Marcosias smiled, seeing his subordinate’s unwavering confidence. It wouldn’t be long. Once Mystic Island was in his grasp…
“I’m looking forward to it. Very much.”
He, Marcosias, would finally be able to unleash his full power, slaughter the creatures, and savor their essence.
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As the sun began to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and red,
We’ll select one person from each of the two parties to keep watch on the monster.
The cadets established a base outside the Cerberus’s field of vision and agreed to wait for the remaining parties.
No one wanted to give up on the selection exam, and the student council would arrive soon anyway. So, they were taking turns monitoring the Cerberus.
In this strangely peaceful atmosphere, so unlike a selection exam, I was using my sniper trait to observe the Cerberus from afar.
‘There they are.’
Two men entered my field of vision. It was Raymond and Nikolseta’s turn to stand watch.
The other cadets probably didn’t think Nikolseta would do anything foolish like attacking the monster alone, but knowing his penchant for trolling, I planned to keep a close eye on him.
“!”
And then it happened. As expected, Nikolseta ripped and used several scrolls on himself, ignoring Raymond’s attempts to stop him.
-Grrr…?!
He charged towards the Cerberus.
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