Volume 02 - Chapter 09: Evaluation Exam

(A/n I said in my previous fic and I'll say it again. My beta reader broke her thumb and index, so if you spot some deficiency and mistakes. it's prolly cause she isn't around to point it out.

// Arthur Leywin (Kiyotaka Ayanokouji) //

"Just let him go now, Honey", Reynold's voice echoed as he barely suppressed his laughter while watching me being absolutely crushed in the 'loving' embrace of my mother.

Alice's grip over me loosened as she looked at me, tears lining at the corner of her eyes. After losing me once during the Bandit's incident, she had been overly protective of me.

After spending 2 long years with just my family, it was finally time for me to explore the continent. Arisu's information network was quite adequate, however, seeing everything for myself was crucial.

The amount of beast cores needed for my experiments was increasing day by day. Sylvie alone couldn't handle that. Another reason was the decline in beasts and amalgamation of different species in the same place. This wasn't possible. There was definitely something wrong with the mana beasts.

"I'll be okay, Mom. I have Jasmine with me", I replied. As if on cue, Jasmine entered inside. She was wearing black robes covering her whole body, brown belt on her waist with dual daggers strapped to it. She walked inside and her blood red eyes swept over everyone like a huge tide and stopped at me—-a small, subtle smile formed at the corner of her lips.

Walking over to us she stood by my side, "Ready to go?" She asked me.

Without saying a word I nodded and hugged Alice once more. Turning back, I saw Reynolds with a huge smirk over his face and Ellie hiding right behind him.

"Believe in yourself son. I'm sure you'll be okay", he said and raised a fist in my direction. Looking at it, I bumped my own fist against his. It was a simple gesture, yet it felt comforting. Maybe, because spending so much time near a group of people who were my actual family, I was getting used to them.

"Brother? Why are you going away?", Ellie chimed in, her coffee brown eyes looking at me with betrayal.

What did I even do?

"I'll be back soon. It's just one year. And I'll visit in between too", I reassured her. She pouted as she snatched Sylvie from the ground, "I was just going to miss Sylvie. That's it!", she said and cuddled Sylvie.

'Save meeeeee', Sylvie spoke in my mind.

'Just a bit more', I reassured her and looked up at Jasmine.

"Don't you have a weapon?", she asked.

Shrugging my shoulders I replied, "I prefer hand to hand combat."

"Hm", she replied and then looked at my parents.

"We'll be taking our leave now", she said and placed a hand over my shoulder. The Helsteas were already present there.

I looked at them and noticed Lilia wasn't there anymore. A sudden realisation dawned on me. It was finally that day for her.

Well...

The whole house will be ecstatic, neutralising the gloom at me leaving. I didn't plan her awakening in a way that matches with the day I am leaving.

I definitely didn't do that.

After meeting with everyone, Jasmine walked towards me as we left the house together. Leaving the house for such a long time after two years was certainly a refreshing thought.

"Do you know where we are going?" Jasmine asked, looking in front of her.

"The Adventurer's Guild", I replied.

"Good. We'll have your rank evaluated first. After that there is a dungeon I have in mind. The commission arrived early in the morning", she paused and as if finding the correct words she cocked her head sideways, "do you plan on holding back?", she asked.

"I am never holding back", I replied with a casual shrug.

Placing a finger over my nose she stopped and brought her face close to mine, "You can't deceive your elders. I know you are", she shot at me.

Her sensitivity to mana was higher than I had anticipated. She could tell I was holding back in my training sessions against Dad and Adam.

"I won't hold back. At least not for now", I replied. It wasn't a lie. I was going to go all out against the examiner today. Since Jasmine—who was an advanced adventurer was going to sponsor me, there was bound to be someone strong testing me.

"Good. We can get that mission then", she replied and started walking at a faster pace.

"Are we walking there?", I asked.

"Running", she replied and a gust of wind propelled her forward. With a simple gust she covered half of the distance to our destination.

Closing my eyes, I reached deep for the dormant power inside me. Sylvia's will reacted to my command. Her will wasn't the same as before. Before, when I used any form of her will—-her power felt borrowed.

However, after spending two years inside home, I invested all of my time into understanding the purple motes responsible for the time stoppage and space bending phenomenon.

After getting a basic comprehension of the phenomenon, I was able to bend it to my will. Like the space bend. It was related to the theory of relativity. Although what I was able to do wasn't the destruction of the fabric of space but rather shorten it. It was one way to understand it.

Like two places with some exposure to the purple motes. Then connecting them in mind and imagining the space between them vanish. Like they never existed. Connecting two dots and covering a huge distance in one step.

It was a more convenient usage of the portals Sylvia made. For a single person to consume it, my own technique was best tailored.

However, it had a problem.

Due to my low understanding, I couldn't execute it everytime. It was possible mostly for the places that I've already been to. Like establishing multiple checkpoints and teleporting between them.

Looking forward, I saw Jasmine was no longer there. From what I could discern she was trying to test me. Imagining the nearest point to the Guild, I let Realmheart sear on my skin and then I took a step. Quarter of my core was depleted with that simple step.

With another mana infused step, I arrived in front of the Guild. Jasmine's mana whooshed around here as she arrived at the same time. Her eyes widened a fraction of an inch as she looked at me, "Good." She said and walked inside.

Following closely behind her, I saw multiple people. Most of them looked like bandits instead of esteemed adventurers. Slight smell of alcohol invaded my nostrils.

"Ahh... Miss.Flamesworth. What can I do for you?" A young man with black gloves spoke. His voice was the only thing that helped me understand that he was a man. He had an effeminate face.

Flamesworth.

The family that prides in their fire affinity mages. But Jasmine was a wind mage. Was that the reason for her odd behaviour? Being the only wind mage in a family known for fire affinity?

I looked to my left. Jasmine's face was scrunched into a small, barely visible frown, a palpable discomfort lingering around her.

Extending my arm, I held her hand. She looked down at me as I gave her a stern nod. She smiled and the frown on her face vanished. "I'm here to sponsor him for a ranked examination", she said.

Ranked Examination—-Any adventurer above the B rank could sponsor someone else for a ranked examination. Jasmine was an AA-Ranked adventurer. She was more than qualified to sponsor me.

The man looked down at me. His eyes narrowed at me. I felt him trying to look at my core stage. Waking my primary core from its dormant stage, I let it become the dominant presence in my body. Placing his finger on his temple, he stumbled. A huge grin formed his face.

"Very well. Let's go to the arena. You're the second one to shock me today", he said, "the other one will be done with her exam soon."

Oh...

She's here already.

(************)

Arriving at the bleachers before the arena, I felt scorching heat waves being directed at me. A sheen of ice mana formed around me and Jasmine, protecting us from it.

Looking down I saw a petite girl, standing with her hands tucked. A huge dome of flames surrounded her as the examiner in front of her was covering himself in a veil of wind mana.

"She's strong", Jasmine commented.

Her white hair fluttered wildly as more and more tendrils of lightning and heat waves emanated from her. She wasn't even using any spell. It was just a reckless wastage of mana.

In other words she was humiliating the examiner. The sheer amount of her mana had rendered the examiner unable to move. Looking around I saw the heat removing the oxygen from the surroundings. If this continued, many would die of lack of oxygen.

Using sound mana, I directed a message at her, "Stop".

The heat waves dissipated and a single huge ball of flames went crashing towards the examiner. The ball of flames disappeared before it made contact with him.

"Is that enough humiliation from a LITTLE girl?" She asked, emphasising the little part.

Guess I now know the reason behind her rampage. The examiner stood up, using his sword as support, "That would be enough. Arisu, A-Rank", he announced as silence spread through the whole arena.

The short lived radio silence was interrupted by an uproar of disbelief and appreciation.

"Unbelievable."

"Who is she?"

"Is she really a kid?"

"She's beautiful."

Turning around with a smog look over her face, she walked towards the bleachers. A boy around my age was standing in her way. From the look on his face, he looked like someone from a noble household.

"Don't think that getting A-Rank from the beginning was impressive. The examiner was weak as hell", he spat.

"Fufu. You look really impressed by me. However, if that was enough to bamboozle you, you're in for one hell of a ride. Isn't that right, Arthur?" She said, Her black hood frayed in the air once again.

This woman!

The boy looked back, his green eyes burning in envy, "You peasants should know your limits", he said and started to walk away. Once he was gone, Arisu walked over to me.

"Good luck Arthur, Fufufu~", she said and sat in one of the seats. Jasmine looked at me with a suspicious look. Raising my hands in the air , I replied, "I met her while playing on the ground."

"Not very convincing. But that will do for now", she replied as I sighed in relief. It's a good thing she understands.

The same man as before who met me with Jasmine walked to the middle of the arena. "Arthur, please come down".

Jasmine gave me a pat on the shoulder. Sylvie appeared and sat on Jasmine's head.

"Kyu"

'GOOD LUCK'

Walking down the stairs, I drew in a deep breath. Although I wasn't going to hold back, I wasn't going to reveal everything. I decided to limit my usage to Ice.

"My name is Kaspian Bladeheart. Since you've been sponsored by Jasmine Flamesworth, you'll be examined under special circumstances", he said and unsheathed the rapier strapped to his waist. He looked at me, expecting a weapon.

Instead of replying, I raised my fists. A thin layer of ice extended from beneath my feet. My fists were covered in a layer of thin ice. Like a bullet shot from a gun, I bolted towards him. His rapier raised and a huge amount of wind mana condensed at its tip. It was enough to blow someone's head off.

Without wasting a second, I gripped his wrist and increased the concentration of ice mana in our surroundings. The wind grew heavy as I bent his wrist even further. His grip over the hilt of his sword weakened even further. With a quick snap, he lost his grip. The sword fell on the icy ground with a clang.

Still holding his hand, I turned on my feet and delivered a roundhouse kick. He blocked it with a wind mana infused arm and punched my torso. Directing my knee in an appropriate direction, I blocked it. He winced, as one of his fingers cracked with an audible voice against my knee.

Kicking upward with a knee, I stopped midway and extended my feet. It landed on the back of his head, as he fell to the ground. Crawling he gripped his sword once again. Without wasting a second he lunged with his sword at me.

Using minimal movements, I stepped a bit to the side and avoided his attack. Before he could understand I had dodged, I held his sword arm in a hold and punched his guts. He lost his sword once again.

In the beginning he had mocked me for not using any weapon.

Hence, this would be enough lesson for him.

Raising him up to my level, I punched him. He blocked it with his arm but he went stumbling into a nearby wall. A crack formed at his impact against the wall.

After a few seconds, he stood up, standing between a pile of debris as he sneered, "That would be enough. Arthur, AA-Rank", he announced.

I looked up at Arisu, who was smiling ear to ear. Jasmine on the other hand had an expression symbolising more disbelief than amazement.

Oh...

Blew it again.

(**********)

"I wasn't expecting that", Jasmine spoke as she set some wood on fire. After my evaluation, Arisu disappeared. Me and Jasmine made our way to the Beast Glades. Sylvie went away to play.

"I said that I won't hold back", I replied.

"That you certainly did", she replied and smiled. Sitting beside me she put her hand over my own, "Thanks".

"Hmm?"

"For not asking about my family. Thank you for understanding." She replied in a somber tone.

"I'm not interested in your family. My association is with the Jasmine part in your name. Not Flamesworth." I replied and directed my fish into the fire.

Suddenly, she ruffled my hair, dishevelling it—-turning my hour long attempt at looking presentable into a terrible mess.

I wanted to do the same, but looking at her laugh in such a genuine way somehow stopped me, "Sometimes you sound like an adult", she said and took the fish from my hand and started roasting it herself.

Looking at her smile with herself I stopped my attempts at the questions arising in my mind. They could wait... or rather I could find them myself.

From tomorrow, I'll begin my adventuring days. I'll be finally able to let loose a little.

*****************************************

(A/n I wanted to do a poll.

(I) Make the next volume full of adventuring different dungeons and develop Kiyo's relationship with Jasmine, for better understanding of emotions.

(II) Just end the adventuring arc in 2-3 chapters.

Comment on what you want.

Also, join the discord to drop some ideas. It's link is in the comment to this paragraph.)