The Sword Genius of the Magic Empire - Chapter 45



Only Noblemtl

The conference room of the Nemesis Knights.

In the middle of a giant round table, dozens of translucent screens were floating, projecting like holograms.

Above the numerous monitors, a panoramic view of the testing site was being transmitted in real time via a drone.

“Ah!”

One of the Nemesis knights who was watching this leaned back in his conference room chair and stretched. Then he opened his mouth in a light tone.

“The selection test is finally over!”

The small-framed knight twirled the Nemesis Knights’ hat on her finger as she spoke.

“Drone manager, thank you for your hard work, whether on site or at the test site~.”

At her bright tone, another Nemesis knight sitting across from her nodded briefly.

A knight operating a reconnaissance drone.

She was monitoring the testing room with artifacts as usual, and she responded simply.

“You too. Luca.”

The knight named Luca winked at her with cat-like eyes.

“Haha, that’s right! Scouts should understand each other’s difficulties! We’re always the ones who are given annoying missions.”

Luca jokingly complained, then leaned his head back against the back of the chair with his arms interlocked and spoke.

“By the way, surprisingly, candidate Enoch Knight passed the selection test with flying colors….”

Luca looked at the screen with some amusement.

“Why did they fail at the team selection stage? No. In the first place, could that team have such bad luck in picking?”

“That’s right.”

Beside Luca, another male reporter who was scanning the test participants’ personal information chart nodded.

He reviewed the Enoch team’s data and gave it a low rating.

“In this Demon Hunting Test, we will need quick tactics and combat power that utilize mobility more than anything else. This team is made up of magicians with completely opposite tendencies. It really doesn’t look promising.”

In the Empire, in addition to simple magical skills, there are ‘guilds’ among groups of battle magicians.

‘Combination’ is usually a part that is affected by the compatibility between the main magic they use or their fighting style.

But as with all things, combinations don’t always work out for the best.

Sometimes, even ‘combinations’ of wizards that are completely unsuitable for the purpose do appear in actual operational situations.

“Well, luck is luck. To be honest, shouldn’t you be able to overcome even such difficulties?”

Lucado Nemesis put his hat back on and leaned his small body back on the chair as he spoke.

“Actually, depending on the mission site, a lot of strange combinations like that are formed. I also got scammed a lot when I was a rookie.”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that that team is unlucky. It’ll be tough to pass this test with that combination.”

Another knight who happened to be sitting near the round table said so, and asked someone indirectly.

“What do you think, Vice-Captain Theano? Do you think that team he’s on will pass the test?”

Nemesis’s deputy commander.

Everyone’s eyes turned to Theano.

She looked at the monitor calmly as usual and answered the reporters who were looking at her in a calm manner.

“I have no personal opinion. I only supervise for the sake of the mission.”

“Haha, as expected from our vice-captain?”

The reporter who asked her smiled once as if it was innocuous and turned his head to the screen.

Theano also turned his eyes from under the shadow of the table and looked again at Enoch reflected on the screen.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

‘I wonder if that person is really connected to black magic?’

I don’t know.

Even if it exists, it is only a symptom.

There was still no information known about Enoch, so I wanted to find out more about him this time.

‘anyway.’

A faint shadow fell over Theano’s sharp eyes.

‘In this first test, everyone will have to fully demonstrate their abilities.’

In addition, the situation at the testing site is being monitored in real time. We will soon be able to determine his capabilities.

If possible, I had to check it myself.

“If by any chance he really is related to the Warlock….”

Swish.

Theano quietly pressed her hat down. A shadow fell over her purple eyes, like midnight amethyst.

‘… Then, as a member of Nemesis, I will have to kill Enoch Elseid.’

Theano watched Teleos, who was in charge of the examination room, through the projected screen.

He was just finishing up the final instructions to the participants before the test began.

“… Lastly, I will explain the basic rules.”

On the podium in the testing room where participants who passed the selection test are gathered in teams.

Teleos continued, snapping his fingers.

“The rules that apply to the test of hunting the said beast are as follows.”

The magic circle he deployed rotated and activated in an instant.

The magic circles of teleportation cast by Teleos were simultaneously drawn before the eyes of each participant.

Woof.

Soon, a rule booklet was dropped in front of the participants.

–

“rule”

? The demons that exist in the examination room are classified into ‘lower’, ‘middle’, and ‘upper’ levels in order of strength. There are the fewest upper-level entities, and the most lower-level entities.

And inside the testing room, there exists a ‘special class’ demon, “Baphomet”, of which only one exists.

(Identifying photos of each object are attached below.)

? When hunting a low-level to high-level monster in the examination room, the team is given 1, 2, or 3 points depending on the level of the monster.

However, if you hunt a top-grade demon that is classified as ‘special’, you will receive 50 points as an exception.

? The score is calculated based on the final score of the team that handles the ball.

Even if two or more teams contribute to hunting down one monster, the team that struck last is awarded the points.

? Any deviation from the specified test area radius will result in immediate disqualification, and if the test area is near the outer boundary, a warning sound will sound in advance to notify the test taker.

? Only teams with a total score of 50 points or more by the end of the test will pass.

? The time limit for the first test is 6 hours.

–

Below the rules notice were pictures of the test center staff with their scores on them.

There was a brief commotion among the magicians who were looking at the pictures.

Because it showed the most radical passing conditions for the test that would make anyone drool.

“… Wait, if the special demon has 50 points. If I catch just one special demon, I’ll pass the test…”

At the sound of someone mumbling, Teleos nodded his head slightly.

“That’s right. If any team catches a special player, they will be selected.”

The room was briefly stirred by the examiner’s confirmation.

In other words, that sound was no different from saying that a special-class demon was a ticket to passing the first test.

But Enoch smiled coldly inwardly.

‘… When you actually enter the examination room and find out the ‘truth’, you won’t have those kinds of reactions.’

“And one more thing, there’s something you guys should be careful of. In particular, the demons in this testing center are known for their strong sense of smell.”

Then Teleos added:

He continued speaking, looking around the inside of the testing room.

“As most people here know, once the demons smell human blood, they become extremely excited and chase after it.”

Teleos added with a wicked smile.

“I warn you. Please cooperate thoroughly with your teammates to avoid injuries as much as possible!”

Teleos on the podium stretched out one of his arms toward the testing ground, and a flow of mana gathered there. He added beyond the light of the translucent magic circle.

“Remember, if you don’t want to get torn to pieces by a horde of demons that come rushing in at once after smelling blood. In fact, there are many deaths in this test.”

Before he could even finish giving his advice.

In an instant, a huge amount of mana began to swirl around Teleos.

“Then, as of now, let’s begin the test.”

As soon as he declared, magic circles formed simultaneously beneath the feet of each team and began to rotate.

“I wish you good luck.”

Woohoo!

The geometric patterns formed on the floor where each team stood emitted a dazzling light for a moment.

All the participants’ vision was filled with flashes of light.

The next moment.

Everyone in the room teleported at the same time.

***

When the storm of mana that obscured the vision subsided.

The scenery around Enoch changed in an instant.

For a brief moment, Enoch felt that he and his team had been teleported to the testing site.

‘Here….’

Under the brightly shining noon sky.

Instead of the indoor screening room where we had just been, there was a huge city view spread out before us.

But it’s not a normal city.

The remains of a desolate city, completely broken and in ruins.

Only the skeletal frames of tall buildings stood high into the sky, supporting traces of the past.

The entire panorama of the long-abandoned city lay before their feet.

Tyche, who had been admiring the scenery next to Enoch, quietly repeated that fact as if it were strange.

“… Hey, under your feet?”

A panoramic view of the tall city below?

Of course, there was only one reason.

Their current location is not on the ground.

And, as expected, the next moment, an incredible feeling of floating washed over me.

“Waaaaaaah!”

With three screams echoing from beside Enoch, four team members, including him, began to fall from the sky.

A rapid, free-falling wind blew across my cheek.

I glanced down and saw that I was falling onto the roof of a ruined high-rise building.

A normal person would break his legs and still be able to stand tall.

Enoch quickly slid down onto the roof of the ruined building, catching hold of his staff on a tree that had grown above it.

From above, a slightly gruff voice was heard.

“… Is there such a thing as a ridiculous test?”

Unlike Enoch, Bianca grumbles cautiously while hanging upside down from a tree.

When our eyes met, she blushed and averted her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed by her own appearance.

“…I didn’t know you’d just drop it from the sky!”

No, I didn’t say anything.

Besides, it seemed that none of the team members, other than her, had managed to land normally.

First, right next to Bianca.

Tike, who had barely managed to land on the edge of the rooftop of the building using magic, was seen trying to sneak away from the location, disgusted at the fact that if she had taken just half a step back she would have fallen directly under the railing.

“Whew. I almost died… Waaahhhh!”

But perhaps because the building was old, the floor collapsed and Tike fell down to the lower floor screaming.

Fortunately, I heard a light ‘pop’ sound, so it seemed like he wasn’t hurt by being entangled in the vines.

And down there, without even landing.

Inaga, half of her body frozen in the soft mud, was holding on to the staff and trembling.

“Uuuuuk… .”

But it doesn’t matter what other team members say.

Enoch checked the surroundings of the rooftop where he landed.

Bianca, who had just come down from the tree and was brushing leaves off her hair, came up to Enoch and spoke.

“Fortunately, it seems like we’re the only ones nearby.”

…there is only us, ra.

Enoch did not respond to Bianca’s words, but simply glanced up at the sky in silence.

I couldn’t agree with that.

‘The other wizards may not have noticed… .’

Enoch could see everything.

Above the sky, countless lines of mana cover the sky.

‘Surveillance artifacts with transparency magic.’

“Reconnaissance drone”

This was also one of the products of the magical engineering that the modern magical empire boasted.

The mana that covered the sky was the same mana that had been observing the candidates at the selection test site.

‘It’s at least a few dozen gigabytes.’

Enoch was convinced when he saw that.

‘It was a good thing I brought the horse from the selection test site.’

As expected, the test supervisors are watching, so even here, we cannot use our swords openly.

Enoch, who had finished making his judgment, spoke to his team members who were still busy assessing their surroundings.

“We have to get moving first. There’s no time.”

“yes?”

“I know how our team will pass this test.”

Ignoring Bianca’s puzzled words, Enoch approached Ina, who was half-buried in the mud.

Then he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck as if he was picking up a cat and dragged her out of the mud, responding.

“Follow my plan. Then you can pass.”

“… Enoch, are you willing to take on the role of leader of this team?”

At Bianca’s words, Enoch put Ina, who was still trembling, down on the floor and looked back at her.

“Are you dissatisfied?”

Enoch spoke to her.

Bianca shook her head slowly.

“No. I have already heard a lot of rumors about Enoch. I also know that you achieved great success in the unprecedented exemption mission just a few days ago. However… … .”

Bianca looked straight at Enoch and said.

“That’s a different thing from being a leader who makes decisions for the entire team.”

Enoch nodded.

As team members, they have ample opportunity to voice their opinions.

Besides, I can’t completely trust this side since they’re currently facing another test for the family.

He asked Bianca calmly.

“so?”

“Do you have a definite plan? If so, please tell us what you have in mind.”

Bianca looked straight up at me and said.

“This team was hastily put together. We can’t follow a plan that we can’t accept, at least in order to pass the exam. Is that okay?”

… ‘We’.

Enoch’s eyes, which had noticed something in the conversation with her earlier, narrowed slightly.

Consciously or not.

Bianca and the rest of the team seemed to be feeling quite distant from Enoch at the moment.

– … … .

Watching them waiting intently for an answer, Enoch could easily guess the reason.

‘The distance between those from the Elseid clan that governs battle magicians and those who are not.’

Especially in this team, Bianca and Ina are outsiders who are not even from Elseid Territory, even though they are battle magicians.

Judging by their rookie vibe and their background, none of the three here had much practical experience.

In contrast, Enoch is a direct descendant of the Zhou family, which controls battles in the empire.

Even the recent fame he gained from the exemption mission may have had a significant impact.

“If it’s a convincing operation, will you follow it?”

“Yes, of course.”

As expected, Bianca nodded.

-Kwajijijik!

Beyond the ruins, where buildings and trees are mixed together.

Along with a tremendous explosion, a loud scream echoed through the silent buildings.

“A special, special demon has appeared!”