The afternoon session was the Magic Attack Power test.

A crowd just as large as in the morning had gathered in front of Montvan’s castle gate, and spectators lined the top of the castle walls.

---

Ifera Sky had wandered off somewhere and still hadn’t come back.

I wondered if she had returned to the venue somewhere. Even if she hadn’t, well, that was fine. She only joined to kill time anyway. There was no point in a wild pussy leaving a record in the status exam.

---

What troubled me wasn’t Ifera Sky—it was myself.

I had declared I was aiming for overall first place, yet I couldn’t use magic.

First, I decided to observe how the test worked.

Just like in the morning, a mob knight examiner was giving instructions to the examinees on the ground, while up on the castle gate, a priest in blue robes seemed to be acting as the emcee using loud magic that could be heard by the spectators as well.

"From this moment on, the Magic Attack Power test will begin. Those who cannot use magic will be lent a magic staff. Please chant the designated spell. In our country’s language, chanting ’Fireball, burst forth!’ will activate the elementary fire-type magic *Fire*."

I see.

Even someone like me who can’t use magic can have their magic power measured with a magic tool.

Also, from the priest’s phrasing of "in our country’s language," it seemed that chanting the spell served as a kind of security measure. Probably to prevent people from other countries or monsters from abusing it.

"Those who can use magic without magic tools may use whatever spell best showcases their true ability. However, those who can only use support magic should use *Fire* for measurement. If you wish to appeal with the effects of a special magic, please do so during the skill measurement."

Understood.

So Magic Attack Power was strictly for measuring offensive power.

"Then, test number 1. New workshop foreman Ban from the blacksmith workshop, step forward!"

"O-okay..."

Ban, who had been called first, stepped forward looking unsure of himself. Since he was the first one, I remembered him. He had been quite confident during the Physical Attack Power test.

Ban borrowed a magic staff from the venue staff and held it ready.

"Fireball, burst forth!"

When Ban chanted the spell, a small fireball about the size of an apple appeared from the tip of the staff and struck a red pillar about three meters ahead.

The fire disappeared immediately.

The examiner checked the magic attack target pillar and relayed the result to the blue-robed man on top of the castle gate.

Then, the blue-robed priest announced the result to all examinees and spectators in a voice amplified by magic.

"New workshop foreman Ban from the blacksmith workshop—Magic Attack Power: 12.4!"

The spectators’ reaction was lukewarm. There was only a faint scattering of polite applause, like they were clapping out of courtesy for the first examinee.

---

Now, commentator Raiden. One word, please. I had purposely gone looking for him and stood beside him just to hear his muttered commentary. He was easy to spot because he’s bald.

"Magic Attack Power tends to grow easily during childhood but stops growing once one becomes an adult. The reason he looked unconfident from the start is probably because he already knew from past tests that his growth had stopped."

I see. So magic is heavily dependent on talent.

I had grasped the general flow of the test from the first one.

I quietly slipped away from the group of examinees.

Turning my back to the exam venue, I waved toward the wasteland.

Jumping up and down, waving my hands widely.

In an instant, the scenery changed.

"Masaharu, what’s wrong?"

"Good. Lucia, you were watching." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

We were in the middle of the wasteland, about 4 kilometers away from the fortress city. On a slightly elevated hill where the fortress city was just barely visible on the horizon. Lucia was sitting on a large rock.

She was wearing a thin white garment resembling priestess robes. It looked closer to chemical fibers than animal fur—maybe something made with magic. Since she’s usually completely naked, it felt a bit strange.

"Can you see from this far away?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"You were knocked down by a little girl’s slap."

"Wasn’t that a mis-sight?"

"I don’t mistake the person I love."

"I see..."

Being told "I love you" so casually in conversation made me feel embarrassed.

To hide my embarrassment, I changed the subject a little.

"Can you hear voices too?"

"I can hear the blue person’s voice. Other people’s voices mix together so I can’t hear them."

"I see. So you know they’re doing the Magic Attack Power test right now?"

"Yeah."

"I want to use magic. I know this is unreasonable, but can you teach me magic in two or three minutes?"

"Eh. What should I do? I’ve never taught magic before, so I don’t know how."

"You can use magic, right? The way you brought me here was magic too, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah. Probably... the power that humans call magic."

"How do you use magic?"

"Um... You just imagine ’I want it to be like this’...?"

"Just imagining is enough?"

"Yeah. I’ve never thought about it deeply. When I think ’I want Masaharu to come,’ you come."

"I see. Then..."

I stared at the fluttering hem of Lucia’s clothes.

Blow, wind. Hem, flip up...

If imagination could turn into power, I was sure I could become one of the world’s greatest erotic spellcasters.

"I felt a little magic power, but my Magic Defense is high so it didn’t work?"

"You felt magic power, which means something almost activated?"

"Yeah. ...Oh, right. To increase your imagination and concentration, why don’t you try chanting a spell like other humans?"

"A spell, huh... For example, what kind of spells are there for wind magic?"

"Blow, *! Call forth the storm!"

"That sounds like something a foreign heel wrestler would shout when entering the ring... Anything else?"

"Become * within the radiance!"

"Become the wiiiind—!"

I matched her on the second half.

"Hmm. Wind magic spells all sound like something a villain would use. What about fire magic?"

"The * of rage pierces the heavens!"

"Sounds like a beast god is about to be summoned. Hmm. Maybe I should skip the spells... Hey, do spells actually have an effect?"

"I don’t know. Humans probably know more about how to use magic. Even though I have magic power, I think I’m bad at using it."

"I see... Thanks for the spell idea. I’ll try what I can."

"Yeah. See you later."

Lucia hopped off the rock and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek with a *chu* sound.

The next instant, I was back outside the circle of examinees in front of the castle walls.

---

"Vice-leader Marvela of the mercenary band ’Light of the Three Spears’! The score she achieved with Light Magic *Lightning Lance* is 78.4 points! It is the current highest record!"

The venue erupted. Applause came crashing down from the castle walls like roaring waves.

I see. Even though A and Marvela exceeded 100 in Physical Attack Power, their Magic Attack Power didn’t reach 100.

After that, several more people borrowed staffs from the staff and used the *Fire* spell.

The average score was between 10 and 20. Some people showed off different magic without using the provided staff and scored around 30 points. When someone reached 40 points, the venue burst into enthusiastic applause.

Hmm. 40 points gets big cheers, 78 is the current record...

Alright. I’m definitely aiming for 100.

Since I scored 0 in Physical Defense, the only way to aim for overall first place was to put up big numbers wherever I could. I had to do this seriously if I wanted to free those slave beastmen—however many there were.

"Next! Prince of the Kingdom of Oma and direct disciple of the Silver Flash Princess! A super attack-specialized fighter with Physical Attack Power 150 and Physical Defense 0! The hope of the world! O-Oma Saharu!"

"Yes."

Bathed in enormous applause, I stepped forward.

"O-Oma Saharu!" *Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!*

"Our hero!" *Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!*

"O-Oma Saharu!" *Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!*

"Our hope!" *Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!*

The usual cheers and chants started.

"O-Oma Saharu!" *Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!*

"Defeat the Demon King!" *Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!*

The "defeat the Demon King" phrase seemed to be increasing. Expectations were skyrocketing.

The examiner asked if I would use a staff, so I shook my head.

Jeers mixed with laughter came from atop the castle walls.

"Don’t score zero~!"

"Do your best~!"

"We’re expecting a huge score!"

"Come buy stuff at my shop with that prize money you won earlier!"

"I noticed you were pretending to fall so you could look at the girls’ legs, you know!"

All the words were bright and carried no malice. It felt like a festival.

It seemed they didn’t seriously expect me to defeat the Demon King—they just wanted any excuse to make noise. By the way... they noticed me looking at the female examinees’ legs...

But you guys—are you sure you should be having this much fun?

You won’t be able to enjoy yourselves much longer.

I’ll score a domestically top-class number in Magic Attack Power too and drag you all down into the abyss of terror.

I have the ultimate spell to maximize my concentration.

It’s that spell chanted by a guest in a super popular voice actor’s analog game playthrough video. I’ve heard it countless times, so it’s perfect for raising concentration.

I raised my right hand and pointed it toward the target.

"Be dyed in jet-black crimson! Darkness Fire!"

I felt dark power surging from my right hand.

The magic power inside my body had definitely activated.

*GOOOOH!*

An enormous black flame appeared, large enough to swallow the entire fortress city whole. My field of vision was completely filled with reddish-black flames.

Then, the world was dyed in pitch black and came to a stop.