Early morning. It was exactly five o'clock. Ordinarily, I would have already begun training with Amelia, but not today. I had designated our meeting for five-forty-five—that was when we were scheduled to meet at our usual spot.
I woke up smoothly as I always did, performed a few light stretches to loosen my joints, and took a quick shower to fully rouse my senses before changing into my training gear. After a quick stop at the washroom to brush my teeth and flatten my bedhead, I was ready.
"Right. Now for the rest..."
I prepared two waist pouches. Normally, I wouldn't bother with such things, but today’s session was the culmination of her Ranger Training. Though unofficial, Amelia had done an impressive job of polishing her skills through this short, intense burst of the Ainsworth-style Boot Camp.
She had tried to desert, attempted to slack off, and voiced her complaints more times than I could count... but despite it all, she had stuck with it until the end.
To be honest, I had considered the possibility that she might break halfway through. Had that happened, I would have scaled back the curriculum and focused solely on preparing her for the Magics Chevalier. But it was fair to say that Amelia had exceeded my expectations. She had cleared her Physical Strengthening training and nearly finished her Magic Strengthening as well.
All that remained was the Completion Exam I had set for her. The Magics Chevalier was only a week away, and the other contestants were likely entering their final adjustment periods.
But I had no intention of going easy on her now. I expected Amelia to give this everything she had, just as I intended to approach it with absolute seriousness.
I knew Amelia was suffering. Before I had left Master's house, she had pulled me aside.
"Ray. You mentioned in your letter... that you weren't sure how to handle Amelia Rose," Master had said.
"Yes."
"That is a decision only you can make."
I had remained silent as she stated that blunt fact.
Until now, Master had taught me everything I knew. I had hoped for one last piece of guidance, but her words this time were different from any she had offered before.
"It’s not my place to interfere anymore. You are free to decide everything for yourself, based on your own convictions."
"Master..."
"Ray, I wanted you to enroll in the academy so you could simply enjoy yourself. The world isn't just a battlefield. It isn't made entirely of ugly, cruel, and gruesome conflict. I wanted you to know that beauty exists in this world too."
She paused, looking toward the house where my friends were.
"And you have gained irreplaceable friends. Talking to them today made me realize it: Ray is finally enjoying his life. He’s living as a student should. It made me happy. You’re like my own child, Ray; I can’t help but rejoice in your growth. But you’re an adult now. You don't have to just carry out orders dispassionately. You can live by your own will."
"...Yes."
"So, do what you believe is right. Amelia Rose is a reflection of your past self. Your circumstances differ, but your foundations are likely the same. So, just as I did for you, do what you can for her. If that is what your own heart desires."
"...I understand."
I bowed deeply right there. It wasn't the crisp salute I once gave a superior officer; it was a gesture of pure respect from one human being to a mentor I truly admired.
What could I actually do for her?
Amelia had undeniably grown stronger over this short period, both physically and magically. But it was impossible for her to have become a different person entirely. She was still the same Amelia, and I had yet to reach the conflict raging within her heart.
I had hesitated to touch that part of her. It felt delicate, like falling glass that might shatter at the slightest contact. If she truly was like my past self, then I knew she would reject anyone trying to force their way into her soul. She would only retreat further into her shell.
Back then, I couldn't trust anyone. I believed the world was full of ugliness and that no beautiful place existed. I thought the only person I could trust was myself—yet even I didn't understand who I was. I felt human connection was a burden.
In the end, I only opened up to Master and the others because I chose to. And they had been patient enough to wait for me.
Then I would wait, too. I would wait until she reached out her own hand. Ultimately, Amelia needed to step forward on her own two feet, driven by her own will rather than the expectations of others.
And if she did ask for help, I would give her everything I had. That was my answer as a friend.
"Roll call!"
"Ooo-ne!"
"Hmph. Everyone is present. Now, for today’s session... this marks the end of your Ranger Training. You have completed the entire Ainsworth-style Boot Camp exactly as I planned. Trainee Amelia, you have my highest praise."
"Ranger! Thank you very much!"
"However! The training isn't over yet. If you clear this final hurdle, I shall grant you my specially made Ranger Badge."
"Ranger!"
"Good. Now, for the final task. From here on, we shall refer to this as the Completion Exam. First, take this."
I handed her a waist pouch. Amelia accepted it and peered inside, her brow furrowing.
"This is...?"
"For your Completion Exam, you will fight me in the Kafka Forest."
"Eh?"
"Your response is 'Ranger'!"
"R-Ranger!"
She looked completely bewildered. She buckled the pouch around her waist and stared back at me, waiting for the details.
"Trainee Amelia, you will attach these artificial roses to your upper body. They are nearly identical to the ones used in the Magics Chevalier."
"..."
"There are ten in total. The time limit is twelve hours, from six in the morning until eighteen hundred hours this evening. If you protect even a single rose until the end, you win. If I scatter them all, victory is mine. In the tournament, you can win by ring-outs or incapacitation, but the most efficient way is to destroy the roses on your opponent's chest. Your enemies will aim for nothing else. In other words, those roses are your life. The key to victory is learning how to protect your own while hunting your opponent's."
"Ranger!"
"Don't worry, I won't release my full abilities today. I’ll be facing you using only Inside Code, but don't drop your guard. I am a Gold Rank Hunter, and I know these woods better than anyone. That is why I’ve given you ten roses."
"..."
"You look like you think that's a generous amount. But that is my current evaluation of your skill. If you want to prove me wrong, show me what you can do."
"Ranger!"
"Then, head into the forest. I’ll enter at exactly six o'clock to begin my hunt. Are you ready?"
"Ranger!"
Amelia tightened the belt of her pouch with a firm tug and disappeared into the trees.
The twelve-hour duration was designed to test her spirit. I was going to whittle away at her heart until it threatened to break. But I believed that if she could endure this, she would reach a new level of growth.
I watched her retreating back. Was she filled with confidence, or was it something else? She walked straight into the shadows of the forest without looking back.
Amelia. I know you can do it. If you apply everything we've worked on, you can beat me. This is a battle against me, yes—but it is also a battle against yourself. Your potential is far greater than you realize. I believe you can reach the other side.
So, I will challenge you with everything I have. Because I, better than anyone, know what the 'me' of that day was truly searching for.
Ray gave me the overview.
This really was the final test. The training up until now had been agonizing. I’d been plagued by constant muscle aches, and the magic sessions had been even more brutal. As Ray had warned, the magic training was the real hurdle. I had never practiced such precise construction of Code Theory before. I’d done the basics, of course, but the level he demanded was staggering.
At the same time, I was in awe. I knew that as the Ice Sword Sorcerer, Ray probably performed those complex calculations as naturally as breathing.
I’d clung to him because I wanted to get closer to someone like that. Ray had gone to such lengths for me; I couldn't afford to quit now. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to be like Ray White. And more than anything, I didn't want him to abandon me. That distorted desire was what had driven me this far.
But a butterfly that swarms toward the light might just end up consumed by the flames.
Still, I moved forward. I believed there was something real waiting for me at the end of this path. What would I find? What would happen after I finished this training and reached the Magics Chevalier?
I didn't have the answer. I didn't have anything yet. I was still just a hollow girl with nothing to show for herself. But I couldn't help but feel that this Completion Exam was the key to something more.
"Whew..."
I had ten roses pinned to my chest. I made my way deeper into the Kafka Forest.
"...Three minutes left."
I checked the wristwatch Ray had given me. It was 5:57 AM. In three minutes, Ray would enter the forest to begin his hunt. My goal was to protect these roses for twelve hours. Even if I failed, I knew there wouldn't be a real punishment.
But I wanted to finish this with a victory.
I knew I was an irredeemable fake—not even a fake, just another face in the crowd. A fool wearing a mask, roleplaying the person everyone else wanted me to be.
That was what I believed, anyway. But since meeting everyone, I felt like I was finally starting to grasp a sense of who I really was. Occasionally, the real me would peek out from behind the mask.
To the 'me' who could never become anyone... are you there?
I had asked that question for so long. Now, I felt like I was standing at a crossroads. I had a premonition that this exam would decide whether I could finally become myself. I had to clear this—for my own sake, not anyone else's.
"It’s starting."
My watch let out a sharp beep. Ray must have set it to signal the start and end of the exam. I was roughly in the center of the forest. I hadn't mapped the terrain perfectly, so I was guessing, but I’d already laid several traps of Delay Magic on my way here. I’d placed them randomly; if I’d set them in a pattern leading here, I would have given away my position.
Now, I just had to hide. In the best-case scenario, the twelve hours would pass without us ever meeting. But I wasn't that naive. Ray was a monster. I had to assume contact was inevitable.
I didn't think ten roses was a lot, either. I’d seen enough of Ray White to know he was an outlier. I hadn't seen his full power as the Ice Sword Sorcerer, but his physical capabilities and his mastery of Inside Code were enough to convince me. Even with his powers sealed, he was far stronger than I was.
Unless I could force a long-range magic duel, I was at a disadvantage. But magic didn't intimidate him. His heart was tempered in a way mine wasn't. No fear, no trembling, no hesitation. Those eyes of his were always looking at something far beyond my reach.
I couldn't afford a single moment of complacency.
"Hm...?"
Five minutes in, I heard a rustle. I focused on the sound, but saw nothing. A moment later, a monster emerged—a Huge Snake. Generally, the monsters here didn't attack unless provoked.
I breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking I was just being paranoid. But in that instant of relaxation, a voice came from directly above me, making my heart lurch.
"Complacency is a deadly foe."
"Eh?"
The whisper had barely left his lips when three of my roses were shredded. Ray was perched in the branches above, using simple stone pebbles to snip the artificial petals with terrifying accuracy.
"Darn it!"
I reacted instantly, throwing my magic together.
"Prima Materia—Encoding—Material Code!"
"Material Code—Decoding!"
"Material Code—Processing!"
"Embodiment—Phenomenon!"
I unleashed a Wind Cutter. It was a Mid-tier Magic spell, and I’d used Quick Magic to speed up the process, but Ray was already gone. He’d moved with preternatural speed, keeping a perfect distance as he leaped away, his back turned to me.
"Wait!"
I’d expected him to close the distance for a melee struggle to take all the roses at once, but he did the opposite. He leaped from branch to branch, vanishing into the canopy in heartbeats.
"He ran...? No..."
Ray wouldn't run without a reason. This had to be a tactic.
"Calm down... just stay calm, Amelia."
I spoke the words aloud to steady my pulse. Thinking back, he’d bypassed every single one of my Delay Magic traps because I’d placed them all on the ground. He’d read my plan perfectly, stayed in the trees, used the Huge Snake to distract me, and then struck from directly above.
I hadn't expected long-range attacks. Given his physical prowess and the way he usually fought, I’d assumed he would rely on his sword. He’d used that assumption against me.
He had sent me a clear message: even a common stone was enough to take my life if I wasn't careful. He was using this exam to teach me how to survive a real match.
"Whew..."
I forced myself to be still. It was okay. I could think. I just had to stay calm.
Remember.
He had already given me every tool I needed. 'Always assume every possibility.' 'A sorcerer must remain calm.' I lacked experience, which was why I hadn't seen that ambush coming. This was the culmination of everything he’d taught me. To win, I had to use every lesson I’d learned from Ray White.
"Right...!"
I slapped my cheeks hard with both hands to sharpen my focus. Then, I took off, disappearing back into the depths of the forest.