"...Next, Number 85!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
At Wittmann's command, the girl bearing Number 85 stepped out in front of the group. Even as the examinees remained visibly rattled, the exam pressed on without a care. Four candidates had already finished, yet not a single one had managed to hit the target.
"H-Hah...! Eek!"
"All right, that's enough. Next!"
Just as expected, Number 85's spell veered off in an unintended direction, crashing into the ground once again. That made five consecutive failures. If only one person had failed, it could easily be chalked up to their own lack of skill, but with a streak like this, one couldn't help but suspect an outside factor was at play.
"Bauer, what do you think?"
"There's something rigged in this area. That's the feeling I get."
"Like what?"
"That's what I can't figure out. If it were magic, I feel like I'd notice, but..."
"I see. So even you can't tell."
Standing beside me, Hermann gazed intently at the candidates taking the test ahead. Although the exact cause of this phenomenon remained unclear, a few things about this third exam had become obvious.
First, having a lower examinee number was advantageous. It gave you the chance to analyze the situation by observing the performance of those who went before you. In my case, I was granted a longer grace period than anyone else here.
Second, private conversations among examinees were not forbidden. There was no sign of reprimand even as Hermann and I exchanged information like this. Of course, one could easily spread lies to throw off other examinees... but perhaps that, too, was simply part of the test.
"Damn it...!"
"Next, Number 73!"
Number 74 drove his staff into the ground in frustration. The red beam he had fired had vanished upward into the open air this time.
...Something felt off. The spell cast by Number 97, the very first candidate, seemed to have been deflected at a much closer range. Could it be that conditions were shifting as time went on?
"Hermann, did you notice?"
"Yeah. Everyone's still struggling, but the way they fail has changed a bit."
"The impact points are gradually getting closer to the target. Part of that might be people making adjustments by trial and error, but still."
"Right. But Examiner Wittmann gave such a clean demonstration..."
Hermann brought a hand to his chin in thought, though he didn't seem to be landing on any solid ideas. Even so, it was true that Wittmann had struck the target with pinpoint precision. Naturally, that was because he knew the trick behind it, but—
"...Hermann. Is there a chance Wittmann set something up beforehand?"
"Huh?"
That had to be it. Only magic could interfere with magic. If so, it was only natural to assume that Wittmann had laid some sort of groundwork.
"When he fired that fire magic as a demonstration earlier, he might have cast another spell at the same time."
"Another spell...?"
Hermann still looked puzzled, tilting his head. Magic possessed a property known as directionality. It could be concentrated in a straight line like light reflected from a mirror, but it could also be deployed so that mana diffused outward gently.
"Hermann, what happens if you add just a single drop of muddy water to a clean basin?"
"Huh? Well, naturally, it would spread out over time, wouldn't it?"
"It's the exact same principle. Wittmann cast a non-directional spell forward."
"You mean..."
"At first, mana was densely concentrated right in front of him, which is why Number 97's magic was deflected at point-blank range. As time passed, the mana diffused, gradually shifting the area of effect."
"I see. That makes a lot of sense."
The examinees hadn't been able to detect the mana because Wittmann had cast the spell facing away from the group. Very little mana had drifted toward those of us standing behind him, which was likely why no one had caught on.
"But Bauer, what kind of trap could Examiner Wittmann have laid?"
"Only fire magic can interfere with fire magic. He must have tuned the conditions so that actual flames wouldn't manifest, setting it up right under our noses."
"Is that even possible?"
"It is. When I practiced fire magic as a kid, I was always careful to ensure real flames didn't break out."
"Why go to such lengths?"
"If you throw around flashy magic, the neighbors get mad at you."
"Huh..."
Hermann looked baffled. Magic was used casually all across Ulm, so he probably couldn't wrap his head around rural circumstances.
"Ooooh!!"
Just then, a collective stir bordering on a cheer went up. Turning forward alongside Hermann, I saw the candidate marked Number 63 leveling his staff, a burst of flame billowing from the distant target.
"Oh, it's him."
"An acquaintance of yours?"
"A classmate from preparatory school. He's sharp with magic, so it looks like he figured it out."
"I see..."
Glancing toward Wittmann, I saw him give a silent nod. An examinee capable of satisfying him had finally stepped up. Even so, up to this point... twelve people had already tasted bitter defeat.
"It's a brutal exam. The ones who go first are at an overwhelming disadvantage."
"Is that how you see it, Bauer?"
"Huh?"
"Number 63's success actually sows panic among the rest of us. It makes you think: someone already found the 'answer,' while I'm still completely in the dark..."
"...Depending on how you look at it, I suppose that's true."
"Besides, even if you deduce the cause, there's no way to prove it until you actually cast your spell. Either way, you only get one shot."
Hermann had a point. The two of us had managed to piece together the mechanics behind the phenomenon, but that wouldn't hold true for everyone. What's more, there was always the risk of being fed false information by successful candidates like Number 63.
"Ah...!"
"Next!"
Wittmann's stern voice cut through the air. Just as I feared, the next candidate, Number 62, drove a beam straight into the ground. Seeing the previous success had likely made them impatient. Just because one person succeeded didn't guarantee the rest could follow suit.
At first, I had thought this a deceptively simple exam, but it had surprising depth. The ability to reason through unforeseen circumstances. The skill to exchange useful intelligence with others. The breadth of knowledge required to separate fact from fiction. Every conceivable capability was being tested.
"What do you plan to do when your turn comes, Bauer?"
"The textbook approach would be to raise the disruption index so the spell is harder to interfere with. I didn't see closely, but Number 63 probably went with that method too."
"That really is the quickest route, after all. Thanks."
Hermann tightened his grip on the staff in his right hand. His turn was coming up shortly, so he was likely steeling himself. As a side note, the disruption index was one of the standard metrics used to evaluate spell performance.
"All right!"
"Good. Next, Number 40!"
The number of examinees striking the target steadily climbed. As expected of those aiming to become court mages, most were beginning to grasp the gimmick behind the test. From here on, the lineup consisted purely of top scorers from the written exam, so the passing rate would only continue to rise.
"...Next, Number 31!"
"Yes, sir!"
Hermann answered with a clear voice and strode toward the front. Would he tackle it by raising the disruption index after all? I considered that the most reliable method, with virtually no margin for error.
"Very well, begin."
At Wittmann's prompt, Hermann raised the staff in his right hand. He aimed it toward the target... Wait, isn't that pointed a bit high? Hermann, you'll miss like th—
"Hah!"
Ignoring my silent alarm, Hermann unleashed his fire magic. Just as I anticipated, the spell veered far above the optimal trajectory. A misfire? No, that wasn't it. This was—
"O-Oooh!?"
The crowd gasped in unison. The red beam bent mid-flight, tracing a clean parabola. It slammed directly into the target, triggering an even larger explosion of flame.
"N-No way...!"
"What was that, an indirect shot!?"
No, it wasn't an indirect shot. Factoring in the interference from Wittmann's residual fire magic, he had deliberately offset his aim before firing. To think that after nodding along to my explanation, he would pull it off using an entirely different method...
"Good. Next, Number 29!"
Wittmann's voice carried a hint of satisfaction. Meanwhile, Hermann strolled back to my side wearing a smug grin.
"Man, that went off without a hitch. What a relief."
"Hey, did you just ignore everything I said about the disruption index?"
"Well, I figured your way would hit the mark too. But even if it's you, Bauer, I can't just take someone else's word at face value."
Hermann flashed an easy smile. Even when it came to advice from a friend, he wasn't about to rely blindly on it in a high-stakes environment like the third exam. As expected, this man operated on a level well above the average examinee.
"I see. That's fine—I'd have done the same in your shoes."
"I appreciate how quick you are to catch on. Besides, I had another reason."
"Which is?"
"Examinees who haven't figured out the 'answer' won't learn a single thing from watching what I just did. I can't go handing out free clues, can I?"
"Hmm... You really have a wicked streak."
"Of course I do. I have to make it to the final exam no matter what."
It was a surprisingly candid remark. For the first time, I felt I had caught a glimpse of the ambition driving him. Though he always carried himself with an airy detachment, his ultimate goal was unmistakably to become a court mage.
"Come to think of it, I wonder if Elena will be all right."
"Ah, the young lady? She's over there."
Following Hermann's pointing finger, I saw Elena standing quietly apart from the rest of the group. Her eyes were shut, as if she were focusing all her energy on steadying her mind.
"I hope she's seen through Wittmann's trick."
"You really don't know her, Bauer. You'd be sorely mistaken to think the young lady is just some sheltered bookworm."
"What's that supposed to mean...?"
As I gave him a questioning look, Hermann let out a quiet chuckle. Then, in a low murmur, he added:
"The Witch of Ulm. That's what people have called the young lady for as long as I can remember."