"Exam over! That is all!"
Hearing Wittmann's voice reach my ears, I breathed a sigh of relief. I never imagined I would be the one to actually seize the flag. I had intended to leave the front lines to the other squad members and stick entirely to playing commander. But given the circumstances, bringing victory to Squad One... left me with no other choice.
When I gingerly climbed down from the tree, Elena and Hermann were waiting below. Elena, smeared with leaves and mud, looked down in bitter frustration.
"Well now, Bauer-kun. In the end, you intended to take the flag yourself all along, didn't you?"
"Not really. Doing that was just the only way to keep Elena from getting it."
Hermann merely continued to smirk as usual, but Elena kept her lips pressed tightly together. It was still uncertain whether the two who failed to secure the flag would pass. Especially regarding Elena, much of her behavior could easily be construed as acting on her own whims.
"...I let my guard down. I knew you two had slipped away from the center, which is why I pursued you."
"Didn't you corner us, though, young lady?"
"I failed to finish you off. Results are everything."
Elena had held an overwhelming advantage. Not through magical might, but by cornering us with sheer combat technique... She had advanced to within a single step of grasping the flag. Yet, she had let her focus slip at the absolute last second.
"Everyone in my squad entrusted it to me. Eliminating Keegan, that is."
"So I really was in the way."
"After being shown detection magic like that, of course you were. Having all our movements laid completely bare leaves a nasty taste in your mouth, you know."
If it were purely a comparison of magical technique, I believed I held the upper hand over Elena. However, under conditions where mana capacity was equalized, and strictly in close-quarters combat, Elena had a fighting chance... That must have been Squad Two's assessment.
"That's why I was permitted to act alone. Solely to hunt you down... In short, a decapitation strike."
"And if you managed to find the flag too, all the better."
"Except I didn't find it. To think it was atop a tree—I should have realized that much sooner."
Elena's shoulders slumped in dejection. Both of them had helped me in various ways, so it would have been great if we could all advance to the final exam together. Still... this was the outcome of both Elena and me fighting with everything we had.
"This is Examiner Wittmann. All examinees are to return to the initial gathering point."
The communication magic resonated in our ears. They would likely explain the next steps.
"Bauer-kun, young lady, let's head back for now."
"I know that!"
The three of us walked through the forest, making our way to where Wittmann waited.
Once the magic stones were collected and the remaining procedures concluded, we gathered before Wittmann once again.
"Good work. I observed every detail of your performance."
His opening words were, surprisingly, an acknowledgment of our efforts. All twenty of us were covered in dirt to varying degrees, and several were injured, being supported by their peers. While we had been vying over the flag in the west, the center must have descended into utter mayhem.
"This was an unruly battle. Unprecedented, even compared to past exams."
Was that praise, or was it censure...? Still, since creating the fake flags was meant to sow chaos across the testing grounds in the first place... in a sense, it went entirely according to plan.
"Regarding your pass/fail status, a comprehensive judgment will be made in consideration of the evaluations from the other examiners as well. The exam results will be delivered to you directly."
By directly... did that mean a messenger would come to us? Or perhaps a letter would arrive? In any case, it likely meant we shouldn't stray too far from home—or in my case, my lodgings at Groot's.
"Those who sustained injuries must ensure their wounds are thoroughly healed before the next exam. With that, you are dismissed for today."
At Wittmann's words, a slight murmur rippled through the examinees. For a pivotal moment that decided who advanced to the final exam, the conclusion felt surprisingly abrupt...
"Return home quickly. Beasts roam the Forest of Hovard, so remain vigilant."
Urged to leave, the examinees began trudging away. As I lingered, wondering what to do next, I noticed Elena, who had remained deathly quiet, stride briskly toward Wittmann....What is she doing?
"Examiner Wittmann. I have a request."
"What is it?"
Elena stared straight into Wittmann's face. She wasn't the type to grovel because she was on the verge of failing. She had to have another motive.
"Could you share your evaluation of my performance in today's exam?"
"You mean an evaluation of yourself?"
"Yes. Please."
It seemed she wanted a personal critique. Most likely, this stemmed from her sheer drive to improve. Regardless of whether she passed or failed, she probably wanted to understand her own shortcomings.
"Regarding Squad Two, it appeared your strategy was to form three-man fireteams. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it is as you say."
"While the three teams engaged Squad One's main force, you intended to take down examinee Number 1 on your own. However, you let him slip away."
"...Yes."
To grasp the situation in such precise detail despite twenty people moving independently... Wittmann truly was a cut above the rest.
"As a strategy, it was certainly a failure. As a consequence, Number 1, whom you allowed to escape, ended up securing the flag."
"Yes. I recognize that as a point I must reflect upon."
"However, the intent behind it was not flawed. Had I been in your position, I would likely have targeted Number 1 as well."
A chill ran down my spine...
"The problem lies in what occurred after Number 1 deployed the fake flags. In that chaotic melee, Number 1 no longer had a role to play as a commander. There was no longer any compelling reason to eliminate him."
"It is as you say."
"Yet you continued to target Number 1. There is no rationality to be found in that course of action."
"...Yes."
So Wittmann's assessment was the same after all. Elena's actions were seen as a reckless rampage driven solely by her desire to claim the flag. It was only natural for it to be interpreted that way—
"...Or so the other examiners evaluated."
"Huh?"
"Under conditions where a massive number of decoy flags were scattered, it could also be said that you alone continued to pursue the real objective. You never lost sight of your initial goal."
"But I... toward everyone in my squad..."
"It is quite the opposite. It was not that you were acting selfishly, but that the other nine were foolish."
Calling them foolish was a remarkably harsh critique. In short, he meant that out of Squad Two, only Elena had kept the victory conditions in mind and acted accordingly.
"Even if the other nine fell, had you grasped the flag, Squad Two would have won. Of course, results are everything... but there is no need to be so pessimistic."
"I-Is that true?"
"Any further evaluation is confidential. That is enough; you should return home quickly as well."
"Y-Yes, sir! Thank you very much!"
Elena bowed deeply. While it didn't guarantee she had passed... it clearly signaled that she had reason to remain hopeful.
"The young lady was worried, wasn't she? Good for her, good for her."
Hermann spoke up from behind me. Just like me, he had likely been keeping an eye on Elena.
"Shouldn't you be the one worrying, Hermann?"
"We coordinated properly, after all. I'm sure I'll be fine."
"I basically used everyone else as stepping stones to grab the flag, though."
"Squad Two getting completely played by fake flags and Squad One holding the center on your orders are two completely different things, Bauer-kun. There's no need to fret over it."
I hope he's right.
"Examinee Number 31, come over here."
"Hm?"
Just then, Wittmann beckoned in our direction. Apparently, he had business with Hermann.
"What is it~?"
"I have a question regarding your actions during the exam. It will not affect your evaluation, so rest assured."
"I see..."
Tilting his head in puzzlement, Hermann walked over to Wittmann, crossing paths with Elena. Perhaps he wanted to ask about the other examinees. At any rate, it didn't seem to be anything too grave.
A refreshing breeze swept through the Forest of Hovard, rustling the canopy above. In any case, I had cleared the fourth exam. All that remained was to await the final exam.
I will become a court mage without fail. I carry that duty on my shoulders.
With thoughts of my distant hometown in my heart, I departed the forest behind me.