Having safely finished the Knight Examination, I was lying sprawled on the bed in my inn room.
"...Man, that was fun."
I murmured with heartfelt satisfaction, casting my mind back to the battle during the exam.
That golden sword.
To think such a blade existed in this world. Having only ever known the old man's swordsmanship, everything about it had felt entirely new.
Swordsmen use skills, while mages use magic.
The fundamental difference lies in whether or not one constructs a formula.
Skills require no formula at all, allowing someone to unleash tremendous power with minimal mana. They may lack the complexity and versatility of magic, but their sheer simplicity makes them devastatingly effective.
Magic, on the other hand, constructs a formula directly from mana, granting far greater freedom. That versatility comes at a cost, however—handling it is vastly more difficult, demanding substantial knowledge and refined mastery.
I love both swordsmanship and magic, but I had been completely captivated by her golden skill. I'd love to cross swords with her again someday.
I want to see more of it. I want to understand it more deeply.
That quiet thirst for knowledge smoldered warmly in my chest.
Just then, an essential realization struck me.
"Wait... Did I actually pass?"
Right. My entire purpose here was to earn the qualification.
The mock battle had been called off halfway through, but that still counted as my win, right...?
On top of that, an old habit of mine had surfaced right at the end.
Because I routinely fight using both a staff and a sword, I had reflexively pointed a nonexistent staff at my opponent. The Mage Examination was in one week. For the time being, I should carry only a staff around with me to get my body used to it.
"...Time to sleep."
Closing my eyes, I slowly drifted off.
Old man, old lady. I'll definitely pass both exams.
Early morning.
Having slept soundly through the night, I woke up feeling refreshed.
"Now then, what should I do today?"
There was still a week left until the Mage Examination.
While I needed to keep myself sharp, I should hold off on intense training. The old lady had always warned me that overworking right before an exam does more harm than good. Since I'd come all the way to the capital, exploring the city for a bit sounded like a fine idea.
Leaving the inn behind, I stepped out into the streets.
"This place really is a metropolis..."
The royal capital, Centria.
Located at the very heart of the Kingdom of Alstella, this walled metropolis was one of the greatest cities in the world.
Cobblestone avenues stretched endlessly into the distance, bustling with a steady stream of carriages. Magnificent buildings lined the roads shoulder to shoulder, with shops of every kind packed beneath their eaves.
"Welcome, step right up!"
"Bargains galore today!"
"Hey there, young man, care to take a look?"
The crowd bustling down the street was incomparable to anything back in the village. Energetic shouts echoed from every direction.
"So that's the castle... Man, it's huge."
Looking up, the royal castle loomed grandly beyond the rooftops.
As I wandered through the city, the sky turned to a deep crimson before I knew it. The streetlights flickered to life, and mouthwatering aromas began drifting from storefronts.
"...I'm starving."
After walking all day, my appetite hit me all at once. I figured I should grab a bite before heading back to the inn. Glancing around, my eyes caught a lively tavern with voices spilling through the doorway.
Beyond the open entrance lay warm light and cheerful chatter, accompanied by the enticing scent of roasted meat and savory spices.
"This'll do."
Without hesitation, I stepped inside.
"Welcome! Table for one?"
"Yeah."
"Right this way to the counter, please."
"Thanks."
Taking the seat I was shown to, I placed a casual order for food. While waiting, I glanced around the room and noticed that the armored swordsmen and the staff-bearing mages were sitting noticeably apart from one another.
"...Tch. Waving a stick around and acting all high and mighty."
When one of the swordsmen spat out the remark, a mage's eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"Still preferable to a barbarian whose only talent is swinging a piece of metal."
"...What did you just say?"
"Did you fail to hear me? To think you are as deficient in your ears as you are in your intellect."
The swordsman shoved himself up from his chair, and the mage rose to his feet as well, staff in hand. A spark of hostility instantly filled the air.
"Here we go again..." the server muttered with a weary sigh.
"I'm settling this with you once and for all today!"
"No matter the era, swordsmen remain utterly uncivilized."
The swordsman drew his blade from its scabbard, while the mage gathered a flame at the tip of his staff. Just as both took their stances—
"—Hold on."
I slipped in between the two of them.
Deflecting the incoming blade downward with ease, I tapped my staff lightly against the floor. A gale barrier materialized in an instant, cleanly enveloping the incoming fireball and snuffing it out.
"Wha—"
"What kind of magic was that...?"
Both men froze in sheer disbelief.
"Fighting inside a tavern isn't cool. If you break anything, you're just making trouble for the staff. If you're going to brawl, take it outside. There are regular customers here, too."
At my words, the swordsman and the mage glanced around awkwardly. Catching sight of the cold glares from the patrons and the server standing with hands planted on hips, both slowly lowered their weapons.
"...Tch. I'll let you off the hook today."
"That is my line."
Glaring daggers at one another, the two retreated to their respective seats.
Man, why are those two sides always at each other's throats? I'm sure there's plenty of historical bad blood, but still... As I shook my head internally, a woman wearing a deep hood addressed me from the side.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
"Hm? Oh, go right ahead."
She gave a polite nod and sat down beside me.
Silken hair that looked like spun moonlight cascaded over her shoulders. Flawless, pale skin and long eyelashes framed a breathtakingly beautiful face, within which rested a pair of soft blue eyes.
Tucking a stray lock of silver hair behind her ear, the girl offered a small, relieved smile.
"Thank you for stepping in. I was hesitating on whether to intervene myself, but you were far quicker."
"Is that so? Guess I meddled for nothing, then."
"No, not at all. Even so... that was truly magnificent magic."
As if replaying the scene in her head, her gaze shifted to the staff in my hand.
"Constructing a formula in mere moments, cleanly containing the fireball without letting any of the wind pressure leak into your surroundings—and using an almost negligible amount of mana to do it. It may look simple at a glance, but that is not something an ordinary mage could ever pull off. Let alone while parrying a sword with your right hand. Your technique is remarkable."
"You were paying pretty close attention."
"Fufu. I take a little pride in my own magic, you see."
"Just a little, huh?"
"Yes. Only a little."
She let out a soft chuckle. To an outside observer, it would look like nothing more than the innocent smile of a lovely young girl.
Yet, a calm, piercing light lingered in those pale blue eyes. It was a sharp, calculating gaze that seemed to peer straight into the core of who and what I was.
Yeah, she's definitely no ordinary girl...
"...Are you taking the Mage Examination too?"
"Yes. Of course."
"I see. I'm planning to take it as well. If our paths cross, I'll be in your care."
"Ufufu. Likewise, please go easy on me."
—Well then, I shall take my leave.
With those parting words, she rose from the counter and slipped out of the tavern.
To see right through my magic at a single glance...
The world really was a big place.
A grin naturally tugged at the corner of my lips, and I began twirling the staff in my left hand through my fingers like a pen. It was an unconscious habit of mine whenever I was lost in thought.
That golden skill I had witnessed during the Knight Examination...
If I ever got the chance to exchange spells with this girl, would she show me a power on par with that—or perhaps something even greater? The mere thought made my heart race with excitement.
"Heh, hehe..."
"U-Um... Excuse me, sir?"
Pulled from my thoughts by the timid voice, I looked up to see the server offering a strained smile.
"This is on the house, courtesy of the owner. For breaking up that fight earlier..."
"Ah, right. Thank you very much..."
Snapping back to reality as I took the plate, a cold sweat broke out.
Crap. Twirling my staff with a creepy grin on my face—she definitely thinks I'm some kind of lunatic....How embarrassing.