Chapter 90: The Practical Exam 2

“Don’t get cocky, got it? I don’t care if you broke some record for the fastest promotion ever or whatever.”

The young man named Zeon, whose presence radiated authority and a barely contained temper, was apparently the adventurer in charge of Sena’s practical exam. His eyes had caught the tail end of Canaria’s earlier remarks, and the irritation simmering beneath his calm exterior was now threatening to boil over.

“Z-Zeon-san… I’m sorry, um…”

Canaria stammered, flustered and unsure how to appease him.

Meanwhile, Shifa, fearless to a fault, saw the situation as an opportunity rather than a danger. With an almost mischievous glint in her eyes, she stepped forward to negotiate directly.

“Since you’ve already heard the story, we can save some time. A C-rank adventurer is too much of a burden to handle Sena’s trial properly. Sorry, but let’s just forget about the whole examiner thing.”

“W-Wait a second…”

Although Shifa held a higher rank, her brazen, almost insolent tone toward a senior adventurer made Anii, who had been watching quietly from the sidelines, instinctively tilt her head toward the ceiling in disbelief. Unsurprisingly, her intervention only poured fuel onto Zeon’s boiling temper.

“Don’t think you can get all high and mighty just because you got promoted to B-rank before me!”

“…? I’m not getting high and mighty.”

“Grr… Anyway, I’m not stepping down. As planned, I’m the one handling this kid, and no one else.”

Zeon’s declaration, intended to assert authority, only made him appear even more stubborn. His sharp gaze settled on Sena, who had been quietly observing the escalating exchange with a blank, almost bemused expression.

“Huh?”

“Bring it on if you’re serious. As a senior adventurer, I’ll give this insolent little brat a proper lesson. You better be ready for me.”

Sena tilted her head, blinking innocently.

“…Um, mister, who are you?”

“Wait, you didn’t hear any of that!?”

The day of the practical exam had finally arrived.

The trial was set in the training grounds deep within the adventurers’ guild hall, a space usually reserved for rigorous drills and combat practice. Word of this young prodigy and her unprecedented promotion attempt had spread through the city’s adventurer circles, and a sizable crowd had gathered, eager to witness her abilities firsthand.

“That little girl?”

“Just turned fifteen, and already a C-rank… That’s insane.”

“Don’t count her out yet. Her opponent is Zeon, one of the top-tier C-rank adventurers. Sure, the result doesn’t officially matter, but if she’s utterly outclassed, it’ll leave a bad impression. Failing is still a real possibility.”

While adventurers whispered their predictions, Zeon stepped forward to the center of the training area, exuding a tense aura.

“Zeon, don’t let that little girl get the better of you!”

“Show her what you’re made of.”

“Shut it! I don’t need telling twice.”

The voices of his peers, half-teasing, half-encouraging, barely registered as Zeon let out a frustrated growl. Meanwhile, Sena lingered behind, chatting with her party members as though nothing extraordinary was about to happen.

“Come on, hurry up already.”

Zeon’s sharp voice cut through, demanding action.

“Sena, take it easy. Don’t try to kill him.”

“Don’t worry, I got this!”

“First, gauge his strength, okay? No going full power right away.”

“Okayyy~”

Despite Shifa and Anii’s frantic warnings, Sena’s carefree response barely reflected any concern.

“…She’s mocking me,” Zeon muttered, his irritation climbing with each passing moment.

“Um, excuse me… this sword, it’s… I can feel an incredible amount of magical power coming off it…”

Sarassa’s careful observation cut through the tension. Shifa and the others had yet to realize it, but the mithril sword Sena held had been imbued with a level of magic that bordered on absurd—courtesy of Miranda’s unconventional enchantments—making it essentially a national treasure-class weapon.

“Maybe she should use a different sword?”

“Yes, that’d be safer. That mithril blade is too dangerous.”

“Eh… I can’t use this?”

Even without its magical enhancements, the sword’s legendary sharpness was unquestionable. As a precaution, Shifa and the others confiscated the mithril sword and handed Sena a battered, nearly broken blade in its place.

—A decision that would ultimately determine Zeon’s fate in the coming moments.

“Y-you…!”

Zeon, unaware of the switch, was now on the brink of losing his composure entirely.

“Sorry for the wait~”

Sena’s carefree greeting, finally stepping into the arena, pushed him further into a frenzy. A vein bulged on his forehead as he glared daggers at her.

“Alright then, let’s begin Sena’s C-rank promotion trial!”

Sensing the tension, a guild official wasted no time announcing the start of the examination.

“Come at me from wherever you want—”

Even as his blood boiled, Zeon’s pride as a senior adventurer made him call for his opponent to strike first. But by the time his voice carried across the hall, Sena had already vanished from sight.

“—Huh?”

His eyes struggled to follow her. Before he could even process what was happening, she was right there, at his side, and had passed by him without leaving him a moment to react.

Then, a staggering blow struck his left side, shattering his focus.

The next instant, Zeon was spinning through the air, crimson droplets scattering like rain around him.

“Ugh!?”

He slammed into the ground with bone-jarring force, and when he looked down, he realized that the armor covering his torso had been ripped apart, leaving a horrifying gash along his side.

“…What?”

For a moment, Zeon was frozen, unable to comprehend the sudden onslaught. Then the full force of the pain hit him.

“Gaaaaahhh!?”

Sena, meanwhile, casually observed the sword she had used, now broken clean in half from the strike.

“Ah… it snapped.”

The blade had shattered mid-attack, unable to withstand the full force she had applied. Had she still wielded the mithril sword, Zeon might very well have been split in two instead.

“Um… should I finish him off?”

“Eek!”

As Sena stepped closer, the fear overpowered Zeon’s pain. He turned to flee, only to have the guild official shout desperately.

“Stop! The trial is over!”

“Huh? It’s over?”

“Yes! That’s enough! More importantly, treat him immediately!”

The on-call medical team rushed to Zeon’s side, administering potions and casting recovery spells to stabilize him.

“What… just happened?”

“Did you see that?”

“No… I didn’t see it…”

“What is she…?”

And just like that, Sena had secured her C-rank promotion—becoming the youngest and fastest in history to do so—and her name spread like wildfire among the adventurer circles, carrying with it a mix of awe, fear, and disbelief.