Episode 14: Level 1 Mage Certification Exam

The encounter with Eun-byeol had been deeply meaningful.

I couldn't very well go full madwoman and scream, *"Ditch the academy! Come be my disciple! Learn Reverse Flow! You refuse? Then watch me do a sword dance right here!"*

"……"

*Though perhaps I should have.*

Regardless.

Simply obtaining her phone number was, in itself, a matter of considerable significance.

I bit into my sandwich with a grin, and Monika poked my cheek, looking puzzled.

"Hey, squirt, why are you so happy? You've been full of energy ever since you got back from the academy."

"Heh heh, that is a secret, it is."

Monika narrowed her eyes.

"Hmm. Is it because of Eun-byeol?"

"……"

I flinched, and Monika smiled.

"So there really is something about that kid, isn't there?"

"Hmph! This is not a matter for shallow mages who judge everything by Synchronization Rate, it is not."

Monika gazed up at the ceiling as though picturing Eun-byeol in her mind.

"It's true that Synchronization Rate is a measure of strength, but that's a story from twenty or thirty years ago~"

"Is… that so? It is."

Monika set down her half-eaten sandwich.

"These days, it's not just Synchronization Rate—they look at Ether control ability, the utility of the Image Core, formula calculation speed, discharge rate, Ether circuits, and even the physical stamina needed to sustain magic."

"It has grown quite complicated, it has."

I turned the implications over in my mind, then asked with a tilt of my head.

"Why is the body necessary, though? Mages were originally the sort who shuffled about like walking corpses, they were."

Monika mimed pushing up a pair of glasses she wasn't wearing and leaned in close.

"Oho, it's a scientific approach. A paper was published showing that muscle density and the conduction speed of the nervous system have a meaningful correlation with magic. Lately, because of findings that muscle growth increases Ether capture and capacity, there are even mages who bulk up their bodies…"

Monika began pouring out knowledge like a proper enthusiast.

To summarize: in this era of advancing magical sports, the most closely watched topic was the relationship between physical ability and magical ability.

"H-how fascinating, it is."

"Because of that, mages in America are apparently taking steroids. Lots of beefy types over there."

"That sounds rather unpleasant, it does."

"Hmph, but if you have more muscle, you can absorb that much more Ether—so for battle mages, it's a necessity."

"In that case, I shall not become a battle mage, I shall not."

Monika burst out laughing at that.

"Fair enough~ Women are at an absolute disadvantage in muscle mass, so it's an inefficient method anyway. Instead, you develop the nervous system. It makes a meaningful difference in casting speed."

"And how meaningful a difference in seconds is that?"

"Somewhere between 0.1 and 0.2 seconds?"

"…The efficiency is terrible, it is."

"Hmm~ You'd think differently if you watched the S1 league. There, wins and losses swing on units of 0.1 seconds."

"Hmph. That will be of precious little help when hunting Abyssal Entities in the Abyss, it will."

Then the mention of the S1 league made me think of magic tournaments, and I leapt to my feet.

"That's right! I want to enter a tournament too, I do! How long must I only train?"

Monika, who had been picking up bread crumbs to eat, laughed.

"If you enter a tournament, there'll be an uproar about a genius appearing. We haven't even found a Magic Tower or sponsor to protect you yet."

"Hmph! I shall simply pretend to be weak, I shall. I want to gain tournament experience too, I do."

"Hmm."

"And the more I hide, the more suspicious it becomes, it does! Even a supreme master must conceal one final edge for it to mean anything, they must."

"Hiding your true power—seems like you enjoy that game more than I do."

I smiled, the corners of my mouth curling up.

"The foundation of an assassin lies in concealment, it does."

"Hmm, Tae-hyeon! Is Eun-ha reading manga about assassins lately?"

Tae-hyeon, who had been cleaning the living room, stepped into the kitchen with a bright smile.

"She has been watching an animated series with me called *Spy Friend*."

"Aiyah! Did I not say to keep that secret, did I not! I only watched it because it stirred up old memories, I did!"

"So she says."

My face burned at Tae-hyeon's words.

I stuck out my lower lip and plopped into the little chair, and I could feel Monika watching me with eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Was it fun?"

"I-it was fun, it was…"

"Spy Friend is great~ Should I buy you a doll of the main character sometime?"

"Really?!"

"……"

Monika broke into a wide grin, and only then did I realize I'd been had.

"Aiyah! So! Are you going to look into tournaments for me, or are you not!"

"Of course I am. As it happens, Ye-jeong's Nubes Academy has a tournament coming up."

"Then will that Eun-byeol be there too?"

"Yep. It's a Junior Level 3 tournament—just the right first competition for kids in the ten-and-under bracket."

"Tournaments have levels too… Why is everything so complicated, it is."

At my words, Monika pulled up a chart on her phone.

===============

Olympia – The world's premier magic tournament

S1 – KML League of the top 50 ranked mages

S2 – High-ranking mage league for Level 5 and above

S3 – League for mages who have broken through their personal Abyss

J1 – Large-scale tournament for ages 15 and under

J2 – Official tournament for ages 15 and under

J3 – Official tournament for ages 13 and under