Even after Yuri Cattleya had left every single examinee's jaw on the floor, the exam went on.
They swapped in fresh targets, and the examinees took turns casting magic.
Seventy percent had already finished, and Rest's turn was gradually approaching.
"Next up... Celoric Brute."
"Present!"
A voice came from behind Rest, followed by a hard shove to his back.
"Oof...!"
"Out of my way. Make room, commoner!"
The one who shoved Rest was an unusually well-dressed boy.
He'd announced his family name, so maybe he was a noble?
"I'm from a branch house of Count Brute! Don't you dare block my way!"
(Oh, so he's a commoner then.)
Among the old nobility, there were families that had branch houses descended from the main line.
Branch houses often bore the same family name as the main house, but unlike the main house, they held neither titles nor domains, making them perfectly ordinary commoners under the law.
(All high and mighty when he's a commoner too... His name sounds like) that too, and he seems like nothing but trouble...)
While mentally sighing at the boy whose name reminded him of his brother Celoric, Rest obediently stepped aside.
He had no intention of causing any unnecessary trouble—the exam was still only halfway done.
"Hmph!"
The Celery Boy scoffed through his nose and stepped forward to the line.
"Watch closely, commoner trash! Behold my splendid magic, inherited from the noble house of Count Brute! [Thunder Cannon]!"
What the Celery Boy unleashed was a mid-tier lightning-attribute spell.
The violently flickering bolt of lightning struck the target head-on.
True to his boastful mouth, the spell was reasonably powerful.
The score displayed on the target was "98." Following Yuri, it was the second-highest score so far.
"Hmph! That's all there is to it!"
The Celery Boy laughed arrogantly, nose in the air, chest puffed out with pride.
Strutting as if he were slicing through the wind with his shoulders, he swaggered his way back.
"Next up… Rest, residing in the royal capital."
"Yes."
Finally, it was Rest's turn.
He headed toward the line, but from behind him came a nasal, mocking voice.
"Ha-ha! What could someone like that shabby commoner possibly do?"
"…………"
The voice belonged to the celery boy from earlier.
What exactly did he have against Rest, anyway?
(Could that guy be some kind of clone of Cedric? Seriously, what's his problem always getting in my face...)
Still exasperated, Rest composed himself and stepped up in front of the line.
"I'm going."
Rest took a single deep breath, then cast his magic.
"Fireball."
A fireball materialized in front of Rest.
It was the low-tier fire-attribute magic he always used.
"Ha-ha! What's that supposed to accomplish?"
A mocking voice rang out from among the examinees.
There was no need to say who it had come from.
(Laugh it up... I'll wipe that grin off your face soon enough.)
"Amplify."
Rest cast a magic-reinforcement spell in parallel, boosting the fireball's power.
The fireball grew larger and larger, eventually surpassing the height of an adult human.
"W-What...!"
"Incredible, look at the size of that thing!"
Cries of astonishment rose from the other examinees.
He hadn't checked, but the celery boy was surely standing there dumbfounded as well.
(But... this isn't over yet.)
"[Compression]"
He compressed the enlarged fireball down to a small size.
Most of the people watching probably had no idea what was happening, but by compressing the flames, the destructive power had been greatly amplified.
(It had already been proven that this magic was effective against fireball-type spells. And now for the finishing touch...!)
"[Acceleration]"
A magic that increased the speed of objects.
While it was more commonly used to boost one's own speed, it could also be applied to magical attacks.
He channeled the Quadruple to push the strike to its absolute limit, then unleashed it straight at the target.
"
Fire ...!"
The fireball, accelerated and imbued with even greater piercing power, tore through the air.
Flying at nearly the speed of sound, the fireball struck true, hitting the dead center of the target and detonating in a massive explosion.
"Wha—...!"
"That's insane... what kind of power is that...!"
"N-No way... by a lowly commoner like that...!"
After the burst of flames faded, all that remained were the shattered remnants of the target.
The target had been completely destroyed, but only a number indicating the power of the strike was left behind.
That number was... "387." Without a doubt, it was the highest score in the actual exam.
"Was [Acceleration] even necessary? Looks like I had more than enough to pass even without adding unnecessary speed."
"That's a lie! There's no way a low-tier spell could produce that kind of power! You definitely cheated!"
Without even a moment to bask in the glow of victory, voices of protest rose from among the examinees.
As expected, it was the Celery boy again.
"Cheating! This should be voided! There's no way I could lose to some lowly commoner!"
"Silence, you. Over there."
The Celery boy protested furiously, but the academy headmaster overseeing the exam cut him down with a sharp reprimand.
"Magic grows stronger the more it is compressed. Even a low-tier spell, when enhanced by another magic, can produce power that surpasses high-tier spells. And to cast magic through a quartet... there are probably no more than five court magicians who can pull that off. A magnificent display."
"A... ugh..."
"Instead of belittling those who are superior to you, use this as an opportunity to observe and learn. That will serve you far better in the long run."
"............"
The Celery boy fell into a sullen, frustrated silence.
It seemed the result had been recognized as valid after all.
"I did it... Professor Diebl."
Rest let out a deep sigh of relief, his chest loosening as the satisfaction of his stellar exam results washed over him.