The Goddess Granted Me the [Hatching] Skill and Somehow I Became the Strongest Tamer, Commanding Mythical and Divine Beasts - 32

On the second day since Klaus and the other examinees began escorting the Academy students, the situation took a significant turn.

The previous day had been a standard escort mission, with only a few battles along the way, followed by setting up camp, cooking, and taking turns keeping watch. However, after one day, there was a noticeable change in the students’ behavior.

Adventurers typically stood on either side of the carriage, ensuring no monsters approached unnoticed. All the adventurers present were capable of defeating C-rank monsters on their own, so they wouldn’t fall behind unless caught off guard.

However, today, neither Klaus, Blaze, nor any of the other adventurers had engaged in combat with a single monster.

The reason was that as soon as a monster approached, the Academy students inside the carriage began casting magic.

Normally, apprentice mages attending regular schools would have low magic power and lack the precision to hit distant targets. But these students were handpicked elites from the Academy.

Their magic was powerful and precise, and the monsters were wiped out before they could get close to the carriage.

Because of this, the adventurers, especially the examinees, gradually became frustrated as their jobs were effectively being taken over.

“Ah, that was refreshing.”

Melissa’s voice could be heard above Blaze’s head. Just moments ago, she had killed an approaching goblin with an ice arrow conjured by magic.

Speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear, Melissa continued in a bright tone, deliberately leaving the carriage window open as she began chatting with the other students inside.

“Melissa, could you switch places with me next time?”

“Sure, but if we defeat too many monsters, the guards might get bored just walking around.”

Melissa placed her hand over her mouth and chuckled. The students had been informed beforehand that the examinees for the national adventurer exam were among them.

“Lorraine, it’s definitely my turn next! No monsters are coming from this side at all.”

Lucia, who was seated on the opposite side, complained. Since earlier, monsters had only appeared on the right side of the carriage, the side Blaze was guarding.

No monsters had appeared on the left side, where Klaus was stationed.

“Understood. I’ll switch with you the next time a monster appears.”

Lorraine replied, and Lucia happily hugged her.

“Damn it, what do they think this exam is about…?”

Blaze muttered under his breath, trying to hide his frustration.

Without a chance to prove themselves, the examinees couldn’t impress the accompanying examiners, risking failure. As tensions began to rise between Blaze and the other examinees, and the Academy students, Klaus silently continued to perform his escort duties.

“As expected, it’s happening again this year.”

As night fell, the national adventurer examiners and Academy teachers held a meeting.

This event was an annual occurrence, and the conversation touched on the familiar patterns they had seen in previous years.

“It’s not uncommon for those we are tasked with protecting to act on their own. I apologize for being blunt, but a national adventurer must be capable of protecting even those who might hinder them.”

In fact, this exam was carefully orchestrated by the National Adventurer Organization and the Academy. The examinees were under pressure from the possibility of failure, while the Academy students were aware that national adventurer examinees were among them, making both groups conscious of each other.

The Academy students, already harboring a strong sense of elitism, naturally developed a sense of rivalry against the examinees. The examinees, on the other hand, were forced to think for themselves and deal with troublesome escort targets who possessed power unlike any they’d encountered before.

In a simple escort mission, being strong might suffice, but as national adventurers, they might have to protect important figures within the country, individuals who often have strong personalities. Thus, the ability to navigate human relationships smoothly is also required.

“As you pointed out, our students have their issues too. Perhaps because they were raised with elite tutors from a young age, they’ve become arrogant. As a result, they often disregard those they perceive as less capable and act as they please, even at the Academy.”

The Academy representative teacher gave a wry smile.

“Hopefully, this outdoor class will help both sides grow in a positive direction…”

The purpose of this escort mission was for both the examinees and Academy students to have a bitter experience.

To achieve this, the destination of this mission was an abandoned castle, rumored to have been ruled by a demon king in ancient times.

By the time they arrived, the students who had been using their magic so freely would likely be completely drained of their power.

In the abandoned castle, undead monsters and wraiths would appear everywhere.

The guards would surely struggle to protect the Academy students who could no longer use magic.

The teacher, who imagined the students’ plight, chuckled but then grew serious as they reflected on the day’s events.

“Speaking of which, there’s something that caught my attention…”

“What is it?”

The examiner asked the Academy teacher.

“Well, I felt the direction from which the monsters appeared during today’s march was unusually biased.”

Indeed, the monsters had always approached from the same direction. As a result, the group had only encountered half as many monsters as usual. If the students still had magic power when they reached the abandoned castle, they might behave recklessly.

“Well, it might even out in the remaining days. Irregularities like this can happen in such exams. Rest assured, we official national adventurers will protect them with all our might if necessary.”

If the examinees could defeat C-rank monsters on their own, a group of fifteen national adventurers could take down an A-rank monster if they worked together.

They had gathered excessive forces to ensure that nothing went wrong.

“By the way, I found a place that serves excellent wine back in the capital. How about we celebrate after this?”

“Sounds good. Let’s toast to the future of the examinees and Academy students.”

As the two continued their conversation about what to do when they returned, a rainbow-colored flying object shone under the moonlight in the sky above them.