Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/822139844939715176
After the all-school assembly ended, we transfer students left the auditorium under the guidance of the faculty and began moving. According to the teacher, they were going to administer placement tests, which is why they were leading all the students in this massive procession—
“Hey, Rai. Were there always this many people?”
Yu, walking beside me, asked that.
“No, there are definitely a lot more than there were a moment ago.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
As we followed the line and looked around, it was clear there were far more people than before.
The colors of the ties indicating grade levels were scattered about, and there were easily three times—no, more than that—the number of transfer students who had been in the auditorium just a moment ago marching along.
If all of these were transfer students, it was quite a large group.
“There were only a few hundred people in the auditorium, right? No matter how you look at it, there are over a thousand people here, right?”
“Could they have been gathered somewhere other than the auditorium we were in?”
“—That’s exactly it.”
The teacher leading the group nodded in agreement at Line’s question, who had been tilting her head in confusion.
Wearing a large robe and a large hat, the teacher—dressed like “the quintessential wizard”—turned only his face toward us and continued speaking.
“With you transfer students included, the student this year exceeds 5,000. We simply couldn’t gather everyone in one place.”
At the teacher’s words, everyone except me gasped.
They’d rounded up every single boy and girl in the country who possessed the aptitude to be a ‘Chosen One.’ It wasn’t surprising that the number had grown that large.
In my case, I already knew this from my memories of my past life, so I wasn’t surprised, but if I’d learned that fact without any prior knowledge, I’m sure I would have been just as shocked as the other three.
“So, how did the other districts handle the speeches by the principal and the student council president?”
“The others were via video feed. You guys are lucky.”
With that, I continued walking, led by the smiling teacher.
Transfer students who seemed to have come from various districts began joining the line, and as our ever-growing procession continued, a massive structure came into view.
The dome-shaped structure, as large as the main school building or the dormitories, opened its massive entrance to welcome us transfer students.
“It’s huge…”
Yu muttered, seemingly without thinking.
The interior of the building was incredibly spacious, comparable in size to the National Stadium—or perhaps even larger.
There were even spectator seats on the second floor, where students who appeared to be current students were lined up, looking down at us. It felt a little uncomfortable…
“A-are we being watched a lot?”
“I wonder if they’re sizing us up?”
Liene pressed herself against me, and Ciel let out a sigh.
And so, with all the students and teachers’ gazes fixed on us, we were herded to the center of the venue. There, we found a large number of crystal balls. They were about the size of basketballs and, perhaps to prevent them from breaking, were placed on cushions.
A faint light pulsed from within them; they were clearly magical artifacts at a glance.
“Those are magic power meters, right? Why are they here?”
“……? What do you mean? What are these ‘magic power meters’…?”
Liene tilted her head at Yu’s words.
“Ah, Liene wouldn’t know, would she? As the name suggests, they’re tools for measuring a person’s magic power. They’re used when registering as an adventurer, too.”
“Huh~, I see.”
Ciel smiled at Liene , who seemed convinced.
Just then, several teachers stepped forward. Standing in the center was the robed teacher who had led us here earlier.
He cleared his throat once and fixed his gaze on us.
“—Please be quiet.”
As if using a sound amplification spell, his clear voice echoed throughout the entire hall.
“We will now begin the first part of the class placement exam: the magical power measurement. —The procedure is simple. Touch this crystal and channel your magical power into it with all your might.”
Saying that, he touched the crystal and channeled his magical power into it.
The moment a faint glow traveled from his hand into the crystal, it burst into a dazzling radiance.
“When you channel your magical power like this, the crystal glows according to the individual’s total magical power and its quality.”
When the teacher removed his hand, the light faded instantly, returning to a faint pulsation.
“We determine magical power by the intensity of the glow, and quality and aptitude by changes in color.”
After finishing his matter-of-fact explanation, the teacher spun around and fixed his gaze on us.
“This academy employs a class system based on ability. Magic power, combat skills, aptitude, and so on. We evaluate these factors comprehensively and assign students to the class that best suits them. —We’ll also be conducting a combat test later, so even those who aren’t confident in their magic power need not worry.”
At those words, sighs of relief escaped from all around.
“Alright, let’s begin the measurements right away.”
The line began to move. When the first student touched the device, a faint light emitted—a stark contrast to what had happened when the teacher tested it earlier. The result was “D Rank.” Since classes range from S to D, this meant he was at the very bottom in terms of magical power.
His back, as he walked away with tears welling in his eyes, looked small and fragile.
“…This is going to be awkward.”
Ciel shrugged her shoulders and said.
“It feels like a freak show.”
Yu followed suit with a wry smile.
The measurements continued one after another. Most were around C to B, though occasionally a student would emit a dazzling glow and be judged as ‘Rank A.’
The measurements proceeded smoothly, and
“Next, Yu from Harune Village.”
“Alright, my turn.”
It was Yu’s turn.
Without any unnecessary pressure, he walked up to the crystal ball as usual and touched it with his hand. Immediately, a red glow spread throughout the venue. The result was a ‘B-Rank’ rating.
In gaming terms, it was slightly above average—not as high as a pure mage, but more magical power than a pure warrior. It was a well-balanced result, just like you’d expect from a protagonist.
“It’s exactly the same as when we measured it at the guild before.”
“Neither good nor bad—just average.”
“Don’t say that. I’m a little self-conscious about it.”
Smiling at Yu as he slumped his shoulders, Ciel moved up to the crystal ball next. When she channeled her magic into it, a blue glow appeared. It seemed slightly brighter than Yu’s, but she received the same “B-Rank” rating as him.
“Ciel’s didn’t change much either.”
“Don’t say that. Sigh… I was actually feeling a little confident…”
With that, Ciel returned to the line, and Line stepped forward in her place.
Like Yu and the others, she touched the crystal with her hand and channeled her magic, emitting a yellowish glow—though the light was more subdued than when the two of them had tested. Her rating was ‘D-rank’.
“It was a D…”
Liene muttered quietly as she returned.
She seemed a little less energetic than when she’d approached the crystal.
I gave her a wry smile and ruffled her hair as if to comfort her.
“Liene is more of a pure warrior type who charges to the front lines and subdues monsters with brute force. It can’t be helped that her magical power is on the lower side.”
“Ugh… I’ll redeem myself in the next combat test…”
After enjoying the sight of Line’s tear-filled eyes, it was my turn.
In the original story, there was no description of ‘Rai’ measuring his magical power, but according to the setting, he was supposed to boast the highest magical power in the story. Wondering what the result would be, I touched the crystal with a slight sense of excitement and channeled my magical power into it—the very next moment, the crystal ball exploded with a deafening roar.
“—Huh?”
Whose voice was that?
Was it mine? The teachers’? Or perhaps one of the other students?
For a split second, I thought I saw a swirl of black and white. No, it wasn’t just that. It emitted a glow of multiple colors, almost like a rainbow, and then exploded the very next moment.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, but there was just too much information to process.
“……Um, what’s going to happen with this?”
I found myself asking the teacher in charge of measurements standing behind me.
He looked stunned, glancing back and forth between me and the crystal ball, now reduced to a pitiful state, then scribbled something in his binder and said,
“Rai Arkberg… Unmeasurable… I suppose.”
That’s what he said.
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