A girl named Valin suddenly appeared in the exam hall and was looking down on us.
"Honestly... I came here to see what kind of commoners would attend the same academy as me, but... to think they're all this low-class... I'm truly disappointed."
Valin said with a sigh.
What is wrong with this girl...? I wondered why she came here and insulted us like this.
She said she just arrived, but she didn't seem to be taking the exam.
And the noble Wolnon family of Pazele? I had no idea what that was.
While I was confused, the other examinees, who seemed to know the Wolnon family, became noisy.
"It suddenly got noisy. Is there something special about the Wolnon family that girl, Valin, mentioned...?"
Since I didn't know the reason, I decided to ask Day, who seemed to know something.
According to Day, this girl, Valin, was from a family that was far more prestigious than Zaco's in Pazele.
So, the old man next to her, who looked like a butler, was her butler?
Well, she's a noble, so I don't have a good impression of her. I should probably stay away.
While I was thinking that, Valin and her butler went in front of Reina for some reason.
"You're the person who got a red score in the magical power test, aren't you?"
Valin went up to Reina and immediately asked her about the magical power test.
"Y-yes, I am..."
Reina answered, looking flustered.
We were all watching them.
"How dare a monster like you try to take this exam? Are you out of your mind?"
Everyone in the room was confused by her sudden words.
Valin had just insulted Reina. I was confused at first, too.
"Honestly, why don't you just give up the exam? It makes me so nervous."
Valin continued to attack with her words and approached Reina.
I didn't know what she was going to do, but I had reached my limit.
"Hey, that's enough."
I stepped forward and told Valin, who was acting so superior.
"And you are... the one from another world... What do you want?"
Valin looked at me with a little surprise and asked.
"I said, don't say whatever you want just because you have high magical power."
I said to her with a little hostility.
"Oh my, you know who I am and still say that? Honestly... this is why commoners are so uneducated."
Valin also taunted me with hostility.
The atmosphere in the room was becoming more and more tense.
"The Wolnon family must be a lot of trouble. I guess nobles are taught to make fun of people."
I was getting annoyed by Valin's words, so I taunted her back.
"Wha..."
Valin's face turned red with anger.
Then the old man who was with her, her butler, stepped in front of her.
The old man's face didn't change, but I could feel his emotions from the aura he gave off. It was anger.
"You... are you insulting my mistress and the Wolnon family?"
The butler's loyalty to the Wolnon family must be high, as he was giving off an intense presence toward me for insulting them.
I guess I went too far...
The other examinees were confused and were watching us.
They probably thought Valin was right and I was wrong about Reina... But even so, I couldn't stand by and let her insult Reina.
My anger was probably the same as the butler's. I could feel that this butler was stronger than me.
But I wasn't going to back down. I knew someone stronger than this man. I wasn't going to be intimidated.
"Yeah. At least a person who insults my friend is no good."
I said with a little confidence.
Behind me, Reina looked surprised.
I said that, but my heart was pounding.
I knew I shouldn't be intimidated, but the atmosphere was just so tense.
Still, I kept up my confident facade to divert the hate toward Reina onto me.
The butler couldn't stand my words anymore and was about to come at me, but Valin put her hand out in front of him and stopped him.
"Wait, Sebass. ...You from another world, if you insist on talking like that, why don't you have a match with me right now?"
Valin's suggestion was unexpected.
I didn't know what she was thinking, so I braced myself.
"You don't have to be so tense. ...Well, if you win, I'll do anything you want. Or are you just a coward who can't take a challenge after all that talk?"
Valin explained her terms.
I had no reason to fight her, and I didn't care if she called me a coward.
But her condition if I won got me.
"...Okay, I'll take your challenge. If I lose, I'll become your slave or whatever you want. But if I win, you have to apologize to Reina. Deal?"
I added my condition to Valin's.
I picked a fight with Valin for Reina's sake. It might be selfish, but I'm going to do it anyway.
"Yes, I accept. The Wolnon family always keeps its promises. I accept your condition. You, over there, guide us to an empty room."
Valin and I came to an agreement.
Then Valin told a nearby proctor to guide us to an empty room for our match.
"Y-y-y-y-yes! Th-this way!"
The proctor who was called by Valin was trembling with fear and guided us to a room.
We were led to a room where there was no exam being held and went inside.
The people outside were crowding around the window to watch our match.
We stood in the middle of the room, facing each other. We put on our Maseirin and summoned our Jinki.
Valin's Jinki was a black magic staff, like the ones you see in stories.
"I heard you can't use magic. Should I go easy on you?"
Valin said with a smirk, trying to provoke me.
She knows a lot about me, doesn't she?
She said she just got here, so how did she know I couldn't use magic?
Could it be...
"How do you know I can't use magic? Did you lie about just getting here and have been watching from the beginning?"
Valin said she just arrived, but I took my exam right after the practical exam began. The other examinees shouldn't have known I couldn't use magic until now.
If she knew I couldn't use magic, it means she must have been watching from the beginning of the practical exam.
I pointed that out to Valin.
And then...
"W-what are you talking about?! Stop making up things! It sounds like I was jealous of the other examinees!"
Valin's face turned red again and she snapped back. But this blush wasn't from anger.
Also, she was no longer speaking like a noble lady. She sounded like a normal girl and was saying strange things.
"Okay, okay, whatever. Let's just do this."
I was getting annoyed and just brushed her off.
Valin looked irritated that I was brushing her off, but she seemed to have calmed down and faced me.
The proctor came forward and said,
"A-alright, the match will now begin... S-start!"
The proctor gave the signal, and the match began.