For I Am A Side Character - 112: The Test from Morrison and the Unexpected Visit in the Park.

When the next day came…it was at this time that I remembered about the test that Professor Morrison announced. The test that would measure his expectation to our talents in wielding magic.

If we are to ever pass his test, we would no longer have to listen to most of his lectures and theories and instead, we would be thought directly by him in the prospects of true magic. He was known as one of the strongest mages in our country, so to learn from his is nothing but an honor. Even I’m intrigue to pass this test because of how much I lack in the category of magic. Most of my attacks mainly revolve at close combat, if I were to learn a few skills from him personally, it  would change the range of capabilities I can handle when facing an issue.

Now with that said, when our time for professor Morrison’s schedule was arriving, almost most of my classmates were shaking with anticipation. Some got so nervous that they started running away from the classroom while holding their stomach by how upset it was.

“…So, did you guys study for this day?” I asked.

“I did an all-nighter…and I didn’t even mean to do it. I got so nervous, I couldn’t even sleep a wink. So I just decided to study until the sun finally came up.” said Marilyn as she had a miserable expression put out. and we were surprised by this. Mostly because Marilyn wasn’t the type we expected to get nervous…she had this personality about her that exudes confidence, calmness and a maturity about her that resembled a mother. So to see her like this, it took us by surprise.

And the reason for this was probably because of how being a mage class that focuses on the attributes of light magic, this is nothing but an opportunity for her. And the same goes for Tony who was holding his stomach so tight by how upset it was. Tony being a supporting mage is nothing but agitated by the whole exam coming up. His silent demeanor simply told a silent suffering in the corner of the classroom.

We felt bad for Tony because of how pale his face was. Kenji tried to ask if we had to call a nurse for him, but Tony stopped Kenji before he could take action. Tony was this serious about Professor Morrison’s tutelage.

And while Marilyn, Tony and the rest of the other mag-class students in our room were nothing but nervous. the others on the other hand weren’t as nervous as one could expect.

That was because of their lack of interest towards this opportunity. Mostly in our friend group, Thors, Kenji and Jessica weren’t as nervous. Thors was mainly a physical man when handling his axe and skills.and for Kenji, He was the same kind of guy that mainly does the same by weilding his spear. Yet for Jessica, she wasn’t as confident that she could pass. Because of her low mana count, she barely even gave a damn about this exam.

As for me and Zelisha, we both stood at the center of this divide. We both handle our weapons well, but we can consider learning more for the future. And even if we do fail in the exam, we’re not going to be as bummed about it as Marilyn and Tony would.

We can always fall back to our specialties.

Now as me and my friends were trying to ready ourselves for the exam, the time finally came as the school bell rang across the halls. And to this notion, all but immediately, Professor James Morrison came into our room bursting with a presence so heavy, that my attention was quickly drawn in.

*Bang!*

The sound of the door opening was heard and all of us quickly turned our heads to his entrance. There he stood with a rather stiff face and by his hands were a stack of papers that I assumed was the exam.

Without saying anything, him and the stack of papers he held on his hand were thrown into the air.

It was shocking to see this, but the moment they started falling down, he quickly snapped his fingers and all to suddenly, the papers moved to each and every student sitting down on their desk.

Magic was applied at this moment.

“The test begins will begin once the timer appears on the blackboard. Now what’s in front of you are the papers withholding the very questions you will answer. Now to answer this exam, you will need to use mana at all accounts of time and usage. You must use mana on both your pen and your eyes.”

“As you can see, the papers are blank. To see through this scheme, you need to use mana on your eyes at a specific strength of level. If you use to little or to large of your mana, the words will disappear. You must maintain an adequate amount to preserve the words. As for the pen, the papers are magically enabled to reject any writing that doesn’t consist of mana. If you wish to write your answers into the paper, you must continuously pour in your mana to the pen. If you are to even stop for even a single second and lose focus, all of your answers will erased.”

“If you have studied for exam, I can expect for you to finish by an hour…so that means, that to answer the exam, you must continuously persevere by pouring your mana down into the pen and paper for an hour straight. Any questions?” he asked.

And feeling the nervousness of everyone, only I was the one who raised my hand.

“Excuse me professor, but is possible for us as students to use a mana potion to assist ourselves in this exam if ever we are lacking?” I asked.

“You may…but the question is, do you have a potion at standby?” asked Professor Morrison.

“I do…but only for two people.” I said.

And once I said this, I pulled out two bottles of mana potions from the Point System Store. And I handed it to Marilyn and Tony.

“…W-why are you giving it to us?” asked Marilyn as she was taken aback by this.

“You need it more than I do right now. And besides, this is nothing but an opportunity for the both of you, so pass this exam with full marks!” I said.

“…thank you!” Marilyn was moved by this. As the pressure of the exam was pushing her out of her comfort, it was the least I could do…and in return, she couldn’t help but embrace me in thanks.

I couldn’t help but accept the pressure of her embrace.

As for Tony, he only nodded my way…and that was enough to convey his thanks.

As for the rest of my classmates, I couldn’t help but feel their dirty looks on me, but I couldn’t do anything more about this. Its favoritism at its best and I’m not one to deny this act. In the end, its my choice to favor my friends…if I can’t even do this out of the sheer pressure of looking bad in front of others, than how can I call myself their friend.

After I gave the potions to my friends, Professor Morrison finally started the exam.

And like so, we did our best in answering it.

After thirty minutes of answering his quiz, about half of the class already failed the exam. Some lost because of their low mana count, others simply ran out of the classroom because they couldn’t handle the pressure which lead them to vomiting in the class which was a bit disturbing, some kept failing so much because they couldn’t control their mana enough that they simply gave up in the end…

After a few more minutes passed, I noticed that Tony finally took the mana potion I gave him and he chugged it like hell, and moments later he resumed on his position and continued writing. As for Marilyn, she followed by and also drank her potion.

After 55 minutes later, Marilyn finally finished the exam…and as for me and Tony, we both were able to finish at the same time two minutes after Marilyn did.

Knowing the mental struggles that we went through in this exam, I had to take a breather and I stepped outside to lean on a window. From there, I took in a deep breath and I finally relaxed. What followed behind me was Jessica and Marilyn.

Jessica gave up half way through this exam because she couldn’t maintain her position because of her low mana count. With how low it was, she couldn’t even last for fifteen minutes.

When they approached me, they too stood by next to the open window to take in a breather.

“So, how did you do?” I asked Marilyn.

“Haaa…I’m confident I can pass. Thank you for the potion by the way. I nearly was reaching my limit and was having second thoughts about drinking it when I was nearly finished with the exam. But knowing how my answers would be erased the moment I lost my mana, I couldn’t take that chance.” she said.

“Its no problem. As for me, I have doubts about my answers…I didn’t really worry about my mana , but my answers…that’s where the problem starts.” I said.

“Oh well, lets just hope we can pass this exam.” she said.

After this, the exam finally ended and everyone in our friend circle gathered and went on to the roof to eat.

But as we made our way to the roof, out in the distance of the academy’s hallway…I noticed one particular person staring at me from the shadows.

“…I’ll meet with you guys later on the roof. I have to visit the toilet first.” I said as I separated myself from the group. From here, it didn’t take long for Tyen-Lin to appear before me. Out in a hallway that wasn’t so crowded.

“What is it? Why did you call for my attention?” I asked.

“its regarding about our mission with target.” she said.

“You mean the Kid from Class-E?” I asked.

“Yes, while I was following him through his daily life, I came to a problem.”

“A problem?”

“Something is strange about that boy…Its almost as if he knows that I’m following him.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“…Slowly but surely, I’ve noticed that he’s been leaving an assortment of hints on his trail.”

“Hints?”

“…I don’t know what it is, but it feels like he’s being watched by something other than me.”

“Here, this would explain my suspicions about the boy’s behavior.”

In Tyen’s action, she handed me a piece of crumbled up paper.

When I opened it, I was surprised to figure out what it was…

“…It’s an insignia.” I said.

“Right, I thought you would recognize it. But knowing who you are, I know you wouldn’t miss something like this.”

How could I not recognize it…It’s the insignia of the purity cult.

“…The Boy’s involved with a cult…namely, it’s the Purity Cult.” I said.

“The Purity Cult?”

“Its Similar to the Red Door Organization, but more tied in with the workings of a higher and more powerful order.” I said.

“If an organization like this exist, the Crow’s coop must know about this right?” said Tyen-Lin.

“Maybe…but maybe it’s the kind of information inaccessible to our levels in the clan. To gain some other perspective about this information, we need to meet with the Principal.”

“Right, I’ll have this sent to him immediately.” said Tyen-lin.

“…And by the way, where did you find this paper anyway?” I asked.

“Its a bit unprofessional, but I dug it out of his dumpster.” said Tyen-lin.

“Oh…Sorry you had to go through something like that.” I said.

“Its part of the mission. Now, I’ll come to you again when I need you.”

“Good luck. If this information does tie in with the Purity Cult, I have an idea of why our target is leaving hints about this cult’s existence and why we had the mission to safeguard him in the first place.” I said.

With that, Tyen-lin left and I made my way to the roof to eat with my friends.

After a while, our classes ended. At some point me and Jessica sparred for a bit and so on, we went home.

After we got home, it was at this moment that Jessica decided that she would take on the B-ranked dungeon after the second event would end.

Meaning next week.

And as we plan for our days for the future, I too had to look into my own mission.

“…” looking at the System’s mission board, I could only sigh as the sight of the mission baffles me even to this day. Since the day I was able to obtain the Acrylic Elf Core, the next mission set up for me to do was a similar.

[Mission #8: Find the Brass Elven Linking Chains.]

[Reward: Progression towards the next mission & 5+ System points.]

[Failure: Failure to Completion will cause the Hindrance of moving forward with the story.]

[Time Limit: 6 days]

From the context of this mission, thinking deep of what I know from the story…should I expect it to be in the same place where the event will be held? Its usually like this for every mission when it revolves around the characters…

With how much time I have on hand, its better that I claim this item before the event starts.

With that said, I had to talk to Jessica once again that I would leave.

“…Jess, I need to get out for a bit…I’ll be back soon.” I said.

“Where are you headed?” she asked.

“…I just wanna walk around the streets.” I said as an excuse.

“Oh really? How about I come along, its been a while since we did something together like a date. The last thing I remember was our time at Barcili…maybe we can stroll around the streets together.” she said excitingly so.

“Oh…umm, sure.” I said.

It was at this moment that I failed to get away to do the mission. Its not that much of a problem, but…its putting a limit to what I can do freely without worrying her too much about what I do.

I don’t want to involve her into this kind of life that I’m hiding from her…because if I did, I know enough about her that she would do something reckless just to help me…and its not that I don’t want her help…but I just want her safe more than anything.

It’s a selfish idea but I want to build this relationship even despite all the things I need to do.

After having to change into a more comfortable attire, I decided that maybe I’ll proceed with the mission on another time.

When Jessica also got Changed, I was surprised to find her wearing a rather cute frilly sundress. With how light and bluish her dress was, it complemented well with her hair and eyes.

Just seeing her walk down the stairs, it felt like I was looking at a surreal image of a beauty.

“You look great.” I said.

“Thank you. Now come on, lets walk around town.” she said.

Having to take link herself around my arm, we went out of our house and started walking around the streets to simply take our minds off of our daily work.

For someone our age, even for Jessica…we already have too much responsibility put on ourselves. So at times like this, we can act as a couple and walk around like so.

“…This is nice.” Jessica said softly as we strolled through the bustling streets, the evening sun casting a warm glow over the town. Her hand felt warm in mine, a steady presence that contrasted the turbulent thoughts still lingering in my mind.

“Yeah, it is,” I replied, glancing at her. The sundress she wore fluttered slightly in the breeze, adding a lightness to her step that was contagious. Despite everything weighing on us—the tests, the missions, the looming B-ranked dungeon—it was moments like these that reminded me why we fought so hard in the first place.

We wandered past market stalls, the lively chatter of vendors and customers filling the air. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted meats wafted toward us, making my stomach rumble. Jessica chuckled when she heard it.

“Hungry already?” she teased.

I shrugged, grinning. “I guess I am…we really had a tough day today, so I’m down to eat anything right now.”

She laughed, the sound lifting my spirits. “You’re incorrigible. But that’s one of the things I like about you.”

We continued walking, eventually finding ourselves at a small park on the edge of town. It was quiet here, the noise of the market fading into the background. We sat on a bench beneath a large oak tree, watching the sunset paint the sky in shades of orange and pink.

Jessica leaned her head on my shoulder, and I could feel the tension in her body slowly ease.

“It’s peaceful here,” she murmured.

“Yeah, It’s a nice break from everything.” I agreed, wrapping an arm around her.

She nodded, her gaze distant. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said earlier…about fear.”

I turned to look at her, noticing the serious expression on her face. “What about it?”

Jessica sighed, her brow furrowing slightly. “I’ve always been afraid of failure. Not just in the dungeon, but in everything I do. I guess it’s because I’ve always had to prove myself, especially with my low mana count. It’s like…if I fail, it feels like confirmation that I’m not cut out for this life.”

“To me, you’ve already proven yourself well enough. And I know you can do more…You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, Jessica. Low mana count or not, you’ve accomplished things that most people wouldn’t even attempt. It’s not about how much power you have; it’s about how you use it.”

“…thank you. I don’t know how you do it…but you always were able to ease the stress in my chest.” she said

From then on, we simply enjoyed the wonders of the sunset layed before us.

At the sight of this peace, it didn’t take long before something ultimately ruined the moment.

From the side of my eye, I could feel the presence of three people standing by in a rather odd manner.

‘…’

No hostility was put on our way, but nonetheless, I was skeptical of their presence in the park.

“…Jess-” I wanted to warn Jessica about the strangers, but before I could, someone else intruded our peace yet again. That someone stood in front of us with his arms put inside his pockets and his face ever so eager for some trouble.

Wearing nothing a but your casual clothing, and a fedora on his head, he smiled at me and simply pulled out a scythe out of thin air.

“W-what’s going on?” asked Jessica as she was surprised by this sudden intrusion.

“…” being wary of who they were, I stood in front of Jessica to protect her of who was in front of us.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Hmm? Were they for real with this one? Was it fake news?” he said to himself as he looked at me from top to bottom as if he was looking down on me.

“I’ll ask again, who are you?” I said.

“…Hmph, you don’t have to worry about who we are, just be sorry that you piqued our interest.” he said. And to his words, he swung his scythe at a speed incomprehensible to the human eye.

*Shwing!*

*Thud!*

But that alone wasn’t enough to hurt me.

With just my arm and the effects of the Body of the Dark, the blade couldn’t even pierce through my skin at all.

“…Whoa, looks like there’s more to you than what meets the eye.” he said as he pulled away.

Next thing we know, he brought out a second scythe and attempted to attack yet again.

But knowing the danger of who they were, I had to stop them before it gets worse.

So in a single step, I was able to quickly make due with his actions.

In a single step, I invaded his personal space and I quickly disarmed his weapons by breaking both hands by gripping on them before he could make a move.

“Ghg!” he couldn’t fully follow the speed of my actions and he barely had the process to react on time, but from then on, the three other people on the sides started to move.

But before they could, I raised up the guy who was wearing a fedora up into the air and made my warnign to the others.

“Take one step and I’ll break his neck!” I said in a threatening tone.

And to my warning, the three hesitated in taking action. I could sense the nervousness in the beat of their hearts.

“Soril, what’s going on?” asked Jessica as she was worried about what was happening.

“I don’t know…they might just be thugs walking around the street.” I said.

“Now, I’ll ask again, who are you?”

“Khk-…you cocky bastard!” he said as he looked to me with dagger-like eyes.

“…” feelign a bit annoyed, I tightened my grip even more on his neck. And to this action, he started screaming in pain.

“Aghhh!!! Fuck! Stop it!” he said.

And soon enough, I lightened my grip.

“Now, tell me…who are you.”

“I-” but before he could say anything, I again, felt another presence in the area.

“…Hmm?” looking around, I saw a familiar face approach me.

“…Brother Cecil?” with his calm gaze put on me, I was a bit taken aback by his sudden appearance in this park.

And he wasn’t on his own. For with him was the sight of a younger woman dressed in a black suit.

“…So you must be Soril Remus.” said the Woman.

“…” feeling a bit uneasy by all of this, I threw the man on my hand to the woman, and to Cecil’s grace, he caught the pretentious bastard with just one arm.

“Soril, do you know these people?” asked Jessica.

“…” when Jessica asked this question, I was put into a corner…but knowing the situation, it feels like I couldn’t lie out of it.

“…Brother Cecil, what are you doing here?” I asked.

“…Master has called for you. We need to go immediately.” he said in a coarse tone.

And when he said this, I instinctively turned to Jessica.

What happens now? What if I leave her all on her own…knowing that she is curious about my acquaintance with these people, it might get her in trouble.

Just being curious about the house of Shadows already puts a man on their list…So I worry for Jessica’s safety.

Being in this conflict, Brother Cecil quickly noticed my predicament.

“Take her with you.” he said.

“But-”

“Its alright…” he said as he gave a reassuring smile.

Feeling conflicted, I decided to follow Brother’s orders.

“Jess, please trust me.” I said as I held her hand tight for security.

When I held her hand, I was shaking with fear…

And knowing the danger, she understood me and simply embraced my hand in return.

“…okay.” she smiled and nodded to what I said.

From there on, two black cars arrived meant for us.

We were put inside and we drove off into the Dojo.