When I Reincarnated as the Villain of a Game World, I Created a Harem and Broke the Protagonist's Heart and Efforts!

Chapter 47 : Ability Test [Lilia]

I watched my master as he went with Serena towards the noble’s venue.

When they disappeared into the crowd and were completely out of my sight, only then did I move my gaze.

“Now, shall we go too?”

“Yes.”

We walked in the opposite direction of where master went. Perhaps due to the larger number of commoners compared to nobles, the space between people feels narrower than the path for aristocrats.

Carefully avoiding bumping into others, we walked until we reached an open space. There, a large number of people were forming multiple lines, and the people who had just walked there were lining up at the end of those lines one after another.

“It’s quite crowded.”

“Yes, indeed. It’s surprising since everyone is said to be this year’s new students.”

Lulua and I were astonished by the unexpectedly large number of people.

“Both of you, if you don’t line up soon, you might not make it in time for the written exam.”

“Right. Let’s go, nee-san.”

“Yes.”

We joined a random line and waited for our turn, while chatting with Lulua and Leviana. When observing from the outside, it seemed that the line was moving slowly, but once we joined, the queue progressed faster than expected. It seems that people are lining up one after another, making the movement of the line less noticeable.

Soon, our turn came, and she decided to be the first to be examined.

“Please state your name.”

“I’m Lilia.”

“…Yes. Please cover your hand over this magical tool. We will measure your magical power.”

“Yes.”

I placed my hand over the magical tool indicated by the woman standing in front of me. The magical tool emitted a slightly dazzling light for a few seconds, and then slowly absorbed that light.

Wondering if everything was alright, I raised my eyes for confirmation, and the woman blinked her eyes in surprise.

“Um, is this okay?”

“Oh, y-yes. It’s fine. I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen such a large amount of magical power before.”

“Is my magical power level higher than usual?”

“Yes. It’s incredibly high. Even among nobles who are relatively blessed with magical talent, it’s a quantity that is not seen often.”

“Oh, I see.”

She was surprised. It turns out my magical power level is quite high. I hadn’t noticed because there are people nearby with magical power far exceeding mine.

Glancing at my side, Lulua was looking back in the direction of the noble’s venue, with an expression that seemed to have sensed something.

“Hey, nee-san.”

“It’s alright, Lulua. I understand even without you saying it.”

“Wraith-sama, I hope he won’t overdo it…”

Lulua, like me, did the same, and aside from being surprised by the amount of magical power, there were no particular issues with the first test.

“The next is the written exam, right?”

“Yeah. But, considering that we’ve been given almost the same education as Wraith-sama, this written exam doesn’t seem to have much meaning for us.”

“Haha. That’s true.”

While having such a conversation and about to leave the place, we noticed that there was a commotion behind us. Lulua turned around with a curious expression.

“Is something happening?”

“I wonder?”

We stopped for a moment to figure out what’s going on. Information seemed to be spreading from the other side, and we catched snippets of conversation from the surrounding crowd.

“What happened over there? It seems quite noisy.”

“I heard it from a friend of mine. It seems the magical tool for measuring magical power broke.”

“Is it a malfunction?”

“No, that magical tool was just bought this year, so it’s unlikely”

“Then what does it mean?”

“It seems that the magical tool couldn’t measure the magical power and broke.”

“Hmm…”

Apparently, Lulua heard the conversation as well but showed an uninterested expression.

“It doesn’t seem to interest you.”

“If it’s Wraith-sama, it wouldn’t be strange for him to do something that would break magical tools.”

“That’s true.”

For better or worse, having an extraordinary master by our side, breaking a magical tool doesn’t surprise either Lulua or me.

“At this rate, we might become fearless someday, don’t you think?”

☆☆☆☆☆☆

After finishing the written exam, which didn’t seem to have as much purpose as I had expected, Lulua and I decided to go our separate ways.

The reason was that we had chosen different options for the practical exam.

I chose the demonstration of magic.

I had just been thinking about wanting to try magic shooting, and while I could handle combat, it wasn’t my strong suit.

Lulua chose simulated combat.

Lulua, who had only fought magical beasts in the forest occasionally with master or Leviana, wanted to see how her skills would fare in a different setting. It felt like she had a slight inclination towards battle mania.

By the way, Leviana accompanied Lulua. Since we didn’t know what might happen in simulated combat, having Leviana with her provided reassurance. Of course, we had a means of communication set up, so there was no problem.

So, I headed towards the venue for the magic demonstration alone, and I was approached from behind.

“Um, excuse me.”

“Hmm? Yes?”

“Um, did you also choose the magic demonstration for the practical exam?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then, can I go with you? I feel a bit uneasy alone.”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Thank you!”

The girl who had requested to accompany me to the venue, with a somewhat adorable charm like a small animal, was named Reese. As evident from her presence here, she was a commoner who had come today to take the proficiency test.

Although the initial magic power measurement and the written exam had instructions, the venue for the practical exam was explained orally. Reese seemed worried about whether she could find it properly, so she reached out to me.

At first, I thought she might be uncomfortable with acting alone, but it turned out she just wasn’t accustomed to the new environment.

This was evident as our conversation didn’t stop until we reached the venue, and by the time we arrived, we had become friendly enough to call each other friends.

We got along better than I had expected.

When we reached the venue, there was an explanation of the exam, followed by the magic demonstration.

Due to the large number of commoners, we were divided into several groups, and Reese and I ended up in the same group.

“Yay, I’m with Lilia. Let’s do our best together!”

“Yes.”

Each group moved to their respective locations, and the exam began immediately.

Since Reese and I were in the middle of the order, we observed others casting spells while exchanging a few words.

Many cast basic spells, and occasionally, intermediate spells were used with somewhat lower accuracy.

However, when Reese and I saw intermediate-level magic, we became excited.

I keenly felt the difference in my own abilities and the environment around me in these moments.

“…Maybe it’s because the people around me are too exceptional.”

“Huh? Lilia, did you say something?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Really?”

I unintentionally let slip what I had been thinking. But, I guess it couldn’t be helped. I felt several gaps between my expectations and reality throughout the day.

“Next, Lilia.”

“Ah, yes.”

The examiner called my name, and I stood a few dozen meters away from the target.

The examiner confirmed this and gave the signal to start.

“Begin!”

With the signal, I closed my eyes and concentrated.

[Multiple Expansion]

A large magic circle appeared at my feet, formed by several small magic circles gathering together.

[Ice Rain]

As I whispered the spell, sharp ice, about thirty centimeters in size, appeared around me. Their number was beyond counting.

I quietly swept my right hand… And in an instant, countless ice shards flew towards the target.

The ice shattered the target, leaving the sound of collisions echoing.