After finishing the exams regarding the application of magic and mana control ability, the examinees will now begin the most important exam of all. The combat test.
The actual combat ability of the examinees is the thing that the Captains care about the most. Even if the results of the previous exams were bad, the examinees still have a chance to redeem their evaluation score with the nine people sitting above the plaza.
For a person to become a Magic Knight, the most necessary and decisive condition is that the individual's personal capability must be excellent enough.
"Excellent" here does not necessarily mean they must have good combat ability. If a person's magic leans towards support or assistance for teammates, they will also be evaluated as excellent and have the opportunity to become a Magic Knight.
These types of people will usually be evaluated according to a special standard of their own; they will likely be recruited in a way different from normal examinees, not having to fight others to receive the recognition of the Captains.
Brian and Yuno certainly do not belong to this group; furthermore, among the people here, there is no one who belongs to the group of support mages. Therefore, there are no exceptions; everyone will have to participate in one-on-one combat with each other.
"Everyone, choose your own opponent from one of the other examinees. You may use your Grimoires to fight."
William spoke up once again; he, along with the other Captains, looked down at the examinees standing below in the plaza.
"If you have come here to participate in the exam, then surely everyone here has already learned a few attack spells, right? Combat is the main duty of a Magic Knight. We will evaluate you through what you demonstrate in your battle. Show us your capability."
The examinees looked at each other, each of them extremely cautious as they began to scrutinize the others. They all had the same thought: to see who could be an easier target for themselves among the people present here.
Choosing an opponent who is too weak might result in that person refusing to fight, but being challenged by someone significantly stronger than oneself is also unacceptable.
While the others were still carefully considering who to choose as an opponent, Brian and Yuno looked at each other as soon as the content of the final exam was announced.
Both of them could see the gaze of the other igniting with the flame of desire to fight.
The other examinees were not qualified enough to fight the two of them; the fact that they would fight each other was a natural occurrence.
But just as Brian and Yuno were about to speak up to challenge each other, two young men among the examinees who were still looking for opponents actively approached them.
Looking at the clothes and the unfriendly expressions on the faces of these two, it was clear that they were nobles.
"Hey, you two still haven't found an opponent, right?"
One of them spoke up; this guy kept a sneering smile that looked extremely provocative in Brian's eyes, and the other guy following behind him had the exact same expression.
"Perhaps you were chosen by four-leaf clover Grimoires, but at the end of the day, you are just kids from the slums. Fight a match with us. We will show you the difference in magic between nobles and low-born trash like you."
This remark from the two nobles attracted the attention of those around. This showy behavior of these two also made the others remember who they were.
"Isn't that Salim from the Hapshass family?"
"Is it him?"
"Looks like those two commoners have run into hard targets."
The whispering and chatter of the other examinees did not affect Brian and Yuno in the slightest. The two of them glanced at each other, exchanging opinions through their eyes.
The two nobles in front of them did not seem difficult to defeat at all; choosing them as stepping stones for the two was not a bad idea.
Although they wouldn't get to fight each other, this wasn't bad either. Both Brian and Yuno agreed on that.
"Fine, we accept."
Brian and Yuno accepted the challenge of the two nobles. And like a chain reaction, all eyes of the people present at the plaza turned toward them, including the nine Captains.
"Hmph, two idiots."
Responding to the courage (in the eyes of others) of Brian and Yuno was a disdainful laugh from the two nobles. Each of them wore an arrogant expression on their faces while taking each step toward the empty area in the middle of the plaza.
"That black-haired one, you will be my opponent."
Salim pointed his finger at Yuno, choosing him as his opponent. His Grimoire began to flip to the page containing the attack spell he wanted to use to defeat the country bumpkin in front of him quickly and neatly.
On the opposite side, Yuno did not refuse Salim; he leisurely walked into the combat area.
"Wait until that guy is finished, I will personally deal with you, you peasant."
The noble who came with Salim looked at Brian, unable to hide the provocation in his voice.
"Just watch. Don't rate yourself too highly."
"Huh...?"
Feeling that Brian's cold attitude insulted him, the noble suddenly became bitter, "True to the nature of uneducated peasants. Did your parents not teach you how to behave properly? Ah, right, surely they didn't have a decent education either. Low-born trash who even have to beg for food like you, how would you know how to behave properly."
Brian glanced at the noble who had just spouted a string of unpleasant words. He also noticed that the expressions of the people around were not good when they heard these words from the noble.
The vast majority of people who felt annoyed were commoners; on the contrary, it was the cluster of nobles of the same ilk.
Brian noticed the dissatisfied frowns of the Captains above the plaza; they must have belonged to the group that didn't like shallow people like that noble.
"Watch this clearly... Lightning---"
In the center of the plaza, Salim also laughed disdainfully when he heard the words of his companion. And when he saw Yuno step into the fighting position, he immediately used the attack spell he had prepared right away.
He thought Yuno would find it difficult when facing him, but responding to him was only the detestably cold and calm demeanor of Yuno.
"Wind Magic: Towering Tornado!"
Yuno used the spell with extremely fast speed, completely overwhelming his opponent.
A tornado appeared right in the middle of the position where Yuno and Salim were standing; it headed toward Salim at extremely fast speed, accompanied by an extremely powerful explosion of mana.
"Wha...!"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Salim was struck by Yuno's spell; his entire body was immediately sent flying by Yuno's attack spell, thrown several meters away, and knocked unconscious on the spot.
Yuno had controlled his spell so that it was not strong enough to cause his opponent serious injury. If Yuno had been serious, Salim would not have walked out in one piece.
"No way...?"
"That commoner defeated Salim with just one attack...!"
Astonished, unbelievable. The expressions of those witnessing Yuno's match all had such a feeling.
And as if not wanting to let the atmosphere at this moment cool down, Brian actively stepped into the combat area, raising his voice toward the noble who came with Salim.
"Hey, do you still want to fight me? Do you want to fight, or will you run away? If you concede right now, I will consider that you never challenged me."
The other noble was bewildered, unable to react in time to Brian's words. It took a while for him to understand what was happening; he was then angered by Brian's words, unable to help but go out to fight him for the sake of his face.
"Don't you dare be arrogant, you peasant!"
Unlike Salim, the magic attribute of this noble was Fire Magic; his mana was also quite high, but it was not equal when compared to Salim's; dealing with him would be easier.
"Fire Creation Magic: Hellfire Burst!"
As if to prove himself and make Brian pay for daring to look down on him, this noble used the strongest attack spell he had.
A fire bull three meters high appeared in the middle of the plaza; it charged toward Brian, aiming its flaming horns at him as if wanting to completely destroy the person blocking the way in front.
The source of mana radiating from this spell was not inferior to what Yuno had just erupted, but clearly, the casting speed of that noble could not compare to Yuno's.
"That kid intentionally let that unlucky guy successfully cast the spell."
Yami emotionlessly commented, and he quickly received nods of agreement from the other Captains.
If Brian had the confidence to let his opponent cast an attack spell without preventing it or attacking the opponent beforehand, then surely he had prepared a method to deal with the opponent's attack.
Under the expectant gazes from the Captains, Brian's Grimoire flipped its pages at an extremely fast speed, and his entire body also immediately erupted with a colossal source of mana.
"Earth Magic: Stone Skin!"
Only using a single simple reinforcement spell, combined with wrapping himself in a large amount of mana. Brian calmly walked step by step toward the fire bull that was charging at him.
"Is that guy crazy?!"
"He will die for sure...!"
"Truly stupid...!"
Brian's impulsive action made the crowd noisy, and even the Captains frowned to see what he wanted to do.
Brian only lifted his fist, not showing the slightest fear as he moved toward the fire bull. His fist at this moment was reinforced by Stone Skin and the colossal amount of mana wrapping around it; this amount of mana was greater than the amount of mana he used to wrap around his body.
Brian put on an interested smile; he threw a straight punch at the head of the charging fire bull.
Under the horrified gazes of those witnessing, the fire bull, an attack spell cast by a mage with a large amount of mana, was easily and completely stopped by Brian's simple punch.
Not only was it stopped, but the fire bull at this moment looked as if it was being pressed by some colossal power, causing its entire body to look like it was being crushed by that power.
In less than two seconds, the noble's fire bull was completely destroyed by Brian, and the spell effect also vanished thereafter.
"Impossible...!"
The noble gaped, unable to believe it as he looked at Brian, "How could you do that?! You are just a commoner!"
"Commoner? Do you think I'm really a commoner?"
Before the words of the noble, Brian casually looked at him with a provocative expression, "In this kingdom, the amount of mana a person has is determined by that person's background. With this colossal amount of mana of mine, do you think I am just a commoner?"
Finishing his words, Brian also erupted from his body an extremely colossal source of mana, causing the ground beneath his feet to crack. His amount of mana was so great that the people in the plaza were astonished to the point of being speechless; even the Captains did not expect his mana amount to be this high.
"Wha-What do you mean?"
"What do I mean, huh?"
Feeling the bewilderment and terror of the noble in front of him, and those around him, Brian replied with interest.
"It's simple. What I mean is that you should be careful with your words, because who knows, maybe I am the bastard child of some noble family, right? By that time, I don't know what will happen to you because of you."
The previously arrogant expression on the noble's face in front of Brian was gone; replaced by an expression of extreme fear. Up until now, he knew just how terrifying the colossal amount of mana that Brian, and partially Yuno, had just erupted was.
If they were commoners in Clover, then how could these two possess such a large amount of mana?
Wasn't the answer already there?
These two were not commoners at all; they were certainly the children of some noble family in this kingdom.
"Do you have any attack spells that you haven't used yet?"
Brian cut off the thoughts of the noble in front of him, "If there are none left, then I will attack."
"D-Don't you dare be arrogant!"
The noble suddenly burst into feelings of anger, especially when he looked into Brian's eyes full of slight contempt for him. That gaze was the gaze reserved for things that were worthless, nothing important; he felt it extremely clearly.
So what if he is a noble's bastard? Doesn't that mean he's still a noble? How could he be afraid of Brian?!
"Fire Magic---!"
Attack spells were cast aiming at Brian; these attacks were no stronger than the previous attack that this noble had used.
Brian did not care about dodging the attacks directed at him; he just kept walking toward the noble, who was almost desperately attacking him.
From the opponent's eyes, Brian could tell what he was thinking in his head right now.
Surely he was comforting himself that Brian was only someone who possessed a large amount of mana, that this did not determine everything. That he was a true noble, and Brian was only a bastard, who could not or dared not do anything to him.
Brian walked, causing the ground beneath him to crack with each step; the closer he got, the more terrified the noble became. And when he stood in front of him, this guy was so scared that he peed his pants, forcing him to cover his nose with his hand.
"Tsk... Your family will be so ashamed of you..."
Brian frowned, one hand covering his nose; he had just canceled the mana eruption, and said so that the noble and everyone at the plaza could hear.
"All this time you have been accustomed to bullying those weaker than you, commoners who do not have a larger amount of mana than you. Then you take that as glory, shamelessly thinking that you are superior to them. Because of this, you have that attitude of looking down on those peasants."
"But look, when the positions are reversed, becoming the one with weaker mana, then look at this pathetic state.... Tsk tsk... I don't know what you all are thinking when you look down on commoners anymore."
"When meeting a soft target, you act tough and arrogant; but when meeting a hard target, you become pathetically useless. But people like you are allowed to become Magic Knights to protect the Kingdom? It really is a disgrace to that title."