Chapter 35
Time continued to pass.
Izumi had already tested many people in that training examination arena.
She leaned back on the luxurious sofa she had created herself and let out a long sigh.
"It's already been an hour," she muttered.
"And there isn't a single person who truly deserves to become either an adventurer or a knight."
Izumi sat comfortably once again.
Then she created a cold chocolate milk box using her Creation Skill.
While drinking it, she relaxed against the sofa.
"Ahh... this tastes really good."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"And this job is actually pretty enjoyable too."
Her thoughts drifted into the past.
Back when she was still a soldier, she was often assigned to train new recruits.
Teaching them the basics of survival, discipline, and combat.
That was why an atmosphere like this felt quite familiar to her.
Not long afterward, a group of children arrived at the arena.
Two boys and two girls.
Izumi observed them from a distance.
"Hm?"
"Why did they come together?"
The four children eventually arrived in front of the examination desk.
One of the girls stepped forward.
"Umm..."
She looked at Izumi with confusion.
"The knight big sister up there said that I would be tested by a knight sir."
"Why is there only a big sister here?"
"Where is the knight sir?"
Of course, Ela still didn't know that Izumi was the one in charge of the examinations and training tests today.
Izumi observed them carefully.
So they're still children.
They're around twelve to fourteen years old.
She then stood up from the sofa.
The empty chocolate milk box in her hand disappeared instantly.
"I'm the one on duty today."
"Umm... I see."
The boy named Zall frowned.
"Eh, but you look really young."
"My older sister is probably older than you."
"How can you possibly be a knight?"
"Hey, Zall!" the other boy, Ben, scolded him.
"Don't talk like that to this beautiful big sister."
"Do you really believe she's a knight?"
Zall pointed at Izumi.
"She's not even wearing knight equipment."
"No armor."
"No kingdom emblem."
"She isn't even carrying a sword."
Izumi smiled warmly.
"I'm not a knight."
"I knew it!" Zall exclaimed.
"Then why are you here?" Ben asked curiously.
"Like I said earlier."
Izumi pointed at herself.
"I'm the one on duty today."
"Is that even allowed?" Ben asked.
Before Izumi could answer, the other girl suddenly interrupted.
"You two really have no manners."
She looked at the two boys.
"You should introduce yourselves first."
The girl then stepped forward.
"My name is Sasa."
She pointed at her friends one by one.
"She's Lina."
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"That's Zall."
"And that's Ben."
Izumi gave an awkward smile.
"Ah... I see."
Inside her heart, she muttered.
Are children normally like this?
Izumi then focused again.
"So, what brings all of you here?"
"I..." Lina slowly raised her hand.
"I want to become an adventurer like my friends."
"Eh?"
Izumi was slightly surprised.
"Wait."
She looked at the other three children.
"You three are already adventurers?"
Sasa, Zall, and Ben nodded simultaneously.
"Really?"
They immediately showed their Adventurer Cards.
[Adventure]
Name: Sasa
Class: F
Type: Mage
[Adventure]
Name: Ben
Class: F
Type: Tank
[Adventure]
Name: Zall
Class: F
Type: Swordsman
Inside, Izumi was genuinely shocked.
They're serious...?
They're still children.
And they're already adventurers?
She recalled Rey Renold's words.
"Anyone can become an adventurer."
"Age is not a barrier."
"As long as they are worthy."
Even so, Izumi still found it difficult to accept.
They're really just children...
Do their parents actually allow this?
The four children began looking at Izumi with strange expressions.
Because she had stayed silent for too long.
A few moments later, Izumi finally shook her head.
Forgetting all that confusion.
"Okay."
"Lina, right?"
Lina nodded.
Izumi pointed toward the sofa.
"You three shouldn't stand too close to Lina."
"Go sit on that sofa first."
The three immediately obeyed.
Ben sat down first.
His eyes widened instantly.
"Waaah!"
"What is this?"
"This chair is really soft!"
Sasa sat down as well.
"Aaah... it's so comfortable."
Zall even threw himself against the backrest.
"I could sleep peacefully here."
Seeing that, Izumi muttered to herself again.
In the end, they're still children.
Izumi then turned toward Lina.
"Lina."
"Why do you want to become an adventurer?"
"So I can go on adventures with my friends."
"Hm."
"That's a good reason."
"But do you know how dangerous being an adventurer is?"
Lina nodded.
"Yes."
"My friends told me they've already faced many monsters."
"And every time they return from a dungeon, they're always injured."
"But they never give up."
"They always come back smiling."
"And they tell lots of exciting adventure stories."
Izumi smiled faintly.
"I see."
"Then let's begin the test."
Lina nodded.
Even so, her body language looked tense.
Izumi noticed it.
Then she reached out her hand.
And gently patted Lina's head.
"Don't be so nervous."
"You need to be confident."
Lina looked slightly surprised.
But her body gradually relaxed.
"There."
"That's better."
Izumi smiled.
"We'll start with the strength test."
She pointed toward several large stones.
"Lift those stones."
"And arrange them from largest to smallest."
Lina immediately tried.
She successfully lifted the stones.
But when she tried to arrange them, her strength wasn't enough.
"Hm."
"That's not bad."
"Next is the endurance test."
She picked up the training whip normally used for examinations.
"I'm going to strike you with this whip."
"Each strike will hurt more than the previous one."
"So prepare yourself."
Lina nodded with a serious expression.
Inside, Izumi sighed.
I feel bad doing this to children.
The first strike came.
Craaack!
"Aah!"
Lina immediately fell to the ground.
Her body couldn't withstand the pain.
Izumi fell silent.
Eh...?
Her endurance is extremely low.
And that was only one strike.
Is that normal because she's still a child?
"Alright."
"Next test."
"The speed test."
Izumi took out a stopwatch using her Creation Skill.
"Are you ready?"
Lina nodded.
"Start!"
Lina immediately ran around the arena.
"Go Linaaa!"
Sasa shouted from the sofa.
"I'm sure you can do it!"
Izumi looked at the stopwatch in her hand, which she had created using her Creation Skill.
"Waaah."
"That's good."
"Eleven kilometers per hour."
Lina stopped and caught her breath.
Izumi smiled.
"And you don't look tired at all."
"Your stamina is actually very good."
"Even compared to adults."
Lina smiled happily.
"Thank you."
"That's also thanks to my father's training."
"Every morning I run around the house a hundred times."
"A hundred times?"
Izumi blinked.
Lina nodded innocently.
"Umm... yes."
"That's good."
"Next is the reflex test."
Izumi led Lina to a special area.
"Over here."
Lina followed her.
"Stand inside this circle."
Lina stood where instructed.
"Then look at the machine in front of you."
Lina nodded.
"That machine will fire blunt arrows."
"It won't hurt if they hit you."
"But this is a reflex test."
"You have to dodge them."
"And you're not allowed to leave the circle."
"The longer you last, the better your score will be."
Lina took a deep breath.
"I'm ready."
Izumi nodded.
Then she activated the machine.
Whoosh!
A single arrow shot out.
Lina dodged it easily.
One minute passed.
The machine began firing three arrows at once.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Lina jumped to the side.
All three arrows missed.
But the attacks continued.
Faster.
More numerous.
Arrows flew from every direction.
Yet Lina kept avoiding them.
She jumped backward.
Rolled across the ground.
Sometimes she even balanced on one hand to change the direction of her body.
Several arrows nearly struck her face.
Missing by only a fraction of a millimeter.
Izumi was genuinely impressed.
Are children in this world really this agile?
Five minutes passed.
Tok!
One of the arrows finally hit Lina's shoulder.
"Ah!"
Izumi immediately turned off the machine.
"That's enough."
"Five minutes."
"That's a very good result."
Lina looked at her expectantly.
Izumi smiled.
"You're truly talented."
"Your reflexes are already good enough to earn permission to become an adventurer."
Lina's face immediately lit up.
"Really!?"
"Yes."
Lina clenched her fists excitedly.
Seeing that, Izumi smiled as well.
"Then."
"We'll proceed to the final test."
"The archery test."