People who live in the Washuburn Mountains like to talk about a mysterious 'old castle' at the top of the middle mountain.
There are many rumors circulating about this place.
That those who enter will never be able to leave.
A terrifying monster that could end the world lives in it.
That the owner of the castle was a beautiful woman who decided to hide in the mountains.
But to address the rumors, the first two rumors are true, and the last rumor is not true.
Steam gathered at one of the windows as a man who appeared to be in his late twenties immersed himself in a hot sulfur bath.
Her alluring pale skin, slender limbs, and long hair might lead one looking from afar to believe she was a woman, but a closer look showed that she was unmistakably a man.
As he tilted his head back and began to stare blankly at the ceiling of the old castle, footsteps echoed through the halls.
"Master Magnus, all preparations are complete."
The figure that opened the bathroom door was a zombie wearing a butler's uniform. The strong and unique jet black of the Ancient Undead flowed through his veins.
Magnus turned to face the servant and lazily pressed,
"How about going to Roke Island?"
"All avenues are blocked. We have tried every avenue we can find, from guest lectures, to reporting to HQ, and even observing the upcoming BDMAT exam as civilians. This can only mean…"
"…The Death Witch has been involved."
Magnus smiled contentedly and stroked his clean-shaven chin.
"He must have loved his daughter very much."
"Why don't we file a formal complaint to Kizen Headquarters about Talahze's disappearance?"
The zombie butler said as he adjusted his monocle.
"Of course, we will be reprimanded for sending someone to Roke Island without permission, but—"
"Complaint? You want me to complain to headquarters like a dirty rat?!"
Magnus laughed sharply.
"That's not my way! Plus, they're all the same. Why would they do anything to their sweet little Lorain when her little Miss might be leading the headquarters in the future?"
"It's like this. Sorry, sir. I spoke out of turn."
How is the item?
The zombie butler looked back and nodded.
His subordinates dragged four monsters tied with chains.
Is this what you asked for?
"Yes."
'Hard Diles', level 4 monster.
Reminiscent of saltwater crocodiles, the four reptiles that staggered through the door had layers upon layers of chains covering their mouths. Many of the knots in the chains were cracked and some had broken off completely as they struggled.
"As planned, I have cursed these diles to leave no traces, so they won't find anything suspicious."
Splaaaasshh!
Magnus stood up from the sulfur bath. A cloud of steam formed around him as the remaining water in his body began to evaporate rapidly.
"One of me died. It's only right that I pay back the debt."
He pulled his robe over his wet skin and looked back.
"Alahze, are you here?"
As the last word left his mouth, the floor shook, and an undead appeared that looked like pieces of meat sewn together.
(Alahze is here. Talahze's enemy… Revenge.)
"I know, I know, I will make sure to avenge Talahze. First, tear off some of your flesh and feed it to the monster."
(As… an order.)
Passing the beast that was devouring a lump of half-rotten flesh, Magnus stepped into the living room, sat down on his throne, and raised his wine glass.
"Okay then. Let's just wait for the news."
* * *
Finally, the day of the event.
The morning of the third BDMAT has arrived.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for waiting!"
Standing on a large stage that spanned the entire Kizen campus, a man in a luxurious suit holding a crystal loudspeaker shouted at the top of his lungs. Countless spectators could be seen watching.
"Thank you for coming to watch the third BDMAT! My name is Conrad Hayabone, and I will be hosting again!"
Looking out at the crowd with a professional smile, the announcer continued,
"Hahaha! Nice to meet you all! Oh, looks like there are some familiar faces! Oh, Ma'am, you're here again! I heard it's almost impossible to win a chance to watch, even as a parent. Wow~ you must be one lucky mom! Hahaha!"
After raising the mood by actively interacting with the audience, he swiftly took out a script card from his pocket.
"Now! I would like to introduce another Professor Kizen, who will help me provide commentary for the third BDMAT!"
The MC spoke very calmly, but his heart was beating fast.
'Please, I hope it's not Professor Belya. Please, not him…!'
He looked at the card in despair.
"!"
Her face lit up. Part of her wanted to scream with joy, but she held herself back like a pro.
"We have a pretty big name here to comment on! It's my pleasure to introduce you all to Vice President Jane Olivia, second in command at Kizen and the current advisor of Class A of the first years!"
Hearing the words 'vice president', the audience went wild with screams and cheers.
The sound of high heels echoed throughout the stage. A woman with short, pure hair and a face filled with coldness stepped onto the stage.
'I'm finally free from Professor Belya!'
"Vice President, let me take you here! Hahaha!"
Offering his arm as if escorting a lady, Conrad bowed politely. But Jane passed him without so much as a glance.
He immediately straightened up and coughed lightly before chasing after her.
After walking to the center of the stage, Jane raised the communication crystal ball that she had handed over in a hurry. The crowd craned their necks to see what vice president Kizen was saying.
"Information team!"
That was the first thing he said.
"The screen on the side is tilted 15 degrees too far clockwise. In addition, the shadows are not set properly, making the audience on stage feel uncomfortable."
At that moment, a servant from the information team started running in panic.
Sound team.Do I have to show the most basic thing? Why is my loudspeaker crystal ball not fully charged?
A group of servants came running across the stage, double-checking every detail.
"I think we need to redo the seating arrangements."
This time, the servants filled the entire crowd and hurriedly rearranged everything according to Jane's orders.
"The number of broken tongue pads does not match our planned limit. The safety of the students is at stake! Senior members of the production team, step forward."
When the seniors appeared with guilty faces, Jane turned off the loudspeaker and started to reprimand them. She scolded them with perfect logic so that they were speechless.
'What is going on?'
"I also do not know."
The audience was confused by the sudden incident.
"V-Vice President! Sorry I'm late!"
The waiter in charge of lighting stuttered, panting from having to run in from the sound booth.
Jane spoke so coldly that it made the servant shiver.
"Have you spent 24 years of your experience collecting flowers? What were you thinking by setting up mana lighting half dangerously?"
"I-I'm sorry! We set it up like that for the first and second exams, so—"
Fire burned in his eyes.
"Tell me, in your own words, why someone should repeat the mistakes they made in the past. Being an inconvenience is not a sufficient response."
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Come to headquarters immediately after the event. It's best to have your report written by then."
Jane takes direct control and micromanages countless tiny details that each leave dozens of servants gasping for breath trying to get right.
The MC, who was standing behind him, unconsciously clasped his hands together in polite silence.
'…AA is a perfectionist this time, huh?'
It feels like there are no ordinary people in Kizen.
* * *
* * *
"I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the lack of organization."
Jane bowed deeply to the audience and apologized. The crowd didn't realize any of the inconvenience she meant, but with the mess they saw she made with the servants, they decided to go along with it.
Ultimately, it is up to the MC to resolve the confusion and bring the audience back on track.
"Ahem! Hahaha! Looks like we ran into a bit of trouble there, but let's start from the beginning! Please help me welcome Vice President Ja—"
"I am here because of my rights as a first year professor. Please call me that."
"Ah! Understood! Please greet Professor Jane!"
Clap clap clap clap!
The audience applauded, still a little stunned, but still listening.
Jane raised the crystal ball speaker and said in a very serious and solemn voice,
"Parents and guests, thank you for attending our school event. Your presence is greatly appreciated. As an elite astrologer training institution, we strive to prepare our students to the best of their abilities and…"
His speech did not miss a single detail.
After he finally finished, the MC said while sweating profusely,
"Okay, okay, Professor Jane! Let me show you to your seat now!"
A waiter had signaled the MC at the last minute, motioning for him to cut it.
'you can't even say anything in front of the vice president.'
After successfully getting Jane to sit in her commentator's chair, the announcer immediately continued. He was about to call an attendant, because he didn't like the way the table was set up, but the attendant took the initiative first.
"Well, Professor, may I ask you to explain this third BDMAT exam?"
"Yes, please display document 287 on the main screen."
At his command, the screen changed to an image of a vast ocean.
"The theme of this third exam is the ocean."
Unlike the students watching, the guests reacted with confusion, as this was the first time they had heard of it.
"As you all know, the ocean is the worst natural environment for a necromancer."
Jane's firm voice echoed throughout the school.
"However, necromancers cannot choose the battlefield and environment they want. No one knows what will happen at any given moment, and Kizen necromancers must be able to fight no matter what the conditions are. That is why we chose the sea as our testing stage."
"Woah~! What a surprise: a test in the sea! So the students' swimming skills will be assessed, huh?"
It was just a joke to lighten the mood, but Jane glared at him as if she was looking at an insect.
"…I apologize, Professor."
MC can't believe it, but he actually misses Professor Belya.
Jane continued,
"This test will assess their responsiveness, adaptability, and creativity in an unfamiliar and challenging environment. We have limited time due to the unexpected delay, so I will explain the rules to you all right away."
As soon as he finished his sentence, the main screen changed again. It seemed that the servants were paying full attention after the reprimand.
"Please look at the screen."
The new image is of the ocean floor.
"Did you notice anything strange?"
Hearing Jane's question, the crowd observed the picture with furrowed brows.
At first glance, it was just an ordinary seabed, murky and mossy. Some whispered for help to their neighbors, some claimed to have seen it, and some stood up from their seats and stared at the screen with excitement.
"Please zoom in."
At his command, the screen zooms in on a certain area.
A coin is seen embedded in the ground. It is difficult to see at first even when magnified due to its earthy color.
"This is one of the many 'coins' that will be used in this test. The requirements for passing the BDMAT are simple. Collect ten coins from the bottom of the ocean."
"T-The bottom of the ocean?!"
At this point, everyone watching except Jane felt this was too difficult.
The announcer interrupted,
"It's like a treasure hunt!"
"…I don't like the metaphor, but let's just say that. And one more thing, fighting between students is allowed in this test."
Jane goes on to explain the protective vests that all students will wear over their swimsuits. Students will be considered 'out' if they lose consciousness or if their barrier meter reaches 0. The student will leave all their coins behind and be teleported to the safe zone.
Students who exit can re-enter the sea with a barrier size of 100% after 30 minutes.
"Oh my! So we should expect a highly competitive exam, Professor?!"
In contrast to Jane's unchanging calm, the enthusiastic MC raised his voice again, livening up the atmosphere.
"Then I assume the students will be divided into two groups! There will be those who explore the seabed, and there will be students who target the people who work collecting coins! Does that mean the student who takes the ten coins will then pass the exam and can leave?"
"Of course not."
He smiled.
"Collecting coins is just the beginning."
Right on cue, the lighting team split the main screen into dozens of screens, each showing something different.
"What is all that?"
"M-Monster?"
There are squid-based monsters with dozens of powerful tentacles trailing behind them, giant stingrays that emit electricity, deep-sea fish that will fly up from the ocean floor to catch their prey, and many more.
"Collecting ten coins is the minimum requirement to pass the exam. Any student who fails to collect ten during the 4 hours of the exam will be eliminated. Students who have collected all their coins must then go to the open sea to earn 'points'."
The screen flickers for a moment, then updates to show the point value of the displayed monster.
"When monsters are eliminated, the students' tongue pads on their arms will record points. The student with the most points at the end of the exam will be awarded first place."
"Aha! I see. Collecting coins is the basic requirement to pass the exam, but the overall ranking is determined by hunting sea monsters. As expected of Kizen! There are no easy exams!"
Because of that, MC paused for a moment before realizing with fear on his face,
"Wait a minute! If a student who has collected ten coins is attacked by another student while hunting a monster and falls unconscious…"
That's right. All the coins and points they collected will be lost. They have to go back to the beginning and start from picking up coins.
"Wow! That's a very high risk!"
While the two were discussing the rules, suddenly cheers were heard from the audience.
Before they knew it or saw the stagehand signaling them, the screen changed and showed 847 students standing at the starting line in the ocean.
From the looks of it, they were just getting started.
"Come on, Elissa! You are Dresden's hope!"
"Come on, Yansen! You can't lose to Dresden!"
"First place goes to Chatelle Maerre again!"
"Sisters of the Ivory Tower, you got this!!"
Cheers filled the air, especially for the star students. It seemed that the audience was very enthusiastic about this event.
The MC also stood up.
"In the end, it's not about the rules. It's about people! So, Professor, do you think there are any students we should be wary of in this ocean-themed BDMAT?"
He answered without having to think too much about the question.
"There are many variables, but students who excel in underwater combat will probably have an advantage. Elissa and her Ghost Ship, Laheim—Lord of Snowfield Castle—and finally…"
"Finally?"
His head moved.
In the center of the screen, a boy is stretching and checking his Bone Armor.