Strongest Swordman’s Re:START

“That’s right.”

“This means that I can think of this trip as part of the exam, right? I suppose it’s more accurate to say that this trip is the exam in and of itself, isn’t it?”

Totoara only nodded with a bitter smile when Merc inquired.

“Haha. So, you knew. That’s right. The goal of the exam from the start was to get to Logholt in a week, but even if you didn’t make it, you could still pass based on the examiners’ evaluations.”

“So? Where does that place me?”

“You’ll pass, of course. The other examiner approved of your ability as well.”

“The other examiner?”

“That’s right. It’s Zal. He’s a hired adventurer, the same as me. He’s also a member of my party as well.”

“Zal… Oh! That bandit boss that attacked us in the mountains.”

Merc instantly remembered the man who had assaulted them in the mountains.

Even though he had referred to himself in a stupid way, his abilities were top-notch. So, he wasn’t a bandit after all. Him attacking us must have been part of the examination as well. Merc had assumed it was a means for the Guild to impede them at the time, but she now realized she had been mistaken.

“A lot of things happened to me from Ende up until now, were all those parts of the exam?”

“That’s right. The first step was to give the examinees a choice.”

Totoara said, lifting her index and middle fingers.

“The first choice was to use the map given to you by the Guild and walk to Logholt. The other was to use the carriage provided by the Guild.”

“Which one was the right one then?”

“Strictly speaking there wasn’t a right or wrong one. Both options would lead to Logholt in the end… The exam, however, would alter depending on which path you choose.”

“I see. And since I chose to walk there, I had to encounter the things that I did. Then what about those that chose the carriage?”

Totoara shook her head sideways when Merc inquired.

“I cannot tell you that. But I can tell you that if they lost the carriage, they’d have to rely on the Guild’s map as well. So, in the end the exams should have overlapped…”

“Should have?”

Merc was somewhat taken aback when she heard Totoara say that.

“Those that picked the carriage apparently gave up after being pushed around by Belballs who were affected by the Magic Outburst.”

“What? All adventurer candidates were pushed around by mere horses?”

“Apparently, they got really unlucky. A group of Cha Gai appeared to join the fight as the Belballs were suffering from the Magic Outburst. Due to their confusion, it appears that most of the examinees were unable to deal with the circumstance and left.”

The Cha Gai that Totoara mentioned were small Magic Beasts.

Their Danger Ranking was towards the bottom of the Blue Rank, therefore alone they weren’t particularly frightening. However, it was another story when they were in a group. It wasn’t uncommon for a group of examinees to flee after coming across them.

“It’s fine… The examiner that was inside the carriage apparently took care of the mess afterwards and there weren’t any deaths.” Totoara reassured Merc, who appeared to be concerned about the other examinees. 　

“What? Well, I guess that makes sense.”

Given that there was one with Merc, it was only reasonable that there would be an examiner there as well.

“You said that Zal is an examiner, right? Then what about all of the other bandits with him? Come to think of it, what about that elderly couple and that lewd young man?”

“They are simple helpers. Despite the fact that they are neither adventurers nor employees, they appear to have some link to the Guild. They cooperated with the exam to show their gratitude apparently.”

“I see.”

Merc would have been surprised to learn that they had recruited so many adventurers for a simple exam, but it appeared that most of them were just ordinary people. Nonetheless, deploying that many people was a significant commitment.

“By the way, why did that elderly couple tell me about the bridge?”

“The original plan was for you to go out into the woods and get the herb to treat the old woman. After that they would have told you about the bridge but…”

I see.

In other words, those who decided to ignore the pair or were unable to get the herb would be unaware of the bridge’s collapse. Which would hinder them from reaching the designated place in time.

“I guess they were at a loss what to do with you as well. You didn’t take the intended route, but you still managed to treat the elderly woman… Not only that, but you also deduced that she was lying about her condition.”

“I guess. But even though they told me about the bridge I didn’t trust them at all so I probably would have still gone there if you hadn’t persuaded me1.”

Merc said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Please stop teasing me like this…”

Totoara murmured this before resuming her stroll forward. She then suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Merc.

“You’ve most likely already passed, but you must still take the final test. Zal worked hard to prepare it2.”

“Final test? Does this mean that there won’t be anything after this?”

Merc asked in a confused manner. Totoara, on the other hand, merely nodded.

“That’s right. After this you’ll be able to get to Logholt without needing to worry about anything. You’ll probably arrive in another two days, and in your situation, Merc, even if you’re somewhat late, it won’t make a difference.”

“That’s great to know. So? What’s the final exam?”

“… You’re seriously asking that? Don’t you think you’re being a little too selfish?”

With a puzzled expression on her face, Totoara murmured. Merc, on the other hand, simply puffs out her chest.

“It’s fine, isn’t it? You’ve already committed to the crime so you might as well see it through to the end. I’m going to pass either way, so it doesn’t matter, right?”

“Good grief… I guess you’re right…”

After rolling her eyes, Totoara responded with a faint smile.

After that she pointed her finger at Merc and said, “Your final trial will be to take down a Dolm Gurin3!”