<22 - This is so unfair!>
The girl and her comrades could hardly contain their emotions.
To think that someone who intended to eliminate them would save them from a landslide and an earthquake.
“You, that hand… were you really hanging onto the rope until it got that bad?”
The young leader of the Esornia Expedition Team, Isabel.
She felt both gratitude and shame towards a child who was barely as tall as her own chest.
“I said some harsh things. You probably wanted to disqualify me just because you couldn’t stand the sight of me. Why on earth did you save me?”
“Just because. I could do it.”
It was a pure act of kindness with no ulterior motive.
Does a human need a reason to help another human?
A purity that doesn’t seek anything in return!
It was a strength of the heart that children, who had grown up too quickly, could not possess.
In a world of “little adults” where there are no “children” who begin labor at age seven, it was a clarity that could not be called a privilege of childhood.
‘Is this what the legendary spirit is like that I’ve only heard of in stories?’
A pure spirit raised in lush forests.
A selfish human raised in a barren human society.
All adventurers have heard the stories of spirits and humans at least once.
And they dream.
They dream of living a life not as humans, but as spirits.
They wish to forgo a selfish life in closed-off villages or regions and instead capture the purity of a spirit that roams the vast unknown world without being tied down by anything.
‘The captain used to be like that child, too.’
Isabel remembered the first captain who had long since passed.
The captain’s face, with an innocent and pure smile that didn’t suit an adult, looked just like that.
They took in foolish strangers into the expedition team and taught them how to pursue that purity together.
“I lost.”
“I’ve lost completely, as an exam participant, as an adult, and as an adventurer.”
“Is this the kind of thing I need to do to enter the world’s best academy?”
As the venom faded from Isabel’s eyes, those following her sighed in relief.
“I’m sorry, Isabel. We’re going to quit.”
“Is that so? You all…”
The participants, whose ticket clocks glowed red as they expressed their intention to forfeit.
The words “Retire” indicating disqualification appeared one after the other on their clocks.
[Gold Ticket Holder]
[Status - Disqualified: Retire]
[Reason - Voluntary Forfeit]
Now that she was left alone, what face could she show?
Those who had quit first stopped her from doing so.
“Wait. You can’t.”
“Why? You all are forfeiting, so what am I supposed to do alone? Have you forgotten the spirit of the expedition?”
“Isabel, we came together because we were worried about you. We never really intended to get into the academy from the start. We knew we didn’t have the skills.”
“So I was the only one serious about the expedition?!”
“That’s not what we meant. We were just backup members or noobies who didn’t have any experience, just trying to keep our lives intact. We’re not the same as you, who’s been following the captain.”
“Weren’t we about to die just now because we let go of the rope?”
Only then did Isabel notice the state of her comrades.
Their exhausted bodies were barely able to stand.
In such a state filled with fatigue, it wouldn’t be possible to pass the next gate.
“Thank you for getting our tickets, but this is where it ends.”
“I’m sorry, Isabel.”
“That’s cowardly! Leaving me alone while you all go? That’s selfish. Isn’t the expedition always together?!”
Tears streamed down Isabel’s face as she scolded them.
Instead of answering her pleas, her comrades bowed their heads towards Oknodie, Jezel, and Son Ohchun.
“I’m sorry for the trouble. I sincerely apologize.”
“I won’t say forgive us because we had our reasons. But please, won’t you forgive our captain? She’s someone with real talent, unlike us.”
“That’s right. If it weren’t for Isabel, we would have never gotten the Gold Ticket. If we take her in, I’m sure it will help.”
Jezel exchanged glances with Oknodie, who seemed to be considering what to do.
It was Oknodie who had noticed the signs of the earthquake.
It was also Oknodie who had saved them.
Now, the one who could decide whether to forgive them or not was only Oknodie.
The girl asked.
“Can you cook?”
It was a question that caught everyone off guard.
What does knowing how to cook have to do with the entrance exam?
“The expedition must have local supplies. If you can’t identify edible ingredients and cook them on the spot, you’ll die from poisoning or illness.”
“Then you’re accepted.”
The girl, Oknodie, answered playfully and reached out her hand.
As she hesitated to grab the bandaged hand, Oknodie’s little hand grasped hers firmly.
The adventurers thought.
She only needed an excuse to forgive them.
“It’s really touching.”
“Our adventure wasn’t wasted after all.”
“If that purity isn’t a spirit, what is?”
“That’s right. That child is a spirit.”
“Having met a spirit, I have no regrets.”
All kinds of praises for pure people flowed towards Oknodie.
Isabel clasped the small yet strong hand.
The pure smile she had long forgotten after the captain’s death resurfaced.
“Indeed, spirits resonate with each other.”
The adventurers grinned.
Isabel may not have realized it, but she was a small spirit for adventurers.
There were quite a few who stayed with her just because they wanted to see her innocent smile, which she had worn while following the captain.
Isabel, who had lost her smile, was so sad.
But she had found her smile again.
It was news that would make the old adventurers who couldn’t challenge the academy due to age rejoice.
“I’m glad I came to take the exam.”
“Yeah.”
The young members of the Esornia Expedition Team returned with their own little revelations.
From afar, the first gate examiner Myung So smiled kindly.
“Those who are noble can awaken themselves even in defeat. The future of the Esornia Expedition Team is bright.”
Thirty minutes later, the clear sound of a bell rang through the crumbled mountains.
The evaluation time for the first gate of the entrance exam had arrived.
[You have passed the landslide event.]
[You recognized the impending disaster and dealt with it wisely.]
[As a reward, the intuition function is unlocked.]
[Observation Experience Points +5]
[Intuition Experience Points +1]
Warnings of intuition are crucial.
The unconscious mind first instinctively recognizes dangers that the conscious mind may not perceive.
By simply being attentive to the unconscious warnings, one can overcome unexpected elements like a landslide.
‘That was lucky. I ended up saving a cook like this.’
Though cooking wasn’t her main profession, who cares.
As long as she could cook, that was enough.
She was well-equipped in gathering ingredients and cooking, making her a top-tier support ally.
“Of the 500 examinees for this first gate, 315 were casualties or forfeitors. Hence, 185 examinees will proceed to the second gate.”
Those who relied solely on luck or took it lightly with inadequate skills faced disqualification in large numbers.
Of course, the named NPCs had dirty faces and torn clothes after being caught up in the landslide, but somehow they all survived and passed.
“I would like to say this to you all.”
Myung So struck the bell in a kind manner which contrasted sharply with the complacency of the examinees.
“Simply praying for rescue does not suit those who dream of being the best in the world.”
“You should not become a closed loop, sacrificing your life and wishes to the local lord or countless gods.”
“My leaving the Eastern Empire to step into the central hub of Western Educational Institutions is also for that reason.”
Myung So’s test.
It wasn’t a test for piling hopes into a stone pagoda.
What he sought was not dependency but self-reliance.
His test was a test of subjectivity.
The talent that the Gift Academy seeks matches the world’s best educational institution, originating from subjectivity.
“The first step in honing the sparkling gem of talent starts with embracing subjectivity. Most of you failed to prove that, but you did not fall in trials.”
“Surviving leads to opportunities. This failure today is an opportunity to transform it into success tomorrow. Thus, you must prove in the next gate that you have the qualifications to enter the world’s best Gift Academy.”
It wouldn’t have been strange if they disqualified the entire group just by looking at the comments, but the generous Myung So gave them another chance.
He showed compassion to the examinees who were struggling to survive amidst the harsh variables of the landslide and earthquake.
“Of course, there are exceptions.”
This was where my recollection of the exam assessment ended.
Strange lights suddenly flew around me as I prepared to move to the next gate.
The subordinates trailing the examiner began aiming a giant light-producing magic device at me.
“This child here, despite being the youngest examinee in this test, recognized the signs of the landslide and wisely avoided disaster by finding a safe spot on the mountain.”
“Huh? Me?”
“This child’s name is Oknodie! The top examinee to pass the first gate!”
Skeptical looks poured in from all sides.
I had merely prepared to lower the chances of disqualification (60%) or serious injury (30%) by noticing the landslide.
In a game, I would probably have received a notification saying [You avoided a serious injury (9.9%)] or [The entire group avoided serious injuries (0.1%)], but this wasn’t just an event.
“A talent praised by the examiner. How enviable.”
“Oh my, what a cute child.”
Aligning with kind-aligned characters.
“That little brat surpassed me?”
“It turns out she’s not just the child of a lowly noble family. Ugh, so annoying.”
Aligning with neutral-aligned characters.
“She looks like she’d break if you just gave her a little push?”
“Heh, it might be time to switch out the pet.”
Even the evil-aligned characters were a part of it.
All the main and supporting characters were paying attention to me.
Was this how an introvert felt when they went to a play and locked eyes with actors, then got dragged onto the stage?
If this were a game, I’d have puffed up my chest and glared with my massive build and muscles, saying, “What are you looking at?” but being only a little over 130 cm as a woman really made that impossible.
Most importantly, this was not a game; it was reality.
There was no way an introvert could act so boldly.
“Don’t, don’t look at me…”
I hid behind Jezel’s legs, avoiding their gazes.
Sighs emerged from all around.
Was it because of embarrassment?
The gazes I felt on my skin grew hotter.
