The proficiency test was about to begin.
The test venue was a deserted island covered in thick vegetation, and according to Aliza’s explanation, there were many different kinds of monsters inhabiting it. On top of that, there were traps all over the island; it would be essential to cooperate with your Gear-chosen partners to overcome them.
“We instructors will be leaving the island now. You will all need to find a way to return to the Institute using your own abilities. You may now begin the test!”
As the teachers signaled the start of the exam, everyone took off running. Since there was a five-day time limit, most students chose to approach the test in ways that prioritized speed. This strategy used tons of resources and energy so the pair could move forward as quickly as possible. Considering there was quite a distance to the finish line—a mountain peak on the northern part of the island—an approach that emphasized speed would be a safe choice.
But—
“Ruchika. There’s a trap about three meters in front of you.”
“Oops, close one! Thanks, Leonie.”
“You’re welcome. We have a long way to go, so let’s proceed steadily.”
Leonie and I had chosen to prioritize safety at a slower pace. We would avoid fighting monsters and preserve our energy as much as possible while also using trap-detection magic. If all we had to do was reach the goal, we could go at the same pace as everyone else, but we had decided against it. Being totally exhausted by the time we crossed the finish line would leave us in a vulnerable position. We needed to maintain some surplus energy to be able to handle any unexpected situations that came up. We wanted to be combat-ready at all times, if it came down to it.
But even if we progressed slowly and steadily, we couldn’t avoid encountering monsters and traps entirely. So I would handle any monster fights, and Leonie would be in charge of dealing with any traps. Aliza had said it would be difficult to complete the test without pairing up with your Gear-chosen partner, but I felt that Leonie and I were actually pretty good together when you considered each of our strengths.
“…Even my silly hobby of convenience magic is coming in handy.”
It was the end of the first day, and we had set up camp. As we sat by the fire, thinking back on the events of the day, Leonie commented this with an awkward smile.
“It’s not just a silly hobby! It’s seriously helpful.”
Leonie’s convenience magic was amazing. She could change sewage into drinking water, keep us warm on cold nights, guard us from the rain, and multiply our rations. In a survival situation like this, her magic made her a jack-of-all-trades.
“Still…Aliza really set us up here.”
“It seems she genuinely doesn’t want us to pass.”
Around the time we had started the test, I had learned from Nor that Leonie and I had received less food and water rations than the other students. Our test was blatantly being interfered with. This had enraged Nor, but Leonie and I didn’t let it get to us. We were confident we’d be able to pass anyway. And the truth was, since we had Leonie’s convenience magic to help us, getting food and water wasn’t going to be a problem. In fact, we had more than enough.
“…It’s gotten quite chilly out here,” said Leonie.
“Yeah,” I responded.
Apparently, the nights on this island were pretty cold. Since we didn’t want to risk the fire getting out of control, we couldn’t leave it going all night, but this was another area where Leonie’s convenience magic came in handy. With an improved fire scroll, she had managed a way to sustain the warmth of the fire for an extended period of time. The spell on the scroll reduced the actual strength of the fire but prolonged its warmth, which was perfect for our current situation.
“It’s still so warm… This is awesome, huh?” I said.
“It’s more effective than I expected. I’m glad I made this.”
We chatted back and forth as we lay in our sleeping bags. Side by side, we gazed at the stars in the night sky through our transparent tent.
“…Pretty.”
“Yes. When you look at the sky like this, I feel like our issues are insignificant.”
“I get that. It’s like, you wonder why you were even worried about that dumb thing in the first place.”
“Yes.”
For a while, a silence fell over us. The only sounds were the swaying of the trees in the wind and the chirping of insects. Thinking Leonie must have fallen asleep, I rolled over to try to drift off myself.
But instead, I locked eyes with Leonie. She was still awake, looking at me.
“Oh, you’re still up?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“You can’t sleep?”
“That’s not it. I was just thinking of how I never thanked you.”
“Thank me for what?”
I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. Leonie let out a small chuckle.
“Ruchika, thank you for helping me get back on my feet. If you hadn’t been there to encourage me that day, I think I would have given up on being a hero.”
“Leonie…”
“I was very happy when you told me you’d be my strength, that we could become heroes together. I’ve…been alone for so long.”
Leonie laughed bashfully.
“As the daughter of a hero, I’ve always had many people by my side. But with the exception of Nor, they only ever saw me as my mother’s daughter, not my own person.”
“Well, now I’m jealous.”
“Nor is my friend. It’s different with you.”
Leonie’s words made my heart start to pound.
“Oh? What do you mean by that?”
“I can’t really put it into words. But you’re different from Nor. You’re not a stranger, but I don’t feel like you’re a friend, either. If I had to put a word to it…”
“Yeah?”
My chest filled with expectation as I urged her to go on.
“…a partner, perhaps.”
With that, Leonie stuck out her tongue at me. Yeah, very cute.
“‘Partner,’ huh…? I was hoping for a little more than that…”
“Do you wish I had said ‘lover’ instead?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“I still…don’t know much about love and romance. I’ve never had much time to think about it.”
Leonie looked up at the sky again.