Chapter 9

Despite what she had heard about the “nobody with a worthless skill” named Lorna Hermit, it seemed that the real deal was a force to be reckoned with. If she were to befriend this creature, not even the state itself could stand up to her. A-are they seriously telling me to fail this Demon Lord–class monster? And I’m supposed to make her suffer enough that she never wants to take the exam again? Um, hello? How in the world am I supposed to do something like that? If Elmina failed this force of nature for some frivolous reason, she felt certain she’d be erased from existence. She was far more likely to wind up suffering. On the other hand, if she opposed the Guugelheit family’s orders, her elite lifestyle would be turned upside down overnight. What should I do? What can I do?! Cold sweat poured from Elmina’s brow. But before she could reach a conclusion, the middle-aged examiner stepped forward. “You there, girl. Your name is Lorna, correct? You can forget about the examination. You fail.” ““Uh, what?”” Lorna and Elmina responded in unison. “This woman here is an A-Rank skill bearer—Mistress Elmina Manaflame, the Witch of Conflagration, and there is no room in this guild for people who irk her. In fact, she makes a habit of saying as much to us.” “Wha—? B-but…!” Lorna was stunned. She looked over at Elmina. Wh-why?! Elmina thought frantically. Now she’s turning her aggro on me, you buffoon! I mean, yes, it’s true that I say that constantly. And okay, sure, I did get a bit full of myself and say it literally minutes ago, but still! No one in the room noticed Elmina’s growing sense of panic. Instead, the other examinees followed the examiner’s lead and laughed derisively at Lorna. “Heh-heh-heh… Look how spooked she is. She would’ve failed anyway, I bet.” “Why’s a loser like her even trying to become an adventurer?” “She clearly doesn’t know her place. Someone like her doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as we do.” They continued on and on, not understanding the unfathomable gap between Lorna’s power and their own. No doubt they hoped to get on Elmina’s good side by deriding the latecomer. However… D-don’t tell me… Is everyone here so weak and useless that none of them have noticed how powerful Lorna is?! Elmina, full of terror, looked over at the girl. Her face had turned red, and she was trembling. But there was no way someone of her unfathomable strength could be afraid. There was only one possibility—Lorna was shaking with intense rage. At this rate, she’ll kill us all! “H-hey! All of you! Apologize to Lorna! Right noooow!” “Wh-whaaaaat?!” The examiner was shocked by Elmina’s soulful cry. “But, Mistress Elmina! You said that we were to fail the one called Lorna He—” “The examination must be just and fair, you fool!!!” “Whaaaat?!” Everyone else watched, mouths agape, as Elmina approached Lorna, rubbing her hands together as if trying to appease an angry guest. “I am so, so sorry about that, Miss Lorna. Eh-heh-heh… Please, take a seat on my chair.” “Oh, uh, thank you…I think?” Lorna blinked a few times in confusion. She then noticed something on Elmina’s chest and stared for a moment. “Oh! Is that…the Guugelheit crest?” “…?!” Lorna’s words drew the attention of the other examinees. “Hey…yeah! That’s the badge of a Guugelheit retainer…!” “I’d heard rumors, but I can’t believe she managed it at her age…” “I’d hate to piss off the Guugelheits… I’d be dead meat…” The frightened whispers of the examinees filled the training hall. Usually, this would be Elmina’s cue to proudly show off her badge. No…noooo! Sweat poured from Elmina’s body. If Lorna Hermit was banished from the family, then that must mean…she must hate the Guugelheits! Right?! Since Elmina was a Guugelheit retainer, Lorna would surely treat her as an enemy. “Die, retainer scum.” Elmina vividly imagined Lorna’s scorn. “Hmph!” she grunted, tearing the badge off her chest and throwing it as hard as she could to the ground. “M-Mistress Elmina! What are you—?!” “Wh-what is this garbage that’s mysteriously attached itself to my clothing?!” “Garbage…? But, Mistress Elmina! That badge is your pride and joy! The symbol that you are a retainer of the Guugelheit family!” “Oh, I was right…,” said Lorna. “So you’re one of the Guugelheit—” “Burn, Guugelheit scum!!!” Elmina used her Inferno Magic skill to blow the Guugelheit badge to pieces. Everyone present watched in complete disbelief as the badge was reduced to cinders. “A-are you certain about this, Mistress?” “……don’t……” “Pardon?” Elmina fell to her knees on the spot. “I…don’t know… Nothing makes sense anymore…” “Mistress Elmina?! Are you feeling unwell?!” As everyone looked at her in concern, Elmina was lost in thought. Why…? Why did it have to be like this? As an A-Rank skill bearer, Elmina should have been guaranteed the life of an elite. But if she were to fail Lorna sight unseen, the girl would no doubt kill her. And yet if she didn’t fail Lorna, the Guugelheits would brand her a traitor. Anyone who betrayed them was certain to meet a horrible fate. It didn’t matter which way she leaned—only despair awaited her. This…this can’t be how it ends… I’m supposed to be destined for greatness. She had no choice. The life of an elite was the only life she knew. She had to figure out some way to make Lorna Hermit fail the examination. And that wasn’t all. Lorna needed to fail spectacularly—badly enough that she would never try again. And in order to make that happen… …Looks like I’ve only got one choice. …Elmina was going to have to risk it all. If she succeeded, she could seal away this monster named Lorna Hermit for good. But as she thought it over, Elmina already felt uneasy about her chances. Still, this was her only path forward. Meanwhile, as Lorna watched Elmina, currently lost in inner turmoil, only one thought came to mind. This person… She seems really weird… Lorna tilted her head in confusion, not realizing that she was the cause of the guild master’s woes. At that point, she decided to open the internet in incognito mode so no one else could see what she was doing. Character: Elmina Manaflame Guild master of the Aiphoné Adventurers Guild. Wielder of the A-Rank skill, Inferno Magic. Also known as the Witch of Conflagration. Elmina is an elite spellcaster and retainer of the Guugelheit family. She is very popular in the fandom, especially in a certain section of the fan art community. **MASSIVE SPOILERS BELOW!** So she’s a Guugelheit retainer, huh? And yet… Lorna thought back to Elmina’s words a moment prior. “The examination must be just and fair, you fool!!!” “Burn, Guugelheit scum!!!” Elmina’s cries had felt like they came straight from the depths of her soul. She must be a noble-hearted person who doesn’t let power go to her head. And so, unbeknownst to Elmina, Lorna was already warming up to her.