"I guess it might be an ordinary maze, or they might make us look for certain items, or even use the harsh local environment to test our survival abilities.
If they made it more complex, they might simultaneously examine us and add a battle royale rule, where only the 'survivors' have the right to advance. But with so few of us, that's probably unnecessary."
Actually, the first thing Rhode associated this environment with was the Death Forest's chunin exams from the next-door Fire Shadow film set.
However, such cruel rules and competition don't align with the guild's ethos; they probably won't do that.
Kana couldn't understand how Rhode thought of such brutal rules and was grateful they hadn't used the ways Rhode mentioned in the previous exams:
"Well... the first exam shouldn't be that complicated."
"Yeah, I also think the latter possibility is low, but we still have to consider the possibility of becoming opponents with our companions," Rhode said,
"Tomorrow, start gathering information on other people and their partners, especially Mest. I don't know anything about him, and rashly encountering him might put us at a disadvantage.
We'll also have to figure out how to deal with each pair of opponents, or come up with a strategy to deal with everyone simultaneously.
Also, the terrain of the Kroba Grand Canyon is very important. I'll give you the materials I compiled last time tomorrow; luckily, I haven't lost them."
"Hmm... ah." Kana nodded blankly. Was it necessary to prepare to this extent for the first round?
"Because you said the difficulty of the first round isn't too high, so just doing this much preparation should be enough," Rhode said, "We'll think more when we have more information."
Just this preparation... just?
Kana was in a daze. Oh, Rhode's common language isn't good; he probably used the wrong words again, right? Has to be.
"The biggest trouble is still the second round. Even if there are some special rules, we can't avoid facing S-Class Mages head-on."
Rhode was uncertain about this round. He had never seen Mystogan and Erza in full action, but the scene of Laxus effortlessly toying with Natsu was still vivid in his mind.
And after Natsu ate the lightning, Laxus got serious for a moment; that oppressive feeling was unforgettable.
If Mystogan and Erza got serious, they should be about the same as Laxus. Encountering any of these three would be deadly.
"Do you think we can bribe Mira to put some laxatives in the food that day?"
"Rhode, I'm right here."
Rhode looked at her, "Then can you help?"
Mira tilted her head, "Usually, you could try, but not for the exams."
What does she mean by usually, you can? Elfman sweated at his temple, thinking his sister might have said something dangerous?
"Then we'll have to think of another conspiracy. I need to know more about their information to come up with a reliable strategy to get through."
Rhode thought for a bit and then said, "But we can't put all our hopes on tricks. Combining our strengths and fighting through directly is the main way.
So for the next few days, we should try to improve our strengths as much as possible. Every improvement counts, and it's best to come up with a big move."
"I understand." Kana didn't care about what's right or wrong; she just wanted to pass the exams, to gather the courage to speak up to Kildas.
She asked urgently, "Then what about the third round, what should we prepare for?"
"You don't need to prepare anything," Rhode said, "The third round should be a 'comprehensive application question'; if you have the ability to pass the first two rounds, then the third shouldn't be too big of an obstacle.
But the more flexible or experienced you are, the easier it will be to gain an advantage. I don't think this will be a problem for you.
At most, consider whether there's rest time before the third round, and if you need to conserve strength... ignore what I just said."
Facing three S-Class Mages, they don't seem to have the qualification to conserve strength, and can only wait until getting through before saying anything more.
At worst, try to find a way to chat with the President and delay time by asking questions.
Rhode went through all sorts of possibilities back and forth, and the details will be filled in later.
Kana felt that her thoughts suddenly became much clearer, and at least she knew what to prepare for during these seven days of preparation time.
It was really great to choose Rhode as a partner.
"Mira, do you have any suggestions?"
"It seems hard to give any more suggestions," Mira thought of how she just barely pushed through at that time, and the preparation period before the exams was just a slight enhancement of training.
"But, I did call you sensei."
Mira rubbed her wrist, "Then stand still and let me show you how to do a neck clamp back throw."
"Spare me... huh?" Rhode thought about the neck clamp back throw move and suddenly felt a bit hesitant.
Although it might hurt to be thrown, taking that risk seems worth it.
"Oh." Rhode received a punch to the chest that surprisingly didn't hurt much; he even laughed.
Mira turned her head away from him, getting the sense that he was up to something bad.
Suddenly, Kana felt that maybe picking Rhode as a partner wasn't so great after all.
"Let's train, finish today's basic practice, and start from the usual battles first."
A crescent moon cast moonlight, reflecting a thin layer of fine snow in the guild's courtyard.
Four people with different purposes silently worked hard, practicing move by move in the courtyard.
It was said to be a very beautiful scene, yet Rhode, being among it, thought it was terrible.
The temperature wasn't low enough, the snow wasn't thick enough, causing the ground to be wet and slippery, making it easy to slip if you stepped on it.
When one raises a foot in a fight, it's easy to kick up mud, and if one is unlucky enough to fall, it's even worse.
Rhode tempted Mira with power for private gain, "Mira, can the guild allocate funds to build an indoor training ground?"
"There's no budget for that right now, and the current layout isn't suitable for conversion."
Mira thought for a bit, she didn't like getting her feet muddy either, "I'll ask Laki tomorrow to lay down floors in the courtyard?"
They used to do it before, for Rhode and the others to use as a ring, but it got ruined after just a few days.
After that, Rhode was too embarrassed to ask for her help again, and with wooden planks, his Stone Beetles couldn't burrow effectively.
Now, given the special circumstances, it might be good to lay them down.
...
The next day, apart from Kana, none of the other people chosen for the S-Class exam came.
It seemed like everyone was planning to do some special training.
Rhode frowned, "Not good, it looks like we're not the only ones planning last-minute cramming before the exam."
Kana replied helplessly, "I think they're just doing ordinary training, not planning that far ahead."
Plus, it's everyone's first time participating; they don't have as much information... This was the first time Kana felt having participated multiple times wasn't a bad thing.
Rhode didn't make it a habit to underestimate competitors, and since everyone in the guild had their own strengths, they couldn't be taken lightly:
"Don't let your guard down; go investigate who their partners are, and I'll see if there's any record of Mest in the guild."