"First... Macao Conbolt!"
"Yah-ha! I was chosen! This time, no matter what, I am passing the exam and becoming an S-Class mage!"
Down below, Macao pumped his fist in excitement, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Makarov waited a moment, letting Macao finish celebrating before continuing.
"Second, Wakaba Mine!"
Wakaba, who had been standing with his eyes closed and hands together in prayer, snapped his eyes open when he heard his name and punched the air hard.
"It is here, it is here! This will be my last dance before true middle age. You all better watch carefully!"
"Lastly, Kabe!"
"Eh...!!!"
Countless cries of surprise erupted throughout the guild the moment the final name was announced.
Part of it was regret from those who had not been chosen.
But most of it was shock that Kabe had actually made the list.
"I mean, that brat is only fourteen, right?
A fourteen-year-old S-Class... forget just our guild, there has never been anything like that in the entire Fiore Kingdom."
"Exactly. Last year, Laxus becoming S-Class at seventeen was already incredible.
If Kabe pulls it off this year, that will completely break the record."
"Damn it, why are kids nowadays all this strong? They do not leave any room for us mediocre adults to live."
...
Listening to the whispers around him, Kabe snapped out of his daze.
So it is finally my turn.
Thinking that, he looked up at Makarov on the second floor and called out directly,
"Master, quit striking poses. Hurry and tell us the rules for this exam. I cannot wait to finish it and become S-Class."
"Hey, do not get ahead of yourself, brat. In terms of experience, you are still a mile behind us veterans."
Macao, who had also made the list, instantly bristled at the tone that sounded like Kabe had already put S-Class in his pocket.
Wakaba chimed in from the side with a sour drawl.
"Yeah, it is still too early for you to be S-Class.
Why do you not go take care of your little girlfriends first?"
...
Tilting his head, Kabe cracked his knuckles, his expression twisting into a dangerous grin.
"Huh? What was that, you two idiots?
Believe it or not, I can beat you both up right here and now and make you lose your exam qualifications immediately."
Hearing Kabe skip straight to physical threats, Macao and Wakaba both shrank their necks and hurriedly looked to Makarov for backup.
"Ref! Did you hear that?!"
"Ahem. All three of you behave yourselves.
One more word of nonsense and none of you are taking this exam."
After that warning, Makarov ignored them and turned to shout toward the guild doors.
"Cana, I am leaving the rest to you."
As his voice fell, everyone turned to look at the entrance.
Right on cue, Cana's small figure appeared there.
Her gaze swept over the three examinees, lingering on Kabe for a few extra seconds, before she lifted her head and announced clearly, her expression serious,
"From here on, I will act as assistant examiner for this S-Class trial.
Will the three examinees please come forward one by one to receive your cards."
As she spoke, she extended her hand. A small magic circle lit up in her palm.
Three cards, their faces hidden by a glow of light, appeared in midair above her hand and slowly rotated.
Wakaba glanced left and right at his two unmoving "opponents."
Then he grit his teeth and strode through the crowd first, snatching one of the cards from Cana's hand.
No trap. Alright, my turn to move.
Macao, who had been observing from where he stood, was about to be the second to step up...
But Kabe shot forward faster, taking the second card from Cana before Macao could reach her.
The brat even waved the card at him smugly afterward.
Macao's teeth ground together.
Damn it, this kid really does not know what respect is.
When he finally got his own card, Cana clapped her hands with a smile.
The golden glow on the cards exploded into sparkles and disappeared.
Macao reacted quickly and stuffed his card into his jacket.
But Cana's voice cut through the air again.
"You do not have to be that cautious. The contents of your three cards are exactly the same."
Still, this is the S-Class exam. You can never be too careful.
Macao lectured himself silently, then quickly pulled the card back out to take a look.
One glance and the expectation in his eyes instantly turned into pure confusion.
"Hehe, that is right. All three of your cards are blank.
The contents are something you have to fill in yourselves."
Cana grinned at his expression, then began to declare the rules.
"Now, you must take these cards and go challenge any guildmate of your choice.
The content of the challenge and the rules are decided by the person you challenge.
Once you have completed five challenges, the card will tell you the next stage of the exam."
The guild erupted again.
"What? We are actually part of the S-Class exam too?"
"Challenge us, and we get to make the rules? Heh, this just got interesting."
"Hmph, you three have always been so smug. Today there is no way I am letting you pass easily."
Looking at their comrades, who were cracking their knuckles and practically itching to pounce, Macao and Wakaba's shoulders sagged under the sudden pressure.
Kabe rubbed the smooth surface of his card, also feeling a bit troubled.
Seeing the three of them look so cornered, Makarov's mouth curled up in satisfaction.
He flipped down from the second floor and landed lightly in front of them.
"Do not underestimate the S-Class exam, you brats.
Maybe the others in this guild are not as strong as the three of you in a straight fight.
But they have strengths you cannot easily match.
These challenges test how well you know and understand your comrades on the one hand.
On the other, they test how complete and well-rounded your own abilities are.
Remember, to be an S-Class mage, having power alone is not enough."
When he finished, Makarov pulled a pocket watch from his clothes and snapped it open.
"The exam starts now. You have two hours.
Anyone who fails to complete the required challenges within two hours will be disqualified."
As soon as the words left his mouth, all three of them shot off at once toward the targets they had already chosen in their hearts.
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