Chapter 7 - It was Unmeasurable

It was Unmeasurable
The next day.
When I went to the guild at the designated time, the other applicants and a guild instructor were there.
The instructor wore a name tag that read, ‘Guild Instructor: Regin.’
He would likely oversee the test.
“Alright, you are all here now! So, we have three fighters, two sorcerers and…”
Then Instructor Regin turned to look at me…
“A Tamer…and a slime… It says here that you can use magic. I hope you don’t think that such lies will go unnoticed?”
His voice sounded sympathetic when he saw the slime on my shoulder.
Apparently, both the slime and my job as Tamer were things that deserved pity.
Well, slimes did look pretty weak.
And apparently, Tamer’s really didn’t use magic in most cases.
However…I could actually use it.
“But I have not written any lies.”
I said as I pointed at the paper he was holding.
It was the application form that I had filled at the guild yesterday.
“…Well, that is something we’ll have to test now. Besides, I just heard an interesting rumor concerning slimes.”
“Does it have to do with Mister Gale?”
“Oh, I heard that a slime used magic to help them…”
Two of the other participants reacted to Instructor Regin’s words.
That slime…I knew who it was.
“Aye. Of course, it is clearly some kind of mistake. Perhaps it was a stray fireball from a sorcerer who was fighting a short distance from them.”
No, it was no accident.
But I felt like it would be too much of a hassle to explain this, so I didn’t.
“In any case, let us begin the test. Oh, and Yuji. If you want to become an Adventurer, you should avoid talking too formally.”
…I couldn’t talk formally?
“I understand…uh. Got it. Is that better?”
“Aye. I don’t remember the last time there was an applicant who talked so politely.”
Apparently, Adventurers did not use polite language.
It was fine if your enemy was a monster, but if they were human, it would result in exposing a weakness which was having them know the chain of command.
Having the hierarchical relationship obscured from the outside was a form of self preservation.
“Alright, the first test…this is for magic users only. You two…and Yuji. Come over here.”
So saying, Instructor Regin called us over to the guild counter.
There was an unfamiliar thing on the table that looked like crystal ball.
“Now put your hand on this.”
The first sorcerer obeyed and put a hand over the crystal ball.
And then the ball started to glow red.
“Fire, huh… That is an attribute well-suited for an Adventurer. And you have a decent amount of magic energy, so you may go far if you train. …Next!”
Then the next sorcerer stepped forward and put a hand on the crystal ball.
This time it glowed a brown color.
The brightness seemed a lot stronger than the previous person.
“Earth attribute…an ordinary attribute, but you have quite a lot of magic energy. Earth Magic is quite easy to use, so you will be a fine sorcerer if you learn to use it properly. This test is yielding great results so far!”
Then Instructor Regin stopped…and turned his gaze towards me.
“Now, Yuji. Put your hand here. By the way, if you can’t use magic, this thing will not glow.”
…I see.
So that was why he said I would be immediately exposed if I lied about using magic.
Well, I didn’t even need to use this thing. I could just perform magic in front of them to prove it.
I thought such things as I stretched my hand out…but there was something strange happening to the crystal ball.
It let out an unstable light and began to shudder loudly.
The vibrations and glow stopped when I pulled my hand away…but it seemed very strange.
“Can I really touch it?”
I asked Instructor Regin.
I had a bad feeling about it.
That light did not seem very safe.
“Of course, you can. Unless you’d rather correct this…”
Instructor Regin said as he waved the application form in front of me.
But I had no intention of changing it.
Why did I have to change something that wasn’t even wrong?
…Well, if he says it’s fine, then I might as well touch it.
I decided. And so my hand stretched out to the crystal ball.
The crystal ball grew brighter and shook more violently the closer my hand came to it…
—And just before my hand reached it, there was a ‘crack’ sound and the ball shattered.
“…What?”
…Instructor Regin’s voice echoed in the guild, which had gone completely silent.