Chapter 41
Tenji, clearly losing strength in his shoulders, continues his preparatory exercises with a lethargic expression on his face.
Aika was watching the situation next to her and was chipping away at her sports drink with a slightly apologetic expression.
"Do you want some, Tenji?"
"Uh, yeah. Thanks."
Unexpectedly handed a plastic bottle, Tenji took a sip without thinking.
After a few sips, he finally realized that the bottle had already been opened. He also realized that it was Aika who had given it to him.
"Oh."
"What's wrong?"
"No, no, it's nothing."
In the dungeon, they had kissed indirectly many times, but Tenji still wasn't used to it. It was strange that he cared about indirect kisses.
[TLN: The act of kissing an object someone else recently kissed symbolizes a kiss between the two people. ]
Tenji waited for twenty minutes with a lethargic look and Aika with a motivating look on hers.
When it was finally time to assemble, Rui appeared at the meeting place as if he had timed it perfectly.
He was wearing a yellow inner suit inside his usual group blue uniform. He was carrying a weapons storage bag on his back with the Association seal, just like Tenji's. But it looked a bit expensive.
Unlike Tenji, Rui carries a long spear with him even when he goes to school. To maximize the abilities of the unique "Lightning Spear" ability, a spear is indispensable.
Tenji stared at Rui with a dubious look on his face.
"Oh, thanks for waiting. Shall we go then?"
"No, wait a minute, Rui."
Tenji firmly grabbed Rui's shoulder as he headed for the sub-dungeon without a problem. Tenji stopped Rui.
Tenji's strength, which was added to his attack power by two Goblins and the Red Demon Ring, was more than twice that of an ordinary person. Rui was surprised that Tenji was able to stop him so easily.
"Amagi your...... grip is strong, I am indeed surprised."
"Well, if I have free time, I'll be holding your muscle as training equipment... but that's not it."
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? No, no, no, no. I have never heard that today is the entrance test for Chariot. Didn't you say that you and Asagiri-san had bought the rights together in the first place?"
Rui heard those words and smiled as if he had finally understood the situation.
"Oh, about that. Aren't you rather glad? Normally, the Chariot's entrance test is a test that takes place in the third year. I thought I had arranged for you to take it in your freshman year. ...... That's also the [Chariot] entrance test, you know?"
Tenji shut his mouth when he realized there was no malice in how Rui said it.
He didn't think that he was really doing it with good intentions. Because of Rui's love of pranks, he thought this was also a prank.
Then Tenji realizes Rui's justification.
Certainly, participating in Chariot entrance as a freshman can only be a plus for future explorers.
Chariot is one of the top ten most famous guilds in Japan. Although the conditions for joining the guild are "3rd-grade calling or higher", it does not mean that you have to have a 3rd-grade calling before joining the guild. Several explorers in Chariot have acquired a third-grade calling after joining the guild.
In addition, explorers in the world have a calling that deletes callings. Even if you have already awakened to a calling like Tenji, changing it to a 3rd-grade calling is quite possible.
"Well, well, ...... I certainly appreciate it. I just wish you would have at least said something."
"Sorry about that. I admit I had the urge to surprise you a little."
While surprised by Rui's easy apology, Tenji and the others began walking towards the sub-dungeon.
This time, the destination is Yokohama, the Red Brick Warehouse. A sub-dungeon gate has been generated at the end facing the sea there.
And so, Tenji took the entrance test for one of Japan's leading guilds, Chariot. Or rather, he became one.
Tenji was just worrying about how he should behave. He was worried not only about his calling but also about his behaviour.
For the time being--
Gently, he decided to remove the Red Demon Ring.
Tenji, Aika, and Rui had arrived at the Chariot's entrance test site.
The number of people who were at the meeting place of the test hall was huge. Tenji was astonished to see the number of people who were probably the participants.
"Amazing."
'That's really great. How many people are taking the test.?"
"My uncle told me that they received three thousand applications in advance. I don't understand why people would have such high hopes when only one or two people a year get in."
Rui mentioned it casually, but Tenji and Aika couldn't help but be surprised when they heard how many applications there were.
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Even from a quick count, it looked like only about a hundred people were there.
It will be time to meet in 5 minutes, so you can almost say that this is all the test participants.
Tenji had intended to consult with Rui light-heartedly, but all he could think was that he had been brought to a more amazing place than he had imagined.
"You are indeed a child of Inagaki flame."
"I don't think that's a compliment at all. Well, I'll admit it, there's no way we could stand here without using my parents' power. I asked my dad and uncle to do it for me."
"And yet ...... there were 3,000 applications this year?"
"Ah, that must have been because of my uncle's news. We were swallowed by the structural change of the Ochanomizu dungeon, and even though we were isolated in the back dungeon, that raid had the highest survival rate."
There was also Godo, who was hailed as a hero all over Japan.
Tenji had no idea that this alone would raise the number of applicants so much. Chariot is known to hold a yearly selection test for about a thousand people. That's how much it's in the news every year.
But this year, they will have a selection test from 3,000 people, three times that number. Naturally, Tenji was at a loss for words.
"I wonder what they're looking at."
"I heard Chariot had spent two months interviewing everyone beforehand."
"They interviewed everyone for two months beforehand? I'm starting to feel sorry now....."
Tenji called Rui on a whim, and the day before yesterday, it was decided that he would take part in this test.
No wonder he felt sorry when he thought about the people who had been rejected in the interviews.
"Don't worry about it. My uncle likes Tenji a lot, he won't say anything about it."
"I hope so......"
The three were waiting at the meeting place while having such a conversation.
Nearly a hundred test participants have gathered around. Some were students from Japan Explorers High School, while others appeared to be ordinary civilians.
[I don't know what the people were chosen for, but they all had sharp and passionate minds.]
If a person can join the Chariot, his future is like a promise. Money, popularity, strength, you can have it all. An explorer can have everything he wants; if he joins a guild that is one of the best, then there is not much he can't get.
In this square in front of the red brick warehouse, several gazes seemed to be staring only at Japan Explorers High School students.
Percentage-wise, there were only about ten from the Japan Explorers High School, while nearly ninety others were probably from the general public. The school rules at Japan Explorers High School require students to wear uniforms when involved in anything related to dungeons.
But there was a reason for that hostile gaze.
Those who can enter Japan Explorers High School have been recognized as having a certain degree of talent. Among the general participants, many failed the entrance test to Japan Explorers High School.
So why did only about 10 students show up for the entrance test for Chariot, a top 10 guild?
This was because most of the third-year students of Japan Explorers High School had already decided which guild they would join by this time of the year.
Like Rui and Aika next to her, Japan Explorers High School often scouts in advance because it is a school for golden talent.
Conversely, it can be said that those who take the entrance test in their third year do not have that much power. That is why the general participants were staring at them with hostile stares.
"There's a lot of hostile stares."
"Well, yes, ...... I do feel a little uncomfortable."
"Don't worry about the gazes of those small fry. What is there to be afraid of, don't be afraid of mere civilians."
Rui was speaking in a dignified manner.
They both replied "indeed" and slowly calmed themselves down.
However, some general participants who heard Rui's words turned their hostile gazes even sharper and clicked their tongues.
"What's wrong?"
"No, I'm just stunned at the number of idiots who are staring. You two should continue to stand proudly as students of Japan Explorers High School as you have always done."
"I'm not sure, but I'm not nervous anymore so I'm fine."
Aika couldn't perceive why Rui was so stunned and replied with her usual pace and cute smile.
Tenji was also reassured by them and thought about how he should behave.
[If it's true, I should probably decline, but... ... that's not how it works either. Both Rui and Asagiri-san are seriously participating in joining the Chariot. If I were to withdraw, it might affect their acceptance or rejection.]
Tenji thought so as he looked at the serious mental unification of the two side by side.
And that's when it happened.
Finally, the meeting time had passed.
The regular members of the Chariot appeared in front of the participants.