The Hiding Wise Man Can Not Hide

 Episode 1 "First Round: Target Destruction Test"

01

I've been fed up with people calling me one of the"Three Wise Men" and other embarrassing names, but while I've been hiding for a hundred years or so, the world has become a strange place.

(I don't think that's something that he'd do...)

The building in front of me had a sign that said, Maldegar Academy of Magic, 22nd Special Student Selection Examination.’

It's an academy founded by Zephyr, a fellow disciple.

(To think that a poor teacher is now an educator...)

While I was thinking about that, the examiner spoke.

"Next, examination numbers 021 to 030. Please enter the practical examination room.”

I look at the examination voucher in my hand and stand up. My exam number is 029.

I walked into a large stone building and lined up side by side with the other examinees. It's more like an archery range than a place to use magic.

The other examiner, who was waiting for me, pointed to a target a little further away. It was a little more than 1 aron(about 100 meters) away, a little farther than the range of a bow or matchlock.

“The first test is about to begin. You can use any kind of magic on that target and damage it. The time limit is until this hourglass ends. It doesn't matter how many shots you use."

This surprised me. I tried to stroke my beard, as I do when I am surprised, but my beloved beard was nowhere to be found. My jaw was smooth and sleek.

Oh, yes, I look like a seventeen-year-old boy now, don’t I? There is no way I have a beard. I need to get out of the habit.

But without it, I'm a little sad.

Be that as it may, I'll call my familiar.

“Kaja."

In the next moment, a black cat pops out from the compression pouch on my waist. It was actually a man made monster that just looked like a black cat.

However, as I was currently using optical concealment, only I could see it. Others could not hear it either.

The little black cat looks up at me and responds in a slightly pretentious tone.

‘Yes, sir. I'm the familiar, Taro Kaja, and I'm here at the behest of my master.’

It's an adrogynous voice, like a boy's.

I use the art of telekinesis to command Kaja without speaking.

‘Keep monitoring my magic level. If the amount of magic I’m using exceeds 1 kite, warn me.’

‘But 1 kite is…’

The black cat sounded exasperated.

'But master, isn't that the same amount of magic power as those ordinary people?’

I'm going to pretend to be an ordinary person and take the test now.

‘If I use my full power, they’ll know who I am in an instant. I have more than 1000 kites without even doing anything. So I’ll easily reach 10 kites if I’m not careful.’

‘But, master, 1 kite won't reach that far, will it? Destructive magic has an effective range of about a quarter of an Aron, right?’

‘Hmm. If I extend the distance four times, that will mean sixteen times more magic depletion. Perhaps 1 kite will be a little difficult.’

When using destructive magic, there were two different things that caused the force to decrease, ‘distance’ and ‘time.’

'What are you going to do, sir?

’I'm thinking about it now.’

I regretfully scratched my chin and looked to the right and left. Everyone was chanting with serious expressions on their faces.

"O crimson dancer, scorching bird..."

“Di Elisimo Magite Iorum…”

"Gather fire elements! Second step!"

Magicians of the spirit school, the old magic school, and the elemental schools? The chants are awkward, but they've got a solid foundation.

So, what should I do?

I stare at the target. The material is a cheap log.

Let's see how it goes for a bit.

While I'm stroking my chin lazily, the examinees nearby complete their chants.

''Now is the time to dance, Dancing Princess of the Fire Phosphorus!

"Digeome!"

"Release all fire elements!"

None of the fire magic that was released reached its target. They quickly decayed and disappeared after about a quarter of an Aron (25 meters) to half a Aron (50 meters).

The examinees looked very disappointed.

Kaja sighs.

'Oh, dear.’

‘I knew that would happen. Well, let's do it.’

As I needed to be creative in order to do it with 1 kite of magic power, I'll use a little bit of a cheating technique.

‘What are you going to do?’

‘It's easy if you don't use projectile magic. Just make your destructive magic activate above the target, and then it won’t be weakened.’

It will take a little time to set the target and to send the magic energy, but the time limit was very forgiving.

And so I carefully sent the magic, and activated the electric energy right above the log. And then I directed it towards the log so that it wouldn’t fly in an odd direction.

‘Master, you are going to exceed 1 kite.’

‘It's not a problem if it exceeds just a little, but I’ll leave it at that.’

I activated the technique I had assembled.

"The power of light and dark, unite and become a thunderbolt."

In the next moment, with a pale blue flash, a violent ‘boom!’ echoed.

The students around me are surprised.

"Whoa!"

"What?"

"Huh? What?"

I think I startled them because it was pretty loud, but I only used 1 kite, so they shouldn’t worry. Had I unleashed all of my power, everyone but me that was here would be dead.

‘Master, the target is burning.’

‘A dry log struck by lightning will do that.’

The target log quickly burst into flames and the entire log was engulfed in fire.

Right now, the examiners were frantically covering it with sand in order to put out the flames.

"What the hell? Was that electric magic?”

“No, I didn't see it fly!”

“Just put out the fire! Damn it, we can’t do it with sand!”

“Hey, can't someone use water magic?”

You’re all making a big deal out of this, but you're the ones who told us to damage it.

But it's a little awkward, so I'll do something about it.

I'm going to secretly release one of the techniques that I've pre-cast. It's just a matter of activating the completed technique, so no one will notice.

"Cage of suffocation."

It's a 'suffocation' technique useful for firefighting. The nitrogen in the air is collected and wrapped around the log. The ratio of oxygen in the vicinity of the log drops sharply, and the fire is weakened at once.

Kaja saw this and muttered.

‘Master, that's quite a dangerous technique, isn't it?’

‘It's also a technique that inhibits breathing. You can kill a person with it if you wanted to.’

And so I was controlling it very carefully so as to not affect the examiners.

Obviously, nitrogen was free, as it was everywhere, but I still used energy to control it. And controlling it was very difficult.

Shortly after, the voices of the examiners could be heard.

"Hey, the fire's suddenly dying down..."

“I don't know what's going on, but pour water on it!”

“I'm on it. Water element gather! Fifth step, release!

The water poured down, and the soaked log was extinguished safely. I was glad.

When I was inwardly relieved, the examiners came walking toward me at a fast pace.

I'm sure I didn't do anything wrong, so you're not going to disqualify me for this, are you?

Then the examiners looked at each other and said to me with a solemn look on their faces.

“Number 029.”

“Yes.”

“Come over...here."

The examiner's lips were trembling slightly.

"You have passed the first test."