RMA 31

chapter 31

#1

The children of prominent wizarding families receive gifted education from a young age.

Why?

Because they must be chosen by the Tower Lord and also gain the favor of Montemer.

If they catch Montemer’s eye in the first evaluation, they can immediately enter a prestigious magic tower.

Tower Lords themselves take note of those who show promise.

And the second opportunity is this very selection trial.

Here, if one draws the Tower Lord’s attention, they can leap to higher positions and leverage connections to secure important roles.

This is directly tied to the honor of the family.

So, they have no choice but to study hard from childhood.

“Montemer exists, but I can do this too.”

Everyone sitting here held that thought.

Even though Montemer exists, they had studied diligently.

Even if they lacked battle experience, they were confident they wouldn’t lose to Montemer in theory.

“Besides, isn’t that kid a bastard? Always living in the annex… would he even have studied properly?”

Especially, Lawrence, participating in this selection, was considered an easy target.

A bastard.
A child scorned for lacking a Mana Rod, labeled defective.

Would Montemer, with his pride, fully support such a child?

Of course not.

Montemer’s family was not one to be easily swayed.

If Lawrence hadn’t awakened his unique abilities, he might have lost the Montemer name entirely.

“The selection follows immediately after the subjugation trials, so it’s enough. This time, I’ll take first place.”

His family said the same.

This is the opportunity. Beat Montemer’s youngest and make sure to draw the attention of both the family head and the Tower Lord.

They had been told countless times that the family’s future rested in their hands.

Perhaps that was why the air inside the examination hall was terrifyingly intense and serious.

But willpower and physical limits are separate matters.

“Ugh…”

Bang!

With a clatter, a young wizard collapsed.

The overseer walked over nonchalantly and lifted the child.

“Disqualified. Exit the trial.”
“Mm.”

As if it were an everyday occurrence, the young wizard was carried out.

To the Tower Lords, there was not pity but disappointment.

This is the nature of this place.

A battlefield of endless competition where the weak fall behind.

Following that child, more and more participants lost consciousness and fell.

Those who initially endured somehow began to falter quickly, as skill levels were similar.

Those unable to withstand the pressure of mana began to drop one by one.

“Is this it for this round? The level is quite high.”
“The youngest prince seems unfazed. Should I increase my output?”

Even though the mana had already saturated the room to a level suffocating for ordinary people, Lawrence’s expression remained utterly calm.

The Tower Lords’ obsession and curiosity seemed unending.

As if in a prideful contest, they intensified the mana concentration.

“Guh!”
“Ughhh—!”

Cries of pain echoed, but the overseer said nothing.

The difficulty of the selection was entirely the Tower Lords’ responsibility.

The overseer, unaware of the danger, thought:

“Indeed, having Montemer’s prince participate is no joke.”

So, this is what it means to be a Montemer.

For fairness, the external overseer’s impressions were oddly twisted.

As more fell victim to that misconception, someone could no longer stay silent.

“Are you trying to kill all the kids?”
“Eh?”
“Tsk, tsk… look at this. There’s no one left standing.”
“……”

Iron Han, the Tower Lord of Iron, intervened to stop the others’ reckless mana output.

Only then did the Tower Lords realize what they had been doing and reined in their mana.

What unfolded before them was nothing short of a disastrous slaughter with no distinction of skill.

“Perhaps… we got too carried away.”
“Hmm, indeed…”
“…Huh?”

Lawrence, thrilled at seeing problems he could solve, raised his head.

Looking around, he realized he was the only one left.

“What the hell…”

Were the other candidates this terrible?

Or had he simply solved the problems too slowly?

Being someone who normally loses awareness of his surroundings when concentrating, Lawrence couldn’t fully grasp the situation.

Had he gotten too excited just because he recognized the questions?

He had no reliable information on the candidates in this selection, and he realized he didn’t even recognize any of their names.

“Hmph, Prince Lawrence. Have you completed all the problems?”
“Yes, I just finished them.”
“Submit your answers and prepare for the next trial.”
“Understood.”

Lawrence submitted his answer sheet and headed to the next trial location, the 10th floor of the Tower of Wisdom.

The next test involved passing through a simulated dungeon.

It was a sophisticated illusion spell using ancient artifacts installed long before artifact technology became practical.

This facility existed only in Montemer, the imperial royal family, and the great knightly [Isaac] family.

This was why Montemer could produce great wizards.

Possessing lost artifacts wielded tremendous influence.

Later, it even caused various problems.

Lawrence had never even seen such artifacts in his previous life.

“Perhaps I can gain more knowledge by observing them. I wonder… is Rachel doing okay?”

He thought of Rachel, whom he had left behind.

He hoped she wouldn’t get into trouble or cause any incidents.

“Ah, well, I warned her. If she doesn’t listen, that’s her responsibility.”

Lawrence shrugged and headed toward the place with the massive artifact.

Why was he the only one here?

This selection was far different from what he had been told.

#2

Montemer’s main estate was vast.

Naturally, there were many secluded spots.

It wasn’t unusual for locations to be known only to wandering maids or attendants.

In one such corner, several maids surrounded Rachel, speaking in hushed tones.

“Is the annex livable? Or should we call it a trash shed?”
“Also, it must be hard taking care of the youngest master. Seems like he knows nothing and can do nothing.”

Rachel swallowed a sigh.

What childish nonsense…

Or was this the lady’s command?

Perhaps instructions from another young master or young lady?

“On the contrary, he helps me a lot. The annex isn’t spacious, so the work isn’t overwhelming.”
“The Montemer noble doing chores? Good grief… the young master’s dignity has plummeted.”
“Prince Lawrence is quite considerate, really.”

Rachel smiled to defuse the situation.

What mattered more was Lawrence’s test results than clashing with them.

Besides, their conversation last night lingered in her mind.

<This is a secret, understood?>
<From now on, you’re on the same side. We’re in this together.>
<It’s always been like that, but now it’s formal. You are officially my person.>
<The first guardian is, without a doubt, Rachel. That’s you.>

Remembering the confident young master, she felt she must quickly support him.

There was no time to bicker here.

Though she smiled to dodge the situation, the maids weren’t deterred.

Some people simply dislike others for no reason, everywhere.

“Hey, why are you smiling when the senior said something?”
“I think we should make sure you know your place.”
“No matter how hard you try, you’ll end up trailing a bastard. So lower your gaze, girl.”

A maid, whose name Rachel didn’t even recall, raised her hand threateningly.

Another reached toward her chest.

Rachel’s peculiar power manifested.

“Huh?”

She grabbed the approaching hand.

Simultaneously—

“AAAAHHH—!”

Crack!

She twisted the joint mercilessly.

A startled maid swung at her again, but Rachel moved instinctively.

Dodging a hand aimed at her cheek, she kicked.

It connected cleanly to the abdomen.

“Ugh?”
“Guh!!”
“What the—! Catch her!”

[Artifact: Rachel’s Headband]
[Engraving: Assassin’s Movements]
[Learn some combat techniques of an assassin.]
[Grade: 3rd Circle]

Crack! Boom! Crunch!

Loud noises erupted in the secluded area.

Where had it all gone wrong?

Rachel’s movements, clumsy yet trained, were those of an assassin.

All thanks to the artifact.

When she came to her senses, all the other maids were either writhing in pain or unconscious.

Rachel stared at her sore hands and feet in shock.

“How… how is this…?”
“P-please… save us!”
“We won’t touch you again. We were wrong!”
“……”

Looking down at the senior maids rubbing their hands after being beaten, Rachel noticed their swollen faces, messy hair, and blood-stained, dusty clothes.

She felt a little pity, but what could she do?

So don’t provoke first…

“Do you remember what the young master said earlier?”
“…….”

They nodded vigorously.

Rachel sighed and spoke quietly.

Perhaps because of her assassin-like movements, her voice carried authority.

“So, what happened here stays secret. Understood?”
“Y-yes! We fought due to a disagreement, right?”
“Of course! Absolutely! Rachel, you weren’t here!”
“I’ll be leaving now. If this leaks…”

She knew it was unlikely they’d remain silent otherwise.

They would run to the head maid to report, but if she didn’t assert control, it could escalate.

Rachel didn’t yet realize how terrifying she looked.

Her fists were bloody, and splattered blood on her face added to the fearsome impression.

She didn’t yet know how effective fear is in humans.

“Absolutely! I won’t say a word! Never!”
“…Understood.”

Lawrence’s first guardian.

A maid who had once dreamed while reading fairy tales.

Her first real combat experience was unexpectedly successful.

Rachel quickly moved toward the Tower of Wisdom.

Astonishingly, her footsteps made no sound.

Unconsciously, she was moving with the most basic assassin skills.

The maids who watched trembled in fear.

“Any moment now… she could strike again.”

Some suggested reporting to the head maid, but most vehemently shook their heads.

Even in the world of maids, the law of power clearly applied.

Rachel had established a new order.