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On the viewing platform of the arena, as the ceremonial Mage made his announcements, the Magic Knights Squad Captains from various Magic Knights Squads successively appeared on the scene amidst dazzling fireworks.
The Magic Knights are a combat-specialized Mage corps directly under the Wizard King, formed by nine Magic Knights Squads. They are a heroic army that risks their lives to protect the Clover Kingdom, revered by all its citizens.
Unusually, all the Magic Knights Squad Captains were present for this Magic Knights Squad selection exam.
These individuals all possess immense power, capable of fending off hundreds of Mages. Moreover, the Wizard King, whom Asta and Yuno aspire to become, has a chance to emerge from among them.
Amidst everyone's exclamations, Bai En also intently watched the Magic Knights Squad Captains. With "Golden Dawn," "Crimson Lion Kings," and "Silver Eagle" almost exclusively recruiting nobles and royalty, and "Blue Rose Knights" consisting entirely of female members, his choices were limited. "Black Bulls," "Green Mantis," and "The Azure Orcas" all seemed to have their share of troubles. In any case, he decided to finish the exam first.
"Candidates—thank you for waiting!"
As the Magic Knights Squad Captain on the viewing platform spoke, the cheers from the crowd grew louder. The Anzhi Birds, which had been resting near the candidates, startled and flew away in a flock, leaving the center of the arena.
Yami, the Black Bulls Squad Captain, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, was lifting Asta's head with one hand, only to be met with Asta's resistance. He murmured something about Asta's muscle strength, then released his hand and walked towards the viewing platform.
His departing back left only a calm remark: "Consider yourself lucky, you little brat. Cherish this little life that was saved. Take the exam seriously, or I'll kill you!"
"Eh, eh, eh!" Asta rubbed his head, which had almost been crushed, yelling, "It hurts so much! What a violent person, so strong!"
On the viewing platform, William Vangeance, the Golden Dawn Squad Captain, whose face was half-covered by a mask, continued to speak: "I will be the judge for this exam. You will now undergo several tests. We, the nine Magic Knights Squad Captains, will observe your performance and then select the talents we desire."
"Conversely, those who are not chosen will be deemed unqualified to join the Magic Knights Squad."
"Then, the first round of the exam is—"
A grimoire radiating a rich green light appeared in his hand, and with a gentle, calm voice, he cast a spell: "World Tree Descent!"
With a roar, the World Tree magic began to unleash its power!
The clear blue sky darkened, and the wispy white clouds were stained with a deep inky black. An astonishing amount of magic power covered the entire arena sky. The next moment, a hint of green light emerged from the inky clouds.
Brown tree roots and branches, wrapped in green, continuously grew downwards. The colossal tree in the sky seemed to connect the heavens and the earth, and tiny roots extended before all the candidates—individual flying brooms separated from them.
"Please use the brooms in your hands to fly in the sky. For Mages who can control magic, this should be no problem. This is the most basic mode of transportation for a Mage. If you cannot fly with a broom, it is simply unacceptable."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone began to try flying with the brooms in their hands.
Bai En scanned the crowd in the arena. A considerable number of people could not properly control their magic to support the flying broom. They were like novices encountering it for the first time, perhaps too focused on the power of their magic and neglecting to train in the details.
'Should I act more ordinary? Being too flashy can easily lead to...'
Suddenly, Yuno soared into the sky on his flying broom. Bai En also made up his mind in an instant. His commoner status already put him at a disadvantage. Now, to join the Magic Knights Squad, he had to give his all and display his talent.
He threw down his flying broom. A shimmering white light enveloped the broom, but it did not fall directly to the ground; instead, it hovered at a low altitude.
The moment he stepped onto the broom, Bai En shot out from the crowd like a meteor, flying into the sky.
He hovered above the arena, just like Yuno.
The candidates on the ground who hadn't flown into the sky looked up at the figures above, and a commotion arose.
"What's with those two? Their tattered clothes clearly show they're country bumpkins from the countryside... How can this be?"
Some people from the registration earlier seemed to recognize Yuno: "He's really amazing, a genius chosen by the four-leaf grimoire. And that person next to him... he seems to be from the same village. Could he also have a four-leaf grimoire?"
On the viewing platform, William watched Yuno and a few others freely control their flying brooms, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up: "Just by observing broom flying, one can clearly discern a Mage's aptitude... It seems there are a few capable ones this year."
"But what's with that guy?"
Fuegoleon Vermillion, the Crimson Lion Kings Squad Captain, stroked his chin, also pondering: "Even without aptitude, anyone can make a broom float simply. But—"
The focus of everyone's attention was naturally Asta. He was trying to lift the flying broom between his legs, attempting to get off the ground, but it was no use.
"I usually see Bai En and Yuno fly so easily, why can't I do it at all? Is it still because I don't have magic power?"
"It's not over yet, I won't give up!"
Asta clumsily persisted, even knowing he had no talent for making the broom fly.
"This is very simple, isn't it? Try a little harder?" A blond boy on a flying broom circled Asta, full of enthusiasm: "My name is Sacke, nice to meet you."
"Oh~ I'm Asta."
Watching Sacke effortlessly operate his flying broom, Asta couldn't help but exclaim: "This guy is really amazing. I need to work harder too, put in more effort..."
Bai En watched Asta and Sacke from high above, thinking: 'The guy circling Asta should be Sacke Blanchot. He originally intended to use the seemingly useless Asta to make himself look better, but he ended up getting bitten by a hawk.'
He didn't intend to interfere in this matter, whether it was when Yami was squeezing Asta's head or now... Letting the plot follow its original storyline was the best way to leverage his advantage as a transmigrator.
He only needed to slightly alter some insignificant details in the plot until it was time to deal with the final... demon.
After the flying broom assessment, several more rounds of assessments followed: a magic assessment attacking a wall from three meters away, a magic perception test floating paper, a magic style test for growing seeds... and finally, the practical combat test.
"At any time, practical combat is the best way to demonstrate a Mage's comprehensive abilities, so please display them to your heart's content. Pair up with anyone and fight each other; both sides' performances will be observed by us!" Fuegoleon passionately explained the test.
Discussions faintly rose among the candidates: "Fighting in the Magic Knights Squad is a display of work ability. If you lose, it will greatly affect the review."
"In that case—the opponent you face is very important..."
"Even if your ability is insufficient, as long as you win in actual combat, your score in the review shouldn't be bad... It's easier to pass the exam by finding weaker opponents."
Candidates began to freely choose opponents. In the restless crowd, those who found opponents first immediately occupied the center of the arena and began their tests. The others watched the battles from the corners while looking for their own opponents.
The first battle between Asta and Sacke caused quite a stir. The guy who had been at the bottom of all the other assessments surprisingly defeated his opponent with a single strike from a strange greatsword.
That short guy was still shouting in front of everyone that he wanted to become the Wizard King... truly a frog in a well, a meaningless clown... The subsequent battles, however, were much more evenly matched, with magic clashes like water snakes tearing at mud giants. The only thing worth noting was that the guy from the countryside who obtained a four-leaf grimoire actually defeated someone from the prestigious Hapshass family.
The remaining people in the practical combat assessment slowly dwindled. Perhaps because he hadn't actively sought an opponent, Bai En seemed to have been forgotten in the crowd.
Looking at the remaining examinees, he hesitated whether he should take the initiative to find an opponent, to avoid the awkward situation of being the last one left.
While he was thinking, a voice reached Bai En's ears.
"I remember you haven't taken the exam yet, have you? Want to try with me?"
Looking at the unfamiliar figure next to the grimoire shining with emerald green light, Bai En's eyes lit up, and then he nodded...