Frieren's Cursed Warrior (Frieren x Male Reader)

Chapter 15

Falsch's POV

Genau's voice echoed throughout the hall, signaling the start of the exam. "Attention everyone! The First-Class Mage Examination will commence momentarily," His authoritative tone left no room for doubt, and the room seemed to tighten with anticipation.

As I stood among the gathered mages, I couldn't help but analyze the competition, arms crossed, mind racing. "This year's test-takers seem rather exceptional," I muttered, half to myself, half to Sense, standing beside me. "Wirbel, for instance—he's a second-class mage and captain of the Northern Magic Corps. Fought the remnants of the Demon King's forces for years. A warrior mage through and through,"

I gestured toward an older man. "That crafty gentleman over there? Denken. Passed the second-class exam with ease, became an imperial mage after surviving a bloody power struggle,"

"And Fern," I added, shifting my gaze to the young mage. "The youngest to ever receive third-class certification, and with top marks. Quite the prodigy. A good egg, I'd say,"

Sense gave a nod, but her expression remained neutral, as if waiting for me to continue.

I adjusted my glasses. "Of course, there are bad eggs, too." My eyes settled on a girl with green hair. "That one—Übel. A third-class mage, disqualified from the second-class exam two years ago. She killed the first-class mage who was proctoring it,"

"Oh my," Sense remarked with an air of disinterest, but I could tell she was absorbing every word.

I surveyed the room further, searching for any more potential threats or allies. "Any other promising faces? Oh?" My gaze locked onto a woman clad in white, her snowy twin tails parted behind her. The mana radiating from her was... ancient. Experienced. "That elf—look at her mana. She's no ordinary mage. Do you know her?"

Sense glanced at her and shrugged. "I don't,"

"Strange," I mused. "But there's one more that Lernen mentioned." I scanned the crowd until my eyes landed on him. A man in dark armor, standing quietly, observing. "Y/n, is his name,"

Sense followed my gaze. "Oh... he's quite peculiar," she said, her tone shifting slightly.

I furrowed my brow, focusing on him. "His mana... it's small. But there's something else—something odd. Don't you see it?"

Sense nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Yes, but I can't quite understand what I'm seeing,"

"It's like an orb in the center of his body, but it's blurred, or concealed in some way. Is he suppressing his mana, perhaps?"

Sense shook her head. "No, I don't think he's suppressing it. If he were, there would be signs of instability. What we're seeing is something different, something separate from his personal mana,"

"Then I believe we should keep an eye on him. Lernen stated that he was a swordsman, but I believe there's more to him than that,"

"Agreed," Sense acknowledged. "I'll talk to Genau, and I'll proctor the second trial. We will make sure to test him appropriately,"

Y/n's POV

I scanned the faces of my opponents, picking out a few who stood out among the crowd: a girl with striking green hair, a short older man with a beard and brown hair, and a middle-aged man with messy, asymmetrical gray hair. Each of them seemed competent, sharp, and dangerous in their own way.

"Listen closely!" the proctor announced from the front of the room, his voice cutting through the murmurs. "I will now announce the contents of your first trial. You will not be tested alone, but as a party. The fifty-eight exam takers will be split into groups of three." A moment later, a bracelet materialized in front of me, hovering just within my reach. "We will now assign your parties,"