Chapter 18 – Appraisal I absentmindedly watched the scenery from inside of the carriage that was heading to the Court Mage Magician Division, and sighed many times.
The Director, who noticed this, called out to me with a wry smile.
"You look extremely displeased. Well, it"s not like I can"t understand how you feel."
"That"s right……"
I also replied with a wry smile, and the Director shrugged his shoulders.
I once again looked at the scenery outside and thought about what had happened yesterday.
Yesterday, around closing time or something, a message came from the Court Mage Division:
"We will be appraising you, so come to the Court Mage Division tomorrow, or rather today."
What exactly are they appraising?
It seemed that they are appraising me.
People had recently been calling me the 【Saint】here and there because of the incident that took place at the hospital.
Meanwhile the Head Magician of the Court Mage Division, who was comatose from the 【Saint Summoning Ceremony】, had awoken about a week ago.
The Head Magician was the only person in this whole kingdom who could Appraise people.
I hadn"t had my appraisal yet because he"d been in a coma.
The Head Magician still wasn"t in top shape, but the appraisal of the 【Saint】was the foremost important thing in the kingdom, so he was pushing himself to do the appraisal.
It was inevitable when I thought about what had happened at the hospital.
I thought that the rumour about me possibly being the 【Saint】would spread if I used recovery magic the way I did.
So I prepared myself to some extent but……
It was still depressing.
Appraisal confirmed one"s status, but if that happened then I would be busted.
My status clearly showed that I was the 【Saint】.
"You really don"t want to?"
I naturally had an uncertain look on my face while pondering.
I turned to face the Director. He looked worried.
"Yes. It"s depressing."
"I didn"t want to say this but you did put on quite a show."
"They"re wrong, I didn"t go all out. I only just healed people a little, didn"t I?"
"It"s not a little, okay. Definitely not."
The Director looked shocked when I tightened my lips together.
Then we smiled wryly at each other.
The Director had been really concerned about me.
Since the time I had moved into the Research Inst.i.tute.
He did it in such a casual manner that I didn"t notice it most the time, but sometimes I would notice that he was concerned about me.
I was extremely thankful that he was concerned about me, even though it was probably only because I was his subordinate.
Even by just talking to him like this, I felt my depression fading away a little.
"I don"t think anything will happen immediately after the appraisal finishes……"
The Director, who suddenly became serious, fessed up.
The numbers of demons had been gradually decreasing since the 【Saint Summoning Ceremony】. Which meant that the people at the Royal Palace could clearly tell that the 【Saint】had been summoned.
The demons, however, were only decreasing around the vicinity of the capital. Places far away from the capital were still overflowing with demons.
The past 【Saints】travelled together with the Knight Order to the regions that were overflowing with demons. They used a special technique that only they could utilise and purified the land.
The people at the Royal Palace also expected the 【Saint】to carry on this duty this time as well.
"Demon annihilation…… Does it mean that there"s fighting involved?"
"There is. However, mages will be casting spells behind the knights. So you won"t be in as much danger as the knights."
"But what if the demons can use magic? The spell would head my way, wouldn"t it?"
"Well, yes. I can"t say that you wouldn"t met with any danger at all."
"Even the child who was summoned with me has never been in combat."
There were places that were at war in my old world.
j.a.pan, however, was peaceful.
Both Airchan, who was summoned with me, and I, have never taken someone"s life before.
Even if someone suddenly told me I had to do subjugations, I don"t think I would be of any use.
Even though I had killed many monsters and demons in games.
"They"ll probably do practice runs first, won"t they? The person who was summoned with you, was her name Aira? She"s learning how to do things like that at the Royal Academy."
"Is she?"
"The Academy practices by running subjugations at the East Forest. She, too, should have gone by now."
Airchan"s had already experienced subjugations.
I was a little surprised when I heard that.
I was worried about whether or not she"d be okay, but then I remembered that she had knights as escorts.
I hadn"t heard anything about her being injured so she was probably alright.
The East Forest that she went to was also supposed to be filled with weak demons.
"What…… What would you do if the appraisal showed that I wasn"t the 【Saint】?"
I suddenly thought and asked.
The Director"s eyes widened and then he smiled wryly.
"The 【Saint"s】job would probably be done by Aira, but……"
"But?"
"…… They would probably request that you support her."
"Support?"
"By using recovery magic."
I see.
I definitely healed so many at the hospital that the people around me were surprised.
So that might happen.
"If I accept such a request then I would probably have to move into the Court Mage Division, wouldn"t I?"
"I wonder."
"I don"t want to move if I don"t have to."
The Research Inst.i.tute was an extremely comfortable place.
I was fine with giving support but I didn"t want to transfer workplaces.
I told the Director my feelings, and he said he was going to handle it.
As I continued to talk to the Director about what would happen from here on out, we arrived at the Court Mage Division.
A Court Mage came to greet us and escorted us into the building.
While we were walking through the hallway, I felt people gaze at us from here and there.
Well, it was still better than the way the people from the 2nd Knight Order looked at me.
The 2nd Knight Order, who went on subjugation with the 3rd Knight Order were amongst the people I healed at the hospital.
The people at the 2nd Knight Order started worshipping me after I healed them.
They started calling me Sei-sama because of that and someone from the 2nd Knight Order would help carrying my books for me when I returned from the library.
It was really helpful of them to help me carry my books but it was embarra.s.sing to be called -sama.
However, they still added that to my name even though I told them to stop, so I"ve given up halfway.
"I have brought Director Waldeck and Sei-sama from the Medicinal Herb Research Inst.i.tute."
The Mage knocked on the door that appeared to lead to the head mage"s room and stated his business. A reply came immediately from within.
The Mage urged us to enter and we went inside. Next to Intelligent Gla.s.ses-sama was a young man with extremely good features and dark blue hair and eyes. He greeted us while standing.
He was so good looking that it seemed artificial.
What"s up with this?
Isn"t the beauty level in this room too high?!
I felt extremely out of place!
Mage-san?
The Mage-san left the room as soon as he showed us in.
The only ones in this room were the Director and I, and then Intelligent Gla.s.ses-sama and the young man. Just four of us.
"Welcome to the Court Mage Division. I"m the Head Magician, Yuuri Dreves."
The young man smiled gently while introducing himself to me.
"My name is Sei."
The young man smiled and told me his name.
I was overwhelmed by his beauty and froze, but I still managed to somehow return his greeting.
He"s the Head Magician?
He looked younger than Intelligent Gla.s.ses-sama who was standing next to him.
Probably because of his good looks and gentle aura.
He looked like he could be around the same age as Jude.
It would probably be rude for that thought to show on my face, so I didn"t let it show on my face and sat down on the sofa while thinking.
"Ah, and he is the Deputy Head Magician, Airhart Hawk. You have met him before, have you not?"
"Ah, yes."
As soon as I sat on the sofa, the Head Magician introduced Intelligent Gla.s.ses-sama as if he had just remembered about him.
I"m sorry.
I didn"t know his name since he had never introduced himself, nor was I told by anyone.
So he was the Deputy Head Magician. I had thought that Intelligent Gla.s.ses-sama was a big shot from how the surrounding Mages were looking at him.
I got it.
I, however, cared more about his surname.
His surname was Hawk, so did that mean he was the Captain"s brother?
That question must have shown on my face because the Director, who was sitting next to me, told me the answer: "He"s Al"s brother."
"Well then, as I"ve told you earlier, I would like to appraise you today."
"Yes."
After the introductions were out of the way, he talked about the main subject at hand, the appraisal.
It finally came.
He explained appraisal magic in the same way that Jude had earlier.
Appraisal magic could be used on a person, but if that person didn"t approve, then there was a chance that it could repel. If that person was higher levelled than the person casting the appraisal magic, then it would definitely repel.
So, "Please relax," the Head Magician said while smiling.
I will endeavour to do so……
"Then let"s begin."
"Yes."
"『Appraisal』."
I didn"t really want to, but I tried my best not to repel his magic and obediently accepted the appraisal magic.
He casted it on me but it repelled as if ridiculing my thoughts.
I felt something repel, so it probably did.
The people around me also knew this and were surprised. They sent dubious looks my way.
Wait a minute, I was careful so that it wouldn"t repel!
"Sei……"
"I didn"t repel it, I thought real hard about it not repelling."
The Director looked at me in surprise, but I didn"t repel it so I stared back at him.
The Head Magician, who was looking at our exchange, recovered from his shock and smiled while asking, "You didn"t repel it?"
"I didn"t."
The Head Magician put a hand to his chin and cast his eyes down when I nodded.
After thinking for a while, he lifted his head up again.
"If you didn"t repel it, then that means your level is higher than mine."
"Yes."
"Excuse me, but what is your basic level?"
He arrived at that conclusion.
I knew it.
There was another reason for the magic repel that had nothing to do with me repelling it myself.
Perhaps, it was correct.
I thought that my basic level was higher than the Head Magician"s.
Many of the knights in the 3rd Knight Order were also lower levelled than me; a lot of them were around level 30.
Taking that into consideration, the Captain and Head Mage cla.s.ses should in the 40s?
If so then there would be at least a 6 level difference between us, because I was level 55.
But that was only my basic level.
When I asked Jude and the Knights earlier, they told me what was considered normal.
If it"s just this much then it would be alright to tell them, right?
I thought and spoke.
Translator: Blushy