Why didn't anyone tell me what time it was?'

Rusty clattered down the corridor as he hurried toward the test area. He had been so absorbed in flipping through the books that he completely lost track of time. To make matters worse, Alexander had started whining about the mess they created, so the last thirty minutes were spent trying to organize the books scattered across the floor.

'You should have listened to me, Rusty. Why would you bother organizing those books? Let one of those lesser creatures handle it. Stop listening to that fool of a hero.'

'Just be quiet. We made it in time.'

'Not thanks to you, hero.'

Aburdon replied as Rusty sprinted through the corridor, glancing around. In the distance, he spotted the receptionist who had directed him to the dusty library. He quickly realized he was in the right place. Her expression shifted to something close to shock as he rushed in with his newly attained D-rank speed.

The woman blinked in disbelief as Rusty came to a screeching halt in front of her, a gust of wind trailing in his wake. The pressure gently ruffled her hair, and she nearly lost her balance as she tried to step back.

"I'm here. I'm not too late, right?"

Rusty asked while the woman adjusted her glasses and tried to smooth her hair.

"Y-yes, you made it."

She replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Good!"

He nodded and stepped toward the door leading to the testing room, but before he could enter, the woman moved in front of him, blocking his path.

"Please wait. Your companion cannot enter the testing room."

Rusty froze as she tipped her glasses and looked at his shoulder, where Gleam was perched.

"( •̀ - •́ )"

"What do you mean?"

She tapped a notice posted on the wall behind her. It read: 'No summoned beasts, familiars, or tamed monsters beyond this point.' The text was printed in bold, and beneath it was a hastily drawn image of a toothy wolf with its mouth open.

"Guild policy. For safety reasons, all non-humanoid companions must be kept outside during the exam. We've had too many incidents involving overprotective familiars or people cheating by using summoned creatures."

Gleam tilted her head, her antennae drooping slightly.

" ( • ᴖ • ) "

"I see…"

Rusty looked at his companion and wondered how others were managing to cheat using their familiars. Then he realized they were probably doing something similar to what he was attempting. In a way, Gleam's presence worked in his favor because the observers focused on her instead of Aburdon, who remained hidden as a wisp inside Rusty's suit of armor.

"Is there a problem, Miss Thelma?"

Just as Rusty was trying to decide what to do about Gleam, someone stepped out of the test room. The man had bright blonde hair, neatly styled as if he had spent an hour arranging every strand. He wore a monocle below his hairline, and one of his fingers idly played with a long mustache.

His armor was not as heavy as Rusty's but had been polished to a mirror-like shine. On his shoulder was an insignia that Rusty did not recognize. It resembled the usual guild symbol, which typically featured crossed swords, but this one was different. It showed an open book alongside a wizard's staff, a dagger, and a sword, as if representing several professions united in one emblem.

"Ah, Guild Master Ferdinand, it's fine. I was just explaining the rules to this adventurer."

The moment Rusty heard the man's title, he almost stepped back. Adventurer guilds always had individuals known as guild masters, many of whom were retired adventurers who had ended their careers at a high level of skill. Rusty wanted to use his identification skill, but he knew that highly trained individuals could sense such attempts, which could put him at risk. The man's presence reminded him of the Orc leader he had once fled from, and even surpassed the mercenary leader he had previously encountered. It was clear he was dangerous.

'This man is strong, Rusty. Try not to act suspicious.'

Alexander warned him through their shared link. The monocle the man was wearing seemed particularly unusual, radiating a faint aura of mana. Rusty immediately suspected it might be an identification device, which he knew he should avoid.

"I know."

"( •̀ ᴖ •́ )"

"Ah..."

Before Rusty could say anything, Gleam jumped off his shoulder and moved toward the woman named Thelma.

"She says that she will wait outside."

Rusty noticed that Gleam had understood it was better to follow the rules. The Guild Master watched her descend, then nodded slightly at the explanation.

"An interesting creature. Just be sure to follow proper procedure."

The man's attention shifted toward a newcomer who approached with a small cage already in hand. The cage was just the right size for Gleam, and it looked as though it had been prepared in advance.

"I hope you don't mind, Mr. Edmund. I've already made arrangements for your tamed ant."

Apparently, Thelma had anticipated this and taken steps to ensure Gleam would be safely held. Although Rusty didn't like the idea of placing her in a cage again, it was clear they would not be allowed to proceed otherwise. Gleam paused as the memory of her month-long imprisonment returned, but she gave a small nod, accepting the situation for now.

'Don't worry. That cage doesn't look like it will be able to hold you anyway.'

He reassured her through their bond, and she wiggled her antennae in response.

' ( •̀ᴗ•́ )و '

Gleam climbed into the cage. As the door clicked shut, she pressed her face against the bars and gave Rusty a reassuring nod. Through their bond, he could sense her emotions. She was calm but slightly irritated, not because she was confined, but because she was being excluded from the test.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Take good care of Gleam. If something happens to her…"

"I assure you, Mr. Edmund, nothing will happen to your tamed monster."

Before Rusty could finish his warning to the man escorting Gleam away, Thelma stepped between them.

"Now then, we mustn't keep the other examinees waiting. If you would, Mr. Edmund."

This time, it was the guild master who spoke, gesturing toward the testing room. Rusty glanced inside and saw multiple rows of desks, each with a single chair. Several people were already seated, all of them looking in his direction with different expressions on their faces.

He had already caused enough of a scene, so he simply stepped inside. A few people scoffed quietly, clearly unimpressed by the armored man who had arrived at the last minute. Rusty found an empty seat near the back of the room and sat down on a wobbly chair that rocked unsteadily beneath him. A worn quill, a small pot of ink, and several sheets of parchment had already been placed on the desk. He glanced around. Most of the others had begun reviewing notes or whispering last-minute facts to themselves.

"Is everyone ready?"

Rusty looked up. Thelma was addressing the room. The guild master who had been there earlier had already left. Now, only Thelma and three others remained. One person sat behind them, and two were positioned on either side of the room. They had full coverage of the space, making cheating nearly impossible.

'Haha.'

'Is something wrong, Aburdon?'

'This room has a low-level detection spell designed to sense magical fluctuations.'

'Now that you mention it, I did feel something when I walked in.'

Aburdon made Rusty aware of an enchantment placed on the area. Since Rusty had recently gained more mana-related skills, it seemed his guides were becoming more perceptive as well.

'Will it be a problem?'

'We will be fine. Our connection is through the soul. Simple enchantments like this cannot detect it. I guarantee it.'

Rusty had no reason to doubt Aburdon. If anything suspicious had been detected, he likely would not have been allowed inside in the first place. As the two were talking, a loud bell rang from the front of the room.

"You may now flip over the pages and begin. You have two hours."

Thelma announced as she turned over an hourglass. Everyone in the room quickly flipped through their pages and began working. Rusty followed their lead. At first, it seemed strange that they allowed him to wear his full suit of armor, with only his visor raised, but he soon realized there was a reason. The people monitoring them were not just ordinary clerks; they possessed special abilities.

"You there, get out. You fail."

A man wearing a suit of armor similar to Rusty's was singled out. A sharp gasp followed the command, and all heads in the room turned as one of the overseers strode down the aisle. The accused adventurer, a man in dented steel armor with a raven emblem on his chest, froze in his seat, his hand hovering suspiciously near a metallic bracer strapped to his wrist.

"W-what? I wasn't doing anything!"

"You're not fooling anyone."

The man grasped the adventurer's wrist and pulled it away. Once the device was exposed, it became clear that it had been enchanted. When activated, it projected tiny letters forward and cycled through various writings. The man frowned as soon as he saw it, then stood up and left the room with his shoulders slumped. He was not the only one removed. Shortly afterward, another person was called out, a woman this time.

"Hey, I didn't do anything, this is unfair!"

She had a different type of cheating device. Her heel had been painted black to disguise it, but she was actually flipping through something that resembled a miniature booklet, keeping her leg slightly to the side as she did so. Another man was also caught peeking into his clothing and was quickly removed. It became apparent that the overseers did not truly intend to prevent cheating. In fact, it seemed they even tolerated it.

'This is interesting. So if you manage to hide it well, they will allow it…'

Alexander remarked while Rusty finally turned his attention to the questions in front of him. It appeared that as long as someone could cheat without being caught, it was acceptable. No one seemed to notice that both of Rusty's guides had begun whispering answers into his nonexistent ears while he wrote them down at an incredible pace.

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pstrongQuestion 1: When encountering a Greater Slime in the swamp biome, what is the most effective method to avoid its corrosive projectiles?/strong/p

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Rusty had encountered slimes before, but he didn't know the answer to this one. Fortunately, Aburdon did.

'A Greater Slime? That's child's play. Still, let's follow the logic of these lesser creatures.'

For someone like Aburdon, a question like this could probably be answered through the use of magic. However, most regular adventurers didn't possess magical abilities. They had to consider all possible solutions, both for those with specialized skills and those without. Using anti-corrosive enchantments and maintaining distance was one method, but this question had more than one correct answer.

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pstrongQuestion 2: List three known weaknesses of the Dreadfang Direwolf./strong/p

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.

.

.

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pstrongQuestion 7: During a coordinated dungeon expedition, one of your party members is afflicted by a mind-altering curse that causes hallucinations and aggression. Describe three immediate actions the party leader should take and explain why./strong/p

/td

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The questions grew more difficult and complex as he continued, but his two guides provided the answers instantly. They never argued, which likely meant he was getting everything right. What he didn't realize was that others in the room had started to notice him. Unlike most of the examinees, his quill never seemed to stop moving. He wrote with the intensity of someone possessed.

'That's all?'

Only half an hour had passed when he arrived at the final answer. Rusty leaned back in his creaky chair, careful not to let it squeal and draw attention. He glanced around and noticed a few examinees looking his way, but most were still focused on their own writing. There wasn't anything left for him to do, yet he wasn't sure what came next now that he was finished.

'Is this enough? What should I do now?'

'Just raise your hand and say that you are finished.'

Alexander answered calmly, and Rusty followed the advice without hesitation. He saw no reason to wait, even though only a quarter of the bottom of the hourglass had filled. As soon as he raised his hand, nearly every head in the room turned toward him.

"I'm finished. Can I go now?"

"You are finished? Are you sure, Mr. Edmund?"

Thelma adjusted her large glasses and stared at him in disbelief. Throughout the exam, she and the other guild members had observed him closely, watching for any suspicious behavior. They found nothing unusual. He had simply continued writing, never once slowing down or pausing to think.

"Yes, I am."

"I see, then you may leave."

He rose from his seat, gathered the small stack of papers, and brought them to the main desk. Thelma took them and looked over the writing in astonishment. Even now, she seemed to struggle with the idea that he had finished so quickly. Around the room, several adventurers watched with irritation, still working through questions that he had already completed with ease.

Unbothered, Rusty turned and walked out, soon reuniting with his friend, Gleam. With everything in order, he left the guild behind while the test continued inside until the final grains of sand fell from the hourglass.

****

A stack of papers sat on the edge of the desk, but the woman was more interested in the one she had just graded. It belonged to the strange man named Edmund. From the way he spoke and carried himself, he seemed unaware of his surroundings, not someone who appeared particularly intelligent. Yet, for some reason, she could not find a single flaw in the answers he had given. She was certain that no one else in the group had submitted better responses.

"You look out of it, Thelma. You should eat something."

As she stared at the graded paper, someone spoke to her. A tall man with messy hair walked into the room, holding something that looked like a large sandwich, stuffed with meat. He took a bite and continued chewing as he moved closer. Behind him, a large canine creature followed, clearly interested in the food and drooling heavily.

"Thank you, but I need to watch my waistline…"

She replied to the man as he approached, squinting slightly when she noticed the trail of breadcrumbs falling from his sandwich. The crumbs barely hit the floor before they disappeared into the gaping mouth of the dog-like creature walking close behind him. The man stepped closer and glanced at the perfect score on the paper in front of her. As he continued to chew, a grin slowly spread across his face.

"Edmund…"