Chapter 73: Special Mission

That morning's classes ended earlier than usual.

The last teacher barely had time to close his book when a deep bell echoed throughout Arkanis Academy.

DOOOONG!

It wasn't the class change bell.

It was much slower.

Much heavier.

For a few seconds, the entire campus fell silent.

Then, a voice amplified by magic swept through all the buildings.

"All first-year students are summoned to the Central Coliseum.

I repeat.

All first-year students must report immediately."

The students began looking at each other.

"What happened?"

"Another attack?"

"Did they discover another dungeon?"

"Is it a surprise exam?"

Kael, who had barely managed to fall asleep on his desk during the last five minutes of class, slowly lifted his head.

"…"

"Is it over yet?"

Luna sighed.

"You weren't even paying attention."

"Of course I was."

"What was the teacher explaining?"

Kael remained completely still.

Then he answered with total honesty.

"Magic."

Luna looked at him for a few seconds.

"Surprisingly… technically correct."

---

Minutes later…

Thousands of students filled the academy's enormous Central Coliseum.

The stands were completely full.

Teachers.

Instructors.

Even veteran adventurers invited by the guild.

Kael walked beside Seraphina and Aurelion, looking for a spot.

As always…

The Little Fat King slept comfortably on his head.

Sir Dogerino walked proudly beside him, holding the Sacred Stick between his teeth.

Many students were already getting used to that strange image.

Others…

Still weren't.

"Does that dog always carry the stick?"

"I think he never lets it go."

"And the cat…?"

"I think he never gets off his head."

Kael heard them from the corner of his eye.

"It's not that he doesn't want to get down…"

He looked at the Fat King.

It's that he's lazy.

The enormous cat opened just one eye.

"Meow."

A slow slap.

Very slow.

Softly hit Kael's forehead.

More of a protest than an attack.

Kael smiled.

"Yeah, yeah.

I got it.

You're not lazy.

You just manage your energy."

Aurelion let out a small laugh.

"I understand less and less how you manage to communicate with him."

"Me neither.

But it usually works."

Seraphina watched the whole scene with a small smile.

Almost imperceptible.

But it was there.

And, as usual…

She was wearing a new t-shirt.

This time it showed a drawing of the Little Fat King sitting on Kael's head while both looked in completely opposite directions.

Aurelion pointed at it.

"Another t-shirt?"

Seraphina looked down.

"It's a limited edition."

Kael looked at the drawing.

"…"

"They drew me better than in person."

"It was a special order."

"Did you order it?"

"Yes."

Kael simply accepted that answer.

He had already learned that trying to understand Seraphina only led to more questions.

---

The conversations ceased when a huge stone platform began to slowly rise in the center of the coliseum.

On it appeared the headmaster of Arkanis Academy…

Several teachers…

And representatives from the Adventurer's Guild.

The headmaster stepped forward.

"Good morning."

Thousands of voices answered in unison.

"Good morning, Headmaster!"

The old man smiled slightly.

"Today we haven't gathered you for a class.

Nor for a common announcement."

He made a brief pause.

"Today we will present you with an opportunity."

Instantly, the entire student body fell silent.

Even the teachers seemed more attentive than usual.

"Ten years ago…

The Academy suspended one of its most important exams."

Many students began to murmur.

They had heard rumors about that.

But no one knew the full story.

"Today…

That exam will officially return."

A huge magical circle appeared above the platform.

Ancient runes began to slowly spin.

Luminous letters projected unknown maps.

Mountains.

Forests.

Ruins.

Rivers.

An entire completely unexplored territory.

The headmaster extended his hand toward the illusion.

"The Special Exploration Exam."

A murmur ran through the entire coliseum.

"It's back?"

"That exam?"

"I thought it had disappeared."

Even some teachers exchanged glances.

They hadn't expected the headmaster to announce it so soon.

---

"The exam will take place in an ancient training zone used by heroes several decades ago."

The images changed.

Now you could see huge structures covered in vegetation.

Collapsed towers.

Bridges that had fallen.

And a gigantic wall surrounding the entire territory.

"For years…

The zone remained completely closed.

The creatures evolved.

The ruins changed.

And no one knows exactly what you'll find there."

Kael raised a hand.

"Question."

The headmaster smiled.

"Go ahead."

"Does that mean you don't know what's there either?"

The old man answered with absolute calm.

"Exactly."

Kael looked thoughtful.

"…"

"That inspires very little confidence."

Some students laughed.

The headmaster did too.

"That's why it's called exploration."

---

One of the teachers stepped forward.

He was a tall man with a gray beard.

With a wave of his staff, the rules began to float above the stadium.

"First rule."

The letters shone brightly.

Teams of three members.

The murmuring began immediately.

"Three…"

"Perfect."

"We need to find partners."

"Second rule."

Only second-year students.

"Third rule."

Teams must remain together throughout the entire mission.

"Fourth rule."

Teachers will observe from the outside.

Kael raised his hand again.

The teacher smiled resignedly.

"Yes."

"What if a huge monster tries to eat us?"

"We'll save you."

Kael breathed a sigh of relief.

The teacher finished the sentence.

"And you'll be immediately eliminated from the exam."

Kael's smile disappeared.

"…"

"Oh.

That doesn't sound as good anymore."

Aurelion crossed his arms.

"I guess we'll have to avoid dying."

"That was one of my plans."

Darius, who had just arrived at the stands, heard that.

"I'm very reassured that that's only one of your plans."

---

The teacher continued.

"The prizes for the best-performing teams will be the following."

Several images appeared again.

A huge chest.

Ancient books.

Magic crystals.

Weapons.

Scrolls.

And a bag full of gold coins.

The entire stadium exploded in excitement.

"That's worth a fortune!"

"I want those books!"

"That crystal is A-rank!"

Kael looked only at the bag of coins.

His eyes sparkled.

"Money…"

Luna smiled, satisfied.

"I knew that would get your attention."

Seraphina, on the other hand, looked at the library represented among the prizes.

Aurelion looked at an ancient sword.

The three…

Already had completely different goals.

And without realizing it…

They were already thinking like a real team.

Here's the translation of Chapter 74: "Special Mission (Part 2)" into US English, with proper spacing between dialogue and narration.

---

The coliseum was still full of murmurs.

The word "prizes" had an almost magical effect on any student.

However, the headmaster raised his hand again.

Silence slowly returned.

"There's still the most important part."

With a wave of his staff, the image of the territory disappeared.

In its place appeared a huge hourglass.

"The exam will last a maximum of five days."

The runes changed once more.

A list appeared.

Exam Objectives:

Explore unknown areas.

Obtain resources.

Defeat dangerous creatures.

Recover ancient relics.

Cooperate as a team.

The headmaster continued.

"There is no single way to win.

Some teams will earn points by exploring.

Others by recovering objects.

Others by eliminating threats.

And others by demonstrating excellent coordination."

Kael raised his hand again.

Several teachers were already expecting the question.

"What if we find something that wasn't planned?"

The headmaster smiled.

"Then improvise."

Kael sighed.

"That never ends well…"

Aurelion let out a small laugh.

"Actually, it never ends well for everyone else."

---

The teacher in charge of the exam stepped forward.

"Teams can register until noon tomorrow."

Immediately, the stadium erupted.

Everyone began looking for partners.

"Come with me!"

"We need a healer!"

"We need a mage!"

"Hey, you!"

In just a few seconds, order completely disappeared.

Kael observed the chaos.

"How fast…"

Aurelion smiled.

"It's normal.

No one wants to be left without a team."

Seraphina simply turned to Kael.

"Team?"

Kael looked at her.

At the same time, they both spoke.

"Do you want to go with me?"

"Do you want to go with me?"

Silence.

They both blinked.

Then Kael smiled.

"Well…

I guess that answers the question."

Seraphina nodded.

"Yes."

Aurelion raised a hand.

"Then I'm in too.

That makes three of us."

Kael did a quick count on his fingers.

"Me.

Seraphina.

Aurelion.

Yes.

I think that completes the team."

The three shook hands with absolute naturalness.

There were no speeches.

No dramatic promises.

Just a simple agreement.

Precisely because of that, it felt so natural.

---

At that moment…

A voice came from behind.

"Wait!!"

The three turned.

Darius was running desperately among the students.

"I also wanted to…!"

He arrived panting.

He leaned on his knees.

Breathed several times.

"…form a team…"

He looked up.

The three were already together.

The silence was absolute.

Darius slowly looked at Kael.

Then at Seraphina.

Then at Aurelion.

And finally looked up at the sky.

"…"

"I'm always late."

Aurelion patted him on the shoulder.

"Next time, run faster."

"I ran from the training building!"

"You should have run earlier."

"How was I supposed to know they'd announce this today!?"

Kael scratched his cheek.

"If it helps…

I didn't know either."

"It doesn't help."

"I figured."

The four let out a small laugh.

Even Darius ended up smiling.

"I guess I'll find another team."

"Good luck."

"I'll need it."

---

Meanwhile…

On a balcony above the coliseum…

Several teachers were discreetly watching.

One of them spoke in a low voice.

"They've already formed a team."

Another nodded.

"It was predictable."

The headmaster stood with his arms crossed.

"What do you think?"

A white-haired old man answered first.

"The team has absurd offensive power."

Another shook his head.

"But also huge problems.

One improvises too much.

Another overanalyzes.

The third…"

He looked at Seraphina.

"…would do anything Kael asked."

The headmaster smiled.

"Precisely why I want to see them.

The exam doesn't only measure strength.

It measures adaptation.

And those three…

Still have a lot to learn."

---

Down below…

Kael was still thinking about the prizes.

"How much money exactly is there?"

Luna appeared walking calmly among the students.

She carried a notebook under her arm.

"According to rumors…

The first place gets enough money to live comfortably for a year."

Kael's eyes sparkled.

"…"

"We have to win."

Aurelion smiled.

"Ten seconds ago you didn't care."

"Now I do.

A lot."

Seraphina raised a hand.

"I want the books."

Aurelion pointed at the illustration of a sword.

"I want that sword."

Kael pointed again at the bag.

"I want the money."

Luna smiled.

"Perfect.

You each have a different motivation.

That usually helps keep a team together."

Kael nodded.

"And if we win…

We can split everything."

Seraphina answered with absolute naturalness.

"I don't need money.

My family has enough."

Aurelion raised a hand.

"Mine too."

Kael stood still for a few seconds.

"…"

"So…

All the money would be mine?"

The two nobles answered at the same time.

"Yes."

Kael clasped his hands with excitement.

"I'm starting to understand why it's good to have rich friends."

Aurelion burst out laughing.

"At least you're honest."

---

As the students slowly left the coliseum…

A figure watched from a distant column.

He wore a gray cloak.

His face remained hidden.

Only his eyes followed a single target.

Kael.

"So you'll participate…"

He murmured.

"Perfect."

He disappeared into the crowd before anyone could notice him.

Far away from there…

In the depths of the ancient territory where the exam would take place…

Something slowly opened its eyes.

A deep roar echoed through the ruins.

Birds took flight.

And the forest fell silent again.

As if something had awakened…

That should never have been disturbed.