Chapter 74: The Impossible Team

The problem started with a list.

A fairly simple list.

At least in theory.

On the main bulletin board of Arkanis Academy, the registered teams for the Special Exam appeared.

Students crowded around.

Some looked for their names.

Others checked who their teammates would be.

And a few were already arguing before the exam even began.

Kael arrived late.

As always.

He had the Little Fat King on his head and Sir Dogerino walking beside him.

"Have the teams been posted yet?"

Luna nodded.

"Twenty minutes ago."

Kael looked at the board.

"And where are we?"

Luna pointed.

"There."

Kael followed her finger.

Team 17

Kael Veyron

Seraphina Vale

Aurelion

Kael smiled.

"Perfect.

We're three."

Seraphina appeared behind him.

"Yes."

Aurelion gave a thumbs up.

"Balanced team."

Kael looked at the three names.

"We have offensive magic."

He looked at Seraphina.

"Defense."

Seraphina nodded.

"And Aurelion."

Aurelion raised an eyebrow.

"What does that mean?"

Kael thought for a few seconds.

"That you'll probably do something useful."

"Such confidence."

"I'm being honest."

Aurelion smiled.

"I appreciate it."

Then…

A voice sounded behind them.

"Wait!"

The three turned around.

Darius came running.

Again.

His hair was disheveled.

His clothes slightly wrinkled.

And an expression that indicated he had just discovered a national tragedy.

"There's a problem!"

Kael blinked.

"What happened?"

Darius pointed at the board.

"My team!"

Kael looked at the list.

"What about it?"

"I can't work with them!"

Aurelion crossed his arms.

"Why not?"

Darius began counting on his fingers.

"One is an earth magic specialist.

Good.

The other is a healer.

Also good.

And the third…"

He stopped.

"Doesn't speak."

Kael blinked.

"Doesn't speak?"

"Never."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"And how do you know he never speaks?"

Darius fell silent.

"…"

"Fair point."

Kael looked at the list again.

"Then it doesn't seem that bad."

Darius shook his head.

"You don't understand.

The problem isn't my team."

He pointed directly at Kael.

"The problem is you."

Kael pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Darius took a deep breath.

"Because my team is there."

He pointed at the board again.

"And you're here."

"Yes."

"So I can't be with you."

Kael tilted his head.

"No.

You can't."

"Exactly."

"So…"

Darius paused.

"…"

Kael looked at him.

"What are you doing here?"

Darius opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Looked at the ground.

Then at the ceiling.

Finally, he muttered:

"Considering dropping out of the academy."

Silence.

Aurelion raised an eyebrow.

Seraphina simply watched him.

Luna sighed.

Kael was the first to speak.

"That seems a bit extreme."

"It's not extreme!"

"It's just an exam."

"It's the most dangerous exam of the year!"

"Exactly."

"Exactly what?"

Kael shrugged.

"Then maybe you should go with your team."

Darius looked at him as if he had just insulted his entire family.

"…"

"You're not helping."

"I'm trying."

"It doesn't look like it."

---

Seraphina watched Darius for a few seconds.

"You can join us."

Darius looked up.

"What?"

Kael immediately turned toward her.

"Can we do that?"

Aurelion shook his head.

"The rules say three people."

Seraphina nodded.

"Then one of us will have to leave."

Everyone fell silent.

Kael looked at Aurelion.

Aurelion looked at Seraphina.

Seraphina looked at Kael.

And then…

The three said at the same time:

"No."

Darius watched them.

"…"

"What?"

Kael scratched the back of his neck.

"I don't want any of us to leave."

Aurelion nodded.

"Me neither."

Seraphina answered with absolute calm.

"Then there's no problem."

Darius raised both hands.

"Yes, there is a problem!

I can't be with you!

I can't be with my team!

And I can't drop out of the academy!"

Kael thought for a few seconds.

"Then you're trapped."

Darius closed his eyes.

"Thanks.

You've helped me a lot."

---

At that moment, a teacher appeared.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone turned.

He was one of the exam organizers.

Darius immediately approached him.

"Professor!

I have a request.

I want to change teams."

The teacher looked at the list.

Then at Darius.

"No."

"But—"

"Teams are final."

"But my team is incompatible with me!"

The teacher sighed.

"Everyone says that."

"No, you don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly."

"Then—"

"No."

Darius stood still.

"Why does everyone say no to me?"

The teacher kept walking.

"Because your team meets all the requirements."

Darius lowered his head.

"…"

"Perfect.

I'm surrounded by incompetents."

The teacher stopped.

"What did you say?"

Darius immediately straightened up.

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought."

---

Kael looked at Darius.

"Then you'll have to stay with your team."

Darius stared at him.

"Yes.

I suppose.

But…"

He looked at the list again.

"I don't like it."

Kael smiled.

"You can survive five days."

Darius sighed.

"I hope so."

He turned around.

Started walking.

Two steps.

Three.

He stopped.

Came back.

"…"

Kael looked at him.

"What?"

Darius pointed at the Little Fat King.

"Could he come with us on some mission?"

Kael's eyes widened.

"You want the Fat King?"

"No.

I'm just saying…

He has good instincts."

The cat opened one eye.

Looked at Darius.

"Meow."

Darius immediately stepped back.

"Well.

Maybe not."

Aurelion burst out laughing.

---

When Darius finally left…

Kael looked at his teammates.

"So our team is still three."

Seraphina nodded.

Aurelion smiled.

But then…

A small hand appeared from behind the board.

"Wait!"

Everyone turned.

It was Luna.

She had a strangely serious expression.

"There's another problem."

Kael sighed.

"What?"

Luna pointed at the board.

"Darius's team appears as…

Team 21."

Kael frowned.

"Yes."

"But he also appears as…"

Luna pointed at another line.

Team 17 — Kael Veyron, Seraphina Vale, Aurelion, Darius.

Everyone stood still.

Kael blinked.

"…"

Aurelion approached.

"That shouldn't be possible."

Seraphina took the document.

She reviewed it.

"There's an administrative error."

Kael looked toward where Darius had disappeared.

"So…

Is Darius on two teams?"

Luna nodded slowly.

"It seems so."

Silence.

From the other end of the hallway…

A scream was heard.

"WHAT!?"

Darius came running back.

He looked at the document.

Then at the teacher.

Then at Kael.

"WHY AM I ON BOTH!?"

The teacher took the list.

Reviewed it.

His expression changed.

"…"

"This…

Is impossible."

Kael raised a hand.

"Professor."

"Yes?"

"Does that mean we have four members?"

The teacher quickly shook his head.

"No."

"Then?"

"It means there's an error in the registration."

Darius breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

The teacher began to correct the document.

"Darius officially remains on Team 21."

"Perfect."

"But…"

Darius stopped breathing.

"Due to a problem with the registration system…"

The teacher frowned.

"He also appears linked to Team 17 as an auxiliary member."

Kael blinked.

"Auxiliary member?"

Aurelion smiled.

"That sounds pretty good."

Darius looked at him with hatred.

"No.

It doesn't sound good."

Seraphina spoke calmly.

"It could be useful."

Darius opened his mouth.

"I'm not going to—"

The teacher raised a hand.

"I can't modify it until the administrative review is complete."

Darius closed his eyes.

"…"

"I want to drop out of the academy."

Kael patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry."

Darius looked at him.

Kael smiled.

"You're already used to us."

Darius answered with absolute seriousness:

"That's precisely my greatest fear."

On Kael's head…

The Little Fat King yawned.

Sir Dogerino barked happily.

And for some reason…

Darius felt that this could only mean one thing.

The exam hadn't even started yet…

And it was already a disaster.