Chapter 206 - little prank

I thought about it before replying.

"It’s a test to measure our mana, so they must have something to check its quantity and quality."

"As for the exact testing method, even I can’t think of anything specific. The only things that come to mind are testing our mana control or asking us to release all our mana at once."

Luna nodded in agreement.

The branch manager walked ahead of us, listening to our conversation with a small smile playing on her face.

Then Luna asked, "So, what do you think the other tests will be, Gray?"

I thought about it as well.

"Hmm, perhaps something like sparring against a C-Rank opponent or demonstrating something that only C-Rank adventurers or those above that rank can do. Don’t worry, though. Those should be easy for you. I wouldn’t even be surprised if you passed a B-Rank test despite being a C-Rank adventurer."

Luna smiled brightly.

"Hmph! That’s right! I can handle any task quite easily, no matter what it is!"

I simply rolled my eyes.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say."

She glared at me.

"What do you mean by that? Do you think I can’t do it?"

She gave me a death glare, so I raised my hands in surrender.

"No, no! You can do anything... except stop being clumsy."

Her blue eyes widened.

"You...!"

I laughed and continued following the branch manager.

Luna had completely returned to her usual sloppy behavior. As she followed me, she seemed to have forgotten that we were in the Adventurer’s Guild for an evaluation. She had even forgotten her status as a princess.

In the eyes of outsiders, Luna was a diligent, hardworking princess. And, in those moments when she needed to be, she truly was.

However, as soon as she had time to relax, she became a lazy slacker just like me.

A subconscious smile appeared on my face.

Finally, we arrived at our destination, where several crystal balls were placed.

Luna tilted her head adorably and asked, "Is this similar to our awakening ceremony?"

The branch manager smiled and began explaining the procedure. She had listened to our conversation along the way and had already formed a rather good impression of us.

After listening to her explanation, I finally summarized everything.

"So, we just need to touch the crystal ball and supply it with enough mana to break it, right?"

She nodded.

I looked at Luna.

"So, do you want to go first, or should I?"

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately demanded to go first.

Naturally, I let her have her way.

She energetically approached the crystal ball.

Pointing at it, she asked, "So, I just need to supply mana to this, right?"

The branch manager nodded with a smile.

Then Luna asked, "Can I use only mana, or can I also use other things, like Aura and elemental energy?"

The branch manager replied, "Ah, you can only use mana. No external abilities. We need to measure your pure mana."

Luna nodded before giving me a look.

"Watch and learn how it’s done."

I had a playful idea, and my smile widened.

Luna confidently approached the crystal ball, touched it, and began supplying her mana.

A pure, icy-blue mana flowed into the crystal, illuminating the entire room with its shimmering radiance.

The crystal ball glowed with an icy-blue light, but no cracks appeared.

So Luna increased her mana output.

Still, nothing happened.

She blinked in confusion before pushing her mana output to its absolute limit. The crystal ball was practically glowing with her pure mana. It was so pure that if someone claimed a fairy or an elf was doing this, people would probably believe them.

Yet, not a single crack appeared on the crystal ball.

Luna blinked as she stared at it in disbelief.

Beside her, the branch manager was equally stunned. She could clearly see the sheer quantity and density of Luna’s mana.

Ah, this can’t be right! The crystal ball is supposed to crack!

Luna was just as confused when she suddenly heard a giggle—a laugh that someone was desperately trying to hold back.

Her head immediately turned toward the source of the sound, almost like an automatic targeting system.

She focused on the crystal ball and sensed something unusual within it.

After all, her sensitivity to space had increased considerably from being constantly exposed to my Space Affinity.

A dark line appeared across her forehead as she realized what I had done.

I had placed a Space Barrier inside the crystal ball to protect it.

Luna moved like a flash of light and struck me on the head.

"You...! This is your doing, isn’t it, Gray?"

I rubbed my head, put on an innocent expression, and looked at her.

"What do you mean? I’m just watching and learning from you..."

As I spoke, I couldn’t control my laughter, and a few giggles escaped my mouth.

Luna looked at me as if she were about to kill me on the spot.

"Gray! Remove the Space Barrier, or do you think I won’t beat you up?"

I laughed and raised my hands.

"Okay, okay! I believe you! You should’ve seen your face just now!"

Then I canceled the Space Barrier inside the crystal ball.

Luna’s compressed mana immediately burst outward.

The crystal ball didn’t stand a chance. The moment I removed the barrier, it exploded, scattering fragments throughout the room.

However, I made sure none of them hit Luna. All the fragments stopped in front of her before falling harmlessly to the ground.

I used a Space Barrier and extreme gravity control to ensure that every fragment landed safely without causing any trouble.

Nevertheless, Luna continued glaring at me.

"I’ll deal with you later."

Then she turned toward the branch manager.

"I’m sorry about that. This idiot was playing a prank on me."

The branch manager blinked.

"But... how? I didn’t sense anything!"

Luna sighed.

"He’s a Space user. An absurdly powerful Space user for his rank. He placed a Space Barrier inside the crystal ball, so my mana couldn’t damage it."

I gave her a playful smirk, earning another death glare.

I could barely hold back my laughter as I looked at her adorable expression.

There’s no real anger behind that glare. She just wants to beat me up.

Truly an evil princess.

The branch manager was completely dumbfounded.

"Huh? Space control...?"

Luna nodded and briefly explained what had happened.

Finally, she asked, "Do I need to take the test again because of that idiot? I can pay for another test if necessary."

As she spoke, she glared at me.

I simply looked up and began whistling innocently.

The branch manager quickly shook her head.

"No, no! That’s perfectly fine. Your power is undeniably beyond C-Rank."

Then I looked at the other crystal ball and asked, "So, can I try now?"

Luna was still puffing out her cheeks as she glared at me in annoyance.

I pretended not to see her.

The branch manager nodded and quickly regained her composure.

I smiled and happily walked toward the crystal ball.

Even as I approached it, I could still feel Luna’s resentful glare on my back. Her cheeks were puffed out in a pout.

I touched the crystal ball and focused solely on it as I began supplying my mana.

Unlike Luna’s mana, mine glowed with a pure, starlike radiance.

The crystal ball began to resemble a miniature universe.

Luna stared at it with glowing eyes.

"It’s so beautiful..."

She watched as cracks began appearing across its surface before I had even made a serious effort.

Then I gave it a little push.

The crystal ball crumbled into pieces.

The branch manager stared at us in horror. Both our mana purity and density were far beyond what she had expected.

She came to a simple conclusion.

No ordinary C-Rank adventurer would stand a chance against us.

She silently prayed for anyone who might have to face the two of us in the future.

After a few moments, she finally regained her composure.

"You’ve both passed the mana test. Only one test remains."

With that, she showed us the way to the next room.

I walked beside Luna and asked, "So, how was my performance? Aren’t I the best?"

She pouted and looked away, refusing to speak.

It was obvious that she was angry because I’d ruined her moment.

I smirked and poked her cheek with a finger.

Her eyes widened as she turned to glare at me.

I took out a large bottle of orange juice as an offering of forgiveness.

Luna take a look and simply ignored me.

Then I started thinking about what I could use to get her attention.

After a moment, I took out a large chocolate chip cookie. It was so fresh that when I broke it apart, the crispy crunch echoed through the air.

Luna’s ears immediately perked up at the sound, and her eyes shifted toward the chocolate chip cookie.

She was now facing a difficult dilemma.

Should she continue ignoring me or forgive me for the sake of that delicious-looking cookie?