A detection range of three hundred meters? Analysis that took time? Not enough aether?

All lies. Calipha’s detection could sweep this entire virtual space. She had already finished analyzing it, too. They had merely borrowed a constellation’s divine authority; a human mage had designed and assembled the space itself.

Calipha already knew every last “event” that would occur here.

Calipha was a monster who had devoted over a century to magic. To someone who had lived this long by defying even aging and cheating death, the standard of magic at Maria Academy, which prattled on about being the finest on the continent, was simply laughable.

For Calipha, a shortage of aether was inconceivable. Even pooling the aether of all five hundred little brats in this space would not match hers.

'Strictly speaking, not five hundred. Four hundred and ninety-seven.'

Naturally, Shiro had to be excluded. He was omniscient and omnipotent, after all. Shirin had to be excluded as well, since she was Lord Shiro’s twin.

And much as it displeased her, that bastard Yuto was another exception. The resonance he had displayed on the platform earlier had certainly been “impressive,” even to Calipha.

'Detection, wards, shields, analysis. That should be enough to make you see how useful I am. Shouldn’t it, little boy?'

Calipha watched Yuto’s expression with a servile smile. Too incompetent, and she would be abandoned. Too competent, and she would arouse suspicion. She had crafted her current “character” to stay within the bounds that would prevent either outcome.

She had no combat ability, but she could reveal enemy positions through detection and secure their safety with wards. She could shield him when his close-quarters fighting put him in danger and uncover the space’s secrets through analysis. Her limited aether meant she had to ration every spell, but every spell she could cast was valuable. That was the support character Calipha had intended to create.

'You have to protect me. I’m useful, after all. So you can’t abandon me.'

The true key to this arrangement was information.

'I’m the one who gathers the information and passes it on. Whatever I tell you, you have no choice but to believe it. The information I give you will be everything you know.'

If Calipha detected something but did not tell him, Yuto would remain ignorant. If she analyzed an event’s rules and passed on only part of them, he would have to make his decisions with incomplete information.

The power of life and death over information lay in Calipha’s hands.

* * *

“First... let’s get a sense of our surroundings. Calipha, you said your detection range was three hundred meters?”

“Yes... yes!”

“Try it.”

Calipha held her staff upright and closed her eyes. Soon, a faint light blossomed at its tip.

“... There are two people to the east. About two hundred meters away. They aren’t coming this way.”

“Anyone else?”

“Those two are the only ones within range...”

Yuto nodded, then glanced at Flokiro.

“Flokiro. Get up high and check the terrain.”

“Got it.”

Flokiro leaped up into a tree. After surveying the terrain, he came back down and reported.

“The forest continues to the east. To the west, it ends at a river. There’s a broad plain to the north, and a cliff to the south. I can’t see below the cliff because of the thick fog.”

“Did you see any students?”

“A few on the northern plain. It looks like they’re still searching for their partners.”

“What about two hundred meters east?”

“The trees are too thick. I couldn’t see any students.”

Yuto considered Flokiro’s report for a moment before speaking.

“We’ll head east for now. Calipha, I want to check how accurate your detection is.”

“For now...?”

The forest offered good concealment, but visibility was limited and the dense trees got in the way. The plain offered a clear view, but left them exposed.

“You said there was a river to the west?”

“Yes. It’s not a very big one,” Flokiro said with a nod.

“Once we’ve checked the accuracy of her detection, we’ll head west.”

Yuto had chosen the west for a simple reason.

“We need water.”

No time limit had been specified for the exam. They had merely been told it would last until only a hundred people remained. Given Elun’s report that their real bodies were hooked up to IVs, the exam would likely last quite a while.

Even in this virtual space, their senses were identical to reality. In that case, thirst and hunger would be the same, too. No matter how skilled a fighter he was, it would all be over if he collapsed from dehydration.

“Under these conditions, the river will serve as a defensive line,” Yuto said as he walked east. “I grew up in the slums and have lived as an adventurer, but every other new student here is a noble boy or girl. I doubt they have much experience surviving in the wild.”

“Well... I suppose so...?”

“Young lords and ladies who wear clean clothes every day, eat meals prepared by cooks, and have servants attend them in the bath. Do you think they’ll dive into the river to attack me from behind?”

“I... don’t think they would...” Calipha answered hesitantly.

“Most students will try to hide in the forest. It offers easy concealment. Anyone heading onto the plain will be confident in their abilities. But the river is neither. It’s awkward for hiding and inconvenient for fighting. I haven’t decided to make our base on the riverbank. We’ll go and inspect the terrain first. We need drinking water anyway, so we have to go there.”

Following behind Yuto, Calipha grinned.

'He certainly thinks differently from those noble brats.'

Calipha had already grasped the entire structure of this virtual space and detected where the new students were heading. Just as Yuto had said, most of them were moving toward the forest.

'The western river is narrow, but the current is fast. To cross it, they’ll need to find a shallow spot upstream. Otherwise, they’ll have to use magic to get across, and that would draw far too much attention.'

Gently rolling hills stretched west of the river, while reasonably sized rocks and reed beds lined its banks. Making a base there would offer numerous advantages.

And according to Calipha’s analysis, the “river water” in this virtual space was not merely water. At certain points, it had a slight aether-restoring effect.

The same principle applied throughout the virtual environment. River water at certain locations restored aether, and certain trees in the forest dropped fruit when aether was channeled into them. There were objects here that offered various benefits when one met the conditions for interacting with them.

Calipha had identified them, but had no intention of telling Yuto yet.

“But... Master Yuto... what will you do... when we meet those two people to the east...?” Calipha asked with a servile expression.

“In this exam... we have to kill the other students in the end... don’t we...? Will you... kill those students to the east, too...?”

“I will.”

Yuto answered without the slightest hesitation.

“There’s no reason not to. This exam won’t end until five hundred people become a hundred.”

“B... but I’m a little scared... It’s a virtual space, so they won’t really die... but they said the pain would be the same as in reality... To put our fellow new students through that...”

“We just have to kill them painlessly.”

That answer required no deliberation either. Yuto spoke as though it were perfectly obvious, and he meant every word.

'How ruthless. Is he simply focused on his objective?'

Calipha briefly considered what stance to take. Should she play a moral, softhearted girl and try appealing to his humanity? But one wrong move could make her seem hypocritical and cause Yuto to distance himself.

'Appropriate agreement is the answer here. Along with courage and ambition.'

Calipha squeezed her eyes shut and steadied her breathing.

“Y... you’re right, Master Yuto. I... I want to p-pass. If I get into the academy... I’ll be able to raise my family’s standing...”

“You’ll pass as long as you don’t hold me back,” Yuto said in an indifferent voice. “I intend to pass, after all.”

So this was the right answer.

Calipha grinned.

With so many obstacles, three hundred meters through a forest felt farther than the same distance across open ground. Yuto naturally took the lead, while Calipha followed and gave directions. Flokiro brought up the rear, ears pricked as he kept watch over their surroundings.

“Calipha,” Yuto said abruptly. “I think it’s been over five minutes since we started moving. Have the targets changed position in that time?”

“Oh... one moment, please.”

Calipha held her staff upright and closed her eyes. Naturally, there was no need to cast detection magic again. She already knew the two students’ exact positions.

But she did need to pretend to cast it. Closing her eyes, adopting a look of concentration, making light bloom at the tip of her staff.

“... They’ve moved. Southeast. A little closer to south. They’ll reach the cliff soon... Two hundred meters from here... The two of them are moving together.”

“A pair, then.”

“I-I’m sorry... I should have realized and used my magic sooner... If I’d d-delayed detection any longer, we would have lost them...”

“No need to apologize. I told you earlier to cast your magic according to my judgment.”

Having said that, Yuto thought for a moment.

“We’ll approach when they’re close to the cliff.”

He made his decision quickly. Calipha nodded, watching his back.

'He considers his opponents’ escape routes first.'

Consider their escape routes, create a situation where the enemy could not flee, and only then make contact. That was how one drove prey in the wild. It was different from the swordsmanship and tactics nobles learned.

'An adventurer from the slums...'

That was merely his public identity. Shiro had told Calipha about Yuto’s past as well. A small underground colosseum in Oltea, a frontier city in Valistera. Three years ago, when he was twelve, that boy had fought there as a slave gladiator.

It had only been for a week, but according to the recollections of those who had watched the matches, he had fought far too well to be mistaken for a novice.

'The owner of Oltea’s colosseum, along with the jailers and gladiators inside, was killed by Crimson Ringmistress. That boy was the sole survivor.'

A boy who had survived thanks to a passing whim of Crimson Ringmistress. The fact that he did not chatter about even those details of his past presumably meant he did not trust a fellow student he had only just met during the entrance exam.

'Even with that past, he’s different from an ordinary adventurer. According to the investigation, he’s never formed a party. He rarely stayed in town even when he wasn’t in a dungeon. I see. A blend of adventurer and hunter.'

Moreover, the impending battle would be their first time seeing each other fight. Yuto could not use magic and had no contract with a constellation. All he could rely on was his own swordsmanship and that Evomon’s assistance.

The other students, however, were different. They could wield their constellations’ divine authority and would be able to use magic as well. Attacking such opponents alone posed a considerable risk for Yuto.

'But unlike you, these brats aren’t used to hunting or slaughter. Cut off their escape, and they’ll panic.'

Combat was fought with one’s own strength. In the end, however, it was people who fought, so psychological factors mattered as well. Ambushed with their escape route blocked, the students would be hunted down without even managing to show their true abilities.

CRUNCH.

As they drew closer to the targets, Calipha deliberately stepped on fallen leaves to make a noise. Walking silently would not suit someone supposedly unfamiliar with combat.

“Calipha, keep your footsteps down,” Yuto whispered.

“I-I’m sorry...”

Calipha put on a flustered expression and adjusted her gait. Carefully, awkwardly, but convincingly enough for Yuto.

A little later, Yuto raised a hand to signal a halt. Two students were visible through the trees. Both were boys. One carried a sword, the other a staff. A swordsman and a mage. Judging by composition alone, it was not a bad pairing.

'No Evomon in sight. Have they not summoned them yet?'

Perhaps they were keeping them hidden to conserve aether. Concealing one’s cards was not a bad idea, but doing so when an ambush could come at any moment also showed how little experience they had in situations like this.

Yuto stood motionless, watching their backs. They were paying attention to what lay ahead as they walked, but sparing little thought for what lay behind.

They were nearing the edge of the forest, but beyond it lay a cliff. One student shouted in irritation.

“This wasn’t the right way!”

“It... it’s not my fault! You said you thought it would be fine to go this way!”

The pairs had been assigned at random. Strangers who had never even met had been put together, so there was no reason they would get along. A situation like this, in particular, put both of them on edge.

As they began raising their voices in an argument, Yuto whispered to Calipha.

“Wait here. You don’t need to use magic.”

Calipha nodded quickly. Yuto crouched low and approached the students. Flokiro stayed close beside him, lowering his body as well.

Yuto raised his fingers to signal Flokiro. You take the right. I’ll take the left. Flokiro nodded.

'Now, show me.'

Calipha watched Yuto from behind a tree. A moment later, he pushed off the ground, keeping low. He made no sound. Not a single leaf stirred. His movements were so hard to believe of a fifteen-year-old boy that it was like watching a seasoned assassin.

The instant the sword-wielding student sensed something and began to turn his head, Yuto’s hand was already reaching for him.

“?!”

The student’s eyes widened. He tried to move his sword, but Yuto seized his wrist and twisted it first.

CRACK!

His wrist bent unnaturally, and the sword fell. Yuto caught it and swung, every motion flowing seamlessly into the next.

SWISH!

The blade’s smooth arc sliced through the student’s neck.

It was just as Yuto had said. Kill them painlessly. The student died without even managing a scream. Light enveloped his body, and he vanished.