Expelled From a Black Magic Item Craftsman Guild, I Was Picked up as a Royal Magician

Chapter 6 – Magus Rank Magician

Just by facing him, I could tell that this was no ordinary person.
He was very tall, and had muscles like steel.

Someone who far surpassed any teacher who ever taught me at the academy. This was my first time facing an absolute elite magician.

After all, I recognized his face and his name.

Gawain Stark.

One of the seven Magus Rank Magicians in the kingdom. He was at the top in the realm of magic.

A celebrity…!
I had always dreamed of being a great magician, and there was one right in front of me now!

“I, um! Can I have your autograph?”
“Hmm? I don’t mind, but where should I sign?”

Damn it!
I didn’t have anything good that could be written on.
After fumbling around frantically for a moment, I said,

“Uh, how about this uniform?”
“Don’t do that.”

Luke grabbed me by the collar.

“No one has ever made someone sign their Royal Magician robes before. And on the first day.”
“Don’t stop me, Luke. If I let this opportunity go, I may never get the chance again.”
“You really do like magic, huh.”

Luke sighed with exasperation.

“But he is our superior here. You’ll see a lot of him, even if you didn’t want to.”
“What? Truly…?”

It was rather obvious, now that I thought about it. But it was still hard to believe and did not seem real.

I really had come to an amazing place.

“You always bring the most amusing characters, Luke. When you told me that you were going to bring in someone from the outside to be your buddy, I was rather worried.”
“Didn’t I tell you? I’m going to bring someone who I couldn’t beat in the past.”
“Yes, but who would believe something like that? Surely someone of that ability would already be in some position.”

“Well, she can be a little stupid in some ways.”
“Who are you calling stupid!”

I had no choice but to protest steadfastly.
For I was a brilliant mind, blessed with intelligence, beauty, and all the allures of a grown woman! I will not tolerate being treated as a fool.

“I see. You two seem to get along very well.”
“That’s true. It’s in my nature to be suspicious of others, but she is the only friend who I wholly trust.”

He said with a serious expression.

Hm. Hmmm.
What is this now? It’s making me blush.

As I scratched my cheek over this embarrassing line, the conversation continued.

“So, since she is your buddy, she will be in our unit then.”
“Indeed. The 3rd unit, just like me.”
“In that case, I can do what we always do to newcomers, eh?”

Always do?

What could he be talking about? I tilted my head to the side, and then Luke said,

“As you can see, he is a crude and rough meat head. And there is something he does whenever a newcomer arrives. A regular event called the ‘Baptism of Hell’ and the ‘Sixty Seconds of Blood.’”
“I would be hard-pressed to think of less appealing names.”
“You will battle Captain Gawain with magic. If you can survive for sixty seconds without being knocked unconscious, then you pass. And you will receive a reward. Unfortunately, hardly anyone ever passes.”

As we talked, the surrounding magicians who overheard us began to mutter to each other.

“Hey, it seems like Captain Gawain is going to do the ‘Sixty Seconds of Blood’ with the newcomer!”
“On the first day too. She will be traumatized.”
“How merciless… Even if she is a freak who broke through the wall, she is so tiny.”
“She almost looks like a child.”

Who are you calling a child!
And tiny!

“He’s going to knock her down a peg so she doesn’t get carried away…!”
“That’s an understatement. Against Mr. Gawain, she’ll be erased from existence without a trace.”
“Captain, please reconsider! Surely a one-sided massacre of the newcomer on the first day is going too far…”

…Huh?
Am I to be killed now?
I’m going to die?

As I stood there, quite stunned, the senior magicians rushed forward and surrounded me.

“Don’t worry, little newcomer. You must not lose heart even if you fail. After all, we have all been beaten by him. Most of us only lasted ten seconds.”
“I didn’t last three seconds. And that’s normal. So don’t let it affect your confidence.”
“Yes, yes. You proved your worth by breaking the wall. No matter the results, do not blame yourself. Do not lose heart.”

…This was only making me more worried.

Not only that, but I was someone who couldn’t make it in the countryside at the Magic Artificer Guild.

And now I had to face Mr. Gawain, a Magus Ranking elite magician…

Maybe…I really am going to die…

As I stood there, my eyes rolling up, Luke turned to me with a chuckle.

“Do your best. I’m counting on you.”