Day 1 of the exam.

　The newcomer's examinations began and the written examinations started at ten in the morning as scheduled.
　Yuto opened the question paper at the signal to start, thinking fluently that it reminded him of his high school entrance exam. Although he hadn't noticed it at the party, the number of examinees was thirty-eight, which seemed surprisingly small.

(Gee, I have no idea. Only characteristics and weaknesses........I don't know, a demon with such a name)

　Yuto concentrated on filling in all of the questions, which were about 30 in all.

　The written test was over, and lunch was served at 12 o'clock. Lunch was served buffet style as well as breakfast.
　The results of the exam would be announced at any time and would be politely posted in the hall by 2 o'clock. Then, after lunch and a break, the second part began at 3:00 p.m. The content of the test was the measurement of basic spiritual power and magic power.

'It was no good I only understood about a third of it. Most of them were somehow that guy?　You were such an outsider, you know. Also, all the principles and rules of the World Ability Agency are appropriate....

　Yuto is alone at the table, flopping down.
　After finishing lunch, Yuto glanced around him, but everyone was enjoying their tea time in an elegant manner. They are all looking very contented, and there is already a lot of socializing going on between the candidates.

　However, there is only one person at the table I'm at now, Yujin.
　It's the only table where there's only one person, but no one else comes to that table.

(Well, there's no benefit in befriending me, right? And........wow, here I am again)

Hey, you!　I kindly suggested that you leave before I humiliate myself here, and you're still here. Are you really so low on brain power, too?　You.

　Hero, the heir apparent of the Hwang family, persistently hurls insidious verbal abuse at Yuto every time he meets him. Apparently, he didn't like the incident with Mizuho very much.

(I don't even feel like talking back to him anymore........to this guy. Why does he get so involved with me?)

You know what?　Go home now. An obnoxious inferior ability.

　He gave his usual sarcastic smile and took the cronies he had made before he knew it. Yuto took a breath, thinking he was finally gone.
　Yuto let out a deep breath and was about to sit up, thinking about having a cup of coffee to get rid of the bad mood.

How did it go?　The test?

　At the sound of that strange, clear voice, Yuto looked up. There was a blonde girl holding two coffee cups.

''Ah, Marion-san. Haha........I tried my best, though. Are you a little unsure?　You've taught me so much...

''Yes but this isn't the only test and the final one is the overall rank. ''Yes, coffee.''

　The only exotic girl at the party the night before who had spoken to me made a figure eight of her shapely eyebrows.

''Oh, thank you. Well ... okay!　We're just getting started, let's go for it!

　I regain my composure and smile at Marion, and her expression softens as well.

(Ah, that's soothing. (Even more so after that bastard.)

'Come to think of it........Marion-san is very good at Japanese, isn't she? Did you study it?　Or maybe he lived in Japan...

My father's nationality was American, but he was half Japanese and half German. My father's nationality was American, but he was half Japanese and half German, so..." "My mother was French, but... My mother was French, though.

'No wonder.......... It's kind of international.....................

　Yuto realizes that it's a conversation now. 'Was.........

Sorry.......... I, for asking something unnecessary.........

　Yuto gives her an apologetic look. Marion looks surprised.

'What?　Not at all!　I didn't mean to say that, but........

　Yuto's face clouded over. He himself lost his mother a year ago. I can't do everything, but I can imagine some of her feelings. Marion stared at Yuto, who turned over lightly with a serious face.

''You're a strange person, Yuto........ I'm still very shy, even with this. But you are easy to talk to, Masato. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. I was surprised.

'No, no, no, not like that!　Actually, I lost my mom last year, too, so... But I'm over the moon. I'm sure I'll be depressed about the written exam, though.

　Marion listens intently, but when she sees the red-faced and fuming Masato, she naturally starts laughing.
　Catching Marion's attention, Masato smiles as well.
　After that, they got into a conversation, and this time, Masato brought two cups of coffee for the second time.



　The examiners began to talk to each other as well, and the overall atmosphere of the buffet hall was friendly.
　As if to break such an atmosphere in the hall, the door of the hall was violently opened.
　A group of unassuming black-clad men entered from that open door with a look of their own accord.

''What?　What?

What do you mean, they are...

　All eyes were focused on that rude group of people who suddenly broke in, wondering what the hell was going on.
　In the middle of that group, surrounded by adults in black, is a blond boy about the same age as Yu and his friends.
　The boy and the black-clad group looked around at the examiners as if they were exploring the silent lunch hall, and their eyes stopped at the table where Yuto and Marion were.

　Then, something about one of the black-clad men gave the boy an earful.
　The boy who was being ear-tapped gave a thin smile. That group of people, who were clearly looking at us, made Yuto feel lightly disgusted. They seem to be the kind of people you don't want to engage with if you can.
　However, the boy betrayed the wishes of that Yuto and came to the front of the table where they were, with both hands in the pockets of his slacks and a smirk on one side of his lips.

　Both Yuto and Marion made an effort to avoid eye contact, but as he stood in front of them, they had no choice but to turn their heads to the group that looked out of place.
　Up close, the blond boy had a noticeable freckle on his face, but in normal circumstances, he looked neat. However, the expression on his face was distorted, and one could see that his insides were on the outside.
　The boy stood right next to Marion, bending at the waist so that only his face was close to Marion's, and looked down at her.

'Hmm. Are you Marion Mia Shrien?　Heh, you're prettier than I thought you'd be.

Who is this?

　Marion's normally meek face is strained, and the boy puts his hand to his forehead in an exaggerated manner.

'Hey, hey!　You should at least remember the face of the original head of the family. I'm Jean-Pierre de Orléans. You must have heard of me before.　In some cases, I'm even in a position to give you orders, you know?

I'm not related to the Orléans.

'Huh?　Funny you should say that!

　As soon as he said it, Jean-Pierre pulled one hand out of his pocket and grabbed Marion by the chest.

'Aye!'

　Marion's eyebrows knit together and she falters in her posture at the pain in her neck.

'If only!　Give me back Rafael's Vestments!　That's the artifact your mother took from the Orléans!　Don't tell me you have nothing to do with House Orleans with that!　This is a young girl from a different family. She's here to take her exam for new recruits. Hey!　Where's the thank-you note!　An?

　The buffet hall in turmoil........
　Marion held her tongue in a position where she was hanging by her chest.

''Hey.......is it true, it's the Orleanians?

Yeah. That back Orleanian, right?　I've never seen that before.

What I hear is that you have a lot of influence in the agency...

　At Orlean's name, the other candidates change their faces. Suddenly, and not being able to understand what they are talking about, Yuto can only watch.
　And Marion bites her lip and meditates with an expression of resignation.

''.........I'm......sorry.... Jean-Pierre-sama. Thank you for coming all the way for me.....Thank you.

　Hearing this, Jean-Pierre gives a smile with just his mouth.

''Han!　You've been told by everyone around you that you're superior, and you've gotten ahead of yourself............the branch family style!

　I thought Marion's words would make me feel a little better, but Jean-Pierre, who was getting more and more breathless when he saw that the candidates around him were paying attention to us, tried to continue with more words.
　Then, gasp!　Go on, bang!　And a loud sound came from right beside him.

'Whoosh! Hot!　Over there!

　Jean-Pierre and his black-clad attendant were also surprised when Yuto suddenly started to rampage. Continuing on, the large round table moved significantly as it hit Yuto, who started to flail about with a cup of coffee in hand. Jeanpierre avoided the table and quickly took his hand away from Marion and asked the squire to support his fallen body.

''Oh, I'm sorry!　Excuse me!　Wait, I have to take my jacket off ... or I'll get burned!

　Yuto apologizes flatly as he hurriedly takes off the long-sleeved shirt of his jacket.
　Jean-Pierre, who came to his senses, became angry like a fierce fire, partly because he was interrupted when he was about to talk in good humor, and partly because he heard giggles from the people around him at his pathetic staggering.

'You!　What the hell!　You dare to challenge me, Orléans?

No!　There's no way I'm going to challenge you or anything like that!

Shut up!

　When Jean-Pierre saw that his opponent was not very good at it, Jean-Pierre gave him a lecherous look and lifted Yuto's chest with both hands more roughly than Marion did. Yuto's body bent over with one hand on the long-sleeved shirt of his jacket that he had taken off, and when the t-shirt that was grabbed stretched above his face, Yuto was left to do as he was told.
　A small scream comes from the students taking the exam around him.

'Yuto-san!　No, please don't!　Master Jean-Pierre!

　Jean-Pierre stared alternately at Marion's and Yuto's pathetic faces as they desperately pleaded with each other.

I don't like this. You should apologize to me. I nearly fell down. Even dirty dogs need to be disciplined.　Well you can forgive me if you get down on your knees, can't you?

Mr. Jean-Pierre!

　Marion screams from the side.

'Shut up!　Well, then, Marion. Do you ... get down on your knees for me?　Hmm?　Kukuku.

.....

　Marion's expression hardened at Jean-Pierre's alternative.....The entire hall fell silent.
　And then........after a slight silence, Marion's eyes were half closed and her expression disappeared.

　All of the examiners are there.
　Before the eyes of all of them are focused, Marion tries to put its knees on the floor, and at the same time, it starts to bend with its powerless hands forward.
　That body of Marion's was trembling slightly.
　Seeing this, Jean-Pierre was happy with satisfaction, and yet he was intoxicated by the illusion that he now controlled the entire hall.

　But the pleasant intoxication was awakened by a loud voice that broke the silence of the hall.

'Ah!　Excuse me!　Excuse me!　It's my fault!

　Even from the outside, Yuto flails his arms and legs unseemly and starts to make a fuss.

''Kuh!　Holy shit!　Shut up!　Then you better get down on your knees.　This!

　Once again, Jeanpierre's best exuberance was harmed by Yuto, causing a vein to rise to his forehead.
　Then, Jeanpierre grabbed Yuto's T-shirt and forcefully pulled it to the side, throwing it away.
　The bounce of being pulled too forcefully causes Yuto to fall down pathetically. At the same time, you can hear the sound of clothing being ripped, and if you look at it, the t-shirt of Masato, which is not very expensive, was torn from the chest to the bottom hem.

''Yuto-san!''

　Startled, Marion rushed over to Yuto and Yuto put his hand on his head.

''Ouch........ Haha, I'm fine.''

　Saying that, Yuto stands up with his torn T-shirt. However, the shameful figure from earlier is not there.
　Yuto straightened his back with a natural expression and faced Jean-Pierre.

''Hey!　Hurry up and get on your knees.........uu!

　Jean-Pierre gulps.
　It's the upper body of Yuto's t-shirt that was cruelly torn off and fell to the floor, revealing Yuto's upper body.....
　Even to the untrained eye, you can see that it is exactly lean and well-trained.

　The actuality of this is that there are countless scars on the body of the Yuejin, which is not lightly marked.
　The black-clad men who follow Jean-Pierre also prepare themselves in front of their master in a conditioned reflex.
　From the plain and unreliable-looking Yuto's face, the unbecoming body and scars gave off an odd atmosphere, and Jeanpierre unconsciously took a step back.
　The candidates in the hall also gasped at the unexpected situation.
　Marion, who was right behind him, was also startled by the scars on that Yuto's body and was unable to move.

　Tension began to envelop the buffet hall........Yuto walked towards the group of black-clad men who rudely interrupted him.
　The gazes of those around him gathered on Yuto, and the tension grew more intense. Two of Jean-Pierre's attendants stood protectively in front of their master. Seeing that, Yuto stops walking.

　And then.........

'I'm sorry to have frightened you!　You're totally wrong to try to challenge me!　Please forgive me!

　Suddenly, without hesitation, Yuto put both knees on the floor and got down on his hands. His face was also teary-eyed as he frantically bowed his head repeatedly in a loud and taut voice and apologized.

''Heh?''

　The sight of it made everyone there stop thinking.
　Jean-Pierre's body also stiffened.......but he immediately let out a vulgar smile.

''Ha.........Ha, ha!　You lowlife!　Next time, watch your back!　Hey!　Marion. You should know your place, too!　And we're busy. I'm going to greet the organizers now and return to France immediately. You too, after the exams, come and say hello to the main house!

　When he said that, with a great high smile, Jean-Pierre signaled to his followers. He then took one look at Yuto, who was still deeply down on his knees, and left the lunch hall with an amused look on his face.
　Marion glared at the figure and put her hand on Masato's shoulder as he lowered his head.

''Yuto-san........''

Thanks for the help.

　After confirming that Jeanpierre and the others had disappeared, Yuto looked up and felt a heartfelt sense of relief.
　The examiners who were watching the whole thing took a breath as if the storm had passed, but

I don't know how that guy got down on his knees.

Yeah, I could never do that. My pride is killing me.

''Oh no, it's pathetic. I feel sorry for Marion-san for taking care of that thing...

I'm sure it's a house he's not proud to protect.

　He gave a stern assessment of Yuto.
　Of all of them, the one who seems to be enjoying himself the most is Hero.
　The voices of those examiners entered his ears, and Marion stood up with an expression that could not be imagined from his mild face. She stared at her surroundings with teary eyes, her lips trembled and was about to say something when...........Yuto stood up in front of her.

''Ah!　I can't take the next test in this state!　I have to go get dressed and go!　I'm sorry for a minute, Mr. Marion.

　As he said this, he put his hand on Marion's shoulder and smiled at her and turned to leave the lunch hall.
　Marion, who was distracted by the sight of him, huffed.

''Ah, Yuto-san!　I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's my fault!

'What?　Oh no, it was my fault. I was so nervous about these weird guys, and I was trying to get a cup of coffee to calm down, and I slipped my hand...

I'll wash that for you!　Let me wash it!

'Haha, you're exaggerating. Don't worry about it so much. Marion, you're not so bad at all. And I'm quite good at washing clothes.

　Masato's lack of nervousness, plus his voice is loud and he doesn't seem to be reading the air around him at all.

''God, it's so unseemly, hurry up and go change!

This whole mess is your fault!　You're bothering Mr. Marion!

　The people around him shouted accusations against Yuto.
　In response, Masato left, bowing his head over and over again.
　When Masato left, the original atmosphere was restored and everyone took their original seats.

It's a shame there's someone so extraordinary. Hey, Shitenji-san. ........Huh?

　The candidates who were enjoying tea with Mizuho were sitting at the table farthest away from Yuu and the others. However, Mizuho, who should have been there, was gone before they knew it.

　The examinee girls who were there looked at each other in dismay.