The morning after the day Alpha and Gloria had transitioned to the First Test Mansion.

　In the living room were Silvia, Eco, Yukari, Raspberry Belle, Akaneko, and Alpha. It's like a girls' dormitory.

''--Umph. That's a tough one, Alpha. But I'm glad it's all cleared up.

　Silvia, who is a caring person, keeps up a conversation with the new alpha throughout the meal.

'Would you say it's refreshing or surprising? ......
I'm sorry, Master Second, but he can be a bit overzealous at times.
No, on the contrary, it was probably for the best.

　The shy Alpha, however, was able to speak without any problems, probably because of Sylvia's good-natured nature.


''But is it okay for me to preach the prince-dono to Shizen-sama ......?

　Next to him, the red cat, who was eating dried fish with an attitude, tilted his head and said.


'This can't be good!　But it's the Second Lord, we'll figure it out anyway.

　Sylvia sipped her miso soup quietly as she continued, "It's a loss to worry about it.

　Akaneko nodded as if to say, 'So that's what it is, too?' and reached for her miso soup as well.


'Well, ...... you all have a lot of faith in me, don't you?'

　Alpha rolled his eyes and spoke his thoughts. He looked around the living room, because no one, not even him or Eco, seemed to be worried about a single second.


'Isn't he masterful?'

　While serving, Yukari muttered to herself.

　Alpha agreed, "I see.


I'm hungry!

　Eco held up her empty teacup and sipped it cheerfully.

'In that case, it's called a second helping.

　Sylvia takes the teacup and points out with a laugh.

'You see what I mean?'
That makes you an educated madam.

　Raspberry Belle, who was listening across from me, closed her eyes and nodded her head in agreement, "Nice tsk," and gave a thumbs up.


...... na, what a great freedom you guys have.

　Since it was the first day of breakfast, Alpha seemed to be in a bit of a culture shock at everyone's too much pace, and he couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

　It's impossible to get used to such a dense group of people in one day. Perhaps everyone knew that, but they all dared to act much the same as usual.

　The bottom line is that they should take time to get used to it.


It's because they're enjoying themselves in a free environment that they're able to win the title.

　Raspberry Belle, who was relaxing with her post-dinner tea, smilingly replied.

'What, the title?'
You don't know what you are?
I've been under house arrest for a long time: ......

　Raspberry Belle clapped her hands together in agreement and began to introduce them, starting with Silvia.

'Silvia is the Kishenshou,' she said, 'and Eco is Kongo. Eco-han is Kongo. Akaneko is the challenger for the Bishamon battle, Yukari is everyone's blacksmith and we are the challenger for the Issenza battle.

!

　Alpha looks around at everyone, aghast.

　The two title holders, the two challengers, and their blacksmiths. None of them are not awesome.

　As for Raspberry Bell, he wanted to say that's why they all acted so relaxed and free. But Alpha, on the contrary, wondered how it was possible that such great people were behaving so freely, while a not-so-great elf like himself was mixed in with them.

'By the way, Sempai is a man of his word and...'
...... Huh?　No way!
Hey. Ha-chi-kan?

　For some reason, Raspberry Belle is a smug piece of work despite the fact that it's Second.

　In contrast, Alpha could only look around. I'm sure that up until half a year ago, with the exception of about one person, none of them would have been this "great".

　And at the same time, he felt uneasy. I felt as if I was the only one in the world who hadn't grown at all.


Don't worry about it. I'm in charge of you," he said. So don't you worry about anything, just rely on us and you'll be all right.
Oh, ole ......?
I'll start right away. Follow Silvia, Eco and Akaneko around the prolin dungeon, we'll need to watch and learn first. If we don't gain experience by going around the dungeons, the next 6 months won't take long.
"Yeah, uh, ......

　Alpha was confused.

　He didn't know why he had to gain so much experience.

　Raspberry Belle, who had figured out the reason for this, spoke out with a gentle but serious face.

''Alpha-han. You are Sempai's apprentice, you can't just stick to magic anymore. Of course you have to be able to dive under the sea and fly in the sky as well as on land.
......, I get it.

　The Alpha, who huffed when she was called an apprentice, nodded with a nervous expression after a moment of silence, holding her hands in front of her chest with her hands in goo.

　Seeing her like that, Raspberry Belle gave a small smile.

　Thus, the girls' month began .......






''--We're going to take a quick quiz~!

　A week later in the morning. In the living room where everyone was gathered together, a loud voice suddenly rang out.

　Raspberry Belle has put into action a plan that she had been thinking about for some time.

　The desire to train everyone in the Second, and Raspberry Belle feels the same way ......, was not just because she wanted to please the Second when he returned, but because she wanted to be praised, if you will.

　This is a slightly impure motive, however, this "quick-press quiz" method is ultimately the most effective way of training Raspberry Bell.

　She is seriously planning to give a quick quiz to help everyone grow.


''Well, wait. As usual, things are going too fast. ''A quiz?''

　Sylvia pauses to think, holding her palms up to Raspberry Bell.

'Kudzu?　What's the matter with you?　Quickly?
Quick push, Mr. Eco.
Come on, scoop it up!
Yes, Your Highness.

　Eco, who didn't know how to push quickly, has a look of satisfaction on her face after Akaneko taught her. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.

It's a good time to move into a log cabin.
I know. Oh, this little arena is perfect for us.

　Yukari had discussed it with Raspberry Belle beforehand and would not be attending this time. She said she would participate if she felt like it.

　She is a non-combatant. This quick quiz is a "PvP training" according to Raspberry Belle. Hence, she doesn't particularly need it.

'Look, Alpha-han needs to prepare for the move too.
Yes, sir.

　Raspberry Bells made Alpha, who was in a daze because it was after breakfast, stand up.

　Alpha has been spending a lot of time thinking like this lately.

　The reason is obvious. It was because the difference between her and the members of the Firth Test was too great.

　Raspberry Belle dared to let it go without saying anything, saying that she could just think about it until she felt comfortable.

　Yes, the more she could let it go, the more she had a glow in her eye. The Second was right, Alpha's sense was outstanding.

　Surely, she would awaken with a quick quiz. Raspberry Belle had no doubt in her mind that it would.

　And then the girls headed into the midsummer forest--.





Yes, everyone. The Quick Quiz is, in a sense, like a title game.


　Gathered in a small arena in the woods, Raspberry Belle explained to everyone as she wrote on the blackboard in front of them.

　However, what she was saying was not easily understood.


'Raspberry Bell. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm quite so sure. Is there any similarity between a quiz and a game?

　Sylvia raised her hand and asked the question as such.

　Everyone seemed to agree with her and nodded.



'--problems,'

!


　Raspberry Bells just uttered a single word in a pronunciation that was not in her usual Kansai dialect, but was easy to hear, just like an announcer.

　Instantly, Silvia and the others reacted with a twitch and prepared themselves.


Didn't we just get defensive?　I thought an attack was coming (・・・・・). And now we have to find out what kind of attack it will be. We had to think about how to respond to it. Then, at the end of the day, we have to bring out our own attack.

'...... I see. You are given a quiz, understand it and answer it. It certainly resembles a game.

　As Sylvia gave her a convincing look, Raspberry Belle opened her mouth, waving her index finger from side to side, 'Chitty-chitty.


'That's not all. The important thing is to come up with an idea before anyone else, press the button and answer the question. Speed is required for everything. That's the beauty of it.
Quickly, I see. Hmm, it's looking more and more like a game.

　Sylvia, Akaneko, and Alpha nodded with interest, seemingly able to understand with Raspberry Belle's explanation.

　However, Eco was the only one that didn't seem to fully understand, and they tilted their heads in a chuckle.

'Okay, really, eco-eco!　I'm going to give you a test quiz now~
Okay!　Quickly!
You don't have to push anything, just give it to Eco-han. Give me a hand if you understand.
Yeah!

　In Eco's case, he figured it would be faster to try it than to explain it in words.

　Even for the other three, a picture is worth a thousand words. They all listened intently.


''--Problem. Speaking of the four types of attack skills in the shield technique, the Dragon King's ranged attack, the Dragon Horse's all-range attack, the Flying Car's rushing attack and the Silver General's what?

'Hmm ...... Ah!　All right!　I know!　I know!
All right. What's the answer?
Pali!
Correct.
Yoohoo!

　Eco bounced up and down with joy and a big smile on her face.

　Silvia and Akaneko were also smiling when they saw Eco's situation.

　...... But Alpha was the only one who wasn't smiling at all.

　She was so focused that she couldn't see her surroundings, and then she realized something very important.


'............'

　Raspberry Belle grins quietly.

　After all, she has a sense of style. A sense of the game and a sense of quizzing.

　Then, Raspberry Belle opened her mouth to take everyone to the next step.


'Alpha-han. Where do you think I should press (・・・・・) is the right answer?

!

　He let the Alpha, who would be the only one to see through it, think about it.

　The Alpha thought for a while before answering, "I'm sorry.

''Four (...), is it?''
How do you know that?

　When Raspberry Belle asks, the alpha starts to speak up, prefacing it with "Maybe ......".


'I thought that the four things in shield arts are nothing but offensive skills. Besides, shieldjutsu doesn't have many offensive skills compared to other skills. If it's going to be a quiz, I wondered if that's the part of the skill that will be chosen. The other question is what the order of the Dragon King, Dragon Horse, Flying Car, and Silver General would be, but since the range attacks of the Dragon King and Dragon Horse and the rushing attacks of the Flying Car aren't very flashy or unlikely to be asked, I guess we can deduce that the rest of the parry is likely to be the answer, then: ...... And.




　All three of them, except Raspberry Belle, were raptured.

　No, even Raspberry Belle might have been raptured.

　The Alpha's words were so to the core that it was hard to believe they belonged to someone who had just now been exposed to the quiz for the first time.

　Yes. A quiz is a deduction. It's a game in which you narrow down the conditions based on the information you get and come up with an answer.

　The earlier question, indeed, was made in such a way that if you asked up to 'four' in the shield technique, you could get the answer.


...... correct answer. But, can I say three?
Yes, sir.

One. I'm human too. Reflexes are a thing. Even if the button is pressed with a "4", we can only say "4 kinds of". So, if you want to be the fastest, you should just push the button with "by shield technique". And then we will stop at the word 'four'."
I see. ......!

　Alpha listened to the story with a twinkle in his eye.

　'You're getting into a quiz,' Raspberry Belle continued to speak, grinning.

'Two. Two things are important. For example, if you press the button for 'by a shield technique' and stop at 'by a shield technique', right?　In most cases, it is followed by "Four kinds of...", but if the examiners are mean, it might be followed by "often used...". It's important to look around and think about what kind of questions are being asked, what kind of questions are being asked, and what kind of contestants are appearing.
'I understand. So, since this was a test quiz for Eco-san, you could expect the questions to be straightforward and easy to understand.
Yeah.

　If you have sense, you can swallow fast.

　As Raspberry Belle had expected, the Alpha was awake.


'Three. You have to think about all those deductions you mentioned in the few seconds between the start of the question and the time you press the button to answer. No, it's more like a flash of inspiration than a thought. You don't have time to think until you push the button.
So it's a game of sparks until you push, and then it's a game of thoughts.
Yeah.

　The quiz is a race against the people around you, against the contestants, and against yourself.

　That's where it's like the game again, Raspberry Belle thought.


'Really, I'd like to cut down on that thinking time. What do you think I should do?

......m.
...... Nuh-uh.

　Raspberry Belle asked a question, and Sylvia and Akaneko raised their hands almost simultaneously.

'Akaneko Han was quicker.
'I can't tame it. When it comes to shortening your thoughts, if you're going to shorten your thoughts, will you acquire a set of definite marks?
Good answer. You're the same as Sylvia, right?
Hmm. I learned that from Lord Second. A fixed point is a way of not thinking. Thinking about it beforehand will save you a lot of time thinking about it in the moment.
'My Lord. There's no faster way to get your thoughts done than this, the Master said.

　This is where it comes through to the game again.

　Just as it was popular in Mövius Online, the quick-press quiz is certainly something that goes along with PvP and is recognized by many players as a very effective thinking exercise. That's why Raspberry Bell was trying to teach it in a big way like this.

''Seya. In the case of a quiz, a fixed trail is a way of thinking and knowledge. In addition, you have to train your body to move on its own so that you can judge in a split-second. See, it's good training, isn't it?

　Everyone nodded.

　They all didn't expect the game to be so similar to the quick-press quiz.

　And everyone is thinking this too.

　The quick-response quiz sounds interesting - and that's what they're thinking.



'By the way, Raspberry Bell. You mentioned a fast-press button, is there such an item?

　Sylvia, who seemed to be itching to do it quickly, asked Raspberry Belle.

　Raspberry Belle replied with a huff and a puff.


'I made it myself. The first person who does damage to the dummy slime is set to have a button light up, and the first person who does damage to the dummy slime is set to have a button light up, and also to have a beeping sound, and so on.
It's amazing.

　The beauty of the game crown is that you can tweak the settings as if you were programming it. Unlike a duel, everything in a game is virtual. That's why it can be achieved in many cases. Mainly for other purposes.


You can use this and then you can finally play a real game.

　Raspberry Belle handed out the game crowns and immediately decided to do a quick quiz for everyone.

　Incidentally, all of the questions she has prepared are battle-related. It's not just the content of the quiz itself, but also the content of the quiz, in order to help everyone learn.


''Ko, do I have to press this?''
Hey. Push me.

　A button appeared in everyone's hand as everyone used their game crowns to start the game.

　When Alpha pointed to the button and asked, Raspberry Bell nodded back.

''Oh!　I've got it!　Good sound!

　A 'bleep' sound sounded as Alpha pressed the button, and the button in Alpha's hand glowed.

　Eco walked up to the shiny button to take a closer look, and once again, she let out an admiring "Oh!" and went back to her original position.


'Then I'll go!'

　At the sound of the raspberry bells, everyone put their hands on the buttons.


''--Problem. How dare you complete the preparation of the Dragon King while the opponent is down with a flying car shield technique rush.

　Pipoong!

Yes, Sylvia.
"Did you go to ......?"
Correct.
Oh, yeah!　Hmmm, that's a pleasant surprise!

　A delighted Sylvia and the other three who are pouting.

　The faces of the three of them are clear to see. If I put it into words, it's "I don't know~".

''Nah?　Knowledge, isn't it important?

　Everyone couldn't help but nod.

By the way, where do you want to push it?　'Alpha Half'
"Uh, ...... "the other guy's da"?
No, you're right.

　Get back on track, next problem.


''--Problem. If you use the Silver General shield technique to perform a parry, what is the grace period?

　............ Pipone!

Eco-han.
...... leetenreeni na na?
Correct.
'Yuck!

　It was a slightly troubled answer, but when it turned out to be correct, Eco jumped up and danced for joy. It looks like he was very happy to be guessed.

The next time you come to ...... for the question of the shield technique is three questions in a row.

　Akaneko, who hadn't yet answered the question, muttered her analysis with a serious expression.


''-- Problem. What do you call the technique of taking advantage of the fact that the second taijutsu is slightly quicker to activate the skill than the battling sword, and getting the battling sword done in advance?

　.............

'Heh?　...... Oh, oh!

　Pipoong!

Hello, Red Cat.
"See you at Nippasté!"
Correct.

　Akaneko, who hadn't expected the question of battoujutsu to come, replied in a frown.

　Then Sylvia and Eco said, "No, no, no! And stand up in protest.

'Hey, wait a minute!　Raspberry Bell!　How could we possibly know that!
I didn't know!

　Raspberry Belle replies with a nasty look on her face.

''Lack of knowledge~, well, it's too bad~. By the way, Nippaste, that's 128% of the damage bonus when you're wearing a sword, that is, discarding the damage bonus of Ichi-nipa, that's why it's called that. I've learned a lot~

　The two of them getting hot, the delighted Akaneko and the serious Alpha.

　Raspberry Belle smiled good-naturedly, saying that everyone would enjoy the quiz at this rate.

"--problems.

　This is how their quick-press quiz road begins...






　And about three weeks later, the girls were holding a quiz competition in the small arena.

　Today, the girls were still having a quizzing contest in the small arena.


The question. The upper side will take the Dragon King, the Dragon Horse, the Flying Car and the Kakugyo.

　Pipoong!

Alpha Half.
Two down!
Correct.

　Currently, Alfa is in a phase where Alfa tops the list with seven points, followed by Sylvia with four, Eco with two and Akaneco with one.



''-- Problem. If you do it ten times in a row, it's five.

　Pipoong!

d*mn it ......!

　The moment she was pushed, Sylvia let out a voice.

''Yes, Alpha Han.''
Rapid fire?
Correct.

　Immediately afterwards, Sylvia chagrined, "d*mn it, I knew it," she said, "I knew it.



'--problem. The Second Firth Test's preferred fishing technique for thread manipulation.

　Pipoong!

Alpha Half.
'Fluorocarbon, er, ...... 16lb?'
Correct.
Oh,

　The moment I got the answer right, Sylvia let out an exclamation of admiration.

'How did you know?'
'Ah, yes. I guessed that there would be a word after "使用~" that I could use to identify the type of object, so I pressed it early. I thought it might be a fishing line.
'I see!　It's still great, Alpha. I think Alpha might be the best fast-track quiz ever.
No, no, no.

　The Alpha was humbled by Sylvia's praise, but in fact, the Alpha has been winning alone as of late.

　Just as Raspberry Belle glared at him, or even more so, Alpha has awakened.

　However, there is an upper echelon. Knowing the existence of those above, Raspberry Belle smiled at their exchange and moved on to the next problem.



''--Problem. The unintentional katsura-ma's that often occur in spear arts and battling techniques.

　Pipoong!

Hello, Red Cat.
"Prey to Katsura's high-flying gait.
Correct.



"--problems. I'm going to be blown away by the magic that appears.

　Pipoong!

Alpha Half.
"Asiasparn.
Correct.



''--Problem. The Gui Ma Yin Manipulation thread is not for anyone other than the skill user.

　Pipoong!

Alpha Half.
Stun?
Correct.


　As I thought, Alpha won alone again today.


　...... or so it seemed.




"Yay!　Just in time!　Let me in, and me too!
Senpai!

　The Second has returned.

Lord Second!
'Sendo!　Welcome back!
Good evening, sir.
Oh, um, Master, you know.

　When everyone was about to say hello to their first meeting in a month, Second interrupted them by holding up his right hand for some reason.

'Wait a minute!　First, the quiz. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a quiz. Let's talk about it then.

　He was still reckless as ever.

　But he was already holding the button with his game crown and was already in a state of concentration.

　Everyone had no choice but to accept the mecha-motivated second and return to the quiz.

　Raspberry Bell grinned and then began to read out.



'-- Question. Yuhu in Physical Arts.

　Pipoong!

!

　I pressed ...... for a second.

'Yes, Sempai!'
"Dragon King Technique.
Correct.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!　How did you know?　Lord Second!
'Ha, it's too soon, Master!　Where did you push it?!

　Immediately after, Sylvia and Alpha scream out.


"Oh, because Raz had a mouth shaped like a 'Yoo'. Y~, it would be the only one. The only body technique is the long-range attack skill. In other words, I thought the Dragon King Body Technique was the answer.




　The shape of the mouth. It's amazing that you can see that much, and the speed with which you can catch the slightest change in the shape of your mouth and press a button, leaves everyone in awe.

　And the speed of thought that allows you to complete a long-range attack and a rather difficult deduction from "YU" in that split second is also nothing short of astonishing.



"-- Problem. Fire is burning.

　Pipoong!

Yes, sir.

!


　This was definitive.

　All everyone heard was "Hijack". What is "secret"? There is no way to know in this moment. So ...... the difference is obvious.

　The second thought for three seconds, and then opened his mouth as if convinced.

''Four-fold.''
Correct.



　I don't know why anymore.

'Nah, nah, nah, nah ......!
Isn't that crazy?

　Sylvia turned into a Nana alien after a long time, and Eco turned into a gal-like tone for some reason.


'Fire to earth, earth to wind, wind to water - it was like a string of intonations that went on and on. Also, Raz has a tendency to use meaningful words as answers.
'Shall we wait, Master? So ...... fire favors earth, but what is the opposite attribute?　Isn't it possible that there could be a problem like this?
The answer is water, right?　Like I said, Raz tends to answer with words that make sense. You don't have water... ......, which is, what, a hunch?
Or, intuition: ......

　The Akaneko is disappointedly paragraphing. If you call it a hunch, you can't imitate it. It's a reason that is typical of her industriousness.

　But even if you call it a hunch, there was a solid basis for it in the second. However, it was difficult to verbalize and explain, a sensory momentary thought that came from experience, a flash of inspiration like a flash of purple light.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of the momentary glimmering of the battoujutsu, the excitement that boils up from the depths of your brain to the tips of your toes, that is also happening in the quick-response quiz. ...... It will be a little while before Akaneko notices the commonality. But even if they did, it was unlikely that they would be able to beat the speed of the second.

　There is an upside to this. The four of them seemed to have come to the realization, and their hearts seemed to have been broken with a snap, and it was like they were dying. Alpha in particular, who had reigned as a quiz king for a while, despite his humility, was probably more damaged than the three of them, and he was almost gone with his eyes white.


'Oh, that was the final question.
'Right. Thanks Raz, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a quiz.
We were so happy to see you enjoying yourself too. Be big!

　That's right, Second was confident that he was second to none as far as quizzes regarding Mevion were concerned.

　It was because he had anticipated this ending that Raspberry Bell had held a quick quiz competition today.

　They would let Second see how much everyone had grown, let everyone see how great Second was, and then when they were in a good mood, Second would praise them.

　Would Raspberry Bell's plan work?

　The answer is her own: .......