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n“Oh? You didn’t schedule only one test today?” Raising her eyebrows in slight surprise, Arcenne posed the question to Valyr, thinking that the man before her would have preferred to rest for the remainder of the day and take the test to tomorrow in order to make sure he was in truly prime condition. After all, that’s how most of the nobles she knew did it.

nHowever, what she thought differed from what he aimed to do, with Valyr shaking his head in response. “Why would I? It would be a waste of time if I could just do my tests one after the other, especially with the stamina potion you gave me.”

nFeeling as if the conversation had finally ended between them, Valyr made his way to the room’s entrance, hoping to finally get out and continue on with his test. Unfortunately for him, Arcenne stopped him once more as she asked him another question, making him wonder why her earlier impression of him had disappeared after the test. “Could I ask what test you’re going to take next?”

nThinking that the change stemmed about from the feat he had achieved just sometime earlier, Valyr inwardly let out a sigh as he decided to humor her, thinking that it wouldn’t be bad to get on the good side of some of the nobles. “I’m going to get my prowess in overall combat tested.”

nHearing his response, Arcenne instantly became curious as to what kind of result he’d get out of it. ‘If he’s already at the Adept stage with the spear, then how would he fare in overall combat?’

nOut of all of the tests one could take at the combat training hall, the one for overall combat was the one that was most respected by many. After all, it was the most accurate representation of how good someone was on the battlefield, with all tests regarding prowess in weapons only testing combat against the same weapon.

nIn fact, Arcenne had also taken the test for overall combat in the past, reaching the Expert stage with her prowess at the spear still being at the Veteran stage. She was certain that she would cross over to the Master stage or at least be close to it with her current prowess if she got tested again.

n‘At the very least he would be close to reaching the Veteran stage.’ Looking at Valyr before her, Arcenne had a feeling that this possibility was the worst case scenario. With how he had barely eked out a pass to the Veteran stage while fighting against her, she was certain that Valyr’s true limits lied at the Veteran stage, perhaps greater.

nWith that in mind, it was no surprise that Arcenne wanted to watch Valyr’s attempt at the test for overall combat, solely for the fact that she was curious as to how he was going to do. But of course, she knew that she would be rejected if she flat out told him that, so she asked in a roundabout way. “Is it fine if I tag along and watch the test?”

nIn response to the question, Valyr raised his eyebrow in slight curiosity, but did not think that there was any deeper meaning to it. In his mind, he only wondered if her watching his test would affect other people that would be tested on their spear prowess. “Wouldn’t it be a problem if other people wanting to get their spear prowess tested came along and you weren’t there?”

n“It’ll be fine,” Arcenne said in response, assuring him with her words. “I’m not the only one that tests spear prowess, after all. If anything, it’ll just be delegated to the other people who also test the same thing.”

n“Plus if I find out how well you’ve done during the combat test, I could tell those from your clan of your feats, allowing you to gain more resources that could speed up your progress,” she added, prompting Valyr to raise an eyebrow as he asked soon after as to what she meant by that.

nThough she came up with the suggestion on the spot, Arcenne surprisingly had an answer ready for a question like that. “Well, considering that you’ve taken your tests here, it’s either because the Zeihardt clan doesn’t place great importance on you, or it’s because they want to keep you hidden for the meantime due to your monstrous talent. Then again, it’s rarely the latter, which is why I offered that I could help you out.”

n‘Although she’s nowhere near the truth of my current situation, it would be nice if I could make contact with the Zeihardt noble clan and find out my true identity through them.’ Though he wouldn’t have minded agreeing to her request at the very start, the fact that Arcenne offered to help him talk to the Zeihardt noble clan only made Valyr more eager to agree, nodding as the two of them left the room as they returned to the main lobby of the hall.

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nSince Arcenne was one of the staff at the training hall, it was no surprise that the people queuing up on the counters had given her face, allowing the two of them to end up at the front of one of the counters within a matter of minutes. After obtaining information on where the overall combat test was going to be held, Valyr thanked the attendant that served the two of them as he followed Arcenne after that, who knew the layout of the training hall as if it was the back of her hand.

nWhile making their way to Valyr’s second test, Valyr decided to engage in small talk with Arcenne, becoming more privy to the reasons as to why she had become a staff at a training hall in Clossbay City rather than in Astella City, the core city where their noble clan was based in. Of course, Valyr was also asked a couple of questions by the woman from time to time regarding his life in the noble clan, to which the former only gave vague answers, much to Arcenne’s dismay.

nNevertheless, while he was talking to her, he could not help but think that she had an amicable personality, unlike the nobles from the Stelyra noble clan he had interacted with in the past life. On the other hand, Arcenne felt like she and Valyr connected well while talking, to the point that she eventually asked the latter if they would like to be friends just as they had arrived at the room’s entrance.

nOf course, he agreed.

nEntering the room together, Valyr and Arcenne looked around the circular room in front of them, wondering where the one that would test for overall combat was.

nWhoosh!

nAs if to answer the questions in their minds the very instant they came up with it, a man in his early thirties wearing a black robe hovered down in front of the two of them, lightly bowing before looking at Valyr with a smile. “I suppose you’ll be the one taking the test for overall combat?”

n“That would be me.” Valyr nodded in response.

n“And I’m guessing you’re here to watch his attempt, Lady Stelyra?” Nodding back, the man then shifted his gaze to Arcenne, who nodded at his question.

nNodding once more, the man released a few strands of mana, making a chair made out of the very floor they stood on to appear beside the entrance. Telling Arcenne to take a seat there, the man then instructed Valyr to head to the center of the room, which the latter did.

nAfter that, the man started to hover once more, heading to the edges of the circular room as his voice echoed throughout not long after. “Welcome to the Clossbay Combat Training Hall, Valyr. The name’s Gabriel, and I shall be the one overseeing your overall combat test today.”

n“Of course, before the test begins, let me explain the mechanics.” With a light smile on his face, a wave of Gabriel’s mana spread throughout the room, soon enveloping Valyr’s body.

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