"We are here for this request."

 

Dario handed the scroll to the receptionist.

 

The receptionist was a middle-aged man with mostly gray hair and dark brown eyes.

 

"Hmm..."

 

He let his eyes go from top to bottom of the scroll.

 

“All right, since we do various tests every day and this, for us, has a lower priority, it can take a few days. I will notify the guild leader, and she will leave a note at the front desk in the entrance hall. I would say come back in 1 to 2 days.”

 

"...Ok."

 

Dario was more disappointed than I was, and he let his words reflect it.

 

“Dario, let's go. Many thanks."

 

I made a thankful gesture and pulled Dario's sleeve away.

 

"No problem, little one!"

 

The receptionist called after us.

 

I forcefully pulled Dario out of the Hunterguild, and without paying attention to Mina, I picked him up the stairs.

 

"What's wrong with you, Eris!?"

 

Is he just pretending? Or didn't he notice it?

 

"Tell Dario, how many times have you taken on quests in the hunters guild?"

 

"Hmm... a couple of times, not often, why?"

 

"So, you didn't notice anything unusual?"

 

"No."

 

He shook his head, vehemently.

 

"So you didn't notice that the moment you pulled out the scroll, the whole atmosphere of the room changed?"

 

"It changed?"

 

"Yes! I felt like a sheep in the middle of a pack of wolves! Believe me, because the receptionist lied, he noticed it and played it down because of that.”

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"I'm sure! Come on and let us go in.”

 

I pulled him through the mercenary guild door.

 

"Which conference room?"

 

"He said 4th."

 

"OK."

 

We went out of the reception room into the corridor leading to the conference rooms and went to the room with the number 4.

 

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

 

Dario knocked on the door.

 

The door swung open, and the receptionist from before stood in front of us.

 

"Already back?"

 

"Yup, can we go in?"

 

"You're welcome."

 

He took a step to the side and let us in.

 

“You weren't gone as long as expected, so please take a seat over there. I'll let the guild master know. ”

 

The room was designed for meetings. There was a blackboard on the opposite wall, and a few chairs were stacked on the left and right walls. A map was attached to the board, showing topography and terrain heights.

 

We each took a chair from the stack of chairs and sat down where the receptionist directed to us.

 

"What do you think? What was the reason for the hunters to react?”

 

I looked at Dario with a slightly irritated look.

 

“Can't you imagine it? Don't you know the guilds much better than me?”

 

"Hm...? I don't."

 

I rolled my eyes.

 

“Are there a lot of scouts? Or more magical scouts?”

 

"Scouts? I know some, but not many, and I only know two magical scouts, but both are employees in the guilds and no longer at active duty.”

 

"And what do you think? Weren't these groups not in need of a scout?”

 

Dario patted his fist on his open hand as if the penny had fallen.

 

"Ha! That I could overlook something simple. Well, as a magician, I never really learned to read the surroundings, the scouts or trained trackers usually took on this task.”

 

I think he got it.

 

*knock* *knock*

 

"Yes?"

 

"It's me."

 

Daria's voice came from behind the door.

 

"Come on in."

 

She opened the door and came in.

 

"And? Are you ready?"

 

"..."

 

"Haha! Don't worry! You can do it.”

 

She patted my shoulder lightly.

 

"And what was your conversation like?"

 

“Either way, they wanted me to join them, but I enjoy working with Vil more, and I earn a lot more than as a simple mercenary at rank C.”

 

"Hu? What are you doing? "

 

"I am Vil's partner."

 

"*Cough* Assistant *cough*."

 

Dario tried to cough wrong, but it just sounded miserable.

 

"Dario!"

 

Daria grinned angrily.

 

“You sound sick! Should I help you?"

 

"Well... no, thanks."

 

"For sure?"

 

"Y... yes. I am fine."

 

"I h o p e so."

 

*knock* *knock*

 

There was another knock on the door, only this time the people didn't wait for an answer.

 

The receptionist came in first, followed by a man who didn't even look 30 to me.

 

"Good day. I'm Mr. Blint, head of the mercenary guild.”

 

He looked at us.

 

"Oh, a familiar face is there too... what was it... Darina, right?"

 

"Daria, sir."

 

“I knew there was something with Da in the beginning. Now we prefer to get down to business! You're the young lady who wants to take the exam, right?”

 

He looked at me.

 

“Correct, Mr. Blint? My name is Eris.”

 

“Good, Eris. Do you already know the exam task?”

 

"Not really."

 

“Then let me explain it. First of all, this test is about testing the knowledge of the scout. Escorting plays an important role for us, which is why our teams have to plan the route and be prepared for any weak points and hideouts. To test this here, you have to use this card...”

 

He pointed to the map on the board.

 

“...identify at least five weak points. I will determine the route, and you have to make it out, and I would like to hear so many details about why the selected places are good for ambushes! Got everything?”

 

"Yes, sir!"

 

"Fine, then let's get started."

 

He took out a feather that resembled the feather in the guardhouse.

 

"I'm going to draw your route now."

 

"OK."

 

He drew a route, starting from a slightly larger town to a smaller village, almost at the other end of the map.

 

“This is your route, and you have ¼ h, then you have to identify five weak points of the route or find ten weak points and be able to justify at least 3 of them. Are you ready?"

 

"Yes!"

 

"And start!"

 

The receptionist lit a candle with numbered strips in the wax.

 

I started to search for the hideouts on the map.

 

The route had three intermediate stops in villages that were on the road. The first village was ready after ⅛ the way and the second after ⅓ of the way.

 

I took the measure of ⅛ of the way as the travel distance one day. So the trip lasted around eight days.

 

I took a closer look at the route between the first and second village.

 

...

 

...

 

=== POV guild leader

 

I sat together with the twins Daria and Dario, as well as Norbert. We watched the procedure of our young applicant.

 

My first impression was immediately revealed when the exam started. My previous assessment was that the girl would have a few search spells and thought it would be so easy to get an extraordinary job, but after the exam started, she hadn't even pulled a wand and looked at the card in an old-fashioned way.

 

"Mr. Blint, I heard you are going on a longer request starting tomorrow?”

 

The youngster named Dario asked me something.

 

“Correct, an orc dealer wants to visit the different orc tribes, but because of the crisis of 5 years ago, it is still not known whether and which tribes show hostility towards the orcs who live among humans.

 

"Uh! Sir! Have a look."

 

Norbert intervened. He pointed to the young Eris.

 

I looked over, and I couldn't help but stare at Eris and the map.

 

=== POV Eris

 

I don't know what's going on here, but it will all be easy.

 

A moment ago, everything was normal, but suddenly my vision turned bluish and then places on the map turned red. Even places that didn't have anything to do with the route became red.

 

What's going on here!?

 

=== POV guild leader

 

"Sir isn't that- !?"

 

"Hush!"

 

Norbert was too loud, and I didn't want him to bother the girl.

 

"Sir, is that (Operation)?"

 

This time, Norbert whispered.

 

"That's it. You can tell by the blue glow in her eyes, look.”

 

I pointed to her bluish flickering eyes.

 

"It seems to me that the ability has only recently awakened and is still unstable if it is overloaded by the amount of information it will fail!"

 

The first part was for Norbert, and the second half did I said for the twins.

 

"If the worst happened, when could she try again?"

 

"Hmm... I don't know how long I've been away on this mission, maybe around two weeks?"

 

"Huh? That would throw Vil's plan back significantly!”

 

The girl's body began to sway.

 

I looked at the candle.

 

"3 more minutes."

 

I said out loud to see if the girl would show a reaction even though I didn't expect a reply. I was all the more surprised when she raised her left hand and showed the backhand to us and formed a V-shape with her index and middle finger.

 

"What is she doing there?"

 

Norbert was amazed at Eris's reaction.

 

"Do you know what she means by that?"

 

""No.""

 

"Two more minutes."

 

She was still drawing wildly on the map, and her body was swaying all the more.

 

"1 minute."

 

She stopped suddenly.

 

Uh? What's going on now?

 

Her body just stood still when her head started to nod.

 

“Tsch… tsch… tsch…”

 

"Huh?"

 

"Eris?"

 

The boy approached her.

 

"tsch..."

 

He leaned forward and looked into her face, then gave himself a facepalm.

 

"She fell asleep."

 

He laughed.

 

"You know it's not good for them?"

 

I replied to him.

 

“I have to take the exam for not fi-”

 

"Sir!"

 

Norbert interrupted me.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Mr. Blint, see!”

 

He pointed to the map.

 

"Wah!?"

 

I was startled by sight!

 

Not only had she marked 5 or 10 ambush opportunities, but maybe hundreds more.

 

"But finding them is not enough, at least three have to be explained to be able to assess the examiner better."

 

"What are these symbols for?"

 

The girl Daria pointed to a small symbol next to the marker.

 

"It's here, too."

 

"And here as well!"

 

"Here are two different ones."

 

"Here is the same as over there!"

 

Norbert and the boy took a closer look at the markings.

 

"And what do they mean?"

 

"Hmm..."

 

"Here!"

 

The boy pointed to the white frame on the bottom of the card.

 

“Here, the symbol of what looks like a circle stands for… ambushes from a higher altitude, like through landslides using magic.”

 

"Here, the symbol that looks like a tree ambushed from the surrounding terrain."

 

“The bridge symbol, here just stand a siege.”

 

"Sir, she didn't explain it in detail, but summed it up for idiots."

 

Norbert was right, she hadn't explained anything to us, but her brief explanations would be enough for the caravans to take precautions.

 

“Eris, wake up! Otherwise, Daria will eat your breakfast!”

 

The boy started to shake the girl.

 

=== POV Eris

 

“Eris, wake up! Otherwise, Daria will eat your breakfast!”

 

"Ngh? Did someone say breakfast? Ah, well, good mor... ouch!”

 

I opened my eyes wide. Daria had hit my head.

 

"Are you awake?"

 

"Daria, you shouldn't do that!"

 

“You usually don't fall asleep during an exam, either!”

 

What? Exam? Oh, F*ck!

 

I looked around nervously.

 

“You don't have to be nervous, your modification of the map is top-notch! Congratulations, you passed!”

 

Modification?

 

I was still a little confused and disoriented, but listening to Mr. Blint that I had passed felt good.

 

"Sorry, but I have other appointments, and this room is also otherwise occupied."

 

We said goodbye, and Mr. Blint parted with us. We also made our way to leave the guild house.