The Knight Order exam entered its final stage, and all the examinees in the square were looking for opponents.
"I've already found one!"
Adam's expression was strange, a half-circle grin spreading across his face. In front of him, the richly dressed, chubby kid who had mocked him earlier was searching for an opponent.
"This guy, though he dresses well…"
Adam actually wanted to find an examinee of noble status to establish his authority and curb the arrogance of these people.
But would nobles participate in such an exam?
A minor noble should… Latin fanned himself with a fan. In the entire venue, no one seemed to want to team up with him.
"Haha, you must be scared of my invincible prowess, Latin the Great!"
Latin was still fantasizing that everyone was afraid of him, completely oblivious to the fact that the surrounding examinees, seeing his full set of armor, were mentally cursing Latin as a parvenu who didn't respect the rules of the game at all.
"Fatty, how about we play a round?"
Adam, at some unknown moment, had silently circled behind Latin and placed a hand on his shoulder, startling the guy.
"Ah! You wild—" Latin's eyes darted, and a smile instantly spread across his face, tinged with a hint of falseness, as he enthusiastically said, "Oh! My friend, that's truly wonderful!"
Adam and Latin, with a tacit understanding, walked arm-in-arm towards the stage like long-lost friends.
Someone was even faster!
Asta was already on the stage, teamed up with Hūhā, in a match with no suspense.
The roaring emperor vs. Huha the Great!
It was truly something to behold.
Adam looked at Hūhā on the stage, desperately recalling what kind of magic this self-proclaimed clever guy possessed.
After all, having just come from Hage Village, Adam was still a bit unworldly. This kind of life-or-death battle truly made his blood boil.
Adam's half-circle grin never faltered, which started to make Latin a little scared.
However, Adam's strength was immense, and he held Latin in a death grip, giving him no chance to escape.
"I have a bunch of magic tools on me, it'll be fine." Latin kept psyching himself up. The arrow was on the string, and he couldn't back out now.
In an instant, the battle on the stage was over.
Asta's Devil Power, combined with his years of training, allowed him to shatter Hūhā, along with the turtle shell he created, to the ground with a single sword strike.
The sturdy stone slab was also smashed into a large pit by Asta.
Hūhā immediately fainted, looking as if he was about to ascend to heaven.
The surroundings instantly fell silent, everyone wearing an expression of disbelief.
"I will become the Magic Emperor!"
Asta roared as usual. This statement of his gave the surrounding locals an opportunity.
They began to mock him wildly.
"A country bumpkin from the boondocks, truly dares to say anything."
"Heh heh, these guys are just like that, unworldly."
Adam squeezed Latin's arm harder and harder, almost making the fat guy cry.
"Big brother, lighten up!"
Adam turned his head, a playful expression on his face, and said, "You think so too?"
"Think what?"
"Country bumpkin!"
Latin instantly reacted, quickly fawning, "How could I! I yearn for the countryside immensely, wishing I had been born there…"
"Shut up!"
Adam turned his head away, continuing to watch the exciting match on the field.
Damn guy!
Latin gnashed his teeth in hatred, constantly reassuring himself that once they were on stage, he would definitely give this guy a piece of his mind.
A giant instantly formed from earth elements!
The power of raging thunder!
A tornado of wind magic!
"Yuno is still so amazing!" Adam exclaimed involuntarily.
This young noble who wielded lightning was swiftly dealt with by Yuno.
It seemed he wouldn't be waking up today.
"The final group, please come to the stage!"
Adam grabbed Latin's arm and threw him onto the stage.
"You damned savage!"
Latin quickly stood up, his eyes full of malice, and with an expression of extreme disdain, began to insult Adam.
"You raggedy fellow, you've surely never seen money…"
Adam didn't speak, he just stretched his grin wider and wider, truly wanting this guy to shut up forever!
"Match start!"
"Steel Giant!"
The ruby bracelet on Latin's right hand emitted a dazzling red light, and his silver-white grimoire glowed white, creating a massive steel monster.
"A magic tool that enhances magic power?"
William, wearing a mask, said involuntarily.
"He doesn't put us in his eyes, let's give him a taste of his own medicine." The Green Mantis's words were tantamount to tacitly allowing Latin to use magic tools.
"Ha~, interesting!" Adam grinned ferociously.
"You savage, take this punch!"
Latin controlled the steel giant, throwing a punch at Adam.
"Dragon Blast!"
The golden grimoire bloomed open, and Adam, with a mouth full of flames, blasted them out with a roar.
It went wide!
The right arm of the steel giant was burned to ashes by the flames.
However, Adam had aimed for the core, but on such a large stage, he was a bit overly excited and didn't achieve a one-hit kill.
"Ah!"
The onlookers were also very shocked. Why were these people from the small Hage Village all so powerful?
Including Asta, these pathetic people were accustomed to treating others' efforts as mere coincidence.
Regardless of others, Latin was already scared witless. If that attack had hit him, he would have been crippled!
"I surren—"
"Too late! Dragon Blast!"
Before Latin could finish his surrender, another Dragon Blast erupted.
The enormous golden fireball immediately made Latin react, and he hastily took out all his treasures.
Latin fully unleashed his magic power to resist this attack.
Boom!
The steel giant exploded. Latin was indeed a parvenu; aside from his lower body being a bit wet and him having fainted from fright, he was basically unharmed!
"Sigh! It's even weaker than the first time, I can't even condense an energy light beam anymore!"
Adam sighed. If this had been the peak Dragon Power, Latin might have been reduced to ashes.
"Adam is also so amazing, I need to work even harder. I'm definitely going to be the Magic Emperor!"
Asta secretly vowed from below the stage!
"Is that magic power?" Yami was startled. This guy, without magic power, could actually unleash such a powerful attack.
Truly extraordinary!
What kind of place was Hage Village, to be able to cultivate such capable individuals?
And there were three such capable guys!
As the sun set, the examination finally concluded!
"The exam is now over. Please step forward when your number is called."
"Squad Captains who wish to have an examinee join their Knight Order, please raise your hand. Examinees for whom no Squad Captain raises a hand, please leave on your own."
"If an examinee has multiple choices, the examinee may choose freely."
Adam's mouth twitched slightly. What on earth was this?
Did they really have to repeat these few sentences for every single person?
"Examinee number one, please step forward!"
How cruel!
Most examinees had no one raise a hand for them, but Latin, that guy, was actually chosen by the Whale Squad.
Did he pull some strings?
"Examinee number 162, please step forward."
Adam walked forward slowly, with an arrogant swagger. Only now did he realize that his behavior seemed a bit lacking in social graces.
Would any Knight Order choose him?
"Examinee number 162, the Black Bulls Knight Order and the Orca Knight Order have raised their hands!"
Uh... why wasn't it Wild Rose or Sleeping Beauty?
Adam was a bit confused. Why would this guy with the purple prison-like aura choose him?
This Yami Squad Captain's thought process was not normal, and this guy… "I choose to join the Black Bulls Knight Order!"
Adam's lips curled into a smile. The Black Bulls were not bad!
Yami also started to smile at this moment, his eyes fixed on the boy named Adam below. He should be properly trained.
As expected, Yuno, the Clover Prince, had all hands raised for him, and he chose to join the Golden Dawn.
And Asta, that guy, was still chosen by Yami, who liked to gather destructive maniacs.
After being thoroughly scared, the roaring emperor finally joined the Black Bulls.
Thus, the Three people of Hage Village officially embarked on their journey to become Knights!