About

The First-Class Mage Exam An exam held in the magical city of Äußerst. It takes place once every three years. The exam consists of three stages. Those who pass all three are recognized as First-Class Mages. First Stage There are 57 examinees in total, divided into parties of three. It is a party-based battle. Candidates must capture a small bird called a Stille, which inhabits the area. To pass, two conditions must be met: "The Stille must be in the party's cage by sunset the following day" and "All party members must be present at that time." Stilles are extremely durable, fly faster than the speed of sound, and are immune to ordinary binding or attack magic. Furthermore, they are sensitive to mana; even if one suppresses their mana, the bird will sense them at 20 meters and flee if they get closer. Since they possess almost no mana themselves, they cannot be located via mana detection, nor do they approach mana-infused objects (like enchanted water sources). Capturing one requires specialized binding magic, the skill to completely erase one's mana presence, and a fair amount of luck. During the exam, movement within the area is generally free, so attacking other parties to steal their Stille is permitted. Since a party is disqualified if even one member is missing, it effectively becomes a PvP battle disguised as a scavenger hunt. Guest and Wirbel have been assigned to the same Party 3.