The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 80

The next day, as instructed, I attended the academy as usual. Together with Fars, I went to the faculty office to discuss taking my graduation exam. It seemed that the royal palace had already sent instructions for the exam, and I was told I’d be taking it the very next day.

What? Isn’t this a bit too soon? I wasn’t the only one surprised—Fars looked taken aback as well.

Moreover, Fars would also be taking the exam. Though I was worried about this sudden test and wanted to go home and prepare immediately, I had an obligation to visit the royal palace afterward.

The teacher provided a general overview of the exam content.

We parted ways partway through the day. While Fars headed home to study, I made my way to the royal palace. I was envious of Fars for having time to prepare, but there was nothing I could do.

At the palace, the usual attendant guided me as expected. However, when we reached the hallway outside His Majesty’s study, the attendant said, “I’ll leave you here,” and turned back.

Wait, the room next to His Majesty’s study…?

I looked around, but there was no obvious door or entrance nearby. After some thought, I wondered if it might be hidden by concealment magic.

Suspicious, I allowed the magic I usually suppressed to gather in my eyes. A faint crack-like pattern appeared on part of the wall.

Surely, the palace wouldn’t leave a crack in its walls unattended, right?

When I touched the area, I felt small ridges, and as I pressed further, the outline of a door became faintly visible.

Amazing! Who would have thought there’d be such a mechanism here!

Cautiously, I knocked on the door before opening it. It seemed like even those with magical power would struggle to find this hidden entrance.
“Welcome, Marloa Efsée, daughter of the Marquis,” came a voice as soon as I stepped into the room.
The door closed behind me with a resounding thud.
The room was larger than I’d imagined. At the far end sat one person, with two others seated or perched on desks to either side. All of them were looking at me.

What should I do? Uh… greetings first, right?
“Nice to meet you. I am Marloa Efsée. By His Majesty’s command, I am joining the Zero Division.”

I performed a knight’s salute. The man in the center, who seemed to be the leader, opened his mouth to speak.

“To find this room so quickly upon arriving at the palace—Revien clearly chose well. Marloa Efsée, we’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I am Jennies Manfred, the commander of the Zero Division. Pleased to meet you.”

Jennies, the commander of the Zero Division, was responsible for handling covert operations. He was a small-statured man, but there was something about him that felt… off.

I couldn’t pinpoint the source of my unease, but my instincts warned me not to make an enemy of him.

Next to Commander Jennies, seated casually on a desk, was Vice Commander Marco Cook.

Marco was also in charge of covert operations. He gave off an impression of being thin and stern, someone who rarely smiled. The other man in the room was Hendrick, who handled administrative tasks for the Zero Division.

Hendrick also occasionally served as a field operative when manpower was short. He gave off the vibe of a kind older brother.

The remaining two individuals were Elaine and Lydia, who were spies and covert operatives as well. Their presence was undeniably alluring. I also learned that, while not present here, the Zero Division had a total of several hundred members, comparable to a battalion.
Their usual work involved gathering information and maintaining peace behind the scenes, but in emergencies, they would operate as a military unit.

There were also auxiliary members, referred to as “provisional agents,” who lived ordinary lives but were occasionally called upon for missions.
“Now that introductions are done, Marloa, we’ll begin training you as a member of the division. I heard from Revien that you’re a marquis’ daughter without magical power.

Your ability to completely suppress your magical aura has been highly praised by Revien. But first, we need to measure the extent of your magical power. Place your hand here.”
Commander Jennies handed me what looked like a special board embedded with a crystal, which was on his desk.

“Commander Jennies, what is this?”

Not knowing how to use the object, I asked him directly.

“Ah, this is a device specially designed by the Zero Division to measure magical power. Normally, people place their hands on a crystal, and the brightness of the light determines the magic level, but that method often leads to discrepancies.

This device eliminates that issue. It’s a groundbreaking tool that might even be used in temples a few years from now.

The operation is simple. Place your hand on the crystal. It will react to your magic, causing the crystal to glow. The light’s intensity triggers the movement of special metals, which point to a numeric value on the display. We’ll read that number to determine your magical power.”

As instructed, I placed my hand on the crystal. The crystal began to glow.

I don’t have any memories of my assessment at the temple when I was young, but perhaps it glowed like this back then. The arrow on the device shifted and settled on the number eight.

“Hm, that’s a decent number. Let’s see how far your magic can go. Lydia, take her to the training grounds and check it out.”

“Got it.”

As Lydia stood up, Jennies turned to me.
“Marloa, from now until your graduation from the academy, come here every day. We’ll begin your basic training. Your graduation exam is tomorrow, isn’t it? Take this.”

“? Understood.”

I accepted the document Jennies handed me, tucked it into my bag, and bowed to him before heading to the training grounds with Lydia.

The Zero Division’s training ground was a room within the royal palace’s guest quarters.
I couldn’t hide my surprise. Typically, the Royal Knights trained outdoors, whether with swords or magic. I’d assumed the Zero Division would train somewhere secluded, yet here we were, inside a room.

“Lydia, isn’t this indoors?”

“Yes, it is. Don’t worry. The Zero Division’s original reinforcement barrier protects this space, so nothing will be damaged no matter what happens.”

Lydia turned to me with a smile.

“Now, Marloa, I hear you usually study at the academy and spend your weekends taking on guild requests. How skilled are you in magic? You’ve been learning from Yele, haven’t you?”

“You know Senior Yele?”

“Oh, I know him very well. He’s my little brother, after all.”

What!?

I was so shocked I froze on the spot, unable to find words.

“Fufu. Yele used to be so bored at the academy, but he was overjoyed when he finally got an adorable junior. That would be you. Oh, and your attendant, too—he says Fars has a lot of potential and is worth training.

If my brother is that fond of you, then I’ll have to spoil you as your superior, too.”

Lydia chuckled softly, her smile as warm as it was mischievous.

“Lydia, you don’t use your family name? Is that common in the Zero Division?”

“Well, yes. Most members of the Zero Division, including the Commander, go by aliases. Those who are publicly known often use their real names while hiding their affiliation with the division.

You’ll likely continue using the name ‘Roa’ that you go by at the guild after you graduate from the academy.”

She knows about the name I use at the guild? Impressive. It’s clear she’s fully informed about everything.

“Now, let’s get started. I’m going to summon a magical beast. Use your magic to defeat it.”

With a soft laugh, Lydia snapped her fingers. A magic circle appeared in the center of the room, and from it emerged…

…A beastman!?

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