CH 33

"--Yes, we're done! Good work!"

Measuring abilities was finally completed over two days of work.

The ability measurement itself had been done in a simplified version when Tenji entered high school, but this time it was necessary for the issuance of the explorer's license, so a detailed measurement was needed.

Professional explorers are required to do this when renewing their license, and the rule is to take measurements approximately once every three years. This helps maintain accuracy and makes things easier inside the association. There are other individuals who pay money to take measurements outside of the renewal period in order to increase their explorer grade, but it is said that taking measurements once every three years is sufficient.

There are roughly four categories: written, physical, athletic, and calling.

In the written test, they are tested on a wide range of essential knowledge, such as the types of monsters they know, their weaknesses, and basic knowledge about dungeons. However, Tenji was still a high school student, so it was difficult for him to get a good score here.

The physical measurements done were more detailed than the general ones taken at his school.

This had nothing to do with the grade so it was unclear why it was being done.

Athletic ability measurement is a test of bare athletic ability without the benefit of a calling. In the first place, the benefits of calling can only be demonstrated when the whole body is in a state of strength. In other words, if you put a lot of strength in your back and your abdominal muscles, you will gain extra-human strength along with calling. That's why the first physical education exercises at Highschool are famous in the world for the hellish lecture where you just have to keep putting strength into your back and your abdominal muscles. From there, the curriculum of the physical education lecture is designed to gradually get used to exercising while putting in a lot of effort.

In this measurement, a device is attached to the whole body to measure whether there is any unnecessary force in the body, and the measurements are taken with the utmost care to ensure that there are no irregularities.

And finally, there's the calling ability measurement.

This test measures a person's motor skills in such a way that the whole body is exerted and the person's true potential is demonstrated accurately without the enhancement of Calling. It is so important that it is said that the main explorer grade is determined this way.

These fields are also special, and since only battle-specific fields are measured, inevitably, that outside of the combat calling are often issued an explorer's license below the calling grade.

Godo is no exception to this rule, and since it is not a pure combat calling, he has a license as a third-level explorer, which is one level lower than the calling grade.

After those measurements, the total results came out sooner than he expected.

"Amagi Tenji's first explorer grade is ...... fifth grade. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work."

"Yes, thank you."

Tenji bowed to the three measurement people who had been dispatched by the association.

The three of them applauded Tenji for getting it done and replied with smiles.

It's our job to clean up, so don't worry about it and go home.

"Yes, okay!"

When Tenji learns that he can finally go home, he can't help but get excited.

Tenji giggles, but gives a fresh smile at the end.

The three Association people remained in the exercise facility after Tenji was gone.

Slowly, the three of them began to clean up and started talking about other things.

"He's amazing, though. He made it through four days in a dead body, didn't he?"

"Ah, yes. When I heard that story, I doubted his mental state at first. But he was a more normal, good-natured young man than I expected."

"Yuhara, Kasama don't take the reports from the association too seriously. Now, get on with your work. I'll buy you a yakiniku when I'm done."

[TLN: Yakiniku, meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine.]

"What? Really? Shogitsugu-senpai, you're so generous."

"Seriously? Yes! Yakiniku, yakiniku!"

The two women were inspired by the word "yakiniku" (grilled meat) and their movements became sharper.

Most of the people in the association have a calling, so they too are able to finish a task quickly and with a speed and power that is far beyond that of ordinary people.

The clean-up was over quickly and they were in the doorway changing into their outside shoes.

"Speaking of which, Shogitsugu-senpai"

What's wrong? Is there something wrong?

"No, it's not that, but ......earlier, what did you mean by not taking the association's report seriously?"

"Oh, about that. The Association has a lot of ...... enemies. That's why some explorers don't trust them very much."

"Hmm? I don't understand what you mean, please explain it more clearly!"

"Well, the point is, not every report that comes into and from the association is true."

"What does that have to do with that nice young man?"

"No I don't know but I have a hunch ...... that he's just making it up as he goes along. In short, there is a possibility that the reports that have been made to the association are untrue."

"Oh no, there's no way that's true for a young man like he"

"Do you really think so?"

After saying that, Shogitsugu took out the documents that Tenji failed to measure during the ability measurement, and also took out the documents that could be measured and laid them out.

The two women looked at the measurement results and compared them.

"Amagi-kun looked like he failed on purpose. And did you see how he mumbled something right there and then made some strange hand movements?"

"No."

"Not at all."

"I knew it. And this is the result of the measurement after that, after that hand movement. It's super normal. And yet the results of the failed test were more. I've never seen anything like this."

"Eh, it's just a coincidence, isn't it?"

"That's right. That's why Shogitsugu-senpai can't get promoted anytime soon."

"Shut up, I'm just trusting my guts. Well, so don't take the association's report too seriously. That's my advice."

"Yes."

"More importantly, where do you want to go for yakiniku?"

The two women didn't seem to take it too seriously, but Shogitsugu was the only one who felt uncomfortable with Tenji's words and actions.

However, he quickly grabbed the paperwork from the failed attempt and threw it into a nearby trash can.

"Well, it's my duty to throw away any failed data. I hope ...... it's just a bad hunch."

The general manager muttered to himself as he left the sports facility.

"Oh, noooo!"

Tenji listened to their conversation on a nearby bench.

He heard them very clearly.

He had bought a sports drink from the vending machine outside to restock his supply after the workout and sat on the bench to rest.

He was in a place where he should have been noticed, but apparently, Tenji was in the shadows at this time, and he was not noticed by anyone.

Tenji hurriedly fished through the trash after they left and picked up the papers Shogitsugu had mentioned.

"It's true. I have used the 'Book of Enma' while being observed. I'll have to fix it."

Tenji had hurriedly disguised his calling when he was measuring his ability.

He put the papers carelessly in his pocket and returned to the hospital room.

"I'll burn this ...... when I get home."

Vowing to secretly destroy the evidence.

And so Tenji's stay in the hospital came to an end. He said goodbye to Dr. Nanasei, Nurse Imasaka, and the other people who had helped him so much during his recovery. He then headed back to Sasazuka, his home for the first time in about a month, looking at the sky as it turned to dusk.

He changed trains from Ochanomizu to Shinjuku and from Shinjuku to Sasazuka.

It was a 20-minute walk from Sasazuka station, but the journey felt nostalgic and faster than usual.

The house is a single-family home, the only positive legacy his parents left him.

He unlocked the door with a clank and opened the front door of the house.

"Maharu, I'm home! Do you want to go for sushi or yakiniku today?"

Then, with a thud, Maharu appeared vigorously from the living room.

"What? What did you just say!"

"Which do you want, yakiniku or sushi?" Tenji said.

"What, what's going on all of a sudden?"

So Tenji takes out a thick brown envelope from his bag.

"Huh. ...... I got some extra income! What? Don't you want to go?"

"I'm going, I'm going! I'll definitely go! Sushi then!"

"Yes, go on and get dressed fast then."

Once Maharu decides to do so, she turns bloody and runs to her room to change.

Tenji gave a small satisfied laugh at the sight of her.

This is how -- the Amagi siblings once again find peace and tranquility in their lives.