The Fifth Member

Merwick Flamel's upcoming practical examination was set to be in an outdoor setting in the academy owned forest area in Caraga Mountains.

The practical examination was designed to be a team based points collection. Given that the place of examination was in the forest, the instructors created a pointing system to rank the teams through monster extermination and other tasks like securing their safe quarters, special missions, and PvP.

It lasted for three days so the students were given enough time to prepare some things before the exam started and to strategize with their teams to safely search and survive in Khunlun Forest.

Ryder, Sienna, Johannes and Ellie were at the cafeteria to take their lunch as they talked regarding their exam.

"About that person you're talking about," Ryder started that topic. "Would that person be really helpful to us? Just to be clear, I don't really care about the exam—I mean, the exam would be just my second priority. My focus and first priority is to meet Professor Shiro Blanca, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Sienna sounded like brushing off his stance. "How selfish."

"Hey! I already made it clear to everyone that I would do anything just to fix this weird—"

"Okay, okay. We understand." Sienna shut him up by putting food in his mouth. "So, Ellie, who's that person you're trying to make our last team member?"

"Ahh... he will be really helpful."

"He? So, that person is a guy," Johannes said.

"Yes. But don't worry, he's not bad or will give us a headache," Ellie assured the others. "Actually, about the place of examination, there's no other person more knowledgeable than him."

The others got surprised and became hooked about that person's real identity as he will really benefit in their exam scores and Ryder's initial reason for going to Khunlun Forest.

"Then? Who's that person?" Sienna eagerly asked.

"If he would be really knowledgeable about the forest then I would be glad to have him."

"Well, there's just..." Ellie seemed to be hesitant to share more details about it.

"What is it? Will it be hard for us to convince him to join our team?" Johannes asked.

"No. He would be willing, I think." Ellie assured them again. "He is a member of the Merwick Daily News."

"Really?!" The three couldn't believe that information.

Merwick Daily News or officially registered to the school organizational management office as Merwick Flamel Academy Daily Newspaper Company, a student organization that also operated as the official academy publication. It wrote the daily news that circulates inside the academy, from vague hearsay and gossip to official letters and announcements from administration.

They were composed of mages and alchemists that also excelled in writing and literary fields. But some of their members were being seen and labelled as geeks or nerds because of their obsession in gathering information and writing news.

"Oh? Then, can we convince him to join our team?" Sienna asked.

"Well, I think we can."

"Wait, it looks like you're hesitating. Why?"

"Are you sure about him? I'm not really forcing you."

"Don't worry. If he happens to be stubborn from not joining, I will do everything to reel him on our net." Ryder gave her a thumbs up. "Also, if he has excellent network and information regarding Khunlun Forest, he would be a great help."

"If it's your suggestion, Ellie, we can try to convince him."

"But..."

"What is it? Did he have a problem or what? You already said that he's not that bad so I think we're okay with it."

"Are you not wondering how he acquired the information regarding Khunlun Forest even though he was just a second year like us?" The three looked at each other because of her question.

"Ahhh... you're right," Sienna agreed.

"Probably because he is from our publication. You perhaps hear them to be obsessed with new information and news so that becomes his source," Ryder hunched.

"To be honest, that's one of the reasons."

"One of the reasons? Then, there are more?" Ellie nodded at Johannes.

"He is..." Ellie smiled at them. "A frequent academy violator."

"Violator?!" Sienna blurted out causing some students to look in his direction. "Ah, my fault." She silently went back to her seat. "What do you mean, Ellie?"

"Hey, don't tell me..." Ellie nodded at Johannes again.

"Really?!" Ryder asked.

"Yes. He violates the curfew and always trespasses some unauthorized place just to gather information. He frequently visited the Khunlun Forest because he said that he could find some big scoops there."

"For real?" Sienna scoffed.

After school, the team decided to meet their fifth member, even with strong refusal coming from Sienna, who felt that he would surely only cause trouble to them if he failed to contribute.

Ryder just got riled up when he heard that that person was violating the set curfew and able to enter an unauthorized area because he thought he would have some amazing ability in doing so. Johannes just got carried away by his stubbornness.

"We need to go someplace in the academy where he usually goes out." Ellie led the way.

"Is there a place like that in our academy? I thought the security and safety of our academy had a hundred percent success but how can he sneak away?" Ryder wondered as they went on the west wide of the academy.

"Well, you can just witness it with your own eyes."

They reached the outside wall of the academy that was enchanted with high-level magic detection and different alchemy devices to prevent invasions from outside and also to detect students who would go out of the campus.

Ryder looked around as they waited and couldn't help but to get attracted to the towering wall about five meters in height with some lookout post that has some magical devices to suspend someone who would climb up the walls.

"Hmmm... are you really sure about this place, Ms. Claudia? As far as I can see, it is the most sensitive part of security, seeing three magical devices that can cast some paralyzing spell to subdue someone who would sneak outside or inside," Ryder explained.

"I agree. That big stone-like magical device that floats in the outpost was made with high-level of expertise and could cast magic spells in an instant without giving the perpetrator enough time to react."

"Yes, I'm sure of it." She looked at the time. "He will probably appear in the next few seconds."

The three just got their eyes focused on the wall and even used some of their detection magic to search for the presence of someone who would approach the wall.

Then, in just a couple of seconds, Sienna heard a sound near the wall and the next thing that appeared was a male student with shaggy hair and thick lens eyeglasses. He seemed wary of his surroundings as he was looking around like searching if someone saw him.

"He appeared," Ryder commented.

"Yeah. He is," Johannes seconded.

"Wait. I didn't detect him. Even the security didn't sound the alarm," Sienna shared.

"Like I said, he is a frequent violator so he really became an expert with what he was doing," Ellie explained.

"Wait! That's weird. A person has a certain presence even if their mana is undetectable. The security system of our academy doesn't only detect mana influx in their area of operation but also the presence of a person, their breathing, movement and even the slightest sound they caused from flexing a muscle. That's how sensitive that device is. But, when he appeared, it didn't even move the slightest or cause a reaction." Ryder pointed to the outpost.

"I agree. Even I, who had a high mana sensitivity couldn't even detect him, I just detected his presence when I heard a sound and he appeared in the naked eye."

"No. It's possible." They all looked at Johannes. "He used stealth magic."

"Stealth magic?!!" the two blurted out before looking at Ellie.

"Yes. He can use that magic."

"But still, stealth magic doesn't have a hundred percent success rate and can't always avoid the detection of security systems," Sienna said.

"Yes. The way he climbed up the wall without hesitation means that he is confident that he won't get detected. He probably ran many tests to perfect his stealth magic."

"Mr. Rutherford is right. He conducted many experiments to fool the detection magic enchanted in the walls with his own body. I remember him getting injured almost everyday, trying to go over the walls."

"Then, the reason he was caught was because of his experiments?"

"Yes. He almost got expelled but he avoided that with just some light punishment."

"Hey! It's not weird for him to get expelled. He can sneak away outside the academy and fool the security system. More than a violator, he's more like a criminal!" Sienna commented.

"Well, the president of the school publication always vouches for him and he is really competent in magic and has a wide network of information so the instructors are also hesitating to let go of him. Well, he really doesn't cause that big trouble or threat to the academy so probably that's why they let him go with just some punishment," Ellie explained.

"Really?! But look, he's sneakily wandering there like some kind of burglar or thief!"

"Hey, calm down. He's not that dangerous."

"Not dangerous?!!" Sienna glared at Ryder who immediately averted his gaze.

That person noticed their presence and Ellie waved her hand to him so he ran towards their direction.

"Oh, isn't it that Ellie von Claudia? What can I do for you? Are you willing to do that interview now?" he asked.

"No, I just came regarding the practical examination."

"Oh, that?" He looked at the others who were looking at him, especially Sienna who was glaring intently at him. "What is it, Ms. Claudia?"

"We would like to invite you to join our team."

"Me?" He looked again at the other three. "Are you sure that I'm welcome to join. They seemed suspicious of me, especially that girl, he's glaring at me like I'm a criminal."

Ellie just laughed before assuring him that they are willing to take him but he also seemed hesitant to join.

"Anyway, let me introduce him." Ellie looked at the other three. "He is a writer in the Merwick Flamel Daily News. A second year student in Class C. Yuston Reiven."

"Yow! Nice to meet you!" He cheerfully said.

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