Machua slowly followed a small group of people who were also taking the exam. Half of them seemed to be Hunters who wanted to re-evaluate their skills, but the other half of the crowd were young people, who were just like her. Seeking to test into being a Hunter without having to take the classes. She didn’t expect a single other person here to be the same case as her. A person who awakened their Aspect late. Most people awakened their Aspect as a child or a teenager, and it was very rare for people to awaken theirs as an adult. It was more common for them to never awaken them at all.

  “Yo, you seem a bit out of it friendo,” a hearty voice suddenly entered Machua’s ears.

  She turned to the person who called her, finding herself face to face with a cheery looking guy. He had dirty sandy hair, and a cheeky smile that reminded Machua vaguely of herself.

  He would vaguely be handsome or pretty if it weren’t for the fact he was sweating heavily. Even more than her. His body was a complete mess, he was barely able to keep himself at walking pace. Machua was a little scared he would fall over.

  “You look tired too, buddy,” she responded.

  “Nope. Not true,” the guy widened his smile even further. “You see, I’m excited. Magic is my specialty, and I’m about to show everyone here what a true magician is like.”

  Hearing that, a few other people who seemed to know the guy groaned.

  “Here he goes again.”

  “Remy, you’re gonna fail again and you know it.”

  “Aw, shut up! You all failed too, don’t you talk down on me!” Remile, the very, very tired guy lashed back.

  The other guys reduced their complaining to a snicker, but it was very clear they were still making fun of him.

  “Haha, ignore them,” Remile turned back to Machua. “They’re just grumpy cause they’re not as good as me.”

  “And because all of you keep failing the same Hunter exam, huh?” Machua’s pointed statement made Remile wince.

  “That too. But don’t worry about it. I’m sure all of us will pass this time,” Remile said, though he sounded a little shaky towards the end.

  Machua could tell he was clearly more nervous than he let on. He just wanted someone to chat with, an unfamiliar face he could dump all his worries on and never see again. Well, she was used to it, so she might as well.

  “You don’t sound too confident. Though, if I had to say…” Machua took a good look at his face. “The person you’re least confident about is yourself.”

  “W-what? No! I’ll pass just like Galas Derrida did and become a great Hunter!”

  Everything clicked into place. His specialty with magic. His young age compared to all the other repeaters. If he was comparing himself to THE Galas, then…

  “You don’t have an Aspect,” Machua spoke.

  “Gkh!” Remile jumped back.

  That one singular statement broke Remile’s entire facade. His fragile confidence broke as easily as a house of cards.

  “Hey, Remy.” Machua suddenly said. “How old are you?”

  “…19. I know that’s really late! But Galas awakened his Aspect when he was 28! It’s not too late for me.”

  “Mm. Well, that’s what I thought too just yesterday.”

  Remile widened his eyes. “Huh?”

  “I awoke my Aspect yesterday. I’m 20 for the record,” Machua said with a grin.

  “Alright, everyone! We’re here! Split up and attune yourself to the magical testing devices!”

  “Well, good luck, Remy. I’m sure you can do it.” Machua said with a smile, before walking off with a spring in her step.

  “I…”

  Machua couldn’t see his face, but she hoped she managed to cheer him up. She did turn up the charm just a little bit, and hopefully Remy would be able to do the test without worrying over anything. Well, either way, she hoped to see him pass.

  Machua now stood in front of a rather large and sleek apparatus. There were instructions on the screen, which told her to simply feed her mana into the machine.

  ‘Can’t let Machi down. Let’s do this.’

  Machua focused on the mana that flowed throughout her body. The mana that naturally cycled throughout her body obeyed her command and slowly flowed out. She guided the mana into the machine, carving out a path for it like digging a new stream for a river.

  *Ping!*

  The machine displayed the following words:

  Mana Purity: 44%

  “Wow, it’s gone up a lot since last time,” Machua exclaimed to herself.

  The screen would go on to list a set of instructions. Each instruction commanded her to cast a particular spell or weave her mana around in various ways. Machua managed to handle the first few instructions smoothly, but as the test went on, the difficulty kept ramping up.

  ‘It’s probably like the physical exam. You’re not meant to finish the whole thing.’

  Machua’s concentration broke, and the forming orb of mana collapsed in her arms. She grimaced at it, before waving her hands around again.

  ‘But still! I want to do as best I can. I did terrible at the physical exam. I have to have good results here!’

  Machua’s concentration broke again. The whirls of mana slipped away from her fingers and failed to form a physical orb again. Sweat dripped from her forehead.

  Machua’s eyes darted to the people around her before she could even stop herself. She didn’t know what portions of the magical test they were on, but it felt as if they were leagues ahead of her. They must have really shaped up for this test. That must have been the case. Just look at Remy. He was sweating heavily, but he was doing great.

  Everyone was doing so much better than her. Even Remy, who didn’t have an Aspect, who was in her position 2 days ago, was doing better than her.

  ‘Of course, Remy’s better than me, he did the test several times before. He must be familiar with it. But that doesn’t change anything. I can’t do it.

  Machua silently watched as Remy made it to the magic orb question. His forehead was dripping with sweat, perhaps even more than hers, but he was actually accomplishing something. He was weaving that magic orb slowly but surely. Whirls of mana flowed around his fingers, and even though the act looked cruder than hers, they successfully formed that magic orb. Seeing it was done and the machine had accepted it, he breathed a heavy sigh. Then he continued.

  Machua hurriedly began weaving the orb again. This time, she couldn’t even manage to make a base. She tried again. Even worse. Her mana didn’t seem to want to listen to her.

  Machua wanted to silently scream. She didn’t want to be left behind again. Not again. This was what happened last time. This was how she didn’t manage to make it into the university her best friends did. This was why she went on that 2 year trip across the world. Now that she was back…

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  ‘Did nothing change?’ She questioned herself.

  What did she do these past 2 years? She worked, didn’t she? Worked in so many establishments. She got really good at cooking. Didn’t she want to open a bakery at some point? She wanted to do it with Machi, right?

  ‘…Right.’

  He was her clone, not the other way around. No, that was probably not true. But still. The fact of the matter didn’t change. A perfect mirror had shown up, and he acted with so much confidence. This was the person she wanted to be. This was the reflection of the future she wanted to reach out for. And he was encouraging her, telling her that she could do it. If she couldn’t even believe in her future, then how could she do anything, right? If there’s one thing you can believe in, it’s your dreams. And Machua so wanted to believe.

  ‘I don’t have enough practice with magic as a whole. I can’t compete by purely following the flow. World isn’t good enough. I can’t just follow my instinct.’

  “…Then I can at least rely on something I’ve actually practiced,” Machua concluded.

  Machua closed her eyes and slowly sifted through her memories. She had worked so many jobs, she had a little bit of experience in everything. But the one thing that stuck out to her right now was a particularly sunny day, where she was rolling and kneading dough in a bakery. It was hard, and very taxing on her arms, but the result was beautiful.

  Machua slowly opened her eyes. Before her was not empty air and a machine. It was a table, floured and ready for some dough. She slowly allowed her mana to flow out of her and began forming it together. She brought her hands over it and began kneading.

  ‘It never said to use a particular method. It never said to form it with pure mana control. I’ll form it physically, with my hands. I’ll knead the perfect orb.’

  Machua pinched a piece of the ‘dough’ off and began forming it into a ball. The consistency was perfect for it now, and she could save the ‘dough’ for later instructions.

  *Ping!*

  “Haaaaah….” Machua sighed a deep sigh as this instruction was finished.

  “Okay. Let’s keep going. From dawn to dusk.”

  Machua accomplished instruction after instruction. Ping after ping rung out from her machine, and she began to feel the ‘flow’ again. The ‘World’s flow’ she had been so accustomed to had returned. But just as she felt it was just beginning, she ran out of ‘dough.’ She soon realised she had no more mana to use as well. The ‘magic dough’ she had formed took pretty much all of her mana, so the moment she was out, it was over.

  Machua’s magic test was over. And for once, she felt like she actually did well.

  ———————————————————————

  “H-huh?” Machua exclaimed as she looked through the result document.

  “Pass. It’s what I always expected. Congrats,” Machia grinned with another can of Everclear Jasmine Tea.

  “B-but… how? How was my score so high!? I was the best out of the entire non-Hunter batch!?”

  “Mm, most of them did fail though. It wasn’t particularly cream of the crop.”

  “But, no. Remy, his specialty is magic. He’s been trying again and again for so long. How? On just my first try?” Machua looked up at Machia as if he should know who Remy is.

  Machia clicked his tongue. “Not all experience is of equal value. And not all time is spent with the same quality. You experienced a lot over the past 2 years. And clearly, they were very high quality. Maybe trying the same test over and over again wasn’t the right choice.”

  “Ha… Maybe…” Machua trailed off as she spotted a familiar face behind Machia.

  “…Aw…” Remy’s face began tearing up a little as began to slink back.

  “Wait, Remy! Come back!” Machua called out.

  “But why should I? Clearly, I shouldn’t even be here. I don’t even have to be here. I failed, you passed. You’re better than me.”

  “No, that’s not true, Remy!” Machua exclaimed.

  “Your sister seems to think so.”

  “Machi!” She turned to him.

  “I don’t think what I’m saying is wrong.” Machia shrugged. He turned to look elsewhere, clearly uninterested in Remy.

  “Argh! Don’t listen to her. Him. He’s my brother, actually. Anyway, Remy, you aren’t worse than me. No way.”

  Remy took a good hard look at Machua’s earnest eyes, then sighed. “… I don’t believe that.”

  “Come on. You’re better at magic than me. You’ve been focusing on it for so long so you can be like Galas Derrida. THE Galas. One of Erelier’s strongest.”

  Remy looked up from his downcast position. “Then show me your magic test results.”

  Machua briefly hesitated for a reason she felt ashamed for thinking. “H-here.”

  Remy took the document in his hand and scanned it over. The few seconds he took to do so seemed like it took forever for Machua.

  “…I knew it…” Remy laid down on the floor. “That magic dough technique was too good.”

  “I-I came up with it on the spot! It was totally improvised!” Machua blurted out.

  Remy slowly curled up into a ball and cradled his knees in his arms. The only thing missing now was a cold shower and rain.

  “…Wow… You’re soo good at this,” Remy murmured listlessly.

  “Arghhhh!!! Remy, I-I’ve!”

  “Hey, it’s not all bad,” Machia suddenly interrupted, having snatched Remy’s result sheets when Remy gave up on standing. “Your only weakness is your physical test. If you’re trying to follow in Galas’ footsteps, remember he’s also a martial artist. He couldn’t have passed without training his body.”

  “I-I guess you’re right. I should probably get a gym membership,” Remy took his sheets back and shoved them in his bag. “By any chance are you a Galas fan?”

  Machia wondered whether Captain Galas really was his favourite or not. On one hand he was like a father to him, on the other hand he was the most annoying one by far.

  “My fav’s Sienna,” Machia finally spoke. “She’s the only one who can get Galas under control.”

  “O-oh, really?” Remy seemed a bit taken aback as Machia spoke as if he knew a lot about Galas.

  “My fav’s Reina,” Machua added. “I also know someone whose favourite is Lemuel, so maybe we should all get together sometime. How about it, Remy?”

  “I-I’d like that very much!” Remile said a bit too loudly.

  “Kay, let’s exchange numbers then.”

  Machua and Remy quickly exchanged their numbers. Remy looked to Machia for his phone number, and after a brief deep sigh, he acquiesced. With Remy looking a bit more hopeful, Machua felt she could let him go for now.

  “Well, Machi. Let’s go. We’ve got the apartment to see, right?”

  “We still have to talk to the receptionist, since you succeeded. After that, that’s what we’ll do. We’ll slip in, then have some lunch.”

  “Kay. See ya, Remy.”

  “Bye.”

  The two siblings walked off, returning to the row of desks by the front of the guild. The receptionist smiled as they neared her.

  “Ah, I have just received your results. Congratulations on passing, Ms Purin.”

  “Thank you. I actually have a bit of a question about the exam.”

  “Oh? Please ask away.”

  Machua’s statement also piqued Machia’s interest, making him turn to her.

  “Um… Is the physical examination that important? I know you should be physically fit, but don’t magic users have a place as a Hunter?”

  Machia rolled his eyes once he heard the question. After briefly surveilling the area, he tapped Machua’s shoulder.

  “I need to go to the toilet.”

  “Oh, okay. Make sure you wash your hands.”

  “I won’t.”

  ———————————————————————

  Remy. Remile Auclair. A magician trainee. Well, a wannabe magician trainee since he didn’t have formal training. Magicians are what people call those who specialise in magic, instead of direct physical combat or ranged combat relying on weapons. The name of the game for magicians is variety. Galas, my captain, was Erelier’s foremost magician, however, he did go on to become very unpopular after he voiced a specific opinion.

  That is, that a magician without an Aspect could never catch up to those with one. The only tool the common man had was magic, and he proclaims it might as well be useless. He said this during an interview after the famous Operation Jormungandr, where on the verge of death, he awakened his Aspect.

  Naturally, to every aspiring magician, every child who could not awaken their Aspect, this broke their dreams. I wasn’t one of them. I didn’t want to become a Hunter, I wanted an Aspect to fit in with all my friends. But Remile was. Remile believed in it so sincerely, only to have it broken in front of him.

  “Hey, Remy. I bet my sister forgot to tell you her name, huh?”

  “Uh…” Remile looked up from his seat. He was in the middle of studying his results document, trying to learn where exactly it went wrong.

  “Oh, haha. You’re right!” He scratched his head.

  “Her name is Machua Purin. And I’m Machia. We’re twins as you can tell. I’m older.”

  “Yeah, you do look really similar. I thought you were a girl at first. Would’ve been a real tragedy if I mistook you on the streets. I woulda fallen-“

  “Remy. Do you really think you can catch up without an Aspect?“ I bluntly asked.

  “…I-“ He tried to splutter.

  “Galas Derrida spent his whole life trying to catch up to his sister. He studied at the University of Arcadia, the world’s best magical institute. He put all of his effort into it, refining every single bit of himself in the faint hopes he could become a man his sister could be proud of. But even with all of that, it wasn’t enough,” I began.

  “In Operation Jormungandr, he awakened his Force Aspect. The difference having Force had on him was like night and day. It was this sudden awakening that caused him to gain the upper hand. From the weak link out of Erebus Squad to being arguably its best. No wonder he said that magic alone wasn’t enough."

  Remile looked away from me and stared at the ground. He didn’t dare refute a single thing I said.

  “Having an Aspect gives your mana a purpose. Your mana swells up and your pool of mana grows much larger than before. It is the most natural thing in the world to have an Aspect. To have control over a law of the universe. When you acquire one, it feels like everything just fits into its place.“

  “I-I know damn it!” Remile finally stood up to me and shouted.

  “I know it’s hopeless! I’m just an ordinary guy! I can’t be like Galas, I’m not hyper smart or super strong. All I can do is hope to get an Aspect one day! I know!”

  I withstood Remile’s outburst without changing my expression. After he was done, he heaved several huge breaths. I waited for him to finish before tapping his chest with the side of my fist.

  “There’s that fire.”

  “Huh?” Remy sputtered out.

  “You’ve got to be gutsy to keep attempting the Hunter exam at this age. I’m willing to bet you’re still taking the Hunter classes at the Bureau, right?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Your skill with magic is way higher than those with an Aspect. Machu’s nothing compared to you. You just can’t keep up with efficiency and increased mana pool having an Aspect gives you. Once you get an Aspect, you could be a monster.”

  “R-really? You think that?” Remile’s face lightened up.

  “Think that? I know it. But you can’t always count on that. You might be stuck without one for the rest of your life. And you’ll just have to accept it.”

  Remile made an unsure expression now. I had given him hope, but I also had to make sure he saw reality for what it really was.

  “My advice? Shore up your physical abilities. You could be a Hunter easy. But you need major work on your limp body. If you want to pass the exam, you can probably drop training magic entirely. Go on a diet, exercise daily. All that jazz, and you might make it in a month. Maybe 2.”

  “O-okay. I’ll do my best. Next time I take the exam, I’ll definitely pass,” Remile said with resolve.

  Seeing that fire burning in his eyes again, I was satisfied. “Good. You can text me for help anytime you want.”

  I walked away. As I began to leave the room, I looked back.

  “One more thing. Don’t forget yourself. And don’t take the easy path. You won’t be happy if you do.”

  ———————————————————————

  “Welcome back. Did you wash your hands?” Machua happily asked.

  “No.”

  “…Did, did you actually not-“

  “I did. I did.”

  Seeing the siblings chattering together, the receptionist smiled. “Alright, now that your brother is back, shall I continue?”

  “Yep. Machi, I need you to make it make sense.”

  “Yes, yes.”

  “Alright! Machua Purin, you’ve finished everything excepting your combat test. However, that will be conducted by your prospective squad.”

  “Uh-huh, uh-huh.”

  “It means whoever chooses you as a potential squad member. They’ll do an on-field combat test and if they like you, they’ll take you on as an official Hunter.”

  “Oh okay. But uh, why does it have to be by a squad? It’s not standardised?”

  The receptionist answered, “Because every person serves a unique role and has their own specific capabilities. While we do have established roles, those being: Magician, Enhancer, Gunner, Trapper, Operator, and others, two people who occupy the same role can differ greatly. A Gunner may use a sniper rifle or a revolver and they would have very different roles to serve in combat. That’s partly why these roles are considered largely unofficial, but I digress.”

  The receptionist cleared her throat. “A squad must be well-balanced by the roles each member has, which is why we have squad captains pick from prospective Hunters so that they can find the most suitable member for their team.”

  “Could I request that we be put on the same team?” Machua asked.

  “Ah, your brother has already done that a long time ago.”

  Machua rolled her eyes. “I shoulda guessed…”

  “Course. We’re done here, right?” Machia asked.

  “Haha.” The receptionist giggled a little. “Before you go, I must say that you need only wait a week at most. After that period of time, we will assign you to a squad befitting of your abilities no matter if you have not been personally chosen. When the time comes, you will receive both a call and an email.”

  Machua turned to Machia hurriedly, as if she wanted to ask something. To which he responded by taking out his phone.

  “I’ve got an apartment here, Machu. Everything is handled.”

  “It’s annoying how prepared you are.”

  Machia shrugged. “Shall we go?”

  “Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot.”

  “Goodbye now. I hope to see you walk through these doors again soon.”

  The two made their way to the doors of the Hunter’s Guild, finally ready to leave after the exhausting exams. Well, Machia wasn’t tired though. Instead, he was taking one last look back.

  “What’s the hold-up?” Machua asked.

  Machia surveilled the area one more time. He tried as best he could, but he couldn’t see him. He wasn’t there.

  “Nothing,” Machia murmured. “I’ll…see him later.”

  “Who?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Remy?” Machua made a concerned face.

  “Yeah. Yeah, him.”

  “…Hey, don’t be mean to him, alright?”

  “Remy will be fine. You just need to encourage him properly. Now, come on, let’s look at your new home.”