Magician of Cote

Vol-3 Ch-2 The Surprise

With that, the teachers began distributing the items.

"Huh?! So we have to live like survivors on a deserted island?! I don't want to hear this kind of insanity! This isn't an anime or a manga or something! We can't all sleep together in just two tents! And what are we supposed to do about food in the first place? This is unbelievable!"

Yamauchi fussed loud enough for everyone to hear. I guess he had prepared his mind for a test but not of this kind.

Developing skills of self sufficiency on a deserted island-hunting wild animals, washing in the river, building bedding from tree branches-it certainly was like something you'd see in a movie or read about in a book.

No one could've imagined that the school would put us through a test like this. Mashima-sensei gave no sign that this was some kind of joke. If anything, he appeared surprised by what Yamauchi had said.

"You may say this is unbelievable, but that's because you've lived a short, superficial life. There is an actual, prominent company that hold straining sessions on uninhabited islands."

"Huh? B-but this...this isn't special at all. Is it? Isn't it too much to ask for us to start living on a deserted island with no warning? No way! This is unreal!" some students from Class D came in Yamauchi's support.

"Keeping on like that would be shameful, so stop talking. What Mashima-sensei just said is only part of it. There are many companies in the world with many different training activities. There are workplaces where there aren't any chairs in the office, and companies that decide salaries with dice rolls. The world is wider and deeper than you even know." Chabashira-sensei, as if unable to overlook students running their mouth, chided them.

She continued, "In other words, you are ill-equipped to distinguish between what is reality and what isn't."

Many of the students appeared unconvinced and wore dissatisfied looks.

"I assume you're all thinking something like, 'What does this test mean?' Or perhaps some of you doubt the existence of such training programs. However, students who remain at such a base level of thought are unlikely to become anyone promising in the future. What is your basis for determining this to be 'unbelievable' or 'ridiculous'? You're just students. In my opinion, you're all equally worthless. What kind of insignificant person determines that they can criticize a leading company? That's bizarre. Were you a president in charge of one such notable business, then you might have some right to deny our claims. However, there shouldn't be any grounds for someone of your station to be able to do that." Mashima-sensei joined Chabashira-sensei to chide the students.

As we listened, we did certainly determine that parts sounded unreasonable or unrealistic. But, just like Mashima-sensei said, we had no basis to oppose their claims. Those who found this beyond the realm of their understanding could call it "bizarre" or "unbelievable," but for someone who did understand the point, well, it would be absurd to think otherwise.

"But, teacher, isn't this supposed to be our summer vacation? We were brought here under the pretext of going on a relaxing trip. Don't you think that bringing us here and then springing this corporate training on us could be considered unfair?" Ichinose protested this time.

"I see. I suppose that you're not wrong about that. I can understand why you would be discontented." Mashima-sensei's response showed that he recognized the soundness of such an argument, unlike Yamauchi's complaints.

There were students who were dissatisfied with the current situation, and those who were dissatisfied with the process as a whole.

"However, please do not worry. It would make sense for you to have complaints if you were being forced into a harsh situation. However, even though we're calling it a special test, there's no need to think about it in such unhappy terms. In the coming week, you can go swimming, or hold a barbecue. It wouldn't be a bad time for you to occasionally have a campfire and chat with friends, either. The theme of this special exam is 'freedom',after all."