Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 164: The Exam Begins

"We have no choice. The tickets are already bought and everyone's accounted for, we can't just swap to a horse-drawn carriage last minute."

Makarov sighed. He had a headache just thinking about it. He hoped that once everyone got on the train, they'd at least try to behave.

Wishful thinking.

The moment they boarded, a wide circle of empty seats formed around the nine guild members. All the other passengers instinctively kept their distance from this group of peculiar misfits.

Rhodes figured that if he brought a few more people next time, they wouldn't even need to book private compartments, they'd get the same treatment for free.

Cana, realizing her fellow candidates were such a chaotic bunch, finally relaxed a little. With her nerves eased, she started observing Mest closely.

Mest, who was currently gnawing on the back of the train seat, caught Cana staring and immediately grew wary.

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'Did she notice something? Was my act slipping?' He bit the seat even harder.

Nearby, Joey was flexing his muscles for his teammates. Despite the chilly weather in the carriage, he was still shirtless, making people wonder if he had trained under Gray at some point.

Mickey's sharp gaze swept across the other contestants like she was ready to throw down right then and there.

Max and Joey were joking around, with Max even reaching out to pinch Joey's biceps—clearly, their friendship was genuine.

Warren, meanwhile, observed quietly while keeping an eye on Max to prevent him from blurting out their team strategy.

Wan Chanzi, as always, was silent, leaning back in his seat, not uttering a word.

And Rhodes? Rhodes was worried about the Master.

Makarov sat stiffly, alert as ever, like a field trip teacher supervising a rowdy class of elementary schoolers. Only difference was, the teacher worried for the kids, but Makarov was worried for everyone else.

The train chugged steadily northward, the temperature dropping little by little. Outside the window, the forests thinned and turned golden. Only evergreens like pines and cypresses kept their color—and even they looked different from the lush vibrance of summer.

Onibas Station. Gunuke Station. Oshibana Station.

As they passed through city after city, the scenery became more barren. Warren grew visibly tense with each mile.

"You okay, Warren?" Rhodes asked, glancing at the sweat on his forehead.

"I'm fine. Really," Warren replied, his voice stiff. "It's just, we're getting close."

Max laughed. "Come on, did you forget? Warren is afraid of heights. We're about to hit the canyon bridge!"

"Oh, right!" Cana clapped her hands, grinning mischievously. "Wanna back out now? The test site is right by the canyon, you know."

"D-don't joke like that! I worked hard to get here—!" Warren quickly shut his eyes tight as the train began its crossing. "Besides, the exam's in the canyon, not above it!"

The railway bridge spanned directly over the canyon. Rhodes leaned out slightly to look, catching sight of the jagged terrain below. He wasn't sure whether to call the formations mountains or giant stone pillars.

If he had to compare, it resembled a stone forest—but while those had a mysterious beauty, this place looked desolate and dangerous.

One textbook claimed the canyon was the result of a massive prehistoric earthquake. Another said it was carved by millions of years of erosion.

And then there was the least-believed theory—that this was once a battlefield between two dragons, and the land had never recovered from their clash.

Rhodes couldn't help but think: maybe the most unscientific explanation was actually the right one, especially if Natsu and Wendy weren't lying about being raised by dragons.

Everyone got off at the first stop after crossing the bridge, Kroba Station.

From there, Makarov led the group back a few kilometers along the canyon's edge, then hiked several more northward.

By this time of year, the northern winds had already begun to blow, and the gusts near the canyon were especially biting. Everyone instinctively pulled their coats tighter around them.

Rhodes and Cana trailed at the end of the group, quietly observing the terrain with care.

"This isn't an exam, it's a hiking trip," Mickey complained as she marched forward, clearly annoyed.

Warren's knees were still trembling. He leaned heavily against his partner, Max. "W-Who even hikes in a place like this?"

Max sighed. "If you're like this now, how are you going to survive the actual exam?"

"W-Wait, it'll be fine once we're down in the canyon, right?" Warren said, nervously glancing around. "Master, how much farther is it?"

"We're here," Makarov said, pointing to a rocky peak in the center of the canyon. A large Fairy Tail flag fluttered proudly at its summit. "That's the starting point of the exam."

"From there," he continued, "you'll head north through a natural maze. At the end of the maze are three separate exits, each marked with one of our guild flags."

Cana glanced at Rhodes.

'Did they guess correctly? It really was a maze? We might win this — we could just fly over it.'

But then again, if that was possible, someone like Mest, with his space magic would have the advantage.

Makarov began laying out the rules. "Each of the three exits is sealed with a magical barrier that can only be unlocked with a special key."

"There are only three keys in total," he explained, "and they've been scattered somewhere inside the maze."

"Your task is simple: First, go to the bulletin board at the starting point and write down your team name. Then, head into the maze, locate one of the keys, and reach one of the three exits."

Max raised a hand. "Only one team per exit?"

Makarov nodded. "That's right. Once a team enters an exit, it closes behind them. That means a maximum of three teams can pass this stage."

"Then, then, then, then... then master, how exactly are we supposed to get down there?" Warren asked, his voice trembling with dread.

Makarov replied matter-of-factly, "You'll have to find your own way down, of course."

Warren went pale. This was the worst possible news.

Mickey flexed her fingers inside her tiger-claw gloves and asked, "Master, if we can't find a key, are we allowed to steal one from another team?"

"Yes," Makarov said calmly. "Before reaching the exit, stealing is permitted."

He pulled out eight small flares and handed them out. "The terrain below is tricky, and there are some dangerous creatures down there. If you're in trouble, you can fire a flare for help. But remember, using a flare means giving up the exam. I'll come to retrieve you right away."

"Wait! I've got one very important question," Rhodes raised his hand. "What does the key actually look like, and how big is it?"

Makarov chuckled. "It looks something like this."

He transformed his body into a tall wooden sign shaped like the Fairy Tail emblem. A moment later, he returned to normal.

"The real thing is about the same size as me," he added.

The key was more than half the size of a person. Big enough to spot, but definitely not easy to carry—especially while in combat. Holding it would slow you down, and carrying it on your back wasn't much better. One thing was clear: once you got your hands on a key, you had to get to an exit fast and avoid conflict.

Everyone silently assessed the new information. Makarov raised his hand.

"Then, the first round of the Fairy Tail S-Class Wizard Promotion Exam begins now!"

"Summon: Raptors!"

With a flash of magic, two large red raptors swooped into view. Rhodes and Cana each climbed onto one.

The raptors sprinted a few steps, then leapt from the cliff, soaring toward the flag planted on a rock outcropping deep in the canyon below.

"That's cheating! Come on, Joey!" Mickey shouted.

"Right behind you!" Joey responded.

Together, the two launched themselves off the cliff edge, landing on a lower ledge with perfect coordination before bounding down from there with wild agility.

Meanwhile, Mest placed a hand on Wan Chanzi's shoulder. The two vanished in a blink, and reappeared at the bottom of the canyon.

Then, their figures flickered forward in bursts of teleportation, moving even faster than the Crimson Raptors in flight.

Finally, the last team.

"Come on, Warren! We're falling behind!" Max shouted, trying to drag his partner forward.

But Warren clung to a boulder for dear life, face scrunched in panic. "No way, it's way too high!"

"Do you want to take this exam or not!?" Max yelled, exasperated.

"At least let me prepare myself mentally first!" Warren wailed.