There was an unusually large number of otherworldly creatures in the area.

    Hearing that from Alice seemed to have widened David and Lisa’s perspective.

    Both of them widened their eyes in realization, finally catching on.

    “Oh my, could it be...?”

    “The purpose of this treasure hunt is...”

    “That’s right. Maybe... the treasure we need to find is these otherworldly creatures.”

    Alice lowered her voice as much as possible, making sure not to be overheard.

    After all, every other applicant was a competitor—there was no reason to help them.

    In any case, her intuition was spot on.

    The first task was indeed heavily tied to otherworldly creatures.

    More specifically, the answer to the task was rare ingredients from another world.

    The key hint was the fact that Mira Valentia, the examiner, was a gourmet fixer.

    The real test was about deducing whose perspective defined "treasure" in this situation.

    Breaking free from the conventional notion of treasure—typically gold or ancient relics—and interpreting it correctly was crucial.

    It was a task designed to assess one’s ability to think outside the box and secure valuable ingredients faster than the competition.

    “I see... When people hear ‘treasure,’ they usually think of precious metals or artifacts. This test is likely meant to challenge that assumption and see if we can achieve the actual objective.”

    “Wow, I never would’ve guessed. I can’t believe these adorable little creatures are the treasure... Well, once one person figures it out, everyone else will start catching on.”

    “Then we need to move quickly before others get ahead of us! Yuria! Thanks to you, the first task is going to be a breeze! Seriously, thank you!”

    “....”

    Tight.

    Alice hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe.

    She must have been more nervous about her first fixer exam than she let on.

    She genuinely seemed grateful that I had given her a clear answer to the task.

    Of course, I didn’t think it was anything worth being thankful for.

    Within an hour, most applicants would figure out the treasure’s true identity on their own.

    The mere presence of these animals—normally found only in protected reserves—was odd in itself.

    And with nothing else remotely resembling treasure in sight, the answer was bound to click sooner or later.

    All I did was accelerate the inevitable.

    Plus, I had chosen the easiest target—a creature that could be lured with a simple biscuit.

    Still, being hugged by Alice felt nice, so there was no reason to refuse.

    Hehe, go on, praise me more.

    “Yuria, we’re heading off!”

    “...!”

    Alice, after a deep hug that left our cheeks touching, quickly composed herself.

    This was a race. Standing around wouldn’t do them any favors.

    Now that she knew the answer, she was going to complete the task as quickly as possible.

    She turned to David and Lisa.

    “David! And... Lisa? Let’s go!”

    “Understood.”

    “Oh my, I appreciate being included in your party.”

    “What do you mean, ‘included in our party’?! This is just a one-time thing for this task!”

    I chuckled at Alice’s wary response to Lisa’s sudden intrusion.

    She might say that, but she was too kind to avoid getting tangled up with Lisa in future tasks.

    Watching them interact was already entertaining.

    Lisa was a good person—hopefully, they’d get along better over time.

    As they left, I waved at them.

    They were some of the most skilled people in the entire fixer exam. There was nothing to worry about.

    “Chik-chik!”

    “....”

    As I waved, I heard a small sound from my hands.

    It was the Thunder Squirrel, still comfortably nestled in my grasp.

    Was it asking for more biscuits?

    I handed it another treat and gently stroked its fur with my fingertips.

    The Thunder Squirrel stood up on its hind legs, nibbling on the biscuit while accepting my touch without resistance.

    It was clearly accustomed to humans—there was none of the usual wild animal aggression.

    Still... was its tail really a delicacy?

    It was so cute that I couldn’t imagine eating it. The thought alone piqued my curiosity.

    “Chik, chik?!”

    “...?”

    But just then, the Thunder Squirrel perked up, gripping my fingers tightly.

    It looked just like a small animal sensing danger.

    Had I unknowingly done something to make it uncomfortable?

    Whatever the case, I gently scratched its chin in apology.

    I didn’t want it running away before I had officially passed.

    Technically, I could turn it into Mira right now and be done with it.

    But placing first would attract unnecessary attention.

    I planned to wait until Alice and the others returned before submitting my find.

    “Chik-chik!”

    “....”

    And so, I sat near the clearing, playing with the Thunder Squirrel to pass the time.

    Of course, I wasn’t the only applicant around.

    But everyone else was too busy frantically searching for the treasure to pay attention to me.

    From their perspective, I must have looked like someone who had given up and was just lounging around.

    No one wanted to waste time on a supposed dropout.

    That worked out perfectly for me.

    If anyone tried to snatch my squirrel, it would’ve been annoying to deal with.

    As far as I knew, there was only one Thunder Squirrel in this entire area.

    If someone took it, I’d have no choice but to whine and beg them to give it back.

    Or ask Alice to get revenge for me.

    Yeah, it was better this way.

    “Yuria! We’re back!”

    About thirty minutes later, Alice and the others returned, carrying various items.

    Alice had a massive golden-furred tiger.

    David held a flamboyant mushroom that looked suspiciously poisonous.

    Lisa carried a dirt-covered bamboo shoot.

    “What the—? A tiger? There was something like that here?”

    “Are they idiots? We’re supposed to be searching for treasure, and they’re wasting time on something like that....”

    “Wait... something’s weird. Why are animals like that even here, on the outskirts of the city...?”

    Some applicants were quick to catch on, their instincts leading them toward the truth.

    But most scoffed and clicked their tongues, thinking Alice’s group was just being ridiculous.

    I didn’t care about their reactions.

    Clutching my squirrel, I ran toward Alice’s group.

    “...!”

    “Sorry for the wait. We actually finished earlier, but David suggested we look for something even more valuable.”

    “Well, the task is called a ‘treasure hunt.’ I figured it would be best to find something truly rare.”

    “Alice dear, do mention that my knowledge helped, won’t you?”

    “Ugh... T-Thanks, Lisa.”

    Yep, they had grasped the key point.

    The real challenge wasn’t just securing any otherworldly ingredient.

    It had to be rare enough to be considered a treasure.

    Alice and her group had each brought back ingredients that were practically impossible to purchase, no matter how much money one had.

    With what they had gathered, passing the first task was a sure thing.

    “Alright, you’re all cleared. Applicants #631, #632, #633, and #7—you’ve secured the top four spots in the order you arrived. No objections, right?”

    “We did it!”

    “No objections at all!”

    “The treasures you’ve obtained will be collected by the exam staff. You can now sit back and rest until the exam ends. Good work.”

    Of course, we had all passed.

    Alice and David, who had boldly led the way, took first and second place.

    Since I had intentionally delayed my entry, I placed third.

    And Elizabeth—Lisa, the outsider—ended up in fourth place.

    The ranking didn’t hold much meaning, but...

    Holding the first-place title would inevitably make Alice a target. I felt a little bad about that.

    Not that it mattered too much—she was more than capable of crushing anyone who came after her.

    “T-They actually passed...?!”

    “The treasure was... ingredients?!”

    “I see! The examiner is a gourmet fixer, so the treasure was food ingredients! We need to find some fast!”

    Perhaps because we had solved the task in under an hour, the secret had spread.

    The remaining applicants finally realized that the treasure they had to find was rare ingredients from another world.

    And as a result, a chaotic competition for ingredients broke out.

    Stealing ingredients from others became common practice.

    Some even set up ambushes to attack and snatch food from their competitors.

    With only a three-hour time limit, searching aimlessly was inefficient—taking from those who had already found something was the better strategy.

    Of course, those who struggled to steal an ingredient, only to have it rejected as too common, could do nothing but vent their frustrations.

    “Alright, the last spot goes to you. Congratulations, applicant number 100.”

    At the 2-hour, 44-minute mark, the final successful applicant staggered into the clearing, covered in minor wounds.

    The next person in line let out a desperate scream, overcome with despair.

    Poor guy... but that’s just how it is. Should’ve moved faster.

    ‘Wow... the number of people thinned out so fast. From hundreds down to just 100. A ridiculous elimination rate. The same thing must be happening in the other groups, too. There are probably around 1,500 people left in total.’

    As expected of the world’s hardest exam.

    The first task alone had cut down thousands of applicants.

    Months—maybe years—of preparation had gone up in smoke in an instant.

    Of course, not everyone could accept such an outcome.

    One man, still clutching his ingredient while anxiously awaiting the results, suddenly raised his voice in fury.

    “Hey, don’t mess with me! I’m serious about becoming a fixer! Making us do some stupid treasure hunt like we’re kids... You think this is funny?!”

    The man stormed toward Mira, his voice filled with rage.

    He was a beastfolk, with a deep scar across his face.

    Judging by his mane-like hair, he was probably a lion beastfolk—his presence was overwhelming.

    His expression was twisted in anger, as if he couldn’t accept the fact that he had failed due to something as trivial as a treasure hunt.

    He sure was bold. To think he’d dare to confront a professional fixer.

    But evaluation was entirely up to the examiner’s discretion. Picking a fight wouldn’t do him any good.

    Still, Mira, despite her sharp speech, was a rather flexible person.

    She merely responded with an unfazed tone, completely unbothered by his aggressive stance.

    “A child’s game, you say? Are you seriously claiming this task has nothing to do with selecting fixers?”

    “Of course! Finding treasure is about luck, not skill! Some weakling who’s nowhere near my level passed just because they found some treasure first! You expect me to just accept that?!”

    With that, the lion beastfolk shot a sharp glare toward me, who was sitting quietly in the corner.

    ...What are you looking at? You got a problem? I swear, I’ll rip your mane right off.

    I could guess what he was thinking.

    If we went purely by combat ability, even a million of me without telekinesis couldn’t take him down.

    His frustration made sense—I had simply used my knowledge of the original story to skip to the answer.

    But Mira only seemed amused.

    Crossing her arms—almost as if emphasizing her chest—she scoffed at the man.

    “Hmmm. I see. I understand why you’re upset. It seems like many of the other failed applicants feel the same way. Very well, let me ask you one thing. What do you think a fixer is?”

    “A fixer is someone who survives competition! Look at the world! The strongest people in the world are all fixers! Becoming a fixer means proving your strength! It’s not something that should be decided by some stupid playground game!”

    “Heh, an interesting perspective. Looking at the fixers out there, I suppose it’s not entirely wrong.”

    Mira chuckled, stroking her chin with a single finger.

    His words weren’t completely off-base.

    After all, the strongest individuals in the world—outside of wanted criminals—were mostly fixers.

    In a way, fixers were the victors of intense competition.

    But by Mira’s standards, that answer was only worth a 50 out of 100.

    Straightening up from where she had been leaning against a sports car, she stepped closer to the lion beastfolk.

    “Elites. Champions. Entertainers. Influencers... In recent years, fixers have spread into all kinds of fields, leading to frequent misunderstandings. But from the moment fixers first came into existence, their core role has remained unchanged.”

    “...What?”

    “A fixer is someone who solves problems on behalf of others. In short, they’re a government-approved errand service. Strength, charisma, beauty... Those are secondary qualities. Nothing more. You’re still just a rookie, after all.”

    “Kh... Grrr...! You...!”

    Rumble.

    The air around Mira distorted violently.

    It was like the shimmering heat waves above scorching asphalt in the middle of summer.

    The sheer pressure she emitted was overwhelming.

    The lion beastfolk, despite being nearly two heads taller than Mira, trembled and collapsed to his knees before her.

    Even after a long moment, he couldn’t bring himself to lift his head.

    Seeing that, Mira clicked her tongue, then turned to address the remaining applicants.

    “Erasing enemies from the world—that’s something anyone can do with missiles or magic. But rescuing a hostage from a kidnapper? That requires human will. If you can’t grasp that difference, you’ll never become a fixer.”

    “I hope this experience serves as a lesson and makes you all wiser.”

    With that, she casually pulled a pair of sunglasses from her breast pocket and slid them onto her face, exuding effortless charisma as she turned on her heel.

    “The first task is officially over! Failed applicants must return their watches and leave the exam site immediately!”

    Well... There would be another chance in six months. They’d just have to try harder then.

    Watching the defeated applicants leave, I murmured a quiet farewell that no one would hear.

    And so, the relatively easy first task—the treasure hunt—came to an end.

    But the next challenges would be far more difficult.

    The real fixer exam was only just beginning.