Florida Man in Magus World: Unleashing Liberty and Freedom

Meanwhile, Felix absentmindedly copied the unfamiliar alphabets and numbers onto his exam paper, oblivious to their meaning. So far, he breezed through each question without needing to think, simply letting his hand do the work. But when he reached the last question, Felix noticed something odd—the answer kept getting longer and longer. His right hand began to ache from the endless writing.

Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Felix called out to Jessica.

"Jessica, why is this answer so long? What's the question, anyway?"

The AI assistant quickly responded, <The question asks: 'If you were the emperor, what would you do to improve the Dragoon Empire?'>

"Ah, that explains it. But isn't this an open-ended question?"

<Yes, but it's also designed as a trick question to distinguish the more capable examinees. To help you stand out in this written examination, I've generated the best possible answer. Just keep copying the text until the very end.>

"...Well, if you say so," Felix muttered, resigned to his fate. He didn't bother asking what the answer actually was. The essay was way too long for his liking, and as someone who avoided reading more than a few sentences at a time, the thought of tackling three or four pages of dense, formal writing filled him with dread.

As he continued to scribble down the endless text, Felix hoped the ordeal would soon be over. But just as he thought he was nearing the end, the desk produced another stack of blank paper, prompting him to keep writing.

"Oh, boy," Felix groaned, glancing at the system menu to check the time. With only 30 minutes left, he could only hope that whatever Jessica had concocted would be worth the effort.

Twenty-five minutes later, Felix completed the lengthy thesis essay. He set down the two-inch pencil in his hand and discreetly pocketed the plastic pencil sharpener. After carefully placing the finished papers in the drawer, he stood up and looked around at the cubic cage surrounding him. The cage dissipated into dust, and the black mist wall opened an exit path, inviting him to leave.

Casually scanning his surroundings, Felix noticed that two-thirds of the examinees had already finished their tests and left. He followed the others' example, exiting the examination area with a calm demeanor. But as soon as he stepped outside, a dozen spear tips aimed directly at his face, welcoming his return.

The knights holding them glared at him with palpable anger, their auras radiating hostility. Behind them, Veetee sneered and barked out an order.

"KILL THAT TRAITOR! HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO JOIN THE ACADEMY!"

Felix deeply sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable. Any thought of showing this brat mercy vanished. He took a step back into the test ground, pulling out an M1 Garand and a strip of anti-mana rounds. Loading the bullets with practiced ease, Felix aimed at the hostile crowd outside.

As he steadied his aim, Felix issued a cold warning.

"I don't know what your problem is, but if you push your luck, I'll blast everyone here, including you!"

One of the aura knights, his spear crackling with energy, lunged forward, crossing the mist wall into the examination area.

Felix sighed again, retreating two steps to maintain distance. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

*BANG*

The bullet punched through the knight's steel helmet, shattered his skull, and exited through the back of his head, disappearing into the sky. The aura knight crumpled to the ground, his spear slipping from his grasp.

Felix calmly pulled the bolt, chambering the next round, and redirected his aim toward Veetee. He was done tolerating the man's nonsense.

"STOP!!"

Just as Felix was about to fire, a wall of light materialized, forming a second barrier between him and Veetee's followers. But Felix was undeterred.

*BANG*

The bullet pierced through the wall of light, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. With unstoppable momentum, the mana-clad bullet found its mark, drilling into Veetee's forehead. The young master's eyes widened in shock before his consciousness faded to black.

With his target down, Felix ejected the spent shell and lowered his rifle. However, he stayed on high alert, ready to gun down every knight behind the wall if they dared to advance.

"STOP!! STOP!!"

Martin, who had erected the wall to prevent further bloodshed, landed on the ground and positioned himself between Felix and Veetee's group. He spread his arms wide, signaling for them to halt their pursuit. Unfortunately, two lives had already been lost.

Gall rushed to his young master's side and found Veetee lifeless. He bitterly smiled, having anticipated this outcome someday, though not so suddenly.

"Stand down," Gall ordered the knights with a calm demeanor.

The aura knights of Seth House glanced back at their fallen master. Half of them sighed in relief, secretly pleased by the troublemaker's demise. The other half, however, were frustrated, realizing that with Veetee gone, they could no longer use his name to intimidate and extort citizens within their territory.

Reluctantly, they sheathed their weapons, allowing the kingdom's magus to take control of the situation.

Tanaka joined Martin at the scene, while Saucon and Xavior observed the commotion from a distance. Upon arrival, Tanaka's gaze fell on Felix and the weapon he held. Recognizing it, the sword saint clicked his tongue.

"I see you're a transmigrator like us. We're also from Earth. Now, drop the gun, and let's talk." Tanaka attempted to deescalate the situation, but his wariness was evident. The unknown power of Felix's gun, which had just pierced through Martin's Wall of Light, made him cautious.

A gun that could neutralize a magus's spell? Tanaka couldn't afford to overlook such a threat.

Felix scoffed, "Tell those entitled people first. Do you think I want to kill them? This is self-defense!"

"I know," Tanaka replied with a dry laugh. "We've got it under control. Put down the gun first."

Felix glanced at the system map, which displayed Tanaka's intentions as yellow, indicating caution but not immediate danger. Martin's mark was green, a sign of trustworthiness. However, the rest of the crowd was a mix of red and yellow, signaling hostility and uncertainty.

Seeing Tanaka's measured responses and hearing his words, Felix inwardly cursed the situation. By now, Sean Smith would have heard the gunshot and realized that another Earthling was present. This would complicate things.

As thoughts of Sean Smith crossed his mind, Felix tilted his head in confusion. Why did he want Sean Smith dead again?

<Fate Crystal?> Jessica reminded him.

Felix smacked his forehead, recalling the ominous presence and abilities of crystal holders. Keeping his gun aimed, he threatened Tanaka, "Tell those people outside to get out of my sight!"

Tanaka took a firm stance, asserting his authority. "Felix Ariel, in this world, you're just a student candidate, and I'm the sword saint who can fail your exam on the spot. You don't have the authority to order me around. Put down that gun, or I'll fail you."

"Fine, fail me. I don't give a fuck," Felix retorted, raising his rifle to aim directly at Tanaka's face. "If I have to comment, you suck at negotiation and understanding right from wrong. Instead of disarming me, the one being bullied by a bunch of knights, you should be protecting me from those thugs!"

Tanaka, irritated but not inclined to bully a junior, raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. "See? I'm unarmed. You can put down that gun." He tried to reason with Felix again.

Felix checked the system map. Tanaka's mark remained yellow, and Felix couldn't bring himself to trust him. His finger hovered over the trigger, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

Sensing the tension, Tanaka bitterly smiled. To prevent the situation from escalating further, he sighed deeply and took several steps back, retreating to let others handle the case.

Martin, observing Felix's wariness toward the people outside, decided to take a more direct approach. He removed his hoodie and walked boldly toward Felix, hoping to calm the situation.

"Child, I'm Martin, the deputy headmaster of the Royal Magi Academy, and I'm also from Earth. I know the locals here can be hostile, but please, don't shoot," Martin said gently.

Felix was puzzled by everyone's apparent fear of his gun. But since Martin's mark on the system map had always been green, he decided to trust him and put the gun back into his inventory.

Seeing the weapon vanish, Martin let out a relieved smile. "So, do you have an inventory system or a subspace storage artifact with you?" he asked.

"Both," Felix lied without hesitation.

"I see. Thanks for trusting me," Martin said, nodding. "I'll take care of the situation outside quickly. You stay here for a little longer."

"Why is that? Mind if I ask why the people outside are so hostile to me?" Felix asked, confused.

Martin chuckled. "Do you even realize that everyone outside can see what you wrote on those exam sheets?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Why did you write it?"

"Write what?"

"The entire United States Constitution. Are you trying to overthrow the empire and enforce democracy in this country or something?"

"Huh?" Felix was baffled. He didn't remember provoking the local empire or the country. But then, he thought of the long essay he had written earlier.

He finally pieced together why the people outside were so angry. Dully, he asked Jessica, "What did you make me write again, Jessica?"

Jessica, expressionless as always, replied in her usual monotonous voice, <The last question of the exam asked what you would do to improve the government system. I provided the most 'Efficient' answer. Unfortunately, the local population's intelligence level is inferior to Earth's standards, lower than that of Chimpanzees. I assume the comments might have enraged the masses outside.>

"...You. What have you done?" Felix muttered in disbelief, realizing the magnitude of the situation.