episode_0072

Swoosh! Shaaaah!

“Keeheee….”

“Does this make it 12 in total?”

The corrupted spirits vanish slowly, leaving behind a peculiar whimper.

This place was at the edge of the outer region close to the center of the Forest of Delusion. Cain was effortlessly luring and exterminating the corrupted spirits there.

“Cain! Can I come out now?!”

“Yes. You don’t need to hide anymore.”

Cain’s success in luring them was thanks to Elise, who was diligently assisting him.

Elise possessed rare sanctity among the few at Ariel Academy.

Corrupted spirits below a certain rank fear sanctity, thus they do not easily reveal themselves to those who possess it. Coming into contact with sanctity results in their complete annihilation without a trace.

Therefore, Cain purposely sent Elise far away from himself to lure the surrounding corrupted spirits towards him.

“You seem really clever, Cain! Luring the corrupted spirits for a hunt while searching for a safe path…!”

“Not really. It’s an idea anyone could come up with if they thought about it. Elise played a significant role. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to exterminate the corrupted spirits alone.”

Cain was right. While he had reached a level where he could manifest Aura, he still couldn’t wield it freely.

If Elise hadn’t infused her sanctity into his sword, he wouldn’t have been able to destroy the corrupted spirits.

Cain thanked Elise as he gently stroked her approaching figure.

“Thank you, Elise. This is all thanks to you.”

“Oh no! If I were alone, I wouldn’t have found the Tears of the Fairy. You know so much about the Forest of Delusion and the likelihood of finding the Tears of the Fairy!”

“…That’s also thanks to the Varbo family’s library.”

“Don’t be too modest! Can’t you admit it a bit more?”

Cain chuckled awkwardly as he picked up the Tears of the Fairy he found within the lush weeds.

…This makes it the fourth one.

There were more than enough to get a perfect score and then some.

“I’d like to get more if I could, but… it would be pointless if I’m late.”

Things had been going smoothly so far, but any delay due to unforeseen circumstances could complicate matters.

Cain silently nodded his head, deciding to be satisfied at this point. Other examinees would struggle to even obtain one Tear of the Fairy.

“And, even someone as skilled as a potential Aura Master would find this test challenging.”

This test was not individual but group-oriented.

While he could handle numerous pursuing corrupted spirits alone, having to protect his partner imposed limitations.

“Of course, Elise’s help made the test easier. I can’t deny that… So, I should repay her separately.”

With his thoughts organized, Cain looked at Elise with a content expression.

“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that, Cain?”

“Oh, nothing. Well, Elise, it’s almost time for dawn. Shall we start heading out of the forest?”

“Yes~.”

…

…

…

“Did you two… find all of these Tears of the Fairy together?”

“Yes, Instructor.”

Upon exiting the Forest of Delusion, Cain handed the Tears of the Fairy to Instructor Bahamut, who was waiting at the entrance.

Instructor Bahamut’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

Until now, the highest number of Tears of the Fairy brought by any candidate was three.

But today, for the first time, a candidate had brought four. Bahamut, who usually maintained a stern and expressionless demeanor, was inwardly surprised this time.

“So, you’re Varbo from the Varbo noble family and Elise from a commoner background? The first-year students this year seem quite exceptional.”

Perhaps at this moment, unbeknownst to them, the birth of a hero destined to make a name for themselves on the continent was underway.

With a satisfied smile, Instructor Bahamut spoke.

“Make sure to keep them well. The four fairy tears you brought will be used for the future development of the Ariel Academy and the education of the students.”

“I am truly honored, Instructor.”

“My apologies, I am truly honored!”

There wasn’t much time left until the final third exam was over.

The sun was rising. The weather was getting chilly, indicating that morning was approaching.

‘Shall we end the exam here.’

After Cain came down, there seemed to be no sign of any more students coming out.

Bahamut, the instructor, spoke to Professor Venice who was recording the number of fairy tears brought by the examinees.

“Professor Venice, the record is about-”

“Huh? Instructor, more students are coming out from the entrance.”

At the professor’s words, Bahamut turned his head towards the entrance.

‘…Since it’s not yet fully morning, should we accept them as the last ones.’

In the distance, a student in swordsmanship armor was running towards them.

‘…Huh?’

Although he was running, something seemed off.

He was carrying someone on his back.

‘Did his partner faint…? But it’s not just one person.’

It was like a laborer carrying a heavy load on his back.

He was carrying three people who seemed to have fainted heavily.

A bizarre sight. This was another first during the history of the Misled Forest exam.

As one of the students approached Bahamut, he gently put down the group he was carrying and gasped for breath.

“Panting….”

“Is he an examinee? Why did he bring three people?”

“Well… We happened to encounter a high-level Fallen Spirit while taking the exam together. That’s why they ended up like this…”

“You encountered a high-level spirit? Did you defeat it?”

“No, we ran away.”

“They must not have realized they had entered the core and got into trouble.”

It was a common occurrence.

Fools who chased after strong energy, unaware that they had entered the core, only to encounter high-level Fallen Spirits.

Compared to Cain Barbora, who had brought four fairy tears earlier, these students were quite different.

‘Of course, they probably couldn’t even find the spirit tears and ran away.’

Bahamut sighed and asked the student in front of him.

“Did you bring the fairy tears?”

“Yes, I did! Including the ones from the fainted ones.”

“…You brought them?”

“Yes. Here… Ahem.”

Rustle.

The student in front of him pulled out a shining pile from his bag.

With a strong aura and magic, these were crystal-like tears emitting a blue light.

They were all fairy tears.

Bahamut began to doubt if what he was seeing with his own eyes was real.

His mouth fell open.

There seemed to be around 40 of them, roughly.

“What… is all this?”

“These are fairy tears.”

“Well, I know that, but….”

Due to Bahamut’s reaction, the student in front of him started to look uneasy.

Curious about what was happening, Professor Venice, who was recording the examinees, approached them.

“Instructor, what’s going on- Oh!”

Then, seeing the unbelievable scene before him, he exclaimed in shock.

“No, what is all this!”

***

After the final exam, rumors about Sian, Tia, Aria, and Lucy spread quickly within the academy.

[A record number of examinees in Ariel’s history! The brought fairy tears are…]

Nearly 40.

A first in the 300-year history of the Ariel Academy!

They were all contributed by Sian from the Swordsmanship Department, Aria from the Spirit Department, Tia from the Alchemy Department, and Lucy,

The brought fairy tears are expected to make a significant contribution to the academy’s advancement.

By now, rumors were circulating that they intentionally made the spirits cry to induce their corruption…

In the academy’s newspaper, a large photo of Sian and his group was displayed.

‘This is going to be a headache…! What is all this!’

Thanks to that, Sian was having a headache.

In the midst of the chaotic situation, he had forgotten that he should have gradually disposed of the fairy tears.

The gazes of the students in the Swordsmanship classroom looking at Sian were unsettling.

“Him… Is it true about the rumors? It’s really them, right?”

“The name Si-an is quite common… but in the martial arts department, there’s only one like them.”

“There’s a different aura about them. I tried talking to them, but they ignored me. I thought they’d brush me off for complimenting their looks…”

“They were someone who originally lived in a different dimension. Would we even catch their eye? The divine being who defeated Ignis in just 29 seconds…”

“Hehe… Hehehe.”

Si-an laughed bitterly.

It was now something they had given up on. They had vowed not to stand out.

The world had mocked them.

In the first test, they gained attention due to a moment of enlightenment at a crucial time.

In the second test, an incident occurred, and they defeated Ignis in just 29 seconds.

They had thought they would just aim for an A grade in the third test…

“Collecting 40 tears of fairies, this is an achievement impossible even in the original work… Hehehehe.”

What was the purpose of not standing out again?

It was because of the confrontation with Cain.

Cain is a child of the top Barbo family in the story. His information network is likely overwhelmingly superior compared to other families.

Moreover, the protagonist Cain has a personality that must overcome any obstacle he faces.

Due to this recent event, he would probably investigate to satisfy his curiosity about himself. No, he might have already figured out his true identity.

The expression on Cain’s face when they had lunch with Lucy and Aria last time. The way he looked at them seemed extremely resentful.

Perhaps he showed such behavior because he had figured out his true identity.

“Let it be as it will… Damn.”

It was at that moment, filled with dismay, that they were just waiting for the class to end.

“That concludes today’s final lesson. Thank you for your hard work. From the second year onwards, you will see each other in different classes.”

Iris finished her last theory class.

One student shouted and asked Iris, “Professor Iris! In which class will you be teaching?!”

“It’s not decided yet. I might teach in Class B of the second year. The previous teacher of this class was supposed to handle Class B originally…”

Students who seemed somewhat disappointed continued to ask Iris questions, and she answered all of them.

Of course, Si-an didn’t hear any of this, and before they knew it, Iris had left the classroom.

Somewhere, Si-an felt someone’s gaze. When they turned their head, Hedy was looking at them.

“……”

“……”

Why?

Hedy’s expression seemed peculiar. It seemed like they had something to say, yet also just calmly observing.

Soon, Hedy averted their gaze and left the classroom. There was no time to ponder the meaning of the earlier situation.

Although their mind was in turmoil, Si-an found themselves alone in the classroom as the door slammed shut after Hedy left.

“Si-an! Are you here! Waking up to find yourself a star, what is this…!”

“Si-an! Can we talk!”

Aria and Lucy, who had been unconscious in the infirmary, came looking for Si-an as soon as they woke up.