episode_0045

Midterm exam results announcement day.

“Du-gu-du-gu-du-gu-du-gu…”

“Nariath Philbrogue, the most brilliant and beautiful genius of Nifrantz Academy! Swordsmanship, magic, figure—!”

—*FWACK!*

Yuri punched the male cadet in charge of the announcements in the face.

“One verse only.”

“…Anyway, the pride of 1-A is about to show us something! What will her rank be…?!?”

The scroll containing the midterm exam results was distributed to each class, one end pinned to the blackboard.

Only a few seconds remained until the announcement.

All the cadets held their breath, waiting for the announcement, but there was someone more nervous than anyone else…

That person is me…

Honestly, I messed up.

I was doing well until the very end, but then I had a sudden bout of poor condition.

I fell asleep during the last exam, History.

Since coming to the academy, I’ve been collapsing like I have narcolepsy.

Even when Yuri and I went to see a doctor, they said there was nothing wrong, but I definitely feel like something’s wrong.

Is it because of the attributeless mana?

Could it be a side effect of using such a powerful force that doesn’t suit my body?

No.

At least in the research I did on attributeless mana, I didn’t find anything about it causing burden to the user.

I do have a goal of figuring out what’s happening to my body, but…that’s not important right now.

Luckily, History was a memorization subject, so I frantically woke up 5 minutes before the end and managed to fill in about half the answers.

But for me, who aimed for a perfect score, it’s honestly a painful mistake.

Well… I can easily get the existing progress condition of overall 3rd place.

I held my breath and unrolled the scroll.

*Whoosh—!*

And the results of the midterm exams were revealed before everyone’s eyes.

“Whoa—Wait, I can’t see clearly…”

“Hey, you! Get your head out of the way!”

All the cadets in the classroom crowded in front of the blackboard, and I was pushed and shoved around by those trying to change positions based on height.

But amidst the chaos, I saw clearly.

— Nifrantz Academy First Year, First Semester Midterm Exam Results

1st Place: 1-D Offenheimerdinger

2nd Place: 1-H Gino Binred —

“Gasp—!”

My breath hitched.

My name wasn’t on the top, the first thing my eyes landed on.

For about one second (it felt like a minute), I couldn’t breathe at all as I slowly lowered my gaze.

— 3rd Place: 1-A Nariath Philbrogue —

“Gasp… gasp…!!”

Damn, I lived!!…

Luckily, I got 3rd place…

『[Condition: Overall 3rd place in the midterm exam] Met.』

“What? Why are there two 2nd places… No, I misread it.”

“Wow… Nariath got 3rd place overall, seriously? 1-A’s class representative, my heart swells with pride…”

“Mom! I want to be like Nariath when I grow up!”

“Sir, you’re not a man…?”

“Damn ghost, kill yourself…”

Amidst the lively reactions of the cadets checking their scores, I took a deep breath and looked at Eve.

While the entire class was buzzing about the scores, she was sitting at her desk and looking out the window as usual.

I quietly approached and sat next to her.

“Did you see your score?”

“I don’t even need to—”

“—141st place.”

“…”

I guess a true leader is someone who makes those who deny reality turn their heads by quietly snapping their necks and forces them to face reality.

Go ahead and curse me, it’ll make you stronger!

“I don’t know if my attribute tutoring worked or not…She barely avoided failing.”

“…It’s none of your business, just leave me alone…!”

Why is she suddenly like this?

After suddenly snapping at me, Eve paused, took her chin off her hand, and glanced at me.

“…Sorry.”

“Okay. I won’t leave you alone, not even you.”

She tilted her head as if something had come to mind and stared intently at me.

When I made a ‘So what?’ expression, she looked back at the window as if nothing had happened.

I have many students to teach… it’s a long road ahead.

I sighed and went back up to the podium.

“Now, everyone pay attention. It seems that quite a few of you have problems with your scores.”

About half looked straight at me, and the other half bowed their heads.

One or two giggled at those who bowed their heads.

“This guy has a problem with his brain—”

“—Want me to give you a brain problem too?”

“You can’t do it with that brain you have!”

“Whether I can or not—”

*Crash!*

The guys only stopped fighting after Yuri desperately tried to stop them.

‘Whew… Should I laugh or cry.’

It’s good that I have the energy to do either.

Even if it’s not healthy, anger and a desire for revenge can be a form of motivation.

But now is not the time to rest.

I have an even greater source of motivation right now.

“Alright, alright. So, the midterm exams are over. Perhaps you suffered more mentally than when studying. Good work, everyone.”

When I clapped briefly, one by one started to follow.

*Clap- clap clap-* *Clap clap clap…*

Soon, the entire classroom was filled with applause.

“Let’s let it all go. Stop moping and think about what to do next.”

I quietly looked at the side of the podium.

Even now, if I close my eyes and open them, it felt like Lulu would be standing there.

And it wasn’t just me.

Some looked at the blackboard, some at the window, and some at their desks.

Each person carefully looked at the place where the memory of the instructor remained.

Just a few days ago, everyone had empty souls behind their fake smiles, but now I felt something burning within them.

The small but great spark left by the flame mage who would forever shine red in our memories.

“Instructor Valantine said she lacked the qualities of a teacher. To some extent, it’s true. She was someone who lived only for magic.”

Even I ultimately didn’t fully understand her magical world.

Because I used a magic counter skill to win our duel.

“But that makes the time I spent with her worthwhile. I learned the hardest things first.”

The ideal of magic.

A perfect example of someone who honed magic to its limits.

Maybe we just peeked at the answer key at the back of the textbook.

“So we can do it. We can go higher. Some of you dream of becoming a grand mage, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then you have to work harder. Some day, you’ll go to the Magic Tower and meet Lulu.”

They clenched their fists.

That’s right.

There are partings along with reunions, but there are no eternal partings.

Even if we don’t go to the Magic Tower.

Someday, we will meet Lulu again.

“If we don’t hone our skills until the day we reunite, we’ll be disgracing our teacher’s name, right?”

“That’s true…”

“I have to work harder…!”

I didn’t need to say anything else.

They already shared one heart and mind.

At the moment when they were tense, anxious, and even despairing because the first results at the academy were not good.

One person, Lulu Valentine, pushed them all forward.

Even then, they say she didn’t qualify as a teacher?

Absolutely not.

‘…You were the best instructor.’

So Lulu.

From now on, at the Magic Tower, indulge in the magic you loved.

Let’s meet again and smile someday.

. . .

After that day, the skills of the 1-A cadets improved considerably.

No. They improved remarkably. To a degree visible to my eyes and satisfactory.

They became one, no longer keeping their worries or problems to themselves, but began to share them openly.

“Hey, this is… uh, what should I say? Anyway, it’s something something…”

“It feels like I can feel the flow of mana?”

“Yes, that! What Nariath said, I’m starting to get a feel for it…”

“You don’t breathe in there but—”

Thanks to that, what was taught to one was known to ten, and those ten solved new problems on their own.

Growth through teaching. I used this method myself, and it was satisfying to see my friends learn on their own.

I began to think that maybe teaching suited me well.

“Ready, start!”

The guy who once received advice on the basics of magic swords.

*WHOOSH—!*

“Red, one point!”

He’s reached the level where he can almost thrust his sword at my neck.

How could I not feel a sense of accomplishment?

I was sure they were all growing at a sufficient pace.

『[Condition: Improvement in the magic skills of 1-A cadets] Met.』 『[Main Story Chapter 2: Midterm Exams] Cleared.』 『Experience and rewards will be given.』 『Level up.』 『Scenario unlocked. [Main Story Chapter 3: Artemis Ruins]』

My view was filled with status windows along with cheerful sound effects.

As expected, Chapter 3 was a dungeon exploration.

Now I have to take the adventurer registration exam with Eve that I’ve been putting off… But before that.

I first took out the Chapter 2 completion reward item.

[Special Spirit Core] -Rank: Unique -A core that can create a spirit’s physical body. -The quality is extremely high, so it may be possible to create the physical body of any special spirit.

I doubted my eyes.

Any…?

Any veteran Akasto player knows.

The word “any” is the wording developers use when describing overpowered characters or items.

Especially those vague descriptions like, “it may be possible.”

In Akasto, which was called a non-fiction game since some time ago, leaving room for multiple interpretations was simply a cheat code.

In other words…the owner of the body that can be made with this core is a very powerful spirit.

That such a core is the reward for Chapter 2 means that the power of that spirit will be needed in Chapter 3.

To meet the spirit, I need to go to the Bewitching Forest beyond the south gate…

I’ll have to make a significant change to my itinerary.