Moonlight

Today was the first day of the promotion exam. Each department had a different exam schedule, so unlike Luna, who had her practical exam in the afternoon and was fidgeting nervously, I had finished my written exam in the morning and was lying comfortably on the sofa in the club room, reading a book.

Kane, who had already finished his practical exam in the morning, was sitting on the bed with a slightly dazed expression, and Aria was cramming for her written exam in the afternoon. Putting a book to her head wouldn’t do much good for the exam, but I didn’t bother to meddle.

I closed the book I was reading and casually reached out to grab Luna’s fidgeting hand. Her palms were sweaty, probably because she was nervous about the exam. I took out the handkerchief I had in my uniform pocket and wiped her hand. Luna, who had been quietly watching, pursed her lips and sighed.

, “What if… what if I fail the exam again this time…?”

Seeing Luna’s lack of confidence, I folded the handkerchief, put it back in my pocket, and answered in a clear voice.

“You’ll do well. There won’t be anyone to bother you this time.”

Luna, whom I’ve watched from the side, was a diligent student. She’s pretty and cute, and even diligent! I almost wanted to make a fuss about how she’s a woman with only good qualities.

Luna’s droopy eyebrows looked cute, so I poked her soft cheeks with my fingers and said.

“If you do your best as much as you’ve worked hard, you’ll definitely get good results.”

Luna smiled faintly at my words, and I also raised the corners of my lips. Like a chick seeking its mother’s embrace, Luna leaned against me gently, and I willingly opened my arms to make a comfortable position for her to lean on.

I can see the top of her head. Is it human instinct to smell it gently, or am I just a pervert? It definitely smells good. And it’s addictive.

Luna, who didn’t notice that I was smelling the top of her head, asked in a more relaxed voice.

“Ross, did you do well on the written exam?”

I was silent for a moment at Luna’s question. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it would be better to tell the truth. When I didn’t say anything, Luna fidgeted and urged me to answer. There’s no need to lie.

I said as if it was nothing.

“…According to the preliminary scoring I did with Lacar earlier, it’s a perfect score.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Luna pulled away from me. Luna, who was looking at me with tearful eyes as if betrayed, lowered her head and fidgeted again as if she was nervous. I scratched my head at the sight.

“Exam scores aren’t that important…”

“Ro, Ross-ssi is the top of the combat department…! And even the vice-chairman of the grade… so it’s easy for you to say. But we’re lovers, so we have to maintain similar grades…”

It didn’t matter what Luna’s grades were, but if I said that, she would pout with a dissatisfied look on her face. It would be nice to see that, but right now I need to be a caring boyfriend who gives his girlfriend the comfort she wants to hear.

“If it’s the Luna I know, you can do it. You’ve studied hard. Don’t worry.”

Fortunately, it was the right answer, and Luna nodded and smiled slightly. I nodded leisurely, and a face popped out right next to me.

“What about me?”

At Aria’s question, I chuckled and said.

“Look at one more thing instead of asking.”

“Bbaeeeeeeeeeng!”

***

The auditorium on the first basement floor.

Pabenel, the dormitory supervisor and professor of the Department of Magic, appeared on the platform.

“I believe you all know how important today’s exam is without me having to say it. When you clear the individual dungeon, you will automatically come out of the snow globe, so those who have cleared the dungeon should wait in the waiting tent on the right, and then enter the collaborative dungeon according to the professor’s instructions.”

Luna nodded at the explanation and took a small deep breath.

“Now, let’s start the exam. We will enter the tent in the order of the numbers assigned in advance.”

At Pabenel’s gesture, the entrance began. Luna, who was calming her nerves with deep breaths, hurriedly followed when the person in front of her started.

As she entered the tent, Luna saw a student receiving a snow globe and disappearing with a flash of light.

Luna, encouraged by the fact that everyone was sitting at the table without hesitation and placing their hands on the snow globe offered by the professor, took a deep breath when her turn came and placed her hand on the snow globe offered by the professor with an unfamiliar face. Luna didn’t know that the professor’s eyes were glowing red as he looked at her because she was nervous.

Luna’s vision changed and she felt dizzy for a moment, so she closed her eyes and opened them as she regained her balance. A huge mansion that seemed to have been abandoned alone for a long time after people had left was in front of her.

Luna looked around in embarrassment, but there was nothing that looked like a dungeon except for the mansion that exuded a chilling aura.

“Bu, but you said it was a dungeon…?”

Thinking that maybe the professor was lying to see how she would react to a sudden variable, Luna took out her wand and carefully approached the door of the mansion.

When she pushed the iron door that had not been touched by human hands, the door opened with a creepy creaking sound. The darkness, with no lights on, caused an instinctive fear, but Luna was a magic scholar who used various auxiliary magic.

Luna, using her wand to create a light floating above her head, swallowed hard and took a step. As she took a step into the mansion’s interior, which she had confirmed with guide magic, she could feel the air changing.

It was as if the inside of the mansion was winter, filled with a chilling coldness. Luna, who was walking carefully down the hallway, found a human figure in the darkness and pointed her wand at it.

“Wh, who are you?”

There was no movement even at Luna’s words. Luna, who approached carefully, let out a sigh of relief when she realized it was a human statue. Luna, who started walking again, arrived at the end of the hallway. When she opened the old wooden door and entered the drawing room, there were gorgeous lights and a neat interior, as if the darkness and the old exterior of the mansion were a lie.

On the long table were warm soup and bread, as if they had just been made, and piles of food, and teacups and teapots were flying in the air.

The drawing room was filled with delicious smells, but now it was the promotion exam. She wasn’t hungry, so Luna passed the table and quickly looked around for the next place to go.

“Oh, are you very busy? You seem to have enough time to enjoy a cup of tea. If you take a step too hastily, you may fall into an endless cliff.”

It was clear that there was no one at the table, but Luna was surprised and turned around to point her wand at the appearance of a man wearing a hat bigger than his head, holding a teacup as naturally as if he had been sitting there for a long time.

At Luna’s action, the man reacted exaggeratedly, as if he was acting in a play, and raised the hand holding the teacup high.

“Haha, you’re a violent guest. How dare you refuse the tea offered by the host. This is so sad.”

Luna, who was looking at the man pretending to shed tears, felt her heart sink the moment she met his eyes.

The fire in the man’s eyes was a fire of madness that wanted to burn everything, even himself.

Luna, who initially thought he might be a professor, realized that the person in front of her was dangerous and did not lower the wand she had been pointing.

“Hoo, are you still not going to drink tea even though I offered it like this?”

Luna said in a trembling voice to the man who was shaking his head as if he was disappointed.

“Yo, you’re not a professor, are you?”

“Aang, I used to have such a dream. A dream of teaching students! I wanted to raise a disciple who resembled me! Unfortunately, I didn’t become a professor. Now I’m a great hat maker. Huut huut hut!”

The man, who put down the teacup and got up from his seat, took off his hat and politely introduced himself to Luna.

“My name is Jamie. I’m a hat maker who came on a business trip to make you the perfect hat. Heuhat! You’re even more attractive in person. Madam, may I have the honor of kissing your hand?”

Luna felt goosebumps on her back. The creepy smile of the man in front of her was a smile that was somehow lacking. And the eyes that looked at her were not the eyes that looked at the same person. The strongest feeling in his eyes, which were mixed with all kinds of emotions, was mockery and murderous intent.

“Do, don’t come any closer!”

When Luna held out her wand as if she was about to cast a spell, Jamie pouted, put his hands tightly to his ears, and put his hat back on.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much talent for making hats, so I need a head to make the perfect hat. I was going to borrow your head for a while while you were drinking tea, but it’s a shame. I don’t want to see your beautiful blonde hair being cut off!”

Jamie, who moved his hand behind his hat, smiled with his face distorted to the point where his lips were torn.

“But it’s fortunate that your beautiful blue eyes will remain the same even if I cut off your neck.”

Luna, who found the dagger in Jamie’s hand, immediately used wind magic to blow Jamie away. Jamie, who flew backwards and fell on the table, buried in food, made a creepy laugh.

“Hahaha, are you suggesting we play tag! Good! If I catch you, I’ll cut off your head painfully! I’ll make the blade of the dagger dull so that when I cut your neck, pieces of flesh will be torn off and it will be very, very painful. Hueu hueut!”

When Jamie raised his hand covered in cream and flicked his fingers, the sound of a cello playing began to be heard from somewhere in the mansion.

At the same time, another Jamie appeared behind Luna and stabbed her shoulder with a dagger.

“Ah…!”

Even in the face of the sudden attack, Luna did not drop her wand and turned around to blow the other Jamie away.

Biting her lip to endure the hot pain in her shoulder, Luna cast another spell at Jamie, who was trying to get up from the table, and grabbed her bleeding shoulder.

Of all places, she was stabbed on the right side. It was a fatal injury for Luna, who had trouble with her left side.

When she could no longer put strength into her fingers, Luna had no choice but to hold her wand with her uncomfortable left hand.

Turning around and leaving the drawing room, Luna ran towards the hallway to escape the mansion with all her might.

Jamie’s mad voice followed behind her.

“Heut heuehat, I lied about making it painful. Come back! This time, I’ll cut it off neatly so that your head isn’t damaged as much as possible. I’ll even put it in a pretty bottle so your boyfriend can keep it! It’s a limited time offer. There are only 10 seconds left until the first customer event ends. Keuhahahat!!!”

The blood that flowed down Luna’s shoulder turned the ring on her left ring finger red.