108. End of the first semester (2)

The atmosphere at the closing ceremony was quite different from the opening ceremony.

It had only been a semester, but during that time, the Empire had been engulfed in war. As a result, President Sophia’s address was twice as heavy as usual.

“However, the end of a semester also heralds a new beginning. And I believe that the students here will carry on the hope of the Empire that begins with His Majesty!”

President Sophia’s words echoed throughout the Colosseum through an amplification spell.

Hearing those words, I was filled with my own emotions.

‘I’ve only really experienced academy life for one semester…’

In my first year, I couldn’t properly enjoy academy life due to the Curse of Cnoiah.

But the semester I spent here as a second-year student will be an unforgettable experience for me.

‘Well, it was fun in its own way.’

If it weren’t for the trials here, I wouldn’t have been able to escape the Curse of Cnoiah. And I formed bonds with my future wives here.

‘And as President Sophia said, it’s a new beginning now.’

My status as a student ends today. The same will be true for the students who don’t remain at Pantheon.

Whether they join the Knights or enter the Magic Tower, they will each use the skills they’ve built up at Pantheon to prevent the end of Islend.

And I will return to Essenmund and become a member of the Night Watch.

Of course, I won’t be enlisting as a regular soldier. I am the only heir to the Margrave. So, as the destined master of the Night Watch, I will receive a position befitting my title.

‘Of course, I don’t intend to be called a parachute hire.’

No, rather, I intend to directly enter a death trap that my maternal grandfather would absolutely not want me to go to.

Duke Pedro, and the one destined to stop Cnoiah, is only me in Islend.

‘And my final exam for the future is now…’

I looked around.

Unlike the students who had already finished their final exams and were sitting in the Colosseum’s stands, some students were still on the Colosseum’s wide stage. Their final exams were not over.

The Combat Discipline, the Alchemy Discipline, and even the Magic Discipline. Their final test is unfolding right here.

‘To be precise, it’s only the Combat Discipline, though.’

The Magic and Alchemy Disciplines had already finished their exams. So, the student representatives of those two disciplines had been decided.

What those two student representatives will actually do on this stage is an extension of the Mana Duel.

The final showdown of the Mana Duel, where the winner hasn’t been properly decided. I looked at those two student representatives.

“Ooh. This reminds me of the sparring at the opening ceremony. A semester has ended, but the students representing the two disciplines are still those two people.”

Fabian, who had somehow slipped next to me, said.

“Well, there was no doubt that it would be Rosette-yang and Chloe-yang.”

As Fabian said, the two people who had been chosen for the sparring were Rosette and Chloe. The two of them were glaring at each other not far from where I was standing.

“That’s true. But the Combat Discipline’s student representative hasn’t been decided yet. Is it okay for you to talk to me so friendly when I’ll be crossing swords with you soon?”

At those words, Fabian made an ‘ah’ expression.

“That’s right, Yulian-nim! I never even thought of you as my enemy! That’s why this loyal Fabian inadvertently…”

“I apologize for my rudeness! I’ll see you in a bit!”

At that moment, Reef and Eric approached and hurriedly dragged Fabian away.

‘All three of them have light expressions. Are they in good condition?’

All three of them are swordsmen who can’t be ignored. Swordsmen who already know how to use Aura. And if it’s those three who have been fighting together in actual combat recently, I can’t let my guard down either.

And Lucia was standing far away from those three.

Unlike the expressions of the three, Lucia was expressionless. No, rather than expressionless, she seemed to be extremely focused.

She succeeded in Demonization. It seems that she has reached a new level as a swordsman because of that Demonization. The energy emanating from her was very sharp.

‘Today’s final exam sparring. It might not be easy.’

A 4-on-1 sparring match. And since I can’t even use Aura with an ordinary Imperial sword. But I have no intention of losing either.

‘Because I have to trigger the final main quest no matter what.’

I don’t know how the final main quest will be triggered. But here are the student representatives of all the disciplines.

If I win the sparring match. Just like it has been until now. The quest will definitely be triggered.

While I was lost in thought, President Sophia’s announcement continued.

“Now, the three people I am about to call, please come up onto the stage!”

And before the sparring match, there was an awards ceremony for the student representatives of the other disciplines.

Three students came up to the stage.

All three of them were people I knew well. Lilia, Aylin, and Cecilia.

Three of my future wives, with whom I had formed a bond, became student representatives of each discipline.

“First, Lilia Lamire Ashterique of the Medical Discipline. Lilia-yang has become the student representative of the Medical Discipline for this semester.”

The applause of the students in the Colosseum echoed. At the same time, the orchestra prepared by the Arts Discipline played the awards ceremony music.

It was unique that Lilia, the Empress of the Empire, was receiving an award herself. But if you think of it in terms of a modern Earth university graduation ceremony, it’s a similar concept.

Rather, it was an act of enhancing her honor as Empress, so it wasn’t something that diminished her status.

‘Besides, she didn’t receive it because of her name value as Empress and Saintess.’

Along with the plaque, President Sophia explained why Lilia became the student representative.

“The thesis that Lilia-yang completed this semester is currently being applied in various battlefields of the Empire, saving many soldiers…”

The title of the thesis written by Lilia was “Improving the Efficiency and Standardization of Healing Spells through Mana Road Projection.” It wasn’t that there were no theories on that topic, but the core of the method presented by Lilia was standardization.

‘She standardized the chaotic Mana Road healing spells into one method, is that it?’

It is said that the healing spell was actually used effectively in this rebellion suppression. So, Lilia becoming the student representative was purely through her skills.

And I was quite far away, but I could see Aylin’s expression next to Lilia through the lens created by Undine. Her complexion was dark.

‘Hmm. Is she jealous of Lilia?’

Lilia’s theory will be widely used even in Essenmund. So, Aylin, who is always conscious of Lilia, seems to have become jealous of Lilia’s excellence.

“Next is Aylin Gloria of the Arts Discipline.”

But Aylin also stood as a student representative. And as a student of the same Arts Discipline stood, the orchestra raised the volume of their performance even more.

I could hear the students of the Arts Discipline sitting in the Colosseum cheering.

“Although Aylin-ssi is Yulian-nim’s maid. I’ve heard rumors that she is worshiped as a kind of goddess in the Arts Discipline.”

And in the meantime, Fabian, who had been far away, slipped closer again. The other students wouldn’t know about the close relationship between Aylin and me.

But Fabian seems to have noticed the relationship between her and me with his unique beast-like intuition.

“I already noticed that Aylin-ssi was always looking at Yulian-nim with eyes full of affection. Even in the Arts Discipline, where there are many outstanding female students, Aylin-ssi is known for her beauty…”

And Reef and Eric tried to stop him again. But I raised my hand to stop them.

“Since you’ve all finished your sparring practice anyway. Let’s watch together.”

At those words, Reef and Eric also slipped closer to me. I glanced at Lucia, but Lucia still seemed to be focused without even watching the awards ceremony.

“Then we will reveal Aylin-yang’s final exam piece!”

At the same time, huge screens unfolded in various parts of the Colosseum. It seems that optical wizards had cast a spell. And a painting was on that screen.

“That’s…”

At the sight of the painting, Lucia also briefly looked up. Fabian said.

“That figure is… Margrave-nim, no, Yulian-nim, executing Grievous!”

That’s right. The painting that Aylin had drawn was the scene of me executing Grievous in the White Flower Palace.

Silence flowed through the Colosseum at once. And after a while. I could hear the students murmuring.

“Truly… a magnificent and beautiful painting.”

Even Fabian, who is always frivolous, seemed surprised by Aylin’s painting.

At that moment, President Sophia said.

“As you can see, Aylin-yang’s final exam piece is a painting of Count Yulian, who made a great contribution in this Grievous rebellion. Her work was unanimously selected as the best final exam piece by the faculty.”

At the same time as those words, applause filled the Colosseum. And from that applause and cheers. I felt my demonic energy soaring in an instant.

‘I see. Aylin’s excellent painting is… temporarily creating a sense of awe towards me.’

It was Aylin who drew the painting. But the main character of the painting is me. The powerful figure who plunged the Empire into a quagmire and the corrupt priest who succumbed to the temptation of the Demonic Beast.

The story of me directly invading the White Flower Palace, which was the den of that rebel leader, and executing him, was known throughout the Imperial Capital.

If such an excellent painting spreads throughout the Empire. My reputation will rise even further in the future. And it will unconsciously imprint the image of a man named Yulian von Reinhardt on the minds of the Imperial citizens.

‘The awe created by that will further satisfy my desire for domination.’

I could tell that the painting was very excellent just by looking at Lilia’s expression. Lilia was also smiling and clapping enthusiastically.

Uncharacteristically of Lilia, her puppy-like drooping eyes momentarily lifted upwards. It was evidence that her mood was very uncomfortable.

And I also confirmed that the corners of Aylin’s always expressionless mouth were slightly raised.

‘It’s fierce. The relationship between those two.’

I suddenly thought that Aylin and Lilia’s infighting was more terrifying than Rosette and Chloe, who were openly fighting each other.

‘I’ll have to do the final main quest with those two as well.’

Cecilia’s turn continued next.

Cecilia’s awards ceremony was all over.

And Reef and Eric surprisingly reacted to Cecilia becoming a student representative.

“We all received new Imperial swords this time. And I heard that the swords were made based on the forging method of that Cecilia-ssi.”

“I was wondering why a first-year student became a representative. But if it’s a student who created that forging method, it doesn’t seem strange at all.”

I looked at the swords on the waists of the two. All three of them were wearing different swords than before.

Even Fabian was a young master from a noble family, so he was wearing an expensive sword for a student. But he also changed his sword to a standard Imperial sword.

“The newly introduced Imperial sword is much stronger and responds faster to Mana than the sword I’ve been wearing. So, I changed my sword with the two of them.”

Since it was a standard sword that even such excellent swordsmen acknowledged. No one could object to Cecilia becoming a student representative.

In this way, three student representatives were decided.

Of course, the students of the Magic and Alchemy Disciplines had already been decided. However, those two disciplines were waiting for the finals of the Mana Duel, as if they were choosing an integrated student representative.

“Let’s move away for a moment.”

I said to the group from the Combat Discipline.

Lucia, hearing my voice, belatedly bowed her head. Now this place would be transformed into a battlefield for Rosette and Chloe. So, we had to move away for a while.

The final showdown of the Mana Duel between Rosette and Chloe, which had begun in that way. Finally, the final winner was decided.