Ch.1414. End-of-Term Evaluation (2)

“Hey.”

“…?”

Normally, I would have responded with one of the many nicknames like “vanguard of the rabble,” “untouchable commoner,” or “Class E troublemaker.”

But now, I had only one word. Not a name, not profanity, not an unflattering nickname—just a pure term addressing the person before me.

People with ash-gray hair are fairly common in the Empire, not exactly rare.

But judging by the color of the band on the uniform, this was a second-year student. In other words, a classmate.

Honestly, I hoped it was someone I didn’t know. But no matter how I looked at their appearance, it was someone I recognized. In a bad way.

“…Hah.”

Of course. She’s a noble after all.

How could nobles possibly tolerate the massive scratch to their pride from being defeated by commoners?

Perhaps it’s fortunate they didn’t unite under the belief that we needed to be trampled repeatedly.

It’s obvious she’s here for payback. But why should I fight for her entertainment?

“Not interested.”

“What…? I haven’t even said anything yet…”

“You’re just here to pick a fight and tell me to prepare myself, right? The professors are around, so why don’t you just leave?”

Silvia may have come looking for me to subdue me, but I was only trying to avoid getting entangled with Michelle and slip away quietly.

But now? Fighting would only draw unwanted attention. Even if I won, all eyes would be on me, and if I lost, I’d be too injured to train.

Win or lose, I’d end up at a disadvantage. The same goes for reporting this incident. There’s nothing to gain. I’m not stupid enough to engage in a losing business.

After everything I’ve been through, I should know better.

How could she boldly challenge me to a fight even in an exam hall during final evaluations?

‘If she wants, she could just burn a ribbon and advertise it in front of everyone.’

But… Silvia glanced nervously to both sides, then edged closer to me and said something unexpected.

“It’s not like that. I… I want to make a deal with you.”

Wasn’t she always trying to harass and oppress me?

No, this must be a lie, right? She’s probably just playing a trick, planning her revenge?

Did those words really just come out of Silvia’s mouth? Offering a deal? To a commoner? To a Class E student?

“Hurry… hurry up and answer…!”

Judging by how fidgety she is, this doesn’t seem to be a lie.

“Then explain it clearly. What kind of deal are you talking about?”

A deal out of nowhere. I responded with caution to her incomprehensible words, wondering if she was planning something.

I still don’t trust Silvia, or rather, nobles in general. People like Renias and Michelle are exceptions.

Most nobles who lose to commoners harbor resentment and try to crush their opponents more thoroughly the second time.

I’ve already been an example of this and have witnessed it firsthand, so being wary is only natural.

But… this time she flinched and trembled.

“You just… need to fight me and let me win. That’s all you have to show.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s simple, right? If you do that, I’ll give you three 200 alte bills…”

“Come on. Hey.”

I cut her off before she could finish, finding her proposal absurd.

How could I possibly agree to such a ridiculous deal? I couldn’t help but object.

“Are you kidding me? You’re asking me to take money to get beaten up.”

At that, Silvia looked confused, as if she couldn’t understand why I was reacting this way.

“Why…? I’m not just asking you to get hit, I’m offering sufficient compensation…”

“Ha, fine. I get that your precious pride was hurt. But what kind of twisted mindset makes you think I’d take money to get beaten up?”

I added one more thing.

“Even if I accepted, how do I know you won’t cripple me? What good is money if my body is ruined?”

That’s the problem. The retaliatory violence from nobles gets so severe that Class D and E students give up early.

If they just take care of their bodies, they can get by despite poor treatment. But others think differently.

What if they talk back and end up with broken bones in some quiet “accident”?

The pain aside, there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. And would the professors even investigate if they were told?

It would be fortunate if they didn’t twist the situation to make the victim look like the perpetrator.

In the end, most real victims bow their heads to nobles like Pavlov’s dogs, conditioned by ingrained fear. And those nobles step on the lowered heads to establish their superiority.

Anyway, seeing my firm attitude, Silvia tried to persuade me with an increasingly desperate voice.

“If it’s not enough, I’ll give you four, no, five bills. 1,000 alte is five months’ salary for commoners!”

There must be a reason she’s pushing such an unreasonable request.

I can’t be certain it’s not driven by hatred toward me.

Who would enjoy getting beaten up? So I was about to flatly refuse, telling her to get lost…

“There you are, senior! Have you been waiting long… Oh?”

My partner arrived before she could finish speaking.

“Did I interrupt an important conversation between you two…? Ahaha.”

***

“Weren’t you two friends?”

“I’ve never had a friend like that.”

“Hmm… Really? It looked like she was asking you for something. And it seemed like you were agreeing.”

Sorry, but it’s the complete opposite. We’re more like sworn enemies.

Despite what she said when she arrived, her timing was perfect.

As soon as Silvia saw Renias, she immediately fled, using magic to climb up the rock wall, and never came back down.

It seems she was looking for me. Unfortunately, I was completely distracted dealing with Silvia while looking at the tool in my pocket.

“Um… Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry to say this right after arriving, but… I’M SO SORRY!!!”

What’s with her now?

Renias spent a while explaining to me in detail, apologizing with her hands clasped together as if she were a criminal.

“So to summarize, there was a hidden ‘break time’ in this evaluation, and you used it to change clothes?”

“Yes… I heard we don’t get a second one…”

Well, even if I hadn’t used it, I probably wouldn’t have noticed. Actually, I only found out because she used it.

Professor Muniher is just that eccentric.

That professor’s criteria for grading practical exercises and exams are completely different from others, so I just accept it.

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t have used it anyway, right?”

“Well… even though this is simulated inside the Talbrut Arc, the synchronization rate is quite high, so emergencies could occur.”

“How high is it?”

“They said it’s 25%.”

The Talbrut Arc is a magical tool that’s essentially a collection of information. That small cube contains data on magical beasts and fierce animals, as well as field information for evaluation sites like this one.

Based on the input data, it can create illusions or phantom states for mock battles or exams. Simple adjustments like power or weight control are possible, but what’s unique is that it can also adjust how similar it is to reality.

The similarity between reality and the illusion created by the cube—that’s called the synchronization rate, and the developer set a limit of 50%.

Why? A high synchronization rate means a more vivid experience, but it also increases the risk of injury.

“25%… That means while death isn’t likely, exhaustion or fainting could easily happen… And we can’t use break time during these situations, so if something unexpected happens, the exam is immediately stopped and we can’t try again, right?”

“That’s right… I’m really sorry. I didn’t know…”

At this point, it seems like I’m bullying her. She’s so kind that I’m starting to feel like the bad guy.

“…It’s okay, so please lift your head.”

Even if we can’t use break time, the worst that could happen is a significant drop in exam scores.

I don’t know about Renias’s grades, but a deduction in my third-year scores wouldn’t make much difference. What’s the point when I already know what they’re teaching and what training is useful?

At most, if I get promoted to a higher class, it would just annoy those who looked down on me.

More than that, I just want to see how effective my physical training has been so far.

“I’m in Class E anyway, so I don’t care about grades. You can go ahead without worrying about me.”

I just threw that out there. But Renias didn’t seem like the type to do that.

“If we’re a team of two, we should go together! It’s better if we can help each other, right?”

…Just how positive can she be?

I told her I couldn’t use any magic, but Renias seemed determined to stick together.

‘Actually, that’s exactly what I’d expect from Renias.’

She may be the jewel of Levrant Academy, but having experienced countless battlefields, she might be in the habit of always giving her best.

“Well, what I’m saying is, if you want to go ahead alone, feel free. I’ll probably have to climb with just my bare hands.”

“Then I’ll climb with my bare hands too.”

“…But why? You could easily get across with one spell.”

“We might get bonus points for staying as a pair, right? Don’t you think there’s something strange about this exam from the beginning?”

That was the only part I could guess, and I think it’s probably right.

From the start, making us climb this 8-meter rock wall with such a mild incline means everyone should be able to cross it, whether they use magic or not.

There’s no time limit announced either, so it’s not a speed test.

In other words, it’s an exam anyone can pass, so why do we need to cross it in pairs?

The Professor Muniher I know would never design such a sloppy exam. Never.

“There’s no need to do it in pairs.”

“Exactly. That’s also why I came looking for you and want to follow along.”

“Well… do as you like then.”

There might be a pretext about building teamwork, but it still bothers me that this test is too simple.

But all my concerns suddenly vanished.

“Even so, I’ve already changed from a skirt to pants. Anyway, you seem to know how to climb well. Could you teach me, Senior?”

Renias was grinning broadly as she asked me for guidance.

…Why on earth would she voluntarily make things difficult for herself?