Ch.5251. Midterm Exams (5)

# 51. Midterm Exams (5)

“Affection?”

Karina, thinking I might have misunderstood, quickly changed her words with a flustered tone.

I hadn’t really thought much about it.

“No… no! That’s not what I meant… how should I put this? I don’t think I like him yet… but I feel like she really trusts you.”

“Trust, huh…”

I hadn’t really thought about it in that way.

“She seems closer to you than to Princess Elizabeth, and you two look really good together.”

“Rachel and me?”

“Yeah, you two match well together.”

***

‘Match well together…’

The next morning after the exam, I was watching a strange female student who was only now checking her answers.

I wanted to ask what on earth she had been doing at the dormitory yesterday.

“Is this one number 3?”

“It’s number 2.”

Hearing that, Rachel slammed her desk hard.

The way her expressions shifted between joy and despair depending on the correct answer was quite entertaining.

After finishing her self-grading with all the emotional ups and downs, Rachel asked me:

“What were you going to say yesterday?”

“Yesterday?”

Rachel nodded with an expression devoid of any playfulness.

Rachel and I.

A tense atmosphere hung in the classroom where only the two of us remained.

In that tension, I quietly opened my mouth.

“Why did you transfer to our academy?”

“You probably already know to some extent, but I’ll tell you anyway.”

Rachel continued speaking in that quiet classroom.

“You know what situation our country is in, right?”

“Yes.”

Currently, the Orion Kingdom is in a terrible state due to the war with the Babylon Kingdom.

The military power between the two countries differs significantly, and without the Kainis Empire, the Orion Kingdom would have already been conquered by the Demon King’s army.

“Our country is weak, contrary to the Empire which has a proper education system in place.”

“So you came here to learn about our country’s education system and apply it to yours?”

“That’s right, but that’s not all.”

It would take quite a long time to overhaul a chaotic education system.

However, it’s nearly impossible to rely on the Empire until all that time passes.

“You want to become strong enough to buy that time?”

“You really do understand.”

“But isn’t it impossible for you alone?”

No matter how strong Rachel is or will become, it’s too much for one person.

But she probably knows that fact better than anyone.

“You’re right, it would be impossible alone. No, it is impossible.”

“Then what will you do?”

Rachel, looking straight into my eyes, said:

“Help me a little.”

Only then did I realize.

Just how much Rachel trusted me.

I smiled and asked Rachel:

“Can someone like me really make a difference?”

“Well… I’m not sure, but I think you’d be the most helpful person in this academy.”

“Aren’t you overestimating me? Besides, borrowing my power is ultimately borrowing the Empire’s power.”

Of course, from Rachel’s perspective, she has no choice.

Rachel trembled as if anxious.

“…”

“But so what? It can’t be helped, and it’s not particularly bad, is it?”

“So then…?”

Rachel’s incredibly small voice concealed great expectation.

“I’ll help you as much as I can, within my capabilities.”

“Thank you so much…”

“Let’s do well together from now on.”

I was originally planning to listen to Karina’s words, but seeing Rachel’s attitude made me even more determined to do so.

And.

‘Shouldn’t she be the one to become queen?’

The thought crossed my mind.

The person closest to becoming the next monarch is naturally the First Prince, but Rachel or Karina seemed more reliable.

Both in character and ability, Rachel and Karina were superior, but…

‘Is being born earlier all that matters…?’

Of course, in our country, even if she was born after Leo, she would become Empress.

Rachel, who had been shy, asked me:

“Who are you fighting today?”

“I’m up against three second-year seniors today.”

“So you really are fighting second and third years. What about the rest?”

“I’ll face the third years tomorrow after the survival match.”

The exam schedules for first, second, and third years are different, so it seems they had no choice but to do it tomorrow.

“Do you think you can win?”

“Um… I think I can win against all except one.”

“One? Ah~”

Rachel seemed to have someone in mind.

“The Princess?”

“That’s right. Honestly, I don’t think I can win against her at all.”

If I could break that ice wall with my own power, I might have a chance, but now it takes too much time to break even one.

There was also the option of going around in a different direction before the wall is built, but her magic casting speed is already fast, and my agility isn’t that high.

While I was thinking about her, Rachel asked me:

“Do you like the Princess?”

I stared at Rachel with a blank expression.

“I’m asking because I thought maybe you didn’t know.”

“O-Of course I knew. You two aren’t dating yet, right?”

“No.”

Just as the atmosphere was becoming awkward, someone opened the classroom door and entered.

Chris saw the two of us as soon as he came in and said:

“Hi, huh? You two alone? Don’t tell me you…?”

“Don’t say weird things. We just happened to arrive early.”

“How boring.”

For some reason, Chris sat down looking disappointed.

After sitting down, he showed me his self-graded history exam.

“See this? I totally failed.”

“Wow, it’s raining on your exam paper.”

Just as Chris had said yesterday, he seemed to have gotten only about half the answers right.

“Still, my average is a bit over 60.”

He’s naturally smart, so his grades weren’t bad.

Considering that this exam was quite difficult, he would be above average.

“What about you?”

“I got two wrong.”

“Two per subject? Fourteen in total?”

“No, two in total.”

Chris, who looked as if he had lost a country, repeated my words in a tiny voice.

“Two… two in total… You really… Are we even friends?…”

“You won’t drop from A-class anyway.”

“That’s not the point… What about being last place…”

His pride seemed to have taken a severe hit.

Reina looked at Chris, whose complexion resembled that of a dead person, and said:

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He failed his exam, and I did well.”

Chris pointed at me and said:

“This guy… got two wrong… just two…”

“Two? That’s amazing. I got five wrong.”

“Wow… five…”

Following Reina, Rachel also revealed her grades.

“I averaged 87.”

“Were you not good at studying before?”

“I just did moderately well.”

With each party member revealing their grades, Chris’s expression grew darker.

And after hearing Eve’s score last, Chris said as if resigned:

“Haha… I’m the worst…”

“You should have done better.”

“Yeah…”

Chris sighed deeply and quietly cursed.

“Shit…”

Hearing that curse, I burst into laughter.

Chris asked me after hearing my laughter:

“Is it funny? Is it funny?”

“It’s pretty hilarious.”

Time passed quickly as we chatted.

And when the clock struck 9 o’clock, Gloria spoke:

“The exam locations for each subject are written on the blackboard. Please go to the appropriate place for your subject. The close combat tournament will begin after lunch today. When lunch is over, please come directly to the dueling arena.”

Gloria left the classroom immediately after finishing her words.

We approached the blackboard at the front of the classroom to check our exam locations.

‘It’s the training ground.’

The practical exams for swordsmanship and martial arts are held at the training ground, and the practical exam for dungeon class is naturally held in the dungeon conquest room.

I asked Chris, who was checking his exam location:

“If we finish early, do we just rest for the remaining time?”

“Yeah, you can rest until lunchtime. Let’s go quickly.”

“Where do we take the holy power practical exam?”

“We have to wait until the close combat tournament for that.”

It seems the exam involves healing students who get injured during the tournament.

“Then you and I have the same places to go.”

“I’ll wait for you during the swordsmanship practical.”

Since we had the same classes except for holy power and swordsmanship, we decided to go together.

Chris and I headed to the training ground where we would take three exams combined.

“Do swordsmanship first. Let’s do martial arts together.”

Chris pointed to a bench in the distance and continued:

“I’ll wait for you over there.”

“Alright, thanks.”

I went to the area where the swordsmanship practical exam was being held.

When I arrived, students who had come earlier were showing off their swordsmanship to the instructors.

There was nothing special about the scene itself.

However, seeing a certain middle-aged swordsman watching the students’ swordsmanship made the scene feel somewhat special.

“Why is he here?”

Reina, who had somehow appeared beside me, answered my muttering:

“Who?”

It was a bit embarrassing that someone had heard my mumbling, but that wasn’t important right now.

“Look over there, there.”

Reina saw him and showed the same reaction as me.

“There? Huh!? Why is he here?”

“Exactly…”

Where I was pointing, the Black Knight Commander stood with his arms crossed, smiling in our direction.