Ch.6060. Class Placement Exam (2)

The class placement exam is typically divided into a written test with a small portion of the score and a practical test that accounts for most of the score.

Combat duels were one type of practical test. It was an exam to demonstrate one’s growth through skill displayed in person-to-person combat.

That was before the essence of the duel exam changed.

At some point, strange regulations began to emerge, and certain gaps became noticeably wider.

Duel regulations, weapon allowances, mana badges.

After the factors determining victory and defeat tilted to one side, it became merely an exam where the gap between D and C classes widened significantly.

Remote-type mages who could simply attack one-sidedly dominated. Among them, those with high mana indicators achieved overwhelmingly high win rates.

‘That’s why I wasn’t particularly drawn to the duel exam.’

Aris felt the same way. She thought duels that repeated the same results without any variables were of no help.

She had even avoided exams under the pretext of monster subjugation.

But this time, things were different.

“…Is this really a person?”

Since it was called a duel exam, the opponent was certainly human.

But she questioned whether these movements were truly human.

Tatatata.

-Clang!

“Ugh.”

The student’s movements were not just aggressive but moth-like, rushing in recklessly.

The attacks, executed with complete disregard for self-preservation, made the opponent seem like a mannequin in human form.

Even then, it was problematic that Aris had given the opponent an opening by moderating her strength.

“Tch, I was trying to go easy on you.”

In the end, Aris had no choice but to unleash a lotus flower.

With a loud explosion, the lotus blast hit the student who had been charging with only aggression in mind.

Though she had moderated her strength, the opponent took the attack head-on.

She assumed the mana badge would glow red, and the defensive magic circle on the uniform would activate, causing the opponent to retire.

However.

“What…?”

The uniform’s defensive magic circle didn’t activate. This meant the safety mechanism that should prevent fatalities wasn’t functioning.

Soon, the student’s form disappeared, returning to a mass of mana.

The student’s true identity was merely an illusion created from mana within the Talbert Arc.

“Huh… So that’s why the uniform’s defense mechanism didn’t activate…? And the mana badge showed no reaction…?”

Aris stared blankly at where the student’s form had been. An announcement echoed around her.

─After a 5-minute break, the next duel will commence.

“…So that’s why. That’s what the professor meant when he said not to fixate on winning or losing.”

The actions of these mana-created students were so meticulously replicated that they appeared to be real people.

Even to Aris, who had walked battlefields, this seemed to provide sufficient discernment.

Though it appeared to be a simple duel, there was much hidden beneath the surface.

She had almost been caught off guard by moderating her strength, thinking it was a student, and perhaps if she had analyzed the opponent’s attacks more carefully, she might have noticed it wasn’t human.

She had nearly failed. Despite having faced various monster species in different teams and positions on actual battlefields.

Only the practice she had done when Goden told her to face close-combat monsters one-on-one had prevented her elimination.

“Those who focused solely on firepower probably failed.”

But someone had spoken as if they knew this would happen.

-‘So don’t go easy on the duel opponents, just take them all down. Let’s meet as soon as possible.’

It was him again. He came to mind.

─Break over. Beginning the next duel.

***

─The final duel has ended. The exam is now complete.

Thirteen opponents in total. Nothing different this time either.

One might think they introduced variables like not revealing positions in the field to develop discernment, but the reality was different.

This exam involved facing illusions created based on each student’s stored behavior patterns, performance, and achievements within the Talbert Arc.

Though it took the form of a duel, it was essentially like facing humanoid monsters.

“They’ll justify this exam by asking what we’d do if we encountered monsters resembling humans.”

Even without saying it now, they’d provide reasonable justification.

The Talbert Arc’s field disappeared, leaving only the exit. But to his surprise, someone was standing before him as he finished the exam.

It was an unexpected greeting, but what was more unexpected was who had come to meet him.

“Oh. Finished quite early, didn’t you?”

“…Professor Denis? Are you allowed to be here?”

“I’m a professor in name only. I don’t even teach classes. I’m an outsider with no authority over Levrant Academy.”

“Ah… right, that’s true.”

Normally, professors shouldn’t interfere with student exams.

But Professor Denis was an exception.

Though she carried the title of professor, she was uniquely distant from the academy.

“Don’t tell me… you waited for me to finish the exam?”

Professor Denis nodded as if it were no big deal. Good heavens.

“I’ve been holding onto the Blushire Arc you entrusted before entering. It’s recharged with mana now, so it should function normally.”

“…So that’s what it was? I was wondering why the instructor didn’t come looking for it.”

“Despite appearances, it can be charged with mana stones, so I handled it directly this time. Oh, should I not have told you that?”

“Professor…”

Professor Denis laughed awkwardly and asked to keep what she’d revealed a secret. He had no intention of telling anyone anyway.

As he reached out to take back the Blushire Arc, the female professor pulled her hand away.

“Instead of thinking about getting this back, you should follow me.”

“What? Follow you?”

“You’ll need to attend my class soon. You can’t attend my class while wearing the Blushire Arc, can you?”

Upon hearing those words, Junon inhaled sharply. He cautiously questioned the professor who was smiling at the thought of hellish training.

He really hoped it wasn’t what he thought.

“Um… what do you mean…?”

“I won’t allow you to pretend ignorance and escape. Come along now.”

“P-Professor!! I just finished an exam and I’m tired… Waaah!!”

“Then I’ll carry you, so save your strength. Oh, and if you try to escape, I’ll double today’s intensity.”

Unfortunately, Professor Denis’s relentless training returned to him after the exam.

“────!”

“───.”

“…”

And someone was watching Junon intently.

Hidden behind a pillar, ensuring her pink hair wasn’t visible.

“You… what exactly…”

How much do you know?

Aris murmured as she watched Junon disappear into the distance.

“What are you doing here, Aris?”

“S-Senia? Why so sudden?”

“I’ve been calling your name from afar, but you were spacing out, so I came to find you directly. Is there honey smeared over there or something?”

“…It’s not that. Why did you call me anyway?”

“Goden said he had something to tell us and wanted us to gather. Did you forget already?”

“R-Right… I’ll go now. I’m not late, am I?”

“Hurry up. Everyone else has already heard it.”

Though she had mentioned being sensitive before the exam, Aris seemed particularly strange today.

“I wonder what she saw that distracted her so much.”

Senia looked in the direction Aris had been staring, but couldn’t tell what she had been looking at.

***

“Haven’t you gotten too soft while I was away? I thought I told you to practice properly?”

“Um, Professor? I’m not soft, I’m just… Whoa!”

Under Denis’s strict guidance, which was as stern as ever despite the long absence, Junon’s body was kept busy moving in all directions.

After a few confrontations, ending up dangling like before was inevitable.

“Isn’t this too harsh for a student who just finished an exam?”

“I’m joking. If you were slacking off, I wouldn’t teach you. But it seems you still managed to do what needed to be done. That last move was quite innovative.”

“Y-Yes… if you say so…”

“…Hmm?”

Denis checked Junon’s physical condition a few times and narrowed her eyes.

“Now that I look closely, I see cuts and scratches all over? They’re not deep, so you weren’t bitten, but judging by the sharpness, it seems you were cut during the recent Osoptera battle.”

“Uh… yes.”

It was a dilemma what to say.

Should he admit that he led students in defending against the Osoptera? That there were deserters and various incidents, and due to insufficient forces, he had to push himself? That he even used the Blushire Arc forcefully and got injured from the impact while desperately holding the line?

He couldn’t just say that outright.

‘If she thought someone was trying to steal credit, she’d definitely try to stop it…’

Even though she was distant from academy affairs, she was still a scholar and researcher.

There was no benefit in revealing the truth that had been covered up by attributing it to Aris’s efforts.

“Just spill it. What happened?”

“Ahem…”

As Professor Denis crossed her arms and glared, there was no way out once suspicion had been raised.

“During the defense, before Professor Dalia arrived, we were already at our limit. When we saw one monster clearly trying to get in, I had no choice…”

“So you took the hit? In that narrow entrance to Alcaide Hall?”

“The others were more exhausted, and I was relatively okay.”

“Hmph.”

From Denis’s perspective, it was exasperating.

The Osoptera were reported to have been handled well by the students, with no casualties.

But judging from Junon’s account, the students were pushed to their limits at the time.

“So in the end, it was you who bought time until the very last…”

-Thud! Thud!

─He’s here! That bastard is here!

“What’s going on?”

Students’ voices could be heard from outside. Along with Denis’s irritated voice, something began hitting the firmly closed door of the room.

‘Looks like the results were just announced.’

He could roughly guess what was happening.

Shocked by seeing an unbelievable result twice, the students had come looking, blind with rage.

Knowing that rebelling against Professor Muniher would be futile, they sought someone they thought they could manipulate.

The class placement exam, which was conducted as an illusion duel in his previous life as well, had results announced much faster than before, and this time was no exception.

“It’s broken! Get in!”

“It’s just as we said. Look at him standing there shamelessly.”

The door broke open, and students rushed in.

The usual bunch, obsessed with tearing others down because they couldn’t handle their own wounded pride.

But their unpleasant gazes couldn’t be directed solely at Junon.

“Wait. Everyone stop and look.”

“Who’s this outsider?”

“You idiot. Don’t you know her? That’s the Countess Beryl of the Empire!”

Denis Flovel Beryl.

They hesitated momentarily at her presence.

They had intended to confront Junon alone, but now found themselves face to face with someone they couldn’t afford to cause trouble with.

“Magic use indoors is prohibited, isn’t it? Why did you break down the door with magic to barge in?”

Denis addressed them in a chilling voice, not even acknowledging their greetings. It was more of a warning disguised as a question.

So one of them stepped forward, trying to be clever once again.

“I’m sorry, but that guy has committed a serious crime.”

“A serious crime? What crime?”

“He received biased judgment in the exam. Otherwise, such results couldn’t be possible. We need to take him with us to question how Junon could be placed in Class A.”

“Biased judgment?”

From this point, complaints and accusations from those placed in lower classes in this placement exam began to pour out.

***

“You’ve heard it all, right? How could that bastard be in Class A!”

“Aris and Erika, who contributed the most in the recent defense battle, are in Class A. It’s strange that he’s on the same level as them!”

Complaints flood toward me about my Class A placement.

These people, who don’t understand what they did wrong and have been taught that their way is correct, would naturally be suspicious of someone who was in Class E now being placed in Class A.

Those who lack logical thinking are busy making accusations, trying anything they can.

But right now, I have strong backing.

“Pfft… Ahahahaha!!!”

Professor Denis suddenly burst into laughter after listening to the students.

Yes, as someone who has walked the path of scholarship, she could only react this way to their words.

These fools aren’t speaking; they’re spewing sophistry.

“Alright, that’s enough babbling. All of you, follow me out.”

I hadn’t noticed during training, but Professor Denis was a frightening person.

The atmosphere changed completely even though she was just smiling.

Unlike the playful, annoying smile she showed while teaching me earlier, she now displayed considerable displeasure.