Ch.6565 – This Is Not a Joke

<65 – This Is Not a Joke>

Professor Layve, a magic theory professor from the Empire.

He was displeased with Dragon Principal’s commoner-friendly academy management.

Despite the Empire paying enormous subsidies, the benefits were going not just to imperial nobles but also to frontier nobles and even to uncivilized commoners.

“This is unacceptable. Neither wealth redistribution nor advancement to higher classes can be permitted. Especially not in Professor Layve’s magic theory lectures.”

That’s why he administered the test.

A pop quiz with enormous point value at stake.

A test unfairly advantageous to imperial nobles.

“But what is this result!”

Isabelle – 19/20

Yufi – 18/20

Massgakki – 17/20

Massgakki, the Empire’s second princess who grew up under the strict imperial education.

The Saint who grew up receiving education from the Papal Office after being chosen by the One True God Sophemia.

Above these individuals who should be the pride of the Empire was the name of an uncivilized commoner who possessed neither imperial citizenship nor noble bloodline.

“Even if I can understand the princess and saint bearing heavy responsibilities, how do I explain this result? Am I supposed to accept this?”

Group A average – 14.2

Group B average – 13.7

Even in average scores, the Empire’s promising talents were outperformed by those worthless frontier students.

It wasn’t that the 981st class of imperial students lacked ability. Compared to previous years, their average score was actually much higher.

In other years, imperial students scoring above 10 points would have been considered excellent on this pop quiz.

For frontier students, even exceeding 5 points would have been considered impressive.

That was the problem.

An average score increase exceeding twice that of other years.

Faced with this abnormal change, Layve realized:

“The test was leaked.”

There were no signs of intrusion.

Both the question sheet and answer key still had their protective spells intact.

Nevertheless, there was one irritating presence in this academy that made it impossible to guarantee security.

“Bronze De Estra. That arrogant criminal playing vigilante. This was your doing!”

To humiliate an imperial noble professor to this extent would be punishable by death in the Empire.

“I will never forget today’s disgrace.”

* *

“Hey, after going through the trouble of getting the test, you shared it with all Group A students? Isn’t that a waste?”

Titosoga complained with a face that looked devastated by the waste.

Isabelle quickly grabbed the test paper and hid it behind her back.

“You’re right. Since it’s valuable, I won’t show you.”

“Ahh, show me more! Quickly! I haven’t memorized all the questions and answers yet!”

“Then stop complaining and just look quietly.”

Isabelle shared both the quiz questions and answers with all students taking the magic theory lecture.

Of course, obtaining them was thanks to Oknodie’s efforts, and she herself had received the papers from Oknodie.

“Are you sure? Giving me something this valuable. If you showed it to imperial students, you could get lots of points.”

“Among people taking the magic theory lecture, Isabelle is my closest friend!”

Valuing friendship over profit.

While this is common sense in adventure parties, massive interests can break down such common sense.

Knowing that not all adventure parties in the world consisted of good people like the Esonia Adventure Party, Oknodie’s goodwill appeared even more brilliant to Isabelle.

In a world full of trash who would sell out and betray their comrades for a few coins.

It was a miracle that Oknodie, raised as an assassin for a noble family, could maintain such a kind heart.

“…Thank you.”

“Heehee. Don’t mention it.”

* *

Professor Bronze felt disappointed that Oknodie had obtained valuable test papers and answers only to give them away to a friend for free.

The advantage of being a vigilante is that it can be very profitable.

Wanting her to experience this advantage, he brought valuable items for a practical exercise in distinguishing between genuine and fake items.

“Try to guess which of these three papers is the real test. I’ll give the test and answer key as a prize to the student who gets the most questions right.”

“However, this test requires not only finding the real one but also explaining why the fakes are fake.”

The practical test started with crude question sheets made of nonsensical letters, then progressed to papers with different handwriting, different paper quality, and so on, with each subsequent paper being closer to the original.

Students naturally learned the elements needed for “developing discernment” as they realized how many factors must be considered when determining an item’s authenticity.

However, there was one student who already showed talent close to a complete form.

That person was, of course, Oknodie.

“No way. We did a similar exercise in second year, and I can’t believe I lost to a first-year student.”

“Performing at the level of an active adventurer isn’t a bad result for a senior. You just had tough competition.”

Isabelle consoled Bigstone.

Unlike the first stage of finding the real item, which everyone passed, the difficulty increased steeply from the second stage.

By the fourth stage, the level had risen so high that even Isabelle and Bigstone couldn’t avoid elimination.

“Are you really a first-year? You’re too good at this.”

“I’m actually surprised by your skills, senior. I can’t believe you’re a student who failed last year—you have such a good eye.”

“Of course. As the heir to the Rizna Trading Company, I have confidence in my discernment.”

“That’s amazing. Do you have any good tips?”

“If you have the embarrassing experience of becoming the heir to a trading company named after you, you’ll study hard just to avoid humiliation. Why don’t you try establishing something like the Giselle Trading Company?”

“Haha. Your parents must really love you. But I’ll pass on the embarrassment.”

Bigstone’s girlfriend Rizna was eliminated in the fifth stage along with Giselle.

“…Tsk. I thought I had confidence in my eyes.”

“…I agree.”

The taciturn swordsman Sing and the quiet second-year senior.

The two quiet men were eliminated in the sixth stage.

As a result, the question sheet and answer key became Oknodie’s, who passed the sixth stage.

No matter how skilled and talented the students were, finding the original was practically impossible when magical forgeries were protected with anti-magic spells.

“Then we can just cast a new spell! Counterfeit items already filled with magic won’t have capacity for more spells, so the paper that doesn’t accept magic must be fake!”

“That’s correct. But Oknodie didn’t cast any magic, so how did you find the real one?”

“Um… by intuition?”

Oknodie, who knew that the paper on the right was always the correct answer, gave a vague response, but Professor Bronze, already determined to make Oknodie his apprentice, nodded with satisfaction, saying that good intuition was also a good quality for a vigilante.

However, the attitude of not securing profits and easily giving things away to people around her might represent the righteous aspect of a vigilante but wouldn’t satisfy the wealth aspect.

“Next time, I should investigate student relationships and bring items related to professors who have no personal connections with any students.”

Unless he wanted to be known as an imperial noble who couldn’t even safeguard his own test papers and answers, the professor wouldn’t spread rumors about this.

Stealing from the next target shouldn’t be too difficult either.

“It might be good to get items that help with growth as well.”

Should I target the breast enhancement pills from the traditional medicine professor?

Or perhaps the growth potion from the alchemy professor?

Professor Bronze, who had the same playful spirit as Oknodie but possessed the adult-like height and chest that she lacked, smiled happily as he thought about preparing for the next lecture.

* *

After the second period discernment lecture, at lunchtime.

The dropout team that had formed during the Principal’s Teaching lecture gathered at the cafeteria as promised.

Oknodie was shocked to see everyone bringing so many flags.

“Wow. How did you all manage to bring ten flags each?”

“Beat them up.”

Oknodie blinked at Hestia’s short and blunt answer, something unusual for someone who rarely gets flustered.

“What?”

“We beat them up together.”

Lotta also answered with a face that somehow looked relieved.

“You’re joking, right?”

“I didn’t beat anyone up.”

Zigoku was proud.

“Instead, I shot them with my gun.”

Though afraid to hear the answer, Oknodie couldn’t help but ask.

“Shot what? Training dummies?”

“What else? Classmates who had flags.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“Are you stupid? Why would I beat up and shoot training dummies? We were busy collecting flags.”

“The beating and shooting is the strange part!”

Looking around the cafeteria, Oknodie noticed students with bruised, bluish faces.

As soon as they made eye contact, they made sounds like “Eek!” or “Huk!” while turning their heads away and trembling, making it obvious who had beaten them.

“Come with me right now.”

“What for? We already confirmed you don’t have any hidden flags.”

“They all handed over their flags when I told them each flag equals one bullet hole.”

These were the violent answers from Hestia and Zigoku, fitting for the top-ranked fighters among the 981st class first-years.

“We need to apologize!”

“To those weaklings?”

“Shouldn’t they be apologizing to us? For being so weak yet being our classmates?”

“Are you only planning to stay at the academy for today? This time it was a combat-related lecture so you two had the advantage, but next time if there’s a lecture requiring brains, you might get destroyed.”

“By those weaklings? Me?”

Zigoku let his imagination run wild.

“Are they going to hit me with an encyclopedia or something?”

“…There are also tests where you compete in knowledge against a designated opponent, with the winner gaining points and the loser losing points.”

“Ah, that would be troublesome.”

In the end, the three of them quietly followed Oknodie to apologize to the students with bruises on their faces.

“I heard there was an unfortunate incident with my team members last night. I’m sorry.”

“Is that what you say after beating someone to this state…? Thanks to you, I can’t even eat the karaage from today’s lunch menu and am only eating porridge.”

“Wow, that’s really bad.”

It’s too much to beat someone so badly they can’t even eat.

When Oknodie glared at her team members with fire in her eyes, Hestia bowed her head awkwardly.

“I’m really sorry.”

“Then give back the flags.”

“What? Why should I return the flags?”

“You said you came to apologize?”

“I did apologize.”

“Who said anything about returning flags?

I only said I’d apologize.”

“I’m just kidding. I’ll return them.”

“Phew…”

“For 100 points each.”

“Haha. That’s a joke too, right?”

“No, it’s not.”

This is not a joke.