Ch.65Midterm Exam – 8

“How do you have so many different ways to surprise people? What are you planning to show me next?”

As I returned to the surface, Professor Jeina, who had been leisurely resting at the starting point, let out a dry laugh. The midterm exam, which was supposed to take up to 2 nights and 3 days, had ended in just 6 hours.

Even that was the result of Elysiere deliberately dragging things out toward the middle. If I had maintained the same pace from start to finish, I could have easily completed it in under 5 hours.

This was possible largely due to the structure of the artificial dungeon.

Creating a complete dungeon that would take a full 2 nights and 3 days to clear would be highly inefficient, so Valera and the other archmages who participated in its creation chose a different approach.

They plastered the place with illusion and phantom magic, created monsters impossible for student-level mages to defeat to force detours, installed all kinds of traps, and even altered the maze’s structure itself.

It was a method designed to make students wander through the same spaces for extended periods, drastically increasing the clear time.

An ordinary Academy student wouldn’t have had the magic to break through illusion spells cast directly by archmages, but unfortunately for them, I happened to know how to counter such tricks.

“The dungeon was damaged?”

“Yes. Valera came by briefly because of that. Even she said she couldn’t figure out why.”

There was another reason for such an intense reaction. Apparently, part of Aria’s dungeon had been damaged for unknown reasons, and they had to request Valera’s help.

What was more surprising was that neither Jeina nor Valera had detected the damage caused by the Holy Spear. I wondered if this was because it was supposedly a “holy” weapon that only burned away impurities.

“What’s going on here? Is the dungeon practicum position cursed? Should I ask for a different assignment next year?”

Jeina grabbed her forehead, wondering why these strange things only happened to her.

It was fortunate she didn’t know what had happened inside. Two incidents that could each turn the entire Academy upside down had occurred one after another.

“About my grade—”

“Do you have no conscience? Shoo, shoo. Get out of here quickly, you’re making the normal students look bad.”

After being practically chased away with a perfect score, I left behind a dumbfounded Jeina and went straight to find Priscilla.

When I found her curled up on my bed, wrapped in blankets, clutching my clothes and repeatedly saying she was cold, she immediately clung to me and refused to let go.

“Wait, you came all the way here looking like that?”

When I arrived at the club room with Priscilla still dangling from me, Rosaria greeted us with a face that said she had no idea how to react.

“I had a hard time getting here without being spotted.”

Thankfully, it was a time when not many people were around; otherwise, strange rumors might have spread. Rosaria’s expression grew even more peculiar.

Still embracing Priscilla from the front, I sat on the sofa and explained what had happened in the dungeon. Starting with meeting the Demon Lord and ending with how he had been strengthened by the black energy.

I also mentioned some details about the Holy Spear. I couldn’t leave it out completely or the explanation wouldn’t make sense.

“Black energy?”

“The Demon Lord said it was closer to demonic energy than his own power. Haven’t you heard of anything like that?”

Rosaria fell into deep thought. She seemed quite taken aback by my claim that a mysterious black energy had suddenly appeared, enveloped the Vampire Lord, and made him several times stronger. I got the feeling she only believed me because I was the one saying it.

To be fair, I wouldn’t have believed it either if I were her.

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“I don’t know either. I’m sorry, Mira…”

While I was patting Priscilla, who had started whimpering about not being able to help, Rosaria asked another question.

“By the way, was the Demon Lord really a transmigrator?”

“Yes. He said he’s been through 89 regressions, and this is his 90th cycle.”

“Wow… that guy really went through hell. I mean, I always died before seeing the Demon Lord die. Wait a minute. So including you, there are four people who were brought here?”

“I guess so.”

“…I don’t know who dragged us here, but if I ever meet them, I’d like to give them at least one good punch.”

“Wouldn’t that be difficult with your body?”

At my words, Rosaria flinched and covered her chest with her hands.

Of course, that didn’t really hide anything. There was more spilling out around her arms and palms than what was actually covered.

“Are you a pervert? No matter how big my chest is, I can still throw a punch, you know?”

“I meant that you don’t have any muscle in your arms or legs and you’re too skinny, so it probably wouldn’t hurt much even if you did hit someone. I don’t know what you were imagining to react like that.”

“…”

Rosaria glared at me with a face that said she’d been caught off guard.

I was being completely sincere. With no means to strengthen her body and no impressive physical specs to begin with, how could she expect to hurt anyone with a sudden punch?

I didn’t know what she was thinking, though.

“Well, I’ll help you if that happens.”

“Yes, yes. How very kind of you.”

Despite her words, Rosaria couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on her face. Her tone wasn’t sarcastic at all.

“Anyway. You said we need to awaken the Hero, right?”

“We should get to that soon. Especially now that something strange has appeared. The more fighting power we have, the better. Do you remember what event triggered Brunhild’s awakening?”

“Um… the Academy raid? Not the minor ones, but the one that appeared in the finale of Part 1.”

“Great. Let’s look for something else.”

I completely abandoned the plan to recreate the original event from the novel with Elysiere’s help while avoiding casualties.

It was absurd to suggest recreating an incident where the Chairman went missing, most professors died, countless students became casualties, and the Academy was half-destroyed.

“Actually, I do have a method in mind.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Using those church bastards.”

Rosaria’s expression immediately became intrigued.

Other students also completed the dungeon practicum midterm without much trouble. The fact that it was graded on an absolute scale seemed to have played a significant role.

“…Wait. How long did it take you? I must have misheard just now, right?”

“Mira. How did you even…”

There was a minor incident where Brunhild and Aria were completely dumbfounded after hearing my clear time.

A week after the midterms ended, the day came to reveal the grades. Even though students could check their grades through magical devices if they wanted, they all gathered in one place.

At the main entrance on the first floor of the building where the Chairman’s office was located.

This was how Bellium Academy announced the grades of the top students—by embroidering the names of the top 10 students in gold on a large silk banner.

Of course, students could refuse to have their names displayed, in which case the spot would be left blank, but in the academy’s history of over a hundred years, such students could be counted on one hand.

Being in the single digits here was something to be extremely proud of.

The act itself was meant as a form of recognition.

‘Even so, isn’t this concept a bit too old-fashioned… Ah, right, this is an old institution.’

I thought this way of publicizing grades was too archaic despite all the conditions attached, but then I remembered that Bellium Academy itself was an ancient institution and quietly accepted it.

After all, the Chairman herself had been sitting in that position for the past 130 years. It made sense. I had momentarily forgotten because the facilities were so modern.

“First place.”

“I’m second.”

Aria and I each made a brief comment after confirming that we had taken first and second place respectively, just like in the entrance exam. I could hear people around us muttering that they had expected as much, clearly intending for me to hear.

Occasionally, I also heard someone mutter “what an annoying bastard.” Given my past behavior, I decided to quietly endure it.

For reference, the names of the first-place students in the second and third years were also familiar to me. Second year’s top student was, of course, Priscilla, and for the third year, I only noticed that the name was ridiculously long and didn’t bother checking the rest.

“…I lost,” Aria murmured in a small voice, then changed her attitude and flashed a smile.

“Congratulations on getting first place in the midterms, Mira. You’ve taken another step toward your goal.”

“You don’t seem particularly disappointed.”

“Hmm… you’re right. I don’t feel particularly regretful. Maybe deep down I already assumed I couldn’t win? I mean, we were both first and second, but the gap between us was so huge.”

Aria then looked around, stood on her tiptoes, and brought her lips to my ear. I heard her whisper in a lowered voice.

“I’ve been called a genius plenty of times myself, but I just can’t keep up with you, Mira. This stays between us, okay? If Leona finds out I admitted to someone else being a genius, she’ll definitely tease me about it.”

Even after finishing what she had to say, she didn’t increase the distance between us. Her face filled with mischief.

“But, Mira. You put me in second place again and don’t seem sorry at all. That’s not very sensitive of you. I might get hurt, you know?”

“You don’t look hurt at all.”

“Ah, you caught me?”

Aria then flashed a radiant smile as bright as the sun. Whenever I saw her like this, I understood why she was the protagonist of the romance fantasy novel.

“Oh, by the way. Did you hear the news?”

“I don’t know what news you’re talking about, but I probably haven’t heard it.”

“I heard the Sword Saint is visiting today. Leona said she was going to stop by the Chairman’s office.”

“The Sword Saint?”

Wasn’t he busy taking care of his disciple?