Chapter 102

Extra Chapter 102

Midterms.

Only 3 weeks left.

But the duration doesn’t really matter.

Not for a student like me who has been consistently preparing through regular study.

As expected from the top academy, most of the Royal and even Noble class students were like that.

The problem was the Common class.

The current atmosphere in the Common class was something like, “Three weeks to complete the crash course, you can do it!”

In a week, it will change to, “Two weeks to complete the crash course, you can do it!”

And then in another week, it will be, “Last-minute cramming, nothing is impossible!”

It’s so predictable.

I’ve seen this scenario countless times from my school days, and the progression is clear as day.

I never had to do that since I was always among the top students.

But the problem isn’t me.

It’s these guys.

Allen Benesse and Riviera, who both avoid eye contact whenever midterms are mentioned.

Still, they responded obediently to the call, indicating they had some will to do well.

“Let’s start with a consultation.”

I spoke like an education expert.

Of course, I’m not a real expert, but I do have some tutoring experience.

I planned to use that experience to lead these guys.

“Consultation? What kind of consultation?”

“You’ll see when you get there. Allen, you first.”

“Uh, okay.”

Allen approached and sat down.

“What’s the problem?”

“Huh?”

“You study hard regularly, don’t you? So what’s the issue?”

I know Allen is a hard worker.

He never neglects either his studies or his training.

But could there still be a problem?

Yes, there could be.

Because he’s Allen Benesse.

The name itself gives a sense of unease, and it’s not just my imagination.

“Uh, well…”

Allen struggled to continue.

He seemed awkward discussing sensitive topics like grades with someone.

Well, it’s understandable since he never had a close friend to talk about such things.

In situations like this, you need to ease the atmosphere.

“Be honest. That’s the only way I can help you.”

I changed my tone and spoke calmly.

Finally, Allen started to speak.

“…It might sound ridiculous, but I honestly think I can handle the Noble class. But the Royal class…”

As expected, Allen had some confidence in his abilities.

He deserved it after all the effort he had put in.

But he was still one step short.

“Why the Royal class?”

“I’m not skilled enough… and the pressure is too much…”

“What kind of pressure?”

“I can’t afford to make even a single mistake.”

“Ah.”

I nodded, understanding.

Allen is inherently weak under pressure.

Even though his skills were enough for the Noble class, he was stuck in the Common class because of that pressure.

But thanks to me, his mental strength had improved significantly.

Scoring 10th in the archery evaluation and climbing to the 60th floor of the Infinite Tower were things he couldn’t have imagined with his old mentality.

But even his strengthened mentality seemed to waver in front of the Royal class.

Thinking that a single mistake equals failure is a common fear.

I needed to change that mindset.

“What’s the big deal about one mistake? Do you think success and failure hinge on just that?”

“Uh…? I think it could…”

“Are we competing against Elaine?”

“Huh…?”

“No, we’re aiming for the bottom 3. 28th, 29th, 30th place.”

I emphasized “bottom” intentionally.

Hearing a weak word can make you subconsciously feel more capable.

It seemed to work on Allen as his tense expression relaxed a bit.

“Am I wrong?”

“No.”

The Royal class has 30 students.

Allen had lumped all 30 together as a single Royal class.

That’s not a good approach.

Even within the Royal class, the levels vary greatly.

So I set a clear target.

The bottom 3.

This gave Allen a more tangible goal.

That’s the importance of setting clear objectives.

“One mistake? It’s fine. Do you think they won’t make any mistakes? Of course not. So don’t stress about it.”

“Right.”

“Just focus on your own skills. Improve them, and you’ll get promoted.”

“Got it.”

My confident words seemed to ease Allen’s excessive burden about mistakes.

Good, that should do it.

I continued.

“So.”

“Huh?”

“What subjects are you weak in? Tell me everything.”

Allen scratched his head and answered hesitantly.

“Uh… math, for starters? And… economics? Uh… and also…”

After hearing Allen’s full list, I was convinced.

He’s the typical humanities brain.

Anything involving formulas was a problem for him.

Math, economics, and even magic-related subjects.

In reality, this would be the hardest case to handle.

But Allen’s case was different.

His idea of being weak wasn’t at the level of a complete failure.

Still, I asked to confirm.

“What was your score in the most recent math test?”

“…70.”

“Good.”

“Huh?”

“There’s a thing.”

I adjusted my posture with a relaxed expression.

At that level, he’s completely salvageable.

He can handle average problems but struggles with higher-level ones.

The same likely applies to other subjects involving formulas.

“You’re good at subjects like history, ethics, and philosophy, right?”

“Uh… yeah, I’m okay at those.”

With that final confirmation, the diagnosis was done.

Now I just needed to prescribe the solution.

But I put that off for now.

“I understand the situation. Go wait over there.”

If my assessment was correct, Allen’s case wouldn’t require me to spend much time on it.

To confirm that, I called the next person.

“Yawn.”

Riviera yawned as she sat down.

…What does she do at night?

Anyway, I asked directly.

“Are you serious about this?”

“Yeah.”

Riviera nodded.

That confirmed it for me.

She was oddly enjoying her school life with me.

That’s why she followed my lead despite her laziness.

I had sensed that when I made the promotion declaration.

‘Not bad.’

There were several reasons.

Even though she’s an enemy, she’s helpful for now.

It’s better to keep an eye on her daily in the same class rather than have her in a different class.

And lastly, though it’s just a hope.

‘Maybe there’s a hidden event related to persuasion?’

The Blood Witch is supposed to be an enemy of the protagonist.

But I’m not the protagonist.

The protagonist doesn’t even know Riviera is infiltrating the second year.

So forming a connection was impossible.

But I, Max Celtrine, am different.

Starting from the Common class in the second year, I inadvertently formed a connection.

Initially, it was a bad one, but being in the same group and going through various things, we’ve become somewhat familiar.

That feeling isn’t just mine.

Otherwise, Riviera wouldn’t be hanging out with me like this.

‘…Anyway, that’s for later.’

I refocused on the present.

“Alright, that’s settled.”

“Can I go then?”

“…Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t say you could leave. Hey, sit back down.”

“Chit.”

I caught Riviera, who was trying to sneak away, and made her sit back down.

“Bear with it. It won’t take long. You’re good at all subjects related to magic, math, engineering, right?”

In short, any subject involving formulas.

This girl is a genius.

A science genius.

Even Professor Karen and Elaine couldn’t come up with the formulas she did, so there’s nothing more to say.

“Yep, that’s right.”

Riviera didn’t deny it.

“Can you get a perfect score?”

“Possible.”

This kind of student is a dream case.

You could teach her with your feet and still send her to medical school.

But…

This girl definitely has a problem.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t make that face when talking about midterms.

It’s time to figure out what that is.

“Your weak subjects are history, ethics, philosophy… stuff like that, right?”

“…How… how did you know?”

Riviera looked at me with wide eyes.

What’s surprising is that she’s surprised by this.

It’s obvious just by looking at you.

A typical case of lacking humanities thinking.

It’s hard to fix this in a short time.

But there’s hope for her.

Why?

Because she’s not just good at science; she’s a genius.

If she scores perfectly in all science-related subjects, she can earn a tremendous amount of points.

Even if she loses quite a bit in humanities, she can still meet the Royal promotion score.

Anyway, the diagnosis is done.

Time to prescribe the treatment.

“Alright, Allen. Come over here too.”

Once Allen joined us, I gave my prescription.

“The answer is mutual tutoring.”

“…?”

“…?”

Oh, not that.

I’ve been reading too many detective novels; the word “mutual” made me think of “mutual murder.”

I quickly corrected myself.

“The answer is peer tutoring.”

“…?”

“…?”

Why are there still question marks?!

Are you guys doing this on purpose? Huh?

I almost got frustrated but managed to calm myself.

These guys need care…

I already knew that.

I pointed my finger at Allen.

“You’re good at the subjects she’s bad at.”

Then I moved my finger to Riviera.

“And you’re good at the subjects he’s bad at.”

I laid my fingers flat and continued.

“What does that mean? It means mutual tutoring is a win-win. You can learn from each other.”

The humanities student learns from the science genius, and the science genius learns from the humanities student.

There’s no combination more beautiful than this.

“Oh?”

“R-right, I see!”

Finally, they seemed to understand.

…Better late than never.

“Yes, that’s the answer. With that, your midterms are no problem.”

Riviera and Allen exchanged glances.

Then they nodded at each other.

Their interests aligned.

I smiled in satisfaction.

It was worth the effort to bring them together and explain.

“Oh? But what about you, Leader?”

Allen asked, suddenly remembering.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle it on my own.”

I replied confidently.

I had already assessed my own abilities long ago.

I was sure I could do it, which is why I made the promotion declaration.

I wouldn’t have made such a bold move without that confidence.

“Alright, let’s give it our all.”

I extended my hand.

“Huh?”

“G-give it our all?”

“What are you doing? Help me save face as the leader and put your hands up.”

Finally, they slowly raised their hands.

Awkward, so awkward.

But what can you do… Uniting these guys is also part of a leader’s role.

“When I say ‘Midterms, let’s do it,’ you guys follow. Midterms, let’s do it!”

“M-midterms…”

“Let’s do it.”

And so, our midterm journey began.

* * *

Did you think I would really do it all alone?

If you have weaknesses, don’t be ashamed to learn.

That’s how you improve.

“Senior, can I ask you something for a moment…?”

I clung to the meat-loving elf senior.

“Do you have time? Can you help me with this?”

I approached my fiancée.

“Sorry, can you explain just one thing?”

I even asked the top student in our grade.

This is how you use your connections.

It also shows your effort, so it’s killing two birds with one stone.

While we were all working hard…

The day of the midterms arrived.