Would You Join Me?

“…..I understand what you’re trying to say. I get it. Certainly, even I think that person will cause a major incident someday. But….. I’m not sure if other people in the family will listen to your argument.”

Chloe still looked troubled, with a dark expression.

“Ahaha, of course. Everyone probably won’t even lend an ear to what I say. So I’ll just have to make up something. It’s enough to say a few things that the elders would like to hear and then come back. Everyone will end up thanking me later, don’t you think?”

As I grinned, Chloe remained silent for a moment, then hardened her face and said.

“But Sion. While the family members might just scold you verbally, Pascal won’t stop there. Because of this incident, Pascal might really try to kill you. You know his personality.”

“I didn’t realize Lady Chloe would worry about me to such an extent. I don’t know how to handle this.”

“You can joke in this situation?!”

“Haha, you seemed too tense, so I made a light joke. Well, certainly, if it’s Lord Pascal, he might be planning to eliminate me without leaving evidence by now. But Lady Chloe, please rest assured.”

I continued with my usual grin.

“I’m not as weak as Lady Chloe thinks? Didn’t you experience it firsthand during the mock occupation war.”

“…….”

“I took down thirty people alone, after all. Including Lady Chloe.”

When I provoked her with a sly smile, Chloe’s face turned red and blue with anger.

“Ha! I can’t believe this. You, come to the training ground this afternoon! I’ll completely crush you!”

“Ouch, there’s a subtle pain in my little toe…! Unfortunately, I’ll have to decline that offer.”

“Oh really? Come here. I’ll fix it for you. With a hammer.”

“Eek! As I said before, I’m against violence…!”

And so, the matter of the mock occupation war was settled for now.

---

After the mock occupation war, the students immediately took written exams.

At Ruin Academy, practical exams and written exams are considered almost equally important, which means that no matter how talented you are in combat, you won’t receive good grades if you don’t study.

Some might ask:

After all, Ruin Academy is a place that trains warriors, so is there really a need to reduce training time and make them study?

To such questions, Ruin Academy responds:

“Ruin Academy is not a place to sharpen keen swords, but a place to train people who wield keen swords.”

It’s certainly a reasonable statement.

Even with the same combat power, if you analytically understand your opponent and establish strategies for battle, you can achieve better results.

Therefore, Ruin Academy places importance on written exams.

There is a cutoff line for written exams.

If a student can’t solve even 20% of the exam questions, Ruin Academy judges that the student hasn’t properly attended the lectures and requires them to take an additional exam.

If the student performs poorly in the additional exam as well, they must retake the course.

Of course, Ruin Academy is where the talents of the Fraun Kingdom gather. There are hardly any students who take additional exams, and no one in history has ever had to retake a course.

In other words, unless you’re a thickheaded person who doesn’t listen to classes at all, you won’t have to take additional exams.

Now, if you ask why I’m suddenly talking about this.

“……Haa. This is really something. I can only sigh.”

It’s because I am that thickheaded person.

No, actually, I could argue that I’m being treated unfairly.

Until about a month and a half ago, I was a modern person with no knowledge of this place.

At best, I only have miscellaneous knowledge gained from clearing various quests.

However, such knowledge is unlikely to appear on exam questions, and even if it does, it would be very few.

You might ask, didn’t I pass the exams just fine when playing the game?

‘The character studied, not me.’

All I did was just click to attend the relevant class, that’s all.

I don’t know things like why Emperor Luipos implemented anti-demon policies during the 4th Period of Chaos.

Of course, I didn’t completely fail to anticipate this situation.

That’s why I diligently attended every class and never dozed off even once…. but due to the lack of background knowledge, I couldn’t understand a word of what the professors were saying.

Don’t ask me why Charlotte did well on the exam. She’s a completely different breed from me.

“This is overwhelming. And it’s awkward to burn points on this.”

I could easily pass the additional exam by using items from the achievement store, but achievement points are the only means to cope with unexpected situations, so they shouldn’t be used carelessly.

Inevitably, I have to solve this by investing my own time…. which is truly overwhelming.

• • After all this effort with no significant progress, is there any meaning in continuing?

Shut up. Deliberately ignoring the voice echoing in my head, I muttered.

“Haa….. Still, I have to try as much as I can.”

I walked out of the library with a deep sigh. Outside, it was the dark of night.

Today is a pleasant Friday, but the fact that I have to go to the library again tomorrow to stamp my attendance is truly miserable.

Studying…! Studying on Saturday…! And at this age, studying again….!

Just as I was heading back to the dormitory, sighing deeply while wrapped in despair.

“…..Sion?”

A very clear and pure voice that didn’t match my current mood was heard.

“Ah, Lady Elis. What a coincidence at this late hour.”

Elis nodded and said.

“Yes, it’s been a while.”

Then she looked me up and down, tilted her head slightly, and asked.

“….But what’s going on? Walking around with books at this late hour. Cosplaying as a model student?”

“Hmm, is it that awkward for me to carry books? I’m slightly hurt.”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

At Elis’s question, I smiled bitterly and said.

“Haha, actually, I messed up the written exam this time, so I have to take an additional exam. That’s why I had no choice but to study at the library.”

“Additional exam…. you mean the exam given when you can’t even get one-fifth of the total questions right?”

Thank you for the kind explanation, Elis Wagon. Damn, this makes me feel even more miserable.

“Ahem, you don’t need to explain it in such detail.”

“It’s just that I’ve never seen someone taking an additional exam before. Normally, everyone gets at least half right.”

My mental strength is gradually being shaved away by Elis’s innocent stabs.

I forced a bitter smile and shrugged, changing the subject.

“Anyway, that’s what happened. Where have you been, Lady Elis….”

I asked while looking her up and down.

But what Elis is holding in her hand…. it seems familiar. It feels like a sweet smell is wafting over.

Could it be the tteokbokki we ate together last time?

“Are you having a snack?”

“I was a bit hungry. I had it packaged from the store. The one we ate together.”

Elis opened the bag she was holding and showed it to me.

Steaming tteokbokki and sundae.

Ah, this makes me feel proud for no reason.

“Haha, it seems you like it quite a bit. I’m pleased.”

“It’s not that, but how should I say… it’s a taste that keeps coming to mind. Do you want to eat together?”

Elis’s proposal sounds truly attractive, but sadly, I have something I need to do.

“As much as I’d like to accept your offer a hundred times…. sigh, I need to study even after returning to the dormitory, so it seems a bit difficult.”

“…..Were you always this stup— Oh.”

Elis, who was about to casually stab my heart with a dagger, suddenly stopped as if something had occurred to her.

“You lost your memory.”

I laughed weakly and replied.

“Haha. It feels like I’ve been holding onto books for about 5 hours, but how should I put it, with no background knowledge, I can’t understand anything at all. Even though I try to listen to the classes diligently, it’s just troublesome because I can’t understand the terms or analogies that the teachers use during the classes.” knowledge normally grows by adding flesh to existing pillars of knowledge.

But for me, those pillars of knowledge are virtually non-existent, so no matter how much I want to add flesh, it just doesn’t stick.

“At this rate, I won’t be able to avoid retaking the course…. and if I’m unlucky, being held back isn’t out of the question either.”

If I have to retake the course, I’ll have to attend more classes, which naturally leads to a reduction in my personal time.

In other words, I have to allocate time that I would use to train myself to retaking the course. If possible, I want to avoid retaking the course.

“Hmm……”

Elis murmured, twirling her black hair with her finger.

“Then.”

She opened her closed mouth and said.

“Shall I teach you?”