Chapter 92: Midterm Exam (3)

The fact that midterms had started didn’t mean anything particularly dramatic was going to happen.

After all, Anatolia Academy wasn’t a training ground for Hunters or soldiers.

There was no reason to conduct “real-world-like evaluations,” nor should there be.

What did it matter to noble and royal students, who would eventually inherit their own territories or kingdoms, whether their grades were high or low?

For them, grades were merely a matter of pride. It was a tool to boast to rival nations, saying, “Look how brilliant our heir is.”

Because that was the extent of its significance, midterm exams at Anatolia were relatively relaxed compared to other institutions.

There were no students roaming like zombies with dark circles under their eyes, nor were there intense psychological battles beneath the surface among classmates pretending not to study.

And, of course, there weren’t any insane developments like in some novel where exams were just an excuse to risk their lives hunting monsters.

In Anatolia, only two types of people took exams seriously:

First, commoners dreaming of rising above their station by excelling in academics.

Second, noble dimwits who hadn’t studied enough and were on the verge of failing, now scrambling to avoid disaster.

Among these, the latter group often experienced sharp contrasts in fortune as soon as the exams ended.

“Aaaaahhhhhhh! This can’t be happening! Math… 58 points… 58 points!!! If only I’d gotten one more question right!!!”

After school, Therese collapsed on the floor, wailing after finishing her rough self-grading.

At Anatolia, it was customary to post the answer sheets on the communal bulletin board in the hallway after exams, allowing students to estimate their scores.

Therese’s math score, as confirmed by the posted answers, was 58—just two points short of the passing mark of 60.

A guaranteed failure.

“This, this is…

…This can’t be happening…! I can’t die like this…!

Wait, yes! This is just a dream! A dream before the exams!”

Therese sat on the floor, muttering in a daze with an empty look on her face, clearly retreating into denial due to the overwhelming despair.

Next to her, her younger sister Marianne giggled and teased her endlessly.

“But oh dear! It’s not a dream! This is reality! Yes, reality!

You should’ve focused and studied properly when we offered to help instead of resisting like you did!”

“Y-you little…!!”

Therese’s face turned red with fury, looking as if her head might explode with just a slight nudge.

Meanwhile, Isabella, who was perched on a desk nearby, checked her own test paper and commented.

“Well~ I’ve always considered swordsmanship a lost cause, so that doesn’t matter… Everything else is perfect, but I missed one in history.

Memorization-heavy subjects are such a pain. If you don’t know the material, you’re just doomed.”

Isabella clicked her tongue regretfully, but even so, her scores were outstanding.

Outstanding enough that Therese, shedding metaphorical tears of blood beside her, couldn’t help but glance at her with envy.

Noticing Therese’s gaze, Isabella chuckled softly before turning to the last person who hadn’t yet finished checking their answers.

“So, Lancia, how did you do? Did you do well?”

“……”

“What, are you still grading? If you’re struggling, I can help you ou—”

“I’m done!!!!”

Suddenly, Lancia shot up from her seat and shouted.

Her voice was a mix of joy and relief.

“I did it! I really did it! I passed all my subjects with over 60 points!

I’m safe now!”

“Oh, really?”

Isabella’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Lancia, but soon her expression softened into a wide smile as she clapped Lancia on the shoulder.

“Congratulations, Lancia! Now you won’t need to attend any extra tutoring sessions after school!”

“Sniff, yes. I’m so relieved… Sniff.”

Moved by Isabella’s congratulations, Lancia replied tearfully.

She was genuinely happy to have avoided failing.

And it made sense—who wouldn’t be glad to see their hard work pay off?

Lancia had pushed herself to the brink, cutting back on sleep and even her training time to focus on her studies.

Her joy at earning good marks was naturally all the greater for it.

After a moment, Lancia wiped her eyes with her sleeve and turned toward Sion.

“It’s all thanks to you, Master. I’m truly grateful.”

She bowed her head as she spoke, her voice filled with respect and gratitude.

It was true.

Without Sion’s help, Lancia would have scored abysmally on every subject and become the laughingstock of everyone.

If that had happened, even if her family hadn’t reprimanded her, Lancia herself would have been too humiliated to hold her head high.

Given all that, she could never thank Sion enough, but…

“……”

The person being thanked seemed oddly distracted.

Seeing Sion’s vacant expression, Lancia tilted her head and asked curiously.

“Um, Master?”

“…Huh? Oh, yes?”

Only then did Sion snap back to reality.

“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Did you say something?”

“Huh…?”

Something about her reaction seemed off, not just to Lancia but to the others as well.

They all tilted their heads in unison.

It was strange. This wasn’t like the confident, composed Sion they knew.

“Why are you acting like this, Hero? Don’t tell me you bombed the exam?”

“Ah, no, of course not.”

Marianne’s question caused Sion to pause for a moment, as if she’d been caught off guard, but she quickly smiled and held up her exam paper.

It was covered in perfect circles—no mistakes at all.

“As you can see, I got everything right. For a hero, this much is a given.”

“As expected.”

Isabella chuckled knowingly.

She already knew that Sion wasn’t just physically strong but also incredibly smart.

Back at the royal palace, during joint classes, she’d always answered questions effortlessly without hesitation.

There was no way she’d stumble on something as simple as this exam.

Sometimes she even wondered if, had Sion not been chosen as the Hero, she might have surpassed her as a mage.

So there was no reason to worry—not when it came to Sion, at least.

“Whew… Anyway, may I step out for a bit? I’ve been sitting for so long that my body feels a little stiff…”

“Ah, then I’ll go with you—”
“No. I just want to be alone for a moment.”

Sion curtly rejected Isabella’s attempt to accompany her.

Isabella’s face stiffened awkwardly at the unexpected refusal, her eyes reflecting disbelief as though she never expected to be cut off so abruptly.

“Then, I’ll be off.”
“Ah… okay… Have a safe trip…”

But it was only for a moment.

Isabella forced a smile and waved her hand.

Sion gave a slight nod and left the classroom.

The remaining four people in the room blankly watched Sion’s retreating figure disappear down the hallway.

After leaving the classroom, Sion silently walked out through the main gate of the school building, heading toward the unfrequented area behind the school.

“……..”

Once she confirmed that no one was watching her, she opened the subspace storage and retrieved Exia, which she had stored inside.

Shortly after, the holy sword emerged, chattering incessantly as if to make up for the boredom it had endured.

-“Phew, finally free! Judging by the fact that you’ve taken me out, I assume all your exams are over, right?

Seriously, being in there was suffocating—I thought I was going to die of boredom! It was pitch dark all around, no one to talk to, and I couldn’t even move!

Next time, during exams, please leave me in human form. I’ll just quietly read books in your room, I promise.”

“…..”

-“By the way, how did your exams go?

Well, I suppose there’s no need to ask—you probably did great. For someone like you, Sion, the first-year curriculum must be as easy as sucking on a baby bottle, right?”

“……”

-“…Hmm? Sion?”

Only then did Exia notice something was amiss.

Tilting its head, the sword remarked on the unusual atmosphere.

Something felt off.

Normally, by now, Sion would have thrown a quip or two to keep Exia in check.

But now, she remained silent, lips tightly sealed. Was she feeling unwell? Or perhaps…

-“Hey, what’s wrong? Did you mess up your exams? Or maybe you marked the wrong answers by mistake?”

“…..”

Even in the face of Exia’s persistent questioning, Sion maintained her silence.

Just as Exia began to feel annoyed by her frustrating demeanor, Sion finally opened her mouth and spoke slowly.

“…100 points in language.”

Plainly, as if listing mere facts.

“100 points in math. 100 points in history. 100 points in magic theory. 100 points in swordsmanship theory.”

-“…?”

Exia tilted its head, puzzled.

What? Those scores are amazing! Then why is she hesitating like this?

Surely she isn’t worried about the practical swordsmanship test.

Sion’s skill was such that she could easily defeat all the Anatolia students, even if they teamed up against her.

-“Just to confirm, 100 points is a perfect score, right?

Then there’s no need to worry. Those scores should easily make you the top student in the entire school—”

“And finally…”

With those words, Sion shut her eyes tightly, as if trying to block out the reality before her.

Her face twisted with dread.

“…Morals, 53 points.”

-“…Pardon?”

For a moment, Exia’s voice faltered in disbelief.

-“What did you just say? I must have misheard. There’s no way you scored that low—”

“No, you didn’t mishear.”

Sion muttered, biting her lip.

If it was hard to believe, Sion herself struggled more than anyone.

After all, she was the one who took the test and confirmed the results.

At first, she thought it might be a printing error on the answer sheet.

Maybe last year’s answers had accidentally been used due to some mix-up.

But no.

Not a single student gathered in front of the bulletin board made a fuss about incorrect answers.

Instead, they exchanged casual opinions about the test’s difficulty with their friends, as if everything was normal.

An unmistakable sign that the answer sheet was accurate.

Whether she liked it or not, she had to accept it.

No matter how much she protested, the reality before her wouldn’t change.

The facts were already set in stone.

She had to acknowledge it and move on.

The next-generation hero, the incarnation of the god La Frey, a being hailed as possessing the purest and most noble soul—

Sion of Ashtaria, the hope of all humanity, had—

“Scored 53 points in Morals. Below the failing threshold of 60 points.

Remedial lessons confirmed.”

She had utterly failed the subject most crucial for a hero.