Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Top of the Class
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Once is a mistake.
Twice is a coincidence.
And three times is an inevitability.
When Pernyan took first place in the practical training, some considered it a mistake on the part of others.
When he took first place in the midterms, they said it was because a chance incident had changed the exams to written tests.
But the third time.
After he seized first place even in the final exam for *Combat, War, and Magic*, no one dismissed it as luck anymore.
It was inevitable. They realized that Pernyan Fallenberg’s skill was real and that he had been hiding his abilities until now.
[Pernyan Fallenberg and Ruina Bercefe, victorious even in *Combat, War, and Magic*. Is the top student rank within reach?]
“Hmm.”
A dense forest. Perched on a tree branch, an orange-haired elf hummed as she flipped through a newspaper.
With a light flick of her finger, spirits conjured a gentle breeze. The forest’s essence softly caressed the Branch of the World Tree.
“When things go too well, it’s actually a little scary.”
“What’s going so well?”
“You are, Sunbaenim. Look at this.”
Aria unfolded the newspaper. Pernyan, looking up from below, read it.
“It says you’re likely to become the top student.”
“So?”
“I’m just so happy that my first Elector friend is doing so well.”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
Splat! A projectile of earth shot out and tore the newspaper to shreds.
“We have never been friends.”
“Then let’s call it an alliance. A grand anti-demon alliance. In any case, you’re the closest person I have, Sunbaenim.”
Aria grinned.
“Are you an outcast?”
“Of course not. I might outcast the world, but the world can’t outcast me.”
“What nonsense is that?”
“I’m serious.”
She was still smiling. Pernyan got the feeling that there was more to her than her pure, clear eyes suggested.
Pernyan changed the subject.
“Is there any malevolent energy on the Branch of the World Tree?”
“None. It’s spotless, as always.”
Pernyan checked the surveillance recording devices he had hidden. Other than Aria, not a single person had approached the Branch of the World Tree.
‘They haven’t approached yet.’
While this was somewhat reassuring, a faint sense of anxiety lingered.
‘Don’t tell me I’ve interfered too much and changed the future.’
What if the Vile Breed had started hiding themselves more carefully, altering their plans entirely?
What if Andromalius’s descent never happened, and Aint lost his chance to fight the demon?
‘And what if an inexperienced Aint ends up being defeated by the more thoroughly prepared demons…?’
He worried that this could lead to the worst possible future, one where he, Pernyan, would ultimately fall.
A future that must never come to pass.
“If you notice even the slightest anomaly, you must tell me immediately.”
“Don’t worry. Since this involves the Mother Tree, I’ll do my best too.”
“What’s the reaction on their end?”
“You mean my father?”
The Friedien family had witnessed the demonic beasts alongside the elves, and they too were aware of the Vile Breed’s movements.
It wouldn’t be strange no matter what they did.
“They’re quiet. You asked me back then, didn’t you? To keep quiet about the demonic beasts and the Vile Breed for the time being.”
“I didn’t expect you to keep your word so well.”
“Of course. It was a request from my closest sunbaenim at the academy, after all.”
This is a secret. Though no one was around, Aria lowered her voice.
“Even my father doesn’t know yet.”
“You seem obsessed with connections.”
“And you’re obsessed with money, Sunbaenim, so maybe we’re a good match.”
He couldn’t tell if she was telling the truth or lying.
But Pernyan decided to assume it was a lie. It was hard to imagine her deceiving the head of her family and acting on her own.
“Are your final exams going well?”
“Not bad. I don’t have the confidence to beat that noble from the Dragon God Cult, but I can manage to be right below him.”
“I see.”
Well, she was a companion to the great hero, certified by the Prophecy Book, so of course she’d have that much talent.
A guy who was buying his victories with money was in no position to worry about others.
***
Although he had taken first place in *Combat, War, and Magic* through brilliant improvisation and clever tactics, the final exams weren’t over yet.
There were several other subjects, and most importantly, the other five-credit courses, *Magical Survival* and *Studies in Demonic Beasts and Monsters*, still remained.
*Combat, War, and Magic*, *Magical Survival*, and *Studies in Demonic Beasts and Monsters* were three distinct but inseparable subjects.
Naturally, the general nature of the three exams was similar.
“The setting for the *Magical Survival* exam is the northern snowfields. You will have to survive there for four days. Nothing will be provided, and your enemies will be not only the harsh environment but also monsters.”
Fortunately, there was no competition between students in this exam, but on the other hand, the monsters were of a higher level.
However, the outcome of this exam was a little different from the last.
The academy students were no fools. Having been caught off guard several times, they had made their own preparations, and this was particularly evident in the *Magical Survival* exam.
Ludger and Carlo, in particular, were confident.
“You’re not the only one who can use them, you know? Not as much as a Fallenberg, but the Schwabens have enough money to hold their own anywhere in the empire.”
“Under the same conditions, there’s no reason I’d lose to you.”
Amidst the relentless blizzards and the monsters that attacked with them, Pernyan and Ruina survived until the very end.
But perhaps because of the help of artifacts, there were more survivors than expected. Since it was graded on a curve rather than an absolute scale, the survivors were evaluated based on other factors.
Carlo Deneve.
He and Alia Torta, who possessed the most powerful firepower among the second-year students, hunted the most monsters and took first place, while Ludger and Almon came in second.
Pernyan and Ruina were pushed down to third place.
To make matters worse.
“I’ve heard the stories. The exam has become overheated, with frequent use of items including artifacts, reagents, and potions.”
“So, I intend to cool things down a bit. For this *Studies in Demonic Beasts and Monsters* exam, all external items are prohibited.”
The worst-case scenario had befallen Pernyan.
“…It’s not as if your skills disappear just because you don’t use artifacts, is it?”
“They do. I rely on the help of money more than you think.”
The exam for *Studies in Demonic Beasts and Monsters* was simple: hunting large dummy monsters.
The main evaluation criteria were how quickly and with how much teamwork they could take down ten dummy monsters with different characteristics that appeared in sequence.
“But I believe you are the one who knows and utilizes monster characteristics better than anyone.”
“Well, anyone who got in here has probably memorized the characteristics of most demonic beasts and monsters.”
“But you know the most efficient ways to use those characteristics against them, don’t you?”
“Of course I do.”
“That’s enough.”
It really was enough. As Pernyan recited the most efficient ways to deal with the monsters, Ruina executed them faster than anyone.
“…Your skills?”
“I’ve been striving not to be a burden. Thanks to that, I’ve made some small achievements recently.”
Thanks to Ruina’s unexpected performance, the pair seized second place in *Studies in Demonic Beasts and Monsters*.
“We won this time, too.”
“I’m relieved that I can finally show His Highness my true abilities.”
Ludger and Almon took first place, but it didn’t significantly affect the overall standings.
After all the joint exams were over, the individual exams followed.
[Academy Second-Year First-Semester Final Exam - Magic Department Rankings]
[1st. Pernyan Fallenberg
2nd. Carlo Deneve
3rd. Ludger Schwaben
4th…]
[Academy Second-Year First-Semester Final Exam - Knight Department Rankings]
[1st. Ruina Bercefe
2nd. Almon Doneretz
3rd. Harold Volkan
4th…]
After the exams ended, the results everyone had been waiting for were announced.
Pernyan and Ruina, who had been causing upsets since the beginning of the semester, ultimately took first place.
[Academy Second-Year First-Semester - Magic Department Rankings]
[Top Student. Pernyan Fallenberg
Second. Carlo Deneve
3rd. Ludger Schwaben
4th. Daisy…]
And then, the overall class rankings, which combined the practical training sessions and the midterm exam, were announced.
[Academy Second-Year First-Semester - Knight Department Rankings]
[Top Student. Ruina Bercefe
Second. Almon Doneretz
3rd. Alia…]
The top ranks, which had been all but fixed for the entire academic year, had been overturned.
***
The fact that Almon, who had never lost the top spot since enrollment, was now second, and that Pernyan, who had been a mere tenth, had risen to the top in a single semester, was certainly big news.
“…Pernyan is really the top student?”
“Tenth place to top student in one semester. He must have been hiding his skills. Why hide them until now?”
“Ruina finally became the top student.”
“Congratulations, Ruina!”
“To think I dropped…”
“This is the first time I’ve lost the top spot.”
A crowd of students had gathered in front of the ranking boards, which displayed the final exam grades and the overall class rankings.
Some were merely surprised by the upset, some offered congratulations, some were angry, and some felt their competitive spirit ignite.
“…The top student.”
But the person who caused the upset didn’t seem particularly happy.
“You wanted the top spot so badly, but you don’t look very pleased.”
“It’s not that… It’s just that I feel I didn’t achieve this entirely on my own. It would have been impossible without your help.”
“You’re overthinking it.”
Does this rigid person really care about such things? Thinking how different she was from him, Pernyan let out a small laugh.
“We formed a pair, and a pair is a single unit. We achieved this score together, so there’s no need to worry about the details. I wouldn’t have gotten such grades without you either.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s so.”
“Was I never a burden?”
“Not even once.”
“I see.”
Ruina gave a small nod.
Still.
“I’ll have to try harder next time.”
“By all means. In any case, congratulations on becoming top student. You’re one step closer to your goal.”
“Yes, and congratulations to you as well. I look forward to working with you again next semester.”
“Likewise.”
Ruina bowed her head and went to her friends.
“Looks good.”
“Ludger.”
“Honestly, it was unexpected. I never thought you’d come out swinging like this as soon as the second year started. It’s safe to say I was completely caught off guard.”
“Maybe until the midterms, but you didn’t seem so unguarded during the finals.”
“The midterms were a big factor.”
That was true. Pernyan had benefited greatly from the midterms being replaced entirely with written exams.
Even though the final exam scores were weighted more heavily than the midterms in the overall ranking due to that peculiarity.
“Anyway, congratulations. But remember this. It won’t happen twice.”
“It wasn’t your spot to begin with, was it?”
“Can’t you feel the venomous glare of the original owner?”
Not far away, he could see Carlo biting his lip as he stared at the ranking board.
Honestly, he was the one who had lost the most from Pernyan’s rise.
‘Originally, Ruina and Carlo were supposed to be a pair.’
If so, the results would have been very different.
Not that he needed to worry about Carlo. It was a bit unfortunate, but that was all.
“Any plans for the break?”
“I plan to return to my family estate.”
“What a boring plan for the break.”
It wasn’t boring at all. In fact, thinking about all the things he had to do back home was exciting.
After a few more words, Ludger left, and Pernyan took a few steps to check another ranking board.
[Academy First-Year First-Semester - Knight Department Rankings]
[Top Student - Valoci Vienderk
Second - Aint Armian
3rd - Verian Calburden
4th - Barus Dne…]
“Hmm.”
Aint Armian was also achieving excellent grades, almost unbelievable for someone who had ranked 38th in the entrance exam.
“Not bad.”
It was a shame he wasn’t the top student, but that wasn’t because Aint was lacking; it just meant Valoci Vienderk was that much more outstanding.
It really wasn’t bad.
***
Valoci Vienderk, who showed immediate friendliness for no reason.
Aria Friedien, so thirsty for connections that she was even more forward than Valoci.
Ruina Bercefe, whom Aint approached first after falling for her at first sight.
And Barus Dne, with whom he became friends while working as a mercenary during the break.
Aint Armian had a total of four companions.
He didn’t know who else might join later, but for now, these were all the ones Pernyan had confirmed through the Prophecy Book.
‘And among them, the last to connect with Aint was the Mercenary King’s apprentice, Barus Dne.’
When Andromalius descended, Barus fought alongside Aint, and that’s how they became close.
But Pernyan intended to twist that future a little.
“Barus Dne. I’d like to hire you and your mercenary group.”
“Pernyan Sunbaenim? A job offer is always welcome. Especially since I know you’ll pay handsomely, Sunbaenim.”
Barus flashed a greedy smile.
“The job is…”
He knew from the Prophecy Book what kind of job Aint would accept.
Pernyan planned to include Barus and his mercenary group in that job.
Since the flow of events had already changed multiple times because of him, there was a chance the danger Aint would face would be greater than what was written in the Prophecy Book.
‘It would be most reassuring if I could prepare and go myself, but I can’t.’
Andromalius would descend just before the end of the break.
For that impending day, shouldn’t he have a secret weapon?
‘Barus Dne and his mercenary group should be sufficient.’
Barus Dne was talented enough to be third—no, fourth—in the Knight Department and become Aint’s companion, and his mercenary group was composed of exceptional individuals chosen by the Mercenary King.
They were more than enough to be Aint’s bodyguards.
Making them companions a little early probably wouldn’t change the future too much.
After signing the contract with Barus, Pernyan stretched.
The long, long first semester of his second year was finally over.