Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Surviving as the Second Son of a Magical Noble Family
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“…….”
Pushed down?
Me?
Sure enough, if scoring adjustments were applied like this, the team that got the hardest field would start with higher base points than us.
I had handled my assigned field perfectly. And Lucas had done the same.
If both were perfect, then the team with the higher base score would...
“Hey, did we hurt our prince's pride~? We were so close to perfect, what a shame~”
“Why would Leo's pride be hurt? What did you say, Elias?”
“…….”
Leo muttered softly.
“…No. Pride hurt?”
Leo's eyes turned to the right-hand relay screen.
The screen showed Lucas lightly hugging his teammates. At the same time, Yulia's gaze met the relay camera.
“My victory.”
Bayern's victory, having claimed him first.
Yulia didn't know that, but it was better that way. If she did, she wouldn't infiltrate slowly like now—she'd charge in headfirst.
I hadn't had the choice at the start, but now that we were friends, it was different.
I wouldn't let Baden take him away.
“…….”
Elias smirked at Leo, looking exasperated.
“Boring. I was just teasing, but you're not even thinking about the exam?”
“Even if we're pushed down, we still get bonus points.”
“Why haven't you changed since you were six? I should tell your mom~”
What the hell...
Anyway, since Team 1's friends had brought up rankings first, there was no need to respond to Elias.
Beep—
[26 minutes 37 seconds.]
[Exam ends.]
Three minutes after Team 6 finished, Team 5 wrapped up too.
Team 5's students, thinking they'd finished early, wore broad smiles.
‘They'd never imagine Team 6, without a fire ability user, finished even sooner.’
The students sitting nearby let out awkward laughs, worried.
“Ah, what are they gonna do.”
“Yeah...”
But it didn't take long for them to grasp reality.
Team 6 students waited in the exam hall until Team 5 finished, then returned here together.
“Uhahaha! Look at their faces.”
Elias laughed, slapping an empty chair.
Team 5 students entered with baffled expressions.
Of course—Team 6 had come out first and waited for them.
Meanwhile, Team 6's atmosphere was cheerful, despite their mismatched lineup.
[Thank you for your hard work on the exam. Qualifying announcements will be soon—please take your seats and wait.]
“Ah, what place did we get? My heart's pounding.”
“First place.”
“But Karst was so strong.”
“Yeah, exactly...”
Team 1 students chatted behind us.
Elias started grinning ear to ear again, so Leo quickly changed the subject.
“After this, we head straight to the art festival, right?”
“Ah, the play? We'll go, but I need to see the professor first, so maybe...”
“What did you do this time?!”
“Hey~ I'm the victim again. If Lucas hadn't warned me, I might not have taken the exam today.”
Might not have taken the exam?
But with Lucas's name dropped, I couldn't pry deeper.
“Anyway, not something to worry about now. Listen up—Lucas told me not to go to the performance hall today?”
“Why not?”
“Who knows. But if he says don't come, doesn't that mean we have to go~? Let's drag the whole class along.”
Charging in blindly when there's probably a reason...
“Oh, right—why'd they move up the art festival? He asked me to find out.”
“Why move it up? Otherwise, we'd be playing around a week before the third exam, and everyone'd skip it for prep.”
The real reason was different.
With half dropping out here today, they needed an event to distract the rejects.
Paper rejects accepted it quick since it was so fast, but first-round rejects—who tasted passing—were still grumbling.
Plus, second round was teams, so team rivalries flared; they needed a quick distraction.
‘The theater and orchestra clubs sent those not-quite-threats letters... but a week should be fine?’
No way students cram this too? Beyond Leo's thinking.
Then, the professor's voice returned via amplification magic.
[Qualifiers will now be announced. Before individual passes, bonus point teams first.]
The professor paused, then called teams.
[4th place, Team 5. 3rd place, Team 8.]
“Woooah!”
“Ah, we're 3rd? Knew we'd be edged out.”
Elias said it with a satisfied smile anyway.
[2nd place, Team 1.]
“…Huh?!”
Unlike before, the gym went quiet.
Applause and cheers followed late.
Stunned Team 1 students jumped up.
“What, we're 2nd?!”
“No way...! We followed the textbook from start to finish!”
“…….”
As students refused reality, Leo sat silently.
2nd place.
Really pushed down.
We could chalk it up to Team 6's luck on a tougher field, but if I'd faced two berserkers at once in Chukschupiche...
I'd have ordered a split like Team 5, like Yulia.
‘An acceptable result.’
Fair that I got pushed.
And with my shortfall, Bayern needed talent more.
* * *
‘What’s with him.’
Kinda scary?
I ignored Team 1's waiting area opposite. Was Leo glaring at Cherlingen or me? He'd been staring this way.
But someone shivering behind me meant no time for other teams.
“W-we haven't been called yet... no way...!”
“Shh...! Mine's twice as loud!”
“…….”
Melvin and Philip whispered, faces pale.
‘What are they even thinking.’
“Team 1 in 2nd.”
Cherlingen murmured beside me with a faint smile.
‘At least they get it quick here.’
Then, the professor looked our way and spoke.
[1st place, Team 6.]
“…!”
“Woooah—!”
Cheers pierced eardrums.
I stood, hugging teammates briefly again.
‘Better evaluation than expected.’
Beat the frontrunner.
Individually, beating Leo would've been tough.
But beating the teacher as a team? New feeling.
“Thanks to you, Lucas.”
Cherlingen smiled at me.
“Nah.”
“Guys, you all worked so hard.... Thought we'd freeze to death up there... but we survived... bonus points too...”
Philip nearly sobbed.
Didn't peg him for caring—his academics suck—but guess not.
[Teams 1st through 4th get 10 bonus points each. Now, individual qualifiers.]
“…Wait. That's not it?”
“Ah, bonus teams don't mean full passes. Wonder how our team's did.”
Philip groaned at Cherlingen's calm words.
[Top score 100, lowest 63. Qualifiers, come to floor 1. 24th, 63 points. Victoria Bierman.]
A Team 8 student dashed to the arena center.
Soon, 19 more rankings called.
Now, only Cherlingen left beside me.
She smiled calmly, unflinching.
“Our teammates all advance to round 3. Hope we meet in the next teams.”
“Yeah.”
Non-bonus teams barely got picks.
Just one or two per team with standout unique abilities.
Bonus points decided passes.
‘5th now.’
[5th, 90 points. Elias Hohenzollern.]
“What! Why 90?! Should be higher!”
“You prioritized the ruins...”
“Ah~”
Their chat echoed from floor 1.
Still, no disappointment.
90 after half practice wasted? Solid.
Days ago grumbling about failing, now top 5? Success.
[4th, 97 points. Yulia Cherlingen.]
“Woooah—!”
“Ah, I'm 4th. Gotta prep, Lucas.”
Cherlingen smiled, standing.
‘Thought higher. Surprising.’
[3rd, 98 points. Narke Farnese.]
Narke smiled from afar, heading down.
Higher ranks meant friends called—nice.
Saw friends waving secretly at profs from arena.
[2nd.]
‘My turn soon.’
[None.]
“…?!”
“Eh?”
All eyes in stands on me.
Noise rose, but prof ignored, called 1st.
[1st, 100 points. Leonard Wittelsbach.]
“What?”
“Lucas...?”
Leo's eyes met mine as he stood.
Feigning blank, but I felt his flinch at my skip.
Qualifiers gawked at prof and me.
[That's 23?]
Should be 24.
For four teams of six in round 3.
Prof scanned 23, then looked up.
[Tie for 1st. 100 points, Lucas Ascanien.]
“…….”
“…Woooah—!”
I exhaled held breath unwittingly.
‘...Teasing...’
Heart nearly dropped.
Call together next time?
Anyway, 100 points.
Unthought of.
Perfect practicals rare here.
‘Better evaluation than expected.’
“Luca~!”
“Quiet, Elias.”
Not Leo—another student hushed him.
Arena lights scorched overhead as I descended.
I nodded to Cherlingen's glance, stood by Leo.
Prof spoke seeing us settled.
[We avoid ties usually, but 1st and 2nd Academy profs unanimously allowed exception for 2nd-year round 2.]
Prof eyed Leo.
[Team 1's Leonard Wittelsbach knew complex field priorities exactly, led team efficiently—full marks.]
“Thank you.”
[Team 6's Lucas Ascanien swiftly used knowledge in crisis—full marks. Hardest of four exams; no 3rd or 1st-year teams solved this field same time.]
Prof alternated glances.
[Both showed peak skill in fields. Congrats on 1st.]
Smiling managed, someone extended hand beside.
“…Eh?”
Elias's shocked voice from end.
Not just him—front-row friends all stared baffled.
Leo offered hand blankly.
“…….”
He knew not to act familiar publicly.
No emotion meant he acted too.
‘...This guy's risky...’
Daring tie? Wanna compete proper?
Nah.
His grudge-like intense training made accidents spark around him.
Sudden new behavior surely had reason.
‘Skip training awhile.’
Who knows what sparks next.
Quick handshake, done.
[These 24 now split into four teams of six for round 3. Only six drop—easier minds?]
“…….”
Like hell.
Everyone targets Team 1.
Aim's top 6 of 24 essentially.
No one answered.
Prof smiled understandingly.
[Now, round 3 teams.]
