Chapter 84: Midterm Exam 4
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 84: Midterm Exam 4
The day of the practical exam finally dawned.
Loki walked toward the forest located within the Academy grounds, accompanied by the other students of the Special Class. Professor Elicia had announced during the morning homeroom that the forest would serve as the stage for their practical evaluation.
"Pushover, what do you think this practical exam will be like?"
"I’m not sure. I don't have any particular guesses. Ms. Sepia, do you know what the exam was like during last year's midterms?"
"Last year’s practical was held in the auditorium. The professors evaluated how the students handled artificial monsters. But knowing what they did last year won't help much."
"Why is that?"
"Because the Academy exams change every year. There hasn't been a single time where an exam was the same as the one before."
Step, step.
As they walked and chatted, the Special Class soon reached the entrance of the forest. All the other first-years, excluding the Special Class, were already gathered there.
"It looks like we’re the last ones to arrive."
"If you hadn't insisted on stopping at the snack bar, we would have been the first."
Elicia’s morning homeroom was shorter than the other professors', so they had plenty of time even considering the distance to the forest. Because of that, Loki had suggested they grab some snacks before heading out. The others worried they might be late, but they eventually gave in when Loki pointed out they could just run if they had to.
Clara had intended to head to the forest alone, but Loki told her that going off by herself would only draw unwanted attention, so she ended up following the group half-unwillingly.
"Hey now, Ms. Clara, you enjoyed the food too, didn't you? And look, we aren't even late."
"Fine, you're right. We aren't late. Though we would have been if we were even a minute slower."
As the Special Class appeared, the other first-years stared at them intently. It wasn't just because they were the last to arrive.
"The Special Class students always stick together. I'm so jealous."
"Even if you were in the Special Class, you would've just fumbled your words and been unable to even speak to the Crown Prince."
"I'll admit that. But I'm still jealous."
Among the Special Class students, Clara’s name was the most prominent today. There wasn't a single student who didn't know that Clara was the first in the Academy's history to receive a perfect score of 100 on the written exam.
"Look over there. It’s Lady Clara."
"I heard a 100 on the written exam is a first for the Academy. I really want to see her paper. I wonder what she wrote."
"I want to invite Lady Clara to a tea party just once. She’s so beautiful from a distance; imagine how stunning she must be up close."
"Should I try talking to her?"
"Don't bother. Do you know how many people have tried? She ignored every single one of them."
Clara walked on as if she didn't care at all, even though the other students were whispering and staring blatantly.
"Wow~ Ms. Clara, you’re quite popular, aren't you?"
"I don't care."
The students continued to whisper as they watched Loki chattering away next to Clara. Just as Clara had become famous for her 100, Loki had become equally famous for being the first to receive a 0. Of course, the other students mistakenly thought he had pitifully failed because he forgot to write his name.
"Ms. Clara, did you know?"
"..."
Clara often ignored Loki, mostly when he spoke to her in that playful, mischievous tone. But even though she ignored him frequently, Loki never once gave up.
"Did you know?"
"..."
"Did you know...?"
"Tsk. What is it?"
"If you add my written exam score to yours, it makes a perfect 100. Isn't that fascinating?"
Loki added with a grin, "Surprising, right?"
"..."
Without a word, Clara glared coldly at Loki and quickened her pace.
"Wait for me!"
Clara sat down in a relatively empty spot, and Loki immediately sat right next to her.
"Why don't you sit a bit further away?"
"If someone heard you, they’d think we were hugging or something."
"..."
The other Special Class students also sat down near them.
"I'm just joking. Honestly, Ms. Clara, isn't it better for me to sit next to you than some stranger?"
"Tsk."
Clara merely clicked her tongue and didn't refute him. What Loki said was true; it was much better to have him noisily talking to her than to have a stranger sitting nearby, stealing glances and eyeing her up and down.
* * *
"I will now explain the practical exam."
The voice of a professor, amplified by mana, rang out across the clearing.
"This practical exam is an individual battle taking place within the forest. The exam ends when the time limit is reached or when only one person remains."
"There are artificial monsters created by Professor Idra scattered throughout the forest. You will earn points by hunting them. For your information, different monsters carry different point values based on their strength."
"If you eliminate another student, you will acquire all the points that student possessed."
"If you are eliminated by another student or a monster, the points you held just before being eliminated will be your final score."
"The final result of the exam will be a combination of the points you earned and the evaluation scores given by the professors based on your actions."
Upon hearing the rules, the students immediately began calculating strategies. The most effective method seemed to be hiding quietly and then targeting students who were exhausted from hunting monsters to steal their points. However, doing so might lead to a poor evaluation from the professors, and if they stayed hidden until the time ran out, they might end up with no points at all.
"Now, everyone, put on your blindfolds. The professors will take you to random locations within the forest. Be warned: leaving the forest boundaries will result in immediate disqualification."
After the professor finished speaking, the faculty began placing blindfolds on the first-year students.
"Sniff, sniff... the thought of being separated from all of you brings tears to my eyes."
"What is wrong with Loki?"
"Has he ever been normal?"
"Fair point."
Tough crowd. You could at least play along.
"No matter how far apart we are, I will always be watching over you all."
"..."
Now they weren't even answering him. He was actually being somewhat sincere, too.
"Pushover, if you don't want to be expelled, you can't make any mistakes this time."
"I made a very small mistake on the written exam, but I won't make any mistakes on the practical."
"Glad to hear it. Good luck."
"Good luck to you too, Ms. Sepia!"
With that, all the first-years were blindfolded and moved under the guidance of the professors. Each professor led dozens of students into the forest, placing them at designated spots and telling them to wait until the signal sounded.
Loki followed a professor while blindfolded. After walking for a while, the professor beside him spoke.
"This is your spot, Student Loki. You may remove your blindfold when you hear the signal shortly."
"What happens if I take it off before then?"
"You will, of course, be disqualified and given a zero."
"Heek! Understood. Good work, Professor!"
* * *
The Monitoring Room was filled with screens showing every corner of the forest. Numerous professors were watching the students through these displays, evaluating their performance and managing variables.
"Shall we begin now?"
"The professor in charge of Group D hasn't arrived yet."
"The Group D professor just reached the vicinity of the Monitoring Room. I'll temporarily deactivate the barrier."
The Monitoring Room was located inside the forest, but it was covered by a barrier that made it invisible from the outside. Since it was a barrier personally cast by the Academy Principal, a Great Mage, it was impossible for students to even perceive its existence.
[You may now remove your blindfolds.]
The professor's voice echoed through the forest via a microphone. On the screens, students began taking off their blindfolds and looking around. Just then, the professor in charge of Group D entered the Monitoring Room.
"Which students were in Group D?"
"The most famous student in Group D would be Loki."
"Did he cause any trouble?"
"No, he was surprisingly quiet. Look. He’s still standing still even now."
The Group D professor pointed toward a screen where Loki was standing motionless in the forest. He was perfectly still—without even having removed his blindfold.
Just as the other professors were starting to find it strange—
"Tsk."
Professor Elicia suddenly clicked her tongue, and the other professors turned to look at her.
"You've brought something troublesome with you."
Elicia spoke while looking at the Group D professor. The others didn't understand what she meant.
"Since you've already been caught, just come out."
While the other professors were still trying to grasp the situation—
"Aww, you caught me."
A playful voice rang out from thin air. Loki appeared out of nowhere, removing his blindfold.
"How did you get in here? We didn't deactivate the barrier."
As one professor muttered in shock, Elicia reached out and pulled something off the Group D professor's clothing.
"A location tracking magic tool. Did you secretly attach this to the professor earlier?"
"Ding-dong! Correct!"
Even if this place was invisible from the outside due to the Principal's barrier, entering was easy if one knew the exact coordinates via a tracking tool. By concealing himself with illusions and following the professor, even the faculty watching the screens wouldn't have noticed him.
The professors were speechless. The Monitoring Room had screens that could check the location and status of every student. With this, Loki now knew everyone's position and situation.
Elicia recalled what Loki had said yesterday.
‘I'll show you, Professor, how I take first place in the practical exam by using every trick in the book, as long as it doesn't break the rules.’
"I haven't broken a single rule. This is inside the forest, and I didn't remove my blindfold until the signal sounded."
As Loki said, he hadn't technically broken any rules. Common sense dictated that one shouldn't attach a tracking tool to a professor, but who would have ever thought to make a specific rule against it?
"You professors can just pretend I'm not here and go about your business. I'll just stay here quietly."
Do you think that's even possible for someone like you? The words reached the professors' throats, but they couldn't voice them.
"...Fine! What if we just turn off all the screens here?"
One professor spoke as if he had a brilliant idea, but—
"Then how are you going to evaluate the others?"
The professor was left speechless by Loki's retort. If they turned off the screens, they couldn't evaluate the other students. On the other hand, they couldn't kick Loki out because his actions hadn't violated any rules.
In the end, an uncomfortable cohabitation between Loki and the professors began.
.
.
.
"Oh! Ms. Clara has already earned some points."
Loki was comfortably sipping a drink while watching the other students through the screens alongside the professors.
"Hmm. That person has a habit of getting too excited during combat."
He had even pulled a chair out of his Pocket Dimension to sit and evaluate the other students.
[Damn it! My left arm is injured! If the others find out, I'll definitely become a target. I have to hide it.]
The voice of a student resting after hunting a monster could be heard through the screen.
No! Don't say it out loud! There's a madman listening to everything!
Unfortunately, the professors' internal screams didn't reach the student.
"That person just now is quite close to here."
The professors flinched at Loki's words.
"Well then, I'll be back in a bit. Make sure to lock the door behind me."
Loki set down his drink and the tracking tool on the floor and slowly walked out. The professors recalled what Loki had just said.
That madman just said he'd be back.
The Academy's practical exam was beginning to take a very strange turn.