Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (4)
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The last elective class ended, and the next day arrived after a satisfying one.
I met up with Libia and Isabel, and we headed off to take the duel exam against the other cadets.
"We get to watch from the stands today, so I'm excited!"
Libia's cheerful voice rang out then.
As she said, this midterm evaluation was different from Comprehensive Evaluation Week.
All the cadets could watch the duels from the audience seats, so it was something to look forward to.
"Yeah, we'll both be watching."
And above all,
I was curious about the results of the second-place showdown between Libia and Isabel that would be decided in this midterm.
There would be plenty of fun duels to watch this time.
With those thoughts, we arrived at the massive duel arena.
Among them,
we moved to the audience seats where the upper classes gathered and began searching for our matchups.
'Hmm... pretty standard...'
My opponents for today were one S-Class cadet—not Aren or any of the top five—and finally, Isabel.
Unlike Comprehensive Evaluation Week, which was heavily random,
these matchups were purely based on skill, with no randomness.
So, it was a matchup right within my expected range—nothing too wild.
However...
"Why...?"
Isabel, who had drawn me as her opponent for the second time after Comprehensive Evaluation Week, didn't seem to think so.
She muttered in a voice laced with despair.
"I'm third place... and Libia's second..."
"We're both swordsmen like Aden, so that's probably why!"
In response to that despairing voice,
Libia—who had drawn a lineup she could beat handily—offered an answer.
Of course, Libia was right...
'But I'll be facing Libia tomorrow too...'
Libia had no reason to relax either.
Same main weapon or not,
in a midterm where matchups were based on similar skill levels,
there was no way first and second place would be separated.
But I didn't bother telling Libia that,
just lightly patted her shoulder and continued.
"Hang in there, Libia. You too, Isabel."
"Yeah! You hang in there too, Aden!"
"Yeah..."
In return came
Libia's energetic reply and Isabel's sullen one.
Hearing that,
I found our assigned seats in the stands,
sat down, and began waiting while watching the other cadets' duels.
It wasn't long before
[Cadet Aden, please come down to the arena. Cadet Aren Reinhardt as well.]
the announcement over the stands called me and Aren.
'Time to go.'
At the sound,
I slowly stood and headed down.
The final exam of the midterm evaluation.
The duels against the cadets had begun.
The final exam of the midterm evaluation,
duels against the cadets.
Sitting in the audience seats of the arena where that exam was taking place,
Isabel Helm
had finished her first duel
and was now watching the two cadets currently dueling.
"Match end! Winner: Aden!"
And then,
the duel she was watching came to an end,
the judge's voice echoing through the stands.
Aden versus Aren Reinhardt.
The matchup between the top first-year overall and fourth place.
Just a three-rank difference, and Aren had even mastered mana manipulation...
Isabel had thought at least some attacks would land,
but the duel was overwhelmingly one-sided.
Every spear swing infused with mana from Aren
failed to touch Aden's body, slicing only empty air.
Aren couldn't land a single hit,
couldn't withstand Aden's barrage, got disarmed in moments,
and declared surrender.
'How are you supposed to beat that...'
She had watched hoping to find even a sliver of weakness,
but far from it,
her original plan became useless,
only deepening her despair.
Even so, as she reviewed the duel and pondered how to face Aden again...
[Cadet Isabel Helm, please come down to the arena. Cadet Markin as well.]
the announcement called her and her second opponent.
She stood and headed down.
'Markin...'
Her second opponent was a cadet named Markin.
An S-Class cadet like her,
who had climbed to eighth overall in the first-years during Comprehensive Evaluation Week, using daggers.
No one to take lightly.
So, she set aside thoughts of Aden for now
and focused on her current foe...
"You two, you may enter now."
The staff in the waiting area spoke, telling them to enter.
They left the waiting room and stepped into the arena,
and
Waaaaah—!!
the cheers from the stands filled the arena to the brim.
'This is overwhelming...'
For someone like her who didn't enjoy attention, the cheers were burdensome.
Ignoring the noise as best she could,
she gave a formal greeting to her opponent across the way.
"Please go easy on me."
"...Yes, please go easy on me."
The opponent hesitated a moment before returning the greeting.
And soon...
with the judge's signal in the arena,
the duel began.
{Blink}
At the start of the duel,
she instantly used Blink to retreat backward,
then formed an ice spear in her hand.
In response,
her dagger-wielding opponent rushed forward swiftly,
but halted upon seeing the ice spear and warily eyed her hand.
'They all know about my magic engravings by now...'
Since Comprehensive Evaluation Week,
most professors and cadets knew about her magic engravings,
so it was natural to be cautious of the ice spear in her hand.
'Dagger users thrive on closing distance...'
But what she held now was a bluff—no magic engraved—just to slow their approach.
Confirming the bluff had worked,
she hurled the ice spear at her opponent while activating another pre-prepared spell.
{Ice Field}
(Layered with electric currents)
The same magic she'd used against Aden last time:
Ice Field overlaid with electric currents.
To block approach with that,
before her opponent could find a way to close in,
as she prepared to attack with yet another spell—
"...I surrender."
her opponent declared surrender upon seeing her prepare.
"Match end! Winner: Isabel Helm!"
The judge's voice rang out after.
Realizing the duel was over, she belatedly canceled all her magic.
'Why...?'
But she couldn't shake the doubt from her opponent's surrender.
Ice Field blocked approaches, sure.
But it wasn't impenetrable...
Surrendering now was definitely suspicious.
'He's been off from the start...'
Come to think of it,
he'd seemed strange from the beginning.
Like he didn't want to fight her at all...
His reluctance was obvious.
So she approached and voiced her lingering doubts.
"Why...?"
"...Pardon?"
"Why surrender? You could have kept going."
Hearing that, he panicked briefly at the sudden question,
then spoke again.
"Just... wasn't feeling well."
"Really...?"
"And... always be careful..."
Just "not feeling well"—
words anyone could tell were lies,
and then that cryptic warning...
He muttered something ominous and turned to leave the arena.
"Wait...!"
She called out to ask what he meant,
but
he didn't look back and exited the arena.
"Cadet Isabel, please exit for the next duel."
Staring blankly after him,
the judge approached and asked her to leave for the next one.
With that,
she pushed aside the uneasy feeling and walked out of the arena.
'That felt off...'
A warning from a stranger was deeply unsettling,
but there was nothing more to glean...
Back in the stands at the arena.
There, she waited for the finale:
her duel with Aden.
And soon—
[Cadet Aden, please come down to the arena. Cadet Isabel Helm as well.]
the announcement called her and Aden.
As she went down,
her eyes met Aden's, who had just come down from the stands.
"Hey, Aden..."
"Hey, Isabel."
She gave a light greeting,
and Aden casually replied.
Without another word...
they waited in the lounge for the duel...
"You two, you may enter now."
Like before,
the staff said they could go in.
At that,
they stood and entered the arena together...
Waaaaaaaah—!!!
First and third place.
The highlight of today's matchups,
everyone expecting a fierce battle between the two,
the cheers overwhelmingly filled the arena.
And as the duel began—
{Blink}
She widened the distance just like against her previous opponent...
Bam—!!
But before she could block with another spell...
Aden unleashed that overwhelming power in an instant, grabbing her and pressing his sword to her throat...
"I surrender..."
The midterm's first day highlight,
the duel between first and third that everyone had anticipated,
ended today in the shortest time of all.