Chapter 17
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 17: If You Say It's Absolutely Impenetrable, It Will Be Penetrated (1)
Persuading the Male Lead Candidates was easy.
In the first place, the only Male Lead Candidates I had a connection with were Asel and Kyle.
Since I persuaded Kyle together with Asel whom I recruited first, the rest of the Male Lead Candidates followed like sausages on a string.
Having recruited the Male Lead Candidates behind the scenes, now it was the Saintess's turn.
Recently, since Senior Luciela was also preparing for exams and her meetings with the Saintess decreased, the Saintess was also conscious of the midterm exams.
I asked the Saintess after the morning lecture ended that day.
"Saintess, how are you preparing for the exams?"
"Exam preparation? After each lecture ends, I immediately review and organize the content, and look at it once more before sleeping."
"Your preparedness is thorough. By any chance, do you have any thoughts on studying together?"
"Do you mean studying together with Mr. Ethan?"
Interest arose in the Saintess's eyes.
"I'm thinking of creating a study group including me and other people too."
"Sounds fun!"
Her reaction was positive.
Since she originally liked hanging out with people, it seemed she had no aversion to studying together.
"Who are you going to do it with?"
"I plan to invite a few from the Knight Department and those whose liberal arts subjects overlap. It will probably be a group of about 10 people."
"Seems appropriate!"
Having obtained the Saintess's consent, I rented an empty lecture room that had no particular classes in the afternoon.
After finishing lunch and afternoon lectures, I took her to the rented lecture room.
"Did you recruit all the members in that time?"
"Since I was planning it."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Since they are all people you know, you will be able to study comfortably."
When I opened the lecture room door, there were people who had come earlier inside.
Five Male Lead Candidates and classmates from the Knight Department including Jean.
You ask wasn't it six Male Lead Candidates?
Unfortunately, the 2nd-year senior couldn't come to our gathering because the scope of study was too different.
Originally, senior or junior positions are bound to be subs.
Anyway, upon entering the lecture room, the Saintess's expression became ambiguous seeing the Male Lead Candidates.
An expression closer to flustered rather than dislike.
She grabbed me and came out of the lecture room.
"How did this happen? Why are they in there?"
"Those friends are the top in their respective fields. Wouldn't studying be certain?"
"That is true but... should I say it's too sudden?"
"Those friends are also reflecting, so they won't repeat the same thing."
"....Mr. Ethan is right. Since I can't avoid them continuously."
The Saintess, resolving herself, entered the lecture room again.
Afterward, fitting for a Romance Fantasy, they filmed a touching scene once, reconciled with each other, and conversed harmoniously.
Since I intended to share only member introductions and schedules today, we disbanded after just sharing light conversation.
From the next day, we embarked on full-scale exam preparation.
We rented an empty lecture room every lunch time and after afternoon lectures to study together.
Although the study group was just a pretext made to restore the relationship between the Saintess and the Male Lead Candidates, once we actually did it, it was better than I thought.
Studying major subjects goes without saying since our group is full of top-tier students, but what shone unexpectedly were the mandatory liberal arts subjects.
Regardless of the department, the academy had liberal arts subjects that must be completed essentially by grade.
Subjects that one has to do, but feels wasteful to invest a lot of effort in compared to major subjects.
The reason we decided to study this in the study group was for the Male Lead Candidates who weren't in the Knight Department, but this rather returned in a good direction.
From the top student of the Administration Department to the eccentric of the Alchemy Department, and the rude mage who might have bad character but definitely has brains.
Since geniuses who wouldn't lack anywhere with their heads summarized lectures on their own, we could obtain much better results in liberal arts subjects compared to the time invested in studying.
Like that, 3 weeks passed, and finally, it became time to take the midterm exams.
Considering what I studied all this while, it seemed unlikely I would ruin the exams, but I couldn't let go of tension.
Isn't the exam period in Romance Fantasy originally not a period to take exams but a period to overcome trials?
If warlocks, who haven't had much news yet since the attempted assassination of the Saintess, were to invade, this time was the highest possibility.
The only fortunate thing was that the exam location wasn't some remote island but inside the academy.
If it were a type of exam dropping us on an island and telling us to survive for a certain period, it would have been undeniable, but fortunately, it wasn't that.
"Everyone put away what you were studying. We will now begin the exam."
Like that, the exams started.
Continental History, Basic Combat Studies, Basic Martial Arts, Monster Ecology, etc..
Every time I took an exam, I didn't let go of the string of tension, but warlocks were nowhere to be seen.
This went on for one day, two days, a week.
Eventually, warlocks didn't appear until I finished taking all exams.
The midterm exams ended along with my grand shadow boxing.
".....They really aren't coming."
"What isn't?"
"Warlocks."
"Why would warlocks come here?"
"Because the Saintess is here."
"....Ah."
This Saintess. Did she forget she almost got assassinated just a month ago?
Should I say her mentality is good or she lacks tension...
Seeing the Saintess happy that exams ended, I felt foolish for not relaxing my tension throughout the midterm exams.
While briefly sharing banter with the Saintess, Kyle approached.
"Thinking of warlocks reminded me, the academy strengthened the barrier after the last intrusion. Warlocks won't be able to enter with the same method."
"It took a while?"
"The barrier itself was reinforced 2 weeks ago. I just forgot to mention it because of studying for exams."
"Anyway, that's a relief."
Of course, it's obvious it will be pierced by another method later, but still, since they say it hasn't been long since they strengthened it, I should be able to trust it for the time being.
Although the academy in Romance Fantasy is merely a background where incidents erupt, still, isn't Franz Academy one of the places the Empire cares about most?
Since the Prince is that confident and I also felt something while living in the academy for a little over a month, it should be fine to enjoy the rest enjoyed after exams end.
"We decided to go play together, would you like to go too, Mr. Ethan? They say there are many things to see since exams ended."
"I am fine. Have fun and come back."
"That's a pity. Let's play together next time!"
The Saintess proposed going to play together, but since it was a bit awkward for me to be at a place going to play with Male Lead Candidates, I promised next time.
The Saintess leaving first with Kyle and Asel.
After greeting her, I turned my body and headed to the commercial district.
Just in time, since exams ended and there were many events, I intended to relieve the stress accumulated during the exam period with shopping.
Since Father gave me plenty of allowance after sending me to study abroad, my wallet was thick.
Arriving at the commercial district, I saw numerous students coming and going.
Those holding food in hands, those hugging dolls that appeared to be prizes in arms, those enjoying dates with lovers; there were diverse students.
All students were happy that exams ended and enjoying the present.
Cutting through them, I moved my steps to a weapon shop.
Knight Department and weapons were inseparable existences.
Since even martial artists fighting with bare bodies commonly used weapons like knuckles or gauntlets.
Furthermore, am I not a spearman?
Looking at good spears was my hobby.
Entering the weapon shop, I saw various weapons displayed.
Longswords, greatswords, daggers, axes, gauntlets, and even the spears I was looking for.
Looking at the overall proportion, there were more swords than spears, but that couldn't be helped as there were that many swordsmen.
For now, looking with eyes, it seemed I entered a decent shop.
There were a few customers inside, and among them, there was also a female student from the Knight Department whom I knew.
Although we weren't particularly close, since our eyes met, I greeted her with a nod.
Afterward, I asked the owner who was reading a book at the counter.
"Are the spears here everything?"
"There are a few more in the warehouse side. If you want to see more, I will bring them."
"Yes, after I look at all the spears here, I would like to request that."
"Understood."
I began to browse the spears filled in the box.
There were quite diverse kinds of spears.
There were ones where the handle part was made of solid iron, and ones where enchant magic was cast on the spear blade increasing sharpness.
Besides that, from ones maximizing portability by unfolding a cylindrical stick that fits in one hand to ones where flames come out from the spear blade, they were truly diverse.
There were more interesting spears than I thought, so I didn't realize time passing while browsing.
Finishing browsing, I approached the owner and asked him to bring out what was inside.
The owner walked to the warehouse and brought out a whole large box.
"This is every spear in our store."
"Thank you."
It was when I was browsing new spears like that.
I was thinking about a few spears to collect in my head, but suddenly outside became noisy.
Although students' tension is high since exams ended, it wasn't this noisy just a moment ago...
Looking out the window at the strangeness, I saw the appearance of students running away in panic.
"......?"
Wondering what was happening, while examining the situation for now, I could hear a student shouting.
"It's terror!!!! It's warlocks!!!!"
The moment I heard those words, it was natural that the Saintess's group who went to play because exams ended came to mind.
'The barrier was supplemented so they can't enter with the same method?'
Academy, I knew it...
I lifted a spear.