Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
The rain was falling steadily, and my body trembled from the chills, but I didn't have time to linger. If I didn't want to be found as a drowned corpse, I had to ask Headmaster Tia to fix the dormitory as soon as possible. I got up from the soaked bed and headed towards the closet. Fortunately, the rain hadn’t reached this far, and my uniform was safe.
“It’s living up to its price as a high-quality item.”
I couldn't change now since I was completely drenched, but I could dry myself and change later.
“Should I ask Lucia to borrow her shower?”
Tenebris wanted to maintain a good relationship with me, so it might be okay.
“No, am I crazy? Asking Tenebris for a favor over something like this.”
My drenched body made my mind feel damp as well. I didn't know why I kept trying to incur debts over trivial matters. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I needed to find Headmaster Tia before it was too late. I was also curious about what happened to Parade, so it worked out well. It was still early, but she was probably back.
Since I was already wet, I didn’t need an umbrella. I headed towards the academy building, feeling the pouring rain on my skin.
Arriving at the Headmaster's office,
“Headmaster, may I come in?”
I knocked on the door.
“…….”
I could feel a presence inside, but there was no response. What was she doing? It would normally be best to come back later, but I couldn’t retreat. I couldn't keep standing in the rain. I was cold and miserable.
“I apologize for interrupting you while you’re busy, but do you see this? This is because of the ceiling you destroyed yesterday. You'll fix the dormitory, right?”
I opened the door and saw Tia sitting at her desk, her chin resting on her hand. She looked different than usual. There was a band-aid on her usually smooth cheek. A wound. The [Dragon Emperor] was injured. Her blazing eyes were slit vertically.
Wait, what was going on? I almost screwed up.
“I’ll just come back later.”
…Sometimes, standing in the rain wasn’t so bad. It had a certain sentimental charm.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The midterm exams began. Naturally, the written exams came first. It was only logical, as the practical exams could result in numerous injuries. Anyway, this week and next week were going to be busy.
“The Intermediate Magic exam will consist of only a written test. The practical exam will be held during the final exams.”
Professor Aira was explaining the exam outline. She seemed to have gotten used to me recently, as she had learned to avoid eye contact when facing me. I wasn’t sure if this was her being used to me, but… it didn’t disrupt the class, so it was fine.
“Umm… S-so, you all reviewed the practice questions I gave you, right?”
But today was a little different. Professor Aira seemed incredibly conscious of me. I wondered if she had done something wrong and activated [Contemplation], but there were no significant findings. I could only tell that she was thinking something different from what she was saying.
“The applied questions will be based on those.”
In other words, she had twisted the questions to a degree that ordinary students couldn’t even imagine.
“Last year, the students said the questions were difficult, so this time I made them considering the average student.”
It seemed she was planning to hear the same complaint again this year. Probably because I, as an outlier, significantly skewed the average.
“Even your seniors, who are now second-years, were able to solve them without much difficulty, so you should be able to do even better this time, right?”
It was a bit much for her to subtly try and impress me with the level of last year's students. What was I supposed to do with that information? More importantly, were last year’s students really able to solve these questions?
It sounded like she was planning to crush the students' self-esteem with the questions.
“If you studied consistently, you should all be able to solve them.”
Consistently. Yes, this meant the questions were impossible to solve by cramming. Unless you poured in knowledge honed over a lifetime and a flash of inspiration, you wouldn’t even be able to understand the questions.
“There will be partial credit, so even if you encounter a question you can’t solve, try your best to answer as much as you can.”
Perhaps I was the only student who could fully solve a single question.
“W-well… Fight! I believe in you all.”
Professor Aira clenched her fists weakly and encouraged the students.
Actually, she was probably praying for a miracle, not believing in the students. To her, I was probably the proctor, checking the difficulty of the exam and the students' intellectual level.
“I’ll distribute the exam papers now.”
Professor Aira and her assistants began placing the exam papers face down in front of the students. Even at a glance, the sheer volume of questions was overwhelming. Eight pages? Was she planning a time attack?
“You have one hour.”
Seriously? Could these even be solved in an hour? It seemed like it would take everyone except me an hour just to read through the questions.
“Begin.”
As soon as Professor Aira gave the signal, the students hurriedly flipped over their exam papers. And just as quickly, their heads drooped. I leisurely opened my exam paper and understood their reaction.
“…….”
The exam started with a horrifying question. There was a difference between intermediate and advanced-level magic, like the difference between 2D and 3D. If intermediate magic was like drawing a picture in the air, advanced-level magic and above was like architecture. And the exam paper was filled with countless drawings piled upon each other, forming a 3D shape. This was strange… wasn’t this the Intermediate Magic exam? This seemed like a question that would appear in at least Intermediate Magic 3. I could tell at a glance. This was the essence of magic, poured into creation by Professor Aira. Solving it would be an immense achievement, but it was too strange for just an intermediate magic exam. Just thinking about the effort required to create this question made my head spin. She must have spent countless nights burning through her mana. Yes, until she ran out of mana, until she ran out of M…
Let’s just solve the questions.
[Erosion Rate 20%]
The written exams were mostly over. Perhaps due to the high difficulty and the strain on my focus, the [Erosion Rate] had easily surpassed 20%. It was unsettling how my mental resistance seemed to be weakening. I was walking down the hallway, replaying Professor Aira’s questions in my mind, when,
“It’s Prince Oz…”
“Ah, that’s the…”
“Don’t go near him. You might be killed.”
There were many wary gazes on me today. Did they think the increased difficulty of the exam was my fault? No, there were too many wary gazes for that to be the only reason. I was used to being watched, but this blatant attention was a first. Perhaps due to the increased [Erosion Rate], it was making me irritable.
“Ah, Oz, there you are.”
“Hmm? Were you looking for me, Arietta?”
Just as I was about to go reduce the stack of [Mana Dominator] to escape the students’ gazes, I ran into Arietta. As always, she was walking cautiously, accompanied by the [Shield of Light] members. The refreshing scent of apple mint seemed to calm my mind.
“Yes, there’s something I wanted to ask… if you’re not busy, could you spare me a moment?”
“Yes, that’s fine. What is it?”
Arietta had an apologetic expression, but the members of [Shield of Light] looked quite hostile.
[Erosion Rate 23%]
Those arrogant bastards. Did they know who I was? I activated [Contemplation] and glanced at the Disciplinary Committee students glaring at me, and Olivia stepped forward.
“I apologize for the rudeness, Prince Oz. But I hope you understand. Some of our juniors are among the first-year Disciplinary Committee members.”
Ah, were they angry because I formed a party with Arietta? As a cleric, being in a party with the Saintess would be considered an honor, so they might be jealous.
“Hmm? Come to think of it, Arietta, you said you didn’t have anyone to form a party with…”
“O-Olivia?”
“…Yes, Saintess.”
At Arietta’s urgent call, Olivia stepped forward.
Was this what power looked like?
It was incredibly enviable compared to my hollow title.
“Prince Oz, that was a misunderstanding. There were no paladins among the clerics dispatched from the church this year, so it couldn’t be helped. They were all support-type students.”
Was that so? But the intensity of the glares from those idiots was quite frightening. Were they really support-type clerics?
“Come to think of it, I think I’ve seen that guy somewhere before… I think I saw him somewhere swinging a mace as big as his head…”
“That must have been for self-defense.”
“No, it was as big as his head.”
“It was for self-defense.”
“Hey, you there, weren't you one of the guys who charged at me and got beaten up during the last practical training?”
“That’s enough, Prince Oz. Shall we get to the point? We have business with you as the Disciplinary Committee.”
Was Olivia annoyed with me? Was the main topic that awkward? Come to think of it, Arietta had an uncomfortable expression. Had I done something wrong? I had too many guesses, so I couldn’t be sure.
“Please be honest with us. Prince Oz, who are you planning to kill this time?”
“……?”
I had no idea what she was talking about. Why would I kill anyone? Despite my appearance, I had never killed anyone before. I was a softie.
“Arietta, could you please explain what you mean?”
Arietta scratched her cheek awkwardly and took a step closer.
“Well… there are many students who are worried about Oz practicing magic every night.”
Ah, she was talking about me trying to lower the stack of [Mana Dominator].
“It’s just practice.”
“I think so too, but considering the timing… many students are worried that you’re practicing to kill someone.”
“…….”
“C-could I ask you the reason?”
Yes, hearing it that way, I understood their concern. But it really was just a coincidence of timing. Who would have expected [Mana Dominator] to have a pity system? I was the most surprised.
“Ah… could it be? S-Saintess?”
As I was thinking of an excuse, Olivia called out to Arietta, as if she had realized something. She had a bitter look in her eyes, and I couldn’t understand what she was thinking.
“Perhaps Prince Oz is…”
“Ah… b-but that’s…”
“However… so it would be best not to pry too much…”
As Olivia and Arietta whispered to each other, their expressions grew increasingly bitter.
What? Why were they looking at me like that?
What were they talking about?
“Prince Oz, we are well aware of the situation between you and the Fist King.”
“…….”
Oh, really? I wasn’t aware. Was there some famous anecdote everyone knew about? No one had ever explained it to me. If it was that famous, why didn’t I know? Was it because I had no friends?
“What happened between Alexios and me?”
“Oh dear… I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me…”
The response to my innocent question was an apologetic attitude. No, I was asking what happened. I wasn’t angry, so just tell me. The clerics who had been glaring at me also lowered their heads as if realizing their mistake. What? What was going on? What happened?
“We didn’t intend to disregard your wishes. I find it excessive, but… you must have your reasons.”
They weren't disregarding my wishes, but they were going to disregard my words? Why did they keep talking and reaching conclusions among themselves? Couldn't they share information related to me?
“The Saintess also hopes things work out between the two of you.”
“……?”
At Olivia’s words, I glanced at Arietta, and she nodded slightly. I hadn't said anything, but the conversation was over.
“Then I’ll be going now, Oz.”
“No, but…”
“See you at the exam. I’ll do my best to be of assistance.”
“Ah, yes.”
With that, Arietta and the other clerics turned to leave. So, no one was going to tell me what happened? If I weren’t putting on Oz’s usual arrogant act, I would have said something…
“Oh, speaking of the Fist King, I just remembered.”
“What is it?”
“The Fist King asked me to relay a message to Prince Oz when we surrounded him last time.”
She was telling me this now? This could be a matter of life and death! Please, I just wanted to know what happened between that bastard and me. Everyone was acting like they understood the situation and were keeping their mouths shut, but I was the only one clueless. It was driving me crazy.
“He asked me to tell you that ‘he is no longer the same as before.’”
“I see…”
I didn't know what he was like before, so I didn’t know how to respond. Had Oz been beaten up by him before? Was it a severe beating? Was that why people were so reluctant to even mention it?
“Be careful.”
One problem after another. Well, it was a matter I couldn't avoid forever. Considering the blatant hostility, I eventually had to settle things with Alexios.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
All the written exams were over, and the practical exam, conducted as a party, began. The rules were mostly the same as the previous practical training, but there were a few differences. First, it was conducted as a party, not individually. The strength of the protective magic on the cloaks also varied depending on each person’s position, and instead of prohibiting me from using advanced-level magic, a penalty was applied to the power of my magic itself. That’s probably why I was given an additional bracelet-type magical tool that regulated the power of my magic so it wouldn't exceed a certain level. It was probably designed that way since the goal was to fulfill each person's role… The design of the magical tool was trash. It looked like something used for black magic.
Moreover, the penalty was stronger than before, judging by its effectiveness.
Seeing Arietta wearing a rabbit-shaped mask that covered her mouth, it seemed that all the SSR-ranked individuals received penalties this time as well. No, wait, Arietta's mask was so cute, why did my bracelet look like this?
I could feel Tia’s malice.
“Hehehe, with Master and the Saintess, there’s no way we’ll lose. Victory is guaranteed.”
“Ultimately, the evaluation is based on individual positions, so you have to do well.”
“As long as I gather attention, I honestly don’t care.”
Eleanor was incredibly honest today. Her blatant desire was astonishing. Seeing her speak so confidently made me feel embarrassed.
“…If you want to repeat your first year, that’s fine.”
“I did well on the written exams, so there’s no need to worry about that. Master has a tendency to think I’m stupid.”
“People who are bad at studying usually say they think they did well on the exam.”
She was bragging, saying that those who were actually good at it seemed to have failed. I did okay. At least when it came to magic-related subjects, no one could match me.
“I really did well! If you’re doubtful, let’s make a bet…”
Just as Eleanor was grumbling,
“Huh…?”
I saw her vision suddenly turn red from behind.
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
Boom!
The [Spatial Barrier] I deployed a moment too late crumbled instantly. But the opponent's attack didn't stop. It was a multi-hit attack, a weakness of [Spatial Barrier].
“Gasp!”
But buying that brief moment of time was enough. Baekyang's ice shield blocked the flames, emitting steam. The moment the [Spatial Barrier] collapsed, Baekyang raised her ice shield and blocked the surprise attack. Lucia’s training must have been perfect, as Baekyang’s reaction was incomparably faster than before.
“I really hate this! I want to go home!”
Baekyang, struggling to block the attack, screamed in fear. Baekyang also knew who the opponent was. It was the one who traumatized her, after all. It would have been harder to forget. By the way, I was ambushed despite having [Contemplation]. Had I let my guard down?
“Found you at last…”
No, it wasn’t carelessness. The opponent's approach was simply too fast for even [Contemplation] to catch.
“Oz.”
There was one thing I hadn't anticipated. I hadn’t considered the absurd possibility that the opponent would charge in alone, abandoning their party members. Seeing the opponent's appearance, I knew I was wrong.
[SSR Fist King]
Alexios
It was a foolish judgment. An underestimation. The opponent was already a force of nature.
“Isn’t this foreshadowing a bit too fast…?”
Encountering him right at the start of the exam? What was this? I could complain about Olivia, but this was something I had anticipated. Alexios had been provoking me constantly. It was more like I was lucky we hadn’t encountered each other until now.
The [Fist King] was definitely an overwhelming force.
He possessed incredible physical abilities, so much so that even my [Contemplation] couldn’t capture his movements.
The only consolation was that the penalties for both sides were more severe than before.
“Ra
ise your shield properly, Baekyang.”
“…Can we even run away from the Fist King?”
“What are you talking about?”
Broken Sky was a game played in parties. It wasn't a game you could conquer with a single character.
“We have to defeat him here.”
[Erosion Rate 23%]
So this encounter was, in a way, a golden opportunity.