Practical Exam (3)
Several days had passed since their visit to the Temple.
If he had to pick the most memorable thing that happened in the meantime, it would be the incident when Medeia's veil was blown away by the wind in the middle of class.
"Kyaaaaaaah!"
"G-get away! Monster!"
"D-disgusting! Don't look at me!"
The reactions of the students who met Medeia's eyes were a spectacle. Some even spat curses too vile to repeat. Those ones got a solid smack to the back of the head while the chaos covered his tracks.
"Wh-what the hell!"
"Guh!"
Kael grabbed the panicking Medeia and immediately dragged her out of the classroom. A few students still tried to rush them in their daze, but he put them down without much effort.
Thud!
"Guh!"
"Sorry. Coming through."
"Y-you just sent someone flying and you're walking away?!"
"Apologies. I'm in a bit of a hurry right now."
"D-die!"
"Ugh."
They had no choice but to skip the rest of the day's classes. Back at the Villa, Medeia was so shaken she locked herself in her room and refused to come out. Leaving her like that wasn't an option, so Kael dusted off his skills and cooked something proper.
Cooking skill proficiency has increased.
Cooking (C) → Cooking (B)
His cooking skill had ranked up. He could now turn out dishes that wouldn't shame even an imperial head chef. Tray in hand, he went to find Medeia. At first she refused to eat, but the moment the aroma hit her a loud growl escaped her stomach, and she started shoveling the food down.
"My lady, if you eat while crying you'll choke."
"Sh-shut up."
"Shall I pour you some tea?"
"…Yeah."
Looking at her like this she was every inch a proper young lady. He still couldn't understand why that cursed affliction had to put her through so much.
If only the curse could be lifted…
But that was no simple feat. Even the ducal house they called a pillar of the empire had failed, and in the original story Medeia's curse had never been broken either. There was only one way to undo it: either the one who placed it removed it willingly, or—
You kill the one who cast it.
Neither option was easy.
The day of the practical exam dawned. A chill hung over the grounds in front of the Cemetery. Students and professors had gathered. One man who looked like the professors' representative stepped forward and spoke.
"Today, first-year students, you will spend a full day inside the Cemetery."
A murmur ran through the crowd.
"An exam in a cemetery?"
"Probably hunting undead monsters."
"Ugh. We have to kill zombies and stuff? Those things are gross."
The chatter swelled until the professor raised a hand and silenced them.
"Quiet, all of you."
"…"
"…"
After a brief hush he continued.
"I will now explain the rules. The exam will be conducted in pre-assigned teams of three. You earn one point for every monster you defeat inside the cemetery."
A student raised a hand.
"Is it one point no matter what kind of monster we kill?"
"No. Defeating higher-ranking undead such as Ghouls or banshees will earn you higher scores."
He said it, but no one truly expected Academy students to take down Ghouls or banshees. Those required Holy Power or Aura, and higher undead were rare enough that even encountering one was unlikely.
The professor lifted a jeweled bracelet.
"This is an artifact supplied by the Temple. Wear it while defeating undead and your score will be recorded. Team leaders, step forward and put them on."
Kael walked forward. A familiar voice cut through the air.
"Still hanging around the Academy, blind bastard?"
It was the Crown Prince. He had come as a team leader to receive a bracelet as well.
"I greet His Highness the Crown Prince."
"Greet? What exactly are you looking at? You can't even see."
"…"
Still a complete ass. Why the hell had he been born a slave? If he'd been born emperor he would have sewn that insolent mouth shut already. It was enough to make a man weep.
"You remember our bet."
"Yes. I remember it well."
How could he forget a wager that put both his and Medeia's expulsion on the line?
"Tomorrow will be the last day I have to look at you and that repulsive duchess."
"It might not be the last."
"Ha! You actually think you can beat me?"
"We'll find out when we try."
The Crown Prince snorted and jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
"I brought two priests just to deal with the undead. Those two are among the best the Temple has. No matter how hard a worm like you struggles, you'll never beat me."
With that he snapped the bracelet on and strode back to his two clerics. Two female priests. After confirming their presence, Kael fitted his own bracelet and returned to where Medeia and Rian were waiting.
"So this is the bracelet. I've only heard of it; first time seeing one in person."
Rian studied it with open interest as soon as Kael arrived. Kael had assumed it was just a simple score counter, but the reaction suggested otherwise.
"You know what this is?"
"Yes. It's a Black Mana Accumulation Device. An artifact that absorbs Black Mana floating in the air."
Rian went on to explain more than anyone had asked.
"When you slay an undead monster, Black Mana leaks out. Left alone it disperses into nature, but this device can collect it."
"What do they do with the Black Mana they gather?"
To priests, Black Mana was the natural enemy of their power. Why would they want to stockpile it?
"This is only what I've heard, but the Temple recently succeeded in converting Black Mana into Holy Power. They seem to be using this chance to harvest as much as possible."
Turning Black Mana into Holy Power. Hard to believe at face value, but if the Temple claimed success he would take it as fact for now. That wasn't the important part.
"Rian, one more thing I'm curious about."
"Please ask."
"The Crown Prince supposedly has two priests with him. Do you know them?"
"Ah, the Rene sisters. Yes, I know them. We often pray together after classes."
Good. He already knew them. Kael asked the real question.
"Between those sisters and you, who's stronger?"
"…"
Rian's expression stiffened for a moment. He seemed to weigh the answer, then smiled.
"Why, myself, of course. No undead can stand before my faith."
A satisfying reply. Kael didn't take it entirely at face value—male pride was involved—but the brief hesitation suggested the sisters might edge him out.
The Crown Prince prepared thoroughly. Just how badly does he want Medeia gone?
If Kael wanted to win this bet, he would have to give everything he had.
"Everyone appears to have their bracelets on," the supervising professor said, scanning the students. "Then the practical exam begins now. I hope to see all of you back here safely tomorrow morning."
The moment the exam started, Rian cast holy magic on Kael's sword first.
"May the light that drove back the primordial darkness descend upon this place."
When the prayer ended, a gentle warmth settled over the blade. Holy Power sheathed the steel like Aura.
"This will let you strike undead with far greater force for the next hour."
He then enchanted his own flail the same way. When he tried to approach Medeia to do the same, he stopped short.
"I had heard the rumors, but the curse on you is truly vicious. Even drawing near is difficult…"
A priest's eyes apparently saw something ordinary people could not. Since the curse manifested through Black Mana, Medeia probably looked like a seething mass of it to him. Leaving her without the blessing was a serious disadvantage against undead, so Kael stepped in and pointed at the staff in her hand.
"My lady, may I borrow that for a moment?"
"…Yes. Take it."
She understood and handed it over without protest. Kael passed it to Rian, had the holy enchantment placed, and returned it to her. Preparations were complete. All that remained was to start racking up points by cutting down undead.
"Undead usually hide underground and ambush. Always watch your footing," Rian warned.
Kael focused his senses on the ground. The world beneath their feet bloomed in his mind like a black-and-white hologram.
"Uh… Rian."
"Yes?"
"You said undead pop out of the ground. How many usually show up?"
"Usually two at most. Why the sudden question?"
"…We're screwed."
Thud!
A rotting arm punched up through the dirt.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Not one. Twenty arms in total.
Guooooooo…
Ten Zombies rose and closed in around them.