Chapter 50
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: We'll Be in the Same Class
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Looking at the blonde girl who entered the exam room next, I raised the corner of my mouth.
Marian, was it?
Seeing her golden hair, which I'd grown accustomed to, I recalled the conversation I'd had with Ruena just before enrolling in the academy.
It was a hectic time back then.
Enrollment was less than a month away.
Supplies we'd ordered were arriving one after another, and we were busy checking textbooks, practical tools, everything.
Even amid all that, Ruena kept finding moments to talk to me.
That day was no different.
"Celen, Celen!"
"What? Can't you see I'm busy preparing for enrollment?"
"What's there to prepare for enrollment? You just show up, right?"
Has this girl forgotten that she'd spent years studying under various tutors just to attend this school?
She'd just come from a lesson herself.
I double-checked the checklist and shook my head.
"This is why employers are like this. They think you can just come and go without any prep, huh?"
"Pfft. You're just too meticulous, Celen."
"You're the one who's too sloppy."
Ruena just shrugged off my scolding.
Something about it annoyed me, so I pinched her cheek and pulled.
"Ow, it huuurts..."
"That's why I'm pinching you. You're so infuriating."
For someone from House Eliad,
Ruena was hopelessly slow when it came to unexpected things.
She didn't even think to pull away as I pinched her cheek hard; she just groaned.
'She's this oblivious... will she be okay at the academy?'
I worried even as I kept tugging her cheek.
Her soft, doughy cheek stretched like flour dough.
The texture was subtly addictive.
Each squeeze buried my fingertips pleasantly.
Unlike dough, it carried a warm heat as a bonus.
Of course, the victim was too busy groaning.
"Ceeeelen... it really hurts..."
"Your fault, so endure it."
"Waaah, you're so mean..."
Every time Ruena whined, her cheek flesh quivered faintly.
Squish, squish.
The tickling vibration transmitted straight to my fingers.
'Is she really House Eliad's heir?'
I shook my head slightly and let go.
Because I'd put some real force into it, one cheek was bright red.
Her expression was a pouty pout, lips pursed.
I stroked it a few times with the back of my hand,
and she quickly reverted to her usual beaming smile.
'Anyway... she's so simple.'
Her face made me chuckle in exasperation.
As I smirked,
Ruena's expression melted even more.
Then her brows lifted slightly, as if she felt wronged.
"What."
"I do prepare, you know."
"Sure. Who doesn't prepare at all?"
"...You can be so sharp-tongued sometimes, Celen."
Ruena pouted and crossed her arms, chin slightly raised.
"I only have one thing I want from the academy, so that's why I'm not preparing."
"Oh, right. What do you want?"
"To be in the same class as you the whole time and stick together every day."
Her bold declaration left me momentarily stunned.
Meanwhile, Ruena approached me with sparkling eyes.
"So, my super capable aide."
"What."
"Can't you try hard to get in the same class as me? Pleeease?"
Ruena stuck out her tongue as she said it.
With an expression so brazen it was impossible to tell if she was serious or joking.
Her shameless confidence drew a dry laugh from me.
"Think that'll happen?"
"Whaaat, why nooot?!"
"You'll flunk every magic test. F at best, E if they grade easy?"
"Eeeek... But you're Celen, so you'll make it work somehow!"
"Impossible."
I tugged her cheek again.
She offered feeble resistance before going limp in my grasp once more.
Stretch, streeetch.
Her cheek elongated again.
Even as my lips curved at the soft feel, worry quietly sprouted.
'She's this oblivious... will she pass the entrance exam? ...She'll be fine, right? She focuses when House Eliad's name is on the line.'
I glanced at Ruena.
She just kept groaning,
her resistance limited to gently holding the hand pinching her cheek.
"Ugh... this really hurts now..."
"Then dodge."
"...But it's you, so I don't want to dodge."
Her words halted my pinching.
A bit surprised, I lowered my hand from her cheek.
Only then did Ruena rub her reddened cheek and grin mischievously.
Recalling that memory,
for some reason, heat surged through me in that instant.
I adjusted my poker face and sat in my assigned seat.
After that day—
Ruena, having opened the floodgates, openly demanded we be in the same class.
But my pitiful mana couldn't work miracles overnight.
'It's not like I didn't consider stealing mana with Eclipse...'
The problem was—
among non-material things, the erosion when assimilated was beyond imagination.
Was it because my mana was so poor,
or because mana was required to use the ability,
or because mana touched the soul's core,
or some restriction?
Even assimilating mana from a non-mage,
the ring pattern my father gave me had dulled, causing trouble for a while.
Training with others' mana—
due to my inherently low mana,
it only helped training slightly more than usual, not much.
So...
There was nothing I could do.
I didn't dislike being in the same class as Ruena,
but this was beyond my power to fix.
Regrettably.
'So.'
I glanced sideways at the blonde girl.
Fortunately, her seat wasn't far from mine.
If I couldn't be with Ruena,
better to be with that girl.
I could monitor her,
and naturally build favors to use later.
'The issue is... how skilled is she?'
First was the written exam.
I was confident in writing.
Religion, politics, economics, history, culture, common knowledge, magic, etc.
All headache-inducing topics,
but fortunately—or unfortunately—I was well-trained in them.
Tutoring from House Eliad.
Experience as the heir's aide.
And...
The basic qualities of a Noir.
'Theft requires study in many ways.'
Reading situations,
spotting gaps,
remembering value.
Being nimble to avoid eyes was important,
but ultimately, results depended on brainpower.
A hair's breadth could mean penniless or striking gold.
That's the world.
'So... best to match her pace as much as possible.'
Our house's reputation wasn't my concern,
just enough not to tarnish my role as Eliad heir's aide.
That way, my job stayed secure.
Aides who couldn't use magic were fine,
but ones lacking common sense or knowledge? Absurd.
'Let's see how good she is.'
The surest way was checking her thoughts right before the exam.
I used a favor to read the girl's inner voice.
Unlike before, it had an uplifted tone.
「Written exam's no problem. It's my second time taking the same test. This time, I'll crush Ruena Eliad, right?」
Same test... second time?
Of course, entrance exams could be retaken.
If you fail or withdraw, you could try next year.
But...
Her thoughts didn't mean that.
It implied she'd seen this exact test before.
'How?'
My eyes narrowed.
Did she see the future like me?
Or did an academy insider leak it to her?
I wanted to protest the blatant cheating,
but I couldn't reveal I'd stolen the info.
'Annoying.'
I clicked my tongue and turned away.
Since I couldn't call her out anyway—
I took solace in using her thoughts as my benchmark.
'Gotta go all out, then.'
Knowing the test in advance meant high scores for sure.
Practical,
written,
group exams.
I had magic as a huge obstacle.
So, maximize in written, where I could ace it.
'Might be bravado, so to be safe, miss a few on purpose.'
I set my plan and took the written exam.
Fortunately, as an entrance exam,
aside from a few tricky differentiators, it wasn't hard.
'Ruena should pass this fine.'
After all written exams—
Student scores were posted on the massive bulletin board in the exercise yard.
7th place.
Not bad.
'Good.'
I looked up at the ranks above mine.
'Let's see... Ruena...'
I smirked in satisfaction.
1st place.
Befitting House Eliad's heir.
I thought of baking her favorite strawberry jam cookies as a reward, then scanned down quickly.
'Now, Marian. Marian...'
If she was confident against Ruena, top ranks for sure.
But even scouring to 100th,
no Marian anywhere.
'What?'
That instant—
a familiar blonde head caught my eye.
I quickly used a favor to check her thoughts.
「Whoa, whoaaa! Ranked up! 492nd! Up 300 spots from last time!」
Hearing her inner voice,
something in my head shattered with a crash, like hallucinated debris falling.