Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Rewards
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“Jeron. Wake up, the exam’s almost over!”
“Mm….”
Yuria, who always woke me up.
This time, too, I opened my eyes at the sound of her voice.
‘Whoa, I slept really well.’
The fatigue from the battle vanished completely.
But then.
Ding!
[Sloth Meter +300!]
‘Huh?’
Seeing the message window pop up in front of me, my sleepiness fled in an instant.
Because an suspiciously large amount of Sloth had accumulated.
‘What’s this?’
Sometimes the system handed out points without explanation like this.
Normally, it specified what action earned Sloth, but if I wasn’t aware of it, it didn’t say.
So, the conclusion was simple.
While I was sleeping, I must have done something incredibly slothful without realizing it….
‘Did I sleep-talk or something?’
No matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind.
“Was there anything weird while I was asleep?”
So, I stretched lightly and asked Artel and Yuria.
“…!!”
Both of them flinched noticeably.
They exchanged a quick glance.
“No……?”
“N-Nothing really happened.”
“Yeah. No enemy attacks or anything, it was peaceful, ahaha….”
They sounded awkward, unlike usual.
‘Hmm.’
Something was suspicious.
But even if they didn’t know, there was a witness here.
‘Kerr.’
[……Hmph.]
Instead of answering, Kerr snorted.
Her voice sounded grumpy again.
[What insolent humans! To dare climb on top of me and lie down!]
But Kerr’s testimony was highly unexpected.
‘Artel and Yuria… lay down with me?’
[That’s right! And they slyly pressed close to you, rubbing against you! Like sneaky little brats—watch out for them!]
Kerr huffed indignantly.
[I wanted to kick them off, but I held back because I didn’t want to wake you!]
‘You were looking out for me. Thanks, Kerr.’
[…Hmph, then do better from now on!]
Then she cut off the mental connection.
At the same time, the temperature in the shadow I’d tucked back into my pocket rose again.
Doing this again, huh?
Anyway.
Artel and Yuria had lain down to rest during the exam, too.
That must be why the system gave so much Sloth.
For spreading sloth to others! Slothful behavior!
Something like that.
I knew this was an absolutely safe ‘camp spot’ that wouldn’t get found, so it was fine for me, but they must have been anxious.
They must have been really exhausted.
The reason they tried not to let me notice was probably embarrassment—always sighing that I was slothful, only to show their own slothful side.
Cute.
I understood completely, anyway.
‘Makes sense if you think about it.’
After battling the Crown Prince and draining all their energy, they must have collapsed the moment the tension eased.
I used magic with a snap, but normally, casting magic consumed tremendous stamina.
Kerr slandered them as sneaky, but given Artel and Yuria’s personalities, they wouldn’t have done it with ulterior motives.
They just saw me sleeping so comfortably and wanted to rest a bit themselves.
In the tight space, they shifted around, leading to some contact.
‘But….’
On the other hand, it felt a little strange.
No matter how well our affinity worked and we got along, we were still a guy and two girls.
To lie down so casually next to a sleeping guy….
‘Doesn’t mean they don’t see me as a man at all?’
Even without romance knowledge, I knew that much.
Somehow bittersweet.
***
In the base camp control room.
The professors stared at the screen with bated breath.
Because the biggest upset of this exam had just occurred.
“Th-the Crown Prince…!”
On the screen, Leonhardt vanished in a burst of light.
It was no small shock to the professors, either.
“Were Cadets Artel and Yuria that strong?”
“Impressive. Their teamwork was perfect. Especially Cadet Artel—her skills have grown tremendously.”
The professors vied to praise the two girls’ prowess.
But their conversation naturally shifted to the one who had set up that stage.
“More than that, Cadet Jeron is truly powerful.”
One professor adjusted his glasses and said gravely.
“Even ambushing a fatigued Crown Prince, to overwhelm him so one-sidedly… Maybe that line about possibly killing the Saintess in their duel… At least, he might have meant it.”
Silence fell over the room at those words.
They’d thought it bravado then, but his displayed power proved it wasn’t empty talk.
“But why didn’t he finish it himself?”
Another professor raised a question.
“Knocking down the Crown Prince personally would have brought immense honor and fame.”
Any ordinary cadet would have pushed for it greedily.
But Jeron, despite his overwhelming leisure,
Had handed the nearly cornered Crown Prince to his teammates and pulled back.
An incomprehensible move.
Then, a clear laugh rang out.
“Kyahaha! Isn’t it obvious? He was too lazy for it!”
It was Professor Sierra.
She grinned and said,
“I once checked the Crown Prince’s signature magic. He’s a total hot-blooded type! A blazing sun itself.”
She pointed at Jeron on the screen.
“The white-haired guy is his total opposite. He ran because he didn’t want the hassle—100%!”
“Huh….”
The professors stared blankly at Professor Sierra’s clear interpretation.
To give up such glory just because their personalities clashed and it was annoying.
“…So very Jeron.”
But it somehow made sense.
Anyone else, maybe not—but for Jeron, it fit perfectly.
After that, Jeron’s team moved deep into the forest on screen.
“Hiding?”
“Wise choice. They have enough points already, so avoiding unnecessary fights. Great location, too.”
A spot thick with foliage, invisible from outside.
The professors admired Jeron’s strategic insight once more.
But then.
“W-wait… is he sleeping?”
Jeron spread a shadow on the ground and blatantly lay down.
He even seemed to fall into deep sleep immediately.
“Sleeping during the exam.”
“We thought sleeping in class was mild.”
“And Cadets Artel and Yuria too?!”
The control room fell into shock as the teammates who should stand watch lay down beside Jeron.
No matter that they chose to sleep, for the diligent girls to change like this!
Falling asleep in the middle of the exam with two girls flanking him.
In all their years of observing exams, they’d never seen such an inappropriate scene. Everyone was speechless.
Of course, they just lay there—nothing more happened.
But that alone had some professors coughing awkwardly in embarrassment.
However, one Assassination Department professor watched closely, then stroked his chin.
“…Jeron might not just be sleeping.”
“Pardon?”
“He could be sensing surroundings with his senses even in sleep. Assassination studies has such sleep techniques.”
He pointed at the screen.
“See? No other cadets approach. Artel and Yuria might trust him and feel safe.”
Ooh.
The professors nodded at the plausible explanation.
“But still, tremendous confidence.”
“That attitude. Normally, I’d call it arrogance….”
Professor Kate murmured, staring at the sleeping Jeron on screen.
“For Jeron, it might not be arrogance.”
She added,
“But the sloth is definite.”
***
Thus, the second exam ended.
The results….
[1st Place. Jeron’s Team - 4850 Points]
An overwhelming first place, as expected.
Even after resting the entire second half, they nearly doubled the score of the second-place Saintess’s Team.
This exam was a massive upset, no exaggeration.
First, the Crown Prince’s Team plummeted out of the rankings.
Plus, Karen and Ciel’s Teams were eliminated early and pushed to the bottom.
‘That’s why I told you not to dawdle at the ruins.’
Of course, they had top scores from the first exam, and the third exam remained, so they had plenty of chance to recover.
Thus, all team matches ended.
Now left was the individual third exam: the climb.
But before that, something essential to claim.
“Congratulations indeed. Cadets Jeron, Artel, Yuria!”
Professor Zephyr greeted us smiling.
To award the prizes bet on this exam.
“Your performance was truly impressive!”
He gave a thumbs-up, sparing no praise.
Then pointed to three boxes on the table.
“Prizes for the first-place team.”
Three luxurious boxes lined up.
“Originally, just one for the whole team. But after your performance, I couldn’t do that!”
Professor Zephyr said heartily.
“So I dug deeper into my personal collection. One per person—three gifts total!”
He opened the boxes one by one, explaining the items.
The first box held a teardrop-shaped gem glowing faintly blue.
“‘Fairy’s Tear.’ Boosts the wearer’s mana recovery speed. An invaluable treasure for mages.”
The second box had something like a wooden figurine.
“This is the ‘Guardian’s Amulet.’ Automatically generates a protective barrier in crises. Greatly boosts survivability.”
Both were early-game favorites from the game.
Artel and Yuria’s eyes sparkled.
And the final third box.
It contained a mystical pale purple incense stick.
“And the last item is the ‘Daydream Incense.’”
Professor Zephyr rubbed his nose a bit sheepishly.
“From the East. When lit, it makes the body languid and provides supreme rest.”
He added,
“Of course, as rare and valuable as the others… but not directly combat-boosting.”
Two combat items, one for rest.
Any ordinary cadet would eye the first two.
“Discuss among yourselves and pick one each.”
As Professor Zephyr finished, Artel and Yuria looked at me simultaneously.
“You pick first, Jeron.”
“Yeah. You’re the MVP of this exam.”
They handed me the choice without hesitation.
“Got it. Then….”
No reason to refuse.
I ignored the rings and bracelets.
My hand went straight to the last box.
“I’ll take this one.”
I picked up the pale purple incense.
Daydream Incense.
This was the essential key to obtaining the Hydra’s Egg.