Chapter 051
Chapter Title: Midterm Results
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The day after the exam period ended, the students of Class 5 were cheerfully chatting as they rose from their seats after school.
“Hey! Let's have a party to celebrate the end of exams! A party!”
“Karl! You're onto something! I'm all for it!”
Just as Karl and Iliana were planning the celebratory party.
*Screech-!*
The classroom door opened, and Halind walked in.
“Everyone, sit down. You have five seconds.”
“Gasp!”
“Hey! Move! Move!”
At Halind's declaration, the Class 5 students who had been leaving the room scrambled back to their seats.
*Thump-!*
Seeing the students seated in an instant, Halind nodded with satisfaction.
“The exam results are out.”
Tension appeared on the students' faces.
“Ugh! I'd forgotten about that.”
Karl clutched his head and slumped onto his desk.
Watching him, Halind spoke.
“The students in this class who have been advised to withdraw are…”
*Gulp-*
Swallowing dryly at the merciless announcement, everyone focused on Halind's lips.
“None.”
“Woooooah!”
“Hooray! We're saved!”
“With this, we can survive until the end of the first semester!”
The students erupted in cheers.
Students whose grades had been on the line shed tears.
Cheers could be heard not only from Class 5 but from other classes as well.
“To shout while I'm speaking. You've got some nerve.”
Silence fell instantly at Halind's words.
“Don't get too excited. While no one was advised to withdraw, there are plenty of you who were on the edge. For those students, I have personally prepared a schedule for after-school supplementary classes.”
Halind then called out the names of the students who had to attend the supplementary classes.
The faces of the students on the list turned pale.
“You don't look happy.”
“We're happy.”
“So happy I could cry! Ha ha. Hahahaha.”
“Finally, I have an announcement.”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Sera.
“Tonight, there will be a party to celebrate the end of midterms.”
At her words, the atmosphere in Class 5 heated up.
“And at the party, we'll be setting the schedule for the school trip, which is in a week.”
The students of Class 5 didn't understand at first and wore blank expressions.
A moment later.
Cheers erupted from all over.
“Wooooah!”
Lumerne holds a school trip for each grade once a year.
Sometimes they go by class, and other times by department.
This time, they would be going by class, as Halind explained.
“This school really has a spontaneous side to it.”
“The school trip was already on the first-year curriculum schedule, wasn't it?”
“It was, but there was no exact date, right? And now, out of nowhere, they say it's in a week.”
As Chelsea shook her head, Nella gave her signature languid smile.
“Hmph. Is it finally my time to shine?”
Karl put a hand to his chin with a smug look.
“What do you mean, 'time to shine'?”
“I'm well-connected, you know? I'm already on good terms with the second and third-year seniors. I'll go find out what the first-year school trip is all about!”
“Hehe. Then we're counting on you.”
Karl quickly dashed out of the classroom.
*A school trip, huh.*
Leo rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window.
*Come to think of it, since being reborn, I haven't really traveled around.*
The only places Leo had been were the Flove family's domain and their mansion in the capital of the Delard Kingdom.
And, of course, Lumerne Academy and Lumeria City.
It was a stark contrast to his past life, when he had been wandering the world at this age.
Feeling a strange sense of anticipation for the trip, Leo smiled.
***
“Where should we go for the school trip?”
“Whatever it is, I hope it's somewhere relaxing.”
“But we'll still be able to have fun, right?”
That evening.
A party was being held in the dormitory auditorium.
It was a party to celebrate the end of the first midterms.
Moreover, with the announcement of a new school event, the overall atmosphere was one of excitement.
Of course, the mood wasn't entirely cheerful.
This was because the party also served as a farewell for the students who had been advised to withdraw.
“This school has a surprisingly cruel streak.”
Karl, dressed up in a tuxedo fitting for the party, grumbled.
“I know, right.”
Dade nodded in agreement.
Attendance at this party was mandatory for all first-years.
This meant that even the students advised to withdraw had to be present.
“It's not quite survival of the fittest, but it's an atmosphere that constantly pushes you to aim higher.”
“Well, it's a school for raising great heroes. What can you do?”
At Dade's mumble, Karl sighed and scratched his head vigorously.
While the two were talking, students began to file into the dormitory auditorium.
The students of Class 5 also came in one by one and approached the Class 5 seating area.
Among them, there were times when male and female students entered together.
On those occasions, the students would let out playful jeers.
Karl, who had been joining in on the mood, spotted two female students entering the auditorium and let out a gasp of admiration.
“It's Nella and Iliana.”
“Where! Where!”
The other male students from Class 5 around them also showed intense interest.
“Ooh! That's Nella for you!”
“Iliana's usually so rough around the edges, but when she dresses up, she's a total beauty!”
The male students exclaimed in admiration at the appearance of the two girls who represented their class.
Then, noticing male students from other classes approaching them, they moved quickly.
“Hey, hey! Pests are gathering!”
“Go get them!”
The Class 5 boys swarmed over.
“When is the class president coming?
“I can't wait to see the president in a tuxedo!”
“Nella~ Iliana~ Welcome.”
The female students also greeted the two with bright smiles.
When the auditorium was reasonably full, a young man and woman entered together.
Of course, the atmosphere was different from the earlier jeering.
A boy and girl, both with light blue hair and eyes.
They were none other than Abad and Chelsea.
There was no way they could jeer at siblings entering together.
Besides, even if they had entered separately, the two were too important.
As the Llewellyn siblings appeared, several students from the Rodren Empire approached them.
“Seeing them like this, it really sinks in that they're from a major family.”
Karl clicked his tongue in awe.
Lumerne has many students from famous hero families.
But the Llewellyns possessed a level of prestige that refused comparison with ordinary hero families.
“There's another big shot who's not outdone by them.”
No sooner had Iliana finished speaking than another pair, a man and a woman, appeared.
This time, too, there were no jeers.
Contrasting appearances—one with black hair, the other with white.
It was Leo and Celia.
“It's the class president!”
“He's as handsome as I expected!”
The girls of Class 5 cheered.
“Usually, she's so... dignified, but dressed like that, she's definitely beautiful.”
“Celia! You're beautiful!”
In Class 1, cheers erupted from both boys and girls alike.
The usually dignified and confident Celia was popular with everyone, regardless of gender.
So when she appeared, beautifully adorned in a red dress, the atmosphere was bound to be enthusiastic.
“But why did it have to be the vice president of Class 1!”
“But why did it have to be that guy, the president of Class 5!”
The two classes, voicing the same complaint simultaneously, glared at each other.
Halind and Sedzen.
The rivalry between the two highly renowned professors at Lumerne was already famous.
Of course, it was a one-sided declaration of rivalry by Sedzen, but thanks to it, Class 5 and Class 1 unintentionally developed a sense of rivalry.
When Celia appeared, the students from the Rodren Empire naturally swarmed over to her as well.
As the Rodren Empire students gathered, Leo naturally slipped away and came over to where Class 5 was.
“Why are you here already? Chelsea is over there talking.”
Karl asked with a puzzled look, and Leo shrugged.
“It's not my place to be there.”
“Not your place? Aren't they all from the western exam?”
Iliana asked with a fork in her mouth, and Leo let out a small laugh.
“Even if we're from the west, they're all from the Rodren Empire. I'm from a different country.”
“Aha!”
The western entrance exam is mostly taken by students from the Rodren Empire.
It couldn't be helped, as the Rodren Empire itself was a massive empire that encompassed the entire west.
“President! You'll dance with me later during the dance time, won't you?”
“You have to dance with me too~”
“Leo, you bastard!”
“You get good grades and you're popular too?”
As the Class 5 girls spoke to Leo with smiles, the boys grabbed him and shook him wildly.
“Huhu. Everyone seems to be having a lively time.”
“Oh! Assistant Professor Sera!”
Sera, the assistant homeroom teacher, approached the Class 5 area with a smile
“I'm so happy that no one in our class was advised to withdraw. Let's all keep studying hard!”
Seeing the brightly smiling Sera, the students looked touched.
To the students of Class 5, who were always under the sharp-edged tutelage of Halind, Sera was like an oasis in the desert.
As the boisterous atmosphere continued, the lights in the auditorium went out.
At the same time, a man and a woman appeared on the stage.
“Everyone~ Hello!”
At the appearance of Halind and Artian, the homeroom teachers of Class 5 and Class 8—known as the terrors of the first year—the noisy party hall fell silent for a moment.
“Why, why is everyone so quiet? A party is supposed to be fun, so you don't have to be quiet.”
Even at her words, the students couldn't easily start talking again.
Just as Artian was about to pout.
Professor Halind spoke into the microphone.
“Have fun. While I'm asking nicely.”
“Waaaaah.”
“This is so much fun.”
“Hahaha.”
As if nothing had happened, the students started chatting again.
Looking at the now-noisy students, Artian spoke.
“Please listen while enjoying yourselves. We will now begin the announcement of the grades.”
*What! You told us to have fun!*
*Why are you announcing grades in public!*
“First, we will announce the top three students in major scores for each department. After that, we will announce the grade representative.”
Professor Artian smiled sweetly.
“Additionally, the full rankings will be posted around the party hall, so please check them.”
Assistant professors could be seen carrying in covered bulletin boards.
Finally, Halind added.
“And this party is a place to console the students who are leaving. Don't you forget it.”
The atmosphere in the party hall turned chilly.
“Cruel. So cruel. Anyway, this damn school is way too good at provoking its students.”
Karl clicked his tongue.
Announcing the top students at an event meant to console those who were advised to withdraw.
This was a kind of message to the mid-ranking students.
Two messages: that they too should work hard and climb up, and that they too could end up like that at any moment.
“Then, we'll start by announcing the top students for each department. First up is the Knight Department. First place in the Knight Department is.”
A drumroll sounded, and the spotlights in the party hall began to move around.
“Celia Jerdinger from Class 1! Congratulations!”
The spotlights all converged on Celia.
“Come on, everyone, a round of applause!”
*Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap-*
A storm of applause erupted.
Celia swept her hair back and smiled sweetly.
Her confident appearance was just what you'd expect from Celia.
“Next, second place is Duran Moira from Class 1!”
The spotlight fell on Duran, who had his arms crossed, but he wore a displeased frown.
“Elegant! How elegant! Student Celia! Student Duran! I am so proud of you! First and second place were decided by a paper-thin margin, literally!”
From below the stage, Professor Sedzen clapped while shedding tears.
“Third place is Chen Xia from Class 10!”
Chen Xia, dressed in a traditional outfit from the eastern region with its characteristically wide and elegant style, smiled sweetly under the spotlight with her hands tucked into her sleeves.
“Ugh-! Brother Leo didn't make it into the top three!”
“It can't be helped. The Knight Department kids call those three the 'Monster Trio'.”
As Chelsea clenched her fists in frustration, Iliana shook her head.
“Next is the Magic Department. First place in the Magic Department is… Abad Llewellyn from Class 8! Abad! Congratulations!”
As her student took first place, Artian smiled brightly and waved.
“Isn't that obvious!”
Chelsea scoffed, crossing her arms with a triumphant expression.
“Second place is Chelsea Llewellyn from Class 5!”
Then, as the spotlight fell on her, she looked a little flustered.
“Huh, me?”
“Third place is Emio Luchan from Class 2. Congratulations.”
After the Magic Department announcement ended, a strange atmosphere filled the party hall.
Everyone was paying attention to one particular student.
“I guess Chloe getting a zero on the practical exam really hurt her.”
Karl muttered bitterly.
“Sob! Student Chloe! If things were normal! If things were normal, you would have been first place…! Sob! Don't you dare despair or give in!”
“Noisy. You're disrupting the announcement. Drag him away.”
Seeing the sorrowfully wailing Sedzen, Halind gestured coldly with his chin.
Several assistants quickly supported Sedzen and led him away.
The atmosphere among the Class 1 students wasn't good either.
As Chloe gave a bitter smile, Duran approached with a scoff.
“Chloe Müller. You're a disgrace to the entire class.”
“I'm sorry, Duran.”
“You beat me and became the class president. Therefore, I will not tolerate any more disgraceful behavior. If you disappoint me again, I will take the position of class president.”
With that, Duran turned and left.
Watching this, Karl muttered.
“The moment that jerk said that was his way of giving Chloe a seal of approval…”
In fact, besides Duran, all the students of Class 1 consoled Chloe.
It was a moment that showed how much respect Chloe commanded as the class president.
“Next is the Summoning Department! First place in the Summoning Department is Woreden Tiden from Class 2!”
The spotlight fell on him, but Woreden simply maintained a blank expression.
“Following that, second place is Eliza Hergin from Class 6! It was also a very narrow margin.”
Eliza, seated on an elegant and plush chair that seemed to appear from nowhere, was tidying her nails.
However, unlike her usual relaxed expression, she was glaring in Woreden's direction with a hint of irritation.
Third place was taken by Jureden Lusen from Class 8.
“I was sure Leo would make it into the top three in at least one of the three subjects.”
Iliana said in surprise, and Leo shrugged.
“It happens.”
“Aren't you a little too relaxed? If you don't get into the top three for your department, being the grade representative is out of the question!”
“Then, next, we will announce the top student of the midterms. The grade representative.”
Tension filled the air at those words.
As everyone's attention was focused on the nine students, Artian opened her mouth to speak.
“First place in the midterms! It's Leo Flove!”