Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Dreams of Better Grades (1)
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If a modern-day person suddenly found themselves possessed into a work of fiction.
And ended up living out that fantasy academy life they'd never imagined for themselves—what would be the most important thing?
Honor? Money? Connections?
Sure, all three mattered. But there was one thing that was the absolute most crucial, the one everyone desperately wanted to ignore.
"Today, we're having a pop quiz."
"......What."
"Hm? Blackmere, did you say something?"
"Nothing at all."
Grades.
In the midst of adapting swiftly to academy life, this was my one fatal weakness.
Just like how Achilles in the myths, dipped into the River Styx by his mother's hand like shabu-shabu, ended up with his overlooked heel as his downfall and lost his life.
The common sense of this damn modern fantasy world had become a razor-sharp blade pressing right up under my chin.
"Blackmere. Ten points is a bit too low."
"......"
"Retake next week."
Leonard, you're screwed.
I might have been an orphan with no one to rely on, never even challenging college entrance exams and ending my education with high school.
But I hadn't neglected my studies entirely—my grades were decent enough.
I'd even gone into STEM fields for better job prospects.
Do you know how much effort it takes to cling to the middle ranks without any cram school?
I squeezed in study time whenever I wasn't working part-time, putting in nosebleed-level effort.
Describe the feeling when all that effort turns out utterly useless.
10 points.
Just like my pop quiz score.
'Fucking hell.'
Today, under the warm sunlight pouring down on the bench by the fountain in front of the main building.
In the shade of an ancient towering tree, Charlotte and I silently exchanged glances at each other's test papers.
'You too, huh?'
'You too?'
A conversation between failures that didn't need words.
The red-inked '10' scrawled boldly on my paper, and the shocking '25' scribbled in the corner of Charlotte's.
"Charlotte. How are you in the top ranks of A-Class?"
"How did you even get into A-Class?"
"......"
No words for that.
Suddenly embarrassed for no reason, I stared holes into the test paper.
Not that it solved anything.
"What do we do now?"
Charlotte asked me, her ears slightly flushed with embarrassment as she buried her nose in the paper.
Her thick chestnut hair twitching like a puppy's.
"Dunno. Aim for the retake, I guess."
The retake cutoff was 50 points.
Since it was an unannounced quiz on the spot, each of the 20 questions was worth 5 points, for a simple total of 100.
By that logic, I'd gotten exactly two right.
Charlotte had gotten five.
'For real.'
We stared at each other's papers in silence for a while, then sighed in unison and swapped them back.
"Charlotte. Were these questions ramped up assuming A-Class level?"
"Nah. Apparently, the other classes got the same ones."
"......"
So it wasn't even adjusted higher for A-Class.
Which meant we were below the average for Kingswell Royal Academy students.
No way the average dipped under 30.
"As expected of prestigious Kingswell......"
"Yeah...... High level."
In truth, prestigious or not, any academy student our age could probably handle it with ease.
But Charlotte and I averted our eyes from the truth and groomed each other instead.
"You did your best, Charlotte. Twenty-five points—that's genius level."
"You worked hard too. Busy with campus volunteering the whole time."
"I wrapped that up in a week."
"......Anyway."
In the end, this escapism only hurt us.
We were the ones who'd suffer for ignoring our grades, and if we flunked and had to repeat a year, that'd be my execution day.
I didn't want to get kicked out of the family penniless, then pressured into seppuku a few days later.
The Blackmere family seemed to breed nothing but ghost stories the more you dug, but still.
"Charlotte. No choice now—one option left."
"Yeah. Thinking the same?"
"......If you're thinking normally, sure."
We locked eyes.
Serious resolve rippling calmly in Charlotte's gaze, my own grim reflection blending into the mood.
"Let's study."
"We cheat."
"......?"
"......Oh."
Hey.
In truth, Kingswell Royal Academy's written exams weren't that tough.
As the top academy, they were naturally harder than others, sure.
But originally, Kingswell was under royal oversight to train elites useful to the kingdom.
If you aimed for a court clerical job, maybe, but with Swordsmanship and Magic Departments dominating, practical skills took priority over written ones.
That didn't mean you could ignore the written exams, though.
Even the royal elite guard knights, who valued peak skill above all, demanded upper-class etiquette and at least mid-to-high grades.
Sure, some jobs didn't care about grades.
Get posted as a non-com in a frontier fortress town, and they only looked at raw skill.
And I had a feeling starting isekai military life as a bottom-rung frontier grunt would be hellish without experiencing it firsthand.
That was my second death, right after family exile.
Sure, the Dark Crusade lurked in the world's shadows, but their sneaky chaos wouldn't ramp up until late first semester.
Right now, at the start of term, my focus was solely on improving grades.
"......So, you want me to help?"
Layla snorted primly, flicking back her softly waving purple locks.
I groveled before her.
"You're my only hope, Layla."
"......"
"Please help me."
Layla Cecil Winthrop.
If the Blackmeres were famed as a swordsmanship house, the Winthrops were renowned for high-level magic.
Not quite as prestigious, but name-dropping Winthrop got a hesitant "Ah, that place?"
And Layla was a once-in-generations prodigy among them.
Top of the entire Magic Department freshman class.
Unlike Amelia Hill, the commoner who topped Swordsmanship and caused a stir, Layla claimed the peak as a proper noble, showing off the gap proudly.
Even in the nobility-heavy Magic Department, she had plenty of followers.
And Magic wasn't about brute physicality like ours.
They were brainiacs swinging wands after racking their heads.
If Layla topped even those bookworms, her written exam skills had to be killer.
"Layla. We have nowhere else to turn."
"Hm......"
"Charlotte aside, can't you at least help me solo? If I'm a bother, drop her quick."
"Crispy jerk......"
Charlotte shot me a shocked glare.
But I swallowed tears and fixed on Layla.
Sorry, Charlotte.
But survival first.
'I'll pay up.'
I literally die if I flunk.
"Even if you say that...... It's tricky."
Layla crossed her arms, looking reluctant.
"I'm prepping for midterms myself. Not in a position to tutor."
"Layla."
Thud!
A loud bang echoed on the floor.
Dust puffed up faintly, followed by suffocating silence crushing the air.
Yeah.
Me, manly Leonard Percival Blackmere.
Unsteady as it was, I still dropped to my knees before my fiancée, childhood friend, and Magic topper, Layla.
"Sister Layla."
"Wh-what are you......"
"Thus, your little brother Leonard kneels before you."
Please spare me.
"Help us out. I beg you."
I bowed low.
Her feet shuffled restlessly in my blurry view.
She seemed shocked by my attitude, drawing a sharp breath and staying silent a while.
"......Ah, seriously! Leonard Percival Blackmere! I told you to study harder!"
Then she stomped and yelled.
This tsundere reaction meant she was almost hooked.
I snapped my head up to look at her.
"Kyaa! Where are you looking?!"
Purple. Confirmed.
"My bad."
"Y-you...... Pervert!"
Got a nice view, but anyway—one thing to ask.
"You'll teach me?"
I asked with hopeful eyes gleaming.
Layla clutched her skirt, sighing.
"Can't just watch my fiancé turn into a fool and get mocked."
"So that means......"
"I'll help. You idiot."
"Layla......"
I shot up and grabbed her hand.
Her eyes widened like saucers, body stiff as stone.
"Thanks. Ace the retake next week, and I'll treat big-time."
"Wh-what kind of treat?"
"Uh......"
Just said it offhand.
Like 'let's grab a meal sometime.'
But her glare sharpened—if no answer, my head was toast.
Couldn't say that, so I desperately composed myself.
"Been ages—let's eat out together. Sound good?"
"Eat out?"
Layla gazed into my eyes, our hands still clasped.
Felt like she could read my mind; I hid my cold sweat.
"......That place we last went, right?"
"Huh?"
She said it suddenly, eyes distant.
"The last place before we got engaged...... That's what you mean, right?"
"Uh, y-yeah. Right. You still remember?"
"Of course. How could I forget?"
Sorry, no clue.
Whether she knew my thoughts or not, her gaze softened.
"Hehe...... You're so shy."
She even smiled faintly, caressing my cheek softly—plunging me into maximum dread.
'What the hell.'
Leonard Percival Blackmere.
Where was that last restaurant?
"If you're going this far, Leonard, I'll have to try too. Fine. Starting this afternoon, I'll tutor you. Both of you—come to the library after classes."
"G-got it."
Please remember.
I'm in deep shit.
'To think she'd actually remember......'
Layla tried hiding her shy expression as she watched Leonard.
His red eyes shook with flustered emotion.
'Was it that surprising I remembered?'
That gaze just looked cute—no mistake.
Couldn't hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.
She caressed his cheek softly, then composed herself and gently pushed him away.
"See you this afternoon."
"......Yeah."
A flicker of complicated emotion crossed Leonard's face.
Layla didn't miss that instant. Her heart sank a little.
Why that bitter look at the end of such a good vibe?
"Ah......"
She wanted to know why that shadow passed.
Layla watched quietly as Leonard and Charlotte walked away, stumbling slightly.
Back before Leonard turned delinquent.
'Layla. Hard to book that place.'
'Leonard, something wrong?'
'......Nah.'
A tired smile masking exhaustion as he took her to a small restaurant in the capital.
Why did that weary smile from that day resurface now?
Standing frozen, staring endlessly at Leonard's retreating back.
Layla couldn't understand.