Chapter 16
Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Exam
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Huh? It just ended like that?"
Tana gave me a look like something was off as I explained what happened in the dean's office.
Sure, I'd glossed over a few details, but I couldn't exactly spill everything, right?
"Yeah, it ended just like that."
"Exactly."
Eve, who'd been listening from the side, started summarizing my words since she couldn't make sense of it either.
"So you got called to the dean's office for fighting yesterday, but since those guys were the ones in the wrong, they told you not to worry?"
Hearing it like that, I realized I'd skipped a lot, but so what?
The result was all that mattered anyway.
"Isn't Penil a senior from the Leiros family? They don't seem like the type to back down easily. And Daniel, you're..."
A commoner.
Tana clamped her mouth shut, trailing off, but I nodded with a smile.
"They're not as bad as the dean made them out to be. They really care about the students. Thanks to them, I'm still attending school unscathed."
"The dean's a good person? Blech."
To Tana, who'd been bullied by May, the dean—who backed her up—probably seemed no different. They did look pretty similar, now that I thought about it.
"Anyway, they said as long as I ace this exam, it'll be fine."
I'd missed the first practical exam because of interference and hadn't even taken it.
But rumors had spread that I'd crushed Penil's crew, so there was no sabotage this time. Or maybe it was because I'd dealt with May?
"So how does the practical work?"
"The first round was one-on-one duels, but this one's team versus team, I heard."
"The first round's the main event. This team battle's more like a bonus stage for students short on points."
Eve shuddered as she and Tana explained.
Eve was hopeless in combat anyway, and her personality didn't help—she seemed to dread the exam itself.
But no helping it.
You couldn't skip just because you couldn't do it.
"Like with that self-defense I taught you last time, learn something quick from Daniel."
Tana nudged my side slyly, but I shook my head.
"That was a special situation. In an open duel like this, it won't work unless they totally let their guard down."
"Ughhh."
Watching Eve whimper pitifully made me wonder.
"By the way, how'd you handle exams in first and second year?"
"I lucked out with good teams in group battles and got decent scores there. One-on-ones? Dead last, pretty much."
"......"
"B-But I make it up big time on the written test!"
A strategy of dropping one thing to pick up another, huh.
"Sometime when you're free, let's work out together. You should fix that reading posture too. It'll wreck your health young."
Reading's great, but bad posture ruins you. And basic stamina was essential for health, not optional.
"Whoa, talking like our nanny."
"My dad always says that stuff."
"......"
Great, now I was just some old guy.
At 28, wasn't I a bit young to be called "mister"?
Sure, plenty of people that age were married with kids.
'Sigh.'
Talk of marriage brought Eris to mind.
I hadn't realized it back then, but looking back now, I'd started to see how much she'd liked me.
I felt pathetic and regretful for being so oblivious, chalking it up to her dutiful guide duties in the forest.
We arrived at the gym to find tons of students already warming up. Thirty minutes till the exam, but they were prepping in their own ways.
"Wow, everyone's so serious."
Ares and his harem were sparring lightly, honing their senses razor-sharp.
'Hmm.'
I knew Ares had crazy talent in swordsmanship and martial arts from way back. But Arni Duratan, Elise, Hayun—they were right on his level.
'Impressive, honestly.'
Talent was key at their age, but effort matched it. I was staring blankly when Sen sidled up beside me.
"Staring a bit too hard, aren't you?"
"Mommy!"
"Eek, you scared me."
Tana and Eve yelped at Sen's sudden appearance, drawing stares, but I ignored it and replied.
"Honestly, didn't expect them to be that good. Impressive."
"I can do that much too!"
She thumped her chest, but in a straight fight, she wouldn't stand a chance against any of them.
"Ambush? You'd win."
But ambush was different.
Extermination Squad types rarely fought head-on, so if Sen went all-out to kill, she'd probably take them.
Of course, you'd have to test it for sure.
"More importantly, did that thing work out?"
"Yeah, perfectly."
Thanks to the recording spell Sen slapped on May's paper, everything went smoothly. Made academy life way easier ahead.
"Hehe, glad to hear it."
She knew it could've been used for shady stuff, but was just happy to help. Whether that was good or bad was beside the point.
After chatting with Sen, I headed to Tana and Eve, who were stretching. Eve looked doomed already, fingers twitching like she wanted a book, but Tana was prepping diligently.
"One-on-one's a stretch for me, but in teams, even if I suck at fighting, I can help somehow."
"Hmm?"
Come to think of it, how did team battles even work?
How were teams formed? Right on cue, the professors entered.
Homeroom teachers for Classes A through E.
"For the team battle, we've formed balanced teams. Come check your members."
Mixing all classes kinda undermined fairness. Even professors couldn't perfectly balance everything.
But they called it part of the test.
No wildly mismatched teams, so use the time to bond, cooperate, build teamwork—all tested.
The roster unrolled: sixteen teams of twelve each.
Some cheered and hugged; others despaired, cursing the exam ruined.
"Not a bad team."
Tana crossed her arms, scratching her cheek. But Eve beside her froze like stone.
"Whoa, nice team?"
Tana whistled enviously. Whispers rose—how was Ares and Hayun together fair?—but professors said nothing.
'It does feel a bit off, though.'
Team 1 skewed strong.
Sure, Powni and Eve were combat zeros, but Ares and Hayun could carry double duty.
Whatever.
Anyway.
"Where am I?"
Scanning all sixteen teams, no Daniel McKlein. Panicking, Professor Amanda from Class E called me out.
"Everyone, attention."
Standing beside her, I looked baffled, but all eyes locked on us.
"We based teams on last week's first exam results."
A few nodded, getting it. Ares and Hayun together made sense that way.
"But one student didn't take the exam."
"......"
Gazes snapped to me.
"Daniel McKlein. Commoner who transferred straight to third year—we professors don't know your full strength."
Professor Amanda smirked seductively, like it amused her.
"So we'll add you to a team arbitrarily, but that team gets a handicap for the extra member."
Silence hit.
Extra player was good, but a penalty changed everything.
An unknown weakling? Just handicap bait, dragging the team down.
Naturally, no one wanted me.
"This guarantees a penalty for whoever takes me, right?"
Too harsh? Amanda scoffed.
"Then you should've shown up for last exam."
"But..."
I tried speaking, but she ignored me. This was a bonus exam, but still overkill.
I needed points here.
"Teams wanting Daniel McKlein, raise hands."
Four hands went up.
Team 2: Rin.
Team 5: Sen.
Team 9: Tana.
And Team 16: May.
'...You?'
I glared at May, frowning, but she looked reluctant yet kept her hand up stubbornly.