A Fraction Short of Ten
May 26th, Monday. The long-awaited day had finally dawned.
"Haaam."
Kain had apparently fallen asleep in the study again. His neck stiff from an awkward angle, he rubbed it as he wandered into the living room for a glass of water. The rare early awakening had left him groggy. Just as he turned toward the kitchen, he spotted Arina slumped on the floor beneath the rising sunlight.
Did she stay up all night?
Miracle morning or whatever she called it. Perhaps because he himself had never managed a truly healthy lifestyle, not even as a child, Kain couldn't bring himself to scold her. He knew this was unusual for her—she normally kept early hours—and more importantly, he understood exactly why she had sacrificed sleep tonight.
"……"
His gaze flicked to the magic device lying in front of her. She looked as though she had burned herself out completely, collapsed weakly against the sofa. With a quiet sigh, Kain continued on his original path.
"Well, good luck."
He set a glass of water down in front of her—uncharacteristically gentle—then yawned and headed back to his room for more sleep without waiting for a reply.
"……"
Arina slowly lifted her head and stared at the glass he had left. "Why… why won't it work…?"
She buried her face again in despair. The device beside the glass still displayed 10.5, the number blinking weakly as if mocking her.
If it had been even a little less painful, she might not have felt so wronged. The numbers had been dropping in real time, as though her growth had finally gained momentum. One more day—no, half a day—and she could have reached 10.0.
"Alright, we'll begin checking the assignments now."
But the world was cruel, and it showed no mercy even to a young girl.
Why did our class have to go first, and first period at that?
If another class had gone before them, she would have at least received the notification later. Of course, that would have meant receiving the device later too, but what did that matter? She had been stuck at the beginning anyway. Even if it was just borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, she wished she could have that wasted time now.
"Number one, come up quickly and prepare."
Her attendance number was near the front as well. Her heart pounded with impatience. On top of that, the crushing sense of failure darkened her mind like ink.
I've narrowed the gap to decimal points by practicing all weekend, but…
Her best record over the entire weekend was the 10.5 she had checked at dawn. No matter how hard she tried, it still fell short of Professor Scape's desired 10.0.
Can I do it?
She could console herself. This is enough. This is already impressive. She might even accept failure. After all, she had given it everything she had. Even if she didn't get the highest score, no one could deny her effort.
Yet even if everyone else said it was fine, she herself could never accept such a result. It was, in a way, an obsession. She wanted to show her best self to her uncle and everyone else.
Just a little more…
She practiced whenever she had time. It's okay. I can do this. She tried to etch the wavering belief into her mind and calm her trembling anxiety with deep breaths.
They say humans display extreme concentration when pushed to the brink. Marily watched Arina grip the device with wide eyes, pouring all her focus into lowering the number, and let out a soft chuckle.
How wonderful.
This was why she liked Arina. Unlike herself, Arina always gave everything she had. Humans are naturally drawn to those who possess what they lack. It was admiration.
Do your best.
Cheering for her friend in her heart, Marily slowly walked past Arina toward the front.
"Marily Raymond."
Professor Scape called her name right on cue. Unlike Arina, Marily had no need for the academy's reputation. Her talent and future were already firmly secured; this time was merely an opportunity to experience various things only possible now.
I'll buy her as much time as I can.
Her steps were confident and leisurely. But her little scheme had already begun.
The test time is a maximum of three minutes.
That was how long Professor Scape would wait with the stopwatch. If she failed to produce 10.0 within that window, she would receive the lowest score without exception. Since she couldn't extend the official test time, she had to stall elsewhere.
So she shortened her stride by more than half. Even while walking, her body moved at an unbearably slow pace. When passing between students, she deliberately took wide detours instead of letting them make way.
"……"
Naturally, Natilda Scape—a martial mage who had reached the pinnacle of enhancement magic—did not miss Marily's trick. Watching Arina practice diligently while Marily approached at a snail's pace, the professor let out a hollow laugh of disbelief and pressed the stopwatch button without hesitation.
"Aah?!"
"Stop messing around and get over here."
"……"
She's really too much. Marily hadn't even arrived yet. The professor had waited for the other students to finish their deep breaths and mental preparations.
"Pull another stunt and you'll both get the lowest score."
"Kuh."
All 167 ways Marily had planned to buy time for Arina were sealed. If it had only been her own grade on the line, she would have ignored it calmly. How petty, using Arina's score as a hostage.
I'm sorry, Arina. Forgive this useless princess.
Head bowed, Marily finally stood before Professor Scape.
"Just so you know, even if it hasn't reached three minutes, I'll stop you if I think there's no hope."
Whether a student skipped class often or participated diligently, Professor Scape made no distinctions in evaluation. Every opportunity was fair to everyone. That was her principle as an instructor.
"So give it your best."
The threat—that she would end it if Marily half-heartedly tried—struck right at the heart of her lack of interest in the test itself. Yes, every opportunity should be fair. She couldn't allow herself to slack off while everyone else worked hard.
"……I've always thought this, but she's even worse than Professor Magnus."
Professor Magnus, who gave more chances to students who wanted them and left the others alone, would have been preferable. Why was Professor Scape so desperate to catch her slacking?
Muttering quietly so the professor wouldn't hear, Marily placed her hand on the device.
Fine. If that's how it is, I'll stall for three full minutes out of spite.
Provoked by Professor Scape, fire lit in Marily's eyes.
"Marily Raymond, 2.7."
But passion didn't always bring results. The score was devastatingly low. She had expected as much, so she felt no regret about the number itself—only lingering guilt toward Arina for failing to buy more time.
"Next, Arina Grant."
Professor Scape finally called Arina's name.
"Huu."
Arina let out a deep breath at the same time.
"Do your best."
"Yeah, thanks."
Receiving Marily's encouragement, Arina crossed paths with her and walked forward. Unlike Marily, her eyes burned with unwavering resolve. It was hard to believe this was merely a first-year midterm assignment; she looked more like a graduating student facing their final thesis.
No matter how committed Professor Scape was to fairness, even she couldn't help feeling drawn to a student with such passion.
"Begin."
Her voice was slightly softer than the businesslike tone she had used with Marily.
Arina stared at the device in her hands, missing the subtle warmth. I can do this.
Her uncle, who had watched her practice in the living room all weekend, had said, "Looks like it'll work."
As far as she knew, her uncle never spoke empty words. If he said it would work, it meant her ability had truly reached that level.
Yes, she had already grasped the feeling. The reason for failure wasn't a lack of skill—it was a matter of the heart. Unnecessary anxiety and impatience created pointless tension, limiting what she could actually achieve.
So if she could just calm her mind, it would be enough. Her capabilities had grown that far over the past few months.
Vwoom.
She moved her mana. Suppressing her affinity as much as possible, she filtered out only the exact amount needed from the air. For Arina, it felt like scooping flowing river water with a spoon and transferring it to a plate, one spoonful at a time. It was unbearably tedious, yet her eyes remained clear enough to overcome the frustration.
This feels good.
It was the best feeling she had ever had. Somehow, she felt like she could do it now. The pounding in her chest exceeded its limit, flooding her mind with adrenaline. What followed was a pleasant excitement. A smile unconsciously formed on her lips as the fluctuating number on the device finally settled on a single digit.
"Arina Grant, 10.3."
"Ah."
A disappointed sound escaped her before she could stop it. Effort didn't always bring the desired result. This was clearly a new personal record, yet it still fell short of her target.
"You've been practicing hard. It must have been harder for you to control than the others."
But the process itself remained clearly within her. With Professor Scape's acknowledgment, the anxiety in Arina's heart vanished like a lie. Someone had recognized her effort. Was there anything more rewarding than that?
"Good work. Return the device behind me when you're done."
"Yes."
The assignment had failed to reach the target. Yet unlike before, her heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment. It was strange. The result was still failure, but the ending felt different.
"As expected, you're amazing."
No one blamed her. Even in failure, everyone encouraged and praised her. As she returned the device and walked back to her seat, Marily's praise made Arina finally see what she hadn't noticed before.
"Thank you, Marily."
Yes, there was no reason to fear failure. No one would criticize her for it.
"Still, it's hard not to feel disappointed."
If only she had tried a little harder. That regret was inevitable. But it was enough. That feeling would become the foundation for further growth.
Benedict Academy was a place of learning. Founded by Majoan, one of the continent's absolute rulers, it was the greatest academy in the Ellemental Kingdom. What one could learn here wasn't limited to magic and academics.
"It's fine. You're still much better than me."
"Uwaaaaaah!!!"
"……And better than that guy, too."
After Arina stepped away from the testing area, a student let out a piercing scream in front of Professor Scape. It was Togun Masao. The mana rejecter of the Masao family. The unfortunate soul who had barely gathered a speck of mana over several years, only to lose it all resolving the Mana Up app incident.
"Togun Masao, 0.0."
"Damn it! Professor! Please, just one more chance!"
"No. Opportunities must be given fairly to everyone."
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Togun clutched the device and collapsed to the floor, screaming. Watching his desperate, pitiful figure, Marily spoke with a mischievous smile.
"Congratulations on placing above the bottom two, Arina."
"Haha……"
At Marily's words, Arina let out an awkward laugh while looking at the boy who had received the lowest failing score.