3rd Day of Exam Prep
After Rai’s declaration that no one would receive training unless they scored over seventy, Rai’s house had transformed into the academy students’ study room.
Zeroa and Mia had stopped heading home after their training sessions and stayed behind to study. Abigail, though reluctant, still taught them. After lessons from Selma, both Philia and the troublesome Asran gathered with the others to study.
Squish. Squish.
At an age when noise should still fill the air, the five sat around the table, utterly focused. The only sounds were the scratching of pens on paper.
The first one to drift off was Asran. His head slumped forward, chin resting on the book in front of him, eyes already half-closed.
Click.
The moment Philia lifted the magic stone, the other students automatically withdrew their hands and leaned back in their seats.
Zzzzt—crackle—crackle—
“Kiiieeeek!”
A blue current surged through the magic circle etched into the table’s corner and slammed into Asran. Mia had startled at first, but now she barely glanced up from her book, already familiar with the routine.
Phil ia, still gripping the stone, smirked as she repeatedly tapped it on and off, clearly enjoying the electricity.
“Haaah… I’m so drowsy.”
When the shock finally ended, Asran stretched his neck with a groan. At first the electricity had shocked him, but now he barely flinched. Philia debated whether to turn the power up when he spoke again without complaint.
“You went to bed late yesterday too. Don’t you need some rest?”
“With my stamina, I could stay awake three nights straight. Stop being dramatic and keep reading at least one more line.”
“How can that stamina be the same as this one? I’m going to die of frustration.”
Asran had never sat still for this long before. The long-march training of his first year suddenly seemed like a holiday compared to this.
Click.
“Uwaaaah! I didn’t sleep!”
“You did.”
“I didn’t! Everyone saw! I was reading the book! Someone say something!”
Asran appealed to the others, but they only shrugged. Zeroa offered a wry smile and looked away. Mia, eyes already half-closed, muttered softly that she had been sleeping.
It felt like they were all lying, but Asran knew he was the only one who had truly nodded off. The injustice burned.
4th Day of Exam Prep
“Yo— if Rules Hyung had seen you studying, he would’ve fainted.”
During break, Asran was still memorizing subjects when Seiban plopped down on his desk.
“Sudden change of heart?”
“Rai said if I don’t hit seventy, forget about training.”
… …
“That’s not the same as saying ‘he won’t teach you’?”
Asran glared from the paper. Seiban grinned and clarified it was just a joke.
Delen had already slid into the seat beside him and was stealing the walnuts and cheese Asran had placed on the desk.
“What is this? No alcohol, just snacks?”
“Phelia said they’re good for the brain.”
At Seiban’s question, Asran shrugged and popped a single piece of cheese into his mouth.
“Wow— Phelia brought this? You must feel great.”
“Hey, try getting electrocuted by her and you won’t be saying that.”
The words “electrocuted” made both Seiban and Delen picture Philia in her tight black leather outfit cracking a whip, but they wisely kept their mouths shut.
Instead Seiban grabbed a walnut.
“These are rich and nutty. Looks like top-tier stuff. You’re spoiling me.”
“If I ate this kind of food for four days instead of rice, I’d change my mind too.”
“Eh— still, Phelia’s bringing premium snacks, teaching us, and Abigail’s doing the same. Hey, if I say Abigail took care of you somewhere, you’d be called a hero.”
Asran knew Abigail was the only student she helped, but the thought didn’t lift his mood one bit.
“Ugh, why do I have to suffer alone?”
“You’re not the only one. Everyone’s suffering when exams get close.”
Seiban tossed an almond; Asran caught it and ate it.
“Why are you saying that?”
“It’s funny. Someone who never suffers talking like this.”
“Huh? I’m working hard!”
Asran couldn’t believe the words. Seiban always went out with him and Delen. They played as hard as he did.
Especially Seiban—chasing Jona, sneaking around the streets flirting with girls, the furthest person from sitting quietly to study.
“You sound ridiculous. What was your practical score and final grade last year?”
“Ninety-one.”
Seiban answered casually, but Asran’s eyes widened.
“Ninety-one? You’re lying, right?”
“No. I’m bad at practicals, so I need to pad it with theory.”
“Saying you worked hard is the real lie here.”
“Rude.”
Seiban, called out like that, let out a dry laugh and glanced at Delen.
“You’re in the nineties too, right?”
“Ninety.”
“You’re also over ninety?”
Asran yelped in surprise.
“Ninety means you’re not over. Oh— you said ‘over’ but I think you meant ‘above’.”
Asran turned between the two of them. The two friends who always played with him now seemed to be at the absolute top.
The door opened and Aria stepped in. Seeing the two of them studying, she hesitated, then looked back at the hallway and took a deep breath.
“Everyone! Study hard!”
Her voice came out small despite the effort, but no one missed a single word.
“Uwaaaah! I’m only sleeping four hours from now on!”
“I won’t sleep until the exam!”
Facing suddenly red, Aria fled, but the students’ morale exploded. They returned to their seats with renewed energy.
“What?”
Asran blinked in confusion. Seiban smirked.
“Looks like Rules Hyung gave you a motivational gift.”
“That bastard’s not that nice.”
Seiban’s smile widened as he patted Asran’s shoulder and took the seat beside him.
“Too obvious to ignore, but since the Goddess gave her blessing, I’ll at least pretend to study hard.”
Delen had already turned back and opened his book.
A-class’s study atmosphere that day was at its peak. Only Aria couldn’t quite focus on the lecture.
5th Day of Exam Prep
“Why don’t you know this?!”
“What do you want me to do?!”
Asran and Philia were at it again. One day of forgetting was enough to drive Philia crazy; Asran’s blank expression made her heart ache.
Now they spaced out once every hour. Zeroa and Mia were doing their own thing. Even Agnes, passing by, looked flustered and didn’t know what to do.
“Yeah, I get it. Just don’t shake things up.”
“Ah, Sena. Sorry.”
Sena, still in her pajamas, was wiping the table after the two had fought and knocked things over. Philia apologized.
Sena had come from the slums and somehow ended up living in Rai’s house after being recruited by the academy. She took care of the housework for everyone while still a child. She handled laundry, cleaning, and the kitchen because, though she helped Philia and Asran, the noble students had never done a single chore.
Doing all the housework meant Sena was second-in-command here. The pay, education from instructors like Jane and Etila, and being treated like a princess made it an ideal environment.
“You spilled water on the carpet again. The wood floor will get wet and rot.”
Zeroa gave a wry smile. Sena’s mom-like scolding felt strangely comforting while the two fighters were still panicking around her.
“Hey! Don’t touch there. It’ll mess up the cleaning.”
Someone trying to help only got scolded. It was funny.
“Maybe we should take a short break? Too long and you’ll lose focus.”
“Yeah, let’s. Ten minutes?”
After Sena finished clearing the table and yawned, she and Agnes left. Zeroa suggested a break; Philia nodded.
Phil ia herself hadn’t rested—she’d been organizing Asran’s material—but the others took breaks in their own ways.
Outside, Zeroa stepped into the cool night air and approached the corner where Asran sat.
“Huh, you’re back. Inside must be stuffy.”
“You don’t have to tell me to quit smoking.”
Only Rai and Asran smoked here. Zeroa didn’t mind the smell—he’d seen too many smokers over the years—but he never told them to stop. They only smoked when no non-smokers were around and instantly put it out the moment one appeared.
Asran looked at him with regretful eyes before taking another drag.
“Everyone’s handling this painful time well.”
“It’s like training. You put in the effort because you want something.”
“No, it’s different. When you move your body, time flies and you concentrate better. Just reading makes ten minutes feel like an hour.”
Stressed about the exam, Asran sighed. Zeroa could see his sharp eyes drooping; the fear had lessened.
“I can’t figure out why Rules Hyung is doing this to me. Stealing the hidden liquor last time? Cracking my favorite cup? Or maybe he saw me wearing a coat I stole from someone and tore it up?”
Zeroa thought there were many things to worry about.
“Probably Rai Instructor is just trying to train you.”
“You agree with him? My head’s not that dull.”
“No. I don’t think Asran-kun is dull. Instructor Rai probably feels the same.”
“Rai must think I’m pretty smart.”
Asran laughed, but Zeroa was serious.
“Instructor Rai teaches us according to our own strengths.”
“You really trust him a lot.”
“I have no choice. Before teaching, he always asks what we want, then gives it to us.”
Asran looked at him. Zeroa’s eyes were distant, sincere, and full of envy.
“I lack talent. Or, you don’t need to comfort me or say something kind. Hearing that would only make me feel worse.”
Zeroa cut off Asran’s protest and kept going.
“I told Instructor Rai I wanted to fight beside him. He taught me, even though I had no talent, and made my wish come true. Well—not completely yet, but the cavalry tournament showed me the effort wasn’t wasted. I have to keep going.”
Rai focused more on coordination and support that matched Zeroa’s wish than on his own physical power. He couldn’t grow taller, but he could stand beside someone and fight by using that person’s full strength.
“Philia’s the same. She said she’d only learn sword techniques at first, but now she’s focused on real sparring. Her master Selma can’t handle the strain, so Instructor Rai is filling that gap.”
Asran listened in silence. Zeroa smiled.
“Abigail got divine power too. And Mia—everything from mana control to combat style. Instructor Rai created it all.”
Asran had no choice but to agree.
“Instructor Rai isn’t calling you a genius commander. Asran-kun is better suited as a brave vanguard riding a horse like Black Horse. Anyone can’t do that.”
“So in the end, you mean I’m not good with my head.”
“No, I didn’t say that…”
Zeroa panicked. Asran patted his shoulder with a grin that looked happier than the stressed man who had been smoking earlier.
When the cigarette was out, Asran stood first. Zeroa looked up.
“I get it. Thank you for telling me. My motivation is back.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“You know how to lift people’s spirits, huh? You’re a great commander.”
“Huh? No, I don’t have that talent…”
Zeroa waved his hands in embarrassment, but Asran’s eyes brimmed with trust.
“Alright! Let’s do it!!”
“Ugh, shut up. Are you studying out loud?!”
Asran looked up at the sky and shouted. A window opened and Rai tossed a water bottle.