Chapter 40: End-of-Semester Evaluation (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: End-of-Semester Evaluation (4)
Fwoooooosh!
"Whoa!"
I threw myself to the side, barely dodging Ciel’s [Fireball].
The heat grazed my side with a menacing hiss. I was terrified.
"C-calm down! I didn't come here to fight you!"
「Fireball (Fire Element, ★3)」
Another [Fireball] came screaming toward me.
Should I block it with [Ice Wall]? Not a chance. Not only was I at an elemental disadvantage, but the gap in our raw skill was astronomical. Her [Fireball] would melt my [Ice Wall] in an instant, turning me into charred meat.
I dove again, narrowly evading the blast. The [Fireball] streaked past me and slammed into the ground, shattering into orange mana before dissipating into the wind.
…If I hadn’t been training my physical conditioning with the Knight Department, I would’ve been toast by now. Thank you, meatheads!
"Who are you…? Who are you to disturb my sleep?"
Ciel’s voice was hushed, barely a whisper. Her head was lowered, her violet eyes tracking me with a dull, lifeless gaze. She looked utterly indifferent, as if the entire world bored her to tears.
"How about sleeping in your dormitory instead of out here in the dirt?"
"Are you looking for a fight?"
Another [Fireball], this one the size of a yoga ball, manifested beside her. Panicking, I threw my hands up.
"No, wait! Calm down! I’m here to make a deal!"
"……."
"You’re having trouble sensing the Fell Cards, aren't you?"
"Words are pointless."
Ciel’s [Fireball] began to swell. It was getting large enough that even my reflexes wouldn't be enough to save me from the splash damage.
A moment later, the sphere of flame tore through the air, hurtling straight for my chest.
"Hey, let’s talk—!"
There wasn't enough time to charge [Frost Explosion]; condensing that much mana took too long. In desperation, I reached for the offensive spell I knew best.
「Frostfire (Ice Element, ★4)」
I coiled freezing blue flames around my hands and fired them directly at the incoming blaze.
The [Frostfire] collided with the [Fireball], but I was still caught in the backlash.
BOOM!
"Gah!"
The collision of extreme heat and freezing cold triggered a steam explosion. The force sent me flying.
The [Fireball] lost its momentum in the clash but continued to rage, piercing through the mist before finally cratering into the earth. The explosion had saved my life by knocking me out of the direct path.
I tumbled across the rough terrain, my school uniform getting shredded and stained with dirt. Since I hadn't completely cleared the blast zone, parts of my clothes were scorched, and sharp rocks sliced into my skin as I rolled.
I finally came to a halt when I slammed into a cluster of boulders.
Wow, I almost actually died…
Coughing to clear the dust from my lungs, I used the rocks to haul myself up. My forearms, exposed by my rolled-up sleeves, were a bloody mess. Dammit.
"Go away. The next one will be a four-star spell. You won't be lucky enough to survive that one."
This girl… would it kill her to just listen for a second?!
I wanted to scream at her, but the sheer terror kept my mouth shut.
"Haah, I really didn't want to use this yet…"
Grumbling, I reached into the magic pouch in my pocket.
Ciel extended her hand toward me, her expression wary. Fire mana began to swirl in front of her, forming a complex orange magic circle.
I recognized that pattern. It wasn't [Fireball]—she was prepping the 4-star spell, [Sea of Fire].
[Sea of Fire] unleashed a literal tsunami of flame. It covered a massive area; as she said, there would be no "getting lucky" this time.
But I had a trump card.
Did she really think I hadn't developed a strategy for her after playing ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ a thousand times?
Just as Ciel was about to trigger the spell, I swallowed hard and whipped the item out of my pouch.
"……?"
Ciel’s eyes darted toward the object, her pupils widening in shock. I’d definitely caught her attention.
"Let’s make a deal, Ciel."
What I held was a navy-blue pillow—a top-tier, ergonomically designed masterpiece built for the ultimate night's sleep. It was a heroine-exclusive item from the secret shop, designed specifically to skyrocket Ciel Carnedas’ affinity. Its official name: “The Pillow That Makes Anyone Pass Out.” For the protagonist, Ian, it was a luxury. For me, it was a lifeline.
Ciel analyzed the pillow’s contours with the expertise of a professional napper. She could tell at a glance that this was the Rolls-Royce of bedding.
Her head, which had been tilted away in boredom, snapped toward me. The fire mana gathered for [Sea of Fire] flickered and died.
The bait had been taken.
She had been sleeping against a hard tree trunk without so much as a cushion. To a girl like her, this was like offering an umbrella to someone caught in a downpour.
"That… where did you get that?"
"You want it?"
Ciel answered with a heavy silence. She was too proud to nod, but her eyes said everything.
"Like I said, I’m here to make a deal. If you help me, you get the pillow—plus a few extra benefits."
"What benefits?"
"You haven't been able to sense a single Fell Card yet, have you?"
"…How do you know that?"
I’d asked her that earlier, but she’d ignored me.
Fell Cards emitted an incredibly faint mana signature, making them nearly impossible for even Class-A students to track. Ciel was no exception. Because she couldn't find them, she’d decided to just find a nice spot for a nap instead.
It wasn't a lazy choice, though. In the original game, Ciel would wake up from her nap halfway through 「Act 3, Chapter 3: End-of-Semester Evaluation」 and start hunting other students. Her logic was that it was more efficient to let others find the cards and then just take them by force. It was a move that usually caused the game's difficulty to spike for the player.
"I’ll find the Fell Cards for you. And I’ll give you the pillow."
"I know who you are. An inferior student from Class D with Grade E mana. How could you possibly find the cards?"
"Follow me and see."
Ciel narrowed her eyes, looking at me with deep suspicion.
[Ciel Carnedas]
Psychology: [Suspecting you of setting a trap.]
"If you're that worried, just remember that you can kill me whenever you want. If you think I’m pulling something, just eliminate me from the exam."
"……."
Ciel furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment before she finally stood up and followed.
She was shorter than me, her head only reaching my neck. I looked down at her and flashed my best "customer service" smile—the kind meant to disarm and reassure.
Naturally, she didn't smile back. She just covered her mouth and let out a long, tired yawn.
"Hurry up."
Yes, ma'am.
I knew exactly where the cards were hidden in this forest. After walking for a bit, I stopped at a rock shaped like a raccoon’s head.
Found it. I reached down and flipped over a smaller stone sitting right next to it.
Sure enough, a Fell Card was tucked underneath.
"How…?"
Ciel’s sleepy eyes flew wide open.
I didn't touch the card, though. The rules stated that the person who made physical contact was considered the owner. Fell Cards belonged to the last person to touch them, meaning you could steal them without even fighting.
But I wasn't looking for a fight. I wanted a peaceful exchange. My meta-knowledge made this easy.
"You're really from Class D? What kind of monstrous mana perception do you have…?"
"Think of it as a trade secret."
Ciel narrowed her eyes, staring at me as if trying to peel back my skin.
"I felt your mana when our spells clashed. There is no way someone as weak as you has this level of perception. What’s the catch? Tell me, or there will be blood."
I quickly shoved the pillow toward her face.
"…But fine, it’s a trade secret. Everyone has things they want to hide. So, what’s the deal?"
I stood up and faced her. Finally, we were talking business.
"I’ll be your guide. Wouldn't it be better to finish this test quickly so you can spend the rest of the day napping? I’ll give you the pillow on two conditions."
I tapped my chest.
"First, you protect me. Second, we collect all the cards together, and at the end, you give me five of them so I can pass."
In this evaluation, students with cards were tracked in real-time, and their locations were broadcast to everyone else. I needed five cards to pass. If a weakling like me tried to hold five cards alone, I’d be a walking target and get eliminated instantly. If I failed this, I wouldn't be able to unlock my mana bracelet, I’d be stuck in supplementary classes, and I’d miss the chance to prepare for the Thunderbird Subjugation.
"…Is that all?"
I nodded.
Ciel held out her slender right palm. I gave it a firm, professional slap with my left.
"Deal. Pillow."
Ciel said it flatly, her hand already reaching out. I handed it over.
She hugged the pillow to her chest, her cheeks flushing with visible relief. Her icy expression melted like ice cream on a summer day.
✦✧✦✧
With Ciel as my bodyguard, the hunt was a breeze.
Every time I pointed out a hidden card, Ciel looked impressed. She tried to hide it, but I could see it clearly through [Psychological Insight].
Whenever a student tried to jump us, Ciel swatted them away like flies. I didn't have to lift a finger; I just played the role of the expert guide.
When we found the fifth card, mana particles erupted from her bracelet, forming a holographic map. A glowing dot marked a specific location—the submission point.
There were ten submission points in total, assigned at random once you hit the five-card threshold. I kept that in mind as I led her toward a spot that wasn't too far off.
By the way…
Why is Luce rampaging like this…?
I have no idea. I wonder what else has gone off the rails in this scenario.
Regardless, I couldn't stop now. My priority was passing this test. I pushed the thought of Luce’s rampage to the back of my mind.
"Who are you, really?" Ciel asked as we found the seventh card. We were currently inside a honeycomb-shaped building that housed two more cards.
We were in a large central hall. The interior, which must have been luxurious once, was now rusted and decaying.
Ciel walked beside me, still clutching her precious pillow. Her voice was as cold as frost.
[Ciel Carnedas]
Psychology: [Suspects that you are a powerhouse hiding your true strength.]
It seemed she’d been overthinking things during our walk. Even though she’d called me weak at the start, her opinion was shifting.
"What is your true identity?" "You can't have perception like this with such a tiny mana pool. Perception is directly tied to one's maximum mana capacity."
Isn't that a bit harsh? I'm Level 57! I can take on the top of Class C!
…Well, I guess it wasn't that unreasonable. To Ciel, who was a genius even among Class B students, my mana probably did look like a speck of dust.
"It’s impossible to hide your mana signature perfectly. But it’s also impossible to have your level of perception with that little mana. How can such a contradiction exist?"
She shot me a freezing glare.
"The only explanation is that you're hiding it. But you're too young to be an Archwizard, and the Pact makes it impossible to bribe the proctors."
"There are two cards in here," I said, effectively telling her to shut up.
As expected, she looked stunned. "Not just one…? I knew it… you can even sense the quantity…"
I just shook my head.
When we’d approached the building, I’d noticed the way the grass in the front yard was growing. There were no footprints or disturbed patches, which meant no one had entered yet. Therefore, the cards had to be inside.
"…Tsk."
[Ciel Carnedas]
Psychology: [Feeling a sense of inferiority toward you.]
Ciel usually didn't care about anyone weaker than her. But now, she was actually starting to feel inferior to me. She even clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Wait, I’m supposed to be a background character, right?
"…Let’s just hurry up and find the rest."
"You're walking faster all of a sudden…"
"You talk too much."
Ciel ignored me. I kept my mouth shut and followed. Even if this was a business arrangement, she clearly held the power here. It wasn't like she was going to break the deal, anyway.
We found the two cards in the building.
[1st Place (Purple): Ciel Carnedas — Fell Cards +9]
The scoreboard in the sky updated. Kaya, who was in second place, only had two…
I knew I was the one who found them, but that was some serious aggro we were drawing.
"I’m done," Ciel said after we found the ninth card.
We were in a spacious hall that looked like it had once been used for weddings. The atmosphere was elegant and dignified. The walls were white and gold, draped with green vines and brilliant, exotic flowers. The decay of the building only added a haunting, vintage charm to the place.
Ciel and I stood near the podium, facing each other. To an outsider, it might have looked like a wedding—if you ignored the fact that I was covered in dirt and blood.
"There’s one card left, right? This one is yours."
"I’ll find the last one myself."
Her pride was wounded. It made sense; she’d been shown up by someone she considered a "weakling" with "impossible" perception.
Of course, that was just her theory. I never actually told her I was using mana perception. I just didn't have a better excuse, so I let her believe it.
"Take these for now."
Ciel handed me a small stack of cards.
The submission points were random, and I didn't know where mine would be yet, but I needed to get my cards and get moving.
I took the stack and counted.
One, two, three, four, five. Perfect.
Outside the window, mana particles collided in the sky.
[1st Place (White): Isaac — Fell Cards +5]
The scoreboard updated. Mana grains began to flow from my own bracelet, forming a map that marked my submission point.
Luckily, it was close. I could make it in twenty minutes if I ran.
"Let’s go."
"Yeah."
Ciel nodded, her expression turning serious as she squeezed her pillow tight.
She knew as well as I did—the real chaos was about to begin.