Chapter 41: End-of-Semester Evaluation (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: End-of-Semester Evaluation (5)
The two daughters of the Astrea family walked divergent paths.
The eldest followed in the footsteps of her father—the Sword Saint, Gerald Astrea—and became a knight. The second daughter, however, admired her mother—the genius mage, Historia Astrea—and chose the path of magic.
Yet, despite their different journeys, Gerald Astrea’s ironclad rule remained the same for both.
‘Be the best, no matter where you are.’
To him, it was only natural. They had inherited the blood of both a master swordsman and a peerless mage; failure to excel was not an option.
Following that mandate, the sisters enrolled in Märchen Academy, the most prestigious institution on the continent. The eldest daughter firmly secured her spot as the top student in the Knight Department and even passed the Imperial Knights' entrance exam.
The second daughter entered the Magic Department as the second seat of the freshman class.
She wasn't the top seat. She wasn't the best.
But she knew she had the talent. She simply nodded and told herself, ‘I just have to work harder,’ before throwing herself into her training and studies. She believed that the fruits of her blood, sweat, and tears would eventually propel her to the top.
She tried. She truly did.
But no matter how hard she pushed, the gap between her and the top seat showed no signs of closing.
*
In a garden overflowing with blue roses, Luce and Kaya stared at the scoreboard for a long time.
The person they both cherished had overtaken the elite and seized first place.
Kaya’s eyes sparkled as she whispered, “As expected of Sir Isaac!” while Luce’s jaw dropped in surprise.
Isaac had secured five Fell Cards, catapulting him to the top in a single move. Meanwhile, Ciel Carnedas had dropped to second place after losing five cards.
That didn't mean Ciel was out, though. If she had been eliminated, her name would have vanished from the leaderboard entirely.
The implications were clear: Isaac and Ciel Carnedas were working together.
A faint smile, as delicate as midnight moonlight, played on Luce’s lips. She whispered softly, “Isaac, you had a plan all along.”
The two girls lowered their heads, savoring a moment of shared satisfaction.
But reality quickly came crashing back. They still had an opponent to face.
“Whew.”
Thanks to Isaac, Kaya’s spirits were renewed. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and fixed a cold glare on Luce. From this moment on, Kaya decided to focus only on herself.
She couldn't afford to stay swept up in Isaac’s success. Getting worked up in front of such a formidable foe would only make the fight harder. She shifted into a combat stance, her movements precise and calm.
“Luce Eltania. I’ve always wanted to fight you.”
Second place. Ever since entering Märchen Academy, Kaya had never moved from that spot. She desperately wanted to catch up to the top seat. That gap gnawed at her self-esteem like a rat in a cupboard, fueling a deep-seated inferiority complex.
No matter how hard she ran, she never got closer; the distance only seemed to grow. It felt like swimming in an endless, shoreless sea.
Kaya lowered her eyes, her voice thick with sincerity. “From the very beginning, I was determined to surpass you. I wanted to prove that the second seat could overtake the first.”
Others praised her for being second, but Kaya only ever looked at the back of Luce’s head.
“I will surpass you. That’s why I’ve worked so hard. This fight is for me…!”
“……?”
Kaya’s resolute declaration withered the moment she saw Luce’s confused expression. Luce tilted her head slightly, looking as if she were hearing Kaya’s voice for the very first time.
An ominous chill ran down Kaya’s spine.
Luce’s response was indifferent, the words of someone who simply didn't care.
“I didn’t even know you were the second seat…”
To Kaya, Luce Eltania was the ultimate goal—the wall she had to climb, the shadow she had to escape. Kaya had spent every waking moment chasing her.
But to Luce, the "second seat" was irrelevant.
Even during the mana evaluation, she hadn't bothered to listen to Professor Fernando’s rankings. She had never even glanced at the report cards posted in Orphin Hall. She knew she was the strongest; she knew her grades would be the highest. Nothing else mattered.
Right now, all Luce wanted to do was defeat Kaya and go find Isaac.
Kaya gripped her wand, her knuckles white as she channeled her mana, her jaw set in a tight line.
*
The blue rose garden looked as if it had been hit by a sudden, violent downpour.
The majestic glow of the setting sun had faded. Kaya sat quietly in the flower bed, her throat parched as she stared at the wreckage. Her dark green hair and uniform were soaked through, refusing to dry.
In reality, only a few minutes had passed. But for Kaya, it felt like an eternity.
She had lost.
Kaya’s wind magic was far too weak to repel Luce’s heavy, crushing water magic. After a brief exchange of blows, Luce had simply walked away, indifferent. She had treated Kaya like a minor nuisance, leaving as soon as she decided the girl could no longer fight.
Kaya’s legs gave out, leaving her unable to stand. She could only stare blankly at the darkening sky.
It seemed she had narrowly avoided elimination. If she had been disqualified, her bracelet would have signaled the proctors to escort her away by now.
“Ugh…”
It felt like her ribs were cracked. A sharp, tingling pain radiated from her gut, as if something had ruptured.
“…Hic.”
Kaya wiped her eyes with her wet collar. At the very least, she was glad Luce used the water element—it hid her tears.
*
I need to finish this evaluation quickly so I can prepare for the Thunderbird Subjugation.
Ciel and I made our way toward the submission point.
Ciel walked at a brisk, jaunty pace, cradling the pillow I’d given her. I would have preferred to run, but running was like poison to her, so I had to be grateful for her quick steps.
Perhaps because I was now ranked first, the number of students trying to ambush me had spiked. However, most were dealt with instantly by Ciel’s magic.
“It’s obvious,” Ciel remarked. “A Class D student taking first place? The envious masses won't be able to stand it. They’ll keep rushing in without knowing their place.”
To me, they were dangerous opponents. To Ciel, they were just more punching bags.
“…Stop.”
「Flame Pillar (Fire Element, ★4)」
Fwooooosh!
A pillar of fire erupted directly in our path. I would have been charred to a crisp if Ciel hadn't reached out to stop me. The flames quickly dissipated into red particles; it seemed the spell was meant to halt us rather than kill us.
Ciel’s eyes tracked the source of the spell. I followed her gaze.
The sky was turning a vivid, bruised purple. On the roof of a nearby abandoned building, a girl perched perilously on the railing, looking down at us. Her short pink hair fluttered in the wind, and her school skirt revealed the long, delicate curves of her legs.
A bright red magic circle hovered before her outstretched hand, ready to fire.
It was Keridna Whiteclark, one of the top students of Class A.
[Keridna Whiteclark]
Lv: 90
Race: Human
Elements: Fire, Wind
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Hoping to break your spirit by denouncing you.]
Keridna possessed incredibly high [Elemental Efficiency]. The higher the efficiency, the less mana required for a spell, which also increased range and the success rate of joint attacks. Among the first-years, no one could rival her in this specific stat.
Because of this, Keridna was a terrifying opponent who could create more variables on the battlefield than almost anyone else.
She wore a menacing, villainous smirk—the kind that said, ‘You’re finished.’ She opened her mouth to speak.
“————!”
…But I couldn't hear a word.
She looked like she was screaming at the top of her lungs, but her voice was completely swallowed by the evening wind.
“Can you hear what she’s saying?” I asked Ciel.
Ciel shook her head.
“————!”
Keridna continued her passionate monologue, making grand, theatrical gestures. I suppose it would have been polite to wait, but no matter how I strained my ears, I couldn't understand a thing.
Sorry, but I don’t have time to waste.
Ciel and I turned and started walking away. Keridna’s face contorted in bewilderment, and she began shouting even more frantically, though she remained just as inaudible.
And then…
「Whirlwind (Wind Element, ★4)」
“……!!”
A violent vortex raged overhead. Sensing the danger, I lunged forward and tackled Ciel to the side.
Whooooosh!
The whirlwind slammed into the ground, sending a fierce gale in all directions. I rolled across the dirt, keeping my arms wrapped around the petite Ciel.
“Are you okay?”
Ciel glared at me with her usual half-lidded eyes, still clutching her pillow.
“…Move.”
Her voice was sharp and annoyed, but her expression was unchanged. She seemed completely unfazed by the attack.
I helped her up, and we stood together. That’s when I spotted a vain-looking blond aristocrat perched on the roof of a nearby shed, a smug grin plastered on his face.
[Tristan Humphrey]
Lv: 77
Race: Human
Elements: Wind
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Wants to humiliate and eliminate you.]
“Ha! So this is the reality of a Rank E commoner! Were you begging a Class A student for help? You really can’t survive without leeching off others, can you? How pathetic!”
Tristan laughed loudly, then cleared his throat with a pompous cough.
I didn't have time to deal with him. I tried to move forward with Ciel, but the ground suddenly groaned. Another spell slammed into our path.
「Rock Wall (Rock Element, ★4)」
Massive slabs of stone erupted from the earth, boxing us in. The walls were thick, towering high into the sky and radiating dense mana.
“Ciel.”
“I know.”
I interlocked my fingers, condensing ice mana in the palms of my hands. Simultaneously, Ciel manifested three blue magic circles aimed at the barrier.
──「Frost Explosion (Ice Element, ★5)」
──「Hydro Cannon (Water Element, ★5)」
Kwaaaaaaaah!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
My [Frost Explosion] spider-webbed the rock with cracks, while Ciel’s cannons shattered the stone like a physical battering ram.
Kwadadadadang!
The [Rock Wall] collapsed. Shards of stone and ice rained down as a cloud of dust and moisture billowed out. Through the haze, Ciel and I took our battle stances.
As the dust settled, the situation looked bleak.
It wasn't just Tristan. A dozen or so students—presumably his lackeys—had surrounded us. Joining them were a pair of twin girls who had appeared out of nowhere, a long-haired male student giggling with a sinister aura, and a tiny magic prodigy. All of them were top-tier students from Class B.
Even Keridna Whiteclark was still watching from the roof, glaring at us like a predator.
And then…
“I like a good fight.”
A husky female voice drifted through the settling dust.
The speaker had a wooden bat studded with topaz-colored magic stones slung over her shoulder. Ciel could handle Keridna, but if this woman joined the fray, our chances of winning dropped to zero.
The dust cleared completely, revealing her.
“I’ve been waiting for this battlefield to ripen. I was planning to smash everything to pieces once it did,” said the orange-haired girl.
She wore her school uniform with tight-fitting pants that accentuated her athletic build. With one hand in her pocket and a cocky tilt to her head, she looked every bit the delinquent. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her white shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a black athletic top over her toned abs.
I wanted to finish this before she showed up.
I bit my lip. This was the worst-case scenario.
In the original Magic Knight of Märchen scenario—the one without Luce’s rampage—the most dangerous person in this evaluation was undoubtedly the girl standing before me.
She usually spent the first half of the exam relaxing, eating, and drinking. She only joined the fray in the final stages. The difficulty of the exam, already spiked by Ciel’s involvement, usually became impossible because of her. She eliminated students at random, for one simple reason:
‘Combat is fun.’
“What’s with those faces? Isn't this getting exciting?! Huh?!”
She let out a sharp giggle. This was Lisetta Lionheart, the Class A delinquent. She was the final boss of this exam.
[Lisetta Lionheart]
Lv: 94
Race: Human
Elements: Rock
Danger: Low
Psychology: [Wonders what your identity is.]
As a member of the prestigious House Lionheart, she had been raised with strict etiquette and dignity. However, upon entering the academy, she had rebelled against her family’s suffocating traditions to live life on her own terms. In short, she was a loose cannon.
Cold sweat trickled down my neck.
Keridna and Lisetta from Class A, Tristan and his dozen subordinates from Class B, and several other Class B elites—all of them were targeting us at once. These people probably had no idea that their actions right now could literally lead to the end of the world.
“Even if you take us down, everyone else here will turn on you. What’s the point?” I asked.
“My desire is simple,” Lisetta replied. “To destroy everyone and everything.”
“…Come on, give us a break. This is completely unfair.”
“I don’t take orders from the weak. If you want me to submit, prove you’re stronger than me, fool.”
I had tried to reason with her, but her reaction was exactly as I’d predicted. She was doing this on purpose.
“If you can dominate me, I’ll do whatever you want. Strip off my clothes and dance? Be your lover? Fulfill your obscene fantasies at night? I’ll do anything.”
The male students nearby began to blush. Her provocative words and brazen attitude were clearly having an effect on them. Lisetta’s "type" was well-known: she wanted a man stronger than her. If she ever met one, she was prepared to give him her heart and her body. In a way, she was being entirely honest about her desires.
“Besides, Ciel Carnedas,” Lisetta said, her golden eyes shifting to Ciel. “I didn't think you were the type to play well with others. What is this man even doing to help you?”
Ciel stepped in front of me, hugging her pillow tighter. She extended her right arm toward Lisetta, an orange magic circle manifesting instantly.
“You’re noisy. Fight or shut up.”
Ciel’s killing intent chilled the air.
Lisetta smirked and lowered the bat from her shoulder, gripping the handle with both hands. It wasn't just a bat; it was a specialized magic tool designed to amplify rock magic. Much like Kaya’s wand, it was a weapon tailored specifically for her.
“Yes! That’s the reaction I wanted, Ciel Carnedas!”
Lisetta shouted, her eyes wide with battle-lust. She looked like a gladiator whose thirst for combat was about to erupt like a volcano.
Tristan, his lackeys, and the Class B elites all deployed their magic circles. Keridna did the same from the roof.
They were all stronger than me, but I couldn't just stand there. I moved to stand beside Ciel, hoping to contribute something—anything.
But she held out an arm to stop me.
“Don’t get in the way. You won't be any help, considering you used such crude magic to break that wall earlier.”
Crude magic…?
If you’d actually taken a hit from my [Frost Explosion], you wouldn't be saying that.
“…To be honest, I’m still not convinced,” Ciel continued. “Are you acting weak to get out of this? Or are you some kind of freak with exceptional mana perception?”
Surprisingly, neither was true.
I really am weak, and my mana perception is garbage—worse than yours, even. Isaac’s body is just built like this.
“…Whatever I do, it’s my choice,” I muttered.
Regardless, you’re not running away. You’re protecting me because of our deal. What kind of man would I be if I didn't at least try to help?
“You’re an idiot.”
“An idiot? What…”
“Let’s try an acrostic poem with that word. ‘I’ is for…”
I accidentally spoke my thoughts aloud and tried to backtrack immediately. Ciel glared at me. Fortunately, the situation was too dire for her to attack me for the joke. It was a shame, though; I had a good line for "D."
…Either way, I have to fight. To protect myself and survive, I have to cut my way through them.
I’m terrified of failing. Even for Ciel, this many opponents is too much. And I’m still so weak.
I took a deep breath, shaking off the fear. There was no point in being scared. I steeled my resolve, recalling every battle I’d fought so far.
I pulled an old dagger from my uniform and drew it. In my right hand, I held the Sheath of Disaster; in my left, a standard blade.
It was no different than usual. I would leap over the obstacles and slay the demons.
“……?”
Wait. Something was wrong. I had braced myself for a fight, but the atmosphere had suddenly shifted.
Lisetta’s face, which had been burning with excitement, was now clouded with wariness. Keridna, on the roof, looked troubled. Even Tristan and the Class B students were visibly tensing up.
None of them were looking at me or Ciel.
“Isaac…?”
A voice as soft as moonlight drifted from behind me. The moment I heard it, everything clicked.
Ciel and I turned around. Standing a short distance away was a graceful girl. Her rose-gold hair and the morpho-butterfly-colored braids at her temples caught the dying light of the sunset. Because she was backlit, her face—usually home to a gentle smile—was cast in deep shadow.
“……!”
The girl gasped, her eyes widening in shock. I could feel her blue, oceanic gaze scanning me from head to toe.
Only then did I realize how trashed I looked. Between the ambushes and rolling around on the ground with Ciel, I must have looked like I’d been through a meat grinder.
The mana rolling off Luce was heavy enough to weigh down the very air. The sheer, murderous pressure emanating from her sent chills down my spine.
“Who…”
Her voice was icy, cutting through the silence.
“Who made you look like this?”
Ciel, standing right next to me, didn't miss a beat. With a completely brazen expression, she pointed directly at Lisetta.
It was a move of staggering audacity.
Luce’s cold, cynical gaze followed Ciel’s finger, locking onto the enemies behind her. This was an unexpected turn of events, even for me.