Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Mage of the Final Exam (5)
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Edwin Belka let out a deep sigh as he glanced at the clock.
Midnight.
The hellish week-long exam was finally over.
Even after the exam ended, Edwin couldn't sever the mana connection to his test paper.
Just a little more, and the answer might come to him.
That lingering regret kept the quill from leaving his hand.
Unknowingly, Edwin swallowed dryly.
As the heir to the Belka family, how many times had he felt this sense of defeat in the field of magic—something he should never allow himself to feel?
"Student Edwin Belka, please submit your test paper."
While he stood there blankly blinking, a tired-looking assistant who had stayed up late entered the private room.
"Th-the last problem... D-did anyone... solve it?"
The question slipped out before he knew it.
Unlike his usual rude tone, his voice was surprisingly polite.
He had been thoroughly schooled by the problem.
Etiquette instilled, perfectly.
The assistant paused to recall, then slowly nodded.
"I haven't seen every submission, but one student completed the spell on the fourth day of the exam."
Obvious.
Lunaris Evermoon. It had to be her again.
To think she solved a problem he couldn't even grasp after a full week—in just four days.
His mind went blank.
"Assistant, what about memories of the exam problems and solutions..."
"The anti-leak magic on the test papers in the lecture hall has been lifted as of now. You won't forget if you step outside. Of course, since some are still challenging it, I can't hand over the paper itself."
"That's fine. Thank you."
It didn't matter anyway.
He had obsessed over nothing but this problem for a week, minus time for eating and sleeping. He had memorized every single character.
Even after the assistant left, Edwin lingered in the private room, mulling over the problem.
...Ah, no more today. Exhaustion wouldn't let his brain turn.
"Guess I should go sleep."
Edwin scratched his head vigorously and flung open the door.
At the same moment, doors to two other rooms opened.
The unexpected person right in front of Edwin's eyes was...
"...P-Princess?!"
Why on earth was she still here?
Frankly, Princess Celestina Belhart's magic skills were abysmal.
She wasn't the type to stick with the final problem to the end. He couldn't understand why she was still around.
Then, a voice came from behind her.
"Princess, long time no... Ack, you're here too? Edwin Belka."
Who was this guy again?
"Claire! Good job on the exam."
Ah, right. That was her name.
A faintly memorable presence he wouldn't have recalled without the princess.
Walking alongside two people utterly talentless in magic, having filled the exam time to the brim, filled him with pointless self-loathing.
It felt like his own level had dropped too.
"How was the exam for you, Princess?"
"I think I did pretty well. Luna's advice was a huge help."
Edwin silently followed the two chatty female students.
He had no desire to join the conversation. He planned to go back, sleep, half-ass prep for other exams, and tackle the final problem again.
"What about you, Claire? Problem 7 looked insanely tough."
"Man, I latched onto that one from day two and still couldn't crack it."
"Y-you stuck with it that long and didn't solve it? It must've been really hard."
"If I'd had just a bit more time, I think I could've... If only I'd figured out how to organically link those twenty-plus magic circles..."
His ears kept drifting to the voices ahead.
Listening to this Claire person, her approach to the problem was strikingly similar to his.
She even showed intuition and insight in areas he hadn't considered.
"Ah~ I should've asked Luna more proactively."
"Hehe. If you'd said that to the Claire from a week ago, she'd have hated it? 'No more teasing from Luna.'"
One name popped up repeatedly in the conversation.
Luna.
Probably the top student's nickname.
Come to think of it, this Claire girl looked vaguely familiar—she was often seen next to Lunaris.
No wonder. Learning from that monstrous genius would improve anyone's skills.
"Princess, how far did you get on the final problem?"
Unable to hold back, Edwin finally spoke up.
Asking the princess instead of Claire was his last shred of pride.
The princess turned, blinking blankly.
She hadn't expected Edwin to address her personally.
After a brief hesitation, she smiled brightly.
"Solve it? I couldn't even touch it. The first six were barely manageable."
"I see."
"Yeah, I'll try again once the papers are released."
Edwin nodded inwardly.
Of course. As a fellow department peer, he knew the princess lacked magic talent.
Asking her was just a stepping stone anyway.
Now, segue naturally to Claire...
"The problem looked fascinating, though. Magic to shape dreams. The right answer must produce something beautiful."
"...!"
"...!"
Claire and Edwin froze at the princess's casual remark.
Pure shock crossed their faces.
"D-dreams... you said?"
"H-how did you know? I had no clue..."
"Huh? Isn't it right there in the problem?"
The princess tilted her head in confusion.
"Its origin lies in dreams."
Lightning struck Edwin's mind.
All the scattered magic circles he had drawn haphazardly...
They formed a single painting under the keyword "dream."
"The problem had no keyword hints, though..."
Edwin trailed off, mouth agape.
Recalling the final problem now, sentences felt awkwardly incomplete.
Naturally so. Problems 1 through 6's solutions combined into 7.
Higher solution quality meant more info for 7.
Thus, the version Claire and Edwin saw—scrawling answers in under a day for 6—differed vastly from the princess's week-long meticulous one.
"Aah...! No wonder the formulas were all messy—not elemental magic!"
Claire voiced the same realization, sounding deflated.
"Ha, such a shame. If I'd known a day—or two—earlier, I might've solved it."
Edwin bit his lip at Claire's mutter.
He had chased only Lunaris's shadow, ignoring others.
Now, peers were catching up.
Edwin sighed quietly, rubbing his face.
"Um, Princess. And Edwin Belka."
Claire watched, then proposed abruptly.
"Want to form a short-term study group? Until final grades and answers are released."
"Hmph, wasting time on..."
"Oh! Sounds good, Claire. Why not lure Luna in for hints while we're at it?"
"Excellent idea, Princess. Start tomorrow?"
Edwin nodded eagerly at the princess's addition.
Then flinched, trembling in sudden embarrassment.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"Heh~ Okay the second Luna's mentioned? Got a crush or something?"
"Wh-what! Why would I like that slacker! I just want to verify if she solved the formulas right...!"
"Yeees, sure~"
Edwin sighed, eyes still shut.
Despite the shame, he didn't refuse the study group.
He was a mage too, after all.
Debating arcane magic with peers was a dream.
Besides, Lunaris might join.
To catch that damn talented top student, he needed to know her thoughts.
Right, reconnaissance.
Just for improving his skills, Edwin rationalized.
"But will Luna even join?"
"...Yeah, she might bail as too bothersome."
"Wait! Without her, the study's pointless! You tricked me...!"
"Oh? Edwin Belka, bantering with the princess? How bold?"
"...Dare I?"
-Whoa~ This thing's the real deal!
Albert Marselin's image appeared on the palm-sized black slab in front of me as I sprawled on the bed, exclaiming in awe.
On screen, he peered at my face through the Apple Phone with childlike wonder.
-A mana communicator that shows faces remotely...!
"Yawn~ It's not a communicator."
I cut him off with a lazy yawn.
"It's called the Apple Phone 1st Generation. Proper name."
-Ah, right. Apple Phone. Haha!
The vice-captain chuckled awkwardly.
-I'd been wondering. Why Apple Phone? Phone's cute for slab, but apple?
To his guess about inspiration from eating an apple, I nodded vaguely.
No need to bore him with past-life tales of the bitten apple logo.
Names weren't important anyway.
-Haha. Anyway, an amazing magic tool. Shame it's tied to academy IP.
"If mass-producing, start with 2nd Gen. For now, just build production systems."
Still many flaws.
Mana consumption needed work, screen lagged.
Worst, only voice/video comms.
Ideally, add games... but too much.
Messaging at least, somehow.
Speaking of, heard Lilliana Gearheart developed touch tech. Should visit.
-Ambitious. This alone is impressive. No one believes a first-semester freshman made it as a final project.
Final project reminded me.
"Speaking of, Vice-Captain, you pulled a fun stunt with the magic theory final."
-Hm? No idea what you mean...
His gaze flicked sideways on screen.
-Professor asked help with proctoring and questions. Just lent a hand in good faith.
"Doubt that's all."
-Haha, really. To evaluate you, Lunares, ordinary problems won't do...
"Vice-Captain."
Video calls were great.
"Eyes front."
Voice alone misses visuals.
"Look at me properly when talking."
Simple evaluation? Fine.
But embedding his signature illusion magic in the problem screamed ulterior motives.
Albert's face stiffened on screen.
How long passed?
-Heh. Sending this mana comm to me was...
He laughed with a sigh.
-For remote interrogation, eh?
"Visiting in person? Too bothersome."
Cozy bed interrogation—comfy and ideal.