Chapter 19
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Lucia is Smiling (2)
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"...Surely there isn't an idiot among Carnea's current students who hasn't memorized the exam rules."
The supervising professor for Class 2, Tristan, spoke in his raspy voice, dark circles heavy under his eyes.
Due to his prickly personality matching his appearance, he was always near the top of the list of professors students disliked...
But I knew that in the future, when danger struck, he would be the first to sacrifice himself protecting the students, so I felt a twinge of pity for how they treated him.
"Then come up to the stage in seat order and draw your rings. Once every student has drawn, we'll move to the exam grounds."
For fairness, students start from the number inscribed on the ring they draw.
Lucia, seated in the front row, walked up to the stage.
Click, click, click.
The moment Lucia appeared, even the slightest murmur died away, and everyone held their breath watching her.
It wasn't just her unrealistically stunning looks.
It was the dignity befitting the next head of the Ursula family.
Even her ordinary footsteps commanded everyone's gaze with their nobility.
Looking at Lucia's cool and aloof face, I almost doubted she was the same person who called me "Master."
"Next. Come up."
Tristan called the next student after Lucia, now wearing her ring, descended.
The draws proceeded quickly, and soon it was my turn.
The ring I drew had the number 74 engraved on it.
'Not bad.'
The 60s were best, but the 70s weren't too shabby either.
At this rate, I could reach the "tree" leisurely within two hours.
As I slipped the ring onto my finger, it automatically adjusted its size and locked firmly in place.
"The rings have location tracking and vital detection enchantments. They absolutely won't come off for the 24-hour exam duration, so don't try any nonsense like swapping numbers."
With the draws complete—after Vivian nearly tripped on the stairs—Tristan adjusted his glasses and spoke.
"...Looks like everyone's drawn. Head to the forest now."
The midterms' rules were simple.
"Find the mana orbs hidden throughout the forest and return."
At first glance, it might seem too advantageous for mana-sensitive mages.
But in the exam setup, the orbs had been stolen by monsters.
So the professors hid them inside monster bodies, nests, or even their excrement, per the scenario.
In other words, with good observation skills, anyone could find them regardless of mana detection.
"What kind of exam lasts all day?"
"Gotta find 'em quick and come out to play."
"Wanna bet on who finds theirs first?"
The students buzzed with chatter as they headed to the forest designated as the exam grounds.
I got it.
They didn't even consider the possibility of not finding their orbs.
Just getting into Carnea Academy guaranteed talent.
Even Class 5, who bought their way in with money and power, would be top-tier at other academies.
So in a way, their arrogance was natural—but more than half wouldn't even glimpse their orbs.
It wasn't about difficulty; the exam was designed that way from the start.
73.
The number of orbs scattered in the forest.
The most insidious part was that even assuming everyone found theirs, more than half the students would still go home empty-handed.
...Naturally, the "real" purpose of the exam wasn't finding the orbs.
Of course, returning quickly with one would earn high points.
But realizing the goal was impossible and how quickly you could give up—that was part of the test.
Judging whether a goal was beyond your abilities was included too.
No matter their talent, these were freshmen chicks fresh into the academy.
How well could they assess situations while wandering the forest alone without water or food?
Every year, exhausted students collapsed. Yet the professors did nothing.
They just retrieved them after the 24 hours were up.
What if someone got hurt?
Except for special incidents like today, injuries weren't an issue.
....The monsters the professors released weren't that vicious.
They were ferocious enough to charge at humans on sight, but aside from their paralyzing fangs, they had no other attack methods—and even those fangs had been neutralized by the professors before release, posing no real threat...
The problem was their grotesque appearance, like giant centipedes the size of medium dogs.
Even tough guys would recoil, let alone greenhouse flowers raised on potted plants.
And their species trait? Rubbing their bodies on live prey to mark territory.
Picture this.
You pass out from exhaustion, wake up, and find a dog-sized centipede writhing on top of you.
...Chills just thinking about it.
In short, it was an exam perfectly tailored to instill trauma.
[One last reminder: You are free to give up.]
Tristan's voice, amplified by magic, echoed across the area.
At the same time, the barrier enveloping the vast forest lifted, allowing entry.
[Begin.]
With those words, movement stirred here and there.
I glanced up once more at the conspicuously tall tree piercing the sky.
"Let's go."
Time to hunt the hidden piece.
Rustle-rustle-
A Centipedia scuttled toward me rapidly on its dozens of legs.
"Wind Blade."
Wind Blade
I grimaced at its far more horrific appearance than on screen and unleashed the spell. It let out a screech as its head separated from its body, dying instantly.
Screeeeech-
No, it wasn't dead.
What incredible vitality for a low-grade monster...
Even as green blood oozed from the severed part, it kept writhing.
'Ugh...'
I wanted to blast it with another spell, but to save mana and mental power for the boss if things went south, I held back.
Splat.
Instead, I hurled a watermelon-sized rock, smashing its head. Only then did it finally go still, truly dead.
"Hoo..."
I thought I had a strong stomach, but watching the headless body twitch made bile rise in my throat.
'Good thoughts... good thoughts...'
To settle my nausea, I thought of something pleasant. First that came to mind was Lucia's face.
'...I wonder if Lucia's doing okay.'
The more Centipedias Lucia burned, the more my time limit extended.
The chapter 1 boss, the "Wolf," was cunning.
It preyed only on powerless Centipedias early on, building strength before targeting students.
So if I grabbed the hidden piece before it powered up, ran to a professor, and reported the wolf's appearance, no one would get hurt.
I looked up at the sky.
Though most was blocked by dense leaves, a gap revealed one massive tree.
Using that as a landmark, facing my dorm straight ahead, about 20 minutes at the 3 o'clock direction led to the wolf's burrow.
This was my method, honed over hundreds of playthroughs, to locate the den quickly from any starting number.
"Hoo... Let's head out again."
About an hour later, I reached the tree.
Luckily, drawing from the 70s meant a close starting point, so I arrived fast.
'Luck's favor?'
Luck had no reliable way to raise it in-game and seemed negligible, so I'd never prioritized it.
But today—from the ring draw—it felt like it was helping in subtle ways.
"Maybe rest a bit."
With my already low stamina plus the hot, humid forest air, sweat poured like rain.
But rushing paid off; the wolf wouldn't appear for a little while yet.
Even after it did, it'd need time to wander from the hidden piece's burrow, so a short break was fine.
Having rationalized it, I leaned against the tree trunk, closed my eyes to recover stamina.
"Oh my?"
Chills ran down my spine.
From beyond the rustling bushes came a voice that absolutely shouldn't be here.
'Why...?'
The owner of that voice was far more dangerous than some chapter 1 boss.
Rustle, rustle.
As I tensed, someone emerged from the bushes.
....I hoped it wasn't her, but bad premonitions never lie.
First to catch my eye: dazzling golden blonde hair and beauty rivaling Lucia's.
And her uniform, spotless despite two hours trudging through underbrush.
"Someone's already here?"
The blonde girl smiled as softly as melting honey.
Liana Lumenhark.
Born the First Imperial Princess of the Lumenhark Empire, yet loved by all for her gentle smile and kind demeanor transcending status—the empire's sun.
'Fuck, I'm screwed.'
....And the one who'd led me to dead ends multiple times.