Class Assignment Exam (3): The Spy’s Desperate End
I never expected that spy to pull off a mutual destruction spell at the very end. My reaction was a split second too slow because of it, leaving my body a total wreck. But silver lining—in that fleeting moment, I scraped together every last drop of mana I had and turned myself into a shield, managing to protect at least the Bronheim duke's daughter. Theo was far enough away that he seemed to have come out unscathed.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault for letting my guard down, and now you..."
The duke's daughter approached me and bowed deeply. Was everyone from high society this polite? Family upbringing really did make a difference.
"Nah, it's nothing. This is still cheaper than losing my life, right? Just sucks about the uniform cost."
Trying to lighten the mood, I cracked a joke while gesturing at my rags of a uniform. And it wasn't even a lie—the thing had only been worn for a day before turning to shreds. It looked expensive just from the feel of the fabric. Back in my past life, a single custom uniform set you back hundreds of thousands of won, so the pricing here felt spot-on for the setting.
"M-more importantly, at least cover up with this for now. I can't get you a new uniform right away in your state."
Thud.
For some reason, the duke's daughter—who'd been looking down at me—flushed red and averted her gaze before tossing her black blazer at my feet.
"I'm fine, really."
"I can't stand it, so put it on already!"
"Ah, alright..."
Did she have to snap like that?
"Ahem... Anyway, thank you for saving me. I swear on the honor of House Bronheim, I won't forget this debt."
"No big deal. You helped me first, remember?"
I'd just paid back what I owed—no reason to feel grateful. We were square, mutual aid and all.
"More importantly, can you walk? We need to get out of here as soon as possible so we can treat your wounds."
Not 'we need to report this incident right away,' but 'we need to treat your wounds.' That subtle difference made her seem gruff on the outside but surprisingly caring underneath. I couldn't help but smile a little. Classic northern duke trait: cold exterior, warm heart.
"Yeah... it's a bit rough. I burned through all my mana."
To be honest, even holding this conversation was taking everything I had. I felt like a toy with dead batteries, ready to shut down any second.
"Then I'll support you. Put your arm around my neck."
"Appreciate it."
I barely managed to drape my heavy arm over her neck. I caught a glimpse of Theo collapsed on the ground, but there was nothing for it. Better to get out fast and let someone fetch him later than drag him halfway and risk more trouble.
"Not too uncomfortable?"
"Nah, it's good. I can manage."
Luckily, with her support, I could walk, so I wasn't burdening her too much.
But still...
"...Lady Silvena?"
"W-what?"
...something was off with her. She wouldn't even look at me. I wasn't about to demand eye contact, but basic courtesy meant at least pretending to face the person you were talking to, right?
"You're keep turning your head away. See something interesting over there?"
"N-no, I don't see anything."
"...?"
Shouldn't the response have been something like 'nothing interesting'?
As we trudged along in that awkward silence, a faint blue glow appeared in the distance.
"...Huh?"
Thinking it might be the exit, I perked up—only to lock eyes with a woman standing by the portal.
"What happened? Looks like that student of yours didn't collect all the jewels."
She must have some tool that detected them. Fine, the Bronheim lady had all three from the start, but I only had one, so maybe they wouldn't let us through. Strict, even with me looking like this.
"Supervisor, we have an injured person here. Please halt the exam immediately."
"Halt it? What are you talking about?"
The Bronheim lady spoke up on my behalf. The supervisor's face soured at a mere student demanding a test shutdown, but the duke's daughter calmly reported everything without flinching.
"There was a suspected terrorist among the freshmen. This student got badly hurt fighting them. To prevent more victims, you need to stop the exam now."
"A terrorist? Are you sure...?"
The supervisor eyed us coldly, as if she'd drag us to Professor Azela if we were lying. The duke's daughter met her gaze with an even icier expression, nodding firmly.
"Yes. Certain. They self-destructed, so no body left, but we saw it with our own eyes."
"What?! Then that explosion earlier..."
Not too far off, so it must've reached here. Even academy students couldn't pull off that scale of magic easily—a freshman especially—so she'd probably been suspicious herself.
"Hold on. I'll report to my superiors right away. Ah, Professor Azela!"
She turned away, urgently briefing the overall supervisor, Professor Azela. After a moment, she nodded vigorously.
"...Yes! Understood. We'll evacuate these students immediately. Just send reinforcements to assist the others."
Seemed like it was settled. Timing it right, I lifted my numb arm and pointed toward a spot, addressing the supervisor.
"Supervisor, there's a guy named Theo collapsed in those bushes over there. He was the first to encounter the terrorist—please rescue him first."
"Got it! I'll grab him right now. You two head out and get treated."
Whoosh!
With that, the supervisor vanished in a flash. The duke's daughter tightened her hold on me and started walking.
"Let's get out of here too."
"Yeah."
Swoosh...
Finally getting out.
As we stepped into the portal, blue light enveloped us. Maybe now I could relax and rest.
The moment that thought crossed my mind—
Snap—
Like a power outage, my consciousness cut off in an instant.
＊
By the time Silvena emerged from the portal with Aren in tow, he had already lost consciousness. Fortunately, his pulse was steady, so it seemed like simple exhaustion.
No wonder.
To shield himself from that level of explosion, he'd have pulled every scrap of mana he possessed.
Tap.
A mix of gratitude and guilt washed over her as Silvena instinctively cupped Aren's cheek as he was loaded onto a stretcher.
"Bronheim student, I'd like a more detailed account."
"...!"
Professor Azela approached and spoke, making her yank her hand back as if burned. She couldn't fathom why she'd done that. Touching a sleeping man's body without permission? Maybe her head had short-circuited from all the chaos.
"Yes. From what I saw, it went like this. A woman fought a male student, then..."
Regaining her composure somehow, she continued the report. Having some battlefield experience, she was adept at clean after-action briefs.
"...I see. No body is a pain, but unavoidable."
"Probably to destroy evidence."
"Likely. I'll have the investigation team look into it thoroughly. We'll catch whoever's targeting students, so rest easy."
"Yes. But him...?"
Worried about Aren on the stretcher, she hesitated. The terrorist incident was crucial, sure, but her concern for the man who'd saved her life overrode it.
"Don't worry. Aren was rushed to the medical team—no major injuries, just mana depletion."
"...Good."
At Azela's reassurance, a sigh of relief escaped Silvena. She hadn't even properly repaid him yet. He called it even, but she didn't see it that way.
Hurry and wake up.
As that quiet wish formed—
"Tch. Abruptly canceling the exam? What a buzzkill."
A woman with light purple hair burst from the portal behind her, muttering peevishly as if the bustling chaos outside didn't faze her.
Neriel Marit.
Silvena turned, naming her inwardly. They'd never spoken, but she remembered the face—from the entrance ceremony, the top magic freshman who'd shared the stage with her.
"I still had tons of spells I wanted to test."
Clatter—
Pouting, she raised her hand, and a pile of something spilled out onto the grass. They were the jewels attached to the students' bracelets for the class assignment exam.