Seron's Allowance
The group exam at Jerion Academy was a test of slaying magically conjured Apostles. Grading was divided into three distinct categories: efficiency, speed, and cooperation. How efficiently could a team defeat an Apostle in the shortest time possible? And how well did the teammates cooperate during the process? These were the core metrics.
On top of that, there was another layer of evaluation: a separate tier system. The group exam was structured so that Apostles would spawn in continuous waves. Therefore, how many waves of Apostles a team could withstand and defeat was factored in as an independent score.
And the evaluation for cooperation has already begun. The moment a student failed to form a proper team, their cooperation score began to drop in real-time. In other words, assembling a well-balanced team was itself a part of the exam. It was the academy's way of forcing students to maintain good relationships with their peers.
What a ruthless academy, leaving no room for the friendless to survive. For someone like me with a narrow social circle, this grading system felt downright abusive. Did they think gathering people to form a team every single day was easy? Striking deals to recruit members only worked so many times.
"Cruel professors," I muttered.
"You're just saying that because you don't have any friends, Princess Sweet Potato."
Why, you...
"Look who's talking. Your social circle is even narrower than mine."
"Wh-what? At least I actually knew everyone beforehand!"
"Right, and after knowing them, they all abandoned you, leaving you completely alone."
"They didn't abandon me! I abandoned them!"
Seron huffed, her exposed forehead flushing bright red. She looked so hot-headed that steam might actually start rising from her brow, enough to boil an egg. Then, her eyes drifted down to my hand.
"I haven't seen that ring before. What's that?"
"It was a gift."
Seron's eyebrows knitted together. Her expression practically screamed, You? A gift? I knew she was probably just teasing, but seeing that look on her face still annoyed me.
"Who on earth would give you a gift like that?"
"You might not know this, but I'm actually quite popular."
"How tragic. Princess Sweet Potato, have you never looked in a mirror before...?" Seron shot me a look of genuine pity. This girl...
"What about you?" I glared at her. "Have you ever been popular with anyone in your life?"
Seron blinked. Then, she tossed her tied-up red hair over her shoulder. "Isn't it obvious just by looking at me?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Hmph! Look at me, I'm pretty." I remained silent.
"Hey! Why are you quiet all of a sudden? Answer me!"
Looking out the window, I saw a carriage crossing the bridge and heading toward Jerion Academy.
"I said, answer me! Even my dad says I'm the prettiest girl in the world!"
Today was the day of the group exam. Consequently, the Empire's distinguished guests had visited the academy to spectate. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the most influential figures of the Empire were arriving today.
Amidst the procession, I spotted an exceptionally pure white carriage drawn by matching white horses. Inside that carriage was a crucial figure who would help resolve the incidents to come. To secure a private audience with them, I absolutely had to stand out in this group exam.
"Seron." At some point, she had let her hair down and was framing her face with her hands like a flower. I stared at her, thoroughly creeped out. "What are you doing? Aren't you embarrassed?"
Seron's face flushed crimson. "Hey! Who do you think I'm doing this for?!"
"I'm heading to the arena. If you're late, I'm kicking you off the team."
"Ah, wait for me!" Seron quickly tied her hair back up and scrambled after me.
As we walked, a familiar face appeared in the distance. Her silver hair, fluttering with every step she took, still held its beautiful luster. However, the face framed by those silver locks had lost its former vitality, cast in a deep shadow of gloom.
"Nikita-sunbae." When I called her name, Nikita slowly raised her head. Meeting my eyes, she offered a faint, gentle smile.
"Ah, junior." Unlike before, there was no strength behind her smile. Ever since Nia's death, she had been in this state.
"I see you're on your way to the group exam," Nikita said, guessing our destination. Her face was noticeably hollower than before. She clearly hadn't been eating properly.
"Sunbae." I rummaged through my bag, pulled out the tuna sandwich I had packed for lunch, and pressed it into her hands. "It's a tuna sandwich."
Nikita looked down at the sandwich in her hands and shook her head. "It's fine, junior. I don't really have an appetite."
"You have to take the group exam today too, sunbae." I firmly wrapped her fingers around the sandwich, refusing to let her decline. "Please eat it. Otherwise, I won't be able to focus."
She was wasting away day by day. When I practically begged her to at least eat something, Nikita stared at me in silence. Her eyes smiled weakly, and she finally accepted the sandwich with gentle care.
"Alright, I'll eat it. I have to stay strong for the junior who cares so much about me." Leaving me with those words, Nikita turned and walked away.
Watching her retreating figure, a sharp pang of guilt pierced my chest. I knew everything. Yet, I had to keep my mouth shut to let the scenario play out.
After today's exam, Nikita would obtain a crucial piece of information—definitive proof that Nia Cynthia's death was not an accident, but an assassination. Armed with this knowledge, she would eventually resort to Ancient Dragon magic in her quest for vengeance. And I... I would have to stand by and watch it happen.
My fists clenched tight. ...It's fine. I had already resolved to save Nikita. While I couldn't stop her from becoming the Calamitous Dragon Maiden, her ultimate fate was in my hands. To avert the bad ending and secure a happy conclusion for everyone, I was prepared to do whatever it took. I would make it happen.
"Princess Sweet Potato, are you okay?" Perhaps noticing my stiff expression, Seron asked softly.
"I'm fine. Let's go." Praying that Nikita would hold on, I made my way toward the arena.
The venue for the group exam resembled a massive colosseum. Since high-level illusion magic was required to conjure the Apostles, a vast space was necessary.
By the time we arrived, numerous distinguished guests had already taken their seats in the spectator stands. They watched the preparations with keen interest.
"I hear this year's sophomores are the famous Golden Flame Generation."
"I've only heard rumors until now. I'm quite looking forward to seeing them in action."
"The freshmen aren't to be underestimated either. Apparently, a child from the renowned Margrave Visvel family is among them."
"And there's even someone who contracted with the Spirit Sovereign. My, the future of the Empire is bright indeed!"
They chatted excitedly, showing immense interest in the younger generations. Yet, not a single one of them spared a glance for the juniors.
The third-years were known as the weakest generation. Consequently, they received no attention. Perhaps because of this, the juniors, who were scheduled to go first, looked utterly demoralized.
It would have been fine if they were taking the exam in private, but being openly dismissed in front of the Empire's elite was bound to crush their spirits. Normally, Nikita would have done her best to encourage them, but even she remained silently withdrawn.
"The third-years look like a total mess," Card remarked from beside me.
"Tsk. If they're that demoralized before they even start, they won't even be able to show half of what they're capable of."
"Hey, Potato, is this really the time to worry about others? Worry about us."
Unlike the relaxed Card, Seron was visibly tense, her nerves frayed. Watching her, I quickly realized the reason.
"Seron, your father is here today, isn't he?"
"Ugh." Seron winced, caught off guard. The reason she was so nervous wasn't because her father was strict.
"If... if I don't do well here, my allowance is going to get cut again."
She was simply terrified of losing her pocket money if she messed up. What a remarkably carefree girl.
"Don't worry," I said, offering some teammate solidarity. "Even if your allowance gets slashed, there's no way our team is losing this exam."
"My allowance getting cut is the most important part!"
Well, that was up to her, not me.
"Mmm... so sleepy..." A groamy voice drifted from behind my back. The reason I had been sitting perfectly still all this time was because Sharin was leaning against my back, fast asleep.
Ever the picture of leisure, she let out a long, lazy yawn, stretching her limbs before tilting her head back. "When do we start?"
"It's the third-years' turn right now."
"Then I can sleep a bit more." Sharin snuggled closer, resting her weight against my back once again. If she wanted to sleep, she could have done it literally anywhere else. I had no idea why she insisted on using my back as a pillow.
Just then, sensing a gaze on me, I looked up. My eyes met Isabel's, who had been staring at us from a distance. Startled by the sudden eye contact, she quickly looked away. It seemed she was still deeply bothered by the fact that I had "stolen" Sharin from her. Even now, the memory of Isabel's dumbfounded face when Sharin declared she was joining my team made me chuckle.
Isabel's team is the exact same lineup from the Demon Palace. Given how well-balanced they were, they would undoubtedly pull off an excellent score without any trouble.
As for the others... I shifted my gaze to another team. Standing quietly among them was a girl with long, flowing black hair. This was arguably the strongest team in the entire academy, regardless of year. Team Iris.
In the vanguard, they had the top student of the Martial Arts Department, Iris, alongside the runner-up. In the rearguard, they had the runner-up of the Magic Department and the top student of the Special Department. For support, they had the runner-up of the Holy Healing Department. Looking at them again... It was an absurdly broken team composition. True to her status as the Third Princess, she had stacked her team with elite connections. They were the undisputed favorites to win the exam—and the team we absolutely had to beat. If we didn't, we wouldn't catch the eyes of the visiting dignitaries. And Iris's team wasn't the only formidable opponent today.
This is going to be a rough ride. As that thought crossed my mind, Seron tugged insistently on my sleeve.
"Princess Sweet Potato, now that I think about it, who is our healer for this exam?" Seron's eyes shone with subtle anticipation. No doubt she was hoping we had recruited the Saint again.
"I looked for a healer in the Holy Department, but I couldn't find one."
"What?!" Seron's eyes went wide. Entering the exam without a proper healer meant we were already starting with a penalty to our team balance score. But it couldn't be helped. It was all because we had teamed up with the Saint once before. The students of the Holy Department had all backed out, claiming, "I cannot possibly presume to fill a spot once held by the Saint." They were just a bunch of cunning zealots who didn't want to risk being compared to him.
"What were you thinking?!"
"So, I recruited someone from the Special Department instead." As Seron let out a groan of despair, I looked behind us. Right on cue, someone was walking toward our group. The moment Seron saw who it was, her face began to stiffen. Card, on the other hand, let out a low whistle. That was how unexpected this recruit was. A stark white skull-like face gleamed under the bright sunlight.
"Let me introduce you. This is Grantoni from the Special Department."
"Heheh, hello, hello?" A walking ossuary and one of the academy's most notorious troublemakers. Grantoni. He was our team's healer—a spiritualist.
"My allowaaaaaaaance!" Seron shrieked in absolute despair.