༺ Joint Practical Evaluation (7) ༻
Although golden lines were engraved seamlessly in the air, they could not dispel the fierce whirlwind.
It was impossible to know what was happening within the torrent of mana.
However….
Whooosh…
When the [Meteor Shower] stopped, as if it was an inevitable outcome, a blond man fell emptily from the whirlwind.
Thud.
Tristan Humphrey collapsed on the ground, bloodied, like a cold corpse.
His wind ceased. Alexa, who was already sweating coldly, heaved a deep sigh. She released her [Rock Wall], and took in the sight of him collapsed on the ground.
“…”
He was an annoying and irritating man. Alexa clicked her tongue and moved on.
As she passed by Tristan,
Whoooooosh───!!
“…!!”
Suddenly, as if waiting for that split moment, a fierce light green wind arose.
Rumble!!
“Ugh!”
A series of wind spells struck Alexa.
The moment she felt mana, she instinctively created a wall of rocks around her body to block the wind, but…
As she heard the laugh, ‘Kahaha!’ Alexa’s complexion turned pale with fright, and a chilling shiver ran down her spine.
Soon, piercing through the fierce whirlwind, the blond man thrust his blood-covered face towards Alexa.
“Is that all you’ve got?!!”
“Aaaaaah!!”
Unable to bear that terrifying face, Alexa screamed out loud.
“Kha…!”
However, Tristan’s wind quickly died down, as he could no longer maintain consciousness.
He collapsed right there with a content smile on his face.
Alexa bit her lip hard, exclaiming, ‘Hmph!’ Her eyes were wide open, filled with anger.
As if she were about to kill a disgusting cockroach, she raised her arm high, ready to unleash her rock magic to finish off the unconscious man.
Just then, someone from behind caught Alexa’s raised arm with a left hand wearing a black glove.
“Alexa.”
“…!”
A black-haired, bespectacled male student.
As his deep voice resonated, Alexa’s eyes wavered.
“What are you doing? Didn’t the Queen specifically tell you to not do anything conspicuous?”
His voice was as cold as frost and laced with lethal intent.
Alexa lowered her arm without resistance and steadied her emotions with a deep breath.
“Haa… I’m sorry.”
For Alexa, who had lived as she pleased, common sense was not something well-established.
Even in an exam hall, it wasn’t strange for her to break through blocked walls just because she didn’t want to take a detour.
She didn’t properly understand what was sensible and what wasn’t.
Therefore, even though she had been warned against doing certain things by other paladins and trump soldiers…
In the joint practical evaluation, she had acted recklessly because she couldn’t do otherwise.
It was only due to the male student’s persuasion, that she realized her mistake.
Surely she would be scolded. She must have caused trouble for Queen Alice.
The male student lifted his glasses with his left hand, adorned by a black glove. It was meant to cover the spade emblem on the back of his hand.
He was the Spade Paladin, the foremost and the strongest among them.
Alexa’s gaze rested again on the unconscious Tristan, who still had a faint smile on his face.
…Even though she had won, it didn’t feel like a victory. Despite still having mana left, she felt utterly drained.
Alexa clutched her side. As the battle ended, a severe pain surged, and she bit her lip hard.
Soon, several exam proctors flew in from the corridor and surrounded Alexa.
She secretly handed a compass to the Spade male student, then followed the proctors without any resistance. The situation resolved more easily than expected for an emergency, leaving the proctors in a state of bewilderment.
The Spade male student was thanked for stopping Alexa.
After being declared disqualified, the unconscious Tristan received emergency treatment with healing magic and was carried away on a stretcher.
“…”
The Spade male student looked at the compass he had received from Alexa.
It was pointing towards Eltra Coast.
He began walking in the direction indicated by the compass.
At a certain location within Octovus Hall,
Märchen Academy’s first-year top seat in the Magic Department, the girl with jet black hair, Priestess Miya, was wandering alone in the Octovus Hall.
She had decided to act independently, after sensing that all her team members were utterly useless.
Being the top seat, her team members, selected for balance, were all at the lower levels of Classes C and D.
To Miya, they were nothing but disgusting insects.
[Even so, it might be better to cooperate… Shouldn’t you consider the teamwork score?]
Her Nine-tailed Fox familiar, Mae, hiding in Miya’s index fingernail, tended to express her opinions timidly despite her imposing tone.
This was because she felt guilty if she misspoke and upset someone.
“This exam is fundamentally flawed.”
Whoosh!
Miya crossed the dark corridor, burning the demonic illusions with her fire magic as she moved from place to place.
The death throes of the demonic illusions were grating to her ears, so she repeatedly blasted them with her fire magic, turning them into ash.
“I can’t come along with the lowest insects. I need to find a Predator instead.”
[A Predator?]
“My Prince might be a Predator, you know. Ah, how I miss him~.”
Whenever she uttered, ‘My Prince,’ Miya’s voice was filled with affection.
The Nine-tailed Fox heaved a deep sigh.
“…Haa. What now?”
Suddenly, Miya’s expression hardened, and her voice grew solemn.
Miya frowned as she detected the demonic illusion hiding in the midst of darkness, waiting for a surprise attack.
She conjured a red flame in her right hand, preparing to attack.
It was then.
“…!!”
A tremendous amount of mana brushed past her skin like the wind.
Miya, with a startled face, turned her head towards the direction from where she felt the mana.
Could it be my Prince, the power of the Nameless Hero?
…No. It was a creepy and chilling mana she had never felt before in her life.
Miya quickly guessed its identity and smiled broadly, as if her lips would tear.
Finally, what she had been waiting for had appeared.
“It’s a demon.”
Last year, demons frequently appeared at Märchen Academy.
Whenever demons appeared, The Nameless Hero would appear and without fail defeat them.
That meant,
“This is when my Prince appears…!”
Miya’s eyes sparkled. She had no interest in who died or how many perished due to the demons.
Her only desire was to court the strong figure she had affection for, the Nameless Hero. That was her biggest reason for enrolling in Märchen Academy.
She had already sworn her heart to him. Miya was utterly fascinated by the tales of his heroism and strength she heard in Horan. Such a man would be impossible to find anywhere else.
It was a joyful day. Miya waved cheerfully at the demonic illusion and moved forward with bouncy steps like a rabbit, humming a work song from the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
The momentarily stunned demonic illusion soon roared and lunged at her, only to be effortlessly consumed by Miya’s flames, tinged with her laughter.
Meanwhile,
In Octovus Hall, everyone except those with extremely low mana perception felt it.
Everyone felt the damp and immense mana pouring in from the outside.
The narrow-eyed girl with pink hair, Saintess Bianca Anturaze, also stopped in her tracks as she felt the immense mana while walking through the Octovus Hall.
Even in her academy uniform, she wore a white veil on her head, symbolizing her status as a Saintess.
Bianca’s gaze turned towards the source of the mana. Nothing was visible due to the wall, but she knew where that direction led.
“Hehe, hehehe…”
Bianca began to giggle, her shoulders trembling.
“Have you come, evil demon?”
Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
Born with the power of the element of light, but unlike Ian Fairytale, she was a girl who couldn’t grow her power.
Being a pure human, she had limitations in handling the power of the element of light. However, no one in the Helize Church knew this fact.
The power of the element of light was meant to destroy demons. That was why Bianca had a wish.
She was a Saintess born with the element of light, a gift of grace from The Lord Manhalla. She too hoped that one day she would be able to slay evil demons.
That was why she enrolled in Märchen Academy.
Here, demons often appeared for unknown reasons. She could encounter them.
With her own hands, with her own weapon, she could be able to defeat the demons!
Bianca couldn’t calm her expression. Her usually narrow eyes were wide open, revealing pretty eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Blushing, she extended her right arm to the side. Divine power emitted a rainbow light, and a steel mace adorned with a beautiful mana stone materialized in her hand.
Unable to contain her excitement, she uttered, ‘Haa, haa.’
“Quickly… with this mace of justice, to pass judgment…!”
Bianca, holding the mace close, moved excitedly towards Eltra Coast.
* * *
“Well done, Tristan.”
Such words came out involuntarily.
Crossing through Octovus Hall, I watched Tristan and Alexa’s fight with [Clairvoyance]. Tristan, with his strong desire to win and improve, had provided a great distraction.
He even fought better than expected against a Paladin stronger than himself. Although I couldn’t give him a gift because he disliked me, I’d express my gratitude in my heart.
Thank you!
Before I knew it, the exam bracelet had ceased to function, emitting a ‘pop’ sound.
Now, only one task remained.
༺ Joint Practical Evaluation (7) ༻
Although golden lines were engraved seamlessly in the air, they could not dispel the fierce whirlwind.
It was impossible to know what was happening within the torrent of mana.
However….
Whooosh…
When the [Meteor Shower] stopped, as if it was an inevitable outcome, a blond man fell emptily from the whirlwind.
Thud.
Tristan Humphrey collapsed on the ground, bloodied, like a cold corpse.
His wind ceased. Alexa, who was already sweating coldly, heaved a deep sigh. She released her [Rock Wall], and took in the sight of him collapsed on the ground.
“…”
He was an annoying and irritating man. Alexa clicked her tongue and moved on.
As she passed by Tristan,
Whoooooosh───!!
“…!!”
Suddenly, as if waiting for that split moment, a fierce light green wind arose.
Rumble!!
“Ugh!”
A series of wind spells struck Alexa.
The moment she felt mana, she instinctively created a wall of rocks around her body to block the wind, but…
As she heard the laugh, ‘Kahaha!’ Alexa’s complexion turned pale with fright, and a chilling shiver ran down her spine.
Soon, piercing through the fierce whirlwind, the blond man thrust his blood-covered face towards Alexa.
“Is that all you’ve got?!!”
“Aaaaaah!!”
Unable to bear that terrifying face, Alexa screamed out loud.
“Kha…!”
However, Tristan’s wind quickly died down, as he could no longer maintain consciousness.
He collapsed right there with a content smile on his face.
Alexa bit her lip hard, exclaiming, ‘Hmph!’ Her eyes were wide open, filled with anger.
As if she were about to kill a disgusting cockroach, she raised her arm high, ready to unleash her rock magic to finish off the unconscious man.
Just then, someone from behind caught Alexa’s raised arm with a left hand wearing a black glove.
“Alexa.”
“…!”
A black-haired, bespectacled male student.
As his deep voice resonated, Alexa’s eyes wavered.
“What are you doing? Didn’t the Queen specifically tell you to not do anything conspicuous?”
His voice was as cold as frost and laced with lethal intent.
Alexa lowered her arm without resistance and steadied her emotions with a deep breath.
“Haa… I’m sorry.”
For Alexa, who had lived as she pleased, common sense was not something well-established.
Even in an exam hall, it wasn’t strange for her to break through blocked walls just because she didn’t want to take a detour.
She didn’t properly understand what was sensible and what wasn’t.
Therefore, even though she had been warned against doing certain things by other paladins and trump soldiers…
In the joint practical evaluation, she had acted recklessly because she couldn’t do otherwise.
It was only due to the male student’s persuasion, that she realized her mistake.
Surely she would be scolded. She must have caused trouble for Queen Alice.
The male student lifted his glasses with his left hand, adorned by a black glove. It was meant to cover the spade emblem on the back of his hand.
He was the Spade Paladin, the foremost and the strongest among them.
Alexa’s gaze rested again on the unconscious Tristan, who still had a faint smile on his face.
…Even though she had won, it didn’t feel like a victory. Despite still having mana left, she felt utterly drained.
Alexa clutched her side. As the battle ended, a severe pain surged, and she bit her lip hard.
Soon, several exam proctors flew in from the corridor and surrounded Alexa.
She secretly handed a compass to the Spade male student, then followed the proctors without any resistance. The situation resolved more easily than expected for an emergency, leaving the proctors in a state of bewilderment.
The Spade male student was thanked for stopping Alexa.
After being declared disqualified, the unconscious Tristan received emergency treatment with healing magic and was carried away on a stretcher.
“…”
The Spade male student looked at the compass he had received from Alexa.
It was pointing towards Eltra Coast.
He began walking in the direction indicated by the compass.
At a certain location within Octovus Hall,
Märchen Academy’s first-year top seat in the Magic Department, the girl with jet black hair, Priestess Miya, was wandering alone in the Octovus Hall.
She had decided to act independently, after sensing that all her team members were utterly useless.
Being the top seat, her team members, selected for balance, were all at the lower levels of Classes C and D.
To Miya, they were nothing but disgusting insects.
[Even so, it might be better to cooperate… Shouldn’t you consider the teamwork score?]
Her Nine-tailed Fox familiar, Mae, hiding in Miya’s index fingernail, tended to express her opinions timidly despite her imposing tone.
This was because she felt guilty if she misspoke and upset someone.
“This exam is fundamentally flawed.”
Whoosh!
Miya crossed the dark corridor, burning the demonic illusions with her fire magic as she moved from place to place.
The death throes of the demonic illusions were grating to her ears, so she repeatedly blasted them with her fire magic, turning them into ash.
“I can’t come along with the lowest insects. I need to find a Predator instead.”
[A Predator?]
“My Prince might be a Predator, you know. Ah, how I miss him~.”
Whenever she uttered, ‘My Prince,’ Miya’s voice was filled with affection.
The Nine-tailed Fox heaved a deep sigh.
“…Haa. What now?”
Suddenly, Miya’s expression hardened, and her voice grew solemn.
Miya frowned as she detected the demonic illusion hiding in the midst of darkness, waiting for a surprise attack.
She conjured a red flame in her right hand, preparing to attack.
It was then.
“…!!”
A tremendous amount of mana brushed past her skin like the wind.
Miya, with a startled face, turned her head towards the direction from where she felt the mana.
Could it be my Prince, the power of the Nameless Hero?
…No. It was a creepy and chilling mana she had never felt before in her life.
Miya quickly guessed its identity and smiled broadly, as if her lips would tear.
Finally, what she had been waiting for had appeared.
“It’s a demon.”
Last year, demons frequently appeared at Märchen Academy.
Whenever demons appeared, The Nameless Hero would appear and without fail defeat them.
That meant,
“This is when my Prince appears…!”
Miya’s eyes sparkled. She had no interest in who died or how many perished due to the demons.
Her only desire was to court the strong figure she had affection for, the Nameless Hero. That was her biggest reason for enrolling in Märchen Academy.
She had already sworn her heart to him. Miya was utterly fascinated by the tales of his heroism and strength she heard in Horan. Such a man would be impossible to find anywhere else.
It was a joyful day. Miya waved cheerfully at the demonic illusion and moved forward with bouncy steps like a rabbit, humming a work song from the Land of the Fire Blossoms.
The momentarily stunned demonic illusion soon roared and lunged at her, only to be effortlessly consumed by Miya’s flames, tinged with her laughter.
Meanwhile,
In Octovus Hall, everyone except those with extremely low mana perception felt it.
Everyone felt the damp and immense mana pouring in from the outside.
The narrow-eyed girl with pink hair, Saintess Bianca Anturaze, also stopped in her tracks as she felt the immense mana while walking through the Octovus Hall.
Even in her academy uniform, she wore a white veil on her head, symbolizing her status as a Saintess.
Bianca’s gaze turned towards the source of the mana. Nothing was visible due to the wall, but she knew where that direction led.
“Hehe, hehehe…”
Bianca began to giggle, her shoulders trembling.
“Have you come, evil demon?”
Saintess Bianca Anturaze.
Born with the power of the element of light, but unlike Ian Fairytale, she was a girl who couldn’t grow her power.
Being a pure human, she had limitations in handling the power of the element of light. However, no one in the Helize Church knew this fact.
The power of the element of light was meant to destroy demons. That was why Bianca had a wish.
She was a Saintess born with the element of light, a gift of grace from The Lord Manhalla. She too hoped that one day she would be able to slay evil demons.
That was why she enrolled in Märchen Academy.
Here, demons often appeared for unknown reasons. She could encounter them.
With her own hands, with her own weapon, she could be able to defeat the demons!
Bianca couldn’t calm her expression. Her usually narrow eyes were wide open, revealing pretty eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Blushing, she extended her right arm to the side. Divine power emitted a rainbow light, and a steel mace adorned with a beautiful mana stone materialized in her hand.
Unable to contain her excitement, she uttered, ‘Haa, haa.’
“Quickly… with this mace of justice, to pass judgment…!”
Bianca, holding the mace close, moved excitedly towards Eltra Coast.
* * *
“Well done, Tristan.”
Such words came out involuntarily.
Crossing through Octovus Hall, I watched Tristan and Alexa’s fight with [Clairvoyance]. Tristan, with his strong desire to win and improve, had provided a great distraction.
He even fought better than expected against a Paladin stronger than himself. Although I couldn’t give him a gift because he disliked me, I’d express my gratitude in my heart.
Thank you!
Before I knew it, the exam bracelet had ceased to function, emitting a ‘pop’ sound.
Now, only one task remained.
