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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Group Battle
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After the incident on the ramparts, Isabel changed.
First, Isabel apologized for getting angry at her friends.
Her friends also apologized, saying they had been too hasty with their words to Isabel.
It was a heartwarming sight, born from Isabel's usual upright conduct.
Isabel's training intensity increased slightly from before.
However, while the intensity rose, she began to refrain from overexerting herself.
Her vision broadened.
Instead of looking only at the short term, as before.
She decided to look farther, wider, and invest more time.
Regarding this, Ban commented that Isabel's growth potential had expanded even further.
Furthermore, there was one most striking change.
Her face, which had recently been losing a bit of its vitality, brightened considerably.
Though not to the extent before Lucas's death, she regained her unique brightness.
She once again performed her role as a bright heroine who encouraged everyone.
But there was just one person.
One person she didn't treat brightly.
"You, if you do things like that, the kids around you will get scared!"
"If they're scared by something like this, they're not fit to be a Jerion Academy student."
"You're saying that again. You're too strict."
"It's the other students who are too frivolous."
That person was me.
About a week had passed since the incident with Isabel.
Isabel, who had been avoiding eye contact for a while, would instantly pounce whenever she thought I was doing something.
Somehow, it seemed even worse than when she vehemently criticized Lucas in the past.
"You've really earned her hatred."
When I returned after a spat with Isabel, Seron clicked her tongue, tutting.
Today, I lectured some kids who were messing around during morning class.
That's when Isabel started arguing like that.
"Princess Sweet Potato, why do you keep provoking Isabel?"
"I never provoked her first. Isabel pounced on me."
"Sweet Potato, that's because you respond to Isabel more excessively than anyone else."
"Seems like a difficult type to coexist with."
"Is that so?"
Seron tilted her head.
More importantly, has this guy really decided to stick by my side now?
"Speaking of which, why don't you try to be friends with the other kids again?"
Seron was still in a cold war with the girls.
When I told her it was time to make up, Seron snorted.
"I don't really care about the other kids."
"Sorry, I don't care about you either."
"Crazy, what are you saying! I just realized it's more comfortable to hang out like this."
Seron said that, then leaned against the desk with her arms crossed.
"When you're among girls, whether you like it or not, you have to be mindful. It's so hard to hold back everything you want to say."
"You can hold back?"
Seron, the head-butting dinosaur, holding back.
What kind of world is the world of girls, anyway?
"Instead, I don't have to do that with you, do I?"
"I wish you'd hold back a bit with me too."
"I'd rather bite my tongue off and die."
She said something chilling.
Seron had discovered the true taste of being a lone wolf.
It's a shame she needs to learn how to return to the pack.
As I clicked my tongue and looked up, my eyes met Isabel's at that very moment.
Unlike her harsh words earlier, Isabel responded with eyes full of determination, then turned her head away.
In the past, her eyes would have blazed, ready for a fight the moment our gazes met.
Her attitude towards me had changed a lot.
To the other kids, it would still look like we were arguing.
But what was contained within it was clearly not just anger.
Even I couldn't fully grasp all of her emotions.
But I knew what emotion I felt from Isabel.
'Rivalry.'
Isabel had decided to uphold Lucas's will and save everyone.
I had decided to save everyone to clear Jerion Academy's tarnished reputation, caused by Lucas's death.
Our reasons for moving forward were different.
But our objective was the same.
From that, a sense of rivalry had blossomed in Isabel.
'Not bad.'
My role was enough if I could ignite the flame within her heart.
Numerous individuals would be drawn to her brightness in the future.
Many of those who were originally by Lucas's side had gathered thanks to her brightness.
Isabel would surely be able to perform that role excellently this time as well.
'Isabel has found some peace.'
However, there was someone moving in a completely different direction from Isabel.
None other than Nikita Cynthia.
She was wriggling her small body, preparing to become the Dragon Maiden of Disaster.
*Creak-*
At that moment, the classroom door opened.
There stood Beganon, the 2nd-year Martial Arts professor, who had just left after finishing the morning class.
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention something."
Professor Beganon scratched his head as if annoyed, letting out a yawn.
"There's going to be a group battle exam soon."
Act 3, Scene 5.
The curtain rose on the group battle.
"This group battle exam is an observation exam, so high-ranking officials from the Empire will be attending."
Jerion Academy, with its intense training, was an academy established by the Empire.
Therefore, those who came to observe were all key officials of the Empire.
'Interactions with other academies begin from Act 4.'
All Jerion Academy students were, in essence, imperial citizens.
At the mention of observation, the students began to murmur.
It was a reaction to something that hadn't happened last year.
"In any case, make sure you don't cause any trouble. I'm not keen on the academy budget being cut again."
Is that something a professor should say?
But the brazen Beganon let out a wide yawn, turned around, and left.
'If it's a group battle, we need to form a team.'
This time, we can't team up with first-years like before.
It's a year-level exam, so only students from the same year can form a team.
The group battle requires five members.
Two vanguards, two rear-guards, and one healer.
My eyes met Seron's at that moment.
Seron held up three fingers.
"For vanguards, Sweet Potato, there's you and me. We just need to find three more."
"Where do we find four people?"
Of course, I wasn't looking at Seron.
Seron's forehead flushed red as she caught the meaning of my remark.
As I listened to her angry voice, I fell into thought.
It's good to achieve a high score in this group battle.
One of the individuals who will be observing.
There's someone I absolutely must get close to and secure sponsorship from.
To do that, I had to lead the group battle to victory.
'Even if I lead the vanguard anyway.'
For the rear-guard, we need someone with good firepower.
The problem is, there's no one among the rear-guards I have a significant connection with.
'There is one guy, but...'
He's a free spirit, so I don't know about him.
'There's also one girl, but...'
She's an even more free-spirited person, so I don't know about her.
'Besides, for healing, I probably can't use the Saintess opportunity this time.'
Last time, there was a great cause to persuade the Saintess.
The Saintess is like a hidden card.
A hidden card isn't something you can overuse.
Even if I tried to use him in the group battle.
Even if he participated, he would only fill a vacant spot.
For fair competition, he would likely exert power not much different from regular believers.
'Is there no way?'
In the end, I stood up for a sure victory.
"Where are you going?"
"Bread delivery."
"What bread?"
Seron looked at me as if dumbfounded.
For me, it was the best move.
***
*Nom nom-*
Before me, I saw someone diligently eating bread with a tiny mouth.
Hair like dark blue, shimmering as if holding starlight.
Earrings dangling from her ears and a star-shaped mole.
Sharin Sazaris.
She was the top student in magicology.
"*Nom nom*, so you want me to join your team for the group battle?"
Today, too, Sharin drew out her words with a languid expression.
She, who had sampled the bread before my proposal, licked her fingers with her tongue.
"Why meee?"
And Sharin tilted her head.
It was a pure question of why she should join my team.
"You should put down the bread you're eating before you speak."
"Hanon gave me this because he likes me, didn't he?"
What a delusion.
Even so, Sharin, who didn't let go of the bread in her mouth, wore a languid smile.
"Then tell me something encouraging that would make me want to join Hanon's team."
This was Sharin, the top student in 2nd-year magicology.
She must have already received numerous group battle proposals from many people.
She was capricious, sometimes joining any team if the mood struck her.
So everyone tried their luck, just once.
And Sharin asked them the same question.
What was the merit for her to join their team?
Their answers were set.
They would win first place in the group battle.
It was something anyone could say.
But I knew.
"You don't really have any interest in the group battle, do you?"
The group battle was included in the exam scores.
So students were desperate to get good grades in the group battle.
But what about Sharin?
Despite being the top student in 2nd-year magicology, she had no interest in grades whatsoever.
There was only one reason she was the top student.
It was because the 2nd-year magicology professor recognized her genius in magicology better than anyone else.
The 2nd-year magicology professor was a thorough meritocrat.
His grading method was solely based on how much magical aptitude one possessed.
Since Sharin possessed magical talent that might appear once in a thousand years.
He always gave Sharin the highest score, no matter what results she produced.
Though some rumors called it a biased judgment.
Anyone specializing in magicology realized upon seeing Sharin's talent.
That there was no score to give Sharin's talent other than being the top student.
So Sharin was the top student despite having no interest in grades.
As a result, those unfamiliar with Sharin and the structure of magicology thought Sharin was constantly striving to raise her grades.
"So, what merit would this group battle have for someone like you?"
As I hit on her blind spot, Sharin's eyes curved.
"Hanon knows too much about meee."
"So I'll propose something else."
Sharin's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Your father."
And Sharin's body stiffened instantly.
"I'll teach you a way to get one over on him."
The moment Sharin's eyes widened.
"Rin!"
The magicology classroom door, empty for lunchtime, opened and someone appeared.
A girl with honey-blonde hair that resembled the sun.
Isabel Luna.
Appearing suddenly, she saw me and Sharin and her eyes widened.
"Huh?"
A question of why the two of us were together.
Best friend and rival.
Seeing the two of us, Isabel froze.
'Oh no.'
I, who hadn't expected Isabel to appear at this timing, also paused in momentary confusion.
Silence descended between us.
Sharin stiffened at my remark.
Isabel froze at the sight of me and Sharin together.
I froze because Isabel appeared.
Suddenly, the situation became a complete mess.