Chapter 66: Chapter 66 – Two Sides (4)
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"Waaah… waaah…"
"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
"Uh, how can men and women… the nobles have different standards in that kind of space…? I'm a little envious too... huuuh…."
After dropping Ellie off just in time for curfew, I headed straight to my appointment with Eugenia. I had started studying with Ellie, but that didn't mean I could break my promise to Eugenia.
While I was studying with Ellie at the same level, for Eugenia, it felt like I was teaching her, so there was something different about it. She learns so quickly that it's rewarding to teach her. I think I can understand a little bit how professors feel.
"Jealous? Of studying? You're the one who's been working harder at it."
That's… it's nothing. But last time, you said you weren't going to take this exam. Did you change your mind?"
"It's not that, the professor put my name on the promotion exam list himself. He said that it's not a student's duty to not take an exam. I guess he's right from his perspective…"
"…Then, we could really be in the same class…?" Eugenia asked cautiously; there seemed to be a hint of anticipation in the tone.
"That's true, but I'm satisfied with a Class-C. You don't want to fall behind him, do you? Then do your best. Sorry." In the middle of my sentence, I realized I had made a slip of the tongue and quickly cut myself off.
Eugenia shook her head slightly and gave a small, wry smile, "…It's okay. After all those things happened… it must be hard for you to have good feelings for him…"
When I think about Eugene, the raw expression inside always comes out in an unrefined way. It's definitely because we're entangled in a bad relationship, so even though I know it's my fault, I can't bring myself to feel good about him.
"....I'll try to be more self-controlled. Anyway, you don't want to fall too far behind your friend, right? So you should work hard with the determination to get to Class-B as well."
"…Yes, that's right. I have to work hard…"
Eugenia's expression as she answered was a bit subtle. Was it because she doesn't have the confidence to get to Class- B? But I know her talent, and now I have the tools to help her with it.
"Shall we start today then? I got a genealogy from a senior I know. With this, it will be easier to memorize…"
"…Studying as soon as we meet? We could talk about something else for a while before starting…"
As I pulled out the papers, Eugenia's expression seemed slightly disappointed.
"I want that too, but there's still so much to memorize. If we work hard, we'll get there soon. We can talk about other things after."
"Chi…Okay…"
Eugenia pouted her lips slightly, but then she gathered herself together and began to focus on her studies. And today, her concentration was better than usual, and she memorized everything I told her in less than two hours.
"This is the last one. This is an application problem, the recipe for a Selinger-style low-grade recovery potion. Do you know it?"
""Um… powdered snail snake scales, horn of a thorn rabbit, dried liver of a duck-billed platypus. Barum leaves, Needleflower roots."
"That's right. Now, if we substitute Sakaria for Barum leaves, what would happen?"
"Wait… Barum leaves are supposed to neutralize, but Sakaria separates components, right? Then… instead of healing, it would be… a potion to chase away drowsiness…?"
Eugenia said with a puzzled expression and without confidence, but she succeeded in answering all of today's questions.
"That's right. This was one of the questions that the commoner students had the most difficulty with on last year's promotion exam. They found it challenging to apply because they're not used to dealing with such materials regularly. If you can answer this kind of question, you'll easily get to Class-B."
"Hee… it must be because you taught me well… So, is studying over for today? Let's talk about something else now! Hmm, what happened during biology class earlier?"
Eugenia chuckled softly and quickly changed the subject, diving into her favorite topic of gossip.
Come to think of it, how does Eugenia wander outside the dorm? It's been quite a while past curfew. Suddenly, I was curious.
"But isn't the dorm under curfew now? How can you wander around like this?"
"…Aahhh."
Eugenia looked surprised at my question. Then, she turned away and muttered softly. I couldn't hear it clearly, so I asked her again.
"What?"
"I climbed over the window… If I attach a spirit to my body, I can avoid alarm magic… And my room is on the outermost wing of the dormitory building… I just have to climb over one fence…"
It was an unimaginable method. Perhaps embarrassed by what she said, Eugenia lowered her head and spoke in a small voice, "…You shouldn't tell anyone about this…? I'd be too embarrassed to go to the academy if you did… I'm only telling you because…"
* * * * *
"That's it! It's over! You've worked hard."
"Phew…phew…Thank you for your hard work…phew…"
The bell signaling the end of the test resonated throughout the training hall. As soon as the sound filled the air, I dropped my sword and collapsed to the floor, exhausted. Due to the intense movements, sweat poured down my body like rain, and my muscles screamed in agony.
In stark contrast to me, the young man in front of me didn't sweat a single drop and showed no signs of fatigue at all. Professor Cedric, the swordsmanship instructor for first-years, turned his head towards the panel of judges with a smirk.
"What do you think, professors? He seems to have quite a decent aptitude, doesn't he? Considering he was originally in CLass-B, his growth rate is quite remarkable. From what I saw, he's almost on par with the students in Class-A."
"…I agree. His movements are very concise and there's no unnecessary frills. He must have only learned the basics, but he handled the irregular movements quite well. The supply of mana from his hands to the sword is also stable."
As if to express their agreement with what he said, the other martial arts professors from different grades who were serving as judges nodded their heads. A professor who looked to be on the cusp of middle age turned his head to look at me and asked—
"Although there's not much, there's hardly any hesitation when swinging the sword. Usually, children of your age instinctively avoid the blade from facing their bodies. Hm, tell me! Have you ever participated in real combat?"
"Haaah...phew…real combat…you mean?"
I caught my breath and thought for a moment about an appropriate answer to the professor's question. I've experienced real combat twice. The first time was when I faced the monsters at my family's territory. The second time was the horrific experience of facing humans in Drakton.
There was no need to talk about Drakton. It might unnecessarily drag in Ellie as well.
"When I was suspended and went down to the family estate, I participated in the subjugation of a demonic beast within the territory…"
"Ah…ahem, right. Suspension…"
The middle-aged man rummaged through my academic records after hearing my answer. Then he awkwardly smiled and tried to brush off the topic. The young female professor sitting next to him glared at him and continued the questioning.
"So, have you ever personally cut down a monster? If so, may I ask how many you've hunted?"
"I remember catching twelve ratmen and five goblins."
"On your first subjugation? If that's true, it's quite a feat for a beginner."
After hearing what I said, the female professor pushed up her glasses with a look of surprise.
"Heh, I see. There was a reason why he hesitated so little. You've already had experience, so to some extent, such actions have become familiar to you. You experienced real combat a bit early, but you chose very appropriate opponents."
The middle-aged professor, now composed again, interjected smoothly. With an almost piercing gaze, he examined me before gesturing for me to come closer to him, "You, come over here for a moment."
As I followed his words and approached the panel of judges, the middle-aged professor rose from his seat and approached me from behind.
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He then placed his hand on my dual-sided armor and infused his mana very thinly. A sensation akin to an unpleasant needle piercing through my veins lasted for a few seconds before disappearing in an instant.
"Hmm, it's very well-developed. Your mana is flowing very smoothly. Your energy is also incredibly pure. What kind of mana training method do you use?"
"I am learning the family secret training method."
"It looks quite good. I can tell that you've been diligently training even in normal circumstances, so I don't need to ask."
The middle-aged professor, now seated again, smiled satisfactorily as he looked at me. Cedric scribbled something on the document with his pen and then addressed the professors sitting in their seats.
"Alright, let's wrap it up here. In my opinion, it would be appropriate to give him the rating of 'exceptional', but what do others think?"
"I have no objections."
"I don't have one either."
Cedric nodded his head and handed me the document with his signature.
"You've worked hard. You got a perfect score. You can move to the next exam location right away. You can take a break there. Is the next one Magical Studies? Since there could be misunderstandings about using potions depending on the ingredients, please refrain from taking recovery potions until after the magic test, even if it's difficult."
If you want to read the first 25 chapters for free and read up to the final chapter for a cheap price patreon.com/Makima02
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