บท 42: Chapter 42: Midterm Exam (1)
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On the day of the exam.
"…So."
A bewildered Iliya alternately looked at me and Yuria.
"I have a lot of questions I want to ask."
"Ask me later."
"…"
Her eyes narrowed but she remained silent nonetheless.
Well, it wasn't hard to understand what she was feeling. In fact, many things contributed to her feeling this way…
I mean… Just yesterday, everything was normal and now I was wearing a mask, covering my identity.
Not to mention that I brought along a companion, who didn't even utter a single word and merely communicated through floating text. She had also been forbidden from approaching three steps of said companion.
And worst of all…
"You're into that?"
"No."
"…"
"Really, no…!"
Iliya was staring at the leash in my hand with a judging gaze.
I totally understood the reason behind the slight disdain in her eyes, considering that the leash was attached to Yuria's neck.
"…There's a reason for this."
"Please, do tell. What kind of reason would there be to warrant a leash on a grown woman and dragging her around with it? I'm really curious."
"…"
No, there really was a reason for this.
In the first place, I didn't suggest any of this.
[That, I, I was the one who suggested that we go around like this…]
As Yuria replied with her floating text, Iliya's look of bewilderment became even more pronounced.
However, there was no other way around it.
'If I don't do this, her mental degradation will get worse…'
Although I successfully managed to calm her down after she had gone berserk due to the devil fragment's influence. Afterward, she developed an irrational fear of being separated from me.
She even went as far as to recommend putting her on a leash so that, 'We'll be together wherever I go.'
"…"
Uh. I was scared too.
I could feel my dignity as a human being getting stripped away with every passing second.
But looking at the awakening conditions of the Grey Devil inside Eleanor, it was evident that it was closely related to the vessel's mental state.
And right now, Yuria's mental state was on the very brink of its limits. If she was triggered even in the slightest, the devil fragment would manifest itself right then and there.
With the existence of the Fatal Charm skill, it was unlikely that I would be harmed in any way, but considering the White Devil's power, just one manifestation could have a fatal impact on Chapter 2 as a whole.
And if the main quest in Chapter 2 failed, it was game over for us. It was a literal death sentence.
"…"
This meant that I had to follow through with this, whether I liked it or not.
'…At least until I meet the Saintess.'
The symptoms should ease a bit if I contacted the Saintess, who was currently in the examination venue.
Given Yuria and Lucia's relationship, it could only lead to a positive outcome.
Curing the Curse of Severance within 5 days was just the beginning.
"…Why did you even ask for this?"
While I was in my thoughts, Iliya asked Yuria such a question.
Well, I had prepared an excuse for situations like this.
Simply omit the how of the Curse of Severance and briefly explain its effects. Basically, if someone got within three steps, they would die.
The leash was precisely tailored to signify that distance. Saying that it was used to manage the effects of the curse was enough.
[…That.]
Yuria, who had been fiddling with the leash for a while now, wrote out with a flushed face.
[I feel relaxed this way, so we agreed to go around like this.]
"…"
[Yes, being like this makes me feel much more at ease and secure…]
I immediately broke out in a cold sweat when I saw Iliya's angry expression.
'Why would you say it like that…!?'
"…She doesn't mean it like that, uh, can you explain in another way?"
"…"
Iliya kept her mouth shut as she looked at me and Yuria.
For me, it was a terrifyingly long silence.
"Wouldn't Lady Tristan throw a fit if she saw this?"
"…I don't think so."
There was a good chance she was waiting at the Sanctuary, the final point of the exam, due to my request.
At least until this event was over, it was highly unlikely she would be seeing this.
"…Really?"
Saying so, Iliya crossed her arms and began to ponder something deeply, still looking at us.
"…She won't see it."
Then she seemingly contemplated further.
As she pondered, she kept showing odd signs. Her legs fidgeting or her face turning red.
She also mumbled strange things to herself. Like, 'No matter what, that's...' or 'Still, I need to do something to get... Interested to me...'
"…Are you busy?"
"Just give me a moment, like 5 minutes. I need to think about something."
"…"
Okay.
Then I should use the next 5 minutes to take care of some things.
< Gift-Related Character Alert >
♥ Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan
[ Love Level 1 ] >>> [ Love Level 2 ]
[ Rewards Available! ]
▼ Yuria Greyhounder
[ Interest Level 1 ] >>> [ Interest Level 4 ]
[ Rewards Available! ]
I tapped the window to claim rewards.
Received Gift Reward From Eleanor
[ Attribute: Shifting Wind has been acquired. ]
[ Mastery Info ]
Attribute: Shifting Wind
Grade: Basic
Current Proficiency: 0%
Description: Shift back some of the damage received if the opponent's attack is blocked at the right timing.
[ !Attention! ]
[ Confirmed the possession of Attribute: Breathing Technique - Duckweed and Attribute: Shifting Wind. ]
[ Confirmed Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship proficiency to be at least General. ]
[ Raise Attribute: Breathing Technique - Duckweed and Attribute: Shifting Wind proficiency to General, to assimilate into Attribute: Arcane Gale. ]
[ ↓↓↓ ]
[ Arcane Gale ]
Grade: Basic
[ Unpossessed Attribute ]
Description: Return a significant portion of the damage received if the opponent's attack is deflected at the right timing.
'…This is.'
My mouth started watering.
There was a reason why veteran players tried to get the Tristan Style Swordsmanship.
It was because of hidden gems like these.
If I timely block the opponent's attack, the damage would be reduced to 0 and part of the attack would then be returned to the opponent. It was not bad at all.
If I paired it with the skill I received from Yuria, Swordsman's Focus, it would be much easier to time the parry.
And the other one…
Received Gift Reward From Yuria
[ Acquired 1x Skill Copy Ticket. ]
'…This.'
It was the same reward from when Eleanor's favorability soared in a short period of time.
'I should keep this for now.'
As it was back then, this would be much more valuable to put aside for now than to use it right away.
'…I don't want to use it like before.'
I picked up a skill when Eleanor manifested the Grey Devil, but I didn't want to do the same with the White Devil.
'It's just, um…'
It would be annoying if it manifested itself.
There was a reason why it was called the Devil of Obsession.
"…Alright, it's decided."
While lost in my thoughts, Iliya seemed to have finally organized her ideas and approached me, tapping her cheeks.
And then...
"Yap."
She grabbed my hand with both of hers.
"…This is my limit. I can compromise this much. We'll continue like this until the end of the exam."
"…"
She continued holding my hand as she uttered those words.
Her face and ears were already dyed in a deep shade of red.
"…Teach, please say something."
No.
What was I even supposed to say?
"…Why are you looking at me like that, don't tell me you also want me to wear a leash?!"
I couldn't even respond back.
'Who do you think I am…?'
"…Do as you please."
I couldn't be bothered to answer, so I left her alone and took out a map instead.
'The goal is…'
First, get to the sanctuary. There was a high chance that the Saintess was there. Once we brought Yuria inside, it would most likely trigger an essential event.
And the second thing.
"…"
I smirked at the status window.
The newly acquired attributes and the other abilities that I could obtain by nurturing them were looking quite shiny.
'It'll be a feast.'
Of course, developing them required time and diligence.
However, just like how I used Yuria as a sparring partner in the past to rapidly raise my proficiency, there were several ways to shortcut that process
And, one of the representative ones was this midterm period.
"…"
Considering the current situation, there would undoubtedly be an opportunity to make use of it.
Getting first place was one thing.
A veteran player wouldn't miss such a hot event.
"Ah, by the way, you should prepare yourself."
I said to Iliya.
"Yes? Prepare for what?"
'What you may ask? Well...'
"Prepare for slaughter."
"…"
***
If one asked Talion what kind of person Dowd Campbell was, his answer would always be a scary person.
At least after a few interactions with him, there was no better assessment than that.
With his combat prowess that easily defeated the Hero candidate and his meticulous planning, it was hard to believe that he was just a fellow freshman.
However, it seemed that not everyone shared the same sentiment.
While the scary person factor might stay true, it fell short of fully describing the extent of his character.
"Ah, Dowd Campbell? That dangerous human scum? They said to never get involved with him."
"…"
Talion stopped tinkering with his spear and looked at his friend.
"…What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"No, it's true. Everyone else probably thinks the same way."
Another male student continued, scratching his head.
"Aren't both the Student Council President and the Hero candidate close to that guy?"
"…Are they not?"
"But there's absolutely no reason for those two to be on good terms with him, right?"
"…"
This was a point Talion agreed with.
On the surface, those two shouldn't have crossed paths with him. Never.
However, anyone who had seen even a glimpse of his true abilities wouldn't find it strange.
Unlike Talion, who had witnessed his power firsthand, the information that regular students could access was tightly controlled. So it was understandable why they felt that way.
'…The academy seems to be blocking it.'
That was the impression he had.
Otherwise, there was no way someone as capable as him would be falsely accused like this.
As he mulled over those thoughts, the other person continued speaking.
"There's rumors going around that he's grabbed ahold of their weakness."
"…Weakness?"
"That's right. It just doesn't make sense that he can drag around the Hero candidate and Lady Tristan. And, like, the guy doesn't have many friends, yet he's always busy running around somewhere. He often meets people like the Deans or the Headmistress. Looking at it, isn't that suspicious?"
The male student fired shots one after the other.
Talion could only respond with a wry smile.
"…Are those two really the kind of people who would be easily caught by someone just because of a weakness? Isn't that a bit of a stretch?"
"That's why he's dangerous. I don't know how, but if it's not something like that, then it doesn't make sense!"
As Talion sighed and wiped his forehead, the male student continued his rant.
"And, above all, there's Professor Griever Lanfeld. They say the Professor said something rude to him during class, and then the Professor suddenly disappeared. Even if you ask the Theology students, no one knows what happened to him."
Talion's hand came to a stop.
Because this was a real possibility.
Thinking about Marquis Riverback's example, that person was more ruthless towards his enemies than one would expect. The odds of him crushing someone directly were quite high.
"There's probably a reason for it."
Well, still…
He wouldn't do something like that for no reason.
"Why are you taking his side? Aren't you risking yourself with that? Everyone's determined to win."
"…Win?"
"You know the rules for this midterm exam, right?"
Of course, Talion was well aware of it.
The highest score would go to those who reached the Sanctuary in the center of the Great Plains first within two days.
There would be various beasts and monsters along the way to the Sanctuary, so one must cleverly navigate through them to reach the place.
The problem was...
"…Are you saying that there will be a raid there?"
During which, if one engaged in combat with another student and snatched their necklace, which was given to everyone, one would gain additional points.
It might seem wicked, but this style had never changed since its establishment, following the principle of survival of the fittest on the battlefield.
In some cases, this kind of exam led to concentrated attacks on certain individuals.
"Well, most of them seem to be fans of the Student Council President or the Hero candidate. There were quite a few of those gossiping about why that person is so close to them."
"…"
He was one of them.
Talion picked up his spear with a wry smile.
"…Then, do you happen to know when and where they planned the raid?"
"Huh? Why? Are you going to join?"
As someone who had firsthand experience of that person's power, he could say with certainty…
"No. I will definitely avoid it."
Talion replied with a smirk.
'I wish you poor souls good luck!'
He couldn't even begin to imagine how badly they would end up, as he quietly prayed for the raid group.
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