Chapter 35
Galimar's written exams were famous for their vicious difficulty.
First, the scope was ridiculously broad.
Starting from all kinds of ancient documents, to extreme magic formulas, circuit disassembly and reconstruction... in severe cases, even the latest papers from magic towers.
They crammed in a vast amount of information to the point where one might wonder if it was even allowed.
And that wasn't all.
The level of the questions also made one spontaneously curse.
It required high-dimensional thinking and creativity to the extent that most students found it impossible to fill even half of the answer sheet.
The professors' malice was contained in every line of ink.
Some students eventually couldn't endure and burst into tears during the exam.
It was truly hell.
If one achieved a decent score in such an exam... and even placed second, they deserved applause.
After all, they had risen to 2nd place, surpassing numerous students.
I was willing to congratulate them splendidly.
"Lady."
"......"
"Lady."
"......"
"Second place is also an excellent score."
"I told you not to do that. If you do it one more time, I'll really get angry......"
"Second place is also an excellent score."
"......"
If only the other party wasn't Emilia.
"...I told you not to tease me."
The villainess trembling with an expression full of anger.
Perhaps her reason had become blurry from the continued teabagging, even her refined manner of speech was crumbling.
Was she truly upset?
Even amidst this, she was still watching my reactions and couldn't raise her voice loudly, which was quite pitiful.
I smiled brightly at such a girl.
'This has its own charm for teasing.'
This is dopamine.
I had been restraining myself recently, but it was an irrepressible troublemaking instinct that inevitably popped out.
Should I say her characteristic reactions were delicious?
There was something I absolutely couldn't resist.
"I didn't know Lady would dislike it so much. I'm sorry."
"...It's fine. It's okay."
"I didn't know Lady would dislike it so much. I'm sorry."
"Just how long do you intend to keep this up?"
The girl asked while gritting her teeth tightly.
Honestly, wasn't this Emilia's fault?
Showing such delicious reactions was no different from tempting me to tease her first.
If it bothers you, you should have gotten first place.
A happy sense of fulfillment I hadn't felt in a long time.
I continued twerking towards the loser for a while with a childlike smile.
The world is still beautiful.
I can live a little longer.
"Do you find this fun...?"
"I'm enjoying it."
"......"
"I'm enjoying it."
"Alright, so please stop...!"
Emilia suppressed her anger while huffing.
As I was showing such a passionate dance.
The pink life form watching from the side peeked into my vision.
It was Regia.
"Um, umm."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then opened her mouth with an expression as if she had decided something.
Green eyes shaking finely.
"Um... L-Lady."
"What do you want?"
"Eek...!"
"Are even you, a mere commoner inferior student, trying to mock me now?"
"N-No! I just......"
Perhaps because of the prickly response.
The girl's shoulders shrank for a moment.
Though her voice was sobbing as if frightened, Regia still conveyed her intentions while stuttering.
"I, I just thought Lady was amazing......"
"...Pardon?"
"The w-written exam... It was too difficult for me, but to think you got s-second place."
What the girl was saying was pure praise.
"You're so, so amazing, I wanted to tell you how cool you are... I-I'm sorry if I overstepped!"
"......"
The villainess hesitated at the praise full of sincerity.
Emilia seemed to freeze for a moment, then soon twitched the corners of her mouth.
"Ahem."
Though she tried to fake a cough as if nonchalant, she couldn't hide her rising cheekbones.
The girl muttered subtly.
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes! I thought as expected of Lady Beniti...!"
"H-Hmm... I thought you were just a completely useless person, but you have quite good eyes?"
"I admire you!"
"Ahem!"
A smile that kept escaping.
The vicious atmosphere from just moments ago had disappeared somewhere, immediately softening.
Her expression of subtle pride was impressive.
'She's so easy.'
Was it because she was a child starved for others' affection?
She crumbled helplessly to praise attacks in particular.
Recognition received from someone she had been wary of. The satisfaction would inevitably be higher because of that.
At this rate, she was on track to be conquered by the protagonist soon.
'It would have been nice if it was like this in the original work.'
Such a situation couldn't occur in the original work.
Because of the trauma Emilia had, Regia always tended to avoid the villainess.
Even when they met, she would only be bullied each time.
'This is much nicer to see.'
As expected, I liked this kind of story.
Rather than bullying, being jealous, being sad, hating... I preferred seeing smiling faces like this.
A fond smile spread on my lips.
I opened my mouth behind the calmness.
"Lady Beniti."
"Why are you calling me again?"
"It seems your mood has improved."
"It's because of you."
"My~ I don't know what you're talking about."
"...You're annoying."
"Thank you."
"......"
The girl finally clenched her fist tightly.
It was a look as if seriously considering whether to hit this bastard once.
I hurriedly changed the subject.
"By the way... You all know this is just the beginning, right?"
I was talking about the midterm exam.
Of course, the written part was important too, but after all, the practical part accounted for the largest portion of the grades.
It meant the real test was just starting.
"Our group has gathered three top-tier students... The difficulty of the assigned test will probably be extreme."
"Wh-What should we do? Can we really do well on our own?"
"Hmph. That exam is nothing."
"It's not good to be too careless either, Lady."
This exam would be especially difficult.
As it was the stepping stone leading to the core episode, it was wise to approach it cautiously.
I encouraged my group members.
"Shall we do our best together?"
"The practical exam date has already approached tomorrow... Just don't hold me back."
"I-I'll try my best!"
"Huhu, I'll do my utmost as well."
Words conveyed in each of their languages.
We took our steps, each thinking about the exam that would come the next day.
***
That night.
Regia tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
"......"
Though it had been a busy day because of the written exam, strangely, sleepiness didn't seem to come.
Perhaps it was due to the tension dyeing her head white.
The girl quietly placed her hand on her chest.
Thump thump thump thump-!
Her heart was beating especially roughly.
Following her faint breath, her heavy chest repeated expanding and contracting.
Her long pink hair shone softly in the night's light.
The girl muttered.
"...Can I really do well?"
A question thrown at herself.
Her voice was tinged with thick distrust.
"Even if I can't help... I don't want to be a hindrance."
The powerful summon beast she controlled.
But there was a weakness that the summoning itself would fail if even a slight emotional disturbance occurred.
Like what happened during the previous class assignment test.
Regia was worried.
About causing trouble.
About not being able to repay the trust given to her.
The girl bit her lip tightly.
'Young Master Snakers.'
The only person who called her a friend.
He had readily extended his hand for this exam too, proposing to form a group together.
Her heavy heart stirred complexly.
"...Why is someone as useless as me?"
She had certainly been exposed during the last exam.
An amateur who couldn't properly summon her beast. She had been caught showing such an unsightly appearance.
Yet the boy trusted her again this time.
-That's because... I believe in you, Miss Regia.
When asked why he chose her as a group member, the Young Master answered like that.
Without a trace of hesitation.
"I don't understand."
It didn't make sense.
Why do you?
So readily believe in me, whom even I can't believe in?
That excessive kindness was burdensome in a way.
"Still... I don't want to disappoint him."
A self-mutter quietly uttered.
She tried hard to close her eyelids.
The girl simply tried to fall asleep like that, unaware of the terrible things that would befall her tomorrow.
It was a night where profound darkness settled.
***
And so the next day.
The long-awaited practical exam day had come.
We were listening to explanations in the designated area from early morning to take the exam.
It was a transfer area prepared with teleportation patterns.
"The exam will proceed as previously notified."
Snake, Pilot, Vain One.
In front of the three people stood a woman with purple hair exuding decadence.
It was Selena, who was in charge of supervising this midterm exam.
The woman stared at us with indifferent eyes.
Fatigue was evident in her red pupils.
Selena, who had been standing like that for a moment, took a swig from the liquor bottle she was holding, then continued her explanation.
She was indeed a terrible drunkard.
"The exam content is monster subjugation."
In front of you is a magic circle.
This is a magic circle combining space, illusion, and dimension formulas, which will transport you to a specific location the moment you step on it.
Monsters suitable for each group's level are prepared at that location.
The exam ends when you cleanly subjugate the given area.
"You can rest assured about safety."
Safety personnel are standing by in the surroundings.
In situations where serious injury is feared, we will immediately terminate the exam and return.
Additionally.
We won't tell you what kind of terrain is waiting.
It will be selected from among numerous terrains such as ruins, forests, seas, caves... so please adapt quickly and break through.
This concludes the explanation of the exam.
"Any questions from students?"
Selena threw out a light question.
As it was content we had been sufficiently aware of from before, we quietly shook our heads.
Then the woman opened a booklet in her hand.
"Then we'll start right away."
A voice announcing the start.
Thud-.
I calmly took a step.
A faintly glowing magic circle was laid at my feet.
Amidst the intensely surging flow of mana, I spoke to the girls standing beside me.
With a meaningful smile.
"Miss Regia. Lady Beniti."
"Y-Yes?"
"Why are you calling?"
"There's one thing I'd like to tell you."
It was a bit of old-fashioned concern.
Hoping they wouldn't be too surprised by what was about to unfold.
"Whatever you see, please don't be too surprised."
An out-of-the-blue advice thrown.
The two looked at me with puzzled faces, but I didn't mind and took the last step.
We were standing in the center of the magic circle.
Then.
Rumble-!
The mana that had filled the surroundings began to surge.
As the stored magic was reproduced, blue flashes fluttered around. It was a brilliantly sparkling scene.
Just as the three people's bodies were about to flicker like that.
Crack-!
An alien noise brushed by.
The noise that had flashed like sparks flying crackled a few more times, then grew uncontrollably.
The color of the magic circle, which was originally blue, turned bright red.
"...?!"
"...!!"
Crackle-!!
Dark red fragments swept in all directions.
The remnants of violently rampaging mana, like a storm, disturbed the surrounding air.
We were standing at the center of it.
"The magic circle...?!"
"W-Wait, what is this...!"
"Kyaa! Y-Young Master...!"
"Huhu."
Selena, Emilia, Regia.
While everyone was shocked, I was smiling leisurely.
Is it starting?
"Shall we go?"
Tak-!
With those last words behind, our vision went dark.
We flew off to an unknown place like that.
To a place where a terrible monster was waiting.