.｡.:✧ Chapter 16 ✧:.｡.

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
“Huh? It just ended like that?”

As I began to explain what had happened in the Dean’s office, Tana looked at me with a somewhat perplexed expression, as if something didn’t quite add up.

Admittedly, I had been a bit vague in my explanation, but it’s not like I could reveal everything.

“Yeah, that’s how it ended.”

“Is that so?”

Eve, who had been listening nearby, seemed puzzled by my words and started to piece things together.

“So, you got called to the Dean’s office because of the fight yesterday, but he told you not to worry because he knew those guys were in the wrong, right?”

Listening to it this way, I realized I had omitted quite a bit, but did it really matter now? The outcome was the same anyway.

“Aren’t Fenil and the Laeros family involved? It doesn’t seem like they would back down so easily. Plus, there’s Daniel…”

He’s just a commoner.

Tana pursed her lips but I just smiled and nodded.

“The Dean is different from what you might expect. He really cares about the students. Thanks to him, I’ve been able to attend school safely.”

“The Dean is a good person? Ugh.”

From Tana, who had been bullied by May, it seemed that May and the Dean, who supported her, weren’t all that different in her eyes. They did look quite similar, to be honest.

“Anyway, the Dean said he would take care of it, so I just need to focus on this upcoming exam.”

I couldn’t even take the practical first-round exam because of the interference.

But this time, it seemed there was no interference when I defeated the Fenil family, or maybe because I had May under my control?

“But how does the practical exam work?”

“In the first round, it’s one-on-one combat, but I heard this time there’s also a team battle.”

“In truth, the first round is the main event, and the second round team battle is like a bonus stage for students with lower scores.”

Eve and Tana’s explanation made me shudder. Eve wasn’t very good at combat, and she didn’t particularly enjoy it either, judging by her personality, so the exam itself seemed painful for her.

But there was no other choice.

If you’re not good at something, you can’t just avoid the exam.

“Just like I thought you self-defense skills last time, maybe learn something from Daniel for the test.”

Tana lightly nudged my side, but I shook my head.

“That was a special situation. In a straightforward duel like this, unless the opponent seriously lets their guard down, it won’t have much effect.”

“Ugh.”

Seeing Eve make a pitiful sound, I suddenly became curious.

“But how did you do in the exams in your first and second years?”

“Thanks to meeting good teams in the team battles, I got good scores, and in the one-on-one duels, I was almost always last.”

“…”

“Since you’re raking in the scores on the written exams, you’ll be fine!”

Is it a strategy of giving up one thing to gain another?

“Later, when you have time, let’s do some exercise together. You should also work on your posture while reading books; otherwise, you’ll ruin your health for no reason.”

Reading books is great, but having poor posture while doing it isn’t good for your health. Besides, for basic physical fitness, it’s not just an option but a necessity for your well-being.

“Wow, you’re talking like you’re our babysitter.”

“My father used to talk like that.”

“…”

I ended up being treated like an uncle for no reason.

At 28, I wasn’t exactly old enough to be called an uncle, right? Of course, by 28, most people would already be married with children, but…

“Hah.”

Talking about marriage made me suddenly think of Eris.

I didn’t realize it back then, but ever since all this happened, I came to realize how much Eris must have liked me.

I felt both foolish for not realizing it and regretful for focusing solely on a Sherpa’s professional attitude as our guide through the forest.

When we arrived at the gym, we could see many students already warming up. They were preparing in their own ways, even though there was still 30 minutes before the exam.

“Wow, everyone’s working hard.”

Especially Ares and his school of fish in the pond were engaging in light sparring, continuously honing their skills.

“Hmm.”

I knew Ares had a natural talent for swordsmanship and martial arts, but even students like Arni Duratan, Elise, and Hayun were not lagging behind him.

“To be honest, they’re quite remarkable.”

To achieve this level of skill at their age, they needed not only talent but also dedication. I watched them with admiration while standing next to Sen, who had appeared out of nowhere.

“Aren’t you staring too intently?”

“Oh, it’s you!”

“You… You startled us.”

Tana and Eve were startled by Sen’s sudden appearance, and they exclaimed, drawing the attention of those nearby. However, I didn’t pay much attention to it and replied.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect them to be this good. They’re impressive.”

“I could do that well too!”

Sen said while pounding her chest, but I had a feeling that she wouldn’t stand much of a chance if she faced any of those students in a head-on battle.

“If it’s a sneak attack, then maybe you’d win.”
“But if it’s a sneak attack, it’s different.”

Given the nature of the Assassination Arts, there wouldn’t be many direct confrontations, so in truth, Sen seemed like she could genuinely win if she intended to take them down.

Of course, the real test would be to see it in action.

“By the way, did that thing you used work well?”

“Yeah, it worked perfectly.”

Thanks to the magic-infused paper that Sen had applied to May’s body, the situation had been handled smoothly. It seemed like life at the academy would be much more comfortable now.

“Haha, that’s a relief.”

Even though Sen knew that the item’s usage might not have been entirely ethical, she seemed happy just knowing that she had been of help. Whether it was a good deed or a bad one, that was another matter entirely.

After chatting with Sen about various things, I approached Tana and Eve, who were stretching. Eve had already become a corpse, looking like she just wanted to read her book, while Tana was diligently preparing.

“Honestly, one-on-one seems impossible, but team battles might be beneficial.”

“Hmm?”

Now that I thought about it, how exactly did team battles work? I was curious about the format of these matches and just then, the professors entered the gym.

The professors in charge of classes A to E.

“For the team battles, we, the professors, have formed the teams to ensure fairness. Please come forward to check your teammates.”

Mixing all the classes to form teams seemed, in a way, unfair. Even if the professors claimed they formed the teams fairly, achieving perfect balance was impossible.

However, they said it was all part of the exam.

Teams with drastically different power levels were not allowed, so the time given afterward would be used for students to build camaraderie, cooperate, and improve teamwork as part of the test.

The lists were spread out, and 16 teams of 12 members each were created. Some students cheered and hugged, while others grumbled, convinced that they had failed the exam.

“Looks like we have a decent team.”

Tana rubbed her cheek while giving a fist bump. However, Eve, who was next to her, remained as stiff as a statue.

[Team 1]
– Ares
– Hayun
– Emily
– Demalico
– Pouni [T/N: this name doesn’t translate to English since it’s a proper noun so fuck the author I’m just transliterating it.]
.
.
.
“Eve.”

“Wow, you’ve got a great team!”

Tana whistled enviously. Some students questioned the fairness of having both Ares and Hayun on the same team in Team 1, but the professors didn’t offer any specific response.

“But it’s actually kind of weird.”

Team A seemed oddly stacked.

Of course, team members like Pouni and Eve were not strong in combat, but Ares and Hayun could easily do the work of two students.

Well, for now…

That was one thing, but…

“Where am I?”

I searched the list of 16 teams, but my name was nowhere to be found. I started to feel confused when Professor Amanda, in charge of class E, called my name.

“Everyone, pay attention.”

Standing next to her, I wore a puzzled expression, but the students’ eyes were already focused on us.

“We formed the teams based on the first-round exam we conducted last week.”

Some understood the criteria used to form the teams. In that case, it wasn’t strange for Ares and Hayun to be on the same team.

“But some students didn’t take the exam.”

“…”

All eyes immediately turned towards me.

“Daniel McLean. He transferred directly into the third year as a commoner, so the professors don’t know his exact abilities.”

Professor Amanda spoke with a mischievous smile, as if finding this particularly amusing.

“Therefore, we considered placing Daniel randomly in one of the teams, but that would make one team have an extra member, which would result in a penalty.”

Silence filled the room.

Having an extra member might seem like an advantage, but if there was a penalty involved, the situation changed entirely.

Taking an inexperienced student like me could potentially bring penalties, and my presence might hinder my teammates more than help them.

Naturally, most students seemed unwilling to have me on their team.

“Is there an unconditional penalty for this?”

I thought she was being too harsh with me, but Amanda snorted in response.

“Then you should have taken the previous exam properly.”

“No…”

I tried to explain, but Amanda simply chuckled. I had heard that this exam was more like a bonus round, but this seemed like an extreme approach.

I needed to excel in this exam.

“Now, if any team wants to take Daniel McLean, raise your hand.”

Four hands went up.

Team 2’s Rin.

Team 5’s Sen.

Team 9’s Tana.
And then there was Team 16, with May.

“…You?”

I furrowed my brows and glared at May, but she also wore a displeased expression and refused to lower her hand.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇