—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After lunch, the Class A students returned to the classroom for their second Basic Dark Magic lesson.
“What? The results are already out?”
Chaos erupted as soon as they entered the classroom.
The test results for all of Class A were plastered on one of the walls.
“Wow! They came out fast!”
“Move!”
Stampede!
The students threw down their bags and rushed forward the moment they entered.
Not only their own grades, but everyone else’s were on display.
“Eeeeeeek! 85 points in Curseology!”
“Ugh, Hemomancy is dragging down my average.”
“Should I seriously consider changing my major?”
“See? Didn’t I tell you to put Martial Combat as your fifth choice?!”
“You’re so fake. You were crying about failing Curseology, and now you have 80 points? What the hell?”
The classroom was as noisy as a marketplace.
Simon didn’t want to see his own grades, but he wasn’t foolish enough to avoid reality.
He braced himself and checked his scores.
[Simon Polentia]
Curseology: 40
Jet Black Mechanics: 33
Summoning: 76
Necromancy: 25
Hemomancy: 20
Toxicology: 20
Martial Combat: 43
Divine Defense: 40
‘…As expected.’
He had prepared himself mentally, but the scores were still dismal.
The only consolation was his 76 in Summoning.
It seemed like his weekend studying had paid off.
“Simon! Simon! How did you do on the test?”
Rick rushed over and asked.
“76 in Summoning. The rest are a disaster.”
“Wow! 76?”
Rick patted Simon’s shoulder.
“Good job! Honestly, that’s better than I expected, considering you didn’t do any prep work. It’s much better to have one strong subject than a mediocre average!”
“How about you?”
“My highest is 74 in Jet Black Mechanics, and the rest are average, between 60 and 70. I think my average will be around 70.”
Simon blinked.
“You’re a good student, too.”
“I just studied enough to avoid getting cut, that’s all.”
Rick shrugged, but his expression hardened slightly.
“Anyway, this is an unexpected development. They revealed everyone’s grades in the first class.”
Rick’s plan was to quickly recruit capable group members while everyone was still in the dark about each other’s abilities.
But now that everyone’s grades were public, other students would choose their group members based on clear, visible criteria.
“E-Everyone!”
The students, overwhelmed by the grade reveal, were out of control.
The female teaching assistant pleaded,
“Please return to your seats! The professor will be here soon…!”
“Leave them be.”
Click.
Just then, the classroom door opened, and Jane entered.
The students’ chatter ceased abruptly at her appearance.
However, their eyes were still glued to the grade sheet.
“I’ll give you 30 minutes.”
Jane placed her bag on the podium.
“Check your grades and form groups of four. Unless there are special circumstances, these groups will remain the same for the entire semester.”
Everyone’s expression in Class A turned serious.
Starting right now?
“From now on, Basic Dark Magic will be conducted in groups, and you’ll be given assignments that require teamwork. Individual scores and group scores will be calculated separately. Of course, even if an individual excels, a lack of teamwork will result in a deduction.”
She adjusted her tie and smirked slightly.
“So, choose your group members wisely.”
Those words flipped a switch in everyone’s minds.
“30 minutes. Those who haven’t formed groups by then will be assigned to a separate group.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the students erupted in a flurry of voices.
“Jasmine! Who’s Jasmine?”
“That’s me.”
“You have a high score in Curseology! Want to join us? We have Jet Black and Necromancy!”
“Looking for three ‘Curse, Jet, Summon’ members! 60 points or higher!”
“Any groups looking for a top Necromancy student?”
The competition for group members was already fierce.
Simon and Rick nodded and split up.
‘Rick will go after Jamie, our first priority.’
Simon went to find Claudia, their second priority.
Unfortunately, she was already talking with two other students.
Judging by their excited expressions, she seemed to have already been recruited.
Rosenthal, their third priority and a Curseology student, was actively recruiting members as a group leader.
Catherine, their fourth priority and a Hemomancy student, was being persuaded by Rosenthal.
Groups were forming one after another in the blink of an eye.
‘This isn’t good.’
Rick, who had gone to find Jamie, was also struggling.
The students with good test scores now held a kind of power.
They wanted to form groups centered around themselves.
Since every group prioritized the ‘Curse, Jet, Summon’ trio, Curseology students were being snatched up quickly.
This was a crisis.
Not securing a Curseology student, with its high credit weighting, would leave a significant gap.
‘Stay calm.’
Simon suppressed his rising anxiety and calmly analyzed the situation.
‘It’s still early. No group has four members yet.’
‘It’s not a reconnaissance phase. Everyone’s in a hurry because of the time limit. They tend to join up with anyone who has similar grades or a different major.’
‘Groups are forming quickly among students with mid-range scores, and the top students are observing for now.’
‘Then, what I can do here is…’
Finally, Simon set his sights on a target and made his move.
He walked steadily through the throng of students chatting and negotiating.
Some students tried to talk to him, but Simon politely declined, saying he would talk to them later.
He had only one target in mind.
‘Found her.’
He finally spotted her.
Unlike the other students rushing around, she seemed to exist in a different world.
She sat calmly, arms crossed and legs elegantly intertwined, observing the situation.
The other students around her glanced at her cautiously but didn’t dare approach.
It was understandable.
Persuading her to join their group with mediocre scores in the 60-70 range was nearly impossible.
Simon boldly seized this moment of hesitation and approached her.
“Meilyn Villenne.”
The top student in Class A.
Ranked 1st in the entire school on the entrance exam.
And the only student with an average score in the 90s on this test.
“I’d like you to join our group.”
Simon had aimed for the top from the very beginning.
The students who had been watching from the sidelines started murmuring.
“Hey, hey, Simon!”
Rick, who had somehow pushed his way through the crowd, was gaping, mouthing the word “reckless.”
The reason Meilyn wasn’t their first recruitment target was because Rick had deemed it impossible to recruit her.
Simon subtly raised his hand as if to say, “Leave it to me.”
“…Ridiculous.”
Her icy gaze swept over Simon’s face.
“Do you think you’re special just because you’re a special admission student?”
Her voice was as cold as a winter wind.
“Special admission is just connections, isn’t it? I only believe in what I see, in concrete numbers.”
Her attitude was firm and defensive.
“And frankly, I don’t think someone with a 30-point average like you is up to par.”
Finally, the cold, hard truth.
But Simon endured it silently.
The negotiation for the top student had just begun.
First, he cast his bait.
“You’re a bit weak in Summoning. 85 points.”
Her eyebrow twitched.
Summoning was Meilyn’s only subject in the 80s, a sore spot.
But she didn’t flinch, countering his remark.
“Are you in any position to say that? Even so, my Summoning score is higher than yours.”
Of course, he knew that. Simon took a deep breath.
“I promise.”
“…?”
“One month. I’ll surpass you in Summoning within one month.”
The murmurs around them intensified, and her eyes widened.
“Are you crazy? Anyone can make empty boasts like…”
“If I don’t,”
Simon interrupted her.
“I’ll quit Kizen.”
The shocking declaration from the number one special admission student.
Gasps could be heard from all around.
Never in Kizen’s history had a number one special admission student voluntarily left the school.
Meilyn scoffed, but the corners of her lips twitched slightly.
“Are you really insane? Take it back before you embarrass yourself!”
“I’m just doing what I can.”
Simon spoke calmly.
“…….”
Meilyn bit her lip.
Simon had flipped the script, and the atmosphere shifted subtly.
‘Surpass me? How arrogant and presumptuous.’
Her gaze drifted towards Hector, who was watching from the crowd.
‘But…’
Despite her confrontation with Simon, she had her own calculations.
Meilyn had to maintain her position as the top student in Class A, no matter what.
Her biggest obstacle was Hector.
He had done well on this test, and he was the type to excel in practical applications rather than written exams.
Once the upcoming duel evaluations and practical assessments were factored into their grades, she might lose her top spot.
‘So I have to crush him in the group project.’
One concern was that Hector had scored 88 in Summoning on this test, demonstrating his strength in the subject.
It was the only subject where Meilyn was outscored in the written exam.
Therefore, she planned to recruit a Summoning ace to help her in the group project.
However, Hector had acted swiftly and secured Pierre Buckley, the only Summoning ace in Class A with a score in the 90s.
The other Summoning students were mediocre.
Their Summoning scores weren’t significantly different from hers.
Then…
‘…Simon Polentia.’
He hadn’t done any prior studying, but he had decisively defeated Hector in their first Summoning class.
Like many other Class A students, that image of Simon had left a strong impression on Meilyn.
Meilyn faced a dilemma.
Should she play it safe and recruit another Summoning student with a score in the 80s?
Or should she take a gamble on Simon, the wildcard who had once defeated Hector?
In that sense, Simon’s declaration to surpass her wasn’t a provocation or a bluff.
It was an appeal, addressing the very dilemma she was facing.
It was as if he could see right through her.
“…Sigh.”
Finally, after much deliberation…
Meilyn uncrossed her legs and stood up.
“Can you really keep that promise?”
Simon smiled and extended his hand.
“Absolutely.”
She reluctantly took his hand.
Meilyn, the coveted top student of Class A and the only one with scores in the 90s, had joined Simon’s group.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
