EP.54
An anomaly had occurred.
No, it might not simply be described as an “anomaly.” To many people, this was not just an anomaly but rather something akin to a geological disaster of tectonic shift levels.
Erekaya, who had consistently achieved top grades since enrolling in Nineveh, had now been relegated to second place.
And the person who had reclaimed the throne from Erekaya was none other than Jin, a man they usually regarded as an uncouth commoner devoid of decorum and common sense.
“…..”
“…..”
“…..”
No one had anticipated this outcome, leaving the students of Class A gaping like fish out of water.
Erekaya lost her first place? The very same Erekaya del Pendragon?
It’s worth noting that most of the students in Class A had been attending Nineveh since their elementary years.
For this reason, everyone was well aware, without needing to speak it out loud, of just how monstrous Erekaya del Pendragon’s talents were.
Nineveh was a hub for individuals who would one day lead the Empire, and among them, Class A of the High Department gathered the most outstanding students together.
Even those hailed as geniuses in society or regarded as talents emerging only once every decade would be nothing more than ordinary individuals within Nineveh.
Why, you ask? Because Nineveh was precisely the place that gathered all such talents.
In this place, so-called geniuses rolled about like pebbles on the street, so there was no reason to make a fuss.
There was no need to even mention Altina von Rudel Seryas, who had reached the level of a master at the age of her teenage years, or Claire Delphin Mascarena, who was born with the greatest magical talent of her time.
Even Hugo Bright, who had once been thrashed by Jin, was viewed as comparable to an ordinary knight in close combat, with predictions that he might reach the master level within 30 years.
And for the last 10 years, throughout her time in the Elementary and High Departments, Erekaya had never once slipped from the top spot in Class A.
What this means is that Erekaya del Pendragon was a woman born with unmatched talents, both in the arts and in martial prowess, at least within the Empire.
It had been a full decade since Erekaya ascended to the throne of first place. During that time, she had faced countless challengers seeking to reclaim the position she held and had never once failed to defend her title.
Only then could people realize the truth.
Erekaya del Pendragon was, after all, someone who lived in a world distinct from their own.
Yet today, the undefeated legend she had built over the years had come crashing down.
The position she had held for ten years—never once taken away from her—had now been snatched by a commoner with no background whatsoever.
As everyone stared in astonishment, alternating their glances between Jin and Erekaya, Jin himself, looking at the report card, had no particular thoughts on the matter.
‘Well, it’s a natural outcome.’
The grades displayed on the board were not merely the scores from the midterms. They were a comprehensive ranking that included scores from practical subjects such as Magical Beast Handling and Duel Evaluation.
First, the Magical Beast Handling. Jin, although unofficially, had hunted not just orcs like everyone else but rather a higher-grade magical beast, an ogre.
And he had done so overwhelmingly, turning the ogre to dust, quite literally.
Due to the various complications involved, the fact that Jin had hunted an ogre was quietly acknowledged by the teachers, yet it was an undeniable fact. Thus, he earned an A+ in Magical Beast Handling.
Next was the Duel Evaluation. The scoring mechanism for this subject was quite unique, as it generally rewarded weaker students who managed to defeat stronger opponents with higher scores than usual.
Publicly, Hugo Bright was recognized as one of the strongest in his grade, while Jin was merely seen as a luck-driven braggart who had stumbled his way into Nineveh.
Ultimately, the weaker had defeated the stronger with an overwhelming difference in skill that no one could have imagined, allowing Jin to receive an A+ in the Duel Evaluation as well.
In fact, this aspect was somewhat perplexing. After all, while the other students may have been in the dark, the students of Nineveh were aware that Jin was a descendant of the Seven Heroes and recognized that his strength surpassed even Hugo’s. So why had he been awarded such a high score?
Nevertheless, Jin had no desire to question or protest against the teachers regarding why he received such a high score.
In addition, in various common subjects, such as Imperial Etiquette, the Way of Tea, or even horseback riding, Jin also managed to achieve an A+.
To be honest, excelling in these subjects felt even easier and more straightforward.
This was because, while Jin himself was a person far removed from the concept of sophistication, there was a woman in his mind who could be described as an embodiment of etiquette and refinement.
However, considering all that, it would have meant little if he hadn’t performed well on the midterm exam—
Jin achieved nearly a perfect score on the written portion of the midterms, even earning significantly higher marks than Erekaya!
This unexpected result left not only the other students in disbelief but also Altina and Claire, who had studied with him, looking at him in astonishment.
Of course, Altina and Claire were well aware from the past week of studying together that he was smarter and had a better aptitude for studying than most noble students.
However, being somewhat clever was entirely different from attaining first place in the midterms!
Moreover, Jin had only been at Nineveh for just over two months.
How, then, had he managed to surpass not only the other students who had diligently studied here for over ten years but also Erekaya herself?
Curiously enough, the answer to this question was quite simple.
— Tsk, it truly feels like I’ve committed a crime. Traditionally, one is supposed to take an exam solely relying on one’s own abilities, yet here I am inadvertently contributing to someone else’s misconduct.
‘Well, the being in my head is still a part of my abilities, isn’t it? In that sense, I’d say I’ve used all my skills to take the exam.’
— Really, what a brazen man. If one has committed a wrongdoing, at the very least, one ought to feel some shame. Yet here you are, boldly speaking to me like this.
Erekaya looked at Jin, who spoke without a hint of change in his expression, and couldn’t help but smirk bitterly.
Yes. The reason Jin was able to achieve first place in the midterms was quite straightforward.
It was because the very person who had not once slipped from first place in her ten years at Nineveh was residing within his mind!
— Hah… What a fool you are… That computation for the problem should not have been applied like that. Isn’t it obvious that it was a trap? It must have been designed to snag idiots like you, and the teacher would feel quite proud upon seeing you right now.
— Have you actually read your history textbook properly? The place where the battle occurred between the Empire and the Principality 240 years ago was not Lichtel but Keshthal. How could you possibly confuse two words that have not even the slightest resemblance?
— To be confident enough to just guess ‘C’ here… I have no idea what you’ve been studying for the past two weeks. Unless you have vision problems, anyone would think the answer is ‘A’.
‘…If you’re going to keep giving me advice like that, why don’t you just take the exam for me?’
For the past two weeks, while Jin had been buried in his textbooks studying for the exam, she had simply mocked him without saying a word, yet as soon as the exam started and he began to write down incorrect answers, she started chattering away in his mind with unsolicited advice.
Though it was annoying to have such distractions buzzing like mosquitoes when he was trying to focus, the situation changed significantly if the one offering the advice was a genius who had never once slipped from first place during her ten years at Nineveh.
There was absolutely no reason for Jin to stop her from telling him the answers since she was going to spoon-feed him the correct information without him having to squeeze his brain for it.
Not only did he surprisingly score well in the Magical Beast Practical and Duel Evaluation, but with Erekaya’s indirect assistance, Jin also achieved a near-perfect score on the midterms.
At this point, isn’t it even more strange that he didn’t rank first in all of Nineveh?
“…”
And whether the result truly astonished her, Erekaya was just staring blankly at the report card that indicated she was in second place.
“Oh dear. She must be really shocked.”
“It’s no wonder. If you were always first and suddenly fell to second place one day, wouldn’t you be upset?”
The other students in Class A whispered amongst themselves, glancing at Erekaya, who wore a dazed expression.
Well, it was understandable that they couldn’t fathom how Erekaya felt.
For ten years, she had maintained straight A’s until she fell to second place because of an utterly unexpected factor. It was no wonder she looked that way.
However, Erekaya, who had relinquished her first place to Jin, was not shocked as they had anticipated.
In fact, she was feeling the exact opposite of shock.
Erekaya felt nothing but pride in the fact that Jin had surpassed her to take first place in the midterms, and there was even a hint of satisfaction swelling within her.
Look at that; Jin was not a student to be overlooked.
You all mocked him for being a mere commoner, an unrefined peasant who didn’t understand etiquette or sophistication, but that was far from the truth.
He was far more capable than mere lineage would suggest, and in fact, he possessed a nobility of blood that transcended what you blindly worshiped.
You might have lost your position as first place to him? That was nothing significant.
After all, Erekaya didn’t place much importance on a midterm anyway.
She had merely maintained her rank out of the thought that it was rather amusing not to put forth her abilities when she was more than capable of achieving first place.
Of course, if she had lost her spot to someone like Altina von Rudel Seryas, it might have stung her pride a bit—
But with Jin being the one, she thought it wasn’t such a bad thing to have lost that position after all.
— This is where it all truly begins.
Meanwhile, reflecting on her past self, Erekaya muttered to herself.
It had truly been a long road. It took two months of chance encounters and building connections with the current Jin to stand on equal footing with him.
Until now, Jin and Erekaya had never been equal. Beyond social status, Jin was just an ordinary person, while Erekaya was an extraordinarily noble woman who controlled everything in the world.
However, at this very moment, as Jin surpassed Erekaya in the realm of academics, the current Erekaya could not deny that.
Even if Jin, as a man, fell short of Erekaya Del Pendragon in every aspect, he was indeed superior to her in this one particular area of study.
It is generally established that romance can only flourish when both parties are standing on equal ground.
Should Erekaya realize that Jin was not merely someone looking up to her from below, but rather an equal who could stand beside her, she would inevitably harbor feelings for him.
Whether Erekaya’s current emotions towards Jin were affection or animosity was anyone’s guess.
One thing was certain, though: Erekaya would do her utmost so that she might one day fall in love with Jin.
So, from now on, the real beginning starts.
The story that could be called ‘romance’ between Jin and Erekaya will unfold.
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