### Chapter: 261
“Alright, everyone should find a partner. If you can’t pair up, we’ll just assign you at random, so keep that in mind.”
Kairan stepped back after making that announcement.
The candidates were now waiting for the pairing to begin.
They were going to team up with someone they’d never met before.
Moreover, they were competing with each other within their teams.
And so, the kids began their social game.
They had to decide who would maximize their points in this chaotic scenario.
“Bianca.”
At that moment, a woman approached Bianca and spoke up.
The daughter of the Junon family.
Dalia Junon.
She stood there with a smile on her face.
“Let’s team up.”
Bianca looked taken aback.
Given their previous encounter, she thought Dalia wouldn’t want to team up with her.
“I can see a little expression on your face now. I like you, Bianca.”
“Me?”
“I like pretty people.”
Dalia was all about looks.
That’s what Bianca concluded.
“Looks aren’t everything.”
“But pretty is definitely right! Isn’t your fiancé fond of you because you’re pretty?”
Hearing that, Bianca fell into contemplation.
But then, as she thought of Kraush, a smile crept onto her face.
It was the first time Dalia saw Bianca smile like that, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes, it’s not just that.”
Kraush likes her not just because she’s Bianca Hardenhartz.
Sure, her looks might play a part.
But she knew that Kraush valued the bond they had built over time.
That’s why she cherished Kraush the most.
Bianca would do anything for him.
Just as he likes her for being Bianca Hardenhartz, she loves him for being Kraush Balheim.
“…Looks like you’re really loved.”
Dalia chuckled softly.
“That’s right.”
Proudly, Bianca straightened her back, puffing out her chest.
The face of the white chick was brimming with pride.
“So, what about teaming up?”
Dalia returned to the point, still playing the cute card.
“Honestly, I don’t think the combination of you and me is a bad thing.”
Dalia was famous for her close combat power.
Bianca’s close combat skills, utilizing precise strikes, were impressive but didn’t quite match Dalia’s.
She had almost fallen victim to one of Dalia’s techniques in the past.
Her specialty was chaotic attacks like the breath of a Ice Dragon.
If Dalia took the frontline, Bianca could unleash her full potential.
“But there are individual scores.”
The concern was the personal scoring system.
“I’ve thought about that a bit.”
Dalia leaned in closer to Bianca, speaking softly so others wouldn’t hear.
Bianca listened closely.
“Before we talk about individual scores, the examiner didn’t really clarify how the scoring would be done.”
“True.”
“Yeah, the earlier statements were likely just to shake up the candidates. They mentioned possible low scores but didn’t specify how low.”
“So you think it’s all about contribution levels after all?”
“At least that’s my guess.”
They were just statements aimed at stirring things up.
The real situation might be far different, Dalia theorized.
“This is an exam. I can’t imagine the examiners would want to see us sabotaging each other to score.”
“That makes sense.”
Bianca agreed.
“And the real issue is something else.”
The earlier issues were just hypothetical concerns.
“How many candidates do you think can take down the assistant professor if two examinees team up?”
“That’s…”
Bianca glanced at Kairan.
Last year, Kraush had faced off against the Pirate Empress, Kairan, and supposedly defeated her.
But apart from that one continued victory, other professors had never lost to candidates during their bouts.
“Word has it that this examiner isn’t Kairan.”
One of the professors stood beside them, arms crossed.
With a smug smile, this character was slated to be the examiner for this test.
But both Bianca and Dalia felt something unsettling.
They sensed that this professor was no easy person either.
Hegun (虚劍)
Ritly
Anyone who fought with him claimed it felt like battling a phantasm.
When considering the professors in this unnamed academy, he was always mentioned as one of the strongest.
Could they really defeat him at candidate level?
“So, defeating the examiner means we qualify for first place, regardless of individual scores.”
Defeating the examiner would fulfill the conditions for taking the top spot.
“And the only team capable of taking him down is you and me, Bianca.”
Other students might shine, but these two were on a whole different level.
“What do you think? My proposal.”
Dalia grinned widely.
Confidence radiated in her eyes.
“Accepted.”
Bianca agreed to Dalia’s proposal.
She turned to glance at the audience where Kraush was seated.
Locking eyes with Kraush, who had been watching her, filled Bianca with determination.
The fourth exam, the battle against the assistant professor.
She vowed she would win to secure her place in the elite class.
＊ ＊ ＊
By the time all the candidates had paired up, Kairan confirmed the teams were set.
“Ritly, you’re up.”
With that, Ritly stepped forward and made his way into the arena.
“I’ll come back victorious.”
Despite his usual provocations and bad attitude, he turned serious when it came to battle.
Kairan had confidence in him, knowing Ritly’s skills were legitimate.
“Now, does any team want to fight first?”
At Kairan’s question, the candidates hesitated.
They wanted to gauge Ritly’s strength, which showed on their faces.
At that moment, two teams raised their hands.
Kairan’s gaze shifted to them.
One was Bianca and Dalia’s team.
The other was Darkan Bardon, the first son of Dino Bardon, the Sea King from the Ten Great Lords.
His teammate smacked his forehead.
“Darkan… Did you forget to be cautious? The last spot usually has the highest success rate.”
“First place is always important!”
Despite his companion’s reprimand, Darkan showed no sign of pulling back.
With a hearty laugh, he pointed at Dalia’s team.
“We’ll go first. You can take the next turn.”
“We aren’t passing that to you!”
Dalia shot back, unimpressed.
Kairan, surprised that two groups wanted to go first, couldn’t help but smile.
The new batch had some pretty interesting candidates.
“Alright, both teams, step forward, and one member from each team come to the front.”
With Kairan’s directive, the squabbling Dalia and Darkan moved forward.
Kairan covered her ears with her hands.
“Each of you should tell me one choice: rock, paper, or scissors.”
If high-perception players clashed, they’d end up wasting energy in rock-paper-scissors.
So, Kairan had purposely set it up this way for randomness.
“Dalia Junon, you’re up.”
She stepped forward at Kairan’s call, and after she whispered her choice, Darkan was also called to reveal his.
Nodding, Kairan addressed everyone waiting.
“Darkan Bardon and Eblens Olia, step into the arena.”
“Let’s go!”
Darkan raised his fists high in triumph.
In contrast, Eblens, his teammate, sighed deeply as he covered his face.
He thought it was all his fault.
Dalia returned to Bianca with no regrets.
Noticing Dalia’s reaction, Bianca slyly asked.
“What did you choose?”
Hearing Bianca’s question, Dalia stuck her tongue out playfully.
“I just told them I’ll forfeit the first match.”
After all that boasting, she declared her forfeit.
As Bianca raised her brows in disbelief, Dalia brushed her hair back.
“There’s no point in fighting first, right?”
If Dalia hadn’t stepped up, Eblens, Darkan’s friend, would have surely tried to stop him.
But once Dalia stepped in, it became a matter of pride for Darkan.
Knowing how stubborn Darkan was, Eblens recognized he wouldn’t be able to hold him back now.
Thus, Dalia had declared her forfeit.
“It’s a good idea to get a feel for how the other fights.”
People thought she was bold, yet she showed a cunning side.
Bianca thought Dalia was unpredictable.
“Good job.”
In fact, that was a smart move.
Maximizing win chances was the best strategy.
“Alright, examiner, let’s battle!”
Meanwhile, Darkan climbed into the arena alongside Eblens.
He swung his enormous hand axes with a fiery conviction.
Ritly, however, remained unfazed, checking his sword.
He then looked at the two who stood before him.
“The win condition is simple: admit defeat or become incapacitated.”
“Simple enough! Eblens, we’ll triumph.”
“Not as simple as it seems.”
Eblens spoke cautiously, building his momentum quietly.
Meanwhile, Kairan positioned herself between the two teams to referee.
“Ready.”
As she signaled to prepare, Darkan and Eblens assumed their stances at the same time.
Their specialty was all-out speed attacks.
Having trained together since childhood, they might even be the most advantageous in this competition.
“Start.”
With that command, Darkan and Eblens leaped simultaneously.
Darkan took the right while Eblens moved to the left, opting for a dual assault.
In front of them, Ritly calmly released a breath and stepped forward.
At that moment, the two candidates briefly believed Ritly’s blade had stretched out.
Clang!
Darkan’s axes and Eblens’s sword collided with Ritly’s blade, forcing them to stagger back.
Both Darkan and Eblens felt the intense jolt from their weapons.
In that brief moment, he had canceled out their simultaneous attacks effortlessly and with extraordinary force.
“That just now…”
Dalia, watching from afar, also wore a look of astonishment.
Ritly stood calm and unmoved, gazing at them with penetrating eyes.
Sweat beads gathered by the temples of Darkan and Eblens.
This exam certainly didn’t seem easy at all.
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