The practical exam is so boring.
The written exam was the same, but the practical exam was even worse.
But isn’t moving your body fine? That’s something you only say if you don’t know Iria’s situation.
Before her turn came, she had to wait in the waiting room or the spectator seats.
Just sitting and watching time go by was torture, and even when the duel started, there was nothing to do.
Most students facing Iria had already forfeited.
Why bother wasting mana on an opponent you can’t possibly defeat? Many chose to skip one duel and prepare for the next instead.
It’s a rational decision. Among those who forfeited was Lucia.
“…You know that bunch of monsters we faced last practicum? You took them all down, right?”
“…”
“Then I guess I’ll have to wait for next time. I hate to admit it, but I don’t think I can win against you right now.”
Prideful Lucia ended up acknowledging Iria after that day.
Iria had taken down multiple monsters on her own and returned unscathed.
Lucia knew she was hiding incredible skills behind her appearance, but she never guessed it would be to that extent.
“I’m not saying I’m giving up being the top student. It’s just not going to be this year.”
That’s why Lucia also gave up on the duel. With nothing happening, she racked up six more victories without lifting a finger.
Sitting still during the practical exam was painfully dull.
Iria was sitting in the waiting room, holding a pile of mana potions. They said it was impossible to share with others. She was pondering what to do with them.
First, she popped one open and tried it.
Chew, chew.
“Ptooey!”
It tasted like garbage, and she spat it out immediately. She couldn’t understand why anyone would drink this stuff.
So, she threw it away. She opened the cap and poured it on the ground. Holding seven of them was just too cumbersome.
And that scene was incredibly annoying for the other students watching.
“What’s with her throwing away those precious potions?”
“Does she think being the top student makes her better than everyone else?”
For the other students taking the practical exam, potions were like lifelines.
Every single potion Iria threw away was a precious opportunity tied to their grades.
Of course, Iria didn’t need the potions since she won without dueling.
She knew that in her head. She understood why she was acting that way. But seeing the potions thrown away in front of her made her blood boil.
Inferiority complex works like that. Once you’ve got a grudge, everything the other person does looks annoying.
In an academy where only the top student enjoys most privileges, Iria was an easy target.
Unlike Lucia, Iria had no powerful backing or family ties. Just being a commoner as the top student drew unwanted attention.
“Hey, lower your voice. She’s passing by.”
But of course, no one was foolish enough to say that directly in front of Iria.
Not long ago, the scariest first-year student was Lucia Astaire, but now, the scariest was Iria.
Since they couldn’t win based on skills, they focused on backbiting.
And just then.
“Is it fun to just tear others down from behind?”
A woman happened to pass by. Her golden hair fluttered.
Great, here comes an annoying person. She must be the one always sticking around the top student, Iria.
Among the group that belittled Iria, there was a leader. Coincidentally, the two women’s eyes met—
they were familiar faces.
“Not your business, right? Rena.”
“…Wendy.”
The green-haired woman with a sharp expression was named Wendy.
Like Rena, she was also seen as an elite from the Combat Magic Department, ranked 4th in the year.
Once upon a time, they were tied on the same level, competing against each other. Before entering the academy, they came from the same school.
Rena focused on fire magic while Wendy specialized in ice magic, both vying for superiority.
They had both passed the entrance exam together.
“After all, you’re just another loser.”
Wendy had gotten one step ahead in the entrance exam, though.
Wendy glared sharply, speaking. She didn’t like Iria, but she disliked Rena almost equally.
Their rivalry from the past was an old tale, as Wendy had grown while Rena stagnated in the same spot.
Born with talent to rise higher yet only reaching such a level was pathetic.
Now it was embarrassing to even think they were once equal.
“Do you think you can even understand my feelings?”
“Do you know how desperately I’ve worked to climb up while you stayed still?”
“To rise, I’d stop at nothing and would even resort to underhanded tactics to win duels.”
But you can’t surpass the limits set by natural talent from birth.
It’s just unfair. Some struggle tooth and nail only to see others born at the top, handed success without effort.
Iria was an insurmountable wall for those who wanted to rise. Rena couldn’t even comprehend that feeling since she had already given up on rankings.
Speaking of which, Rena taught Iria magic when she couldn’t even use basic spells back then.
Rena had given wings to the monster that already existed.
She couldn’t understand her thoughts. It all went wrong because of you, Wendy revealed her hostility.
Before they knew it, her group had cleared out, leaving just the two of them.
Neither could understand each other yet. Their contrasting personalities from the past had complicated matters further.
Rena spoke up.
“So you’re just expressing your inferiority complex by talking behind my back? You don’t have the guts to challenge me in a ranking match, so you can’t say anything to my face.”
“Look who’s talking, aren’t you embarrassed waiting and leeching off the top student?” “Fine, I admit I’m not proud of it. But hearing that from you feels strange, doesn’t it? Do you really have the right to say something like that?”
“…”
“Looking at it now, I feel sorry for Iria. You have no idea what kind of person I was in the past. A fire fox like you will be a real burden.”
Whirl!
In an instant, Rena’s emotions leaked out, sparks flying from her hand.
Wendy sneered in response.
“Idiot, pretending you’ve changed. You were worse, weren’t you?”
“I’m not like you, Wendy. Don’t treat me the same way.”
Rena’s brow twitched as the flames on her hand heated up.
Bam!
“Wanna take a swing at me? You think you’ve got the guts?”
The one bearing the scars first was Rena. It happened in a blink.
Cold air brushed Rena’s neck. Wendy had pointed the Ice Sword at her throat without her noticing.
“See? You slowed down.”
Wendy was quicker than Rena’s response.
If this were a real fight, Rena would’ve been dead already. Even in a duel, that would’ve been a loss.
After adding another win to her tally, Wendy smiled and dismissed the Ice Sword.
After all, she’d get her chance to face her soon enough.
“Check the match list. Don’t waste mana for no reason.”
Wendy turned around and walked away.
The match list she left behind had names of their imminent battle—
Rena and Wendy.
*
On the day of the practical exam, the academy was filled with empty potion bottles.
These were mana potions issued to the students. Iria set aside the bottles containing discarded potion contents.
The practical exam was nearing its conclusion. What had she even done?
Iria ultimately didn’t get to duel until the end.
The only duel that had taken place was hardly a duel at all.
Well, if nothing happened and it ended, that might be good news, but at this rate, she would definitely be the top student.
The academy’s grading weighted practical exams more heavily than written ones.
When she exited the waiting room after winning all ten duels, she spotted a familiar face.
“Rena. Have you finished all your exams?”
“No, just one more to go.”
“…”
Iria tried to strike up a conversation with Rena but hesitated. Her expression didn’t seem too pleasant.
She was leaning against the railing, looking up at the sky. It wasn’t a particularly meaningful action. Just a way to shake off the swirling thoughts in her mind.
What could she be thinking?
Out of curiosity, Iria tried to peek into her memory, but Rena turned away, making it unreadable.
“Is something wrong?”
So, in the end, she asked out loud.
Rena hesitated to reply while showing her back but finally responded briefly.
“I have a duel I need to win.”
