“I’m going to be late, seriously. Hurry up!”
“Are you telling me to leave you behind when you can’t even walk? Don’t just squirm around.”
I rushed across the Imperial University grounds with Emilia on my back.
As soon as I reached the main gate, they let me in, probably recognizing my urgency.
Honestly, I was considering whether I should just sprint to the exam hall with Emilia still on my back.
But it seemed like I had just enough time, so I decided to drop her off at the mansion first.
“Just lie down. You seem to be poisoned by some paralysis poison, so don’t overdo it until you can move.”
“Hurry! Stop worrying about me…”
I dashed out, leaving a worried Emilia behind.
Only two minutes left until the exam ended.
There was no time to change clothes.
‘Selection and Concentration. Use 1 second in Agility.’
On the fourth second.
I leaped quickly towards the exam hall.
I had to save the last second for somewhere else; I couldn’t waste it on agility now.
Less than a minute remaining.
*Boom!*
As I flung the door open, all eyes in the exam hall turned towards me.
Looks like they were all here already.
I mean, who else would arrive just in time like me without leaving a minute spare?
I pushed down the urge to stagger and walked as fast as I could down the stairs.
Ludwig was glaring at me with a displeased expression.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was Ludwig who had hired Jin.
“Did you lose your answer sheet?”
“Answer sheet? I didn’t bring anything like that. I’m submitting my answer now.”
“Ten seconds left until submission.”
“That’s enough.”
“What do you mean by submitting…?”
Ten seconds.
Time was tight.
‘Selection and Concentration. Use 1 second in Mana.’
Even though the paper I intended to use for my answer burned up, it was fine.
As long as there was Mana, any place could serve as an answer sheet.
Like this very exam hall.
It was abundant in Mana and spacious, perfect for writing my answers.
All the spells I solved were firmly in my mind.
I shut my eyes tight, focusing solely on the flow of magical power, and simultaneously unfolded the spells in all directions.
From question one to nine. All at once.
‘What the heck is this?’
But the images forming were bizarre.
They were merely simple geometric lines and shapes, yet they merged and overlaid, creating some sort of picture.
A lush green meadow…
I never imagined that linking all the spells for my answers would result in a landscape painting.
Not even I, the author, was aware of the hidden intricacy during the first semester’s midterm exam in Elemental Magic.
After all, I hadn’t described it even once.
Wait a minute.
‘I did, didn’t I?’
There had been a passing mention where I noted Ludwig grading the submitted answer sheets, turning around with a hollow smile.
At the time, I thoughtlessly threw out any bait just to retrieve it later.
Ultimately, it went unclaimed until the end of the year.
That bait was now being recovered in an unexpected form in this world.
Only then did the somewhat awkward problems begin to make sense.
In the study of Magic, which values simple and efficient circuits as beautiful, I wondered why they required complex and inefficient spells as answers.
It was solely for the sake of completing the picture.
‘Damn it. Number 10…’
But one corner of the painting was black.
That was where the answer to question 10, which I couldn’t solve, should have been.
Well, it was probably going to be another beautiful field, so I wasn’t too curious or regretful about it.
If Erika scores full marks, then who gets the top spot?
‘No way, damn it.’
I should be feeling regret.
If Erika gets full marks in this exam, due to timing, I might just narrowly lose the top spot to her.
But now there’s no way to solve number 10…
‘Huh?’
At that moment, something shifted on Ludwig’s desk.
Among the piled-up exam papers, a transformation occurred.
Two answer sheets with responses for question 10.
Suddenly, one spell’s security had become a complete mess.
I was shocked into focus and swiftly turned around.
‘That person…’
Iris was waving cheerfully with a knowing smile.
Two who solved question 10.
It would clearly be Erika and Iris.
And only Iris would have predicted this situation and deliberately messed with the security so I could steal the answer.
Erika wouldn’t have the wit or sense for that.
I bet she’s still gaping at this magical flow creating the landscape painting.
‘Thanks for the help.’
I felt a bit humbled to be benefiting from Iris’s kindness, but there was little I could do about it.
I wasn’t in a position to be picky.
I quickly copied the answer for number 10 before all the overcharged magic dissipated.
If it turns out to be incorrect, just watch.
“Oh.”
Ludwig let out a dying gasp.
Not that I could blame him.
What filled in the blank was none other than a boy wearing a straw hat, smiling cheerfully.
It was none other than Ludwig himself.
Only then did I realize.
This was the image of the landscape from Ludwig’s hometown.
Now turned to a wasteland of death due to war.
Ironically, Ludwig was the one who turned his hometown into ashes.
He had to lead the magical artillery unit directly and commanded them to engulf his hometown in flames.
He locked his own memories of his hometown inside, all by his own hand.
Ludwig must have had absolute confidence that none of the students would ever find this picture.
In fact, in the original story, no one even noticed it.
The reason he went through the troubles to fit this puzzle was despite knowing no one would discover it was…
Deep down, he likely wanted to see one of his students complete the picture.
He desired completion but didn’t want to show the sealed past of his hometown to others.
Two contradictory feelings.
This must be what it feels like for a criminal committing a perfect crime while secretly leaving clues.
Knowing they shouldn’t be caught, yet hoping someone will find it.
“It’s time. Sit down.”
“Yes, professor.”
Ludwig was unusually flustered.
I turned my back on Ludwig and squeezed between Iris and Erika to sit down.
This earned me a very incredulous look from Erika.
What’s the issue now?
“You did well. With that, we will conclude the first semester’s midterm exams. You may all leave.”
With a rapid conclusion, Ludwig vanished.
It was over.
Really over.
The 48-hour midterm exam, which felt like a week, finally came to an end.
Soon after, students began to relish their freedom, shouting with glee.
They rushed out of the lecture room.
But even while that was happening, Erika and Iris, sitting beside me, didn’t say a word.
Feeling the atmosphere was uneasy, I tried to leave, but Iris’s foot pressed down on mine.
“Don’t say it.”
Having a saint act like this was somewhat absurd…
I was a bit taken aback.
“What’s going on? What on earth happened?”
Finally left alone in the lecture room, Erika tilted her head uncomfortably.
Her beauty was overwhelmingly stunning, making it hard to be close.
“I don’t feel obligated to explain myself.”
“That’s why you came covered in blood, and I was worried!”
“Worried? What a joke! You’d cheer if I died.”
“Ugh…”
I smirked, seeing Erika struggle to deny it.
I knew she watched from afar when I had my ‘meeting’ with Madam Lichtenburg.
The dense misunderstandings carried over from the original story, and here she was with her nonsensical assumptions.
Of course, it’s likely she hated me, Schlus.
That’s how Erika was, always.
In the original, she liked Hertlocker but never even realized her feelings until the end.
I suppose it would be no different here.
Of course, without Hertlocker around, she wouldn’t end up liking anyone, anyway.
“But still… I waited for you today.”
“Oh? Waiting to play bodyguard again?”
“A, no! Just! I happened to pass by the Chairwoman’s residence and thought maybe I’d run into you! Just for a minute? No, thirty seconds? I was just waiting to tie my shoelaces!”
“……..”
Erika was fanning her face, seemingly hot, as she chattered on with nonsense.
If Erika claimed it was a minute, then it was likely closer to an hour.
I felt a little bad that I almost made her fail the exam.
Not that I really felt sorry…
“Geez… Erika. I had no idea you were guarding Schlus during the midterm exam.”
“Well, that’s not true!”
“Hehe, well done.”
“Nah… I couldn’t stand guard after all…”
Erika’s voice fell as she glanced down at my blood-splattered clothes.
She seemed to have forgotten her earlier denial.
“Nope! Thanks to you, I was able to barely submit in time, really. If it weren’t for your guarding, Schlus wouldn’t even be here.”
“R-really?”
As expected, she perked up at Iris’s words.
It was the truth.
After all, just realizing how close I was to submitting means if I had even faced an attack during exam week, I definitely wouldn’t have made it.
“Fufufu! So! Schlus Hainkel? Do you have anything to say to me?”
“Ugh. Thanks.”
“What? Huh? You thank me with that tone—”
“But didn’t you say it wasn’t guarding?”
“Ah. T-that’s right. It wasn’t guarding, I tell you!”
“Then what exactly do I owe my gratitude for?”
“Huh? Uh… I guess? No wait, just a second… that was guarding, wasn’t it? No, wait. No way? Huh?”
Erika short-circuited.
I turned my gaze to the culprit, who was wearing a ‘innocent’ smile.
I guess being childhood friends, she knew just how to short-circuit Erika.
“Schlus.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“………”
Iris stood tall, pushing her chest forward, one hand resting over her heart.
She sure was showy…
But I had no thought of expressing gratitude whatsoever regarding this matter.
To be precise, I didn’t steal my answers from Iris.
It wasn’t because of any previous events that I was holding a grudge.
*Scrape…*
Without a word, I pushed the chair back and stood up.
“I should get going. My attendant is waiting.”
“That’s quite a hurry.”
“What?”
“Nothing! Just hurry up and leave already, if you can.”
Iris began to speak oddly again.
I tried to step away from her, but then—
“Oh.”
I lost my balance and leaned forward.
My entire body felt unresponsive…
Damn it. Mana Exhaustion.
But this feels familiar…
*Thud.*
“Haah.”
I felt a soft sensation against my face.
A gentle softness enveloped me.
And a sweet scent as well.
“I knew this would happen.”
Due to my face being buried in her body, my voice came out oddly.
By the way, every time I moved my mouth, it seemed like Iris trembled.
What was with her?
“Umm…”
“I-Iris! What are you doing right now?!”
“Ha…”
At the sound of a loud voice from behind, I couldn’t help but sigh.
Honestly, everything about this situation was tiring.
I felt like I could just fall asleep right now.
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