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Isabel changed after the incident on the wall.

First, she apologized to her friends for getting angry.

The friends also apologized to Isabel for speaking too hastily.

It was a warm scene born from Isabel’s usual good conduct.

Isabel’s training intensity increased a bit compared to before.

However, while the intensity rose, she began to refrain from overexerting herself.

Her perspective widened.

She decided to look further, broader, and over a longer time span instead of just viewing short-term circumstances.

In this regard, Ban remarked that Isabel’s potential for growth had increased.

Moreover, there was one prominent change.

Her face, which had been losing vitality recently, became considerably brighter.

Though it wasn’t as bright as before Lucas died, she regained her characteristic cheerfulness.

She resumed her role as the bright heroine who lifted everyone’s spirits.

But there was one person.

She didn’t treat me with her usual brightness.

“You know, when you do stuff like that, the kids around you get scared!”

“If that scares them, then they’re not cut out to be Jerion Academy students.”

“You say that again. You’re too strict.”

“Other students are just too careless.”

It was me.

About a week after the incident with Isabel.

Isabel, who had been avoiding eye contact with me for a while, now rushed at me at the slightest hint of my actions.

It felt even worse than when she vehemently criticized Lucas before.

“I’ve totally earned her hatred.”

When I returned from my skirmish with Isabel, Seron clicked his tongue.

Today, I reprimanded some kids messing around during the morning class.

And Isabel started questioning me just like that.

“Hey, why do you keep provoking Isabel, sweet potato?”

“I didn’t provoke her first. She came after me.”

“Sweet potato, it’s because you treat Isabel differently than others.”

“Seems like it’ll be hard to coexist with her.”

“Is that so?”

Seron tilted his head.

Does this guy really intend to stick by my side now?

“Why don’t you try to befriend the others again?”

Seron was still in a cold war with the girls.

When I suggested he reconcile, he let out a dismissive snort.

“I’m not really interested in the others.”

“Sorry, I’m not interested in you either.”

“What the heck, what are you saying! I just realized it’s more comfortable to hang out like this.”

Saying that, Seron leaned back on his desk, crossing his arms.

“When you’re surrounded by girls, you have to be mindful whether you want to or not. It’s hard to hold back everything you want to say.”

“Can you hold back?”

The headbutting dinosaur Seron can hold back?

What kind of world do the girls live in?

“Besides, you don’t have to do that with me, right?”

“I wish you would hold back a bit too.”

“Rather, I’d bite my tongue and die.”

Such fierce words.

Seron had learned the taste of the solitary wolf.

It’s a shame he needs to learn how to return to a pack.

Just as I clicked my tongue and raised my head, I happened to lock eyes with Isabel.

Unlike earlier, when she criticized me, she responded with determined eyes and then turned her head.

In the past, our eyes would ignite with fury as soon as they met.

Her attitude towards me has changed considerably.

To the children, it still probably looks like we’re arguing.

But what’s contained in that is certainly more than just anger.

Even I can’t fully grasp her feelings.

However, I knew what emotions I could sense from Isabel.

‘Rival consciousness.’

Isabel decided to realize Lucas’s will and save everyone.

I decided to save everyone to shake off the stigma of Jerion Academy caused by Lucas’s death.

The reasons for our progress were different.

But this was a shared goal.

From that point, Isabel’s sense of rivalry began to blossom.

‘Not bad.’

I could just be the role that ignited the fire contained in her heart.

Many future characters will be drawn to her brightness.

Most of those who were next to Lucas gathered around her because of her brightness.

Certainly, Isabel will fulfill that role wonderfully again this time.

‘Isabel felt a sense of relief.’

However, there was someone heading in a completely different direction from this Isabel.

None other than Nikita Cynthia.

She was wriggling her little body to become the Disaster Dragon Maiden.

Creak—

At that moment, the classroom door opened.

In walked Veganon, the second-year Martial Arts professor who had just finished the morning class.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention something.”

Professor Veganon scratched his head as if it was a nuisance and yawned.

“There’s going to be a group exam soon.”

Act 3, Scene 5.

The curtain rose on the group exam.

“This group exam will be a observational one, and officials from the Empire will be coming to observe.”

Jerion Academy is an academy established by the Empire with rigorous training standards.

So, the people coming to observe would be those in high-ranking positions of the Empire.

‘Interaction with other academies will begin from Act 4.’

Jerion Academy students are all subjects of the Empire.

At the mention of observers, the students began to buzz.

It was a reaction because it hadn’t happened last year.

“Make sure you don’t cause any trouble. We can’t afford a budget cut for the academy anymore.”

Is that something a professor should say?

But the thick-skinned Veganon yawned and turned to leave.

‘For group exams, we need to form teams.’

This time, we couldn’t team up with the first years like last time.

Since it’s a class-year exam, we can only form teams within the same year.

The team for the group exam consists of five members.

Two frontliners, two backliners, and one healer.

Just then, my eyes met Seron’s.

Seron held up three fingers.

“Sweet potato, you and I are the frontliners. We just need to find three more.”

“Where to find four?”

Of course, I wasn’t looking at Seron.

Quick to catch the meaning of my words, Seron’s forehead turned red.

Hearing her angry tone, I fell into thought.

We needed to score high in this group exam.

Among the observers coming, there was someone I absolutely had to befriend and secure sponsorship from.

To do that, we had to lead the group exam to victory.

‘Even if I lead the frontliners.’

I needed good firepower among the backliners.

The problem was that I didn’t have any connections with the backliners I could rely on.

‘There is one guy.’

But he’s a free-spirited guy, so I’m not sure.

‘And there’s one girl.’

But she’s an even more free-spirited person, so who knows.

‘Besides, I probably can’t use the Saint’s card this time.’

Last time, I had a certain cause to persuade the Saint.

The Saint is like a hidden card.

You can’t just keep using hidden cards indiscriminately.

Even if I tried to use him in the group exam.

He would merely fill in the vacancy if he agreed to participate.

He’d exert powers that weren’t much different from the normal believers in order to ensure fair competition.

‘Is there no way.’

Eventually, I stood up for victory.

“Where are you going?”

“Bread delivery.”

“Why bread?”

Seron looked at me incredulously.

But for me, it was the best option.

＊ ＊ ＊

Nom nom—

Before me, there was someone munching on bread with a small mouth.

Blue-black hair shining as if filled with starlight.

Dazzling earrings hanging down from her ears and a star-shaped dot.

Sharine Sazarith.

She was the top student in Magic Arts.

“Nom nom, so you want me to join as a team member for the group exam?”

Today, Sharine, with her seemingly drowsy face, extended her words.

Having tasted the bread before my offer, she licked her finger with her tongue.

“Why would I?”

And Sharine tilted her head.

It was a pure question of why she should join my team.

“Put down the bread you were eating and talk.”

“This was given to me by Hanon because I like it.”

What a delusion.

Even so, Sharine, who didn’t stop eating, wore a languid smile.

“Then tell me something that will boost my morale for joining Hanon’s team.”

Sharine, the second-year Magic Arts top student.

She must have received many group exam proposals from numerous people already.

She was a fickle person who would join any team if she felt like it.

So everyone pokes her a bit.

And Sharine asks them the same question.

What merit is there for her to join their team?

Their responses were predictable.

“We’ll get first place in the group exam.”

That was something everyone could say with their mouths.

But I know.

“You have no particular interest in the group exam, do you?”

The group exam counts towards the exam scores.

So students are desperate to achieve good scores in the group exam.

But what about Sharine?

Even though she’s the top student in the second-year Magic Arts, she has no interest at all in her scores.

The reason she’s top is clear.

The second-year Magic Arts professor recognized her magical genius better than anyone else.

The second-year Magic Arts professor is a thorough meritocrat.

His grading system revolves around how much magical potential a student possesses.

With a magical talent that comes once in a millennium like Sharine.

He gives her the highest score regardless of the results she produces.

Some say it’s biased judgment.

But those majoring in Magic Arts all realize Sharine’s talent.

Her talent is such that there are no scores to give unless it’s for the top spot.

So even without interest in scores, Sharine is still the top student.

This leads people unfamiliar with Sharine and the structure of Magic Arts to believe she’s tirelessly working to improve her grades.

“What merit would you have in this group exam?”

As I pointed out a blind spot, Sharine’s eyes widened.

“Hanon knows too much about me.”

“So propose something different.”

Sharine’s eyes sparkled with intrigue.

“Your father.”

And Sharine’s body stiffened.

“I’ll teach you how to score a hit on that guy.”

At that moment, Sharine’s eyes widened.

“Lin!”

Just as the lunch break was about to end, a girl with honey blonde hair resembling the sun entered the empty Magic Arts classroom.

Isabel Luna.

Suddenly appearing, she looked at me and Sharine, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Huh?”

Why are the two of you together?

Isabel, my closest friend and rival.

She froze upon seeing us together.

‘Oh no.’

I didn’t expect Isabel to appear at this timing, and I was momentarily flustered.

Silence fell between us.

Sharine froze at my statement.

Isabel froze at the sight of me with Sharine.

I froze because Isabel appeared.

Suddenly, the situation had become a complete mess.