Chapter 75

* * *

“I’ll fall into hell with you.”

I put the fork in my mouth and stared blankly into space.

It had already been two weeks since Cheshire delivered that incredible line...

“Lilith!”

“Huh, uh-huh.”

I still felt dazed every time I thought about it.

Jem, who had stopped eating, waved her hands in front of me.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? Your eyes look so glazed over.”

“Hmm.”

Embarrassed, I picked up my fork again and saw Cheshire eating in the distance.

Her face was as radiant as ever today.

The kids around her were just extras.

‘Romance... The author is definitely a bit strange, but maybe they didn’t leave out the romance...?’

Otherwise, how could she deliver such an incredible line with such beauty and no self-awareness...

“Hey, Lilith.”

Jem followed my gaze, which was fixed on Cheshire, and then narrowed her eyes, grinning mischievously.

I beat her to the punch before she could say something strange.

“Gugu.”

“Ah, eighty-one!”

“Good job. What about seventy-eight?”

“Fifty-six!”

“Wow, well done.”

“Yah-hah!”

Alicia, who was sitting across from us, pouted.

“Lilith, are you really going to take the final evaluation with this kid?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? You said you wanted to graduate quickly.”

“Hey! What’s wrong with me!”

Jem added, getting angry.

“I can now draw magic circles, you know? I got eighty points on the theory test yesterday.”

“Hmph!”

Alicia puffed her cheeks cutely and snorted.

Although it looked like we were bickering, the kids in our room had become quite close over time.

“Anyway, we have to include at least one white badge in each group. Jem can now use magic after learning from Lilith, so it’s perfect.”

“Right. Jem has always been the best in practical skills. I think Lilith made a great group.”

Diane said, and Michelle agreed, making Jem’s nose twitch.

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Haha! We only have two weeks left, so let’s work harder, Jem. Eat well and let’s practice with Cheshire tonight!”

“Okay!”

Encouraged by me, Jem happily stuffed food into her mouth.

“Phew, you really eat a lot. Even a pig wouldn’t eat more than you!”

Alicia grumbled and moved her portion of sausages to Jem’s plate.

“What?”

“I’m full. You can eat it or not.”

“Just eating that and you’re full? Oh, typical noble girls...”

The sight of the two bickering was so endearing. I wiped my nose with a smile.

‘Yeah, let’s just do this. Just like this.’

I’ll graduate quickly and hide by my dad’s side, recalling the original story and helping a little bit.

Revolution in this corrupt empire!

As quickly as possible!

With the two guaranteed-to-win protagonists on my side, there’s no need to be afraid of the villainous emperor.

I clenched my fist, resolved, and glanced at Cheshire again.

‘Huh?’

Cheshire was also looking at me, and our eyes met.

She gave me a blank look, smiled slightly, and waved—

“Lilith.”

Ah, she wasn’t looking at me but at Gerard, who was coming this way.

“Yeah, Gerard. What’s up?”

Next to him were the annoying Bruce and a new face, a commoner kid.

“Let’s take the final evaluation together.”

“Huh?”

Silence after Gerard’s words.

Everyone in the cafeteria turned their eyes to us.

“Um, hmm.”

Gerard is on our side, our side... A seed that hasn’t fully sprouted, a friend who needs to be reformed and go with us...

I repeated this to myself and chose the least unpleasant way to refuse.

“What can I do? Sorry, I’ve already found friends to take the test with.”

“Who?”

“Here, Jem.”

I pointed to Cheshire as I stood up, touching Jem’s shoulder.

“Cheshire!”

“...”

Gerard blinked.

“Two whites?”

“Yeah!”

“No, one is enough. Bruce here is also a second-level.”

Gerard pointed to the white badge friend he brought.

“This is Butler. He has the best grades among the whites.”

“Hmm, but I’ve already found friends.”

“Groups can’t be formed like that. Whites have lower stats.”

I started to get annoyed. He was talking as if choosing game items, and I was confused whether the seed had already sprouted or still had room for reform.

“Hey, Gerard. I still need one more member. But I want to find a white badge friend.”

“What?”

Gerard’s eyes widened.

The kids around us, who had been listening to our conversation, also opened their mouths wide.

Is this really so surprising?

“Not planning to graduate?”

“No? I want to.”

Gerard let out a hollow laugh.

“Then do it with me. I’ve almost collected all the points, so I’ll give you all the points in this test.”

“Wow.”

“Wow...”

“Sounds great.”

The kids expressed their envy at the gold badge’s offer to carry them.

“If you include three whites, you’ll have to keep fighting F-level monsters. You won’t graduate even if you fight for a hundred days. You need to fight C-level monsters to collect points quickly.”

“Then I’ll fight C-level monsters for my friends’ share.”

“What?”

“Gerard.”

I opened my mouth, hoping my words would sink in.

“We’re gold, right? We can do well on our own. Why gather only the best friends?”

“...”

“Whites have a hard time collecting points, so if we help them, we can all graduate quickly, right?”

I held Gerard’s hand, which was still outstretched, and continued.

“My dad said, Gerard, that strong ability users should know how to use their strength for good. Since you’re strong, wouldn’t it be better to help weaker friends?”

The gold-gold-bad combination is really inefficient and lacks conscience...

Gerard looked at me in silence for a while, then nodded with a smile.

“Right, Lilith. I understand what you mean. I hope you do well in this test.”

* * *

It was evening, just before bedtime.

Jem’s motivational shout echoed.

“Yah! Unite!”

We were practicing in the courtyard every day without fail.

“Hmm.”

I watched Cheshire and Jem’s special training, lost in thought.

‘Come to think of it, we’re all attack-type ability users. This group formation is inefficient.’

The final evaluation involves capturing monsters to collect points.

Of course, they are fake monsters created by illusion magic, but in the test area, we actually receive attacks and take damage.

So, we need at least one defense or healing-type ability user.

Although Cheshire and Jem are skilled and I can use all types of magic, it’s not a big worry...

‘But to conserve as much health as possible, it would be good to have a healer as the remaining member.’

While thinking, I waved at the two who were training hard.

“Hey, guys! Do you know anyone who can do defense or healing?”

“Oh, right, we don’t have a shield?”

“...”

Jem and Cheshire wiped their sweat and came over to me.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve memorized a few defense magic formulas. I’ll cast a shield!”

“Wow! Really? You’re amazing, Lilith!”

Jem laughed excitedly.

“But it would be good to have one.”

Cheshire worried.

“Yeah, it would be good, but it’s really okay if we don’t. I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt.”

“...”

As I smiled and said this, Cheshire, who had been staring at me, turned her head and muttered, “Okay.”

“What, what! What’s going on between you two!”

Jem teased us, her cheeks twitching.

At that moment.

“Hey, guys!”

“Ah, Rom?”

Rom, Cheshire’s roommate.

He came over with a load of snacks and dumped them on the pergola where we were sitting.

“Rom... You don’t have to bring them.”

“Hehe. You guys always work hard. You must be hungry, so eat.”

Rom knew we practiced in the courtyard every evening and always brought snacks.

“Just don’t overdo it, okay? Finish up and go to bed!”

“Wait, Rom!”

I grabbed Rom.

“Y-Yes?”

“Have you decided on the friends you’ll take the final evaluation with?”

“Huh?”

Rom blinked a few times and then waved his hands.

“No, no! I’m fine! It’s okay!”

“Hey, what? I haven’t even mentioned it yet?”

“A-Are you going to ask me to take the test with you?”

“Yeah, that’s right. If you haven’t decided on a group, come with us.”

“No! Everyone wants to be in Lilith’s group because she’s looking for a white badge member. There are many better students than me, so I’ll go with them.”

“You don’t have to be the best. Aren’t you going to graduate? Let’s do it together.”

“No! Actually, I don’t really want to graduate.”

“Huh?”

Surprised by his unexpected answer, the three of us stared at each other.

“T-They feed us here, and they give us snacks and a place to sleep. My family is poor, and I’m here, so my mom is more comfortable.”

“Huh?”

“I feed myself, so my mom goes hungry. It’s better for me to stay here.”

“No, Rom!”

“No.”

Cheshire and I said simultaneously.

We looked at each other.

“Huh?”

Rom tilted his head, and Cheshire spoke for me.

“You need to graduate. Things will change when you get the ability badge and leave here.”

“Huh?”

“People won’t ignore you, and you can get a job. You and your mom won’t go hungry.”

“Right!”

I chimed in.

“Rom, you miss your mom, don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s right...”

“Get the ability badge and go home confidently! You can feed your mom delicious food!”

“R-Really? Can I do that?”

“Of course!”

“You can.”

As Cheshire and I nodded, Jem suddenly appeared, draping her arms over our shoulders.

“In this country, if you’re an ability user, you can live very comfortably!”

“R-Really...”

Rom thought for a long time and then nodded.

“O-Okay. But I won’t be any help... My grades aren’t good like yours.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay!”

I grabbed Rom’s hand and shook it.

“But, Rom, what’s your major?”

“M-Me?”

Rom scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed.

“I-I’m in the most useless field. Healing magic...”

“What?!”

What a coincidence! I covered my mouth and looked at Cheshire and Jem.

Both were smiling.

‘A healer just fell into our lap!’

It felt so good. It’s like an AvengerXs moment?