Chapter 87

◈ Chapter 87: The End of the Exam (1)

Exams are inevitably perceived as annoying events by students.

They burn with competitiveness towards each other in an atmosphere of extreme tension.

It can't help but be exhausting both mentally and physically.

However, the sense of liberation that comes when a three-day exam is finally over is indescribable.

"Wow! It's finally over!"

"Man, I really thought I was going to die from the stress over these three days."

The first-year students, who had just entered Seorun this year, were the first to rejoice as if they were flying.

It was their first exam, and their first taste of liberation.

For the freshmen, it was quite a significant moment.

However, even the upperclassmen couldn't remain calm in such a situation, so the sense of liberation after the exam could be considered a common denominator among all students.

"Hey, how was your exam this time?"

"Don't even ask. I think I completely failed."

"Please, I hope I at least got a middle ranking."

"Middle ranking? I doubt I even made the lower ranks."

Everywhere on campus, students gathered in small groups, and their main concern was naturally the exam results.

Indeed, how did this exam go, who did well, and which teacher's exam was the easiest and most comfortable.

If they knew which teacher's exam was reasonable, they would aim to take that teacher's class next semester.

"I don't like curses and healing."

"I think I'm more suited to mana emission."

"Next time, I need to focus on alchemy."

Students who had taken the first test were now gradually getting a feel for things.

Whether they had picked a dud class or a golden one.

Among them, certain teachers' names naturally came up.

"Mr. Merida's exam was good this time. It was about the theoretical aspects of drug manufacturing, and it was detailed and good."

"Ms. Selina's exam was really simple. You just had to make a contract with a spirit through communication, and you would automatically pass."

"Hey, that's only for students who meet the basic requirements for the spirit studies class. People with low affinity can't do it. They should take golem studies instead."

"Golem studies is tough to get a high ranking because a specific group of enthusiasts is so good at it."

"Don't even get me started. There are so many guys who just wear glasses and fiddle with machine parts while muttering to themselves."

"What about magic numbers?"

"That's purely a matter of talent, isn't it?"

In this way, among the students who were sharing their various 'stories' about the good and bad aspects of the exam, one hot topic emerged.

"Did you hear? About Mr. Rudger Chellis's exam this time."

"Yeah, I heard it was incredibly difficult?"

"Not just difficult, but even with an open-book test, no one could solve it properly."

"Wow, there must have been a lot of talk about it, right?"

"No, apparently not. It was difficult, but there was something good about it? It was reasonable? Anyway, that's what they said. Plus, the questions were from the parts he taught accurately."

"Wasn't Mr. Rudger's class about manifestation?"

"Yeah, it overlaps with Mr. Chris Benimor's."

Originally, Chris Benimor, who taught the first-year students, and Rudger Chellis, who taught the second-year students, would never have clashed.

However, since Rudger started teaching the first-year students from his first class, the two couldn't avoid being compared.

"How was Mr. Chris's exam?"

"Don't even ask. He tested us on parts he didn't teach."

"Really? To what extent?"

"Apparently, it was something we wouldn't learn until third year. And he just made it unnecessarily difficult. It was really frustrating."

"Wow, he's crazy."

"Don't even get me started. The exam paper was full of technical terms I had never seen before. I tried to write something to get partial marks, but I couldn't. Sigh, I really regret not taking Mr. Rudger's class. Did you take Mr. Rudger's class?"

"Yeah, I was really lucky. <Akashic Record> praised it so much, I picked it half-heartedly, but it was a huge hit."

"Hey, is it true that Mr. Rudger teaches the source code magic if you rank in the top?"

"I don't know yet, but I think he will. If you consistently rank in the top five, you can learn the complete source code magic."

"Man, I'm so jealous. At least you have something to motivate you. We don't have anything like that. Sigh, they say commoners shouldn't act this way or that."

Chris Benimor's class, which was authoritarian and looked down on commoners, was not very popular among students.

Except for a few specific students who benefited from him, Chris's class was extremely difficult and frustrating.

Students who were taking the class for its high grades had no choice but to sigh daily, as it was nothing like what they had imagined.

"I'm definitely taking Mr. Rudger's class next semester."

"That's going to be tough, though."

"Why?"

"There are going to be a lot of competitors. Everyone will be lining up to take Mr. Rudger's class. Besides, he hardly picks any teaching assistants."

"Ah, really. I have to take a manifestation class next semester, what should I do?"

"You'll have to figure it out yourself."

* * *

The spacious faculty office, adorned with lavish decorations.

Chris Benimor, the owner of the office, checked the exam paper in his hand and immediately contorted his face in anger.

"Rudger Chellis..."

He muttered the name with a voice dripping with hatred, a name that often appeared in his dreams as a source of annoyance.

Chris Benimor couldn't calm the boiling anger in his heart when he saw the exam questions that Rudger had set this time.

- Mr. Chris, thank you for setting the exam questions. Here, take this!

Suddenly, the principal, Elisa Willow, appeared and handed him an exam paper.

Before he could ask what it was, Elisa smiled at him.

- Mr. Chris, you're also teaching a manifestation class this time, right? I thought this might help you for the next exam. You don't have to thank me.

Chris Benimor immediately recognized whose exam paper it was, or rather, who had set it.

Rudger Chellis.

The questions were from the first test that this annoying man had set.

His eyes scanned the content faster than he could wonder why it was given to him.

Chris Benimor, a magician who sought the truth, was naturally curious about the questions set by another teacher.

After scanning all 20 questions in just 10 minutes, Chris Benimor couldn't help but crumple the exam paper in his hand.

"Damn it!"

He realized why the principal had given him this exam paper.

'Is she telling me to follow Rudger Chellis's exam questions?'

How could he not understand the intention behind the principal's words?

She had given him a reference exam paper.

Not just any exam paper from a few years ago, but one set by the new teacher who had been appointed with him this time.

It was the principal's cunning way of openly checking on him, who favored noble students.

'Damn it! Why do I, the eldest son of the Benimor family, have to endure such humiliation?'

Grinding his teeth, Chris couldn't contain his frustration.

He had grown up as a noble, learned magic, and become an elite of the empire.

He was even appointed as a teacher at Seorun Academy, the highest educational institution that nurtures the magicians who will lead the continent's future.

Even with the backing of his family, he wouldn't have been appointed if his skills were lacking.

Chris was proud of his life.

He was confident that he was a talent who could shoulder an era.

Therefore.

The overt comparison with someone else was an unbearable act for him, whose arrogance reached the sky.

No, comparisons were fine. But the result that he was far inferior was what made him angry.

'He's not even a great opponent, just a fallen noble, and you're comparing me to him?'

Moreover, the principal's tone seemed to clearly state that he was obviously below Rudger.

If she weren't a higher-ranking magician than him, Chris would have confronted her openly.

But what enraged Chris Benimor the most was the content of Rudger's exam.

Although he didn't want to admit it, the questions Rudger created were of such a high standard that he couldn't help but acknowledge them.

'Is this really a problem set by a fallen noble?'

He was even more furious for another reason.

The moment he saw the questions from the man he had so despised and looked down upon, he unconsciously acknowledged them.

The fact that he, of all people, had acknowledged someone who should have been beneath him, left a deep wound on Chris's pride.

This was unacceptable.

"Rudger, Chellis...!"

Chris Benimor muttered his name as if he were going to eat him alive.

He hadn't liked him from the first time they met.

After losing a bet during a student duel, Chris hated Rudger more than anyone else in the world.

'I may be silent now, but I will definitely repay this humiliation. And I'll do it tenfold!'

Among the thoughts in his mind, the <Magic Festival> was the day he was thinking about.

He planned to give Rudger a bitter defeat in front of everyone when external guests visited.

To do that, he needed to find Rudger's weakness or any other information.

Chris Benimor contacted his family through a magic crystal ball.

"Here."

* * *

Rine walked down the street, holding her lunch box.

She was supposed to have a meal with Erendir after the exam, but Erendir had become so dejected after failing the exam that he decided to stay in his room, leaving Rine to eat alone.

'I hope Senior gets better soon.'

Despite her good nature, Rine was worried about Erendir.

Thinking that the exam was over and she could relax a bit, she walked with a light step.

However, she suddenly stopped.

She had just run into a group of nobles she didn't want to see.

"So, you... huh?"

Moreover, the moment he recognized her, the leader of the group smiled.

Two boys and two girls.

The leader, a boy with dull blonde hair who looked like a delinquent, was not someone Rine was happy to see.

Santino Othmuth.

Santino was a noble from a baron's family and had harbored resentment after being rejected when he confessed to her a while ago.

"Hey, look who it is. A commoner who thinks she's so high and mighty?"

"..."

"Hey, what's wrong? You're not greeting me? That's hurtful, you know?"

Instead of answering, Rine tried to avoid the group, but Santino didn't let her go.

Santino grinned and openly blocked Rine's path.

"Move out of the way."

"What? I can't hear you properly?"

"Are you still holding a grudge because I rejected your confession? You're so narrow-minded, it's embarrassing to call you a noble."

Rine retaliated fiercely as the other side openly provoked her.

She wasn't the type to bow down to anyone.

In fact, she had gotten into an argument with Dune Romley in the training ground because of her straightforward words.

"You, you...!"

When Rine brought up his past, Santino's expression turned ugly.

He glanced around. This area, near an artificial park, was rarely visited by others.

A sadistic smile spread across his face.

"Follow me."

"What, what are you doing! Let go of me!"

Santino grabbed Rine's wrist and dragged her into the park.

Rine resisted desperately, but the difference in strength was too great.

Moreover, the other students with Santino, who usually looked down on Rine, laughed at her pain.

"Isn't it the duty of nobles to educate arrogant commoners?"

"Wh, what? Ah!"

Santino pushed Rine to the ground, dragging her to a place where no one else would come.

Rine fell helplessly to the ground, and the lunch box in her hand rolled away.

The contents of her lunch spilled out.

Rine glared at Santino.

"Do you know what you just did?"

"Hey, look at that attitude? Don't you understand your situation yet?"

"..."

Santino expected Rine to tremble and beg for forgiveness in front of him.

But contrary to his expectations, Rine glared at him with a venomous look.

Meeting her unwavering gaze, Santino felt as if he had become a despicable person.

He suddenly remembered the time he had confessed to her and been rejected because of her appearance.

"How dare you glare at me?"

A dirty commoner.

Just because she had a pretty face, she thought she could rise up?

"This is why commoners need education."

Froiden pulled out a cane from his waist and pointed it at Rine.

There were no witnesses. No one else would come to this place.

The moment magic power gathered in Froiden's cane,

"What are you doing?"

Santino turned his head hastily at the sudden voice.

There, a man was leaning against a tree in the garden, his arms crossed.

His pale skin, sharp eyes, and dark blue hair.

Santino, a noble, immediately recognized who he was.

"Mr. Froiden Ulbrich?"

A second-year student at Seorun, the leader of the noble faction, a revered and feared figure.

He was looking at them with a sharp gaze.

"Why are you here?"

"Strange. I was the one who asked the question. And I haven't heard your answer yet."

Froiden's gaze shifted between Rine, who was lying on the ground, and Santino, who was pointing the cane at her.

"I'll ask again. What are you doing?"

His voice was colder than ever.