Chapter 16

As the flowers finally bloomed on the trees of the school, the students' faces were dyed with a symmetrical hue of fatigue. To me, fatigue is a shade of brown.

The physical and academic tests had drained their energy.

Furthermore, those who were not accustomed to long journeys or the new environment would likely show even deeper signs of fatigue.

There was no choice but to accept this as part of their abilities.

There are about five days until the entrance ceremony, including today's announcement of the test results.

There is time to recover from fatigue until then.

It all depends on each individual's discretion whether they will fall behind in their studies or make the best start.

At the entrance of the school building, a large paper titled "New Student Academic Test Results" was posted, listing the names and scores of the students who took the academic test, which was held after the physical test.

It took a whole day to complete, but the results were already posted the next day, showing the hard work of the teachers.

1st, Ark Kudan - 500 points

1st, Iris Parara - 500 points

3rd, Eliza Doville - 499 points

4th, Riel Rain - 498 points

5th, Kururi Heran - 497 points

6th, Thomas Esodjin - 496 points

...

67th, Vain Rott - 379 points

...

114th, Crossi Admiral - 311 points

Iris, you beat Eliza, huh?

Well, I guess it can't be helped.

She is a talented student who entered this school despite being a commoner.

In this test, which covered general knowledge, arithmetic, accounting, basic magic, and history, it was unlikely that she would lose points.

I'm really glad Eliza won the marathon. That was the only consolation.

Still, the prince is impressive.

He managed to score a perfect score, which is admirable.

I'm not the only one who must have wondered if he cheated, right?

Riel in third place.

That's also expected.

He usually stands a step back in the original story, so I wish he could take the top spot once in a while.

I'm in fourth place.

It was good that I learned a lot from Grandpa Moran.

However, losing two points in general knowledge was painful.

One was a silly mistake, and I didn't know the official name of Vitamin C.

I have a slight complaint about whether the official name of Vitamin C is general knowledge, but I have to admit my lack of knowledge since others answered it correctly.

Vain and Crossi, who came to see the test results with me, showed contrasting reactions.

Vain seemed to have done better than expected.

He looked happy, and with his good physical test results, he will likely be in Class A.

Crossi looked like she was about to cry.

"Master, I'm sorry! I'm a failure!"

Crossi also scored 122th in the physical test, a mediocre result.

I didn't know how to console her.

She will probably be in Class C.

Crossi will be in a different class.

It would have been nice if we were in the same class.

It seems she felt the same way and ended up crying.

Since she is a beautiful woman, it felt helpless to see her cry next to me.

I couldn't help but encourage her.

"Don't cry so much. Just do your best next time."

"Yes, snif, yes, I'll do my best next time. I'll work hard for Master."

She was desperately wiping away her tears.

I don't think it's something to worry so much about, but she says she wants to get stronger, so she must be a hard worker.

Or maybe there's another reason.

"Men shouldn't cry easily. If you need help with studies, you can ask Kururi. I'll train your body."

Vain spoke up. He becomes talkative when it comes to Crossi.

"Men, men, don't say that! You brute!"

She was hyperventilating just a moment ago but could clearly say "brute."

"Men should strive every day. Run back to Kururi's room, and follow me."

"Don't order me around!"

Despite her words, Crossi followed Vain as he ran away.

Huh?

Did he say "my room"?

"Did you give it your all in the academic test?"

I was watching the two of them, but a voice suddenly spoke in my ear.

Turning around, I saw Riel standing there, giving me that unsettling smile again.

It felt like he was reading my thoughts, which was a bit scary.

"Well, yeah."

"Good, then it seems you beat Kururi in the academic test."

He smiled and slightly shifted his position.

It felt like I was being observed.

"Physical tests are also a matter of ability. You know my name well, don't you?"

"Kururi is famous, you know."

What?! I thought I was being careful not to stand out.

"By the way, you're Riel, right?"

Of course, I know, but I pretended not to.

There was a pause before he answered, and Riel glanced at me sideways.

Is he really reading my mind!?

This guy is scary!!

"...Yes, that's right. Nice to meet you, Kururi."

"Ah, yes."

I shook his hand, which he held tightly.

"See you, Kururi. Let's talk more next time."

With that, he returned to the first prince, Ark.

Despite his gentle smile, I thought he was a scary person.

I remember he is of peasant origin.

This is not publicly known, but I will share this secret only with Iris in the future.

I believe he lost his parents when he was young.

He lived with his grandfather and met the first prince by chance.

His friendly personality and efficiency impressed the prince, and they have been close friends ever since.

After his grandfather's death, he entered the capital as the prince's official attendant and friend.

With his aristocratic appearance and lustrous hair, and his excellent memory and knowledge of etiquette and customs, no one would think he was of peasant origin.

I'm sorry, Iris, for knowing the information to share and become friends with you.

I won't tell anyone, so please stop giving me that penetrating look.

Lost in thought, I saw Iris approaching with her palm open, looking very happy.

"Hi."

"Hi, I got first place."

She had a full smile, wanting someone to praise her.

I felt guilty for focusing on cheering for Eliza during the marathon.

Here, I should praise her honestly.

"Great job. This means I can expect a big favor in the future."

"Leave it to me."

Her white teeth were exposed in a beautiful smile.

After talking with Iris for a while, she headed to the library.

I wanted to go home before Vain and Crossi ransacked my house.

However, there was one person I couldn't ignore.

Of course, it was Eliza.

She stood in front of the results sheet with her eyes closed and arms crossed, not moving.

Other students wanted to see their results but were too scared to approach her.

If I could scold her like a mother, "Everyone is having trouble! Move, Eliza!"

But unfortunately, I'm a bit intimidated by her, so I can't do that.

Still, I'm the only one who can say something.

A sense of mission made my body move.

As I approached, the Four Heavenly Kings, her entourage, stood in front of me.

Instead of the girl who called me "rascal," another girl was there.

Do they have a rotation system? I'm a bit curious about their organizational structure.

The girl standing in front of me had a look that said, "Leave in three seconds, rascal!"

No, really.

Even though she didn't say it, she really had that look.

But I couldn't back down.

I took one step at a time toward Eliza.

Thanks to the warning given to the girl who pushed me the other day, they didn't attack me recklessly.

"Hi, Eliza. You seem down."

Being straightforward would make it easier for her to vent.

There was a pause, but no response.

"Well, that's amazing. 499 points is almost a perfect score."

I could feel the tension in the air.

"...I don't know."

Eliza muttered something in a low voice.

"What was that?" I asked, not hearing her clearly.

"I don't know the official name of Vitamin C!!"

Eliza shouted loudly, not addressing anyone in particular.

People around her averted their eyes to avoid her wrath.

Ignoring them, Eliza left, followed by the Four Heavenly Kings.

Eliza also got that question wrong.

Yeah, I don't know it either.

The official name of Vitamin C is ascorbic acid...