Chapter 53

53. Merit and Demerit Points (2)

"After thoroughly exchanging opinions with the instructors, we have assigned the merit and demerit points. Please accept them humbly."

This means it's not just Karon's personal opinion.

It includes individual performance, the strength of the group, and even the mistakes made in secret.

Everything was an evaluation factor.

"Then, I will now announce the merit and demerit points."

A few children swallowed hard.

In fact, the opportunity to receive merit points is not very common.

Maybe one or two per class?

'Besides, most of the merit points are taken by the top students.'

Children who have done advanced studies and the smart ones get the merit points first.

Not only that, if you manage to get a merit point by luck, you'll face the scrutiny of the Eurydia faction and the Teron faction.

'After Elester said a word, things got a bit better...'

But that doesn't mean they don't notice.

In other words, the only time ordinary children have a chance to receive merit points is during the merit and demerit points announcement after the practical test.

This is the only time, without a doubt.

'The units of merit points are also different.'

It's not just 1-2 points as usual; you can get 3 points or more.

We try to give as many merit points as possible, but we try to give as few demerit points as possible.

The problem is...

"First, the ones listed on this paper will receive 2 demerit points each."

"Wh-what!?"

There is no mercy from the killing machine Karon.

Looking at the densely packed black paper, it seems most of the children are on it.

"We couldn't have predicted the emergency situation. It was like a battlefield."

A battlefield is where you can see the bottom of human nature.

Some ran away from reality, while others fought against it.

"Those who ran away from reality must be punished. Not only does it lower the morale of our allies, but we can't trust our backs to such people on the battlefield."

And by that logic,

There are those who don't show their bottom even in such a place.

Naturally,

"Rewards should be given to them."

Reward the deserving, punish the guilty.

Merit and demerit points are a way to praise and honor those who risk their lives in dangerous situations.

And,

A social mechanism designed to make the world a little better.

'If those who betray their comrades and country can live on, no one will volunteer to sacrifice themselves.'

Karon flipped a page.

"1g of courage is worth 1t of luck. And at Andwood Academy, it's worth 3 merit points."

Dyke, Alex, Luna, Anne, Jepa, Morgan...

"I will award 3 merit points to those who stepped forward first."

Rustle.

"Knowledge is love, light, and insight. And at Andwood Academy, knowledge is converted into merit points."

Eurydia, Alex, Alfonso, Riley...

"You remembered the habits of the black ants and used them to guide your comrades to safety, preventing an accident. I will award 4 merit points to each of you."

Rustle.

"Success cannot be achieved without sacrifice. If you succeed without sacrifice, it's because someone suffered in front of you. And at Andwood Academy, sacrifice is the most noble of all."

Eurydia, Alex, Raymond, Luna...

"I will award 5 merit points to those who ran around selflessly, showing outstanding dedication."

Karon threw the stack of papers on the desk.

This means there are no more merit point lists.

Wow!!

Clap clap clap!!

The students' faces were varied.

Those who received merit points smiled brightly, while those who didn't expressed their disappointment.

"Miss Eurydia, receiving 9 merit points. You are truly amazing."

"Thank you. Everyone worked hard. It's fortunate that more people received points than expected."

Eurydia's faction looked bright.

Not only because many of the children in her faction received merit points, but also because Eurydia received a whopping 9 points.

Considering the merit points she already had, she could aim for the top spot in the midterm exam.

Murmur.

The classroom suddenly became noisy.

Was it because the protagonist Alex received 12 merit points?

No.

"Mr. Teron... isn't on the list?"

The murmurs of the Teron faction.

Everyone soon realized the anomaly.

Dyke, Jepa, Morgan, and others.

Some of his subordinates received merit points, but the most important person, Teron, didn't receive any.

Not even 1 point.

But the shock didn't end there.

"And Teron, I will give you 5 demerit points."

"......!!"

The classroom fell silent.

5 points? In the merit and demerit points system, where demerit points are rarely given?

This is a big problem.

Although we don't know the reason yet, it means that the son of a major noble family made a fatal mistake.

And,

'There's a big difference now.'

Teron: -5 points.

Eurydia: +9 points.

From Teron's perspective, it's not just -5 points, but a 14-point difference.

Bang!

"I can't accept this! Why!?"

Teron stood up and protested, defying the killing machine. Indeed, he's an interesting guy.

Squeak.

I tore open a bag of snacks from the subspace.

Luna, who was next to me, asked in amazement.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Hehe, it's best to eat while watching such a spectacle."

The protest due to the demerit points.

It's an event that happened in the game.

It means it's not an event caused by my influence.

It started as planned and will end as planned, so there's no need to be afraid.

'In the game, it was just a simple chat log, but to see it in front of me...'

I couldn't help but tear open the snacks.

Ah, I wish I had my sunglasses.

"Well, he deserves it. I'll take some too."

Crunch crunch.

We started eating the snacks.

Expecting a very entertaining show (?).

"Are you really asking this out of ignorance? If so, there's definitely something wrong with your head. I recommend you leave the academy. You can't do anything here with that head."

Sharp criticism.

Teron bit his lip.

"......Is it because I didn't step forward?"

"Ho, so there's nothing wrong with your head. That's a relief."

In fact, Teron didn't kill a single ant in the ant nest.

He didn't fight even when ants were swarming from all sides.

'Partly because Dyke was protecting him...'

There's another reason, but let's skip it for now.

It's not important right now.

"......I didn't step forward because I wasn't feeling well. It could have caused more trouble."

"Is that so."

"I gave instructions to ensure the battle went smoothly. I did my best even though I was sick. How can you give me demerit points? I can't accept it!"

Bang!!

Karon punched the blackboard.

A heavy blow that left a fist mark on the blackboard.

Teron flinched slightly.

He must have realized who he was facing.

"Didn't you see the injured? Didn't you hear the cries of your friends rolling on the ground asking for help?"

"Th, that's......"

"You should have stepped forward! Even if your body was broken, you should have stepped forward! You're much stronger than the others, aren't you!"

Teron couldn't say anything.

Karon's logic was too perfect.

"Tsk, you were smiling until we left the ant nest. If you were really sick."

"......"

"Fortunately, no one died. If someone had died, I would have done the same to you."

"......I'm sorry."

"Be more careful next time. Whether it's your behavior or your excuses, show some sincerity."

Teron's face turned red.

Not because he was embarrassed, but because he felt humiliated.

"And Eurydia. You also get 2 demerit points."

"Huh? Why......!"

"Is it right to help others when you can't even take care of your own team members? In such a situation, the right judgment is to gather your team members and secure a safe area before helping others."

"But the person in danger should be prioritized......"

"Tsk, that's exactly what we call overstepping. Can someone who can't take care of themselves take care of others?"

"......"

A sigh from the Eurydia faction, and a sigh of relief from the Teron faction.

The 14-point difference was reduced to 12 points.

'Well, the event is over.'

I lifted the snack bag and shook the remaining crumbs into my mouth.

It's a bit disappointing not to receive merit points, but there's nothing I can do.

I didn't do anything.

I had to be satisfied with the level-up and other rewards.

Creak.

Suddenly, Luna moved her chair one space to the side.

What? She said she wouldn't move a step, so why is she doing this?

"......"

An eerie silence.

Only then did I realize why.

Karon was looking at me.

"......I almost forgot you were here. I must have overlooked you."

"Hehe, it's okay if you forgot?"

"No, that's not acceptable. You're one of my precious students."

Ah, I see.

You're so precious that you want to strangle me to death?

Thank you.

"I'll cancel the 4 demerit points you received during the sparring class. You proved your skills before entering the ant nest."

The 4 demerit points I received for refusing to spar with Alex during class.

Since I proved my skills by defeating Gordner in a sparring match before entering the ant nest, he's keeping his promise to remove the demerit points.

"Oh, and I promised to give you merit points. 1 point should be enough, right?"

"Hehe, 1 point? I don't know what to do with myself."

"I'll also give you 2 demerit points."

What a crazy guy?

"Because you left the battlefield without reporting. 2 points is a cheap price. Of course, you must think so too, right?"

"He, hehe... I understand."

I couldn't say I didn't understand.

Otherwise, I'd be split in half by the killing machine Karon.

'This is how the ant nest episode concludes.'

-Just as I thought,

"But."

Karon flipped the stack of papers on the desk.

And there was a stiff piece of paper.

A piece of paper embroidered in gold.

"It's... a certificate...!"

"Wow! I've never seen one before!"

"Wait, does that mean...!"

A certificate?

The certificate event starts at the midterm exam.

This means it's a new development not in the game.

"Come forward, Zero."

Murmur.

The classroom became noisy, and the voices turned into noise.

The individual voices were so loud that I couldn't analyze the conversation.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and go."

Luna pushed my back.

As I started walking towards Karon, the noise refined into sounds and entered my ears.

Alex's applause, Eurydia's pleasant snort, Raymond's cheers.

Teron's grinding teeth.

Luna's "It's only natural since he's my friend" and other sounds.

And when I finally stood in front of Karon, the noise finally subsided.

"You noticed the danger and faced dozens of ants alone in a place no one knew about. It was a heroic act that saved your friends, but you didn't show off after that."

"Wow, such a thing...?"

"So we were safe because of him?"

The children's eyes changed.

For various reasons, but the main ones are two.

The child they ignored and looked down on saved them.

And he's strong enough to defeat dozens of ants.

The voices quickly subsided.

Because Karon continued speaking.

"Those with a sense of responsibility are the masters of history, while those without are the spectators. At Andwood Academy, those who understand the importance of responsibility have all become heroes."

Zero.

"To you, who understood and practiced the importance of responsibility and showed the spirit of a hero, I award 10 merit points."

In addition,

"I will also give you a certificate and a scholarship."

-You have been awarded the first certificate of this batch. As a role model, your stats have increased.

All stats except potential +5.

This is the first time I've received a certificate since being transported into the game.

With a hand full of snack crumbs.