Chapter 37

EP.37 End-of-Semester Evaluation (1)

"It's almost time for the end-of-semester evaluation."

In the lecture hall of the Orphen Hall, A Class. The top five students, who had come to attend the morning class, were seated far apart from each other. The space seemed unnecessarily large compared to the number of students.

They were all focused on the middle-aged male professor with red hair standing in front of the lectern, Professor Philip Meltren.

He stood with his hands behind his back, calmly announcing the details.

"The end-of-semester evaluation consists of written and practical exams. The written exam will be held over five days, with each day lasting nine hours. The practical exam will take place at the old academy grounds for five hours. You are the elite of the elites and the nobles of the nobles, so I believe you will all achieve excellent results until the end."

'Nobles of the nobles.' This was a phrase often used by Professor Philip, known among the students as a classist, to praise the A Class students.

Of course, it was a compliment that left the five A Class female students unimpressed.

Risetta Lionheart, who wore the male uniform with her shirt buttons undone.

Keridna Whiteclaw, who always wore a mysterious, lecherous smile.

Ciel Carnedas, who was always sleeping.

Kaya Astraean, who had a sharp, military-like demeanor despite her bright eyes.

And Luze Eltania, the top of the first year, who was indifferent to everyone.

Professor Philip was satisfied with A Class, which was composed entirely of outstanding students, despite his dislike of commoners.

"Ciel Carnedas, will you be sleeping during the end-of-semester evaluation as well?"

Ciel Carnedas, a petite girl with wavy blue short hair, nodded her head and struggled to open her eyes.

She had been sleeping in class for a long time. This was an attitude that could have led to a deduction in her conduct score, but Philip, who was petty towards commoners and lenient towards nobles, usually let it slide.

His comment a moment ago was half in jest.

Ciel wiped the drool from her mouth with her sleeve and rubbed her eyes weakly as she looked at Philip.

"Probably…."

Except for Luze, who was indifferent to others, the other three students looked exasperated.

Philip, however, just smiled kindly.

"Well, let's start the class."

Professor Philip had adapted to the quirks of A Class.

* * *

"I will now explain the rules of the end-of-semester practical exam, the 'Fel Card Capture.'"

Finally, the third act, third chapter, "End-of-Semester Evaluation" of <The Magic Knight of Merhen> has begun.

Until last week, we had a written exam for five days, each lasting nine hours. It was much harder to do in reality than it was in the game.

Especially the subjects were stressful. 'Introduction to Basic Magic,' 'Basic Elemental Studies,' 'Magical Beast Ecology,' 'Magical Artifact Studies,' 'Rune Analysis,' etc. As a humanities major, solving calculation problems was a nightmare.

Studying while training had its limits, so I couldn't fully grasp all the content and take the exam, but I did my best and expect to get a decent score.

This is the square of the old Merhen Academy, which is now abandoned.

All the first-year students of the Magic Department, including me, were standing in an orderly manner in the square. Around us were beautiful but abandoned buildings and overgrown gardens.

Professor Fernando was on a stage in front of the students, holding a megaphone and speaking. Behind him, other professors and exam supervisors were standing.

"The rules are simple. Collect five 'Fel Cards' and submit them to the designated place to pass the exam."

Professor Fernando used telekinesis to lift a card and show it to the students. It was an elegant card with symbols representing a magic book and a magician.

"The Fel Cards are hidden throughout the vast grounds of the old academy. They emit very weak mana, making them hard to find."

The radius of the old Merhen Academy grounds is comparable to Yoido in Korea. In short, it's very large.

"The designated place will be revealed once you collect five Fel Cards. The location is randomly determined, so there's no need to get excited if you find it by chance. For reference, it's possible to steal Fel Cards. If you knock out a student holding a Fel Card, it will automatically transfer to you due to the telekinesis magic embedded in it."

The students started murmuring.

'What do I do if I can't fight?' 'Is this a survival game too?' These were the same reactions as during the class assignment evaluation.

In the midst of this, I suddenly made eye contact with Dorothy Hartnova, one of the exam supervisors standing behind Professor Fernando.

She smiled brightly like the sun, tilted her head, and waved at me. The star and moon earrings on her ears sparkled in the sunlight.

'My favorite character is so cute~.'

I forced back a fatherly smile and subtly waved back.

However, the arrogant male students around me blushed when they saw Dorothy's smile. Sorry, but that greeting was for me, kids.

"And the biggest feature of this end-of-semester evaluation is…"

Professor Fernando raised his index finger. The students followed his finger and looked up at the sky.

"Real-time information about the top five students will be displayed."

In the clear sky, a large number of mana particles, resembling sand, were engraved. There were two large rectangles, each with five vertical lines marked with '—'. It was on a massive scale.

Fel

—

—

—

—

—

Eliminations

—

—

—

—

—

"The left column shows how many Fel Cards each student has.

The right column shows how many students each has eliminated."

This means that the top five students in terms of card possession and eliminations will be live-streamed.

"Next, look at the bracelets we gave you."

The students looked down at the bracelets given by the school, which they were all wearing on their wrists.

Each bracelet had buttons labeled 'Fel' and 'Eliminations.'

"You cannot remove these bracelets until the end-of-semester evaluation is over. As long as you have them, your location will be transmitted to us in real-time."

These bracelets are like GPS powered by magic.

They will be removed automatically once you pass the evaluation.

"And you can also check the locations of the top five students through these bracelets. Whether you steal Fel Cards or run away, it's up to you. Your choices will all be reflected in the evaluation, so act carefully."

In other words, this is a survival game, a game of wits, and a capture game.

It comprehensively evaluates your mana detection, combat skills, tactical abilities, and problem-solving skills as a magician.

"The time limit is five hours. If you collect five Fel Cards and reach the designated place within that time, you can go home. There are no bonus points for collecting more than five Fel Cards, so don't waste your time."

"Professor, what happens if we fail the exam?"

A male student raised his hand and asked. Fernando explained with his usual icy expression.

"If a student becomes unable to fight or fails to complete the exam within the time limit… they will have to attend mandatory remedial classes until late tonight."

"Whaaat?!"

The students were shocked, but they quieted down when Fernando casually waved his hand.

"It's a penalty. We won't remove the bracelets in case you try to run away."

Professor Fernando, who seemed to care little about the students' complaints, firmly stated this.

The students showed reactions of shock or disgust.

"Lastly, this is the end of your first semester. I hope you finish it well. That's all."

After Professor Fernando finished his explanation, the organizer instructed everyone to board the carriages.

As the students grumbled and left, and I was about to move, Dorothy suddenly cupped her hand to her mouth and mouthed 'fighting.' Then, she raised her right arm and waved quietly.

Oh, so cute. I'm dying.

Behind the square, small carriages, modified like compact cars, were waiting in a row. Any carriage would take the student to a designated location.

I chose a random carriage and decided to organize my thoughts while being taken to my location.

The final part of the first semester, the end-of-semester evaluation and the Neoshinjo extermination. I had already planned for this.

During the end-of-semester evaluation, when Luze passes the exam and the sun is setting,

The demon 'Bera of Servitude' appears to steal Luze's familiar.

This demon boasts extreme dominance, arguably the strongest in the world of <The Magic Knight of Merhen> when it comes to familiars.

The demon forcibly summons Luze's familiar, Neoshinjo-Gallia, to serve under her.

It then goes to the exam site to kill the protagonist, Ian Fairytail, but fails due to Dorothy's intervention.

When Dorothy retreats to ensure the students' safety, she will cast a vast Neoshinjo barrier that will cover the entire old Merhen Academy grounds.

If I don't pass the end-of-semester evaluation in time, the plan to 'eliminate Bera of Servitude at the optimal moment' will fall apart.

"In other words, my goal is…"

To pass the end-of-semester evaluation as quickly as possible, remove the bracelet, and prepare for the <The Magic Knight of Merhen> Act 3, Chapter 4, "Neoshinjo Extermination" part.

By the way, not participating in the exam was not an option. Absence for reasons other than those specified