Chapter 40

EP.40 End-of-Semester Evaluation (4)

Whoosh—!

“Whoa!”

I quickly threw myself to the side to dodge Shielle’s [Fireball].

The heat brushed past me threateningly. It was scary.

“C-Calm down! I didn’t come here to fight you!”

「Fireball (Fire Attribute, ★3)」

Another [Fireball] flew toward me.

Should I block it with [Ice Wall]? No, I can’t. Not only would I lose due to the attribute disadvantage, but the skill gap between Shielle and me is too large. The [Fireball] would melt the [Ice Wall] instantly and turn me into a roasted chicken.

I dodged to the side again. The [Fireball] missed me and hit the ground, scattering as orange mana in the wind.

…If I hadn’t cultivated my athletic skills, I would have been done for. Thanks, Knight Department!

“Who are you…? Who are you to disturb my sleep?”

Shielle spoke in a low voice. She kept her head bowed, only her violet eyes turning to look at me. Her expression was cynical and weak, as if she had no interest in anything.

“Why don’t you just sleep in the dormitory?”

“Are you picking a fight?”

Another [Fireball], the size of a medicine ball, appeared beside Shielle.

I waved my arms frantically in panic.

“No, calm down…! I came here to make a deal with you!”

“……”

“Can you detect the Pel Card well?”

“No need for questions.”

Shielle’s [Fireball] grew larger. This one was big enough to cause damage even if I dodged it by reflex.

Soon, the [Fireball] cut through the air toward me again.

“Hey, let’s talk…!”

There wasn’t enough time to activate [Ice Burst]. I needed preparation time to condense mana.

In the end, I used an attack spell I was familiar with.

「Frost Flame (Ice Attribute, ★4)」

I wrapped my hands in cold, icy flames and released them toward the [Fireball] coming at me.

The [Frost Flame] enveloped the [Fireball], but the aftermath hit me.

Whoosh—!

“Gah!”

The high-temperature magic and low-temperature magic collided, causing a misty steam explosion. The shock sent me flying.

At the same time, the [Fireball], which had lost some of its momentum but was still alive, crashed into the ground through the steam. The steam explosion had saved me.

My body rolled several times on the ground, and my school uniform was covered in dirt. Part of my uniform was burned, and as I rolled, I was scratched by sharp rocks, tearing my clothes and leaving cuts.

I finally came to a stop after hitting a rock.

‘Damn, I almost died…’

I coughed and struggled to stand up, leaning on the rock. My arm, which had hit the rock, was bruised. I could tell because my sleeve was rolled up. What a mess.

“Go away. Next time, it’ll be a 4-star spell. You won’t be lucky enough to dodge it this time.”

This girl, what’s her problem? Why can’t we just talk?

That’s what I wanted to protest, but I was too scared to do so.

“I didn’t want to use this, but….”

I grumbled and reached into the magic pouch in my chest.

Shielle seemed to sense my intentions and lightly extended her hand toward me. An orange magic circle appeared in front of her.

Fire mana began to gather in front of her magic circle.

I recognized this spell formation from my studies. It wasn’t [Fireball]. She was going to use a 4-star spell, [Sea of Fire].

[Sea of Fire] is a spell that pours flames like a tsunami. It has a wide attack range, of course. As she said, dodging it by luck like before would be impossible.

But I had a trump card.

After playing “The Mage Knight of Merchen” countless times, do you think I wouldn’t have figured out how to deal with you?

Before Shielle could use [Sea of Fire],

I swallowed hard and pulled out my trump card from the magic pouch.

“……?”

Shielle’s eyes sparkled. Her half-open eyes widened slightly. She was indeed surprised.

“Let’s make a deal, Shielle.”

What I pulled out was a blue ‘pillow.’ A high-quality pillow designed for ergonomic comfort, ensuring a good night’s sleep. It was a heroine-specific item from the secret shop that could significantly increase Shielle Carnadas’s affection. The product name was ‘Pillow that Makes Anyone Faint.’ It wasn’t something Ian needed.

Shielle analyzed the shape of my pillow based on her extensive experience with naps. As a nap expert, she seemed to recognize that the pillow I was holding was a high-quality product.

Her head, which had only been giving me side glances, turned completely toward me. The fire mana gathering for [Sea of Fire] dissipated.

This pillow had caught her interest.

Especially since she was currently leaning against a hard tree without a pillow. It was a situation where she needed it immediately, like looking for an umbrella in the rain.

“Where… did you get that?”

“Do you want it?”

Shielle gave a silent nod as a positive response. She seemed too proud to nod her head.

“I already said, I came here to make a deal with you. Listen to my request. If you do, I’ll give you this pillow, and there will be additional benefits for you.”

“What kind of benefits?”

“Can you detect the Pel Card yet?”

“…How did you know?”

I had asked her that before. She really wasn’t paying attention to anything I said.

The Pel Card emits such a weak mana that even A-class students can hardly detect it. Shielle Carnadas is no exception.

Since Shielle had planned to take a nap anyway, and the Pel Card couldn’t be detected, she must have immediately found a spot with good air and taken a nap.

It wasn’t a thoughtless action. In the latter half of “The Mage Knight of Merchen” Act 3, Chapter 3, “End-of-Semester Evaluation,” the difficulty increases when Shielle, who has woken up from her nap, joins the battle. She decided to adopt a strategy of ambushing and plundering students who possess the Pel Card. She probably thought it would be more efficient since she was strong.

“I’ll help you find the Pel Card. I’ll give you this pillow too.”

“I know who you are. Mana capacity E-class, a D-class underachiever. How can someone like you find the Pel Card?”

“Follow me.”

Shielle looked at me with a doubtful gaze.

[Shielle Carnadas]

Psychology: [She is suspicious of whether you have set a trap.]

“If you’re still suspicious, you can stay in a position where you can attack me at any time. If you see any evidence that I’m lying, then you can eliminate me.”

“……”

Shielle frowned, pondered for a moment, and then got up to follow me.

Shielle’s height reached my neck. I smiled down at her, a capitalist smile to ease her suspicion.

Of course, despite my mental labor, she didn’t respond. She just yawned and covered her mouth, looking drowsy.

“Hurry up.”

Yes, of course.

I knew where the Pel Card was in this forest. After walking for a while, a rock shaped like a raccoon’s head appeared.

Here it is. I squatted down and lifted a slightly large rock next to it.

Sure enough, the Pel Card was there.

“How…?”

Shielle looked surprised. Her sleepy eyes had suddenly widened.

I didn’t touch the card. If someone touches the card, they are considered to possess it.

That’s right, physical contact. The Pel Card is considered possessed by the last person who touched it, so you can make it yours by stealing it without necessarily eliminating the opponent.

But there’s no need to think that far. We can end this peacefully by ‘exchanging’ the cards. And my game knowledge makes that possible.

“You’re in D-class, right? What kind of monster-like mana detection ability is this…?”

“Consider it a trade secret.”

Shielle glared at me with suspicion.

“I felt your mana capacity when our spells collided. There’s no way someone as weak as you could have this kind of mana detection ability. What’s going on? If you don’t confess, there will be bloodshed.”

I held out the pillow.

“…But it’s a trade secret, so there’s nothing I can do. Everyone has secrets they want to keep. So, what deal do you want to make with me?”

I stood up and looked at Shielle. Finally, we can get to the main point.

“I’ll be your Pel Card guide. Wouldn’t it be better to finish this test quickly and take a comfortable nap? I’ll give you this pillow, of course. In return, I have two conditions.”

I tapped my chest.

“First, protect me. Second, after collecting all the Pel Cards, give me five of them. I need to pass the test too.”

In the end-of-semester evaluation, possessing a Pel Card makes you a target for other students. The possession status is broadcast in real-time, and the location of the possessor is also revealed.

Moreover, you need to collect five Pel Cards.

In other words, if someone as weak as me tries to collect Pel Cards quickly, I’ll just become a target for other students, easily