Chapter 212: A New Semester A New Evaluation 3
Hours before the ship would arrive at Arkein City, the bustling landing zone of Hamel City Mage’s Association was alive with activity.
Floating ships lined the sky, coming and going in orderly fashion, each one carrying eager students and esteemed passengers to their destinations.
Among them was a woman with bright golden hair that shimmered like the morning sun, standing near the boarding platform, her eyes fixed on the grand vessel she was about to board.
Reina Hell, she had been waiting for this moment for so long—her chance to become a student at the prestigious Arkein Academy.
‘Finally…’
The academy was the pinnacle of education, the best of the best, where dreams could take flight.
Her lips curled into a soft smile as she imagined the years ahead.
She had always aspired to be a knight, not just any knight, but one who saved people with a smile—a beacon of hope. That dream had driven her every step, and now, her journey to that goal was finally beginning.
Attending the academy was a crucial stepping stone, one she had worked hard for, and now it was right within her grasp.
As she prepared to board, adjusting the strap of her bag and checking her travel papers, a fleeting thought crossed her mind—her brother.
“Dumb brother…”
A small scoff escaped her as she recalled his face, a mixture of annoyance and affection coloring her thoughts.
Despite her excitement to finally attend the same academy as him, her brother had already gone ahead of her, boarding days before the official start.
She hadn’t even gotten a proper goodbye.
He’d brushed her off with a vague excuse, saying it was “about important stuff.”
But Reina wasn’t so easily convinced.
She had known her brother her whole life, and while he was always a bit of an oddball, something had changed recently.
Ever since he came back from their winter vacation, he’d been acting off.
More serious.
More tense.
Gone was the carefree brother who’d tease her relentlessly, replaced by someone who seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
She had tried to ask him about it, of course, but his responses were always evasive, shrouded in mystery.
‘What could possibly be so important that it changed him so much?’
Reina couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions as she thought about her brother.
Not only had he grown more serious, but he had also become much stronger than she ever expected.
She recalled the one time she had asked him for a friendly duel, eager to test her skills against him.
To her surprise, she lost miserably.
His improvement had been far beyond what she imagined, and while she was proud of him—happy, even—there was a small part of her that couldn’t help but pout in disappointment.
‘I wanted us to be together during the academy’s opening.’
She had imagined a different kind of reunion.
Her brother would be there to guide her, walking through the academy grounds together, reconnecting after their time apart.
It had been so long since they had truly spent time together—he had already been enrolled while she was still preparing to join.
Even in the vacation he hardly made time for her, with his Fiancé around.
She had hoped they could rekindle that sibling bond they used to share, back when things were simpler.
As Reina stood on the edge of the boarding ramp, she sighed softly, pushing those wistful thoughts aside.
Stepping aboard the ship, leaving her lingering disappointment behind.
Her bright golden hair shimmered in the sunlight as she gave a brief wave of farewell to the knights attending her, who had been sent by her sister-in-law to ensure her safety.
Though Reina appreciated their concern, she was more than capable of handling herself.
This wasn’t her first time riding a floating ship, and she knew the rules and regulations like the back of her hand.
The knights nodded in return before taking their leave, knowing that Reina could take care of herself once aboard.
Unlike many of the other students who were bustling around the ship, some looking lost and in need of direction, Reina moved confidently.
With a composed stride, she quickly found her section—Section A—located conveniently near the front.
Reina smiled softly, her excitement bubbling inside as she noticed she had been assigned the window seat.
Settling into the chair, she allowed herself a brief moment of peace, gazing out at the vast sky.
Despite her eagerness for the adventure ahead, she decided to calm her nerves and closed her eyes to get some rest.
But just as she began to relax, goosebumps suddenly prickled along her skin. A chill ran down her spine.
The hairs on her arms stood on end, and an unsettling, almost threatening presence washed over her. Instinctively, Reina’s hand shot towards her waist, reaching for the sword she usually carried.
Her knightly training kicked in, and her body moved on its own, preparing to defend herself.
“Oh my, you can’t do that. You’ll get in trouble, you know?”
A soft, almost teasing voice broke through the tension, accompanied by a light touch that gently but firmly stopped her from grabbing her weapon.
Startled, Reina’s eyes snapped open, and she turned her head quickly to see who had intervened.
“Who—?”
Before her stood a young woman, seemingly the same age as Reina, dressed in baggy robes that concealed much of her figure.
Her silvery-gray eyes gleamed with curiosity, and there was a strange, eerie aura about her.
The longer Reina looked, the more unnerving the young woman seemed.
There was something off—something that made Reina’s skin crawl.
And what was worse, she hadn’t sensed her presence at all.
Reina prided herself on her sharp mana detection and presence awareness, skills she had honed during her training as a knight.
But this woman—had appeared out of nowhere, as if she had materialized from thin air.
‘How is that even possible?’
“I’ll introduce myself first, My name’s Flamme. Just Flamme. I’m not a commoner, but I’m not exactly a noble either, so feel free to speak to me however you like, Miss Reina~”
“You… know me?”
Reina asked cautiously, her eyes narrowing slightly. There was no reason for a stranger to be this familiar with her.
“Yes,” Flamme replied, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Only partially, though. There wasn’t much information about you, you see.”
The way Flamme spoke sent a shiver down Reina’s spine.
The calmness in her voice, coupled with the insinuation that she had been searching for information about Reina, only made things more unsettling.
‘Who is this girl?’
“Now that I take a closer look at you… you’re surprisingly weak, aren’t you?” Flamme’s voice dripped with amusement as she eyed Reina, her gaze sharp and unrelenting.
Reina blinked, her confusion quickly turning to indignation. “What are—”
“Tsk, tsk~” Flamme clicked her tongue in mock disappointment. “And here I got excited for nothing. I was actually hoping you wouldn’t disappoint me, unlike your brother. But I guess it runs in the family, huh? By the way, where is he?” She glanced around, lazily scanning the surrounding seats. “Is he in a different section, perhaps?”
The casual insult struck Reina like a slap to the face.
She felt her entire body tense, anger surging within her.
How dare this woman—this stranger—insult not only her but her brother, and by extension, her entire bloodline?
She had only just met this person, and yet Flamme spoke with such arrogance, as if she knew everything about her.
The audacity was infuriating.
“You…” Reina’s voice quivered with rage as she stood from her seat, her hand instinctively reaching for her sword once more.
The blade’s weight offered her a sense of control, a reminder that she had every right—under Imperial law and honor—to defend herself and her family from such slander.
A duel could be called for much less.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but—”
“But what?” Flamme interrupted, her voice suddenly dropping an octave, filled with a chilling calmness.
She turned her silvery gaze toward Reina, and in that instant, it felt as though the air around them thickened, suffocating with an unseen pressure.
Before Reina could react, her body was slammed back into her seat as if an invisible force had pinned her there. Her vision blurred for a moment, and her breath caught in her throat.
She gasped, struggling against the overwhelming pressure that immobilized her.
Her hand, which had been so confidently gripping her sword, now lay limp at her side.
Reina’s mind raced as she tried to make sense of what was happening.
The presence she had sensed before—the threatening, suffocating energy—was now back, but this time it was far worse.
It felt like a dark shadow had descended upon her, filling every corner of the space around her, rendering her powerless.
And her neck was on the line.
“Don’t be hasty with your blade now,” Flamme said, her voice dripping with teasing amusement.
She leaned in slightly, her smirk widening as she watched Reina, who still seemed frozen in shock.
“I told you, didn’t I? You’ll get in trouble~”
Flamme’s smirk grew even more irritating to Reina, who felt her heart pound with a mix of anger and frustration.
This wasn’t exactly how she’d planned to approach Reina, but since she’d gone through the trouble of sneaking aboard the ship, she at least wanted to satisfy her own curiosity—and maybe toy with her a little in the process.
Though she knew there would be consequences for her actions, especially regarding Riley, the thought of it only seemed to excite her more.
There was a twisted allure in the danger she was courting, and Flamme reveled in it, ignoring the clearly shocked expression plastered across Reina’s face.
“So,” Flamme asked again, her voice casual, as if nothing had happened, “where is your brother?”
Flamme, knew she was running out of time.
She had come here under the very noses of the imperial guards who were assigned to watch her.
She could only operate for so long before someone noticed her absence—or perhaps they already had.
The thought of the guards panicking behind the scenes almost made her laugh.
She could already picture the frantic mess her actions had likely caused.
‘Snow will probably strangle me to death once she hears about this~ ‘
Flamme thought to herself with a shiver, imagining her childhood friend’s furious expression.
Reina’s voice finally broke through the haze, low and guarded. “He’s not here.”
Flamme’s playful smirk faltered for a moment. “Huh?”
“My brother,” Reina repeated, her tone more forceful now, though there was still a wariness in her eyes. “He left for the academy days ago.”
Flamme’s eyes narrowed. “No way. You’re lying.” She tilted her head slightly, her silver-gray eyes gleaming with suspicion. “I’m sure he was supposed to board the ship today. Right, Neru?”
Reina’s confusion deepened as she watched Flamme seemingly talk to the air. Who in the world is she speaking to?
Flamme’s expression twisted with mild annoyance as she mumbled under her breath.
For a moment, she seemed lost in her own world, as if communicating with someone Reina couldn’t see.
The entire situation grew more unsettling by the second, and Reina couldn’t help but feel that the longer Flamme lingered, the more dangerous things would become.
“Is she… crazy?” Reina mumbled aloud; her hand still close to the hilt of her sword.
“She must be lying, right, Neru? After all, the spirit—”
“….”
Flamme paused mid-sentence, her expression twisting in disbelief.
“Wait, what? It could be just a prank?”
“Then what was the purpose of all my effort coming here? What do you mean you told me? You didn’t tell me shit!”
“….”
“Yes, warned, maybe, but this and that are different!”
“L-Look, there’s still an empty seat. I’m sure this girl is just lying. After all, I’m very suspicious right now! There’s no way she’ll tell me the truth, right?”
Reina’s brows knitted in confusion as Flamme continued to argue with thin air.
“What do you mean she’s not lying?” Flamme scoffed, a touch of incredulity coloring her voice. “Haha, I’ll have you know; I can sense lies!”
Hours later, after her proud declaration and continued muttering with herself, Enna arrived, her very presence deflating Flamme’s earlier excitement.
Flamme sighed dramatically, her previous smugness evaporating as disappointment settled in.
She glared at the arriving girl as if her very existence was some kind of personal offense.
“Tsk~ so it really was somebody else,”
…..
“Wow! Look, the academy is in view!” Enna exclaimed, her face lighting up with awe as she pressed closer to the window.
The sprawling academy loomed on the horizon, its towering spires and intricate architecture glowing beneath the afternoon sun. “It’s so big and beautiful~”
Reina, sitting beside her, couldn’t help but share in the excitement. “It does look impressive,” she mumbled, her voice softer but no less filled with admiration.
The ride had only taken an hour at most, but time seemed to have flown by with all the new experiences and anticipation filling the air.
Enna smiled at Reina, grateful for the unexpected bond they had formed during the journey.
After the awkward introduction with both Reina and Flamme, she had been worried, but it turned out that she and Reina had gotten along surprisingly well.
Despite that, Enna couldn’t shake the curiosity that lingered about the strange dynamic between Reina and Flamme.
Throughout the entire trip, the two had barely acknowledged each other’s presence, as if an unspoken tension existed between them.
Enna had no idea what had caused this rift—especially since both seemed interesting in their own ways—but the silence between them was hard to ignore.
Glancing at Flamme, who was now staring out the window with a distant, unfriendly look, Enna felt a pang of disappointment.
She had hoped to befriend both girls, but Flamme appeared to live in a world entirely her own.
‘She keeps mumbling to herself,’ Enna thought, her eyes narrowing slightly in thought as she observed the strange girl. ‘Is she contracted with a spirit?’
Enna’s own experience with the Church of Light had made her familiar with magical contracts and spiritual bonds, and she wondered why she couldn’t feel the presence of a spirit despite Flamme’s odd behavior.
It was something she made a mental note to look into later.
For now, she was content with the connection she had made with Reina, knowing that, at the very least, she had formed one good friendship during this journey.
“Now that we’re getting closer, I wonder if I’ll pass?” Enna murmured, her excitement quickly giving way to nervousness as the academy came into clearer view. “They say the written exams at the academy are notorious for being scholar killers…”
She had been confident in her academic abilities at first, but the looming grandeur of the institution before her made doubt creep in.
What if she wasn’t as prepared as she thought?
Reina glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. “You said you’re taking the general courses, right, Miss Enna?”
“Yes.”
“Then you don’t have to worry too much,” Reina reassured her with a calm smile.
“Although the academy is well-known for its almost impossible written exams, that’s only for those taking the Magic Department courses. For the general courses, the focus is more balanced. And even in the combat-based classes, it’s the practical evaluation exams that really matter.”
“R-Really? Phew~”
Enna let out a sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. She still had concerns, but at least the written exams wouldn’t be as terrifying as she initially thought.
“What about you, Miss Reina? Aren’t you nervous about the exams? You’re going to the Knight Department, right?”
Since it was widely known that in the academy’s practical evaluations, juniors had to face off against seniors to determine their rank and secure permission to fully enroll, Enna couldn’t help but feel concerned for Reina.
With her beautiful, delicate appearance, the thought of her friend getting hurt in such a rigorous exam made Enna anxious.
“I won’t say I’m not nervous,” Reina admitted, her voice steady and confident. “But I’m fairly confident in my skills.”
Before Enna could respond, a sudden, quiet chuckle cut through the conversation.
“Pft~” Flamme’s lips curled into a smirk as she let out a soft, mocking laugh, her silvery-gray eyes glinting with amusement.
Reina’s expression hardened as she shot a sharp look at Flamme. “What?”
Flamme waved a dismissive hand, her smirk widening. “Oh, nothing~” she teased, her tone light but dripping with condescension.
Sparks seemed to crackle in the air between Reina and Flamme, the tension palpable.
Enna, caught in the middle, could only watch as the air between the two thickened with unspoken rivalry.
No more like unspoken hatred?
‘T-They’re at it again…’
Enna groaned internally, trying her best to remain calm as the tension between Reina and Flamme escalated once more.
She sighed in silent disappointment, having endured this unspoken rivalry for what felt like an eternity.
The two had been subtly sniping at each other with sharp looks and passive-aggressive remarks, as if they were on the verge of a full-blown confrontation at any moment.
Enna, caught in the crossfire, was desperate for a way to diffuse the situation.
Her eyes darted behind her, searching for a lifeline.
Spotting Anna and Amon seated a few rows back, she shot them a pleading, teary-eyed look—a silent cry for help.
But to her utter dismay, both of them immediately averted their gazes, busily pretending to be engrossed in anything else but the brewing storm at Enna’s side.
‘Traitors!!!’ she screamed internally, feeling utterly betrayed.
Enna knew friendships came with their own set of challenges, but this? She hadn’t been prepared for something like this.
…
SWOOOSHHH—!!!
A silvery streak sliced through the air, cleanly cutting the Minotaur in half.
Its massive body collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud, the final echo of a grueling battle.
“Not using mana sure is tough…” I muttered, letting out an exhausted sigh as I surveyed the scene before me.
Corpses of various monsters littered the ground, their defeated forms a testament to the battle that had just taken place.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, glancing at the Minotaur’s bisected body.
That should be the last one… for a B-rank boss, he was quite impressive—granted, I gave him a handicap.
A familiar ding echoed in my ears, pulling my attention away from the fallen creatures.
[Note: Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
The system notifications flashed in front of me, and I glanced over my stats with satisfaction.
My progress had been impressive since the winter break, and if I hadn’t arrived early at the academy, I would’ve missed this dungeon entirely.
But now, with another level boost and an array of new skills, I felt more prepared than ever.
And, more importantly, I finally secured the item I had been after.
[Item Acquired: Ring of Light]
A small smile crept onto my face as I examined the delicate ring.
This would be my key to dealing with the Saintess. Its effects were subtle—just a faint glow towards one’s soul, that would hardly attract her attention.
Today’s the day of the academy entrance exam.
They should be arriving by now.
With a deep breath, I shook off the remnants of fatigue that clung to my body.
Igniting the mana within me, a refreshing surge of energy rushed through my veins, banishing any remaining exhaustion.
My muscles felt lighter, my focus sharper.
I better hurry… wouldn’t want to be late for the exam after all.
‘I have some students to test.’
