Chapter 216: A New Semester A New Evaluation 6
At the corner of the examination area, I sat down on an empty chair, arms crossed, quietly observing the chaos in front of me.
The constant buzz of mana flowed through my body, flickering beneath my skin like a hidden flame. I kept it active, idly igniting the energy inside me to keep my senses sharp.
Any moment now, it would be my turn to evaluate the freshmen on the stage.
Today was the day of the practical exams—the placement examination, where the incoming first-years would be put to the test.
Their performances would determine their class ranks and, ultimately, their futures within the academy.
Though the exam schedule had shifted and the location had changed, at its core, nothing was really different.
My objective for the day was simple: help the professors evaluate the incoming first-years by, well, beating the hell out of them.
Sure, bullying freshmen might not be the most morally sound way to spend an afternoon, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have its own kind of twisted appeal.
Although I wasn’t originally supposed to be here, I’d managed to pull some strings.
A little word from Princess Snow, and suddenly, I was part of the second-years assigned to help with the evaluation.
It might seem like a waste of time, given I could’ve been hunting down one of the open dungeons scattered around the academy grounds, honing my skills and getting stronger.
But I had my reasons for being here.
It wasn’t just for the thrill of knocking around a few fresh faces or to satisfy some sadistic sense of entertainment.
I needed a first-hand look at this year’s key players—the main characters for this semester.
‘Surprisingly, they’re all doing well’
Sure, a few of their actions had diverged from the original storyline—small changes that, while interesting, hadn’t thrown off the overall trajectory.
The core of their relationships, their friendships, was still forming as expected.
The bonds that would tie them together in the upcoming trials were being built, brick by brick.
Even my sister, Reina, had gotten swept up in all of this, which… well, that was a bit of a complication on its own.
She wasn’t supposed to be part of this mess, but fate—or probably rather, her own curiosity—had dragged her in.
I couldn’t say it was necessarily a bad thing though.
It could work out in her favor in the long run, assuming she learned to navigate the trials ahead.
My gaze shifted across the training grounds to another stage where the chaos continued, each first-year pushing themselves to their limit, desperately trying to prove they belonged here.
In the distance.
Lucas, our dear protagonist.
Was wiping the floor with the other first-years, just as expected.
Every opponent that stepped into the ring with him left battered, humiliated, and defeated.
Soon, it would be my sister’s turn to face him.
I felt a twinge of guilt for Reina.
She was strong, no doubt about that, but Lucas… Lucas was just different.
Lucas was the living embodiment of potential without limits.
Facing him wouldn’t just be difficult; it would be a brutal wake-up call.
Still, maybe that was what she needed.
Reina could be headstrong, confident to a fault at times.
Not that I blamed her—our upbringing had ingrained that in her.
‘Especially with the way dad and gramps tend to always praise her.’
But in this world, overconfidence without the means to back it up could be dangerous.
Being humbled early on would serve her better than anything.
Anyway, the heroines sure are divided this year.
That much was expected, but I was at least hoping all the knight-oriented heroines would be on the same stage as Lucas.
It would’ve made things simpler—just sit back and watch them in action, analyze their strengths and weaknesses in one go.
But of course, things never work out that conveniently.
The practical examination stages in our section were divided into three parts this year, which was one less than the four we had last year.
It seemed like a downgrade at first glance, but the key difference was that magic users were assigned to a completely separate section this time.
So, in reality, there were six stages being used across the grounds, likely to accommodate the increasing number of students entering the academy this year.
Not to mention, it was probably a subtle strategy by the academy to give the illusion of control and stability after the recent incident they’d been trying to sweep under the rug.
As I glanced around, I reminded myself of the two key heroines in the knight department scheduled to make their debut this year: Uriel Elora, the Spear of the Heavens, and Stacia Alger Del Luna, the Princess of the Kingdom of Luna.
Uriel was set to fight on the same stage as Lucas, which naturally made me a bit excited.
Her reputation much like in the game already preceded her—a prodigious spear user with a cold, stoic demeanor, often described as unreachable by her peers.
Seeing how she stacked up against Lucas would be something to look forward to.
In the storyline, she was supposed to be one of the strongest in her year, so if she performed as expected, she’d solidify her place among the key figures early on.
In the game you had the option of beating her or to letting her win, none of the either really mattered though as her interest for Lucas would develop from their single clash alone…
For reference in the game, I tended to beat the shit out of her, just so she can have a temporary exp boost once you can finally add her to your playable rooster.
Meanwhile, Stacia… well, she was scheduled to fight on the stage being handled by Kagami.
And honestly, I felt a bit bad for the guy.
Stacia wasn’t just a princess—she was infamous or at least for us players that is.
Known for her beauty, yes, but also for her cruel, sadistic tendencies, especially toward those she deemed beneath her.
Kagami, unfortunately, would be her victim today.
Although I’m relieved I won’t have to face the heroines directly, it makes my whole reason for coming here a lot more complicated.
If the timing isn’t perfect, Uriel and Stacia could end up fighting their respective opponents at the same time.
That would leave me in a bind—without Flamme’s mind duplication skill, I can’t focus on two different battles happening simultaneously.
I can only hope that doesn’t end up being the case.
Now, speaking of today’s magic-oriented heroines, I only managed to catch a glimpse of the action over at the mages’ evaluation area.
As expected, Flamme and Vanessa easily won their matches, which wasn’t much of a surprise.
Their opponents, while competent, were not on the level of geniuses like Snow or Rose when it came to magical prowess.
The fact that Flamme and Vanessa completely overwhelmed them was proof enough of the vast gap between the heroines and the average students in this world.
Flamme’s fight was quick, almost clinical in how efficiently she dispatched her opponent.
Her cold precision, the ruthless way she utilized her mana—it was textbook Flamme.
It was like she had already calculated every possible move her opponent could make before the fight even started.
Honestly, it was over before most people even realized what had happened.
No wasted energy, no unnecessary flair—just pure, raw efficiency.
Vanessa’s battle, on the other hand, lasted longer.
She seemed to be deliberately dragging it out, probably holding back for the sake of not completely humiliating her opponent.
It was clear from the start that she could have ended things much sooner if she wanted to.
But I suppose she has a kinder heart than Flamme when it comes to sparring with fellow students.
Still, even with her restraint, it was obvious she was leagues above her opponent.
Emilia, who, as expected, was exempt from the practical exams due to her placement in the general department.
That in itself was a bit of a relief.
Emilia was never meant to be part of these physical or magical battles, her strengths lying elsewhere entirely.
She was the key character for this arc considering demons and Evil god cultists will get directly involved soon.
Though I’ve decided to step in if things go terribly wrong, I’m not too keen on getting overly involved right now.
My focus is elsewhere—namely, preparing for Alice’s upcoming scenarios.
My mission isn’t over yet, and if I want to prevent another failure like what happened with Dorothy, I need to stay focused.
[Act 3, Chapter 1: A New Semester, A New Evaluation] is currently unfolding, and the protagonist is playing his role perfectly.
Lucas is handling things just fine for now.
If everything continues smoothly, I can leave the arc to him and focus on my own objectives—most importantly, saving Alice.
This time, I won’t fail.
“Hey there, Senior.”
“Hm?”
I turned my head toward the sound, pulling myself out of my thoughts.
The voice was familiar, and as soon as I saw who it belonged to, I quickly suppressed the shock that almost registered on my face.
Standing before me was a woman with long platinum blonde hair, her crimson eyes radiating an eerie yet captivating intensity.
She wore a uniquely designed red uniform that marked her high status, the intricate details of the fabric only accentuating her regal aura.
Covering half of her face was a delicate red fan with dark, ornate designs, obscuring her mouth.
But even without seeing her full expression, her eyes alone were enough to tell me she was smiling.
It was none other than Princess Stacia Alger Del Luna….
‘Why the heck is this crazed princess here?!’
