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Chapter 37: Forming a Team for the Group Competition

After the incident at the fortress, Isabel changed.

First, she apologized to her friends for getting angry at them.

In turn, her friends admitted they had spoken too hastily and apologized as well.

It was a heartwarming scene, reflective of Isabel's normally upright character.

Her training intensity had also increased, though not to the point of overexertion.

She learned to pace herself, taking a broader, longer-term view instead of seeking short-term gains.

Even Ban acknowledged that Isabel's potential for growth had significantly increased.

One other notable change stood out: her face, which had been losing its vitality, now radiated brightness.

Though not as lively as before Lucas's death, she had regained much of her characteristic cheerfulness, resuming her role as the bright heroine who lifted everyone's spirits.

However, there was one person she still didn’t treat warmly.

“You know, when you act like that, it scares the others!”

“If something like this frightens them, they’re unfit to be students at Zerion Academy.”

“There you go again. You're too strict.”

“The others are just too lax.”

That person was me.

About a week had passed since my incident with Isabel.

For a while, she avoided eye contact with me.

But lately, she started confronting me whenever she thought I was up to something.

It felt even more intense than when she had been fiercely criticizing Lucas.

“Looks like you’ve made yourself quite the enemy.”

After another argument with Isabel, I returned to my seat, where Seron clicked her tongue at me.

This morning, I had scolded some students for slacking off during class.

And, as expected, Isabel jumped in to argue.

“Why do you keep provoking Isabel, Princess Sweet Potato?”

“I never provoke her first. She’s the one who starts it.”

“Sweet Potato, it’s because you respond to her differently than you do with others.”

“You seem to be the type that’s hard to coexist with.”

“Is that so?”

Seron tilted her head.

By the way, is this girl sticking to me for good now?

“Speaking of which, why don’t you patch things up with the girls?”

Seron was still at odds with the girls.

I suggested she make amends, but she just snorted.

“I couldn’t care less about them.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t care less about you either.”

“Geez, what’s with you? I just realized it’s easier this way.”

Seron crossed her arms and leaned back against the desk.

“When you’re in the middle of those girls, you have to constantly read the room, whether you like it or not. It’s exhausting, not being able to say what you want.”

“Can you even hold back?”

The idea of headstrong Seron holding back was laughable.

What kind of world do girls live in?

“Well, I don’t have to do that with you, right?”

“Yeah, I wish you’d hold back with me too.”

“I’d rather bite my tongue and die.”

Such harsh words.

It seemed Seron had embraced the life of a lone wolf.

But she needed to learn how to rejoin the pack.

What a shame.

As I clicked my tongue, I happened to lock eyes with Isabel across the room.

She looked back with determination in her eyes, then turned away.

Before, a meeting of our eyes would have ignited a fiery argument.

Now, her demeanor toward me had softened noticeably.

To others, it might still look like we were always at odds.

But it was clear to me that her feelings weren’t just anger anymore.

Though I couldn’t fully grasp Isabel’s emotions, I knew what one of them was:

Rivalry.

Isabel sought to carry out Lucas’s will and save everyone.

I aimed to restore Zerion Academy’s tarnished name, born from Lucas’s death, by saving everyone.

Though our motivations were different, our goals were the same.

From this, a sense of rivalry had sparked in Isabel.

Not bad.

If I could fan the flames of her spirit, that was enough for me.

Her brightness would undoubtedly attract many others.

After all, many of those who had surrounded Lucas in the past had been drawn by her light.

Isabel would surely play that role well again.

At least Isabel’s path seems clear.

But one person was heading in a completely different direction: Nikita Cynthia.

She was writhing in her small frame, determined to become the Dragon of Calamity.

Creak—

Just then, the classroom door opened.

In came Professor Vega, the second-year martial arts instructor, who had left after the morning lecture.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something,”

She said, scratching her head lazily and yawning.

“There’s going to be a group competition exam soon.”

Act 3, Scene 5: The curtain rose on the group competition.

“Notable officials from the Empire will observe this competition.”

Zerion Academy was an imperial academy, founded by the Empire.

Thus, the observers were always people holding high positions in the Empire.

‘The exchanges with other academies won’t start until Act 4.’

For now, all Zerion Academy students were imperial citizens.

The announcement of observers caused a stir among the students.

This was a first, as there had been no such event last year.

“Make sure not to embarrass the academy. I’m tired of budget cuts,”

Vega added, yawning loudly before leaving.

“We’ll need to form teams for the group competition.”

This time, unlike before, we couldn’t team up with first-years.

Since it was a grade-level exam, teams had to be formed within our year.

Each team required five members: two in the vanguard, two in the rear guard, and one healer.

I happened to catch Seron’s eye.

She held up three fingers.

“The vanguard’s got you and me, Sweet Potato. That leaves us needing three more.”

“Where are we supposed to find four more people?”

Of course, I wasn’t looking at Seron when I said that.

Realizing my comment, Seron’s face flushed red with anger.

As her voice rose in indignation, I pondered my options.

Getting a high score in this group competition was crucial.

One of the observers would be someone I absolutely needed to win over and secure sponsorship from.

To do that, we had to dominate this competition.

‘The vanguard is set, with me leading.’

For the rear guard, I needed someone with strong firepower.

The problem was, I didn’t have any particular connection with any rear-guard students.

‘Well, there is one guy…’

But he was unpredictable.

‘And one girl…’

She was even more of a wildcard.

‘There's one girl, too, but…’

She's a more free-spirited person, so who knows.

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‘Plus, we probably can’t rely on the Saint for recovery this time.’

Last time, we had a cause persuasive enough to convince the Saint.

The Saint is like a hidden card.

And a hidden card isn’t something you can just use willy-nilly.

Even if we tried to use him for the team match,

at best, he’d only fill the gap in the lineup.

For the sake of fair competition, he wouldn’t demonstrate power far beyond that of the average believers.

‘Is there no other way?’

In the end, I got up from my seat, determined to secure victory.

"Where are you going?"

"To deliver some bread."

"Bread? Why bread?"

Saron gave me a puzzled look, but this was the best I could think of.

* * *

Nom nom.

In front of me, someone was eagerly munching on bread with a small mouth.

Her deep navy-blue hair shimmered as if reflecting starlight.

She wore dangling earrings and had a star-shaped beauty mark.

Sharin Sazaris.

The top student of the magic arts department.

“Nom nom, so you’re asking me to join your team for the group match?”

With her usual languid expression, Sharin drawled her words.

She licked her fingers after tasting the bread I brought her.

"Why should I, though?"

Sharin tilted her head, a pure, innocent question as to why she should join my team.

"At least finish your bread first before talking."

"This bread, Hannon, is something you gave me because you like me, isn’t it?"

What a ridiculous assumption.

Despite her words, Sharin didn’t stop nibbling on the bread, a lazy smile curling her lips.

"Then say something that’ll convince me to join your team, Hannon."

Sharin, the top student in magic arts as a second-year,

was someone who must have already received countless offers to join teams for the group match.

Occasionally, if the mood struck her, she’d whimsically join some team.

That’s why everyone tries their luck with her.

And Sharin would always ask them the same question:

What’s in it for me?

Why should I join your team?

Their answer was always predictable.

"We’ll win first place in the group match."

Anyone can say that with their mouth.

But I know better.

"You’re not really interested in the group match, are you?"

The group match is included in the students’ final grades.

Naturally, students are desperate to achieve good results in it.

But what about Sharin?

Even as the top student in magic arts, she has zero interest in grades.

The reason she’s the top student is simple.

Her extraordinary talent in magic is something the magic arts professor recognizes more than anyone else.

The second-year magic arts professor is a firm believer in meritocracy.

His grading criteria are entirely based on one thing: how much magical aptitude the student demonstrates.

For Sharin, whose magical talent is said to appear once in a thousand years,

the professor always gives her the highest marks, regardless of her actual results.

Some criticize this as bias,

but anyone familiar with magic arts understands.

Sharin’s abilities are such that no grade lower than top marks would suffice.

So, even though Sharin has no interest in grades, she remains the top student.

Because of this, those who don’t understand magic arts or Sharin assume she’s working hard to maintain her grades.

"So what’s in this group match for someone like you?"

When I hit her weak spot, Sharin’s eyes narrowed.

"Hannon, you know way too much about meee."

"That’s why I’ll propose something else."

Sharin’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"Your father."

At those words, Sharin froze on the spot.

"I’ll teach you how to strike a blow against him."

Her eyes widened at my remark.

"Sharin!"

The door to the magic arts classroom, empty during lunchtime, suddenly burst open, and someone entered.

A girl with honey-blonde hair reminiscent of sunlight.

Isabel Luna.

She stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she saw Sharin and me together.

"Uh?"

Her gaze questioned why the two of us were together.

Her best friend and her rival.

Isabel froze as she looked between us.

Oh, no.

I hadn’t expected Isabel to show up at this moment, and I found myself momentarily taken aback.

Silence filled the room.

Sharin was frozen by my words.

Isabel was frozen by the sight of Sharin and me together.

And I was frozen by Isabel’s unexpected appearance.

The situation had suddenly turned into a complete mess.

[PR/N: A mexican standoff!]

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