Chapter 140

I found it a bit absurd that I might be seen as a siege weapon or a mercenary, but then again, it makes sense if you think about it.

This exam is centered around a conquest. The chances of getting into a muddy brawl while stealing and being stolen from are pretty high.

In such a scenario, if I belong to a specific team, that team gains a serious advantage.

Even if the other students swarm like a pack of wolves, they won’t be able to beat me. That’s an undeniable fact.

“At this point, you might as well accept it. No matter what, it’s going to be tough to beat Sivar. But excluding him would be unfair.”

Malboro said this while rubbing his face with one hand, looking rather troubled.

Even though they came up with the plan themselves, it seems they weren’t too confident about it. That must have been the best solution they could think of.

“Therefore, Sivar won’t be participating directly; rather, the scores will be assessed in another way. I’ll provide more details after the exam, so just keep this in mind.”

“Professor, is it really okay when someone like Sivar could easily wipe out a castle?”

Kara raised her hand and asked. It felt a bit exaggerated, but not entirely untrue.

She was one of the few who had witnessed my strength firsthand. It wasn’t strange for her to say such things.

Realistically, a few death beams would likely obliterate any castle. Not just one shot, but several.

‘Because castles are awfully sturdy.’

The castle in my past life was a veritable fortress. Some had stood firm for centuries.

But even such castles were useless against explosive weapons like cannons, and this world is different.

Truly, it’s ridiculously sturdy. Often, even heavy magic attacks leave it standing!

I have no idea what material it’s made of, but it’s beyond just tough.

“That’s why we’re treating Sivar as a siege weapon. We adopted this method under the assumption that he could easily bring down the castle walls. If it doesn’t break easily, that’d be even better.”

“It really does sound like they’re treating him as some sort of doomsday weapon.”

Grace muttered incredulously from beside me. I agreed with that sentiment.

The problem was that I couldn’t find any grounds to argue against it. As I mentioned earlier, the professors put in a lot of effort to create this plan.

“Sivar’s position differs from that of other siege weapons in that he’s fixed. However, since he doubles as a siege weapon and a mercenary, contracts will be necessary for alliances. If the contract is broken or if Sivar is unsatisfactory, it can be terminated.”

“Will you inform us of the terms of this contract during the exam?”

“No. You’ll have to present the conditions to Sivar yourself.”

At Malboro’s response, the students began to whisper among themselves. It could easily escalate into a political contest.

Malboro seemed to anticipate this and added further explanation.

“However, involving outside matters is absolutely not allowed. For instance, you can’t promise to do something for them after the exam is over. Contracts can only be made based on what’s present in the examination ground.”

“That’s a shame. I was planning to bring chocolate.”

“That would complicate things a little.”

Kara looked disappointed, and Grace nodded seriously.

Even if the method itself seemed flimsy, the content wasn’t bad. It was a more reasonable level of understanding than previously.

It seemed they aimed to completely block out the possibility of chaos that could arise if outside matters came into play.

Probably, they solidified this decision after seeing how Kara tried to coax me during the midterm exams.

“There’s also something Sivar needs to be cautious about. If he gains benefits through double contracts, it could lead to disadvantages or even expulsion for him, so make sure to enter carefully.”

“… …”

It seemed others would be taking the exam while I was being given a lesson in social interactions.

That wasn’t entirely bad; for me, it was just a matter of choosing whoever offers the better contract.

But given the nature of the exam, it could prove to be quite a conundrum on what kind of contract to form. The most rational method would be food distribution.

“Professor, can I ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“I heard we can supply from the near conquest, but I’m curious about the amount of supply we’ll receive.”

“Good question, Luna.”

Just in time, Luna posed a timely question. Malboro’s face showed satisfaction.

It seems that thoughtful remarks can yield great results, while mindless chatter leads to doom.

“The supply amount will be distributed according to personnel. Currently, there are 31 students in this class, including Sivar. Thus, it will be divided into teams of 15. The supply will be perfectly calibrated to match their numbers.”

“So, if we include the castle…”

“The castle itself will not receive any supplies. Keep that in mind.”

The most crucial information flew out from Malboro’s mouth. Unlike the nearby conquest, the castle won’t be supplied.

To be precise, it means we’ll need to bring supply routes from the conquest. We’ll also have to operate a logistics unit to transport the supplies.

‘This truly is high risk, high reward.’

The moment we enter a contract over food, we might need to brace ourselves for starvation.

Unless we take down the castle, the contract will be automatically nullified, which would lower our chance of victory.

Looking at all these details suggests they utilized collective intelligence. Professors weren’t foolish after all.

“Sivar will be supplied until he moves out of position. But the moment he leaves, supplies will be cut off. Make sure to consider this well.”

“What do you think, am I some kind of character from the Eastern Empire?”

“Even in the East, such characters don’t exist.”

As if she heard Grace’s muttering, Lee Yeon-joo shot back tersely.

After all, no recluse would help under the condition of food. Maybe a complete weirdo would.

In any case, the exam content was intriguingly multifaceted. I was learning about social life while others focused on the exam.

Malboro concluded the announcement stressing that bringing in outside matters would lead to disqualification.

“Either way, I hope everyone can give it their all. Any questions?”

“Do we need to elect a team leader separately?”

“That will be decided later in team discussions. This exam is individual-focused yet heavily reliant on the command structure.”

Then, Malboro left the classroom, promising a grace period before the exam.

Once he exited the room, students began to chatter amongst themselves.

“It seems fair enough, but it’s going to be tough for everyone. Can we at least wash up?”

“What if our logistics get raided? Ugh, I don’t even want to imagine.”

“How exactly are we supposed to negotiate with him? That’s another puzzle altogether.”

Everyone seemed to have no complaints about the exam. The professors’ effort showed, and most importantly, I wasn’t personally involved.

My very existence could cause a balance issue, but being a step removed put me at ease.

Of course, the fact that I was treated like a doomsday weapon still stood. Surely, they’d find some trick to use against me.

“Sivar.”

“?”

“Do you like anything other than food? Oh, is that a question I can’t ask?”

That was Kara asking. Maybe she regretted the question as she hesitated.

Since food was virtually the only thing I could request during the exam, I had nothing else to ask.

If I were to suggest anything else, I wouldn’t have much to offer. Only food mattered.

“There’s nothing I can receive other than food during the exam. The problem is I might need to allocate the supplies for maintaining expenses… It’s a headache.”

“You could also force the other party into a contract and hold out.”

Antonio chimed in subtly. Even if it was an improvised strategy, it was a fair approach.

But to make that contract happen, we’d need to conquer the castle. Or we could risk being raided by the main unit.

In many ways, this was the kind of final exam befitting its title. Honestly, I was quite excited.

“… … it’s not completely impossible.”

While others voiced their opinions, Luna timidly opened her mouth. Her voice was so soft, it could easily be missed.

However, Kara, who had excellent hearing nearby, immediately seized her arm.

“What is it? You’re not going to just tell your team about the enemy, are you?”

“Um… um…”

Under Kara’s scrutiny, Luna’s eyes began to dart nervously. It was a reaction that reflected she hadn’t expected to be caught.

As always, that mouth of hers seems to be the problem. If she stayed quiet, nothing would happen.

Anyway, I was intrigued about what strategies could be formed beyond food.

“Kara, can you please stop bullying Luna? Let’s be fair and square about this.”

“Fair and square? It’s odd that she knows something I don’t.”

“Um, but that’s what I thought too!”

When confronted by Kara’s suspicious tone, Luna seemed to feel a sense of urgency and shouted in a panicked voice.

Kara then looked at her with a gaze that urged her to spill out the details. Gradually, Luna’s eyes started to dart even more.

If the sound of her rolling eyes reached this far, was it just a trick of the imagination? Certainly not.

Above all, that chaotic mouth of hers was bound to blurt something again. What would it say this time?

“Oh, you know it too? What could that possibly be?”

“Um… it’s a bit awkward to say here, so can we move somewhere else for a moment?”

“Hmm… okay. Let’s step outside.”

“Sorry to butt in, but can I join you?”

Antonio, trying to casually slide in, seemed to think this was his area of expertise.

But Luna shook her head energetically, firmly refusing. This alone raised questions about the situation, but what followed was even weirder.

“It’s a no-go. Especially for you, Antonio.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re a guy.”

“… …?”

Antonio tilted his head slowly, clearly puzzled.

Then, Luna, Kara, and Grace headed outside. As they left, I stood up slowly.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“To eavesdrop.”

“Oh, no! Eavesdropping is a bad thing!”

When I tried to leave, Lee Yeon-joo firmly blocked me. Was she acting on Grace’s request or something?

She was so fervent in her refusal that I quietly sat back down. I mean, it’s not like it was a pressing matter.

‘I can find out what kind of contract they plan to make later.’

I’ll just wait until then.

About five minutes passed, perhaps.

[Faith has increased!]

“… …”

What on earth did they just say now?

******

Grace was curious. Apart from food, what else did Sivar like?

Having been observing Sivar closely, she realized she knew almost nothing of his personal preferences.

Unlike Kara and Luna, she had only recently started getting close to Sivar, and on weekends, she never even stepped outside.

As I mentioned before, unless Sivar came looking for her, she wouldn’t step an inch outside the dormitory.

However, this opportunity seemed like a chance to discover what he liked. Based on that, she could gradually approach him, but…

“… …what? What did you say?”

“Hugs. The kind where you open your arms wide and embrace.”

Luna described it with her arms outstretched. Thanks to her looks, it came off as unexpectedly cute.

Sivar likes hugs, according to Luna. That was more than enough to fluster Grace.

“Is that all? I can do that easily.”

On the other hand, Kara reacted with disbelief as if expressing, “Is that all there is?” Still, her face reddened slightly due to embarrassment.

Thanks to her bronzed skin, it didn’t show much, but she was still embarrassed regardless.

“But you called for a meet-up just for that?”

“There’s more… but please don’t tell anyone. It’s kind of embarrassing as a person.”

“Y-yeah, that’s fine. I can handle more embarrassing things.”

Because it was something that would need to be addressed eventually. Grace forced herself to rein in her words.

If they were to become a couple, hugging would definitely be a must. No, it should be a required act.

As they slowly embraced, they’d savor each other’s warmth, and to enjoy it more, they’d need to…

‘Ugh, that’s something that needs to happen!’

Lost in dark thoughts, Grace’s face became noticeably flushed.

On the surface, she maintained a composed demeanor with arms crossed, but deep down, the disparity was striking.

In the meantime, Luna was scratching her head, pondering. I wonder if this could really influence the exam?

‘Should be fine, right? Regulations wouldn’t allow for issues anyway.’

That’s probably how it would be. Luna thought as she brought her hands close to her chest.

Simultaneously, her hands fidgeted without intention. Her intentions weren’t deliberate, but there was no helping it.

“I-I guess I could say I like nurturing things?”

“… …what do you mean by that? Is it about… you know, breasts?”

“Yup.”

“… …”

The shock left everyone, including Kara and Grace, speechless.

But Luna’s mouth didn’t stop there. She continued, providing her rationale.

“Since Sivar lived in the wilderness, it seems he appreciates human warmth. He always buried his face in the chest when he was with Eli.”

“… …come to think of it, he did do that. It wasn’t just a coincidence that he liked it.”

“By that logic, you like big ones too, don’t you? I recall you mentioned Eli could act spoiled whenever.”

“… …when did I say that?”

While Kara mused over that, Grace found herself at a loss for words.

She merely glanced downward, sneaking a peek at her own chest. Thanks to being well-fed in elite society, it was quite ample.

‘Well, okay. This is something that might naturally happen. I could see it as just a forethought…!’

Gradually, Grace was inching forward. The funny thing was, she wasn’t denying anything and instead accepting it.

Kara seemed to have noticed that aspect as her brow slightly furrowed. Naturally, she’d want to throw out conditions without opening her eyes.

“… …let’s skip past this one. Otherwise, it could paint him as some sort of pervert. He might even get caught up in the regulations.”

“Yeah, that could be a problem.”

While Luna and Kara seemed to think that would be impossible.

‘There are rules that noble ladies’ bodies mustn’t be touched casually, but since it’s Sivar… if rumors get out, then…!’

Just not Grace.

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