Chapter 42

As I watched Seron’s desperate antics, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

“What kind of manners are those in front of Grantoni? Come on, Seron!”

“Ugh, I’m really curious about what brain of yours thought this skull-shaped bucket would help!”

“I don’t really know, but it might be bigger than your brain, Seron.”

“Pha-ha-ha-ha!”

While I was at it with Seron, Card was bursting into laughter, wiping away his tears.

“Alright, alright, calm down, Seron. Wang Non must have brought that little shrine for a reason, right?”

As Card tried to soothe Seron, she huffed and pointed at Grantoni.

“And why is he in charge of healing, to begin with?”

Healing roles have traditionally been assigned to Holy Studies students.

That’s why Seron just couldn’t wrap her head around Grantoni’s healing role.

“I’m actually wondering why you can’t understand that Grantoni is the healer.”

“He’s not healing; he’s killing!”

That’s just the stereotype of a Soul Mage.

I pointed at Grantoni’s head.

“Then let’s ask this: among the Holy Studies students, is there anyone like Grantoni who’s still kicking it with just a skull and can keep things alive?”

Seron bit her lip.

“…Usually, we don’t call that alive.”

“Looks that way.”

Card was getting it too.

These amateurs, really.

“Grantoni is a Soul Mage and knows how to deal with corpses.

He knows how a body is structured and can fix broken bones and even restore flesh.”

Of course, unlike Holy Studies, it comes with pain.

Nevertheless, it’s true that when a Holy Studies student slips up, a Soul Mage can step in and heal.

The opposite of Holy Magic is Dark Magic.

But they both share the similarity of dealing with living bodies.

“Most importantly, Professor Veganon gave the thumbs up after I asked.”

Had the professors not allowed it, we wouldn’t have been able to bring him along.

With that being said, Seron hesitated.

Yet she still seemed to have something to say.

“The real question is whether that skull-shaped bucket will cooperate properly.”

In a group competition, cooperation is part of the scoring.

Grantoni had racked up quite a history of incidents in the past.

It’s no wonder students would refer to him as a little shrine and avoid him.

“We were treated almost the same way.”

But to the students, Seron, Card, and I didn’t get treated much differently from Grantoni.

Whiny birds, Card.

Pitbulls, Seron.

Little mutt, Hanon.

Before we knew it, each of us had been given a nickname.

‘Thinking about it, is my treatment a bit too harsh?’

Maybe it’s because I’m the rival of the beloved Isabel at Jerion Academy.

My nickname feels particularly intense.

Still, recently, there’ve been fewer folks openly cursing at me in front of my face.

The students aren’t fools.

They know better than to poke the bear, considering my track record.

“Anyway, there wasn’t anyone among the Holy Studies students who wanted to join our team. We should be grateful that Grantoni is on board.”

“Heh, well, I was originally slated for disqualification anyway. But it’s all good.”

If you don’t get placed on any team during the group competition, you’re disqualified and score the lowest.

So having Grantoni on our team wasn’t such a bad deal.

“If our grades go up, we’ll get more support, which means we can stay in this hidden world longer.”

Grantoni grinned darkly, tapping his fingers together.

Seron looked like she wanted to argue more but eventually sighed and zipped it.

She realized that there was no point in continuing to mouth off.

“If our grades drop, Princess Sweet Potato won’t let you live.”

I’m not sure who was talking to whom at this point.

“Look, isn’t that a serious issue?”

“What do we do?”

At that moment, sighs echoed from all around.

When I finally looked up, I spotted someone being carried off on a stretcher.

My body instinctively leaned forward at the sight.

It was Nikita.

It seemed she’d gotten hurt during the group competition.

Grit—

It was none other than Sharine, who had been leaning back and taking a nap, who snagged my collar from behind.

She was half-awake and gazing at me with one eye open.

“We’re in the middle of a test, you know. It’s not too late to go after it once it’s over.”

Sharine was right.

Even if I were to follow Nikita right now, it wouldn’t change a thing.

“Did you say you were the vice president?”

“Um, I heard she’s the daughter of the Cynthia family. I had some expectations but…”

“They say it’s the weakest generation. Losing Nia Cynthia must sting for the Cynthia family.”

“I heard Nia Cynthia’s body hasn’t been found yet.”

From the stands, whispers spread.

Even after Nikita was taken away, the group competition continued.

The third years were scrambling hard to do their best in the competition,

but the guests didn’t seem to show much interest in them.

As a result, the motivation of the third years began to dwindle as time passed.

By the end, not a single hand was clapping.

The third years finished the group competition feeling utterly drained.

“Now, we’ll start the second-year group competition.”

“Oh, finally.”

“The generation of Golden Flames. This is getting exciting!”

“Now it’ll be worth watching.”

As the Magic Arts professor announced the second-year group competition, the guests’ reactions changed in a flash.

It was a rather unpleasant moment for the upperclassmen third years, but they knew

that their talents couldn’t hold a candle to the second years.

“First group, Team Iris.”

Shortly after, the professor called out the team.

The order of the testing is determined by the average scores of the team members.

The team with the highest score goes first in the group competition.

‘In a competitive structure, those who have points ahead will probably push themselves a little harder to do better.’

It was an order calculated based on a type of psychological factor.

Being the first group without anyone having scored yet comes with pressure.

With high-scoring members, they bear a psychological risk.

It was kind of like that.

But would Iris’s team feel that way?

“Let’s go.”

Iris Haishirion strode with confidence, her black hair flowing behind her.

Her red gemstone-like eyes sparkled vividly beneath her hair.

Those following her were all fierce competitors from the second year.

There wasn’t a trace of fear in their eyes.

It was as if only their confidence in being the top team in the competition remained.

“Princess Iris, huh.”

“This is going to be interesting.”

“Isn’t she the strongest noble in history?”

There was an uproar among the guests as they reacted to Iris’s entrance.

Martial Arts Top Student.

Historically powerful nobility.

Despite the nickname of ‘the last wicked woman,’ no one could deny her strength.

Team Iris stood atop the arena for the group competition.

Immediately, smoke began to rise, and the shape of the arena shifted.

A hemispherical sphere enveloped the arena.

Inside the sphere, nothing could be seen from the outside.

It was a structure designed so that participants wouldn’t be distracted by outside gazes, allowing them to focus.

Soon, thick white smoke lay heavily, followed by a booming sound!

A demon appeared thanks to an illusion spell.

An impressive giant-sized demon, resembling a bull, made its entrance.

“Grrrrooooowwww!”

As soon as it appeared, it thumped its chest and let out a massive roar.

Swish!

And just like that, its head was chopped off.

It was a one-hit kill.

All eyes widened at the sight, and everyone held their breath.

Before anyone knew it, Iris had moved behind the demon.

It was clear that most here hadn’t even seen Iris make her move.

Her red eyes shone quietly through the mist.

Her eyes resembled a red rose blossoming in the darkness.

“Now that’s power.”

Card muttered, and everyone had to agree.

Team Iris continued to make quick work of the demons that followed.

The overwhelming display was enough to leave the spectators feeling demoralized.

It felt as if Team Iris was sending a message to the second years.

They were declaring themselves the undisputed top team in this group competition.

However, as the second half approached, even Iris’s team began to slow down.

The demons that appeared later began to prove to be challenging even for Team Iris.

But since barely any third years had made it to the second half, just reaching that far meant they were solidly in the upper ranks.

Boom!

In the end, Team Iris took down the very last demon registered in the illusion spell.

“31 minutes 21 seconds.”

That was the time it took Team Iris to take down all ten demons.

Since the last demon took a little over ten minutes, that implies they dispatched the first nine in under twenty minutes!

“Great job. First clear, congratulations.”

Professor Veganon, dressed impeccably, praised Team Iris.

Iris thanked her and confidently turned away.

Unlike the other team members, she showed no signs of fatigue.

As Iris walked by, her gaze briefly brushed over me.

Glancing at me, she moved on without a word.

‘Still a monster, huh.’

At least within Jerion Academy, no one could beat her right now.

“Next, Team Hanon.”

Our team was called shortly after.

“Huh, w-we? Why?”

Seron was looking bewildered.

But naturally, it was agreed that we’d be the second team based on certain reasons.

Our eyes drifted toward Sharine.

Magic Arts Top Student, Sharine Sazarith.

She shrugged, maintaining a lazy expression despite the attention.

“I’m extremely capable, you know.”

All the other second-year kids turned their gaze towards us.

Those who hadn’t realized Sharine was on our team looked perplexed.

They wondered why she was mixed in with such troublemakers.

“Ugh, following Princess Iris, you can’t be serious! With Sharine in our team, we’re all toast!”

Despair washed over Seron’s face.

To be fair, it was perfectly set up for comparison.

I gave Seron’s head a good shove down.

Quit the whining and listen up.

“Everyone, listen closely. The strongest team has just achieved an impressive score.”

A wicked grin spread across my face.

“So, if we clear it within 31 minutes and 21 seconds, we’ll take first!”

It was obvious yet worth repeating.

Card burst into laughter.

“He’s right! Wang Non’s got a point.”

“Heh, this is going to be fun.”

Just like you’d expect from a bunch of rascals, no one seemed to lose their spirit.

“If you called me, then I should make sure to meet that mark.”

Sharine nodded, looking satisfied.

“Let’s go and take first.”

As we headed towards the group competition arena, I spotted Isabel.

She had been locking her gaze on me the entire time.

There was a fire in Isabel’s eyes.

It was unmistakably a feeling of rivalry.

‘No matter what grades I get, I’m not letting you win. Is that the message?’

Isabel had zero interest in Team Iris from the start.

Her only goal was to take me down.

If that’s the case,

‘I absolutely won’t let that happen.’

I have no intention of throwing the match for the sake of the story.

Group competition.

I’m determined to finish at the top.