The midterm exam at Elinia Academy's Hero Department is not as unique as one might think.
There's no practical test, only a theory examination.
In contrast, other departments—like the Knight, Magic, Alchemy, Exploration, and Management Departments—incorporate both theory and practical exams in their midterms.
However, on the Kyren Zena Continent, heroes are considered both valuable resources and celebrities.
Moreover, Elinia Academy is a renowned institution that molds the continent's most exceptional heroes.
The academy's top executives are no fools; they recognize the importance of marketing their products.
One such marketing strategy is the Academy Festival, held a week post-midterms.
While it somewhat resembles a present-day college festival, it holds unique characteristics.
During this festival, the academy opens its gates to the public.
Given the prestige of Elinia Academy, teeming with the most talented individuals, it unsurprisingly attracts a massive crowd.
Various food stalls are set up, and it's also a chance for students to reunite with their families.
The festival is a highly anticipated event among the students.
One major reason for their enthusiasm is the array of competitions, all offering dazzling prizes.
While there are various competitions, the three main events are the Combat Arts* Competition, Magic Competition, and Artifact Contest.
Out of these, the Combat Arts Competition is, by far, the most popular.
Unlike students from other departments, first-year Hero Department students must participate in at least one of the events held during the Academy Festival.
Despite the Combat Arts Competition being restricted only to Hero Department students ranked within the top 100 of their year, most of the top positions are dominated by them.
---
---
Friday finally arrived.
There were no classes scheduled for the day.
This was a thoughtful gesture for the students who had just completed their venture in Fosspatil Pass.
"Ugh..."
I woke up after 10 in the morning, stretching on the bed to shake off the remnants of sleep.
'It's already Friday, huh.'
Next week was the midterm exam.
Additionally, I was to attend an academic seminar at the association with Mari on the upcoming Saturday.
The week ahead was sure to be busy with activities.
Thinking about the packed schedule, I glanced at Little Fist, who was curled up asleep at my room's entrance, with a dispassionate gaze.
...That pesky dog in heat.
The events of the early morning flashed across my mind.
Because it was late, Amy left him and retreated to her room.
Little Fist cried out in the most pitiful voice, attempting to follow her.
However, one could only benefit from his stamina recovery effect when in close proximity.
Given that Little Fist is still a pup, his effective range is quite narrow.
This meant he needed to stay within my room. However, every time I shut the door, he would start growling and attempt to nip at me.
'...I want to sleep with him on the bed.'
There was a part of me that desired to snuggle up with the adorable ball of white fluff.
But that was merely wishful thinking.
Throughout the night, Little Fist remained distant, as if bearing a grudge, and staged a protest at the door.
'Ah, my fate.'
As his owner, it wouldn’t hurt for him to show some affection.
I wondered who he inherited his fascination with women from.
Could Theo have been a womanizer?
In any case, I needed to get ready and head to the Hero Department.
I had agreed to help Noctar and my orc classmates with their academic studies.
Amy had kindly offered to look after Little Fist.
With visible eagerness, she left early in the morning to purchase pet supplies, including dog food and a doghouse.
'Damn, they say a dog seller is a top seller for a reason.'
I suppressed a grumble as I finished my shower.
Perhaps due to the stamina recovery effect, I felt in good shape.
After dressing in my freshly laundered academy uniform, I applied some skin care products and added a touch of cologne.
This routine had become second nature to me.
Upon exiting my room, I turned to Little Fist.
"Little Fist, Daddy will be back."
─ pew, pew pew-!
Little Fist raised his tiny tail and acknowledged my farewell with a pew.
---
---
I reached the Hero Department around lunchtime.
Noctar and the orc students were in their usual classroom.
As I made my way towards the building, I heard a familiar voice.
"Theo!"
A slender blonde elf standing in front of the lecture hall called out to me with a melodious voice.
...She's here.
I responded nonchalantly.
"What is it, Siena?"
"Don't act like you don't know!"
Siena approached me with big strides.
"You! What did you do this time?! Sylphy came back startled in the morning! She's been so scared that even when I call her now, she doesn't come out! What if she never does?"
"······."
Indeed, a divine beast.
Even if the darn thing prefers the girl next door over its master, it still gets the job done.
Siena, with her 150 years of life, has been dealing with spirits for over a century.
She's spent every single day with these spirits, so losing them must feel like losing a longtime companion.
I understand how she might feel.
However, I couldn't endure her stalking any longer.
"It's something I should've done before, but I was busy so I only got to it now."
"Didn't I tell you not to? I want to hear about the one I love, even if it's nothing! Do you not like me anymore?!"
With that, Siena's body trembled.
Siena's behaviour isn't an act.
Siena isn't one for pretense.
She's blunt and unafraid to confront issues head-on.
But whether it's an act or not, I can't and won't yield.
A contract with a divine beast isn’t something that can be easily broken.
I looked squarely at the teary-eyed Siena.
“Didn't I tell you not to attach a spirit? I believe I made that clear before."
"Do you······ hate me now?"
Siena looked as if she was on the brink of tears.
I've never even liked you in that way.
This is frustrating.
"That's not the case."
But I also don't hate you.
The way things are is just wrong, after all, the emotion Siena feels for me is 'affection'.
In the past, when I asked her for help, she didn't hesitate and even procured a rare elixir for me.
Siena dabbed at her eyes.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"So, do you like me?"
Siena's face lit up with hope as she stared at me.
It's not quite as simple as that.
Of course, I think well of her, but that's different from 'liking'.
And this smitten elf princess tends to overinterpret things.
I shook my head.
"No."
"······What did you say?"
"But–"
I maintained a calm demeanor as I continued.
"I have a positive impression of you. However, just take things a little slower."
---
---
Theo entered the classroom.
"Hey, Theo~ Over here."
"Ah, the true warrior has arrived. I never thought you'd hit on girls even during evaluations."
Noctar and the orc classmates greeted him happily.
"Shut it. Anyway, good to see you."
Theo settled down next to them.
Aisha, who was sitting in the front seat, sneaked a glance at him and waved.
Theo returned her gesture casually, then noticed the pristine textbook lying open on the orcs' desks.
'Excluding Noctar's book, the rest can be resold.'
Thinking that, Theo spoke up.
"There are only 3 days left until the exam. It's best to focus on what you haven't gone over. What left do you need to study?"
The orc classmates straightforwardly said,
"Everything."
"I don’t understand a thing. No matter how much Noctar tries to explain, I'm clueless about what I'm supposed to do. Why can't heroes operate without an aide? Can't we just form a team of five and overpower everyone?"
"......"
Theo was rendered speechless.
He hadn't even begun teaching, yet his motivation has already started dwindling.
Can they truly learn?
'But I do owe these guys a lot.'
Keeping this in mind, Theo began a tailor-made teaching program, similar to how he had instructed Noctar.
---
---
Inside the Hero Department classroom.
Three hours had passed since the start of the lesson.
'Damn it.'
I suppressed a sigh.
While Noctar was an exception, the state of the other orc classmates was concerning.
It felt like teaching multiplication and division to children who haven't grasped addition and subtraction yet.
So, I broke down the concepts that a typical student in the Hero Department would understand at once.
Fortunately, these guys are elite orcs.
With my explanation, they seemed to get the hang of it.
"Aha, so that's how you do it. Theo, you truly are an excellent teacher. Way better than the professor."
"Hmm, but how do you solve this? If 100 cavalry move from the Kingdom of Rodemian to the capital of the Eastern Empire, what's the amount of food they need? Can't they just raid a nearby village for supplies?”
"......"
But we're running out of time.
The midterms are in just three days.
Primarily, the orcs struggle with calculation problems.
Unless they suddenly acquire a trait like [Sage's Brain], it's impossible to rapidly improve their computation abilities.
'So, it's all about prioritizing.'
The Hero Department's midterm exam is filled with written problems demanding logic.
And I have some idea about what kind of written problems will appear on the midterm.
'But we need some help...'
Written answers can't just be memorized.
What would the teaching assistant think if all six green orcs scribbled down the exact same answers?
In the end, even if I can hint at the types of questions that will appear, they all need to produce unique answers.
There will also be at least ten written questions. There's no way they can memorize it all.
It might work for two or three of them, but taking care of all six orcs, including Noctar, is beyond my abilities.
'Hmm, is there no other way...?'
As I thought and surveyed the classroom,
“!”
My gaze met Aisha Waldeurk's, who had been covertly stealing glances in my direction.
'Right, there's her.'
Aisha Waldeurk.
Top of her year in theory.
I stared at her, a sly smile forming on my lips.
