CH 7.1

December 14, 2022 — 1 Comment

The class assignment evaluation.

In Marchen Academy, there were four classes: A, B, C, and D. The top-scoring students were assigned to Class A, while the lowest-scoring students were assigned to Class D.

The results of the magic power measurement and the class assignment evaluation determine which class a student will be assigned to. 

However, the class assignment evaluation was particularly important because it was a test that determined which class a student would be in during the semester.

First of all, sleeping the class, and defeating demons is my top priority.

Currently, all the first-year students of the Department of Magic were in Delphine Forest.

That means the risk of meeting other students soon was high, meaning there was a high probability of an immediate battle.

This was the ripple effect brought about by the word ‘survival’ mentioned by the professor. Most students knew that they had to fight when they run into each other.

Perung─!!

Roaring—!!

Kwaaaaaaa─!!

I could hear the sound of magic hitting from all directions. The Battle Royale had begun.

In this situation, the smart guys will try to band together to gain numerical superiority, and the purpose of this test, finding mana grains, will be easier to accomplish.

However, there was no merciful guy who would team up with me, a person with Grade E magic power. It’s a good thing if they can use it.

Ah, at least I can rely on Kaya, who was mistaken about my strength.

···No. There were far too many variables to consider. There was no guarantee that Kaya would help me, and there was also a high risk that my bottom line would be revealed, and there was a chance that she would attack the back of my head, claiming that I was a risk factor.

If that’s the case, I only have one choice.

‘···It’s here.’

It’s just hiding.

Here, a leafy tree. It looks perfect to hide. It’s the place I saw in advance yesterday.

I took the magic pouch out of my pants pocket.

[Magic Pouch]

: A small pouch that can store many items with magic power. Good portability.

Rank: Tier 6

Rank Tier 6. Tier, a unit to determine the rarity of an item, and the lower the number, the rarer it is.

I took a water bottle from my magic pouch and sprayed it on the tree. In addition, I used the [Ice Generation] skill to create a crude Ice staircase.

I had a high level of [Elemental Synergy] compared to other stats. The higher the [Elemental Synergy], the greater the effect that appears when my elemental magic overlaps with another element.

Thanks to this, I was able to create a bigger block of Ice than when I used the normal [Ice Generation] skill.

I managed to climb the tree while stepping on the ice stairs.

‘It’s comfortable.’

Sitting on a thick branch in a bunch of leaves, leaning against the tree, I removed the Ice stairs with Unfreeze.

“…….”

This was the only method that I, the weakest, could use, ‘fuckin’ hold’.

What would I do if the other students swept all the mana grains while I was incompetently standing still?

Okay. There is one blind spot in this assignment evaluation.

‘Mana grains are luminous bodies. When it gets dark, it becomes easier to distinguish with the naked eye.’

For me, who has low mana perception, it would be better to go looking for mana grains later.

I stayed still and focused on my hearing. Are there any people approaching this way?

20 minutes later, I felt a presence. Someone was coming this way.

I reached for a frozen slingshot with a handle attached to a nearby tree, out of sight.

[Slingshot]

: An ordinary slingshot made of wood and rubber bands. durability is weak

Rank: Tier 9

The slingshot was fixed by attaching stones to a rubber band and freezing it while pulling the rubber band all the way.

A total of 10 slingshots were installed and I memorized each location.

‘Unfreeze.’

When I loosened the ice that was holding the slingshot rubber band, it turned into blue powder and flew away while the slingshot fired stones.

Whizzzz-.

The slingshot stones flew through the air, slashed through the grass, and landed on the ground.

“Huhhhhh?!”

I heard the surprised startle of a girl.

She moved her gaze to the stone that had fallen through the grass. She appeared to be confident in her abilities as she prepared to fight.

There were now 9 slingshots left.

‘Let’s hold on…’

I wasn’t bored because of the tension.

Please, I only hope that I can hold out until the time is right.

━─━─━━─━「₪」━━─━─━─━

The sky was dyed the color of the sunset.

The sound of the students casting magic faded away and silence fell in the forest.

The current time was 6:30 PM and I was still alive, hiding in a tree.

‘Should I go down now?’

Fortunately, the ‘fuckin’ hold’  strategy worked.

I used up all 10 slingshots and all of them performed their roles faithfully.

After taking out the remaining water bottle from the magic pouch and spraying it on the tree, I used the [Ice Generation] skill to create ice in a cascading fashion. As expected, it was difficult to control, so a fist-like staircase was created.

I carefully climbed out of the tree, landed on the icy steps, and went down.

“Ohh.”

It was like putting your feet on the ground for the first time in a long time. My legs were trembling from sitting in a tree for four hours. The muscle pain from the gym yesterday was an added bonus.

After massaging my legs, I dispelled the magic and got rid of the ice stairs.

Now I have to get moving.

‘Where are they?’

I didn’t know where Ian and Luce will fight the demons.

If you pass the assignment test, a story cutscene will appear in the game. This is the scene in which Ian and Luce first meet. That is how it changes location automatically.

I needed to find that location from now on.

The sky above the barrier was gradually darkening. I moved forward with caution, keeping my voice as quiet as possible.

‘Looking for some mana grains.’

I was robbed of all my fortune for this class assignment evaluation. If I couldn’t earn enough gel here, I would have no choice but to starve or take out a loan from a bank and become a debtor.

So finding the mana grains was also important.

‘···did I mess up?’

Ha, damn it. Not a single mana grain was visible. The students robbed them all.

After dark, my hopes of easily finding the remaining mana grains were shattered.

I overlooked something. This was the prestigious Marchen Academy.

It was only natural that the students had excellent mana perception.

‘Please, I also need some mana grains…’

I was in the middle of searching for mana grains.

Because I was concentrating on the mana grains, I failed to recognize the sound of small footsteps approaching me.

“Huh?”

A woman’s voice rang out in front of me and in an instant, my heart sank.

I, who had been bending down while searching for mana grains, froze as it was while a drop of cold sweat ran down my cheek.

‘What to do, what to do…?’

Let’s think.

I still have magic tools left. If I fight using this, it is possible to overcome the level difference to some extent.

Okay, if the person in front of me is in his 30s or 40s, wouldn’t it be worth trying?

I slowly raised my head and looked at the female student standing in front of me.

[Kaya Astreane]

Level: 90

Race: Human

Attribute: Wind, Ice

Risk Level: X

“……”

“……”

What should I say?

Wait.

It’s Kaya.

“Ah, ah, how are you…?”

“……”

Kaya’s body and voice were both trembling and she seemed very frightened.

She’s the freshman second seat. It was impossible for me to win over her, even if I try all my tricks.

However, she currently sees me as a ‘strong man who has reached the level of an Archmage but hides his power’.

Let’s think and act calmly. If I use that fact, I might be able to get out of here safely.

“Move.”

I was confident in my acting skills.

So, as if revealing my true colors, I narrowed my eyes and let out an atmospheric cynical voice.

I pretended not to be nervous at all.

“Ah···! Yes, four…!”

Kaya trembled and moved out of the way.

Yes, I can just go through it like this.

I started walking slowly.

A feeling of relief came over me like water.

I’m glad things didn’t go wrong…

“Ah, Sir Isaac…!”

Suddenly, Kaya called me.

‘What is ‘Sir Isaac’?’

I didn’t expect her to use such an embarrassing honorific, but I thought it was because it was Kaya.

Fix your face quickly.

I stopped and looked back at Kaya with a cold expression.

“Well, but since this is like a test… why don’t we fight for a while…?”