Origin (3)
Galimar's written exams were infamous for their brutal difficulty.
First, the scope of the exam was ridiculously broad.
It covered everything from ancient documents to extreme magic formulas, circuit dismantling and reconstruction... in extreme cases, even the latest research papers from the magic towers.
They crammed in an unbelievable amount of information, making you wonder if it was even allowed.
And that wasn't all.
The level of the questions themselves would make you curse under your breath.
They demanded high-level thinking and creativity, to the point that most students couldn't even fill out half the exam paper.
Every line of ink reeked of the professors' malice.
Some students even ended up bursting into tears during the exam, unable to bear the pressure.
It was truly hell.
To achieve a decent score on such an exam... let alone second place, deserved a round of applause.
Especially considering she beat out countless other students.
I was more than happy to offer my congratulations.
"Lady Emilia."
"······."
"Lady Emilia."
"······."
"Second place is still an excellent result."
"I told you to stop that. If you do it one more time, I'm seriously going to get angry..."
"Second place is still an excellent result."
"······."
That is, if it wasn't Emilia I was dealing with.
"······I told you to stop teasing me."
The villainess trembled with a face full of anger.
Perhaps her composure had crumbled from the continuous teasing, as her usually elegant way of speaking had disappeared.
Was she truly upset?
Even in her anger, she couldn't bring herself to yell at me, which was quite pitiful to see.
I smiled brightly at her.
'This is fun to tease, just as I thought.'
This must be what dopamine feels like.
I'd been trying to hold back lately, but my instinct to stir up trouble never failed to resurface.
I suppose you could say I found her reactions quite amusing.
There was something irresistible about it.
"I apologize, Lady Emilia. I didn't realize you disliked it so much."
"······It's fine. I'm okay."
"Lady Emilia, I didn't realize you disliked it so much. I apologize."
"Just how long are you going to keep doing that?"
She asked through gritted teeth.
Honestly, wasn't this Emilia's fault?
Showing such a delicious reaction was no different from tempting me to tease her.
If she hated it so much, she should've gotten first place.
I felt a sense of happiness and satisfaction that I hadn't felt in a long time.
With a childlike grin on my face, I continued to revel in my victory over the defeated girl.
The world was still beautiful.
Perhaps I could bear to live a little longer.
"Do you find this funny...?"
"It is enjoyable."
"······"
"It is enjoyable."
"I get it, so please stop it...!"
Emilia fumed, trying to suppress her anger.
As she continued her passionate display of frustration, a pink-haired figure peeked into my peripheral vision.
It was Regia.
"Um, umm."
She seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking, a determined look on her face.
Her green eyes trembled slightly.
"Um... Lady, Lady Emilia."
"What is it now?"
"Hieeeek...!"
"Are you trying to mock me now, even though you're nothing but a commoner inferior?"
"N-No! I just..."
Perhaps it was Emilia's harsh response, but the girl's shoulders slumped.
Her voice was laced with fear, on the verge of tears, yet Regia stammered on, trying to convey her thoughts.
"I, I just wanted to say that I thought you were amazing..."
"······What?"
"The, the written exam... It was so difficult for me, but to get se, second place..."
The girl's words were pure praise.
"I, I think it's amazing... I wanted to tell you that you're amazing... I, I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries!"
"······."
The villainess was taken aback by the genuine compliment.
Emilia seemed to freeze for a moment before a small smile crept onto her lips.
"Ahem, ahem."
She tried to clear her throat and appear nonchalant, but the rising corners of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.
"W-Well..." she mumbled softly.
"Yes! As expected of Lady Vanity...!"
"Hmph, hmph... I thought you were completely clueless, but it seems you have some taste after all."
"You're an inspiration!"
"Ahem, ahem!"
The smile that kept threatening to break free.
The atmosphere that was so hostile just a moment ago had completely softened.
Her oddly proud expression was quite amusing.
'What a softie.'
Perhaps it was because she was starved for affection.
She was surprisingly vulnerable to compliments, especially when they came from someone she perceived as a threat. The recognition she received must have been incredibly satisfying.
At this rate, she'd be completely smitten with the protagonist in no time.
'If only she was like this in the original story.'
Such a scenario would have been impossible in the original.
Because of the trauma inflicted upon Emilia, Regia always avoided the villainess.
Even when they did cross paths, Regia would only end up being bullied.
'This is much nicer to see.'
As expected, I preferred this kind of story.
Rather than bullying, jealousy, sadness, and hatred... I preferred to see them smiling like this.
A warm smile spread across my face.
Leaving the peaceful scene behind, I spoke up.
"Lady Vanity."
"What is it now?"
"Since you seem to be in a better mood."
"It's your fault I wasn't."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"······You're infuriating."
"Thank you."
"······."
In the end, the girl clenched her fists.
She seemed to be seriously considering punching me.
I quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway... you all realize this is just the beginning, right?"
I was referring to the midterm exams.
Of course, the written exam was important, but the practical exam held the most weight in the final grade.
The real test was just about to begin.
"Our group has three of the top students... so the difficulty of our assigned test will likely be extreme."
"W-What should we do? Do you think we can do well?"
"Hah! It's just an exam. No need to be so nervous."
"Don't get too complacent, Lady Emilia."
This particular exam was going to be especially tough.
As it was a stepping stone to a key episode in the story, it was wise to approach it with caution.
I encouraged my teammates.
"Well then, shall we give it our all?"
"The practical exam is already tomorrow... Please try not to drag me down."
"I-I'll do my best!"
"Fufu, I shall also give it my all."
Each of us spoke in our own way.
With the upcoming exam on our minds, we each went our separate ways.
***
That night.
Regia tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep.
"······."
She had spent the entire day preoccupied with the written exam, but for some reason, sleep evaded her.
Perhaps it was the anxiety that was keeping her awake.
She quietly placed a hand over her heart.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-!
Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest.
With each shallow breath, she felt the weight of her anxious heart rise and fall.
Her long, pink hair shimmered faintly in the dim light of the night.
"······Can I really do this?" she whispered, posing the question to herself.
Her voice was laced with deep self-doubt.
"I may not be able to help... but I don't want to become a burden."
She possessed a powerful summon, but it had a critical weakness: even the slightest emotional disturbance could cause a summoning failure.
Just like what happened during the class placement exam.
Regia was worried.
Worried that she would cause trouble for her teammates.
Worried that she wouldn't be able to live up to the faith they had placed in her.
She bit her lip anxiously.
'Young Master Snakus...'
The only person who called her his friend.
He had readily extended his hand to her once more, suggesting they form a team for this exam.
Her heavy heart churned with complicated emotions.
"······Why would someone like you..."
She had been exposed during the last exam.
An amateur who couldn't even properly summon her familiar. She had shown him such an unsightly side of herself.
Yet, he still believed in her.
-Because I trust you, Regia.
That was his answer when she asked why he chose her as his teammate.
Without a moment's hesitation.
"I don't understand."
Why?
Why would you believe in me when even I don't believe in myself?
His undeserved faith was burdensome in a way.
"But... I don't want to disappoint you."
A quiet murmur escaped her lips.
She forced her eyelids shut.
Unaware of the horrors that awaited her the next day, the girl simply drifted off to sleep.
It was a night cloaked in deep darkness.
***
And so, the next day arrived.
The day of the long-awaited practical exam.
We gathered early in the morning at the designated area to receive instructions before the exam.
It was a teleportation zone, marked with glowing runes.
"As previously announced, the exam will proceed as follows."
Before us stood a woman with short, messy purple hair and an air of alluring decadence.
It was Selena, the proctor for the midterm practical exam.
Her gaze, indifferent and tinged with fatigue, swept over us.
Her red eyes hinted at a lack of sleep.
After a moment of silence, Selena took a swig from her flask and continued her explanation.
A true alcoholic, as always.
"The objective of this exam is monster subjugation."
You will notice a magic circle at your feet.
This circle is a combination of spatial, illusionary, and dimensional magic. Once you step inside, it will transport you to a designated location.
Each group will face monsters appropriate to their skill level.
Your task is to eliminate all monsters within the designated area. Once you have done so, the exam will conclude.
"You need not worry about your safety."
We have safety personnel stationed around the perimeter.
Should you sustain a life-threatening injury, the exam will be immediately terminated, and you will be returned.
Additionally.
The terrain of your testing area will be unknown until you arrive.
It could be ruins, a forest, the sea, a cave... Be prepared to adapt quickly and overcome any challenges you may face.
That concludes the explanation of the exam.
"Any questions?"
Selena casually asked.
As we had all thoroughly prepared beforehand, we simply shook our heads.
She then unfurled a scroll in her hand.
"Very well. Let us begin."
Her words signaled the start.
Thud-.
I calmly stepped forward.
The tips of my shoes touched the faintly glowing magic circle.
As the flow of mana around us intensified, I turned to the girls beside me.
A knowing smile played on my lips.
"Regia, Lady Emilia."
"Y-Yes?"
"What is it?"
"Just a word of advice."
A small precaution, perhaps.
I didn't want them to be too surprised by what was about to transpire.
"Whatever you see, don't be too shocked."
My advice seemed to perplex them, but I paid it no mind as I took the final step into the circle.
We stood at the center of the magic circle.
And then.
Crackle-!
A strange noise pierced the air.
It started with a faint crackling, like static electricity, but it quickly grew louder and more erratic.
The originally blue magic circle turned a vibrant crimson.
"······?!"
"······!!"
Bzzzt-Crack-!!
Black and red shards of energy erupted outward.
The remnants of wildly fluctuating mana swirled around us, like a raging storm.
And we were caught right in the middle.
"The magic circle...?!"
"W-Wait, what's going on...!"
"Kyaa! Y-Young Master...!"
"Fufu."
Selena, Emilia, Regia.
While everyone else panicked, I chuckled softly.
This was it.
"Shall we?"
Thud-!
With those final words, my vision went dark.
We were whisked away to an unknown location.
A place where a terrifying monster awaited us.
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