Episode 63. midterm exam (5)

Yuri entered Kiruna for only one reason, to fulfill her master’s request to pass on free magic to the students here.

So, if it was Yuri before meeting Ian, he might have considered this magic duel evaluation as a great opportunity to show free magic to everyone in the school.

Now that Professor Ian was already teaching free magic in Kiruna, she questioned whether she had to prove herself and the value of free magic in the duel evaluation.

‘I heard that you can get bonus points or scholarships by beating other classmates in a duel, but… .’

The day after the duel evaluation, Yuri’s shoulders drooped as she sat in the judging waiting room lost in thought.

In order to see the performance of the monster E class, who defeated the first year senior, Eugene, so many people came to the practice field that there was no room to set foot.

but… . The observers were waiting for Yuri’s turn, yawning and giggling as if they had no interest in the duel of the other C class students, and several top-level seniors who came down to watch the duel evaluation mocked the first year juniors in the duel.

The only thing that comes back to the student who did his best in the evaluation to receive even a little attention is ridiculing each and every small mistake.

Not a single word of encouragement or warm advice, not even a single person stopping me.

Even though someone was taking the exam with a serious heart, the atmosphere in the exam hall became more and more distracted, and the students sitting in the waiting room stiffened glanced at the glass with eyes mixed with fear and envy.

‘Why is he in E class… .’

‘I heard that the chief also lost, what if I fight?’

In the uncomfortable air, Jun and Karin, who were guarding Yuri’s side, held her faintly trembling little hands.

“Can we go somewhere where there are no people?”

“It’s okay, Jun. Thank you Karin too.”

If it had been Yuri in the past, she might have been delighted with the attention she was receiving now.

Inflated with the expectation of being able to show free magic to people, he probably didn’t even notice the miserable atmosphere in the waiting room.

When the thought reached that point, Yuri felt a sense of shame.

‘I lived a very simple life.’

The belief that only he could tell this school about the existence and value of free magic was shattered by Professor Ian.

At one time, it was the only guideline for life, so he wandered for a while, but thanks to Professor Lee, who appeared again, Yuri was now able to feel and worry about more things beyond Master’s request.

‘What choice would Master want me to make?’

Even though I’m more mature than before… . Yuri, who had not yet established a firm opinion, was still at a loss as to what attitude to take on the test.

I didn’t want to make the other students a scapegoat for demonstrating my free magic, but it didn’t seem right to not do my best to take the test.

‘How do I… .’

＜Temporary C class Yuri student, prepare for a duel.＞

At that time, Yuri’s order came as if to postpone her worries for a while.

‘yes. Until now, since I applied for the test… .’

Putting those complex thoughts aside for a while, the moment Yuri got up from her seat to evaluate.

Yuri collapsed in place helplessly at the broadcast that followed.

＜… Abstain, right?＞

Yuri’s duel ended without even starting.

The student chosen as her opponent withdrew before the fight, so Yuri sat quietly in the waiting room and went up to Class B.

Perhaps thinking it would be better to give up than to be ridiculed by the observers in the middle of the stage, Yuri’s duel opponent stormed out of the test room as if running away from the booing.

＜The glass bye. If you wish to have an additional magic duel, please move to the waiting room for class B screening right now.＞

* * *

The duel evaluation of C and B classes on the same day and at different times.

The cold sweat that began to flow from the hands of Alicia Louise, a first-year B class in the Department of Sorcery who was sitting in the waiting room for the nearby B class screening, did not know how to stop.

‘It’s a big deal, he ended up going up to class B… !’

Looking at this evaluation, some might say that the duel of the A class, which is the most interesting, and the competition of the stars is the most fierce.

but… . That’s what people who don’t know how to evaluate magic duels would say. In fact, those who are most desperate for victory in this test are the B-classes.

‘only once. If I win the duel just once, I can get noticed along with the class A’s.’

It was limited to duel evaluation, but it was marked as temporary and participated.

On the third day of the evaluation, being able to stand on the solo stage with Class A was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand out in the eyes of many scholars and researchers, and if you are lucky, even the royal family.

This not only gives great strength to her personal future, but also raises the status of her family.

‘This is not my problem alone.’

Today, the secret note in her hand felt heavy. A detailed summary of the combat power and attack methods of all 1st year B classes in the school.

To save it, Alicia’s parents took out a loan using the mansion they had lived their whole life as collateral, and even sent out the maids.

The fee for using the Ilta instructor of the magic dueling guild was murderous, but it is said that more parents are looking for them every year.

‘Because kids who spend money start out with a lot more information than kids who don’t. You’re investing so that I don’t fall behind the other kids. By the way… ‘

The problem is that there is no information about E-Class Yuri in this huge secret note.

The magic instructors were meticulous enough to anticipate and analyze even the students who could rise to Class B out of Class C, but it was because they did not predict that Yuri, who entered Class E, would come up to this point.

For this evaluation, I memorized the entire note and prepared countermeasures, but if I met Yuri as my duel opponent, all that time and note value would be in vain.

‘Surely I won’t get caught? no way… .’

Alicia closed her eyes tightly and prayed to Elma… . Uneasy premonitions always hit the mark.

＜Class B Alicia Louise, if you don’t come up within 3 minutes, I will disqualify you.＞

After she was finally called as Yuri’s opponent, she looked at the notebook with empty eyes and came down to the practice room holding back tears.

Because I know very well how much my parents sacrificed for this duel. Even if it’s a fight with a slim chance of winning, you can’t just give up like a C-class student.

First year at magic school, 17 years old.

With a heavy responsibility for her age, the girl stood tall in the practice field.

* * *

Alicia, who had not actually seen Yuri’s battle because the C-class duel evaluation ended with abstention, was taken aback by the unique use of free magic… .

Even in that situation, Alicia did the best she could.

It’s not that Class B doesn’t get much attention when compared to Class A students, but it’s a student who is recognized in Kiruna as well.

Yuri’s magic was sharp, but not destructive enough to crush her defenses, and the magic formula she learned from her instructor was meticulously and smoothly linked.

The audience cheered at the unexpected and exciting duel.

Alicia didn’t look down on Yuri for being an E class.

The opponent was a strong enemy who had won against the head of the department, and the burden on her shoulders made her desperate and desperate.

but… .

Miracles don’t happen easily.

＜The duel ends, Yuri wins. If you want an additional magic duel with Class A-＞

The outcome was decided even before the fight.

Yuri overwhelmingly defeated Eugene, whom he had never dared to think of defeating, and he spent too much time memorizing notes.

Alicia understood this better than anyone else, but taking it to heart was another matter.

In the midst of the cheers pouring down on Yuri, even when she tried to raise her head, the tears pouring down her blushing face did not stop.

“Look at that, he’s crying.”

“I guess it was a pity for me.”

“yes? One side was overwhelming. Still, it was fun to see them desperate to die.”

Even after Yuri, who couldn’t stand the arrows of ridicule, wrapped Alicia’s trembling shoulders and escaped from the practice room together… .

As for who she was apologizing to, Alicia kept crying while repeating that she was sorry.

“Also… . This is not it.”

What she should be aiming for at this school wasn’t grades or scholarships.

* * *

4 years ago. The day when all the sharps of the snowy mountain gathered from the pure white morning.

‘Holden, have pity on humans.’

‘… Yes, Elder.’

‘However, no matter how pitiful they look, don’t be shaken. you are not human Even if the world collapses, we, Sharp, must not be shaken.’

Even as he buried his mother in the cold snowy mountains, Holden’s father rebuked his weeping son.

‘Human beings are so easily stained with evil. Their greed is boundless, and their will is weak. If we leave them alone, the world will surely be stained with blood.’

‘Elder.’

‘They are pitiful people without a guardian deity. Did you know that when extreme hunger strikes, humans will even eat each other? Depending on the environment, worse than beasts-‘

‘father.’

Holden looked at his mother, who was covered in white flowers thrown by Sharps, and for the first time that day, Holden revealed his fangs to his own people.

‘Was your mother like that too?’

Although Sharps don’t love humans, half-Sharpes do exist from time to time.

It was because even among the saints, there were those who collapsed in the melancholy.

Poor women who, while listening to the confessions of strangers trapped in a closed space, were even stained with the pain and depression that poured out on me.

Whenever a saintess could no longer represent innocence, humans would send her to the snowy mountains, and the saintess would live as a bride of a sacred tribe afterward, whether they wanted to or not.

That’s how the cathedral waits for a new saint again… .

‘Are you saying that your mother is also stained with darkness?’

‘Don’t ask for the obvious. Can’t you see the marks of hanging yourself? The proof is that he threw himself into depression even though he was a body that served the light.’

‘He’s been a loner all his life. Trapped in a cathedral, exploited, abandoned, human beings we reap! Did your father ever look into your mother’s life? If you truly have pity for humans, at least your father should feel responsible for your mother’s death… !’

The sharps next to the kneeling Holden silently covered the mother with white snow.

Everyone closed their eyes and prayed, but Holden was the only one who shed tears.

‘… Dad, I just realized. The one who killed my mother is none other than Sharp.’

Shortly after his mother’s funeral, Holden descended.

Holding in his arms the guilt that if he had been a little warmer, his mother wouldn’t have passed away like that, Holden met humans.

Unlike his fellow countrymen, who were so empty of his mother, he tried to be sincere with humans.

At the counseling center, he met various people, listened to their concerns, and tried to live a different life from his own people.

“You don’t understand me. It’s sharp.”

“Heril… .”

“I’m envious, because I’m half-Sharpe. Even your father is an elder? Pretend to be nice while drinking tea, and on the day of the test, if you use magic once, you will be ranked first in the entire school… . I hope, really.”

“… sorry.”

“Yeah, you should be a little sorry! Someone said that they would get a little extra points for the paper-and-pencil evaluation, and they would have slept comfortably while studying all night to impress the professor even a little bit!”

A day before the A-Class combat evaluation, Herril, who had already turned his blood black, pushed Holden away.

“… You should be stuck in a counseling center, why do you come down to the bottom and go through hardships? You are also very frustrated.”

“Just tell me this. Why are you pushing yourself so far?”

“Because I want to make my dream come true. Unlike you, I don’t have much talent, so I have to… . There is even the slightest possibility of getting into the Imperial Academy.”