Episode 64. Midterm (6)

Euril, who left the room early in the morning for the final inspection of the duel evaluation and the quarterly faculty meeting, did not return even in the early evening.

Rumors have spread outside the school that the youngest princess, famous for her immaturity, and the magician of the Rang tribe, who uses unique magic, will appear in this class A magic duel.

There were endless inquiries about the auditorium from distinguished guests who did not want to miss the rare sight.

Therefore, it is not strange that faculty members who are especially sensitive to the status of the school are putting their heart and soul into preventing any incidents or accidents from occurring during the evaluation process.

“You’re a little late today.”

The time when the purple sky shimmers outside the window of the student council president’s office.

Even after the other student council executives had finished their work and went home, Filetta was waiting for Euril, thinking of the student council’s reversal that would take place tomorrow.

‘Mina, Frill, Ina, Yuri… . And, Carol.’

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Just looking at the first day of the duel evaluation, it was obvious that the four were superior to the other class A students.

However, even so, Ian’s disciples would not be able to threaten the student council executives who received the magic tools.

In this magic duel evaluation, you won’t be able to use the magic that represents each one.

‘Obviously there is no problem. By the way… . Holden is bothering me.’

* * *

“Karl-senpai, Yuri also went up in the duel evaluation tomorrow. Isn’t that great?”

“Did you go up from E class to A class? Wow, then how much extra points are there, and if you do well, you might even aim for the top of the grade this time?”

“But, sir.”

“yes?”

“Seniors are class A too. Aren’t you supposed to prepare for the evaluation tomorrow?”

“It doesn’t.”

“You have prepared everything… ? No, you don’t have to sleep more than that?”

“It’s okay, this is the most important thing to me right now.”

It was time for the sun to set and the flowers to wither, but Carol’s calculations were not over.

Unable to bear the stinging eyes of the librarians, Jun was tidying up the books little by little.

“Are you preparing to attend the imperial conference, too? My father said he works there too… . Karl-senpai is already a famous genius in Class A, so even if you don’t have to worry about the duel evaluation, if you reveal the theory you prepared at the performance presentation-”

“I? i am not a genius And I’m not very interested in the Imperial Academy.”

“Yeah!? Even the professors are anxious to get in somehow?”

“Do you want to come in?”

“… What if I could get in?”

“Do you know what research they do there?”

“I don’t know about that… . Since it is the society that receives the most support, wouldn’t it be that it is conducting various researches in various fields?”

“Isn’t that what it is? I heard that it is more of an institution that reviews research results submitted by other societies and reports to His Majesty, rather than actively pioneering new fields.”

After finishing the calculations and helping Jun sort out the reference books, Carol suddenly remembered herself a year ago.

“… Until a few months ago, the Imperial Academy was also my goal. My mother wanted me to go in there.”

“At the time, you probably didn’t even know what you were doing there.”

“right. Maybe it wasn’t just me. Since it is praised as the best academic society, there must be a lot of kids who aim for the imperial academic society without much thought.”

“is that so?”

“Isn’t it? If it wasn’t for the professor, I think I would have tried to go to the imperial conference without any specific goals or thoughts.”

* * *

The way to take Jun, who helped me with my research and organized my books until late at night.

Many students who haven’t calmed down their excitement at the progress of the E-Class are probably staying up all night in the dormitories.

The walking trail late at night was so quiet that it was hard to believe that it was Kiruna, which was hot today.

Once you get out of this small world, it’s so quiet outside.

‘The important thing is not the duel evaluation at this small magic school.’

For Carol, who had already undergone several duel evaluations as an A-class, this evaluation was no different from the previous ones.

Because Carol’s interest was in the world that couldn’t be categorized into other classes.

“I plan to enter a math-related society later. Numbers seem to suit me better than elements.”

“Uh, me too… ! Me too, do you know of a good place?”

“I’m still in the process of making candidates… . Do you want to find out tomorrow?”

“Yeah!”

After making an appointment for tomorrow, the two crossed the promenade and reached the front gate of the Agoge dormitory.

“Agoge 3, right? It’s all here. Enter carefully.”

“Ah, yes… !”

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Jun looked at the dormitory and at Carol as if he was sorry for something, and as soon as his eyes met, he quickly entered the building.

‘It’s a bit cold.’

The road back to the faculty dormitory after taking Jun was long with the softly shining stars.

Carol, who was bored of walking alone for a long time, imagined what it would be like if she hadn’t met Professor Ian.

After graduating from the boring Department of Magical Linguistics, he worked under Professor Hadley, who was even more boring than him, and then took up a professorship.

If you conceive of an obvious class and write boring papers, then forcibly become friends with people from the imperial family and join the imperial academy… . Were you happy?

In the end, he would have lived as an error reader even within the society. Since thesis review is the main job, it must have been a good fit for me.

“… Wow, what was it really like?”

The wind grew colder little by little. Carol cradled the papers with the snowflake hypothesis written on them in her arms and hurried her steps.

* * *

‘You don’t understand me.’

‘I’m envious, because I’m half-blooded. Even your father is an elder? You don’t have to study separately, if you use magic once in the exam, you’ll get first place in the whole school, and you’ll laugh hahahahahoho with the kids while drinking tea throughout the semester, so there won’t be anything difficult. I hope, really.’

A chapel prepared for theology students on campus.

Holden prayed under the dimly lit candlelight, bathed in starlight by the window.

As he recalled the images of Eugene and Heryl, who were getting damaged after receiving the magic tool from Filetta, at the same time, Holden felt a deep sense of helplessness at not being able to help them in any way.

‘It wasn’t any help, what makes me different from other people… .’

Can it be said that he, who was born with a blessed lineage, truly understood the heart of Haril, who had been relentlessly struggling to achieve his dream?

Despite repeated efforts to make his teeth tremble, he received a grade much lower than Holden, who spent leisurely time at the counseling center every day.

It might have been natural for Haril to borrow the help of magic tools.

‘Even, I’ve been living without knowing that Haril had such troubles… .’

Holden’s anguish was overlaid with a sense of shame that he was no different from his own people who had left his mother indifferent, and even after long hours of prayer, it did not wash away at all.

“Were you here?”

“… .”

Ironically, the person who pulled Holden out of the guilt that burned like charcoal even if he tried to erase it was the one who made him suffer so much.

Drawing curtains over the star-strewn windows like shards of broken glass, Holden glared at the demon that had entered the sanctuary.

“What the hell did you do to the kids?”

“You mean Eugene and Heryl? I parasitized my people… .”

“You are doing this on purpose. Do you find it fun when kids are ruined?”

“No way. In the first place, I never forced anyone here to do anything.”

The candle that Holden had leaned on shook as if he were trembling, fearing that it would now be consumed by her darkness.

Piletta, who had extinguished the last light with her fingers as if catching an insect, looked into Holden’s eyes.

“I just gave them what they wanted.”

“It could have led to a better path. Inferiority is not solved by achieving goals and trampling on opponents! You are deliberately adding to the problem!”

“Then, should I advise them to put an end to dreams that don’t fit the subject early?”

“That sound… . it’s not… .”

“then? Can Eugene beat Yuri without the help of my magical tools? What about Heryl?”

“… .”

Holden couldn’t open his mouth because he didn’t know how to help them.

No matter how well I say that I shouldn’t give my heart to a dark entity, if I can’t help them… .

How is that different from the empty teachings of Sharp?

‘I… .’

As Holden’s shoulders slumped, Pyletta approached him as if permeating.

With the darkness everywhere, it was difficult for Holden to gauge whether she was near or not.

“Looks like I pushed you too hard. Still, I’m a student member-“

“Who is like you!”

“Eugene and Haril don’t have to worry too much. The demons inside those children will be retrieved as soon as the evaluation of tomorrow’s duel is over.”

“… Are you sure?”

“I promise.”

Right now, the side effects of parasitism may be hard on the body, but if they endure for a day, they can achieve what they want.

A thought crossed Holden’s mind that it might be far better than not even reaching out.

And.

Piletta’s pink eyes, which did not miss Holden’s sudden change, lit up.

“Looking at you doing this until this late… . It sounds like you have a lot of heartache. Frankly, I can’t understand you.”

“… I guess so. You and I are of different races.”

“No, this is not a problem at the racial level. Holden, you are too attached to the past.”

Now her eyes flickered in Holden’s eyes instead of candlelight in the darkness-filled chapel.

The chapel, revealed in its bizarre color, looked like a space that existed only for her.

“Have you ever taken Professor Ian’s class?”

“… .”

“One of the things he said I could relate to. All humans live different lives. Is there anyone other than God who can fully understand the feelings of all of them?”

“that’s… .”

“Because of your mother, who was neglected by your own people, you are overly obsessed with empathy and warmth. It’s not your fault that you had to guess at the feelings of people who have lived completely different lives from yours.”

The candlestick Holden had leaned on had long since collided with her and collapsed.

Holden’s eyes, which had shaken off some of the guilt toward Haril with the consolation of Filetta, did not waver unlike when he was praying to an indifferent God.

After confirming this, Filetta smiled.

“Consolation and encouragement are not the only ways to help those in distress. Isn’t there a way for us to change the reality they live in?”

“Reality… . change?”

“yes. If the other person doesn’t listen to your desire to help Haril, you can prove your sincerity with your actions. I will give you that chance.”

“how… .”

“If you win the decisive battle with Carol tomorrow, I will get a letter of recommendation from Euril to join the Imperial Society. I promise to risk my existence.”

Filetta whispered to Holden, who had never put all his energy into a duel evaluation.

“You can make Haril’s dream come true with your own hands. Holden, imagine… . The look of that poor kid who was happy to receive a letter of recommendation from you.”

“… .”

“This is a rare opportunity to save Haril. Now, what are you going to do? Will you walk the same path as your people? if not… . Would you like to grab the hand of a person struggling in the gutter and pull him out?”