Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

37 – Midterm Evaluation (12)

Slowly, the sun begins to rise.

Having slept soundly and needing no more rest, I

kept watch to the very last moment,

occasionally glimpsing wild animals wandering through the night.

Time passed like that, and I could see that the number of

students—whether due to the monsters or fights amongst themselves—had dwindled

from roughly 180 to nearly half that number.

Finally, the day broke, and it wasn’t long before everyone stirred.

Including Lianna, who looked like she could sleep through an apocalypse, and

Albert and Isabella, who had gone to bed last of all.

Perhaps due to what had happened yesterday, everyone seemed reluctant to approach me;

some even avoided me outright.

I was surprised to see who did approach me amid all of this,

but they were, as I expected, familiar faces.

The Imperial Princess’s party, and Lianna.

Lianna, the Imperial Princess and the Saintess who did not know I was awake,

each had their own distinct reactions.

Lianna’s face bloomed with delight as she rushed over to me, asking if I was okay,

while the Imperial Princess, too, looked at me, as though the sleep had vanished from her face.

The Saintess… she glared at me once, before inquiring about my condition.

Whether it was jealousy at the thought of meeting a god—one even *I* had never encountered—I had absolutely no intention of yielding.

Isabella was watching us with concern, but she didn’t approach.

Albert, who had casually inquired after my well-being yesterday, while we spoke, roused the half-asleep cadets, gathered them, and then stood before them.

“Let me state this clearly. I intend to hunt that wolf.”

Even though they surely knew already, a stir rippled through the ranks of the cadets.

It was obvious: half of them had treated it like a lark, or were simply trying to impress the Iris family with foolish bravado.

“If you are willing to assist me, I will gratefully accept your help.

But I will not force anyone.

So, any who do not wish to participate may leave.”

Only then did cadets sheepishly begin to edge backward.

Albert merely shifted his gaze to those leaving, taking no other action.

Even if killing other cadets awarded bonus points,

this one didn’t seem interested in such things.

Before long, more and more cadets began to depart,

until only a precious few remained.

Excluding Lianna, myself, and the Imperial Princess’s entourage, only four or so others remained.

Albert, however, seemed pleased, as if that were more than enough.

After all, it was akin to a gamble with an immense risk, capable of ending your evaluation in an instant if you failed.

“It seems everyone else has departed. Shall we introduce ourselves, then?

As you know, I am Albert, the eldest son of the Iris family.”

Having said that, he turned his palm upward

and conjured a surge of energy within his hand.

A subtly blossoming aura of dandelion yellow.

The unique color of the Iris family’s mana.

“One of my abilities: Adamantine Body.”

Albert struck a nearby boulder, just as it was,

and with a resounding *crack*, the rock shattered into pieces.

Yet his hand showed not even the slightest scratch.

“I infuse mana directly into my body.

The duration isn’t long, but it’s a useful ability.”

That phrase, “one of my abilities,” caught my attention,

but I didn’t bother to inquire.

My team and the Imperial Princess’s group were already vaguely familiar with each other, so

the spotlight shifted to the remaining cadets.

“Ah… He-hello!! I… I’m… Kaelin…”

“My ability… it’s Interference.”

The smallest of the four, a girl seemingly wracked with nerves,

introduced herself as Caerlyn.

To Albert’s query of whether she could demonstrate her power,

she trembled, yet insisted that someone use magic.

No sooner were the words out than Isabella conjured

a small fireball in her palm.

Caerlyn then muttered something under her breath,

and Isabella, taken aback, wore an expression of astonished bewilderment.

For as naturally as it had appeared in Isabella’s hand,

the fireball now resided within Caerlyn’s own grip.

“Hoo… So you can commandeer another’s magic?”

“Y-yes…yes, the initiative of their spells…”

“Does that apply only to magic itself?”

“If…it’s magical energy, then perhaps… it might work…

But…it’s very taxing…”

Albert’s eyes, at those words, seemed to gleam for a fleeting moment –

though perhaps that was merely a trick of the light.

For if the bodies of magical beasts were composed of magical energy,

then none could be more suited to confronting them than she.

However, she was, at the end of the day, still only a student;

the assumption that she could handle the dire wolf had to be discarded.

Intermediate-level beasts were not opponents to be trifled with.

“I am Breehen. My combat style is swordsmanship, and

my ability is Transference.”

“Transference?”

A dark-skinned man, Breehen, whose bulging muscles

spoke volumes about his affinity for close-quarters combat.

He, too, as if eager to showcase his ability,

unslung the massive blade he carried on his back –

a weapon too large to simply be called a sword.

Like Caerlyn, there was something about him that set him apart.

Every mage possessed a unique magical signature.

It was known as their ‘Soulweave’, and so deeply reflected

their individual character that it could betray

a mage’s skill in a single cast.

To awaken one’s Soulweave was said to be an arduous task.

Did knights, then, not possess such a thing?

Not so.

Even knights possess something akin to unique mana arts.

The most fervent desire of those who wield the sword.

Sword Qi.

The act of imbuing one’s blade with mana.

It is said that skilled practitioners can use sword qi even without a blade.

A sword imbued with mana, naturally, possesses

far greater strength than a normal one, but

it is said to be impossible if one does not feel the sword as an extension of themselves.

And yet, Briehun was achieving it.

Even if it was a miniscule amount of mana, it was clearly being imbued.

“He has forcefully linked the sword and mana…”

“…You have a keen eye.”

Of course, it also stemmed from his diligence in sword training, but

even with that small amount of mana, it was a remarkable feat for a student.

He appeared exhausted as he held the sword,

but for us, he was an invaluable asset.

“My name is Hueben. My ability is Contamination.”

“…?”

“…Can you demonstrate your ability?”

A man of somewhat short stature, yet possessing a well-developed physique,

Hueben held a book in his right hand.

The nature of his ability was unclear,

and the Princess seemed to share that uncertainty, expressing her question.

As the others also wore expressions of confusion,

Hueben enveloped his hand in mana and grasped a leaf from a tree.

Almost immediately, the leaf began to wither from where it was held.

“…Eh?”

“The mana I infuse destroys the target’s tissues.”

“…I understand the gist of your ability; release the leaf.”

As Albert instructed, he removed his hand from the leaf,

and the fallen leaf crumbled to dust upon touching the ground.

“Does it work on magical beasts as well?”

“I am not certain…Furthermore, those wolfish magical beasts are undoubtedly a pack.”

“I see.”

With his additional explanation as the last remark, the attention of everyone was focused on the single remaining student.

I know this student.

No, perhaps everyone here

knows of this student.

It was to be expected, really, given she was a scion of one of the Four Houses.

Daughter of the family that guarded the Empire’s west, and

the family responsible for the shadowy underworld.

Her rose-pink hair, tied back,

swayed beautifully,

and she wore an outfit that flaunted her figure,

barely concealing her midriff,

a woman who wielded

two types of daggers on her thighs.

It was Sino Charlotte.

She was, especially for me, an enigma.

Lacking the grace one would expect of a Duke’s daughter,

and unlike other members of the Ducal House, she had few friends.

And that’s why I personally found her unsettling.

“Heehee… hello? Albert? Long time no see since the last party?”

“…I didn’t expect you to stick around.”

“Looks fun, doesn’t it?”

She seeks stimulation, as you can see.

Perhaps it was because she witnessed too much ugliness when she was young,

but it seemed that she wasn’t easily provoked.

So, naturally, she began to wander around in search of greater stimulation, and

for a while, there were even rumors circulating around the Academy that she was doing drink and drugs.

“So, you’re not going to introduce my abilities?”

In the brief moment I was distracted,

her voice had moved next to my ear,

and I instinctively threw a punch again.

A major accident was nearly averted,

but she quickly dodged by tilting her head back,

and everything would have been fine except she then rushed at me, worrying if the Saintess had been hurt.

“Wow! Your reaction is fast? You.”

“…Do you know me?”

“Yep! Yesterday was quite impressive!”

“…”

“You…you cut off that arm without any hesitation, didn’t you?

Truly amazing! Not just anyone can do that.”

The way she spoke, as if she had tried it herself,

was giving me an unsettling feeling.

Whether it was some kind of self-hatred or not, I could sense from her

The feeling it gave was not altogether pleasant, and

it wasn’t long before she noticed I was ill at ease with her.

Albert, sensing this, turned her attention elsewhere.

“Enough with the theatrics. Just explain your ability.”

“Hmm… my ability is concealment!

I can use mana to distort light like this.”

The words barely left her lips, and her form

vanished completely.

Not a trace of presence, not even a scent.

Is it because she inherited the blood of those who handle the underworld?

Her ability was almost too convenient

for clandestine operations.

While I pondered whether genetic factors played a role in abilities,

the air shimmered behind me for a moment,

and Shino materialized from within.

It was an unsettling sight, as if the space she occupied was somehow isolated.

She seemed disappointed that I wasn’t startled,

but her smile returned when she saw the look on Rianna’s face beside me.

“It seems introductions are over, then.”

“Indeed. Before we proceed… is there a plan?”

“I… wouldn’t you think so?”

“Even if there isn’t one, I wouldn’t mind!”

In turn, Brihen, Huben, Carolein, Shino.

Each and every one of them seemed curious about how we were going to catch the wolf.

It was the same for us as well, so

everyone’s gaze turned to Albert.

Albert slowly began to walk toward us.

“Of course there is.”

“””…!”””

“I’ll explain the plan now.”

『 Current cadets remaining: 94 』