Even a Scoundrel Gets Tired

40 – Midterm Evaluation (15)

“Ho…”

“Wh-what was that?”

“..Wasn’t that supposed to be a mid-tier monster?”

The professors, who had been watching the students with fervent attention, were utterly bewildered.

Clearly, it was an opponent an average student shouldn’t be able to defeat.

Even amongst mid-tier monsters, that wolf was by no means a weak specimen.

Furthermore, due to the mutation of the low-tier monsters accompanying it,

no student was able to offer him aid.

In other words, he was in a situation where he had to fight the mid-tier monster all alone.

No professor believed that a single student could defeat a mid-tier monster,

and some even discussed pre-determining who would retrieve him should he fall.

No one held any expectations for him,

and therefore, no one could easily believe what was now unfolding.

He cleaved.

A strike that was neither too slow nor too fast.

And yet, a strike as beautiful as a lunar halo.

Even the professors who prided themselves on their knowledge of swordsmanship

could not carelessly criticize that strike.

“…That student… what is his name?”

“…How is that possible…?”

“The name of that swordsmanship is…?”

Even the professors who hadn’t paid much attention to Jenison were left with their mouths agape,

and the professors who already knew him were busy doubting their own eyes.

As the professors began to fall into their individual states of confusion,

the headmaster, who was also watching the screen, was equally shocked.

‘…Impressive.’

Even she, who was deeply engrossed in magic and could be called a layman when it came to swords,

judged that Jenison’s strike was not at the level of an average student.

Moreover, his body was also quite intriguing.

Even if his arm was torn off, cut off, or crushed, it would somehow regenerate.

A feat impossible for a human body.

Sacrificing his body to the enemy in exchange for aiming for their life.

More akin to the movements of an assassin than the tactics of a knight or mage.

He acted as if he was a human created solely to kill the enemy.

Therefore, the thought that wouldn’t leave her mind.

Why is Jenison fighting that monster in that place?

She had clearly warned him in advance.

If his performance on this midterm assessment was deemed unsatisfactory,

he would have to return the artifact he had received.

Giving and then taking away was clearly something that petty individuals did, but

due to his accumulated infamy, there were too many professors who objected to giving him the artifact.

‘This is not right, Headmaster! How can you give it to someone like that…’

‘My son is better than someone like that…’

Among them, there were those who believed that if there was an artifact to give to someone like that, it would be better to give it to their own children or family.

Arrogant individuals, subtly attempting to curry favor, often came seeking me out.

If others were to witness this, they would surely point fingers, declaring it an utter disrespect toward a Ninth Circle Archmage, no matter how even-tempered she usually was.

For opening the Academy’s Vault was rare, and such a privilege virtually unheard of.

The opportunity to select a relic, granted to an Academy student now adrift,

was apparently so inconceivable that many visited her in the span of a single day,

including the Vice-Principal himself.

“That… Headmistress…”

“Yes?”

“Even so… opening the Vault…”

“…Are you of the same mind?”

“Frankly, I find it difficult to believe this student has changed so drastically…”

“…He is a student I have judged… Is it truly the collective sentiment of all?”

“…If I may be so bold… Would an interim evaluation not be prudent…?”

The Vice-Principal adding his weight made it impossible to ignore,

and she agreed to his request privately, deciding to heed their counsel.

Even if he later requested another relic, she would grant it.

After all, it was they who had reversed their initial decision.

Therefore, she could have accepted if he merely coasted along,

but his actions completely defied expectations.

Rescuing the Saintess, losing an arm, his entire being reduced to tatters.

A situation where another would have surrendered and fled countless times,

yet he did not abandon his post.

He even proved his strength in the process.

‘Something has certainly changed.’

The former him would undoubtedly have prioritized his own safety and run.

As that thought solidified her conviction even further,

someone approached her, their face etched with unease.

“H-Headmistress…”

“What is it, Kaede?”

“In Sector 18… the student count… it’s dwindling too quickly.”

“…”

*

The darkness falters.

Even the shadows freeze in place.

The Black King, who with such lofty disdain had ravaged his prey,

has surrendered his heart to the shadows.

Crimson eyes, once gleaming like rubies, slowly lose their vitality,

and a grey pallor begins to overlay the red.

The twitching forepaws stilled, as did the tongue. The whimpering, a sound that had clawed at the edges of the world for a brief eternity, finally ceased.

And I, with the deed complete, felt the tension leach from me, an abrupt exodus that left me face to face with the scream within.

It hurts.

The frenzy that had gripped my body began to ebb.

Adrenaline waned, my heart slowed, and the pain, in its myriad forms, surged back.

Barely, barely had I managed to recreate the Moonlight Nine Swords,

but my body, still unfinished, buckled under the strain.

My unresponsive legs, my trembling hands—a cruel mockery.

In this state, aiding the others was an impossible dream. Should other fiends seek me out, I could offer no resistance.

Turning a gaze around, I saw that, thankfully, the battle seemed to have been largely decided.

The Saintess, unmatched in matters of healing,

along with the Princess and Isabella, who fought with a skill beyond that of ordinary students.

Albert and Ruben held the line, a bulwark against which the monsters broke, helpless before their onslaught.

Moreover, their chieftain lay dead, and naturally, their morale had crumbled.

The tide turned, tilting ever in our favor,

Slowly, I drew in ragged breaths,

and with a hand that shook violently, I reached for the cigarettes I had hidden away, but

“You! Are you insane?!”

“…”

The Saintess had appeared, seemingly out of thin air, to block my path.

“Is now the time for a smoke?! You’re underage to begin with!”

“It’s not actual tobacco, and…my apologies.”

Further argument felt like an invitation to a beating, and I found myself apologizing instead.

“..Aren’t we still in the midst of battle?”

“They’re as good as done for at this point. Besides, you’re the one who needs attention right now!”

“..Is that so.”

“I don’t know how you manage to look so composed, but it’s just a facade.

Your insides are a complete mess, you know!”

Her words brought with them a fresh awareness. The shoulder I had cobbled together creaked with every turn,

and a strange numbness had settled over my arm.

The blood vessels, hastily connected with no regard for proper procedures, were no doubt the reason I appeared to the Saintess as little more than a cripple.

“Even so, to save the Saintess…”

“Quiet yourself. Think a little about your own well-being.”

“…Your tone is growing rather sharp.”

Another word and I truly thought she’d snap my arm again.

With a sigh, I quietly received her healing, and before I knew it, Shino, silent as a shadow, had taken a seat beside me.

“…?”

“Hey there!”

“…The battle’s not over yet…”

“You were incredible!”

“…??”

She blurted out the praise and then unleashed a torrent of questions.

What was that swordsmanship just now? How did you pull off that final move?

Even, your talent certainly wasn’t supposed to be in that direction, she declared.

The rapid-fire questions left me momentarily stunned.

The Saintess, reminding her not to bother a patient mid-treatment, and

the rest of our party, having finished off the last of the monsters and joining us, came into view.

“Jenison!! Are you alrigh… never mind…”

“A-Aren’t you in pain?!”

“…”

Albert, rushing toward me, saw the blood spatter everywhere and those… things… that used to be my arm lying off in the distance, and swallowed back his question about whether I was alright.

Lianna, seeing my clothes soaked in blood, looked as if she were about to cry as she asked after my well-being.

Isabella and the Princess wore solemn expressions as they looked at my tattered arms, and

I thought I heard the Princess quietly praising me.

“Impressive indeed.”

“…”

At that moment, an unfamiliar voice spoke from behind me, and

reflexively, everyone, including myself, turned to look.

“Ah, my apologies if I startled you.”

“Professor Frence?”

“Hm, seems you know me. No need for introductions then.”

“What… brings you here?”

“Ah, nothing to worry about, Albert.

I’ve simply come to collect the lad lying over there.”

Professor Frence, though clearly advanced in years, was often described as possessing a captivating middle-aged charm.

Even with the Saintess’s continued healing…

Was the reason he wasn’t waking up because he’d fainted?

“Well, truthfully, I never expected you to capture this one.”

“…”

“I’d heard rumors that you’d changed, but I didn’t think it was true. People don’t change that easily. And not to this extent.”

“Yes.”

“Heh heh, a cold wind is blowing. I shall take my leave. I hope you survive until the end.”

The smile that had been on Professor Frence’s face as he spoke vanished, and his expression hardened. Following his gaze, I saw a figure standing there. As the man approached, I could make out his appearance.

A man covered in blood.

“…What have you become, Leon Cadet?”

“…Would you step aside, Professor Frence?”

“…I’m afraid I cannot.”

“…”

“Especially not for a ‘Min’.”

Professor Frence’s words caused us all to widen our eyes and watch the situation unfold.

“Heh heh… how did you know?”

“That’s none of your concern. You understand what Min implies, don’t you?”

“…”

“From this moment forward, I, Frence Kuran, will restrain you.”

“…Khehehehehehe”

As he finished speaking, chains of blue mana surged forth from Professor Frence’s hands. Leon, seeing this, simply continued to laugh.

“…What is so amusing?”

“…Heh heh.”

Instead of answering, Leon looked past the professor at us. Professor Frence, aware of his gaze, shifted his stance and continued.

“Do you think I’m so weak that I can’t protect anyone from just you?”

“…”

“I guarantee you, you won’t lay a hand on another…”

As the professor was about to finish his sentence, his eyes locked onto a piece of paper Leon had pulled from his pocket. Ignoring the professor’s immediate lunge, Leon tore the paper into shreds.

“..!”

“….!!”

In that instant, something seemed to linger around my ears, but the sound was too garbled to understand properly.

A retching began, a sensation of fullness, of something overflowing within me,

and before long, my vision perished.