"Hello. Just pretend I'm not here and carry on as you were."Lorraine simply finished her introduction, sat down, and opened her textbook.Dick, Mei-rin, and Kamibarez kept glancing at her, even as they looked at their notes.'How can we pretend you're not here?!'She was none other than Neptis's daughter. It was an atmosphere that was far from comfortable.The lecture hall felt suffocating.'......But.'Mei-rin's gaze shifted.'How does Simon know Lorraine?'Mei-rin pondered the question but soon understood.Simon was Special Case #1, personally recommended by Neptis. It wasn't strange for him to be acquainted with her daughter.'She's beautiful.......'Kamibarez was purely in awe.Black hair like the night sky, ruby-red eyes, and that unique, unapproachable aura.Among Kizen's students, Lorraine had an unparalleled presence.And Dick, who valued connections more than anyone, really wanted to strike up a conversation with Lorraine. However, he thought the chances of accidentally saying something wrong and getting on her bad side were higher than actually befriending her, so he held back.'Let's just study.'Scratch, scratch.Only the sound of quill pens filled the quiet lecture hall. The boisterous atmosphere had turned silent, but in truth, this quiet environment was better for studying.Everyone focused diligently on their studies, if only to avoid paying attention to Lorraine."......."Just then, Lorraine bit her lip slightly and furrowed her brow, seemingly stuck on something.Simon, noticing her expression, quietly asked,"Having trouble?""......Yeah.""Where?""Here, number 7."Simon spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear."Oh, really? Mei-rin is good with Curse Studies problems."Mei-rin, who had been diligently studying with her head down, flushed and looked up.She mouthed, 'Hey! Be quiet!' but quickly shut her mouth the moment Lorraine looked up.Simon chuckled and said,"Mei-rin. Could you explain this?""......Uh, yeah."Mei-rin awkwardly approached and stood beside Lorraine, beginning to explain problem number 7. It was natural that Lorraine couldn't solve it if she didn't know the formula.Lorraine nodded after listening to the explanation."Then, if you substitute that formula, it's like this."Just by hearing the formula, Lorraine was already writing down the solution fluently in her notebook."Yeah, that's right! You're really good!"Mei-rin wasn't just saying it; she was genuinely impressed.Was this what it meant to understand ten things from knowing one? Her comprehension was eye-opening."But why did you simplify all the values here?""Because this was the only way I knew how. Was it wrong?""Hmm, no! Not at all! In fact, this approach is quite impressive. Just a moment......."Eventually, Mei-rin, who was teaching, became even more excited. Simon watched them and thought,'Is she like a relaxed genius?'There was no disputing Lorraine's skill.She was said to be weak at note-taking, but in reality, it felt more like she had the ability but lacked the motivation or interest. Of course, this was merely Simon's conjecture.After Mei-rin broke the ice, Dick and Kamibarez also exchanged a few words with her. Everyone had thought she was an incredibly serious and intimidating character, but Lorraine treated them surprisingly kindly.Nom.Feeling hungry, she tasted a snack Dick had brought. She nodded, seemingly enjoying it."What is this?""Grain cookies from Rochester."Dick quickly replied. Lorraine quietly marveled."I didn't know something like this existed.""Want me to tell you where to get them?"The atmosphere gradually lightened, and Simon inwardly sighed in relief, watching them with satisfaction.Lorraine had initially said she'd only stay for an hour or two, but she ended up staying longer than expected, perhaps because the study session was going well. The other group members also relaxed and interacted with Lorraine more freely.Time passed, and dusk fell. A caretaker came and said they needed to vacate the lecture hall."Bye, everyone!""Today's study session was great!"Everyone said their goodbyes. They wanted to hang out more for an after-study gathering, but since it was exam season, they decided to focus on individual study.Simon offered to walk Lorraine to the Kizen exit."......A month has already passed."Lorraine murmured, then looked at Simon."Is school life fun?""The best."Simon grinned."Is this life so precious to you that you'd risk so much for it?""Yes."Simon answered without hesitation.She slowly nodded, then put on her robe and pulled up the hood. As she spread her arms, a subspace appeared in the air, and from within it, a magnificent Skeleton Horse emerged."Thanks for walking me. I'll be going now."She placed her palm on the tall Skeleton Horse's body and effortlessly swung herself onto its back.Simon lightly stroked the Skeleton Horse's head, and the horse whinnied, rubbing its head against Simon's palm."Simon.""Yes."Her red eyes glowed from beneath her hood."Doubt everything, and trust no one.""......?"Leaving only those words, she pulled on the Skeleton Horse's reins and departed.* * *Exam season flew by like light.I'd open my eyes, go to school, and then find myself exhausted and lying in bed.With the midterms approaching next week, the duel evaluation was temporarily overshadowed, and all students entered a full-scale exam preparation period. The professors seemed pleased with the students' renewed focus, which had been somewhat distracted by the duels.Simon adopted Mei-rin's study method: increasing note-taking, reviewing for 20 minutes immediately after class, memorizing important problems whenever he had a moment, and solving past exam questions during breaks.'......At this point, it's truly a battle of stamina.'He had learned a lot from preparing for the previous duel evaluation. He cut down on sleep but avoided the insane act of pulling all-nighters as much as possible. He focused on every single second he was awake.Now, after class, going to the cafe, library, or dormitory study room became his daily routine."Ugh! Hurry!"While studying at the campus cafe, Dick suddenly made a gesture as if clutching his neck."I wish this week would just pass quickly! Ugh! Is this any way for a person to live?"Simon, studying at the next table, chuckled."There."Just then, a female student flipping through a magazine at the window seat behind them glared at Dick."Do you all want to die? Can't you be quiet?""Ah, ah, I'm sorry."Dick quickly bowed his head. The female student irritably turned her head away."......What, she didn't have to say it like that, did she?"Simon muttered, and Dick quickly put a finger to his lips, shushing him."That person is a second-year."One thing that had changed this week was that second and third-year students had finally arrived at Kizen.The campus and dormitory sections were divided by year, so it was rare to encounter them during classes, but they could occasionally be seen in the campus cafe or library after classes.Though not obvious, second-years had a small red mark on their Kizen uniform collar, and third-years had a gray mark.Third-years, in particular, were so busy with missions and practical training that they were rarely seen. Student council and clan operations were also primarily run by second-years."It's best to be careful around the upperclassmen."Dick said in a low voice."The power and authority of Kizen's second-years versus first-years are like heaven and earth. There's nothing good to gain from getting on their bad side."Even Simon, new to school life, had that much common sense. The two returned to their exam studies.The next day.And the day after that.Whether sleeping or slumped over his desk, Simon's mind seemed to be constantly churning with the formulas and knowledge learned in class. Students frequently had nosebleeds during class, and some even slammed their heads onto their desks due to sleep deprivation.But no one gave up.As long as they belonged to the Kizen institution, they couldn't escape the suffocating tension. If they couldn't overcome this level of pressure, it was wise to leave the school.A few days later, in Jane's Beginner Dark Magic class."The practical evaluation exam time is 60 minutes."The group practical evaluation was held the week before midterms.Students had no complaints about a practical evaluation before exams. This was because the evaluation was heavily geared towards preparing for the midterms.The students sat in their groups, gathered around an oversized exam paper more than 2 meters long. All eight subjects, excluding Beginner Dark Magic, were on this paper.'It's definitely advantageous to have group members with different majors.'Simon subtly looked around.Students whose majors overlapped were still busy arguing about who would do what."Focus!"Mei-rin, the group leader, pointed her fingers, giving dazzling instructions."I'll handle Curse Studies, Kami will do Hemomancy, Dick will do Jet Black Mechanics, and Simon will do Summoning Studies. If you encounter a problem you don't know, mark it with an asterisk and move on quickly. If you think a problem is confusing or needs double-checking, mark it with a triangle. I'll go through from number 1 and check everything. And once you've finished your major's problems, Kami immediately covers Toxicology, Simon covers Martial Arts, and Dick covers Divine Defense. Understood?"Since Mei-rin's contribution was more than half when it came to written exams, everyone quickly nodded."There are quite a few Summoning Studies problems, can I trust you with them, Simon?"Simon grinned at Mei-rin's words."Of course."Jane looked at her wristwatch and spoke."Alright. The exam will now begin."Whoosh!The sound of 16 groups simultaneously removing their exam paper covers was heard.Simon quickly found the Summoning Studies problems.Summoning Studies began from problem 41.41. Which of the following undead reproduces sexually? (2 points)➀ Zombie➁ Skeleton➂ Specter➃ Ghoul➄ Lich'Number 4, Ghoul. A unique case among undead that reproduces sexually. Offspring mature into adults in one month, and the parent entity has no maternal instincts.'Simon quickly checked number 4 and moved to the next problem.42. When attempting to change a normal zombie into a mad zombie, which of the following detailed formulas cannot be added to the magic circle?➀ Construction➁ Rage➂ Scream➃ Madness➄ Seizure'Number 5 is definitely it. The formula for a normal zombie already includes 'seizure', so there's no reason to use a duplicate formula!'Simon's lips curled into a smile.He knew all the content, and it was going well! He felt like screaming with joy.'Was studying this fun?'He still vividly remembered the intense helplessness he felt during Jane's first test.But now, it was different.Simon began to surge forward, solving problems at a furious pace.Mei-rin, who was solving Curse Studies formulas and moving down the paper, smiled at the sight.'......Hmph, he must have worked hard, after all.'During the group selection time, Simon had declared that if he couldn't surpass Mei-rin's Summoning Studies score, he would quit Kizen.Of course, other students around them had heard it, but it wasn't a binding statement, and if Mei-rin, the person concerned, forgave him, it could simply be overlooked.'Of course, I won't just forgive him.'Now, Mei-rin didn't want Simon to leave Kizen. Instead, she had a debt from the last Cyclops practical evaluation. She intended to surpass Simon in Summoning Studies this time and settle that debt.Of course, she hadn't told Simon about this. She wanted him to feel the pressure and study hard."Hey, Mei-rin! Help with Jet Black Mechanics 25!"Suddenly, Dick cut in and shouted.Her serious expression, which had been fixed on Simon, instantly turned annoyed as she glared at Dick."If you don't know it, just mark it with an asterisk and move on, you idiot!""Ugh, I can't! If I don't resolve this nagging feeling, it'll affect my other problem-solving...!""Give up!!"
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