As the first rays of dawn began to disperse the chill of the night, they sprinkled upon the streets, buildings, and benches along the road.
The beam of light gradually extended.
This city, known as Ichrite, seed to have been awakened by the divine kindness of the gods.
Before long,
Shops on both sides of the streets successively opened for business, greetings exchanged enthusiastically between store owners and neighbors.
Under the open-air tent of the café, the faint aroma of coffee wafted in the air, accompanied by light and vibrant jazz music echoing through the bustling streets.
The early workers began to increase, hurrying along in the crowds at the center of Ichrite city.
In the morning breeze still carrying the scent of fruits and flowers,
Lanci walked along the streets of Ichrite with a faint smile on his face, accompanied by Talia.
Bathing in the morning sunlight, with a peaceful expression, his whole body radiated a sunny disposition.
Lanci seed to be in a good mood.
He now found both the school exams and the Shadow World quite interesting.
While Talia looked like she was going to work as if attending a funeral.
She was reluctant to accompany Lanci back to Ichrite Academy again.
Last ti they exited the academy together, she felt her scalp tingle from the several stares thrown their way.
Fortunately, the third round of examinations won't be publicly broadcasted live.
They would be rely observed by the academy teachers behind the scenes.
Otherwise, Talia, even if she had to fake being ill, wouldn't feel like accompanying Lanci here again.
"Tata, are you in a bad mood?"
Lanci felt that Talia had been speaking less these past few days.
Today it was even more evident that she was reluctant to be with him.
"..."
Talia did not respond to him.
She just looked straight ahead.
Marching forward.
So, Lanci slightly quickened his pace, started to jog, turned his head and sneakily glanced at Talia's face.
Her expression was cold and she still ignored Lanci.
But just at the mont, Lanci inadvertently caught a glimpse at Talia's eyes.
Which made Lanci feel as if Talia held so deep grudge against him...
He involuntarily froze in his stride, standing in place dumbfounded, scratching his head.
Recently it seed he had managed to get slightly close to her.
Why did her attitude suddenly plumt?
It's really hard to fathom a demon's mind.
Especially a hundred-year-old spinster's.
Lanci thought to himself.
"..."
Just then, Talia reached Lanci's side.
She turned her face to glance at Lanci.
For so unknown reason, she felt a sudden urge to kill Lanci.
But he hadn't said anything just now, and his facial expression also looked normal...
"What's wrong, Tata?"
Lanci asked softly.
He hardly looked like soone who was thinking about impolite things in his mind.
"Nothing."
As soon as her words fell,
Talia stopped paying attention to Lanci and moved forward.
"Chasing the cloud away~"
Lanci also cheerfully humd a tune, stepped forward and followed her.
...
Half an hour later.
Ichrite Academy, Learning and Education Building, seventh-floor atrium.
The sunlight passed through the massive glass do, refracting within and forming a series of soft arcs of light, bringing a sense of serenity to the entire atrium.
With the play of light and shadow on the ground, Lanci, walking around, could see the staff and faculty going back and forth on the surrounding corridors.
As per the examination schedule, he once again walked into this large and brightly lit examination room and couldn't help but marvel at the architectural craftsmanship.
From afar,
The large magic equipnt device, the Artificial Shadow World Start Terminal, seed to have been repaired.
Only now, there was a sign in a noticeable position saying[No Forceful Restart].
The handwriting showed that the person who added the warning sign was quite angry.
Different from the second round of examinations,
Not many students and staff mbers were waiting here today.
The third round of exams was coordinated by the teachers of Sage Academy, and the lead examiner for the corresponding exams would directly appear in the Shadow World.
Dean Loren wasn't there.
It was said he also carried the responsibilities of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny and often had to leave Capital City Ekrite.
After detouring around the marble gate, walking into the examination area, he noticed two figures looking at him.
One was Teacher Teresa, holding a flat magic device and responsible for guiding the examination site. Lanci had t her during his attribute testing when he enrolled.
Teacher Teresa was very gentle and greeted Lanci with a slight smile upon their eting.
And the other, wearing an exam bracelet like Lanci, was apparently his partner for the third round of exams.
In the examination notice he received yesterday, Lanci had read—
The the of the third round of examination was "Combat and Survival."
In this kind of examination model, healing mages and support mages often struggle to operate solo.
Hence, the academy employed a team-based examination thod, forming teams of damage mages with both healers and supporters.
Under most circumstances, it was a three-person team.
This also served to test the students' team coordination abilities.
After all, in the real Shadow World, a team often either rose or fell as a whole. If an accident happened, it would most likely lead to a group wipe, with no room for what-ifs.
However,
When Lanci spotted his own teammate—a noblewoman of remarkable air,
Both seed sowhat surprised.
At the end of the second round exam two days ago, she had asked Lanci how long it took for him to clear the exam.
And Lanci, quite conservatively, answered it took him nearly fifty minutes.
"Nearly fifty minutes?"
Hyperion seed to find it sohow amusing, her voice filled with hints of absurd disbelief as she asked Lanci.
She had heard just after leaving the examination hall the day before yesterday.
About a man with black hair and green eyes, who cleared the exam in only 10 minutes.
At that ti, she was still in doubt, could it possibly be that guy next to her who had said "the passing ti is less than 50 minutes?"
Now, she was certain.
It was this sly old fox.
Lanci awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
He didn't anticipate at the ti that the third round of the examination would be arranged like this.
"Do you know each other?"
Teacher Teresa looked at the two's subtle reaction and curiously asked.
They both shook their heads.
Afterwards.
"My na is Lanci Welfort, I am a white mage, but my abilities are more functional than healing."
Lanci took the initiative to introduce himself straightforwardly.
What teammates value is honesty, there's nothing to hide.
After a brief silence.
"... Hyperion Alansar."
The Miss Duchess slightly hesitated, announcing her na,
"Just treat as an assassin."
Her words ca to an abrupt halt, the introduction was quite brief.
It was apparent that she didn't trust Lanci that much.
Lanci nodded his head.
He didn't intend to ask anything more.
He looked towards the entrance of the exam field, as though waiting for their third team mber.
"There's no need to wait, he most likely won't co."
Hyperion said.
Her abrupt words suddenly drew Lanci and Teresa's curious gaze.
"Why."
"Without any surprises, a ssage will be received at the start of the exam, saying that this guy couldn't take part in the exam due to so reason. As for what the reason is, it depends on whether they use intimidation or bribery."
Hyperion spread her hands in an indifferent gesture as she said this coldly.
Though there was more helplessness in her tone, her gaze could hardly cover up her inner fury.
She knew full well what these manipulating aristocrats would do.
"Ah... Hyperion, this is just your speculation, right?"
Hyperion's temperant was starkly different from Lanci's, which made Teresa feel a slight chill down her spine.
If Lanci was to be compared to the pure and flawless sunlight in the spring, then Hyperion was like an ominous entity unsalvageable from the cold and dirty depths of a pool of blood.
Teresa looked at Lanci.
Lanci, however, remained indifferent, as usual, displaying no emotional changes.
Given Lanci didn't say anything, she as a teacher didn't feel it was proper to voice any more of her opinions.
...
Not long after.
Approaching the start of the exam.
As expected, a notification rang out from the magical instrunt in Teacher Teresa's hand —
Their teammate had decided to apply to other academies and voluntarily quit the exam.
"This..."
Teacher Teresa also seed a bit troubled.
She most likely understood that these seemingly accidental scenarios weren't exactly accidental.
After all, even Hyperion predicted it ahead of ti.
"Should I ask for advice from the dean or vice-dean?"
Teresa asked hesitantly.
She knew that the practical exam to be conducted by Firat would be far from easy.
Moreover, Firat was amongst the people who didn't want to allow Hyperion to enroll.
Just by considering Hyperion and the sowhat weak white mage Lanci, the two of them wouldn't have the slightest chance of passing...
Hyperion shook her head.
Her icy gaze softened a little looking at Teresa.
Even though she never really felt much goodwill and only grew up amongst mutual malice.
But more or less, she could still differentiate people's character.
"These aristocrats love creating perfect accidents, not leaving a trace of evidence."
Hyperion smirked,
"Even if the exam today isn't broadcasted, I assu a lot of eyes are secretly watching this stage."
They could be more excessive, allowing Hyperion's last teammate to participate in the exam as normal, then play-acting, even directly betraying Hyperion.
But if they make it too obvious, and Dean Loren detects any trace of it, Loren might start investigating the fairness of the exam.
Therefore, the operators preferred to orchestrate an accident.
"So why didn't this group of people approach ?"
Lanci propped his chin and frowned, as if he was earnestly thinking about sothing.
Hyperion was slightly silent.
She wasn't sure if Lanci genuinely didn't understand or was pretending not to understand.
"This group of people do care about saving face, if they bribe two test-takers directly, it wouldn't appear accidental."
Hyperion simply explained.
Of course, she believed that Lanci, as a smart person, would easily understand the real reason-
Those big-shots don't think Lanci has much combat prowess.
Furthermore, Lanci might cause the exam to proceed normally, and beco a tool to drag Hyperion down.
If there really was only one test-taker left, that is Hyperion, the academy wouldn't be so cruel to let her confront the main examiner single-handedly, but more likely they would stuff her into another team and slightly increase the overall difficulty of the exam.
"I see, that's really unlucky..."
Lanci nodded slightly, sighing.
His expression looked like he had just missed out on a big opportunity.
"Are you really eager to be bought by them?"
Hyperion looked at Lanci's clearly disappointed face, finding it absolutely ridiculous.
What on earth did she do to warrant such disrespect from him, even to the extent that he stopped pretending?
Even if this guy had so uncommon talent, in the end, he was no different from those scheming scumbags.
"Of course."
Lanci chuckled coldly, nodded in affirmation,
"Heh, dare to interfere with my exam, I will definitely obtain evidence on the spot, then donate the bribe to the Church of the Goddess of Destiny and report these people for bribery, disrupting the national exam order. At the sa ti, I'll apply the priest intervention clause on page 675 of Hutton's Code and ask the temple to trace back the source of this mistake through divine arts and conduct a thorough investigation. The priests of the Goddess of Destiny will determine that I didn't have any subjective intentions of extortion, I was rely collecting evidence. Subsequently, I will receive the church's comndation and protection, which might even let directly beco a probationary priest..."
He appeared stern and righteous, if he had a code in his hand, he probably would have imdiately flipped to the relevant pages and explained it to Hyperion.
Hyperion: "..."
The quizzical Teacher Teresa to the side heard Lanci's words, she couldn't utter a word for a long ti, her lips slightly parted.
Hyperion realized it was a misunderstanding.
She decided to withdraw her previous statent.
Compared to those unscrupulous people, this Lanci was the truly dangerous entity!
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