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Chapter 62: Midterm Evaluation (7)
A quiet stillness settled over the forest clearing.
I hurriedly stepped back and asked with a stunned expression,
“What kind of crazy nonsense is that…?”
“Why? Don't you like it?”
“It’s not a matter of liking or disliking!”
Professor Elisha looked at , amused by my flustered reaction.
“Don't get so worked up. It was just a joke.”
“...”
I stared at Professor Elisha, wearing an expression of disbelief, as she maintained a face far too serious for to believe it was just a joke.
‘What kind of professor makes jokes like that in this day and age?’
I glared at her, furrowing my brow.
She smiled softly and placed her hand on her chest.
“Well, joke or not, it's true that I’m interested in you, Cadet Dale. Both as a hero and... as a man.”
“…What?”
Wait, what?
Where did that sudden blunt remark co from?
“There’s no rule saying a professor can’t be interested in a cadet, is there?”
“Well, no... technically, there isn't.”
“Before I’m a professor, I’m a woman. It’s only natural to be attracted to a man I like.”
“Uh… so, you’re saying…”
My mind went completely blank at the unexpected barrage of bluntness.
‘Is Elisha Baldwin saying she’s interested in ?’
What is even happening right now?
“…Haven’t we only t twice?”
And neither of those were particularly pleasant conversations.
“Hmm? Does it matter how often a woman ets a man to feel attracted?”
“…I don’t think I’ve done anything during those encounters that would attract you.”
Let’s set aside the "male" and "female" terminology for now.
“You didn’t? Didn’t you show on the very first day?”
“Are you talking about the sparring match with Assistant Instructor Vincent?”
Well, yes, it’s not every day a cadet overwhelms an instructor in a duel.
But let’s be honest, that shouldn’t be enough to catch the attention of the ‘Spider of Dread,’ ranked 9th among the thousands of heroes.
‘Even Yuren probably had no trouble overwhelming Assistant Instructor Vincent.’
I didn’t even have to bring up Yuren.
Camilla, for instance, could likely hold her own against Vincent.
‘Vincent’s level isn’t exactly outstanding, after all.’
The only reason Vincent appeared so dominant in the beginning was because of the relative skill level of his sparring partners.
It’s not like cadets barely passing their average scores could hope to withstand the swift strikes of a swordmaster.
“Hmph. Well, that’s part of it, of course.”
“You an there’s sothing else?”
“There is.”
Sothing else that caught Elisha’s attention…
‘Could it be…?’
Had she sohow figured out about the primordial fla?
“Fufu. You seem to be misunderstanding sothing.”
As I stared at her with suspicion, Elisha smiled softly.
“Your appearance, Cadet Dale drew to you the most.”
“…Excuse ?”
My mind went blank at the completely unexpected response.
Elisha raised a hand to brush my cheek gently, then nodded in satisfaction.
“As I thought, no matter how often I look at you, your somber and gloomy appearance is just to my taste. I love it.”
“...”
What?
Is she insulting right now?
“Mm. Don’t stare at like that.”
Elisha awkwardly averted her gaze, clearing her throat with an embarrassed cough.
Her cheeks flushed a faint red.
“…Isn’t it embarrassing?”
“No.”
After calling soone’s face gloomy and somber, what's the point in being embarrassed now?
‘I can’t tell where her true intentions lie.’
I sighed deeply, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Well, don’t worry too much about it. It’s only curiosity for now.”
With a faint smile, she pulled a cigarette from her coat and placed it between her lips.
Elisha tilted her head towards , motioning with the cigarette in her mouth.
“Light.”
“…I don’t carry a lighter.”
“Didn’t you use fire magic earlier when fighting that demonic beast?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Using primordial fla to light a cigarette seed... inappropriate.
“Hmph. I suppose that’s true.”
Elisha pulled out a lighter from her pocket and handed it to .
“Light it.”
“…Can’t you light it yourself?”
“There’s sothing special about a man I’m fond of lighting my cigarette for .”
“...”
What kind of unreasonable woman is this?
“Hah…”
I sighed deeply and lit her cigarette with the lighter she handed .
Elisha took a deep drag from the cigarette, exhaling the smoke with a satisfied nod.
“Hah. That’s nice.”
“…So, what about the investigation you ntioned earlier? Should I offer you so of my blood?”
“No need. There’s nothing more to learn anyway.”
“...”
Then why did you even bring up needing further investigation earlier?
“Fufu. It was just a good excuse to kiss the man I fancy. That’s why I love being a special professor.”
“That’s a very, uh, ‘professor-like’ way of thinking.”
“Hearing that is a little embarrassing.”
Elisha replied with a straight face, leaving unsure whether she was joking or not as she blew out a long stream of smoke.
“By the way, what were those demonic beasts earlier?”
“We’re still looking into it.”
Elisha flicked the cigarette butt away as she approached the dead crocodile-like demonic beast.
“Given the size of the exam grounds, it’s not unusual for wild demonic beasts to occasionally wander in, but… this is the first ti in the academy’s 500-year history that an 8-eyed demonic beast has shown up.”
“So, that ans…”
“It’s reasonable to assu soone deliberately sent them.”
Elisha inspected the corpse of the demonic beast, her gaze heavy with suspicion.
“Do you have any suspects in mind?”
“Well… it’s only speculation at this point, but…”
Elisha dipped her finger into the blood seeping from the crocodile demonic beast’s body and tasted it.
Her purple eyes split vertically, revealing golden pupils.
It was the mark of the ‘Blessing of Insight,’ a power she possessed that activated her keen vision.
"Turns out it wasn’t just an ordinary demonic beast, but soone’s familiar."
"Like a unicorn?"
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"Yes."
Professor Elisha nodded slightly and continued speaking.
"It’s not common for soone to control a demonic beast of this caliber as a familiar."
"……."
Coincidentally, a na popped into my head as soon as I heard those words.
"Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal."
Elisha spoke in a low voice, her hand brushing the scar that stretched across her left eye.
'Jackal.'
Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal.
One of the six archbishops standing at the pinnacle of demonic beings, commanding thousands, tens of thousands of demonic beasts under his rule.
'There was practically a war just to take him down.'
Only after nearly half of the combined forces of over 1,000 soldiers from three nations had been sacrificed could they kill Jackal and his army of demonic beasts.
'The hero who killed Jackal was surely… Elisha Baldwin.'
Was it a coincidence, or was it fate?
I clicked my tongue softly, glancing at Professor Elisha.
In a previous life, she had participated in the war against Jackal, severing his lifeline, only to et her end on the battlefield.
'Though I didn't witness it myself.'
The war with Jackal broke out ten years after I graduated.
About twelve years from now.
'That was when I quit being a rcenary and started forming a party with Yuren and the others.'
Our party had just been ford then, so we didn't participate directly in the war.
While recalling these mories of my past life, I kept thinking.
"Candidate Dale? Do you know sothing about Jackal?"
"What? Oh… no. I was just lost in thought for a mont."
"Hmm, is that so?"
Professor Elisha crossed her arms, gazing deeply at the corpse of the demonic beast with a heavy expression.
"…Jackal."
Her eyes glinted fiercely as she uttered his na.
After staring at the beast's corpse for a while, Professor Elisha turned to look at .
"I have a favor to ask you, Candidate Dale."
"What is it?"
"Could you keep this matter quiet, at least until the investigation is over?"
"Keep quiet? How much are we talking about…?"
"From everyone. I'd appreciate it if you didn’t even tell your supervising professor."
"…Are you planning to cover up the incident entirely?"
Surprised by her request to keep it secret even from Professor Lucas, I made a startled face. Elisha nodded heavily.
"If this incident spreads through the academy, the culprit will escape again. Just like during the last sealing festival."
"……."
The real culprit behind the sealing festival didn’t actually escape but died by my hand.
But I couldn't tell Professor Elisha that right now.
"Understood. I’ll keep this incident between the two of us."
"Oh. Just between the two of us, huh? That sounds quite thrilling."
"No."
"Haha, just a joke."
"…You do love your jokes."
"I've always had a humorous and witty personality, you see."
"Haha. Where did you co up with such nonsense?"
You really can't win with this professor.
"Well then, I’ll take the corpse of this crocodile beast with ."
"Yes."
"By the way, are you alright? You don’t look so good."
"Well… to be honest, I’m not exactly in great shape."
I was barely holding on, feeling like I could collapse at any mont.
"Seems like I’ve kept you here too long. I’ll take care of the remaining beasts around here, so rest easy."
"That would be much appreciated."
Though I wouldn’t be affected even if I got attacked while sleeping, Yuren, who had passed out from mana exhaustion, would be in danger.
Ping!
With a snap of Professor Elisha’s fingers, silver threads wrapped around the crocodile beast’s corpse.
She then disappeared, dragging the corpse with her.
"Sigh."
I leaned against the rock where I had laid Yuren, exhaling a breath heavy with exhaustion.
'I can’t hold on any longer.'
Without resisting the overwhelming fatigue, I slowly closed my eyes.
'Wait… hold on.'
I had a nagging feeling that I’d forgotten sothing….
* * *
"I will now announce the exam results."
Professor Lucas began, holding the score sheet.
"Candidate Yuren takes first place with a bonus objective, regardless of score. Next, Candidate Maurice is second with 182 points... Candidate Camilla is third with 98 points... Candidate Juliet is 57th with 47 points... Candidate Albert is 136th with 24 points... and."
Professor Lucas's gaze landed on .
"Candidate Dale, with 0 points, ranks 253rd."
"……."
Are you kidding ?
Dead last again?
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