CHAPTER 51: RESULTS

Chapter 51: Results

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Nervous chatter filled the hallway leading to the first-year training hall as the students of Class 1-D lined up for their combat test.

Arios was already in line, his gaze darting between the various expressions around him. Some students were thrilled, eager to finally take a test that wouldn’t strain their brains. Others, who were more academically inclined, were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of a physical exam. That’s when Arios’s gaze met Greg’s. The confident look Greg had that morning was quickly fading as the nervous energy of the other students began to creep into him. Arios sighed slightly at the sight.

He’ll be alright, Arios thought. He showed promise during sparring.

As Arios’s mind reeled, his gaze spotted Kyousuke, who had just walked into the hallway and stood at the back of the line. He was with Elisa Ravenscroft, who seemed to be everywhere Kyuosouke went, just like in the anime. She knew of Kyousuke’s innate abilities and had decided that teaming up with him would give her the best chance of reaching Class A.

But something about Kyousuke’s expression intrigued Arios. He kept his gaze fixed on him. Kyousuke was unnervingly calm. Arios didn’t expect him to be distressed, knowing he always maintained a stoic look, but after failing to get his hands on the test questions beforehand, he should have known that Rian wouldn’t pass, guaranteeing his expulsion and the loss of a valuable pawn.

The large door to the training hall opened, drawing Arios’s attention away from Kyousuke and toward the four judges who stood at the entrance. They were Professor Vaelian and his apprentice, Mage Ronin von Furstenberg, flanked by Instructor Bale and an external inspector from a neighboring kingdom: Chief Marshal Eldrich Lionsheart. The Marshal was a fearsome warrior known as the Hell’s Knight due to his destructive fire affinity.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on them, especially Chief Marshal Eldrich Lionsheart. It wasn’t an everyday thing to see a foreign Mage Knight, especially one so well-known in the human domain. As he stood beside the professor, the 28-year-old, six- foot warrior was adorned in a dark red coat that flowed just past his knees, its tailored edges embroidered with faint golden trims. Golden insignias marked his shoulders, a subtle declaration of his rank and allegiance. Buttons ran neatly down the front of his uniform, reinforcing the air of military precision.

His white trousers were tucked seamlessly into polished black shoes, which completed the regal uniform, though the white gloves on his hands added a touch of unexpected gentleness. At his side rested a finely crafted blade with a gilded hilt, its intricate design hinting at both ceremonial importance and lethal efficiency.

But a question lingered among the students: Why would a top-tier Mage Knight come to judge a test meant for a mere Class 1-D?

"It seems I have your attention already," Professor Vaelian said, holding a tablet that looked similar to the one used to determine elemental affinity. "In my hands are the results of the written portion of the test, each synced to your fingerprints. All you need to do is come forth and place your thumb on the edge of the tablet to see your score breakdown."

A wave of murmurs immediately filled the hallway. Some students were eager to see their results, while others wished for their lives to end on the spot, unwilling to endure the suspense.

"Enough with the murmurs," the professor said, raising his left hand as a gesture for them to calm down. "I wish not to carry out any disciplinary action." He directed his gaze to Chief Marshal Eldrich Lionsheart. "As you can see, we have a very important visitor, and I know that this is a class of misfits, the lowest of the low in the academy, but you can’t tell me you don’t have any composure left, just—"

Professor Vaelian was cut short when Eldrich Lionsheart waved his arm and stepped forward. "I know most of you know me already, but for the few who may not, I’m Chief Marshal Eldrich Lionsheart, a Chief Marshal from the Kingdom of Postoria, and also an adorned Mage Knight. I also know some of you may know my title already as the Hell’s Knight, not to brag, but one given to me after I single-handedly cleared a dungeon that linked our domain to that of the elves with nothing but a firestorm."

His words left everyone in awe, and murmurs slowly began to fill the hallway until Eldrich’s lips slightly moved, a sign that he wished to continue.

"I know most of you are wondering why a top- tier Mage Knight from another kingdom is here judging a test meant for misfits, a Chief Marshal for that matter," he said. "But the truth is that I was not assigned to this task; your academy just requested any Mage Knight from my kingdom to help judge the test, but I openly volunteered. I wanted to see with my own eyes the people this academy has deemed misfits, the people they expect everyone to easily discard." His words left everyone in a space of self-reflection.

"I myself was once considered a misfit," he continued. "I failed the entrance exam to become a knight and went to a regular academy to become a medic on the front lines. But then one moment, when all was lost, I had to stand up and prove myself. And I did."

A round of cheers and applause filled the hallway as most students in Class 1-D felt a jolt of accomplishment upon hearing his story. He waved his hand in disapproval of the cheers. "I appreciate the applause, really, but they are for an achievement I did years ago, not one I did recently. I shall not take any glory in the years of the deep past, but only that of now and that to come and, I wish for—"

"Okay I think that’s truly nice to hear," Professor Vaelian said as he slowly placed a hand on Eldrich’s shoulder, interrupting him and suddenly taking the stage from him, holding up his tablet for all to see. The murmurs quickly died down instantly, replaced by a suffocating silence.

"I would start by announcing the top ranker for the written test that was conducted yesterday."

What Professor Vaelian said was enough to quickly build up the tension in the class. It wasn’t in anticipation of who it might be—

everyone already knew it would be Elisa Ravenscroft, someone with academic abilities that rivaled Class A. The only reason she wasn’t in Class A was her inability to work with others and yield results, a trait the academy considered paramount.

"The highest ranker of the written portion of the test is..." he began, his voice drawing out the suspense, "Elisa Ravencroft!"

A tense flicker passed through the crowd as Elisa, maintaining her usual composed demeanor, stepped forward at the professor’s request. A breakdown of her scores appeared on an amplified screen for all to see. Mathematics: 100, Science: 93, Magical Arts: 98, Civics & History: 100.

Her total score was a staggering 98. The hallway grew even more tense as the other students, their expressions a mix of awe and envy, began to whisper amongst themselves. The gap between her and the rest of the class was clearly massive, a clear testament to her academic prowess.