CHAPTER 40: REVIEWING

She walked to the front, lifted her hand, and placed a palm-sized bronze device on the desk. It resembled a compass—four runic rings rotating at different speeds—and the moment she injected mana into it, light burst outward.

A holographic projection unfurled into the air like a curtain of blue glass.

"Let’s begin review," Samantha said. "From the bottom ranks upward."

The class sank into silence—even the ones who’d been whispering about cheating. No one wanted their incompetence narrated in front of everyone... but here it was.

One by one, she replayed each group’s expedition.

Every mistake displayed.

Every idiotic decision magnified.

There were groans, cringes, red ears, embarrassed coughs. Samantha pointed out things clinically—formation errors, wasteful spellcasting, poor time management, unnecessary engagements. No insults. No mockery. Just surgical precision in dissecting stupidity.

It was brutal.

Then the hologram fast-forwarded—jumping to the group in third place.

Mariella’s team.

The room leaned forward.

They fought efficiently—Mariella’s ice magic pinned down wolves brilliantly, Elisha’s arrows had sharp angles, Ray’s axe swings coordinated well with Gordon’s tanking. Their formation was textbook. They only slipped when they challenged the boss prematurely.

"This was a tragic lack of intel," Samantha commented. "Your teamwork was excellent. But you challenged an unknown-ranked boss and paid the price."

Mariella flinched slightly, lips tightening.

Next—Celestia’s group.

Rank 2.

It was like watching elite soldiers.

They moved like a trained unit—Kael’s swordsmanship precise, Celestia’s control immaculate, Arnold’s lightning spears efficient, Sia’s barriers always at the exact right angle. Students whispered with jealousy.

Even Samantha’s tone warmed slightly.

"This is a near-perfect raid by first-year standards."

The recording moved—showing the moment both top-tier groups met... and then attacked the wolf boss together.

The room sucked in a collective breath.

They were good.

But the wolf was a monster beyond their league.

The moment the Silverfang used its aura and speed—everything collapsed. Students on-screen were slammed, thrown, petrified with fear.

Even Kael and Celestia were powerlessly battered.

The class watched the scene with pale faces.

"...then how is that group second...?" someone muttered.

Students looked confused, glancing at Samantha—waiting for explanation.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Because the next hologram... finally switched to Group 10.

My group.

Immediately, Samantha pointed out mistakes.

"Terrible coordination. Decision-making scattered. Formation broken. They were not functioning as a party."

Ren grit his teeth.

Livia shrank in her seat.

Ariana lowered her gaze.

"And yet," Samantha continued, "despite the inefficiency—this group did not fall apart. They adapted. Improvised. And their sniper—their ranged DPS—compensated for their fundamental lack of synergy."

The class’s mood darkened.

Then the projection shifted.

The Silverfang fight.

The moment I stepped in.

The moment I lobbed the jar.

There was stunned silence.

Followed by—

"That’s cheating!"

"That’s trickery!"

"That’s not knight behavior!"

"That’s—!"

Samantha did not raise her voice.

She didn’t have to.

Her sentence cut sharper than a blade.

"What exactly do you think cheating means in a dungeon?"

The class shut up.

She continued, voice cold:

"Is a monster going to spare your life because you fight with chivalry? Will a troll duel you politely? Will an orc wait for your sword to be drawn?"

No one answered.

They couldn’t.

Samantha crossed her arms.

"In the real world—battlefields aren’t tournaments. You use whatever works. The difference between a knight and a corpse is not ’honor’—it’s survival."

Silence smothered the room.

Then her eyes shifted to me.

Sharp.

Unapologetically direct.

"Cadet Lucien Ashborne."

I stood automatically.

Samantha’s tone held zero sarcasm—just acknowledgment.

"Cadet Lucien Ashborne, I implore your mindfulness," Samantha said, voice firm but unmistakably impressed. "Being this weak physically, yet compensating through preparation and strategic thinking—defeating a monster even second-year squads hesitate to challenge—is commendable."

There were no boos this time.

Just silence.

And heat.

Dozens of gazes fixed on me.

Then Samantha tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing in intellectual curiosity.

"But one thing intrigues me."

She leaned a little closer across the desk.

"How did you discover vinegar was a weakness for a Silverfang Wolf? There is no recorded documentation of such a method. Normally three silver-rank knights are needed to subdue a single specimen. Yet by your method—" her eyes glinted, "—even bronze ranks might do it."

That statement froze the room.

Every single head slowly turned toward me.

Even Celestia—who usually kept her emotions in check—looked genuinely curious.

"...?"

Kael clenched his jaw, his pride raw and bleeding.

And I—

—in my usual Lucien way—

gave the worst possible tone for the right explanation.

"It’s not some grand discovery," I said lightly. "I simply deduced it. It’s honestly baffling no one else has figured it out despite centuries of monster hunting."

Faces instantly twisted.

Yeah.

That sounded condescending as hell.

Even I heard it.

That’s this body’s damn personality debuff: [Arrogant Noble Brat — Passive].

Before anyone could bark back, Samantha’s eyes sharpened.

"It would be wise if you chose your phrasing more carefully, Cadet Lucien," she warned.

Right. Before I dig my grave deeper.

I raised my hands slightly and clarified quickly:

"It wasn’t that vinegar itself was its weakness. It was its nose."

Samantha leaned in slightly. "Elaborate."

"It was a gamble—but informed. Feline-type beasts, especially dogs or wolves, are renowned for heightened olfactory sensitivity. Their sense of smell is their radar... and therefore one of the easiest sensory points to overload."

I continued, more calmly:

"Vinegar is pungent even to humans. I mixed that with powdered chili and capsaicin powder. In a confined cave? With a creature whose sense of smell is hundreds of times sharper than ours? It becomes a sensory stun grenade."

Silence followed — but it was a different silence.

Not disbelief.

Comprehension.

Samantha nodded slowly, then — she clapped.

One single, clear clap that echoed.

"Splendid reasoning."

Then more applause triggered — scattered at first, then several students joined in.

The same mouths that called me trash three days ago.

If irony had a taste, it would’ve been sweet.

Samantha waited for the clapping to settle, then looked directly at me again:

"Cadet Lucien... if you agree, the Academy can formally draft this as a countermeasure and submit it to the Hunter’s Association. If it’s verified, you could gain merit — and financial reward."

I tried not to grin too eagerly.

Free money. Passive income. Reputation boost.

A literal hidden achievement unlocked.

"Yes instructor," I said immediately. "I would gladly agree to your proposal."

Inside my chest, I wasn’t humble.

Not even close.

This... felt damn good.

And watching all those jaws clenched in silent disbelief — the same people who expected me to be dead last — yeah, that satisfaction was its own chef’s-kiss.