Academy’s Second Seat

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The day had come.

The day I was most worried about.

It was midterm exam day.

Liberion Academy didn't hold exams over several days; instead, all tests were taken in a single day.

So, I had to give it my all in one day.

"Rudy, good luck on your exams!"

Luna greeted me before heading to her own exam room.

We had worked hard up until this point.

Not a single day was wasted; we thoroughly reviewed and prepared.

Since taking over, I hadn't had a proper rest day.

It was all about studying.

Sigh...

I calmed my nerves and entered the classroom.

I was supposed to aim for the second seat.

But I had no intention of settling for that.

My mind was set on the top seat.

That was the only way I could secure the second seat.

"Please put away your books and notes, and only leave your writing utensils on your desk."

The professor at the front of the room explained the exam instructions and distributed the test papers.

"Now, let the exam begin."

The exam started with the professor's words.

I began answering the questions on the test paper one by one.

It was a new experience for me.

I knew the answers to all the questions on the test.

It felt almost too easy.

I flipped through the pages and solved each problem.

I finished all the general knowledge exams.

After a short break, the most important exam began: Magic Studies.

The Magic Studies exam was lengthy, consisting of both practical and theoretical questions.

Each professor set questions according to their own style.

The most challenging questions when I was studying even with answer sheets were undoubtedly those from Professor Cromwell.

Despite being a first-year exam, the questions required knowledge of intermediate magic and were impossible to solve.

It felt like they were designed not to be answered.

I remembered this fact as I tackled the questions.

Then, I found a question that was unmistakably from Professor Cromwell.

"Ah..."

Describe the principle of Silent Magic and the characteristics of its magic circle.

He was the only professor who ended his question with a noun.

However, the question made my head throb.

"Did he put this question for me to answer...?"

I muttered quietly, so no one could hear.

I wondered if it was even allowed.

A regular student wouldn't be able to answer the question about Silent Magic.

Everyone focused on studying beginner magic, not intermediate magic.

I held my head in my hands.

Should I answer this question or not?

An ordinary first-year student couldn't answer it, but the top-ranking students might be able to.

The difficulty level of the questions this year was easier compared to other years.

Silent Magic was a peculiar magic, and someone might have heard about it at least once.

So, I couldn't leave it blank.

"Let's write... just half of it."

I decided to write only what Professor Cromwell had taught me.

Honestly, I could write everything since I had created the magic circle before, but I chose to write only what I had been taught.

"Please... Evan, write everything and turn it in."

I muttered to myself and moved on to the next question.

"Great job, everyone."

Exams have finally ended.

At the professor's words, everyone stood up and left the classroom.

'Am I going to be the top student?'

Mixed feelings of anxiety and joy filled me.

At least my efforts didn't seem to be in vain.

"Let's rest today..."

I felt utterly drained.

I had been so tense, thinking I had to study every day, that I hadn't taken a break.

But after the exam, I felt a sense of relief, as if it was finally over.

It wasn't truly over, but it felt like I had passed the first hurdle.

My legs trembled, making it difficult to even stand.

"Rudy! How did your exam go?"

As I stood up, Luna entered the classroom I had just left.

"I think it went alright."

I thought I had done exceptionally well, but there was no need to boast.

"Today, Riku, Ena, and I are going to Picassie Bakery. Want to come with us?"

Picassie Bakery was a famous café in Liberion Academy.

It was a place where commoners and lower nobles would splurge, rather than the high-ranking nobles.

The prices weren't exactly affordable, but I had heard the atmosphere and desserts were outstanding.

It was so popular that making reservations was difficult, but they managed to book a table.

"I'm planning to rest today."

I wanted to visit the bakery, but it wouldn't be right to tag along with them.

I didn't know about Ena, but Riku would surely give me a resentful look.

And I wasn't so clueless as to impose on a group of girls.

Luna might not mind, but the other two would certainly be uncomfortable with my presence.

"Really? That's a shame... Let's go together next time!"

"Sure. Have fun."

Dragging my exhausted body, I headed for the dormitory.

There wasn't a single person near the dorms; it seemed everyone had gone somewhere to have fun after the exam.

However, there was one person, just like me, dragging themselves along like a zombie.

"Rudy Astria?"

It was Astina.

She had dark circles under her eyes, and her hair looked disheveled.

Her face seemed to be weighed down by exhaustion, like a modern-day office worker leaving work at 10 PM.

Yet, her fatigue didn't diminish her beauty. If anything, it gave her a decadent charm.

"Greetings—"

"Don't... don't look at me!"

Astina abruptly turned her back to me. She tried to fix her hair with her hands, but it only seemed to get messier.

"...What are you doing?"

"Well..."

Astina covered her face with her hand and looked at me.

"I have urgent matters to attend to!"

After briefly greeting me, Astina tried to rush to the dormitory.

She then halted her steps.

"Rudy Astria! I have something for you to do tomorrow. Come to the student council room after class!"

With her face still covered, Astina spoke to me and then rushed up to the dormitory.

"...What was that?"

I watched Astina run off before heading to my room.

***

The next day, the exam results were posted on the bulletin board.

I couldn't believe they had graded all those test papers in just one day.

I could only imagine the amount of work the teaching assistants had to do.

Even in the modern era, where machines graded exams, it took several days for the results to be posted.

Teaching assistants must be more efficient than machines.

I checked the scores on the bulletin board.

It didn't display the exact scores, only the ranks.

"Ah..."

Evan Rudy Astria Rie Von Ristonia Serina Rinsburg Luna Railer

...

Seeing the results, I couldn't help but smile.

I was happy Evan had secured the top rank, but I was even more thrilled to be in second place.

However, I couldn't show my excitement in front of others.

I had to act as if I were extremely disappointed.

After all, I was now in second place, having been ousted from the top spot.

I did my best to control my smile as I walked away.

"Rudy..."

Luna's voice came from behind me.

"Ah, hello, Luna."

I greeted Luna while trying my best to control my smile.

My words sounded a bit mechanical, but I couldn't help it.

"Rudy... are you okay?"

Luna asked with a concerned expression.

I was more than okay; I was in high spirits.

I trusted Luna, but I couldn't tell her the truth.

"You've climbed the ranks quite a bit. Congratulations."

I said something I wouldn't normally say, but nothing else came to mind.

"Rudy..."

"I have to go."

"Wait, Rudy. Are you coming to the library today?"

"I don't think I can make it today. I have work with the student council."

Astina had told me there was something I needed to do, so I doubted I'd have time to visit the library.

It was better to tell Luna not to wait for me since I didn't know what Astina had planned.

"Ah... the student council..."

Luna's expression briefly hardened but soon returned to her usual smile.

"Alright, I understand...!"

Luna smiled and waved goodbye. As I watched her walk away, I couldn't shake an odd feeling of unease.

"Maybe I'll visit the library if I finish early?"

After class, I headed to the student council office.

I thought I had managed my smile quite well during the lessons.

Upon entering the office, I saw Astina sitting in the president's seat, reading through some documents.

"Good day."

Astina looked up when she heard my voice. She glanced at my face and frowned.

"Why are you making that face?"

"Huh?"

"You seem to have a sour expression."

"Do I look upset?"

I wondered if I had done a good job at acting.

Astina held a mirror in front of me, reflecting my face.

Upon seeing my reflection, I understood what Astina meant.

In the mirror, there was an incredibly handsome, blonde man.

A man with sharp eyes.

However, he wore an ambiguous expression, neither smiling nor frowning, that seemed to keep others at bay.

"It's quite unpleasant, even for me."

"I know."

Astina put the mirror down.

"Anyway, everything went according to your plan."

Hearing Astina say that, I couldn't help but smirk.

"Hehe..."

I had always thought I was good at controlling my expressions and acting, but today it was difficult to contain myself.

"That's a rather despicable expression..."

Astina commented while looking at my face.

"Well, at least it's better than the alternative. So, what's next?"

"What's next...?"

"Your plan worked, didn't it? Someone else took the top seat."

That was true.

"There's nothing else to do. We just have to wait until after midterm camp."

"After midterm camp?"

Astina looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Well, if there's nothing for you to do, I guess I won't be of any help either. Let's get back to work."

"Understood."

Astina handed me some documents, and I began to process the tasks she assigned.

After finishing a fair amount of work, I stepped outside with a light gait.

"Is it too late?"

It was already time for dinner.

"I should stop by the dormitory briefly and then have dinner with Luna."

Feeling delighted, I walked on.

By now, most of my worries had vanished.

Luna hadn't destroyed the library, and I had secured second place without any issues.

My magic was growing steadily, so there wasn't much to be concerned about.

After stepping outside, I looked up at the sky.

"Why is the weather like this?"

Though my mood was good, the sky was filled with dark clouds.

A heavy feeling washed over me.

Despite things going smoothly, I couldn't shake off an uneasy feeling.

As that unease lingered...

Kwa-aaaaaang!!!

A powerful explosion resounded throughout the Academy.

"What...?"

I looked in the direction of the sound.

The source of the noise was... the library.

"The library... Luna...?"

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