NOVEL WEB chapter 122
Chapter 47, Exam
After leaving the ancient potion classroom, Mu En returned to the dormitory, quickly took a shower and changed clothes, then hastily finished breakfast in the cafeteria, and jogged to the classroom for the Introduction to Basic Magic course.
Then he was startled.
Outside the classroom door, a large crowd had gathered, almost blocking the entire corridor.
Upon seeing Mu En, the crowd immediately erupted into a commotion.
“He’s here, he’s here, he’s coming!”
“Mu En Campbell has arrived!”
“…”
“Aren’t these guys supposed to be taking the exam?”
Mu En swept his gaze over the crowd, then glanced at the time; there were only about fifteen minutes left until the exam.
Logically, everyone should be entering the classroom in turns to wait for their turn, or hurriedly flipping through their books for a last-minute review, not gathering like it was a fan event.
“Could it be that they’re all here to see me?”
Mu En realized and couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Recalling what his senior had said about the news spreading throughout the school…
Were these guys more interested in the spectacle than the exam?
“This feeling of being the center of attention, it’s like walking the red carpet as a celebrity.”
Under the gaze of the crowd, Mu En pushed through the throng, steeling himself as he made his way to the classroom.
Due to the noble upbringing that the duke’s son had cultivated over the years, he was not easily intimidated by the many gazes upon him. However, as he passed by those people, he still caught snippets of their whispered conversations.
“Wow, Mu En Campbell actually dared to come take the exam. After all that tough talk, isn’t he afraid of embarrassing himself?”
“After talking so big, he has to show up, right? Otherwise, running away at the last minute would be even more disgraceful.”
“True, but he looks pretty confident.”
“Ha, it’s probably just a facade. With his level, how could he possibly score eighty? Eighty is pushing it…”
“Wow, that’s a bit much. I heard he’s been working hard lately…”
“What’s the use of hard work? I study so hard, yet I still can’t pass.”
“Ha ha, that’s true.”
“…”
Mu En walked silently, not bothering to refute them, because he knew that arguing at this moment would be pointless.
The truth was the best counter to those prejudices and rumors.
What he needed to do now was to give his all to perform well on this exam.
But…
“I’m still a bit annoyed.”
Mu En lowered his gaze, unconsciously clenching his fists.
Just then—
“Mu En, classmate!”
He heard a shout.
It was like a young girl’s voice, calling out with all her might, even cracking a bit.
Amidst the noisy crowd, it was so clear.
Mu En looked up in surprise, turning toward the source of the voice.
“Go for it! Mu En, classmate! We believe in you!”
“You can definitely score eighty!”
“Curse those who look down on you!”
“Go for it! I’ve bet all my pocket money for this month on you winning; you can do it!”
In the most prominent spot, three adorable first-year girls were shouting loudly, their faces flushed. They waved flags with the words “Go for it!” written on them, wearing white headbands with “♥ Mu En” in red letters, boldly invading Mu En’s line of sight, making his eyes involuntarily sting a bit.
“You guys—”
Mu En’s mind was still trying to catch up, unable to comprehend what these three almost tear-inducing magical beings were.
Why did their appearance make the world seem so much brighter?
Beside those three, Fanny, a senior from the Magic Painting Society who had met Mu En once, wore a helpless smile.
“Mu En Campbell, I’ve also put quite a bit of money on the line under the ‘coercion’ of these three guys, so you must keep your word!”
“I…”
Mu En paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously:
“I will!”
As he spoke, he turned to the three girls whose mere gaze at him made them nearly faint with excitement:
“I definitely will.”
Yes.
There was no longer anything to be angry about.
No matter how others viewed him, no matter how much they doubted him.
He had indeed put forth all his effort over the past month.
So regardless of what others said, what he needed to do now was to showcase this achievement in front of everyone.
Only hard work would not betray him.
Diligent studying, constantly practicing problems, sleeping only two hours a day…
These would not deceive him.
Thus, Mu En lifted his chin and straightened his chest, stepping forward with the resolute stride of a future duke bearing the glory of Campbell, walking into the classroom,
Entering… his battlefield.
……
……
After Mu En left.
The brief silence among the crowd erupted once more into a clamor.
“Wow, he really looks confident, what should I do? I’ve bet quite a bit of money against him!”
“Don’t panic, it’s definitely all an act. Don’t forget he’s a noble; aren’t nobles good at putting on a show?”
“Speaking of which, he is the son of a duke. What if he finds a way to cheat? Like bribing the invigilators?”
“Now that you mention it, that does seem possible. Otherwise, how could a student who scored three points last semester be so confident this time?”
“What should we do? Our money…”
“Cough—”
A dry cough rang out, cutting through the noise once more.
All the students gathered to watch suddenly felt as if they were enveloped by a massive shadow.
Like rolling dark clouds, spreading forth.
“What are you all doing here when the exam is about to start?!”
Then came the thunder.
An imposing old man stood at the entrance of the corridor, a bundle of exam papers tucked under his arm, his fiery gaze quickly sweeping over everyone.
“Do you want me to deduct all of your credits?”
“It’s Professor Prang!”
“Why is he here?”
“Could he be proctoring? But he’s a full-fledged professor; would he really do such a thing himself?”
“Hurry, hurry, he seems to be angry!”
After a brief moment of confusion, the crowd dispersed like birds and beasts.
Even Senior Fanny quickly dragged the three little ones, who wanted to wait for Mu En to finish his exam, to flee.
Professor Prang’s severity and terror were deeply ingrained in the entire academy.
……
……
In the classroom.
Mu En quietly sat down in his seat.
At this point, flipping through the book was meaningless, so he emptied his mind, adjusting his state while silently waiting for the exam to begin.
Other students entered one after another, and whenever they passed by Mu En, they couldn’t help but glance at him. Compared to the exam itself, whether Mu En Campbell could fulfill his boast from a month ago perhaps tugged at more hearts.
“Due to Teacher Fran’s illness, I will personally proctor this exam,” Professor Prang announced from the podium, delivering some unfortunate news for many.
“Eh—”
A chorus of wails erupted from below. If Teacher Fran were proctoring, some might still have special thoughts.
But with this stern and serious Professor Prang…
Cheating in front of a powerful crowned one, kid, are you tired of living?
Even Mu En was somewhat shocked, knowing that under normal circumstances, it was impossible for Professor Prang to personally proctor a second-year exam.
“Is Teacher Fran really sick?”
Mu En scratched his head, not thinking too much about it.
“What’s with the ‘eh’? As long as you take the exam seriously, what difference does it make to you who the proctor is?”
Professor Prang’s authoritative gaze swept over everyone, sneering:
“I hope some people can abandon their unclean thoughts, otherwise, if I catch you… hum.”
Saying this, he deliberately shot a meaningful glance at Mu En.
“……”
Mu En’s mouth twitched, thinking to himself, do you see me as someone who would cheat?
But this feeling of displeasure was quickly suppressed by him.
As Professor Plang said, as long as one is serious about the exam, it doesn’t matter who the proctor is.
Then, the bell rang precisely on time.
The exam began.
Mu En picked up his pen and started answering the questions.
His gaze quickly swept over the questions, and instinctively, the knowledge etched deep in his mind transformed into answers that flowed from the tip of his pen.
Time felt stretched, or perhaps very short.
The classroom was very quiet, only the sound of the pen scratching could be heard.
After a while, even that sound faded away; Mu En could only feel the pristine exam paper gradually being filled with ink.
The bell rang again, and Mu En suddenly awakened.
A bony hand pressed down on the exam paper.
“Mu En Campbell, you may leave now.”
Professor Plang spoke softly, his eyes filled with a horror and pity that others could hardly perceive:
“The exam is over.”