Chapter 11
mSu4Acv“You all did well.”nWbQ
QJIAt the promised time, all the students had arrived at the final destination.P0a
yN6d7Some made it on their own, while others were eliminated and brought by the instructors.TrF8MQ
StEHyThe only common factor was that, with the exception of a few who arrived late, everyone had witnessed or experienced the final battle.HWo7i
Fbqus“Now I will announce the rankings.”46rOgF
aTVqJZyGrad, who had just finished a brief discussion with Rosalia, unfolded a piece of paper.EMB5
eAlLX“First, the 31 pairs (62 students) who failed to enter were excluded from the ranking.”Cbsh
4NqAI“Ah…”8ImHZ
qwd“Of all people, I had to run into those guys…”Kfno7
rAMjGroans of disappointment were heard among the eliminated students.Y1T8M
eEP“53rd place: Pair Horn and Bellos…”rT5e7x
GJokEe“31st…”1Wne
Q19CL“Tenth…”QTj0DKb
ddEWith each rank announced, sighs and cheers erupted throughout the crowd.9gxXih
jbk“All the top spots were taken by those who entered with His Highness.”UsWjD8
imM04as“Damn, I’m jealous.”cI6f
pR56fZ1“Awesome! We made the top 20!”ZvaToj
wHxxBh2And then everyone began to realize something truly unexpected had happened in this exam.nZ1
DhTv“Wait… Carlo Deneb and Alia Torta didn’t even rank?”1mz
hQlrvF“Oh, you must’ve gotten here late. They were eliminated early.”FO5K
zKEf“Those two? They were taken out early? Seriously?”5csH
EZyGThe student, shocked by the unbelievable story, couldn’t help but blurt it out.E4KCS7
u4StL“From what I heard, they ran into Luina and Fernan.”fsH
mvlsYVM“So not only did those two arrive first, but they also took down Carlo’s pair?”Ps5q4xg
uRwAs the whispers spread, Carlo and Alia’s faces turned slightly red.w4H
GudxX“…2nd place: Ludger Schwaben and Almon Donertz.”FmnV
Wye7t“And 1st place: Luina Bercheff and Fernan Pellenberg.”GVaDlV
UeW5So when the first-place result was finally announced, no one was surprised. There might’ve been some controversy in the process, but everyone had seen with their own eyes what they had accomplished.inz
BDys“Honestly, wasn’t that kind of cowardly? They held back while everyone else fought, and then locked them all up at the end.”8DOq
dmEGYg“That’s not cowardice. That’s intelligence. Besides, trapping ten people for over five minutes is pure skill.”1fi
D0x52LNo one had expected Fernan to possess such magical power and ability. He’d just hidden it that well.8LyAMdl
z0xTW“Yeah, there’s no way he’s only tenth-rank material.”zQF
va8j“And Ludger and Almon were there too, right?”HsRN5
bJBNrDMost students had expected Ludger and Almon to win this practical exam.cosv5T
xTh4“And they even beat Carlo and Alia…”am7ZXS
uZd“I get Luina. She’s basically on par with Almon, right? But there’s no way she could’ve done it alone…”MRjWc
s0U5“So you’re saying Fernan had been hiding his strength?”kPiD
RH0YMV“But why? And if he was going to hide it, why reveal it now?”8zSt0
sVLL1There could’ve been multiple reasons, but few had actually expected Fernan and Luina to take first place.tmbi
cXENot because they were weak, but because the competition was fierce. In a pair, both members had to be strong. And objectively, Fernan had always been seen as weaker than Luina.dstz
ug7vStill, regardless of how it happened, the winners were Fernan and Luina.wjahdXr
mPRmYcNThey had defeated Carlo and Alia, confined other students, and proved that it wasn’t just luck.qPn9Ss
MweqSS“Quiet. I’m not finished speaking.”VSDBZ
KqghAt Professor Grad’s words, the murmuring students quieted down.vZ43
f1e5M“Lastly, the scores from this practical exam, along with the bonus points, will be added to your final semester grades. The highest bonus scorers were Luina and Fernan, who took down eight pairs. Second place was Almon, with six pairs…”eL9
Y6zMGrad continued announcing the rankings. That’s when the students realized.Sb1pR
aQdLuina hadn’t partnered with Fernan just for money. The Pellenberg name wasn’t content with a mere tenth place.O68iJX2
D6BduOsAnd the final semester rankings might face a massive shake-up.6H9Zi
i74HGCautious and wary eyes turned toward Fernan and Luina.TzXB
JjCP“…Luina!”vlr
dMgyuqhAfter the practical ended, Luina headed toward the Ravidus Hall.1UBP
ThQGThanks to a wealthy benefactor, she had ingested and applied potions like water, so she had no lingering injuries or physical issues.TAN
7GCcEBut mentally, she was exhausted after tumbling through the mountains for three days.YT13
ZpB‘I just want to crash into a soft bed and sleep.’xpmUa
88f8But before that, a sweet piece of chocolate would make her feel like she didn’t need any other luxury or indulgence.A7cqEa3
K9u2CFortunately, she still had some Kraken Ink chocolate left—the reward she’d received for her victory.Wxk
6LqMoBThank God I saved some for a moment like this, she thought, smiling to herself as she walked.PDRud
A4H11“Luina!”qP0m4g
gEBEBdjA voice pierced her ears, snapping her out of her thoughts. Turning around, she saw two students running toward her.uSDVWDo
JaWp“Bella? Aina?”00G4K0
O46They were her friends from the Knight Faculty.Pggk
8qtW“Come with us for a second.”T3njPH
gzR3p“What’s with the sudden—?”TeIT6Ar
MGO“Just come.”SzOL7WA
uKchSuddenly, they grabbed Luina’s hands and dragged her off. Their destination was a small town café.A3Ti
19ibBella first ordered a rich chocolate cake and handed it to Luina.vtks
Pj1Pq5“Eat this.”ee5Rif
sXb“…Out of nowhere?”EPe
SIMl“Just eat it.”Ez29DO
EPlt2“Well, if you’re giving it to me, I guess…”CCHLsH
W74LEThe sweet taste of chocolate filled her mouth, and Luina’s expression softened a bit.vtX
DWJqWatching carefully, Aina’s eyes lit up like she’d been waiting for this moment and fired off a question.ZGSfBoQ
97zk“When did you know?”H2BHPN
h7vBC“Know what?”jBuIQ
FdCLuina blinked, confused by the sudden question.5gWtKT
sLc“Fernan. I mean Fernan.”6XzuNDt
n4rKFG“What about Fernan?”Np79G
EMt“When did you know he was hiding his strength?”yPFUmR
7iaWithout waiting for a reply, Aina continued.W8N
rrAuFsn“Honestly, at first I thought you were crazy. All the mage students were dying to be your partner, and you suddenly picked Fernan?”hRWuqoF
oUYLIt wasn’t that Fernan lacked anything. But considering Luina’s ambition for top grades and her excellent record, it had seemed like a strange choice to everyone.Y5mJG0T
qHcQ8O“I didn’t say anything, but I really did wonder if it was about the money. Not saying it was—just that… if not, what other reason could there be? Just a little?”vu4
lEnY1t“Yeah, just a little.”cmIvdd
D29dVLuina flinched slightly at their words, but thankfully it wasn’t too noticeable.Sq75Bn3
Wzfso2“…No, it’s not that.”F21i
oUho2tShe hadn’t actually had any other reason, but now they were handing her a great excuse.LLS5Qvy
fdhw“Just like you said, I saw Fernan’s potential. That’s all.”612A
1bZr“Knew it! I knew you wouldn’t do it for the money!”6yY
86T91n4“Exactly. Someone like you wouldn’t care about that. Sorry for misunderstanding.”5ZjvZ
vNJ“It was easy to see it that way, so we understand.”jaBFu
gROuAgIt was true, after all.wmNbv
zT9RuThough Luina felt a pang of guilt for lying, she forced herself to keep her composure.UHstlq
OUy“But still, it’s a bit surprising. It’s not like you didn’t have better options. I mean, we’re talking about Pellenberg. Weren’t they the ones who screwed over your family?”yNn8CM6
sxiD“…That was a matter between our families. There’s no reason to take it personally.”sPF5p
BW5jIYThat wasn’t true. She didn’t have a good opinion of the Pellenbergs or Fernan either.Qy9Ih
r8Y7erLBut she was sincere in saying it was a family issue. No argument between her and Fernan would solve that.D2v
zfU3…Or at least, that’s what she had believed until recently.kSI
H2Bo“…You’re too kind, Luina.”mLN
woqv6s“If it were me, no matter what, I never would’ve partnered with Fernan.”86As
eSYiALn“Same here, same here.”ncS5Fy
EjF6pz“But even if he was hiding his power, isn’t Fernan still a bit lacking compared to Carlo?”ZxJQYr
9VsyQeBella brought up the question again.UaB
z9z5Luina didn’t have much to say; she thought the same thing herself. But there was no need to make excuses.JyUGK
gxj4kBw“I think the reason became pretty clear this time.”9k5U4
qzNpAA2History is always written by the victors.Pb3
zCf“That’s true.”u1z7Q
ZQRIZe“Well, I trust you know what you’re doing, Luina.”plDff
sWBThe girls nodded, accepting her explanation. Their conversation shifted into casual chatter.HSZLJlJ
pFb“I didn’t even rank this time. Got knocked out right after running into His Highness and Almon.”OJsZ4ys
QqT1“Talk about bad luck! At least I made it. I ran into Harold halfway and nearly had a heart attack, but I guess I was so close to the end that he just let me go.”weXP7s
0IOd“You’re lucky.”MLzD
9946Luina listened quietly, until Bella’s question pulled her back into the conversation.Exhe
6n1h“What about you, Luina?”Mm8qm
QwPPbR“…What about me?”z4T9
vIblu“Those three days with Fernan. I mean, we didn’t see you fight, so we’re really curious about what it was like.”EGkVZTV
powlwA6Aina jumped in too.D9JFrp
JmfxN“Yeah, tell us!”xda
8ZR“There’s nothing amazing to tell.”qZB
Krw28P“Come on, you don’t take first place without doing something incredible.”f9fEaUQ
Ujjc1rH“Yeah! You even beat Carlo and Alia!”r8WVU
jUZS“Hmm.”K0yqV4b
bEWkzaLuina paused and thought back.2KxRLf2
d0eWB15It wouldn’t be wrong to say they won thanks to Fernan. The problem was, it was all because of an artifact. She thought it was a little cheap, and Fernan didn’t want anyone to know.2jf8IUr
CXSbR“We just had good synergy.”CiXb1Nx
MlQTg“That’s it?”fsmQoe
3PD“There’s really not much more to say…”aU9J
gKVHThe vague answer left the table in silence for a moment.YMW
llY718D“But Luina,” said Bella, breaking the quiet, “it wasn’t really about the money, was it?”naDJCc
XGGsBbR“I already said no. Why bring it up again?”yHcE8s
eNt84“No, it’s just that…”WpxH3DH
jw1Her gaze dropped to Luina’s body.Bk5kC
4851xmS“Your armor looks different…”WHgu7L
LhcXNG3“And now that you mention it, your weapon too…”bhq78I
6bKxMFRCough. Luina had to use her aura just to stop the tea from shooting out her nose. Her throat and nose burned, but she kept her expression as neutral as possible.dSu2sJE
yUU“I changed them with the scholarship. My father’s in a good spot, so he told me not to ask for anything this time. And my gear was a little worn.”PMg0sTp
s95eH“Really?”CNc8Bf8
zsDVv“Good for you, Luina. Honestly, your equipment was pretty worn out. I even thought about buying you new gear myself.”ytBm
aPPWwfD‘Thank God. That seemed to work. I’m really glad I thought of that in advance.’t5clR
bAAaLuina breathed a silent sigh of relief.894yU
PkRerfIt was a secret that she made up excuses like this daily to hide the fact she was getting support from Fernan.ScYS2
wfmd***qC9R
DXgzu“Thanks for your hard work.”obi0
FMBXjvAs Fernan exited the classroom, his attendant was waiting for him. He flopped down on the bed inside the carriage as if it were the most natural thing in the world.3Q1T
QrOf“…I feel like I’m gonna die.”j8jJnT
SBMmY“I heard you came in first.”TMYikl
lsjfgv“Yeah. I bought first place with money.”Ffgc
A5vFernan let out a dry laugh.yZww
vCB“That’s why I love money.”btkxMa
tie3E“Did you end up using everything you brought?”Ixg
EJ3“Thankfully, not everything.”xQD63n
RCTofiThough not everything was used, the amount spent wasn’t small.nwYPgIf
iSy“At least I managed to recover a bit.”AWuSPE
DFfFernan pulled out five glass bottles filled with troll blood and handed them over.2bnpD
Wzt0x“I see troll blood.”5YBZJT
W80u“I didn’t have time to take all of it. Just picked the most efficient stuff.”g2rT
DpgmXM3“Well done. And how was Luina Bercheff?”d2vnNF8
nPqOn3“More cooperative than expected.”U8Z5so
KlXFor someone he had basically bought as a partner, she wasn’t bad.8DWhPCx
hbbhzCShe turned down a few options now and then, but when they were reasonable, she didn’t object.IFQ
ej4BVoNot to mention her skills. There was a reason she was ranked second. Still, it wasn’t clear if she’d actually become a Royal Knight.UbSD
GZe“…I’m exhausted.”rOr
OEFA lot had happened.LG5hddV
LCkgAGetting practical and sudden visions of possible futures was draining—physically and mentally.nRJ
XTwLXe“You should get some rest. I’ll wake you up once we arrive at Ravidus Hall.”GtNEB7
THKVdwn“Thanks. Oh, by the way, anything unusual happen while I was gone?”xyw
EPj“Nothing inside the academy.”PmM
aEVWhich meant something had happened outside it.uew2Tzh
G2ZB6“What is it?”Yvvp
RZoS“A letter arrived.”njbZP
Pyu“A letter?”IpefFoe
UNLThe attendant handed it over. The golden turtle emblem stamped on the wax seal made it clear who it was from at a glance.yCMpj
6z7g“My father?”DZu7
JZxO2“Yes. A letter from the Duke himself.”qo8
9zdFernan opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.GUKyvx
217AxQOn the pristine white stationery.7ax
FN2dUyAs if to emphasize the beauty of the empty space, only one line was written.ZB9
Jze[I accept your audacious offer.]SAt7
ZoVAnd yet, that single line was powerful. It was exactly what Fernan had hoped for.GSkl6fq
0fsw“…Perfect.”Qq884c
LGEVbbk“Your bluff paid off?”yam2
xrWu“It was the pufferfish tactic.”vJ3
1hLqiA mocking smile curled on Fernan’s lips. An unsettling future might have begun to take shape.VxV4rp
Hp7But for now, everything was going according to plan.zqSb
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