Chapter 47: Midterm Exam (2)
As expected, it was so easy it made me yawn. Since I’d already mastered every subject, I had enough time to finish all the questions and still get some rest.
I wondered how Dogeon had done. Judging by how he’d been racking his brain during the test, he probably did alright. Based on how quickly he picked up on math, I doubt he’d bomb it.
At least, he wasn’t as hopeless as someone like Anastasia. Even Ethan, the golden-haired kid, seemed to have handled it just fine.
Speaking of that guy, I still couldn’t figure out what that coin-like thing of his was. It wasn’t really a coin — it had way too many elaborate decorations for that.
It also had traces of divine power.
Maybe I got more irritated than I should have because of the divine power that radiated from it.
Unlike any divine power I’d felt before, this one had swept through my body.
…Well, no point in thinking about it now.
He hadn’t done anything to bother me since that weird incident, so that was that.
If he’d continued being a pain, I would’ve had to deal with him, but aside from the occasional glance, he didn’t do much of anything. No point in dwelling on it.
“The test is now over. Students, please put down your writing utensils and place your hands on your laps. Students in the back row, please collect the answer sheets from the front and ensure yours is on the bottom.”
It’s already over, huh? It’s bound to be a perfect score.
I don’t know how high the academic standards are here, but it’s not like it could be harder than the college entrance exam from my world.
“How did you do?” I asked Dogeon, my voice low to match the quiet murmuring of the students around us.
“…Hard to say,” he muttered.
Judging from that response, he probably made a few guesses. If he got it wrong, I could tease him a bit, but honestly, I’d rather he got it right.
No matter what anyone says, he’s my friend for now.
His gloomy expression during lunch wasn’t promising, so I figured he probably didn’t do too well.
“…By the way, this exam schedule is absolutely insane.”
“Agreed.”
Seven straight periods of testing. It was ridiculous.
The schedule didn’t seem to account for the students’ ability to concentrate at all. On top of that, the lineup of subjects was clearly designed to mess with us.
They had a non-memorization subject placed right before lunch to rattle students’ focus, and then they saved math for seventh period — right when students were on the verge of mental collapse. Who thought this was a good idea?
Probably someone like that devil, Georg.
“Regardless of your grades, you worked hard,” I said.
“You too, Hoyeon,” Dogeon replied.
“Pfft, what hard work? Twisting a kid’s wrist would’ve been harder than this.”
“…Right.”
He gave me a blank, unimpressed look. Seriously, should I have just lied and said it was difficult?
But it was true. Dealing with actual kids would be harder — more so emotionally than physically.
I shrugged, thinking about the physical test we’d have tomorrow.
If I asked the gods for help, I could probably build a house and live in luxury with a snap of my fingers… but that would be cheating.
I’d been camping with my father a few times, so I had a basic idea of how to handle it. If I approached it with a “starting from zero” mindset, I’d manage somehow.
“See you at dinner,” Dogeon said.
“Leaving already?”
“Yeah, I’m tired.”
He’d looked like a zombie for a while, so I felt bad about keeping him here.
I couldn’t do much to help him, but I could at least offer him a few words of encouragement.
“Then go ahead. You’ll be fine. Whether it’s today’s test or tomorrow’s, I’m sure you’ll do well. Don’t worry too much.”
“…Yeah.”
His face still looked exhausted, but at least he smiled a little. It suited him better that way.
***
Iris despised Stefania. If she had the means, she’d kill her on the spot.
But now, Iris was clutching at Stefania’s feet, desperately begging for mercy.
“I-I’ll become your personal maid instead! Please, just don’t do this…!”
“That won’t do, Iris. Didn’t you already reject that offer?” Stefania replied coldly.
“Ah… Aaaah…”
The reason for Iris’s despair was simple: Stefania had arranged for her to be placed in the same survival group as Hoyeon during the physical test.
After striking a secret deal with Georg to supply him with live demons, Stefania had gained the authority to supervise the field and even interfere with team assignments.
Her original plan had been to use the demons to wipe out the church during the second semester’s final exams.
But that plan had been exposed, forcing Stefania to rely on monsters and beasts instead of demons.
Iris was part of Stefania’s backup plan.
If Hoyeon were attacked by monsters or beasts, Iris would be there to protect her from harm.
Not that Stefania intended to use Iris as a meat shield.
Instead, Stefania handed Iris a small object.
“…Here, a gift for you. Keep it on you at all times, and stay right next to Hoyeon. If you succeed, I’ll reduce your family’s debt.”
It was an amulet that repelled monsters.
Handcrafted by Stefania herself, it was powerful enough to drive off even A-rank beasts and monsters.
Of course, Iris didn’t know any of that. She just assumed Stefania was mocking her again — tossing her a trinket before forcing her to stay near the terrifying girl.
But Iris had no choice. The promise to reduce her family’s debt was far too tempting to refuse.
“…Why? Why are you doing this to me?” Iris asked with a mix of frustration and despair.
“Why, you ask? Because I trust you, Iris. You’ll do well this time too, right?” Stefania said with a sweet smile.
To Iris, that smile looked like the face of a demon mocking her.
***
The Next Day…
“Nice to meet you all. Surely, none of you are dumb enough not to know my name.”
Only Georg could talk like that to the children of nobility.
Wearing a red octagonal cap, shorts, and a white tank top, he didn’t look anything like a professor or a magician. But nobody dared complain.
“Enough with the chit-chat. I’ll be blunt. Starting now, you’ll spend five days surviving on this mountain with randomly assigned teammates. Your only provision is the safety device.”
As expected, the students erupted into murmurs and whispers. But Georg, unfazed, continued his explanation.
If you’re in a life-threatening situation, the safety device will activate and teleport you to a nearby field hospital.
Weapons and tools are allowed, but no food or water.
You may do whatever it takes to survive for five days — even steal from other teams.
“Just because you have noble blood doesn’t mean you’re safe from hunger and thirst. The same goes for wild animals and beasts. This test was designed to strip away your comforts and teach you something valuable. That’s it for the explanation. We’ll now begin assigning teams.”
This part was just like the original story. The wild chatter of the students and Georg’s madman-like behavior were spot on.
But something went wrong the moment the names started being called.
“Camilla, Exipri, Daniel, Kariot.”
My name wasn’t in Camilla’s group.
Then what about the event?
Before I could figure out what was going on, Georg continued calling names without mercy.
Even Cecilia’s name was called, but she wasn’t in my group either.
So… who is in my group?
“Iris, Baek Hoyeon, Anastasia, Han Dogeon.”
The moment I heard it, I knew something was off. This was a completely different team from the original.
It wasn’t that the other names mattered that much, but not having Camilla on my team was a big change.
“Oh, we’re on the same team! And Anastasia too!” Hoyeon exclaimed.
“…Yeah, we are.”
“…Why do you look so disappointed? Do you not like this team?”
It’s not that I disliked it.
If I thought about it logically, having three heroines in my team was actually ideal.
But that wasn’t the problem.
The issue was that the main event had deviated from the script.
This change could snowball. I might not even get the chance to trigger certain key events later on.
“I’m just nervous,” I said. “I’ve never done camping before.”
“Ah, I see. Don’t worry! I’ve done it with my father before, so I’ll make sure we don’t starve!” Hoyeon declared with confidence.
She had no idea how much more complicated everything had just become.
I wondered if she had any idea what I was thinking as I watched Hoyeon make such a confident declaration.
Her mother, her very existence — everything about her was complicated.
Once Anastasia and Iris had gathered, a figure who appeared to be a supervisor approached us.
…Why are you here?
“Nice to meet you. I’m Stefania, the on-site supervisor for this test. Please make sure to put on these bracelets, everyone.”
Stefania?
Why is she here?
Stefania wasn’t supposed to get involved until at least the end-of-semester exams. Why was she showing up now?
I had no idea what was going on. The shock of the team assignments being completely different from the original was already enough, but Stefania stepping onto the stage so early shattered all my expectations.
It felt like my understanding of this world had been utterly wrecked.
Will I really be able to reach a happy ending?
“You’ve probably heard the instructions, but I’ll repeat it just in case. If your bracelet is damaged, you’ll be automatically disqualified from the test. So be careful. Oh, and Hoyeon? They’re still waiting for you, you know?” Stefania said with a sweet but subtle sharpness in her voice.
“…Understood,” Hoyeon muttered.
Her earlier triumphant expression was nowhere to be seen. Her face was now dark with unease.
What could have happened while I wasn’t watching?
I’d been confident I could control the situation, but now, I wasn’t so sure.
For a brief, very brief moment, a serious thought crossed my mind: Wouldn’t it be smarter to just win Hoyeon over to my side and ensure my own survival?
But I shook off the thought right away.
If I was going to give up, I’d do it in the second semester.
It’s not time to quit yet. There’s a saying, “No matter how you get there, as long as you reach Seoul, it’s fine.” The process doesn’t matter as long as the outcome is good.
Alright, time to come up with a plan.
For now, I should work on raising the favorability of Iris and Anastasia.
Hoyeon could be handled later. I could win her over anytime.
“Is everyone wearing their bracelets? Great. Then I wish you all the best of luck. It might feel a bit dizzy, so I recommend closing your eyes,” Stefania said with a sly smile.
The moment she finished speaking, a whirlpool of mana swirled around us, wrapping us in its embrace. The world around me grew distant.
Here we go. The test begins now.
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