Chapter 17 — We’re in the Same Class!

1

It’s common for close friends to be separated during school years.

When moving up to higher grades.

When advancing to elementary, middle, or high school.

And for other reasons.

Mythos Academy was no exception.

Many tried hard to skip a grade together, but often only one would advance.

Sadly, that’s the cold reality.

“How did it go today?”

“The results will be announced later. Just wait.”

“Ugh— it’s still lunchtime!”

Three first-years huddled together in the cafeteria.

All three had taken the ability assessment.

Anais and Kael were evaluated on their own abilities, but Pearson was a bit different.

[Teacher! Can I recruit my friend?!]

Just as they were about to say what nonsense that was, Pearson proudly puffed out his chest and spoke.

He recalled Manus’ lecture.

So he decided to give it a shot.

‘I can’t get into Class A with attack magic anyway.’

Then he had to approach it differently!

Do what he’s good at!

That’s how he came up with recruiting a friend from the Eagle class.

[I’m not good at attack magic. But I’m confident I can do enhancement magic better than anyone!]

[Senior Manus said so! That a mage isn’t someone who fights alone. That knowing how to fight together with comrades from behind is also a talent!]

Pearson, who even openly dropped Manus’ name, invited a knight of the same F class level.

Even the teacher nodded at the objectively visible results.

Anais used Ignira she had shown recently to roast orcs and trolls alike.

In conclusion, all three achieved overwhelming results.

“After lunch is the second years’ turn, right?”

“They say first years can watch the second years’ ability assessment.”

“-Really?”

Kael, who had been eating quietly, lifted her head abruptly.

Anais nodded after neatly arranging her fork.

“I heard it’s an academy tradition for lower years to watch the upper years’ ability assessments. It seems they want us to learn by seeing the seniors’ skills.”

“Ooh-. This is a really good education method. Then isn’t the class we’ll watch already decided? Honestly, aren’t you curious? The tyrant’s ability assessment~.”

Pearson made a fuss.

Although Anais smacked his shoulder telling him to stop being silly, she secretly agreed.

Manus.

And Alano.

Just how capable were the two of them?

It wasn’t just those sitting here who had such thoughts.

Whispering voices could be heard here and there.

“Today’s highlight will be the second years, right?”

“Of course. It’s Harrison and Caesar! I’m excited to see how amazing they’ll be.”

“What was the second years’ test subject again?”

The difficulty between first and second year increases dramatically.

No wonder people call it the gateway to practical training.

It must be a name given because the first assessment of the second year is so important.

The three naturally listened to the voices drifting over.

They even glanced over subtly, as if urging them to speak up.

“Second year? Isn’t the first one an ogre?”

“An ogre? That’s insane-.”

Ogre.

A race also called ogres.

It refers to a giant race with an average height of 2.5-3m.

Their strength is basically evaluated to be 15 times that of humans.

Though they can’t handle mana, their skin tougher and harder than most armor was threatening.

Like orcs, ogres were also masters of weapon techniques.

A full-grown ogre would be more than even an expert-level knight could handle-.

“I heard it’s not just any ogre, but a Lesser Ogre. The second one was directly sparring with a professor, wasn’t it?”

“That really is hell.”

It’s on a different level from first year.

It seemed impossible to handle such things after just one year, but if you follow Mythos Academy’s education well, you can do it without difficulty.

That was the pride of the continent’s top academy.

“Hey-! The class assignments are out-!”

Someone’s voice rang out in the cafeteria.

The three sped up their slowly moving utensils.

Making eye contact and moving in sync, they were like a long-working team.

Finishing their meals in the blink of an eye, the group hurriedly headed to where the notices were posted.

-Who got assigned where?

Kael felt her heart flutter for the first time in a while.

How long had it been since she felt her heart pounding like this?

It reminded her of long ago, when she would fall asleep waiting to go on a picnic with adults.

Although she couldn’t leave then, remembering that feeling made her face twitch.

Anais held Kael’s hand and pushed through the crowd.

“Excuse us-. Coming through-.”

“Passing through! Sorry, sorry!”

Pearson was with them.

They looked at the huge notice board.

From Class A to Class F.

Their eyes slowly began searching for their own names.

“Huh-?”

Pearson was the first.

His eyes were fixed somewhere, unable to look away.

“Kael!”

“Wow! Top of the year?”

“Kael! Congratulations!”

Everyone’s attention poured towards Kael.

Out of hundreds of students, Kael proudly took first place.

Class A, Number 1.

The number that was the tyrant’s throne last year now came to her.

Amidst everyone’s congratulations, Kael smiled dazedly.

She recalled his applause.

Somehow, she thought Manus might be smiling like this too.

2

[Second year students, please prepare for the ability assessment.]

Manus rose from his seat.

While first years start from Class F and move up, second, third, and fourth years have to struggle to keep their positions.

Even Manus, who graduated as Class A Number 1 last year, could fall to Class F in this system.

If you don’t achieve good results in the quarterly assessments, even being top of the year means nothing.

As he stood up, many gazes followed him.

Still uncomfortable gazes.

‘But, I’ve gotten quite used to it.’

He’s gotten quite used to school life too.

It reminded him of old times, but it was on a different level from that boring school life.

Magic that showed direct results was more fun than studying with unclear meaning and future.

-Maybe it’s because the brain functions receiving it are different.

Anyway, the ability assessment was an important event that could even appear as game content.

In fact, which class you’re assigned to affects how students are treated and what magic they can learn.

“We will now begin the ability assessment. Snake Class A, this way.”

The assessment takes place in designated areas for each class.

Naturally, students from other years crowded to one side to get seats where they could see Manus well.

Manus was already prepared for the test.

“Are you ready?”

Manus nodded slightly.

Then a large figure summoned by magic appeared.

It was an ogre that had not yet reached adulthood.

Its red eyes proved it had already lost its reason, and its muscle covered in scars showed how many battles it had fought.

Dripping saliva, a huge sword, threatening horns.

A hairless head.

-All of it evokes fear.

But-.

‘To think the shadow handled this.’

Last year, his shadow showed an incredible performance.

They say it’s good to hide your strength appropriately.

But when you show it, it’s better to show it clearly.

That way, the riffraff who recklessly challenge you disappear.

He decided to show it.

Why he had been called a tyrant.

Crackle-.

The mana rushing through his blue eyes signaled the start of the battle.

Gulp-.

Someone swallowed.

[Igni — Cus]

Magic that shoots flames in arrow form.

As if will-o’-wisps were appearing, ten magic circles manifested around Manus.

It wouldn’t be the great Caesar if it ended here.

“-Bloom.”

64 line segments were drawn in his mind.

There’s only one attribute that amplifies fire’s power.

Only the wind attribute.

[Procella]

A gust of wind blew.

The magic circle generated on the ground spewed out green mana.

A gust strong enough to make the onlookers’ clothes flutter.

Even without combining with Cadenza, anyone can do this level of application.

Understanding of elements.

If you understand what’s commonly expressed as compatibility, you can sufficiently demonstrate this technique.

Manus controlled the magic like a skilled conductor.

[Urrrgh-!]

When the ogre took a step, the flame arrows imbued with wind magic hit its arms and legs.

The bursting flames burned flesh and tore muscles.

The ogre, seemingly in pain, stepped back two more steps.

[Graaaah!]

The ogre’s body rose up.

This world seemed to be based on a ‘turn-based’ combat system.

You attack first and then prepare to defend.

Caesar’s eyes viewing the world was no different from a modern person looking at a game screen.

Maybe that’s why he adapts faster.

How should he avoid the ogre’s attack?

‘There’s only one difference.’

It’s that he can use my magic even during the opponent’s turn.

The ogre, still fine after being hit by ten flame arrows, came down with terrifying momentum to where Manus was standing.

Like a boulder crashing down, the ogre pressed down with overwhelming weight.

“Fly away.”

Boom-!

He responded by casting magic and blowing the ogre away.

Summoning a gust in that short moment was a speed only seen from first-class mages.

Since the defense was successful, now it should be my turn.

He wanted to smell the ogre’s burning flesh more intensely.

So he chose a magic that Anais had also shown.

Whoosh-!

A magic more advanced than Igni and the most commonly used fire magic rose up.

[Ignira]

[Procella]

Generating different magic circles in both hands is called ‘Double Casting’.

It was naturally impossible at the second-year level, and even most adult mages couldn’t do this technique.

Manus was casually doing something that required abundant talent to barely reach.

“Wow, is that even possible?”

“He’s using Double Casting at that speed?”

“A real monster is a monster indeed.”

A skill naturally unfolding with just the feeling of using two skills simultaneously.

The thrill of using magic was a feeling that could never be experienced in games.

There was no need to even use Cadenza.

The combination of two elements alone would be fatal to the ogre.

Kuaaaaa—-!

A hot wind blew.

Though significantly weaker than [Atabulus] he had used before, it created a similar scene.

Kael and Anais, who were watching, got goosebumps.

Though it hadn’t been long, that scene was clearly etched in their minds.

[Urrrrrgh-!]

The ogre enveloped in hot wind became a blackened pile of ashes with a savory smell.

Golden Snake Class A, Number 1.

It was a performance worthy of the top student of the year.

Boom-.

The large body fell.

The battle ended anticlimactically.

Manus, who had achieved the obvious, silently cast his gaze to one spot.

‘As expected, he’s watching.’

He could see traces of fluctuating mana.

The same pattern as when he met the shadow before.

Yes, Caesar wouldn’t just stand still.

Manus spoke to the professor with a faint smile.

“I’ll take the next test right away.”

Then he just had to show it.

They would report clearly.

That a great bloodline had bloomed under a great family.

The professor slowly walked out.

Though the set time wasn’t long, it was enough for evaluation.

Caesar.

He was curious about how much potential he and himself had.

Manus’ eyes turned blue.

–TL Notes–
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