Chapter 128 October 27, 2022
Chapter 128 – Results of the First Test
All of the students who’d gathered in their places while chattering shut their mouths.
Ludger Chelysie stood on the podium while everyone maintained their silence, it had been an unwritten rule in Ludger’s classroom.
‘They’re still quiet today as well.’
On the other hand, Ludger felt a little sad at the students’ appearance as they shut their mouths whenever he came into the classroom.
He felt even more so after he heard the story that the students welcomed the other professors with smiling faces when they entered their classrooms.
‘Did I do something that disappointed the students?’
No. He’d diligently taught the class, and when he’d had to make a set of exam questions, he’d painstakingly made the questions.
Moreover, he’d said that he would even teach his trademark spell, Source Code, directly to the students who ranked in the top range.
Even though he wasn’t ‘The Giving Tree’, he could be proud that he gave more benefits compared to the other professors.
Even so, to think that he was receiving such a heavy reaction.
‘I didn’t know that the reaction would be this flat even after I gave them the test results.’
Perhaps the first impression was the problem.
At that time, it was a choice that he had to make because he couldn’t prepare himself after getting the job so suddenly.
‘I’m sad, but there’s nothing I can do about it.’
Still, he thought that he would do his best in the role entrusted to him, so Ludger had decided to steadily continue with the class as always.
“As I have told you beforehand, I will tell all of you the results of the first test before starting the class today.”
The results of the first test…
It meant the test scores that they had for the first time after entering Sören had come out, and it meant that their ranks had been determined thereafter.
However, there was no student who reacted rashly at that.
Because, unlike other classes, if they did that in Ludger’s class, they would receive his sharp gaze throughout their whole body.
“All of the ranks will be put on the notice board by assistant Sedina, but that’s not what everyone’s curious about right now, right?”
The students’ eyes glowed at Ludger’s words.
Most of the gazes were full of desire.
Ludger accepted their anticipation.
“I will announce the first to fifth ranks of the first test. And just like what I promised earlier, the top five rank will be given the framework of the Source Code spell.”
The students shut their mouths and stared at Ludger.
If the silence was more toward tension and fear when he’d first entered the classroom, now it was more toward extreme focus and anticipation.
“First of all, I will announce first place. Everyone seems to be highly anticipating who will take the first rank, but you may have guessed who it is.”
The gazes of some students were driven to one female student.
Because, when talking about the first place, what came to their mind was only Flora Lumos, who had the genius title.
“Hmph.”
Flora Lumos, who received such gazes, looked relaxed as if it was nothing while still maintaining her upright posture.
Flora also didn’t doubt that she would take first place.
“First place, Flora Lumos.”
And the name Flora Lumos came out according to everyone’s expectations.
The students showed the expected reaction, and Flora acted arrogantly.
It seemed that it was because she’d made many missteps recently, but she was originally that kind of person.
“And Julia Plumheart.”
…!
When the other name came out, the students were shocked.
All their stares headed to the white-haired girl sitting in one corner of the classroom.
She smiled still with an unknown meaning.
“Both of them have a perfect score of 100, so it’s a joint first rank.”
When the score came out of Ludger’s mouth, all of the students had to accept it.
As both of them had received the perfect score, it was understandable for a joint first rank.
“Whoa. She’s the same rank as Flora Lumos? Awesome.”
“She entered as a top ranker when she came to the academy. I heard that the Magic Tower also supported her, it’s understandable.”
Come to think of it, there wasn’t anything strange in it because Julia Plumheart had ranked first place among the new students.
Even so, to think that she was the same rank as Flora Lumos… The thought that another genius had appeared in Sören emerged.
“Since there are two people who ranked first, there’s no second rank. I will announce the third rank right away.”
Ludger’s gaze headed to one side of the classroom.
Aidan, Leo, and Tessie, the Three Musketeers who received the gaze, unconsciously gulped.
‘Why is the Professor looking here? Did we do something wrong?’
“Third rank. Tessie Friad. She scored 98.7 out of 100.”
Oh?
Aidan and Leo looked at Tessie at the same time.
Tessie Friad remained blank-faced when her name came out and clenched her fist.
“Whoa. Tessie. Congratulations! You scored third, that’s awesome!”
“You’re amazing!”
Aidan, sitting next to her, and Leo, in front of her, congratulated her.
“H-hmph. Now you get it? I’m originally this kind of person.”
As they didn’t know that a fallen aristocrat would take the third place, some of the aristocrats glared at Tessie with jealousy.
Usually, she would react and glare back at them, as she had a fiery personality, but because she had the satisfying result of third place, she big-heartedly let it pass.
“You’re awesome, Tessie. Your hard work was worthwhile.”
“Fufu. Aidan. I can teach you if you want. What do you think? Do you want it?”
Tessie’s face slightly blushed and she spoke to Aidan, as she was seemingly bashful.
Aidan brightly smiled at her question and answered.
“Eyy. It’s okay. I can’t disturb your studies just for myself, right?”
“…”
“Oh, ah! Te-Tessie. Why are you suddenly like that?”
“I don’t know, stupid!”
When he looked at Tessie, who’d suddenly hit her forearm with her fist, Aidan was confused.
No way, did he say something wrong?
However, when Aidan was about to apologize, Ludger opened his mouth.
“The next one is the fourth rank.”
The students held their breaths.
It was still alright until the third rank because the names that’d come out were at least people who had already been famous.
Tessie had also ranked next to Julia among the new students. There would be nothing strange if the high-ranked were the best.
However, because the three had been mentioned, the classroom was filled with tension by the last two spots.
The fourth and fifth rank were completely out of their calculations.
‘Who was it in the end? Was it me? Or them? There was no way it would be him.’
As all of them had the same thoughts, the students’ attention focused on Ludger.
They were paying close attention to whose name would come out of his mouth and to whom his straight stare would head to.
Anyone was bound to be nervous if they received that excessive attention, but Ludger didn’t even blink. It was already known, but he was really a man of steel.
At that time, Ludger’s gaze headed to one side of the classroom.
That’s right, she was in that direction..
Elendil von Exileon, the third princess and descendant of the Exileon Empire.
The students inwardly thought, ‘Oh, so the third princess got fourth place.’
Of course, most of them were the new students’ opinions, and some of the second-year students were confused.
‘Huh? The third princess got fourth place?’
They knew that she was indeed the princess and had a lot of skill in magic, but what she knew was intended for actual fights.
At least, in their memories, Elendil couldn’t even get a middle-place score amongst the entire student body in her first year.
“The fourth place is Lynne, she scored 98 out of 100.”
“…What?!”
“Impossible.”
The spoken name was completely out of their expectations.
The appalled gazes headed to Lynne, who sat beside Elendil.
At least all of the names that’d come out as the first to the third place were aristocrats.
Of course, Tessie was a fallen aristocrat, so she was different from common aristocrats, but it was a relief for other students as they at least thought so.
However, Lynne was a commoner without any surname.
“M-me?”
As she didn’t expect her name would come out, Lynne looked very confused.
She hadn’t studied to aim for a high rank, and she’d only done her best in the given time.
Ludger nodded his head without a word.
There was no way that Ludger would lie about it, so she was certain that she was fourth in the rankings.
Lynne felt like her consciousness had floated to the sky. She didn’t even expect it, so it was an obvious reaction since the best result had come out.
“Lynne… you are awesome.”
“N-no.”
Elendil looked very confused, as she didn’t know that Lynne would show such a great result.
She wanted to at least show her admirable and cool appearance as a senior, but to think that she was behind Lynne in the scoring of the theoretical test!
She was happy and felt very hurt as well.
The other students’ reactions were also very unsettled, not to even mention the noble students.
Lynne felt hostility within most gazes that glared at her.
It was hard to accept the reality that they’d lost to a commoner and not anyone else.
Moreover, Lynne was the person who had been in dispute with the aristocratic students. There was nothing wrong that Lynne did back then, but the aristocratic students had already recognized Lynne as a haughty commoner who dared to lash out nobles.
Come to think of it, even when she was receiving a good grade, the gazes couldn’t be meaner.
“Silence.”
Ludger’s voice controlled the atmosphere of the classroom that was getting noisy.
“If you have a complaint about the grades, tell me.”
There was not a single student that could refute him because there was no way they could say that they weren’t satisfied with the result in front of Ludger’s face unless they were crazy.
In the end, the aristocratic students decided to move on with the fact that a commoner had ranked fourth.
Then, at least…
The fifth rank would certainly be an aristocrat’s name so that their destroyed pride would be rebuilt.
“I will announce the fifth rank.”
The aristocratic students gulped down.
Someone even clenched their fist so tight that it was drenched in cold sweat.
“Fifth rank is Leo, he scored 94.3 out of 100.”
However, contrary to their expectation, the person that had scored fifth was none other than a commoner, Leo.
Aidan widened his eyes while staring at Leo.
This chic sky-blue-haired boy still showed an apathetic expression as if he didn’t feel greatly pleased by the fact that he had gotten fifth.
Tessie didn’t expect Leo to be in the fifth rank as she stuttered.
“Wh-what are you? You did pretty good?”
“Well, I just moderately did it.”
“Hmph. Even so, I’m the third rank. You know? I’m different from fifth rank.”
“Who said what?”
The two people quarreled just like usual.
However, the other students couldn’t be as comfortable as Tessie and Leo.
Among the top five ranks, two spots were filled by commoners. To say it differently, it meant that the aristocratic students who couldn’t rank in the top five were behind those two commoners.
There were only three pure aristocrats within the top five ranks, and one of them was even a daughter of a fallen aristocrat family who couldn’t be treated as an aristocrat.
The fact that they were under commoners was the most disgraceful thing to the aristocrats.
‘They’re very explicitly glaring at us.’
Leo felt the gazes full of hostility headed toward him.
—All of them were from aristocratic students full of elitism.
Just by looking at their gazes, it seemed like they were shouting ‘a mere commoner like you’, so Leo felt that it was ridiculous.
They were the ones who couldn’t study and didn’t manage to get into the top ranks, so why were they glaring at him, who was innocent?
‘Tsk. This is why I don’t want to befriend aristocratic brats.’
Leo was not the type to bow down even when his opponent was an aristocrat. On the contrary, he was the type to oppose them even more.
Thus, Leo sneered at the students sending him death glares instead.
Heek!
Some of the aristocrats were about to react with rage, but they realized that it was in the middle of a class and grabbed onto their last strand of patience.
Ludger Chelysie was on the podium.
That man who didn’t care even when his opponent was an aristocrat was a subject of fear for the aristocratic students.
“That’s all, I don’t mind if the five people whose names were called don’t come right away to the professor’s office afterward to receive the framework, but they should receive it at least before the second test.”
With that remark, Ludger gestured at his assistant Sedina, who stood still beside him, using his chin.
Sedina moved right away and shared papers to the students—it was the material of the day’s class.
“So, we will now start the class. The material that I will teach today is the magic circle that is the basis of Mana Release.”
Magic circles were the most fundamental part for wizards.
They currently used the technique of drawing a line using mana in a three dimensional space, but they’d drawn magic circles way before that.
‘Magic circles?’
‘Today’s class is unexpectedly normal?’
Magic circles were still a useful study topic.
To carve magic on an item and create a talisman or artifact, a magic circle was essential.
Since three-dimensional techniques were unfitting to be put on items or papers, magic circles that could be made by drawing on a flat surface were still a field within the spotlight.
Most of all, magic circles were more durable compared to magic techniques.
Techniques carved in thin air were one-shots that displayed the magic only once, but if they carved magic circles, the spell would remain for a long time before disappearing.
So, magic circles were still fundamental to the wizards and were labeled as an important study.
“Look.”
Ludger soon drew a circle on the magic board.
He drew a big circle in the center of the board that could be said to be perfect.
“Most of the magic circles are drawn in the center of a circle. This is a long tradition, but there’s a meaning in it.”
Magic circles were drawn with a circle because it had the meaning of this world’s figure itself.
Also, the circle was a figure that contained a firm belief that it protected the user from outside force.
Thus, they always drew circles first when creating magic circles, and they added another circle twice or they drew various figures within the circle to develop it.
“But this field is a field that everyone already knows. I also don’t want to teach this old-fashioned material.”
Ludger said that while erasing the circle that he drew.
Ludger drew one more pattern on the magic board instead.
“The magic circle that I will teach to all of you is this.”
The students were confused as they saw the magic board.
It was understandable because the pattern that Ludger had just made was not a circle that could be said to be the basis of a magic circle.
“What’s that?”
“Is that supposed to be a magic circle?”
It was a figure that couldn’t be understood by common sense.
—It was square-shaped.
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