Chapter 32: A Test Without Meaning

Chapter 32: A Test Without Meaning

Jessica adjusted the strap of her bag, rolling her shoulders absently as she walked through the academy courtyard.

It had been a week.

Her arms were completely healed.

No scabs. No blemishes. Not even a lingering ache.

It was like she'd never been burned at all.

She wasn't sure if that was normal or if her body was just built differently, but she wasn't about to overthink it.

More importantly—she was still sleeveless.

She hadn't planned on keeping the look, but Tobias had been so irritatingly pleased about it that she didn't see the point in changing back.

Sure, it technically broke campus dress code, but apparently, Moran traditions were just an exception to the rules.

The same way royals wore white uniforms for no reason other than 'it's a thing they do.'

Whatever.

Jessica barely noticed the stares anymore.

At least—until Lucien stopped in his tracks beside her.

She caught the motion in her peripheral vision and turned her head slightly—only to find him gazing at her arms with open astonishment.

Jessica blinked.

"...Something wrong?"

Lucien's expression barely changed, but she caught the way his gaze lingered—too long, too calculating.

"...Your arms."

Jessica raised a brow. "Yes?"

Lucien tilted his head slightly, as if reevaluating something.

"They're... fine."

Jessica frowned. "They should be."

Lucien's red eyes flickered, unreadable.

"No tenderness? No marks?"

Jessica sighed, lifting an arm and flexing her fingers just to make a point. "Not even a twinge."

Lucien didn't answer immediately.

He just kept staring.

Jessica exhaled slowly.

"...Is it that crazy that your expensive ointment worked?"

Lucien blinked once, then finally looked away.

"...I suppose not."

Jessica narrowed her eyes slightly, but before she could press him further—

A sharp clap echoed through the courtyard.

A faculty member had stepped onto the central podium.

"All students, attention!"

Jessica exhaled through her nose. Here we go.

___

"As per Academy tradition, the semester's combat and magic evaluations will begin next week. This test will serve as an assessment of all students' capabilities in real-world scenarios."

Jessica tilted her head slightly.

She already knew what this was.

It was the same two-part test they had started with.

Combat Effectiveness Test—evaluating physical combat, tactics, and survival.

Magic Evaluation—measuring raw magical ability, elemental manipulation, and spell efficiency.

Jessica wasn't interested.

She already knew exactly how this was going to go.

___

"The combat evaluation will be held in the Grand Arena," the instructor continued. "Matchups will be determined based on skill ranking and compatibility."

Jessica immediately knew that was a lie.

Ranked matchups? Compatibility?

No. This was politics.

She was going to be paired against someone she shouldn't beat—

Someone who could beat her, but who wasn't politically important enough that it would cause problems if they lost.

Her instincts were confirmed when she heard a noble whispering—

"She's fighting Edgar von Riefenstahl."

Jessica clicked her tongue.

Of course.

Edgar was strong. His Thunder Magic was an absolute nightmare matchup for her.

But he was also a common knight-born, not a noble heir.

If Jessica won, it would be excused.

If she lost, it would be proof she didn't belong in the elite class.

She resisted the urge to sigh.

At least Edgar wasn't personally invested in noble drama. He'd fight seriously, but he wouldn't try to humiliate her.

Not like the next test.

___

"The second part of the evaluation will measure each student's magic capability through direct performance trials," the instructor announced.

Jessica already knew what this meant.

It was a joke.

They were going to force her to stand in front of everyone and "demonstrate" her magic.

She had none.

They knew she had none.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was to remind everyone that no matter how well she fought, she was still a magic cripple.

Jessica raised a hand.

The instructor hesitated before nodding. "Yes, Lady Moran?"

Jessica tapped a finger against her arm, thinking. "Are we being graded based on spell power, or based on progress since the last evaluation?"

There was a pause.

The instructor did not seem to have anticipated that question.

"...Power, of course," he answered smoothly. "Magic is measured by its effectiveness in combat."

Jessica nodded, as if completely accepting that answer.

Then, very casually—

"So... I wouldn't get points for improvement?"

The nobles were already whispering.

Jessica rested a hand on her hip, tilting her head. "Because technically, I have something now. It's just..." She gestured vaguely. "The opposite of magic."

The instructor frowned. "The opposite of magic?"

Jessica shrugged. "I move while mana makes way."

More whispers.

Jessica could hear Tobias cough to cover a laugh.

Lucien was staring at her again.

The instructor cleared his throat. "I'm not sure I follow."

Jessica pretended to consider. "Well, I developed something. It's not magic, but if we're counting mana sensitivity, I'm extremely advanced."

Then, as if only just thinking of it, she added—

"What if I can do it blindfolded without moving?"

The nobles went silent.

Silence.

Not just from the instructor—but from the entire courtyard.

Jessica wasn't even trying to be dramatic.

She was just pushing her luck at this point.

But for some reason, the reaction was different this time.

The nobles were whispering, but even the instructors looked momentarily uncertain.

And Lucien—

Lucien felt cold.

Something in his chest tightened, then pulled.

It was instinctive, a feeling before thought—before logic.

The moment Jessica spoke, something in his memory twisted.

It wasn't clear. It wasn't complete.

It was just a flicker—an image that shouldn't exist.

A phantom, moving without moving.

White hair.

Glowing red eyes.

A presence that radiated like an open wound—a red aura bleeding into the battlefield itself.

Lucien's breath hitched—just barely.

It wasn't real.

It wasn't real.

But his mind insisted it was.

Jessica wasn't doing anything strange.

She wasn't even using magic.

So why did it feel like she had just spoken something she shouldn't be able to say?

Lucien flexed his fingers at his side, exhaling slowly, carefully.

This was absurd.

This was Jessica.

So why did he feel like he was standing in front of something ancient?

The instructor cleared his throat, a little too forcefully.

"...Magic only."

Jessica sighed. "Worth a shot."

Lucien barely heard her.

His heartbeat was too loud.

But he ignored it.

He forced himself to ignore it.

The feeling didn't fade.

___

Before Jessica could think about it any further, she turned toward Tobias.

And, because today was already ridiculous, she asked the next thing on her mind.

"...Why are you even here?"

Tobias blinked. "What?"

Jessica gestured vaguely. "This is a first-year evaluation. You're supposed to be with your own class."

Tobias smirked, completely unconcerned. "Oh, you know. No one in second year wants to fight me."

Jessica stared at him.

"...What."

Tobias just shrugged. "I'm a pain to deal with. Too strong for the mid-level students, too much trouble for the elites."

Jessica squinted. "Are they avoiding you because you beat them? Or because you break them?"

Tobias grinned. "A little of both."

Magnus, beside him, exhaled through his nose.

Jessica glanced between them, suspicious.

"...Okay, then why aren't you just watching?"

Tobias grinned wider. "Because Magnus needs a real fight."

Jessica frowned. That still didn't explain anything.

Magnus, however, looked unbothered—but he also wasn't denying it.

Jessica sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "So instead of fighting someone from second-year, you came down here to fight Magnus?"

Tobias smirked. "Would you rather I fought you?"

Jessica narrowed her eyes.

Then she glanced at Magnus.

"...Is he really worth the trouble?"

Magnus finally looked at her, expression unreadable.

Tobias, meanwhile, just grinned.

"That's what I want you to find out."

Jessica exhaled through her nose.

Annoying.

So incredibly annoying.