Chapter 59 The Special Exam

"Did you sleep well, young master?"

"Ah, Kania."

The day after safely returning to the academy from the forest, I woke up with a rare sense of refreshment.

"Today I really had a sound sleep. Honestly."

Not waking up under the shabby ceiling of the secret base, nor under the bright and sunny sky, but beneath the ceiling of the dormitory made me feel an extraordinary sense of comfort.

"Did you truly sleep well?"

"Yeah, this time I really did. Thanks to the trial ending ahead of schedule, I didn't even have any dreams and slept like a log."

Even so, Kania kept pressing with her questions. I could only respond with a smile. But upon hearing my words, she immediately furrowed her brows and retorted.

"So, the previous times you said you slept well were all false?"

"Er... Well, you could put it that way?"

Facing that incisive question, I subtly shifted my gaze away and gave a rather evasive answer. Kania let out a sigh and seated herself on my bed.

"You don't have to hide such things from me, young master. I'm your only..."

- Creak...

Just as Kania grasped my hand and was about to continue speaking, the door of the dormitory slowly creaked open, and someone stepped inside.

"Ah, hello?"

Irina, who entered my room, caught sight of Kania and me holding hands. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she greeted us. An instant hush fell over the room.

"...Although I may not be the only one who understands you, I am still your loyal and devoted confidant, aren't I?"

Kania broke the silence. As she spoke, she cast a sidelong glance at Irina.

"Er... Anyway, all the formal procedures have been completed. So, starting from today, I will be your exclusive maid."

Just as Irina had said, from this day forward, her official status was that of my exclusive maid. Initially, Irina had been insistent on dropping out of school to become my personal maid. However, I exerted great effort to dissuade her. This was because dropping out of school would not only impede her long - cherished aspiration of becoming a great mage but also undoubtedly have a detrimental impact on the ongoing situation.

After a great deal of earnest persuasion, Irina changed her stance and expressed her desire to become my temporary servant and reside in the same dormitory as me. But this time, it was Kania who vehemently opposed the idea.

Incidentally, I wasn't entirely clear about the reasons for Kania's opposition or the details of the conversation that ensued between them later. All I knew was that after several hours had passed, Kania emerged from the room wearing a sneering smirk, while Irina looked utterly dejected.

In any case, Irina neither became my exclusive maid nor a temporary servant. In the end, she had no choice but to resort to the final option and became a maid in the noble dormitory.

Certainly, it was in violation of the school regulations to work as a maid in the noble dormitory while simultaneously maintaining the status of an academy student. However, after presenting a small gift to the dean, Lionel, we managed to artfully circumvent the rules.

Consequently, she moved into the vacant room adjacent to my dormitory room and became an on - call exclusive maid.

"Come to think of it... It's still a bit awkward. Even though it was a decision made out of necessity..."

"So, Miss Irina, why on earth did you insist on choosing this path?"

Irina, donning a maid uniform for the very first time, cast an uncomfortable glance up and down at herself. In response to Kania's piercing inquiry, she replied with a solemn expression.

"There are certain matters that you both need to be aware of regarding this."

As she spoke, Irina took a seat on a chair, drew a deep breath, and then uttered some astonishing words.

"I'll just be straightforward. Currently, Kania, you are under suspicion, and Frey is likely to be assassinated in the near future."

Upon hearing these words, both Kania and I widened our eyes in surprise. Irina heaved a sigh and continued.

"That's precisely why I infiltrated here as a double agent, attempting to improve the situation."

After Irina had finished speaking, Kania and I were left stunned for a short while. We exchanged a glance with each other before starting to converse back and forth.

"As I suspected, I've been under suspicion. No wonder the information reaching me lately has been so meager."

"Yeah, I was also puzzled as to why there hadn't been any assassins. It seems that the level of difficulty is about to skyrocket."

After uttering these words, we both wore somber expressions. Noticing our demeanor, Irina went on, "First of all, Kania, you are being suspected by the imperial princess."

"Do you mean Miss Klana?"

"Yeah, although it's not yet completely confirmed... But the imperial princess currently believes that there is a high probability of your defection and is going to great lengths to find evidence."

Upon hearing this, Kania remarked with a stiff expression, "That figures. Even if those secret documents were passed on with great ingenuity... If it occurs repeatedly, Miss Klana couldn't possibly fail to notice."

"Exactly. I've often observed the imperial princess looking perplexed at the documents you submitted and muttering to herself."

Upon hearing Irina's affirmation, Kania unconsciously pulled out a fountain pen from her bosom, twirled it in her fingers, and lapsed into deep thought.

"Furthermore, the imperial princess is making preparations to assassinate Frey."

"You mean Miss Klana is preparing to assassinate the young master?"

When Irina spoke again, Kania ceased twirling the pen and interjected with a frown.

"Wasn't Miss Klana's original plan to completely crush the young master before eliminating him?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Watching the two of them casually discussing such a terrifying topic, I couldn't help but think that perhaps being discovered wasn't entirely a bad thing. At this moment, Irina turned her gaze towards me and continued.

"However, due to the 'attack on the commoner dormitory' that occurred last time and this 'Holy Undead Knight' incident, the imperial princess has changed her mind."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"She stated that if she can manage to kill you secretly and discreetly, she will get rid of you as swiftly as possible."

Upon hearing this statement, my expression froze instantly. However, I then let out a soft chuckle and responded, "It's alright. This isn't a major issue. Even if Klana's power expands rapidly... Within a year, she won't be able to amass enough power to pose a threat to me. So, the caliber of the assassins must also..."

"The imperial princess has joined forces with the elders of the 'Moonlight Family'."

Upon hearing this, my heart plummeted, and my expression turned grave. If it were just an assassination plan and assassins orchestrated solely by Klana, I might still have the confidence to deal with the situation. But if she had joined forces with the 'Council of Elders' of the Moonlight Family, the situation was now entirely different.

This meant that the Council of Elders of the Moonlight Family, which had been engaged in the business of assassination since the family's establishment, would officially step in. Although the Council of Elders had already issued a stringent order to Serena for my execution, the fact that they had joined forces with other entities to target me indicated that their original plan had deviated significantly.

After all, the Moonlight Family, which served as the shadow of the empire, rarely joined forces with other powers, even in the face of Klana, the imperial princess.

"They're probably eyeing your birthday party next week. To prevent them, I managed to persuade the imperial princess to allow me to take the risk of infiltrating as a spy... But it remains uncertain whether it will be successful."

"Hmm..."

Just as I was lost in thought, Irina finished conveying the additional information. She silently regarded me and then spoke in a low voice.

"So, be cautious. Don't throw your life away recklessly."

After saying that, Irina quietly averted her gaze. Her demeanor made me unable to resist chuckling. Then, on a whim, I tilted my head and inquired, "By the way, how did you come by this information? Klana surely wouldn't have divulged all these details to you, right?"

"Ah, well..."

In response to this question, Irina replied nonchalantly.

"...The assassination plan was indeed shared by Klana, but I uncovered the information about the cooperation with the Moonlight Family on my own."

"How did you manage to find that out?"

"I stole a letter."

Upon hearing this, I was momentarily taken aback. Then, I asked in an incredulous tone, "It can't be that easy to steal that sort of information, can it?"

Irina, upon hearing this, wore a somewhat proud look and stated, "I was so destitute when I was a child... I'm actually quite adept at stealing things."

"Come to think of it, the first time we met was when you were running in a panic, clutching a loaf of bread, and we bumped into each other on the street, right?"

Upon hearing her words, I couldn't help but recall the past with Irina. I smiled and asked.

"At that time, I was so furious when I saw the bread rolling onto the street. So, I bought a loaf of bread that was several times bigger and gave it to you... Don't tell me that the bread you were stealing was..."

"Come on, I had no choice but to do it to survive."

Seeing Irina blushing as she tried to defend herself, I couldn't help but laugh. At this moment, Kania, who had been sitting quietly by the side, suddenly interjected.

"Young master, this isn't the time for such chatter."

"Hmm?"

"We need to formulate our next plan and strategy as soon as possible. We can't afford to let more unexpected variables arise."

Upon hearing her words, I nodded gently. Kania took out a notebook from her bosom and began to pose questions to me.

"First of all, I'd like to know about the people who might pose a threat in the future. I will deal with them in advance... Well, I mean, conduct a thorough investigation within my capabilities."

"Hmm..."

Upon hearing this, I recollected the contents of the prophecy book and started to answer.

"If we're talking about people who will pose a threat in the future... Apart from the'main heroines', it should be the'secondary heroines'."

"Secondary heroines?"

"Yeah, for example, Isolte... And Irina's friend, Arianna."

Upon hearing these words, Irina was taken aback for a moment, while Kania wore a serious expression and began writing something in her notebook.

"Ah, and there are those who will enter the academy next year... The daughter of the head of the Intelligence Guild that controls the underworld, the youngest paladin of the Solar Church, and the princess of a small country in the Western Continent. They are also secondary heroines."

As I named more and more people, Kania clenched the notebook tightly and murmured in a low voice.

"...There are so many of them?"

Upon hearing her words, I couldn't help but chuckle and replied.

"Of course, this is the situation in the normal route... But in the False Villain route, they are as formidable opponents as the main heroines."

"Sigh..."

I looked at Kania with an apologetic expression as she let out a sigh. Then, I quietly shared some good news with her.

"However, I currently have a good relationship with the daughter of the head of the Intelligence Guild... So, that part should be..."

"I understand. Then, what is the next 'Main Quest'?"

For some reason, Kania coldly interrupted me. The chill in her eyes sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly brought up the system window in front of me.

[Main Quest: Liberate the Slave Market]

- Quest Content: Launch an attack on the upcoming large - scale slave market, liberate the slaves, and prevent the impending tragedy!

[Reward: Increase the Awakening Degree of the Brave's Equipment, Increase the Total Magic Power]

[Failure Penalty: A Significant Drop in Reputation]

"...Attack the slave market?"

When Kania finished reading the content of the system window that appeared before her, she exclaimed with an incredulous expression.

"Could this be the event that I'm thinking of?"

"Although I can't read your mind... But I'm afraid it's exactly the event you have in mind."

Upon hearing these words, Kania let out a deep sigh and lowered her head.

"That slave market is like a powder keg. If we're not careful... Even you, young master, will find it difficult to handle."

Subsequently, Kania spoke softly and began to say in a worried tone.

"The Main Quest doesn't necessarily have to be followed, does it? If we're led by the nose by the system, sooner or later, something serious will go wrong. So, I think for this Main Quest..."

"It's not because of the Main Quest."

"Ah?"

I looked at her with a determined gaze and spoke.

"Even if this weren't a Main Quest... Even if the rewards and penalties were completely reversed... I will definitely prevent this from happening."

"Young master, but..."

I raised my hand to signal for her to stop and continued in a more resolute tone.

"This is something I decided in the last round. No matter what happens, I will stop this tragedy and liberate those slaves."

"...I understand."

Seeing my firm determination, Kania's expression stiffened for a moment. But soon, she wore a gentle smile and said, "Since you've made up your mind, young master, I will naturally follow your decision. After all, I am your confidant."

"Thank you, Kania."

I returned her smile with a gentle one. At this moment, Irina, who had been silently watching us from the side, interjected timidly.

"Er... I will also do my best to help."

"Yeah, thank you, Irina."

I also expressed my gratitude to her. Then, I got up from the bed and walked out of the dormitory, saying, "Well, it's time to go to class."

I had to endure those boring classes again.

.....

"Today is the last day of the first semester. At the same time, it is also the day when the Special Exam begins."

Something felt off. As usual, I was planning to while away the time by listening to the dull classes in the boring classroom. However, I heard that Isolte was going to hold a Special Exam.

"...What's going on?"

"I'm not really sure either."

Seeing me asking with a puzzled look, Kania, who had walked into the classroom with me, also answered with a bewildered expression.

"Um... What exactly is the Special Exam?"

It seemed that other students were also confused about this. A commoner student raised his hand and asked. Isolte replied indifferently, "Starting from today, the Special Exam you are going to participate in is to screen out the students who will be eliminated from Class A next semester."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the noble students and mine instantly turned pale.

"W, what does this mean!"

"Didn't all the students who failed the last final exam come from commoner backgrounds?"

"This is an abuse of power! Even though you are from a prestigious family, Professor, this kind of behavior is..."

The noble students swarmed up and began to protest. But Isolte just stared at them coldly and silenced them with a single sentence.

"...This is an order from the royal family."

Upon hearing this sentence, the nobles fell silent. Isolte let out a soft chuckle and continued, "Thanks to some people desperately spending money to bribe and pull strings... Causing those who are truly talented to fail, the royal family is very dissatisfied with this."

"T, then..."

"The royal family chose to conduct a re - examination instead of a thorough investigation of the truth. Therefore, I'm just following their decision. Does anyone have any objections?"

Of course, no one raised any objections. Because once an objection was raised, it would mean questioning the decision of the royal family.

In the icy silence, I rolled my eyes and fell into deep thought.

'Something's not right... Since when has the royal family become so honest and upright?'

The current royal family was exactly the hotbed where power struggles and corruption were prevalent. In fact, most of the corruption that occurred in national institutions was skillfully manipulated and controlled by the royal family. Therefore, the royal family must have turned a blind eye and tacitly allowed the large - scale cheating incident that occurred in this final exam.

But why would the royal family make such a decision?

'Is it Klana's doing?'

I couldn't help but secretly glance at Klana. But she also had a bewildered look on her face. Well, even though Klana had already gathered a fair amount of power, with her current status, she probably couldn't directly interfere in a cheating incident of this scale.

Moreover, not only Klana, but most of the officials also didn't have the power and influence to make a decision that went against the stance of the royal family.

"...The imperial consort? The eldest prince? The eldest imperial princess?"

So, I began to think about those figures who could stir up a storm with just a single word. But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn't figure out why they would do such a thing.

"Hmm..."

For a long time afterward, I kept trying to figure out what was going on. But my head started to ache faintly, and finally, I gave up on speculating and instead asked Isolte a question.

"Then, what is the content of the exam?"

Isolte didn't even look at me and directly began to explain.

"The Special Exam we are going to conduct today is a team battle."

Upon hearing the words "dungeon" and "team battle", the students began to whisper among themselves. Isolte swept a cold glance around, instantly silencing everyone, and then continued.

"The teams will, as always, be divided into a noble team and a commoner team, and each team will appoint a commander."

As she spoke, Isolte placed a ballot box on the podium.

"The commander will be decided by a general vote. Therefore, nobles and commoners, from now on, please vote to elect your commanders."

As Isolte spoke, she distributed pieces of paper. Most of the nobles began to secretly observe my expression.

"...Well, I guess those guys don't want to choose me as the commander either."

Due to the rumors that I have a close relationship with the Demon King's army, I am now in a situation where I am disliked by everyone. So, even those nobles who are always thinking about taking sides won't vote for me. With their shrewd minds, they will probably choose Klana, who is currently on the rise, as the commander.

"Then, the vote counting begins now."

While I was lost in my thoughts, Isolte suddenly knocked on the ballot box and announced the start of vote counting.

- Rustle!

Immediately, the chalk on the blackboard moved automatically and began to record the voting results.

- Noble side: Frey Rahn Starlight

- Commoner side: Klana Sola Rising Sun

"...Heh."

The result was completely beyond my expectations.

'The nobles are more stupid than I thought... And the commoners are smarter than I expected.'

Just as I was feeling desperate because of the heavy workload and the inexplicable responsibility of being the commander, Isolte looked at the blackboard and calmly announced the result.

"Very well. Then, from today on, the commander of the commoner camp will be Frey Rahn Starlight, and the commander of the noble camp will be Klana Sola Rising Sun."

After these words were spoken, there was a brief moment of silence on the scene.

"Um, Professor? What does this mean..."

"I'm not mistaken. In the upcoming Special Exam, the commander of the commoner camp will be Frey, and the commander of the noble camp will be Klana. This exam will last throughout the vacation."

After saying these words, everyone fell silent again. Perhaps it was because the shock was too great, so much so that they didn't even have the energy to whisper.

"Now that the commanders have been determined, it's time to reveal the true nature of this Special Exam."

Isolte calmly looked at these students, then the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and she said.

"From now until the end of the vacation, as long as you can protect your commander, you will be considered the winner."

Seeing everyone looking dazed, Isolte softly added, "The commander of the winning team will have the right to select the students to be eliminated."

.....

Meanwhile, in a remote alley.

"So, what is the true intention of the Demon King?"

"It was already extremely unsettling that you've been hiding your identity all this time... Isn't this going too far this time?"

"I can't accept it. He's neither a demon nor a monster. Why should..."

In the dimly lit room, a group of people wearing robes and covering their faces were chattering and complaining.

"Quiet, quiet!!!"

A man sitting in the upper seat suddenly slammed the table and angrily rebuked everyone. Suddenly, everyone stopped complaining and closed their mouths.

"This is an order from the esteemed Demon King..."

The second - in - command of the Demon King's army coldly swept his gaze across the crowd. Looking down at the photo in his hand, which was the same as everyone else's, he announced in a deep voice.

"...From today on, this man will become one of the highest - ranking cadres of the Demon King's army."