Chapter 42: Chapter 42

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The Weakest Generation

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The Jerion Academy team competition exam involved defeating magic-created apostles.

Scores for the exam were divided into three categories:

Efficiency.

Time.

Cooperation.

How efficiently and quickly the apostles were defeated.

And how well did team members cooperate during the process?

These were the metrics used for scoring.

And there was one more thing.

A separate grading system also existed, evaluated through a different method.

The team competition was structured so that apostles appeared one after another.

Therefore, how many apostles a team could defeat was counted as a separate score.

'And the cooperation score evaluation has already begun.'

Cooperation points were deducted in real-time if a team wasn't properly formed from the outset.

As such, forming a proper team was also part of the evaluation.

It was the academy's intention for students to maintain good communication with each other normally.

'What a cruel academy, where those without friends can't survive.'

For someone with few connections like me, this scoring system felt incredibly harsh.

Do they think it's easy to gather people for a team every single day?

Bringing people in through deals only works so many times.

"What cruel professors."

"It's just because Princess Sweet Potato has no friends, isn't it?"

Oh, you.

"What's someone who knows even fewer people than me talking about?"

"W-what? At least I knew all of them originally!"

"Right, you knew them like that and then got abandoned, so now you're all alone."

"They didn't abandon me, I abandoned them!"

Seron huffed, her forehead turning red.

White steam seemed to rise from her exposed forehead, as if an egg could cook on it.

Then Seron's gaze fell on my hand.

"That's a ring I haven't seen before. What is it?"

"It was a gift."

Seron's eyebrows subtly furrowed.

It was as if she was thinking, *You*?

It was a joke, but that expression annoyed me.

"Who on earth would give *you* a gift like that?"

"You wouldn't know, but I'm actually quite popular."

"Oh, you poor thing. Princess Sweet Potato, you've never even looked in a mirror, have you...?"

Seron sent me a pitying look.

This girl.

"And what about *you*?"

I shot Seron a sharp look.

"Have *you* ever been popular with anyone?"

Seron blinked.

Then she flipped her tied-up red hair.

"Can't you tell just by looking?"

"Not at all."

"Hmph, look, I'm pretty, aren't I?"

I didn't say anything further.

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything? Answer me!"

Looking out the window, I saw a carriage crossing the bridge and heading towards Jerion Academy.

"I told you to answer! My dad says I'm the prettiest in the world!"

Today was the day of the team competition.

As such, imperial dignitaries had visited the academy to observe the exam.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that those visiting today were among the most important figures in the empire.

Meanwhile, I spotted a particularly pure white carriage.

A carriage pulled by white horses.

Inside was an important figure who would resolve the upcoming events.

To gain a private audience with the person inside that carriage, I absolutely had to perform well in this team competition.

"Seron."

Seron had somehow even let her hair down and was making a flower pose with her hands.

I looked at her as if she were disgusting.

"What on earth is that? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Seron's face turned beet red.

"Hey, because of *who*?!"

"I'm heading to the team competition. If you're late, I'll kick you off the team."

"Ah, wait for me!"

Seron tied her hair back up and hurried after me.

As I walked, a familiar face came into view in the distance.

Her silver hair, fluttering with each step, still held a beautiful hue.

However, the face framed by her silver hair had lost its former vitality and looked incredibly somber.

"Senior Nikita."

When I called her name, Nikita slowly raised her head.

Her eyes met mine, and she offered a faint smile.

"Ah, junior."

Unlike before, her smile lacked its usual strength.

She had been in that state ever since Nia's death.

"Looks like you're off to the team competition."

Nikita said, as if she'd realized where we were headed.

Nikita's face was even gaunter than before.

It was clear she hadn't been eating properly.

"Senior."

I rummaged through my bag.

Then I placed the sandwich I'd planned to eat for lunch into Nikita's hand.

"It's a tuna sandwich."

Nikita looked at the sandwich in her hand and shook her head.

"Junior, it's alright. I don't have much of an appetite."

"But you're also participating in the team competition today, Senior."

I firmly pressed the sandwich into Nikita's hand as she tried to refuse.

"Please eat it. Otherwise, I won't feel at ease."

Nikita was growing thinner with each passing day.

When I urged her to at least eat something, Nikita stared at me intently.

Nikita's eyes offered a weak smile.

And then, finally, she carefully accepted the sandwich.

"Alright, I will. I'll eat it well. I should think of my junior who's taking care of me."

With those words, Nikita moved on.

As I stared at her retreating back, I felt a pang in my chest.

Even though I knew everything.

It was the guilt of keeping my mouth shut to let the scenario unfold.

After today's team competition, Nikita would learn a crucial piece of information.

The undeniable truth that Nia Cynthia had been assassinated, not simply died by accident.

Armed with this information, Nikita would inevitably resort to ancient dragon magic for revenge.

And I...

I would have to watch it happen.

My fist clenched.

'...It's alright.'

I had already resolved to save Nikita.

While I couldn't prevent Nikita from becoming the Dragon Lady of Calamity...

...her ultimate fate rested in my hands.

To ensure a happy ending for everyone, not a bad one.

I had resolved to do whatever it took.

So I would see it through.

"Princess Sweet Potato, are you alright?"

Perhaps because my expression was too stiff.

Seron subtly asked.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

Praying that she would endure.

I made my way towards the team competition.

* * *

The venue for the team competition resembled a massive arena.

High-level magic, such as illusion spells, was employed to summon the apostles.

It was due to the need for a spacious area.

Various dignitaries had already taken their seats in the arena.

They watched this team competition with great interest.

"This year's second-years are said to be the famous Golden Flame Generation, aren't they?"

"I've only heard rumors and haven't seen them until now. This time, I'm looking forward to it."

"I hear the first-years aren't to be underestimated either? I heard there's a child from the famous Marquis Bizbell family."

"And I heard there's even someone who contracted with a Spirit Lord. Oh my, the Empire's future looks bright!"

They all, one after another, showed great interest in this generation and conversed.

However, no one among them showed any interest in the third-years.

The third-years were known as the weakest generation.

So no one paid them any attention.

Perhaps because of that, the third-years, who were scheduled to compete first, seemed utterly dispirited.

If they had taken the exam without anyone watching, it might have been fine.

But being ignored in front of the empire's most prominent figures, they couldn't help but feel disheartened.

Normally, Nikita would have encouraged them in her own way.

But even Nikita remained silently withdrawn.

"The third-years' morale is a mess."

Card, who was watching this beside me, commented.

"Tsk, if they're dispirited from the very start like that, they won't be able to do anything properly."

"Hey, Potato, is this really the time to worry about others? Focus on us."

Unlike the relaxed Card, Seron seemed tense and on edge.

Watching her, I realized why.

"Seron, your father is here today, isn't he?"

"Ugh."

Seron swallowed a groan, as if stung.

The reason she was tense wasn't because her father was strict.

"If I don't perform well here, my allowance will be cut again."

She was just worried her allowance would be cut if she made a mistake.

What a carefree girl.

"Don't worry."

As we were on the same team, I decided to encourage Seron.

"Even if your allowance gets cut, we won't fall behind in the team competition."

"My allowance getting cut is the most important thing!"

That's up to Seron, not me.

"Uuugh, so sleepy."

At that moment, a voice drifted from behind me.

The reason I had been sitting utterly still until now.

It was because Sharin had been leaning on my back, asleep.

Consistently carefree, she stretched with a series of cracks, then tilted her head back.

"When do we start?"

"It's the third-years' turn now."

"Then I can sleep more."

Sharin squirmed, then leaned back against my back and fell asleep again.

If she was going to sleep, she should have done it somewhere else.

I don't know why she insists on leaning on my back to sleep.

Just then, I felt a gaze and raised my head.

Then my eyes met Isabel's, who was staring intently at us from afar.

When her eyes met mine, she startled and quickly turned her head away.

It seemed she was quite bothered by me having "taken" Sharin from her.

Ever since Sharin declared she would join our team.

Isabel's bewildered face still came to mind.

'Is Isabel's team still the same one I saw in the Magic Palace?'

As it was a well-balanced team, Isabel's group would likely achieve good results without issue.

'As for the rest...'

I shifted my gaze to another team.

There, a woman with long, flowing black hair stood quietly.

Perhaps the strongest team across all grades.

Team Iris.

Vanguard: Iris, the top student in Martial Arts, and the second-ranked student.

Rearguard: The second-ranked student in Magicology, and the top student in Special Studies.

Healer: The second-ranked student in Divine Arts.

'Even looking at it again...'

...the team's balance was insane.

As expected of the Third Princess.

She had solidly filled the team with her personal connections.

In fact, they were an elite force, easily considered the strongest contender for the team competition championship.

And they were also the team we absolutely had to beat.

Otherwise, we wouldn't catch the eye of the dignitaries who had come to observe the team competition.

Besides Iris's, there were quite a few other formidable teams.

'This is going to be tough.'

As I thought that, Seron tugged insistently at my collar.

"Princess Sweet Potato, now that I think about it, who's our healer this time?"

There was a subtle anticipation in Seron's eyes.

It was obvious she was doing that because she hoped it would be the Saint again this time.

"I looked for a healer from Divine Arts, but couldn't secure one."

"What?"

Seron's eyes widened.

In that case, it was as good as losing points on team balance from the start.

There was nothing I could do about it.

It was due to the previous occasion I had teamed up with the Saint.

All the Divine Arts students backed out, claiming, "I cannot take a place in a team that the Saint was once a part of."

They were cunning devotees, quickly backing out, worried about being unfavorably compared.

"What were you thinking, doing that?!"

"So I got someone from the Special Studies Department."

As Seron groaned, I looked behind me.

Just then, someone was walking toward us.

As Seron saw the person approaching, her face slowly began to stiffen.

Meanwhile, Card let out a light whistle as he saw him.

That meant he was quite an unexpected individual.

A pure white skull's head gleamed in the sunlight.

"Let me introduce you. This is Grantoni from the Special Studies Department."

"Heheheh, hello hello?"

A small ossuary and the academy's famous troublemaker.

Grantoni.

Our team's healer, the Soul Weaver.

"My allowance-e-e-e-e-e-e!"

And Seron truly wailed.