Chapter 39
As sudden interest in Simon’s “private tutor” surged, Simon wore an awkward smile, and the incarnation of Feer, dangling as a school uniform ornament, grinned as if enjoying the situation.
[Kehahaha! It seems this body is popular with the brats!]
‘…You’re echoing too loud. Please be quiet, Feer.’
[Tell them I’m willing to teach them a lesson! That is, if they join the Legion in death!]
‘It’s illegal to turn living people into undead in Keyzen.’
Simon forced a smile as he opened his mouth.
“Sorry. He’s someone who prefers not to reveal his identity. And he’s incredibly busy, so honestly, even teaching just me is a huge disruption to his work.”
Maelyn pouted.
“So basically, you’re not gonna tell us? Stingy.”
Dick chuckled, propping his head with one hand.
“It’s not stingy, it’s obvious. If your Summonology grades go up, Simon might have to leave school, right? Would you tell if you were him?”
“...W-Well, that’s true.”
“I’m telling you, it’s not about that. He’s just genuinely too busy.”
“Alright, alright!”
As always, the mediator was Kamibarez. She stood up with a determined fist.
“We took a 10-minute break! Let’s resume practice!”
“Oh, already?”
“Come on, let’s get another round in!”
Practice for the performance evaluation continued late into the night.
* * *
The weekend passed, and a new week began, the week of the Cyclops performance evaluation.
At the same time, life at Keyzen underwent a major change starting this week. That was:
“Scott Snyder. Ten-point deduction.”
The student protection period had completely ended.
Professors could now officially evaluate and grade students, and it became possible to issue penalties or disciplinary actions.
“You brought this garbage and dared to call it homework?”
“Too slow! Too slow! You're all way too slow! TAs! Deduct 20 points from any students who can’t keep up!”
“Get out of my class immediately.”
Keyzen’s professors revealed their true colors as if they had been waiting for this moment.
It was hard to believe they were the same professors who had treated students so kindly before, their attitudes had flipped 180 degrees.
Classes became much more intense, and students who couldn’t keep up lost points without mercy. Some were even kicked out of class outright for falling behind.
Though students wore despair on their faces due to the changed attitudes of the faculty, they finally felt what it meant to truly be at Keyzen.
The weak are not needed at Keyzen.
That principle was proven quickly, within just two days of the protection period ending, twenty students were packing their bags and leaving the school.
This, even though midterms, performance evaluations, and duel assessments hadn’t yet begun.
Simon, too, struggled to adapt to the sudden shift in atmosphere over those two days.
If there was one professor who continued treating students the same as before…
“Alright, run!”
“Yes!”
…it was Hongpeng, the Magical Combat professor.
To be precise, she had never really acknowledged the protection period in the first place. She had students cling to running hippos, cast curses on them while making them climb hills, and made them collide head-on with hippo herds from the beginning.
So, unlike other professors whose classes suddenly got harder, Hongpeng’s class felt the same as ever. In fact, students came to see Magical Combat class as a relatively comfortable one.
She also wasn’t the type to nitpick for deductions or pressure students psychologically.
“Huff! Huff! Still, it’s better to run without thinking like this!”
Dick gasped for breath as he ran beside Simon.
“I can still see Professor Bahil’s eyes when he deducted 10 points from me back to back! Huff! Huff! Magical Combat forever! Damn it! I’m taking it again next semester!”
Simon giggled.
“Haah! Haah! You two look so relaxed!”
Simon and Dick turned their heads.
“Huh, Maelyn?”
The usually lagging Maelyn was now running alongside them, gasping but persistently keeping pace.
“Huff! Whew! What’s with you? You think it’s okay to crank up the pace like that?”
Instead of answering, Maelyn bit her lip and overtook the two. Dick’s eyes wavered.
“...She’s seriously fired up. Huff! But why’s she like that?”
“Tomorrow’s the Cyclops evaluation.”
As the leader and designated combatant of Team 7, she felt a strong sense of responsibility toward the performance evaluation.
Maelyn’s greatest weakness was her lack of stamina. Her movements were slow, making her vulnerable to Cyclops attacks. That’s why, instead of focusing on Dark Flare, she dedicated her remaining time to physical training.
She really is amazing.
Top written test score in the entrance exam.
Top of Class A.
The only one to score an average in the 90s on Jane’s test.
Simon had thought she was just a genius, but in truth, she was a relentless hard worker.
According to what Kamibarez had told him, Maelyn didn’t even sleep properly because of her studies.
If you went to the girls' dorm lounge late at night after studying together, then returned in the morning, you could still find Maelyn there, tissue stuffed in her nose, studying in the exact same spot.
She used drugs to fight off the fatigue and drowsiness, so her classes wouldn’t suffer.
From the moment she woke up to the moment she collapsed—study, study, study.
Simon couldn’t figure out what drove her to such extremes.
“Alright, now rest!”
As soon as Hongpeng gave the command, the students collapsed into the grass as if they’d been waiting for it. TAs went around distributing recovery drinks.
“Ughh.”
Dick drained his bottle in one shot and sprawled out.
“Whatever else, if you take Magical Combat for all three years, you’ll be ripped by graduation. That’s for sure.”
“……”
Hearing Dick’s joke, Kamibarez rubbed her leg.
Simon saw it and chuckled quietly.
“Running during Magical Combat isn’t enough to build massive leg muscles, Kami.”
“Huh, huh? No! That’s not what I meant!”
“You’re pretty delicate, so it’s okay if you bulk up a little.”
“N-No, that’s really not it!”
As the three shared cheerful laughter, Maelyn approached with a brisk stride.
“Simon! Help me out.”
“Huh?”
“That thing with stepping on Darkness.”
She bent her knees and jumped on the spot. She reached a surprising height, and the Darkness properly formed beneath both feet.
Shhhh!
She slid down the grass, eyes gleaming as she looked back at Simon.
“How was that? How was it?”
“Uh, hmm.”
Simon scratched his head.
“You’re doing great. Really.”
“Really really? Hehe! I’ve been practicing non-stop for tomorrow!”
“You’re amazing, Maelyn!”
To overcome a weakness so quickly—it was, as Kamibarez said, an incredible achievement.
Of course, it must’ve taken a staggering amount of hard, painful effort behind the scenes.
Just from the shape of her foot when she landed, Simon could tell how much she had overworked them. They didn’t look good.
“Don’t overdo it, Maelyn.”
Simon said with concern.
“We already beat the Cyclops during the simulation, remember? A successful evaluation is well within reach.”
“…Yeah. But just succeeding isn’t good enough for me.”
A fire lit in Maelyn’s eyes.
“First place. I’m aiming for first place, no matter what.”
Just as Simon opened his mouth to say something, the TAs clapped.
“Alright, everyone up! We’ll run all the way to the next destination!”
“Yes!”
Now used to Hongpeng’s class, the students quickly stood and lined up.
“Move out!”
At Hongpeng’s shout, they all charged down the scenic hillside path, enjoying the cool breeze.
Yellow canola flowers bloomed in full splendor across this place, making it seem as though the entire mountain was blanketed in gold.
Simon couldn’t help but admire Hongpeng’s taste, always picking such stunning natural landscapes as class locations.
“Zimon!”
Right then, Hongpeng suddenly popped out. Simon, startled, quickly replied.
“Ah, yes! Professor!”
“Are you practicing the Darkness technique I taught you?”
“Of course!”
Hongpeng had taught Simon how to activate the Darkness inside his body to temporarily boost his physical capabilities.
“Oh, as expected, you learn fast! No matter how I look at it, Zimon, Magical Combat suits you perfectly.”
“…Ahaha.”
“Professor!”
Just then, Magical Combat teaching assistant Bred came running over, panting.
After giving Simon a quick side glance, Bred turned to Hongpeng and reported.
“There’s an injury in the rear group. A student seems to have slightly twisted her ankle.”
“Ah, I’ll go.”
Hongpeng patted Simon on the shoulder and ran off after Bred. Soon after, another assistant led the students down the hill and declared a break.
Everyone sat on the grass and drank their recovery drinks.
“Kami, where did Maelyn go?”
At Dick’s question, Kamibarez shrugged.
“No idea. I was lagging behind the whole time, so I thought she was with you.”
Just then, a murmur spread from behind.
Simon turned around and suddenly shot up, while Kamibarez covered her mouth with both hands.
“No way…”
Dick’s face turned pale. Among the murmuring students, they saw a female student being carried on a TA’s back.
Bandages were wrapped around her ankle.
* * *
“Maelyn!”
Keyzen’s central infirmary.
Maelyn was lying blankly on her bed, looking like someone whose spirit had left her.
Surrounding her were Simon, Dick, and Kamibarez, all standing with grim faces.
“Maelyn Villene, student.”
A doctor in a white coat flipped through a folder as he spoke.
“You’ve badly twisted your ankle. You’ll need crutches for a while, and though attending regular classes is fine, you must refrain from any physically demanding practical courses for the next week.”
It was like a bolt from the blue. Maelyn sat up, her eyes red.
“N-No! I can walk just fine with an injury like this!”
“Student.”
The doctor smiled gently and tapped her profile.
“This isn’t a recommendation. It’s an order.”
“……!”
Maelyn bit her lip hard.
“I understand that you’re passionate about your classes, but what’s not allowed is simply not allowed. Any classes that require walking will be excluded.”
This was precisely why Keyzen students often refused to visit the infirmary even when they were in agony.
Doctors prioritized recovery, while students prioritized survival at Keyzen.
Those two values always clashed.
To the doctors, a few weeks of rest for a serious injury was standard. But to the students, that gap in time tightened the noose around their necks.
Getting injured was always your own loss.
“……”
After issuing the cold decision, the doctor left the room. Silence fell heavy over the room, with only the four of them remaining.
They had all prepared so hard for the performance evaluation, yet the team member for the real battle had injured her leg the day before.
Still, none of them blamed Maelyn.
It was an unfortunate accident, and they knew better than anyone how much effort Maelyn had put into this team project.
“…Maelyn.”
“I’m really sorry. Please, leave.”
Maelyn lowered her head and spoke.
“I want to be alone.”
“……”
A completely broken expression.
No words of comfort would reach her now.
Dick and Kamibarez exchanged glances and nodded.
“S-Simon.”
Kamibarez whispered, tugging lightly at Simon’s sleeve. But Simon didn’t move.
“Even if you just sit here crying, nothing’s going to change.”
Dick and Kamibarez were startled.
It was far colder than the Simon they knew.
Maelyn raised her head, biting her lip tightly.
“…Then what do you suggest.”
“We find another way.”
“Another way?”
She let out a short laugh.
It was incredibly self-deprecating and hysterical.
“You know too, right? We spent a whole week crafting our tactics and positions! We trained like hell based on that exact setup, and tomorrow, it’s a real fight against a living Cyclops! Another way? What kind of bullsh*t is that? Ah— I get it! You’re mocking me, aren’t you? Yeah, yeah, it’s all my fault! Even if we get the lowest score on the evaluation! Even if this score ends up getting us expelled from Keyzen! It’s all because of me! Because I acted out and got hurt—!”
“Enough.”
Simon’s eyes gleamed.
The other three felt chills crawl up their backs. Was this really Simon? He felt like a completely different person.
As the room fell silent again, Simon exhaled lightly and said,
“If it’s alright with you all, I’ll step in as the substitute for tomorrow’s evaluation.”
Superb.