Chapter 249
The four of them stayed up all night preparing for underwater combat.
“Ugh, now I get what the pain of creation really means.”
Dick muttered as he ran his palm down his face while looking at the blueprint.
“But what if we go through all this trouble to develop a new magic circle, and then the professors just teach us a new one later? Wouldn't all this be a waste?”
Maelyn gave Dick a sideways glare, looking at him like he was pathetic.
“That’s not going to happen, dumbass.”
They’d learned several lessons from the second BMAT exam.
The core of the second BMAT test lay in how quickly one could get through Stage 3, where weapons fell endlessly. In other words, the key was defense and endurance.
The professors had taught a few black magic techniques related to trap detection, but none of them had shown how to survive the endless rain of weapons.
In the end, the true “key” to passing the test had to be discovered by the students themselves.
The students who had lazily thought, “The professors will take care of it~”, all got wrecked in the exam.
“Better to be overprepared than not prepared at all.”
That was one of Maelyn’s core study principles.
“Hey, and be honest.”
She growled at Dick, glaring at him.
“You just want to slack off, don’t you?”
“Ah, busted.”
“You little—! If I catch you slacking, I swear I’ll rip your eyeballs out.”
Dick waved his wrist lazily with a smirk.
“Man, I’m exhausted. Our team leader’s such a perfectionist. Right, Kami?”
Kamibarez, who was petting kittens on her lap, smiled sweetly.
“I’m always cheering you on from the bottom of my heart, Dick!”
“...I’d rather you just insulted me.”
Simon smiled faintly as he watched the team bickering.
Maelyn, who had been scribbling on the blueprint, looked up and flinched when her eyes met Simon’s.
“...Hey.”
“Hm?”
“Why are you smiling at me all creepily?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
It’s just that he was happy.
Being able to stay up all night with friends, focused on one shared goal.
Spending time with good people.
It was simply enjoyable.
Especially after being stuck yesterday between the deadly political tension of Serne and Loraine, the contrast made it all the more apparent. Today was a completely different atmosphere.
“My sugar levels are dropping.”
Simon casually stretched as he changed the subject.
“How about something sweet?”
“I’m in!”
Kamibarez agreed, and Dick jumped on the chance.
“We’re pulling an all-nighter anyway. Let’s grab some snacks while we’re at it! You guys know Kinu’s general store, right? She keeps it open late during exam week.”
“Hold up! Snacks again? You just want an excuse to slack off!”
Maelyn immediately objected, but Simon grinned.
“Whenever we bring snacks, you end up eating the most.”
Maelyn’s face turned bright red, unable to argue with that. Laughter erupted from all around, and Dick high-fived Simon with satisfaction.
“Then let’s pick one person to go as punishment!”
Dick quickly marked one of four chopsticks with a black dot and told them to draw.
Simon and Maelyn took theirs, and Kamibarez was third to choose.
“Kami, you’re it!”
The remaining team members cheered as she hesitantly stood up.
“I-I’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Simon offered as he grabbed his coat, but Dick jumped in.
“Aw c’mon~ That ruins the fun! The whole point is for one person to go as punishment!”
“Still, it’s kinda sketchy sending a girl out alone this late.”
Kamibarez clasped her hands together with a touched expression, and Dick scoffed silently.
‘Wow, he really just says cheesy stuff like that with a straight face thanks to his looks.’
Even Maelyn, looking a little concerned about sending Kamibarez alone, nodded.
“Alright, escort her properly and don’t dawdle. We’ve got a mountain of stuff left to do.”
“Got it!”
“We’ll be back.”
The two stepped outside into the chill of the night, a stark contrast to the warmth indoors.
“Thanks for coming with me.”
Kamibarez whispered, blushing on both cheeks. Simon smiled in return.
She was always in high spirits at night. Listening to her chat cheerfully made time fly by.
“When the four of us spend time together like this, I feel like we become more bonded.”
Simon tilted his head.
“Bonded?”
“I hate to even imagine it, but if just one of us fails the exam and only three are left, that would be such a shame.”
Simon realized that she was really saying that to herself.
“The happier I am each day, the more I start to worry it’ll all break apart someday. But at the same time, I feel even more motivated to work hard. ...Oh no, am I rambling?”
Simon shook his head with a gentle smile.
“I feel the same way. Let’s all make it through together.”
“Yes!”
In the end, the four of them stayed up all night.
They finished the air-storage magic circle for breathing underwater and prepared the Dark Flare Torpedo. Dick even added a pair of mana-powered flippers he’d invented.
The moment everything was ready, the four collapsed into their beds and slept like the dead.
When Simon woke up, it was already midday with the sun high in the sky.
It was the fourth and final day of the evaluation week. Normal classes would resume starting tomorrow.
Meow!
Meow!
Simon opened his eyes to the two kittens. The white one was pressing its front paws on his face, while the black one was playing with his hair.
“Alright, alright.”
Rubbing his eyes, Simon sat up at their insistence. Beside him, Dick was snoring, sprawled out like a heron with arms and legs extended in all directions.
“Sorry, were you hungry?”
As Simon got up, the kittens followed him in a line.
He poured snacks into the cat bowl that Kamibarez had brought, and they immediately dug in. Simon set their water dish beside them and, yawning continuously, cleaned up their morning poop.
‘Did the girls wake up yet?’
Today was the day they were going to test the black magic they’d developed in the sea.
He figured it was about time to wake them and knocked softly on the girls’ door.
“...?”
No response. Not even the sound of breathing.
Just in case of any awkward surprises, he shielded his eyes with one hand as he carefully opened the door.
The girls weren’t there. The blankets were neatly folded on their beds.
“Where did they go this early?”
Just as Simon stepped out of the room, puzzled, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.
The door opened, revealing Kamibarez and Maelyn.
“Simon! Good morning!”
“What the— You were already up?”
Simon greeted them and asked,
“Where were you?”
“A bit of light shopping. We’re going to the sea today, remember?”
“…Is there something you specifically need to buy to go to the sea?”
It was a genuine question of curiosity.
Simon, who had lived in the mountain valleys of Leshill, wasn’t familiar with the idea of going to the sea in the first place.
“There is.”
Maelyn winked lightly and walked into the room. Then, realizing one person was missing, she exploded.
“Ugh, come on! Get up! You did the least of all of us!”
The sound of Maelyn beating Dick with a pillow rang out.
Simon figured it was the usual and headed to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
‘The sea, huh.’
* * *
The waters around Roke Island were known for strong currents.
The Keyzen Headquarters intentionally manipulated the sea currents, making it impossible for any ship without prior clearance to even approach. Anyone foolish enough to test it and come near Roke Island would simply end up shipwrecked at the bottom of the ocean.
Only special undead, like the Underworld Whale or the Ancient Undead Talaze, could break through these currents.
Still, on the eastern shore was a calm beach where students could freely enjoy the sea near Roke Island.
The waves and water temperature were just right, and the beach was made of soft sand, so on weekends it was always crowded with students and locals alike.
And today was the last day of the mission evaluation, considered by students as their only real “vacation”.
“Wow…!”
Simon’s eyes widened as he looked at the beach.
It was packed. There were students swimming or surfing, others chatting under parasols or playing ball games.
‘But what is this…?’
Simon’s eyes darted around rapidly.
Boys and girls alike were wearing outfits that left most of their skin exposed, barely covering the essentials, running around and playing.
For Simon, who had spent nearly his whole life in the mountains, it was a cultural shock. Just watching made his face flush in embarrassment.
“…Simon. This is heaven.”
“Dick?”
Dick had the most serious expression Simon had ever seen on him.
His eyes were fixed on the girls in swimsuits.
“Even after the mission evaluation ends, we’re coming back. Next weekend, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after that, and the weekend after that.”
“…Get a grip.”
Simon said that, but he was just as overwhelmed.
Was this kind of attire and culture normal at beaches? His peers laughed brightly and played without a trace of shame.
“…Hey Dick, I have a question.”
“What.”
Dick answered, his gaze still locked forward, only his mouth moving.
“So, uh…”
Simon hesitated, swallowed the question once, then gave in to curiosity and asked.
“Do they wear underwear under that?”
“Would they?!”
Thwack!
Suddenly, he was smacked on the back of the head.
Holding his head, Simon turned around and saw Maelyn, face beet red, wielding the parasol pole.
“…!!”
Simon’s face turned even redder.
He never imagined Maelyn would wear a swimsuit like that. At least she had a thin cardigan-like cover on her upper body.
“Ugh, hey! Don’t stare, it’s embarrassing!”
Maelyn swung the parasol pole like a weapon, and Simon quickly dodged with agile upper-body movement.
“…Ahaha, hello.”
Kamibarez peeked out shyly from behind Maelyn and waved.
She wore a one-piece swimsuit that covered both top and bottom, and it looked astonishingly good on her. In one hand, she held a basket with her kittens inside.
So that’s where they went this morning—shopping for swimsuits.
“Oh.”
Dick looked Maelyn up and down and muttered,
“You actually…”
“One more word and I’m reporting you straight to the campus ethics committee.”
Crushed by the pressure, Dick recoiled with a guilty look.
“Ugh! That’s harsh. I was just trying to give a genuine compliment…”
“I said shut it!”
Wham! Maelyn swung the parasol pole and hit Dick on the forearm, making him yelp and collapse.
“I’ll hold onto this.”
Before Dick could be turned into ground meat, Simon quickly snatched the weapon away from Maelyn.
She calmed herself with a light cough and looked at her teammates.
“Anyway, we’re here today to practice black magic on-site! We’re definitely not here to play!”
“Coming from someone who went bikini shopping this morning, that’s not very convincing…”
Splaashhh!
Without warning, Maelyn fired a blast of ice and froze Dick’s lower body. He flailed around, rolling across the sand.
“Enough. Look over there.”
Tossing her hair, she pointed toward the sea.
While there were some students here just to have fun, most were like them—training their black magic in the water. With the sea-based theme of the upcoming exam made obvious, everyone had come to prepare for BMAT.
“There are even students ahead of us. Keep it in mind. BMAT could be this week, or next week. No one knows. Today might be our last chance to test black magic in the ocean.”
The three others nodded.
“Then let’s begin testing our new spells right now!”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters