The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 34

“I will conclude the exam here.”

Professor Kyle smiled, and the assistant next to him projected the rankings into the air using a magical tool.

1. Logan & Lane Ludwig: 00:59.

2. Krista Warden & Rumlow Vesley: 04:13.

……

Most of the teams that passed the exam recorded times in the mid-20 to early 30-minute range.

The two teams that failed either ran out of mana, failed to control their magical power and suffered a backlash, or were hit by summons more than three times, requiring them to retake the exam.

Not only the F-grade students forced to retake the exam but also the E-grade students who were given the opportunity to retake it sighed in despair.

“It’s over……”

“Unbelievable……”

Conversely, the D-grade and higher students who passed breathed sighs of relief and exchanged pleasantries. Rumlow said,

“I’m getting a good grade thanks to you, Princess… Thank you……”

However, Krista’s eyes were filled with frustration and embarrassment… almost anger.

‘I lost again?’

To that guy who casually says he enjoys magic, I lost again? Since only the first place team gets an S grade, she would only get an A.

‘Why didn’t I think of destroying the maze? No, even if I had…….’

Professor Kyle, noticing Krista’s intense gaze, sighed softly.

‘The competitive spirit is still burning… That’s good. But the path to chasing after him will be incredibly thorny.’

There’s a saying that a crow-tit will tear its legs trying to follow a stork [meaning someone of lower ability trying to emulate someone of higher ability], but one day, it might fly like that stork. It’s better to offer a small comfort now.

“Originally, the S grade was only intended for one team, but this exam was unique, so we will award it to two teams.”

“!!!”

“It seems unfair that Lane Ludwig and Logan formed a pair based on their entrance exam scores.”

The other students nodded in agreement. Lane and Logan didn’t disagree either.

“Therefore, we will award S grades to both Team 12, who destroyed the maze with an idea and action that no one else thought of.”

Among the students, no one whispered, “What, we just had to destroy the maze?” Because it wasn’t that simple.

What if you destroyed the maze but even one summon remained alive inside?

You would have to clear all the debris with magic and find that summon, which would be impossible in the given time.

“And Team 2, who completed the standard choices most excellently with perfect judgment and magical ability, will also receive an S grade.”

Lane grinned and cheerfully high-fived Logan. Logan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“You’re really amazing, Young Master!”

“I could only do it because you were there.”

Although they received the same S grade, Krista couldn’t smile at all in this situation. Unable to smile, she clenched her fists tightly until they bled.

Frustrated, she was overwhelmingly defeated in a battle she was sure she would win.

And frustrated, she didn’t object to this judgment born out of pity…….

“……”

Lane glanced at Krista, sighed softly as if contemplating something, and walked towards her.

“We tied in the first assignment? You’re pretty good.”

As if that touched a nerve, Krista’s eyes, which had been trembling with clenched fists, filled with tears born from anger.

“Don’t come near me!”

“……?”

“Do you think I would accept this kind of victory or defeat?”

“What, you don’t like the S grade?”

“Don’t make fun of me! A noble from a powerful family, a magician! Shouldn’t be pitied! Should always receive respect close to awe! But, but……!”

Frustrated, frustrated, and frustrated again, her tender nature couldn’t suppress the frustration, and tears streamed down her face.

Krista turned away from Lane, wiping away the tears that flowed uncontrollably.

“Damn it, getting pity from the professor from the first exam… It’s the worst, unbearably, terribly the worst!”

Krista, age 16.

Her life, barely free from girlishness, had been stained with pain and effort since she was six years old.

Instead of enjoying a happy daily life, she had devoted her entire life to academics, so losing in a competition felt like losing everything to her.

She couldn’t rely on her family. She had to be the one her family could rely on. Only she could do it.

She had lived that life since she was six years old. She didn’t even have friends to share joy and sorrow with. Her life didn’t have room for such beings.

Was that why she became engrossed in novels? She could feel people through the world of books, through the protagonists of books.

Giving up everything, suppressing all emotions and desires, she had finally reached this stage.

She had reached the stage of being called a genius of the century.

It felt like the tower she had been building with indomitable spirit, invincibility, overwhelming power, and dedication only to magic, without allowing her heart to anyone, had collapsed at once.

“Hey, do you like magic?”

The boy’s voice cut through those thoughts. With a chuckling voice, and a voice as if lost in long memories.

“I liked magic, from the beginning. Of course, I still do. It’s not like memorizing theories and solving problems was fun from the start.”

“Why are you telling me that!”

“But you know, even though it was hard and painful, I realized that I had value as I studied. I was a penniless nobody.”

The boy’s expression, looking at his palm, was so poignant that it seemed like it would break at any moment. The spring breeze blew, shaking the green of the mountains.

“That made me so happy. So, at some point, I started to enjoy studying magic. Don’t you have that experience?”

Krista closed her mouth.

The joy of achieving magic… It would be a lie to say she didn’t have it. But she always pushed herself so as not to be immersed in such emotions. Afraid of becoming dull, of becoming complacent.

She didn’t have the luxury to feel such things.

“Were you angry when I said to enjoy magic earlier? If so, I’m sorry. But I don’t say such irresponsible things to just anyone.”

Is he making fun of me… For a moment, Krista frowned and turned around, but the red eyes she met were utterly pure.

“Aren’t you at a level where you can enjoy it enough?”

A pure expression, with no pretense in what he had said so far. A bright smile formed on that expression.

“Thanks to you, the first exam was fun. Let’s compete in the next exam as well.”

That was it. As if the story was over, Lane turned his back without regret.

Why?

Looking at his back, Krista felt her face turning red as if it would explode.

Is it the shame of being pitied by a rival, or is it… But it wasn’t a feeling of something stuck in her throat.

“Screw you! I said I can’t accept it! This kind of result!”

So she shouted urgently at his back, and Lane stopped in surprise.

“Don’t get cocky just because you won once! I’ll make that nose of yours flatter than clay in the next exam!”

Krista let out a shout close to a roar, snorted coolly, and turned her body away.

The commotion was so loud that Logan and the other students blinked and stared blankly at the scene.

Professor Kyle was no exception.

‘Overwhelming talent is truly amazing.’

Unintentionally, it plays a role in leading other talented children forward.

As a stimulus.

As a wall to overcome.

And as a friend.

‘I’m so glad I took the Delaiten professorship a hundred times over.’

Professor Kyle smiled as he watched Lane tilting his head at Krista’s sudden outburst.

‘I’ll be able to watch these children grow up more closely than anyone else for the next three years.’

Yes, the youth of these geniuses who will create the future of magic.

I’m going to be busy.

It’s our job to give them the opportunity to make that youth as valuable and rewarding as possible. Kyle smiled and organized his paperwork.

“Those who need to retake the exam, please remain, and the rest of you can board the school van and return to school.”

* * *

“Typically, classes end in the morning during the exam period.”

“Really? Then after that, workout Go [Let’s go workout]?”

“Hehehe, good.”

So, when we returned to school in the van, I thought we would go straight home…….

Professor Owen was waiting for us in the [Cheonggang] classroom. With a thick stack of documents piled on the desk, grinning wickedly.

“Here is a math & magic exam with a total of 150 questions. Only those who solve all of these can return to the dormitory.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“You’re giving me that look like, why are you doing this crap! Because watching your shit-eating grins is unbearably fun! What are you doing! Come forward and get your exam papers!”

The students, who didn’t even have the strength to be shocked, trudged to the platform, received their exam papers, and teared up.

“Don’t even think about solving the problems carelessly, you monkey-like bastards. This score will be applied to your written exam grade as is!”

“!!!”

“And one more thing, I will collect the exam papers in 90 minutes. Any unsolved problems within that time will be marked as 0 points!”

Then the movements of the students, who had been receiving the exam papers with listless and lethargic motions, sped up at least five times.

“My head, my head isn’t working……”

“How are we supposed to solve all of these in this lifetime……!”

“You son of a bitch, if you chatter one more time, I’ll expel you on the spot!”

Lane raised his eyebrows as if intrigued.

‘Are we taking practical and written exams on the same day?’

I was curious because it was a test method that was really good at tormenting people. But looking at this vast amount of problems, I suddenly became annoyed with everything.

1. Factor the following expression.

(1) x⁴- y⁴

(2) 9x³+38y³

(3) x²y + xy² + x⁴y + xy⁴

2. If the polynomial x³+ax-16 with respect to x is divisible by x²+8x+b, what are the values of a and b (where a and b are constants)?

3. When -4≤ a⟨6, simplify the expression P = ㅣa+3ㅣ+ㅣa-2ㅣ.

4. Suppose we give the traits of ‘binding’ and ‘exploding’ to earth-based magic. Find the runes to be used here and the greatest common divisor of the polynomials applied to the two runes.

Problems that I’ve already solved thousands of times beyond the level of knowing them all… I have to solve these? Isn’t this hard labor, not studying?

“Bell Siderius [Magical tool to enhance cognitive abilities].”

So I decided to use a shortcut. No, can I call this a shortcut? It’s just a part of my talent. More than anything, my head was a little tired to solve it with all my heart.

“Professor, can I submit it if I’ve solved everything?”

About 10 minutes later, Lane raised his hand, and Professor Owen raised his eyebrows.

“You solved it so quickly with that monkey-dung-like brain of yours? Of course, you can submit it and leave. If you’re confident in that damn answer sheet.”

As Lane stood up confidently, Krista, who was holding her head in the next seat and frantically scribbling on question 128 with a fountain pen, sneered.

“Hmph, are you really confident?! Really? Are you confident that you can show a higher correct answer rate than this Krista Warden after solving it so quickly and carelessly!”

“Don’t you know how to be quiet during the exam, you shit-like bastard!”

“So, sorry!”

I submitted the exam paper and came out of the classroom. The hallway, which was usually crowded, was quiet, perhaps because no one had finished the exam yet.

‘Should I work out and take a shower first? Hmm, Logan said he’s weak in theory…….’

Creak.

As I was about to leave the hallway, the door opened from the other side. I turned around slightly, wondering if it was a familiar face.

“……?”

Then, I met a sharp gaze head-on, close to wariness, not embarrassment. The eyes staring intently at this place under the fiery red hair were hotter than flames.

It was an expression that seemed to have cracked the confidence that no one could have passed this exam before her.

That was the first meeting with Lilian Karain, the girl who is currently considered the best among the next generation of the Eight Great Factions [Powerful noble families or organizations].