All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 38

38. What You Can Do – 2

When Ian returned, Grajin, who was writing something on a piece of paper, said with a serious expression.

“Hey. While you were gone, we got a ton of requests to join guilds.”

“Let’s see.”

They were all requests from knight orders and mercenary groups he had never heard of.

“Guardian? The name’s good. They want us to help protect the world.”

“What about the Hero Association? I’ve never heard of that name before.”

Besides these, most of them were full of sweet talk, saying they would give them the best position if they graduated and joined.

Ian glanced over them and tossed the pile of requests onto the desk, then filled Myaene’s bowl with food.

“Myaa~ Myamya~.”

Myaene, happy to see the food, dove into her bowl.

Grajin, who was watching her with affection, closed his book.

“By the way, we have a written exam tomorrow. Did you prepare at all? Don’t go on patrol today, just study. The others are going crazy studying.”

“You should have studied regularly.”

Ian said, and Grajin chuckled.

As he said, the kids who didn’t usually study were now making plans and studying desperately.

“I took a peek earlier, and they’re not making any progress, so I think they’ll be coming to ask us to teach them soon.”

-Thud!

“Hey! Ian! Grajin!”

The door burst open, and Balla and Park Bare entered.

“Teach us squad combat tactics for tomorrow’s exam…….”

“Pharmacology…… Pharmacology is too difficult…….”

How could they be so predictable?

Grajin burst out laughing, and Ian got up from his seat.

“Perfect timing. I’ll give you the practice questions I’ve been making in my spare time. Grajin, are you in?”

“Are the others gathered?”

“Not yet. I’ll call them soon.”

“Will they come?”

“I’m going to abandon the guys who have given up, thinking tomorrow is the end of their lives. Hey, Park Bare. Tell the ones who haven’t given up to gather in the conference room.”

“Okay!”

Ian was the top scorer in the written exam a month after being promoted.

If he gave them practice questions, they would score higher than studying alone.

The two left happily, and Grajin picked up the paper he had been writing on.

There were quite a few stacks of paper besides that one.

“Actually, I made practice questions too. I was going to cram them in at night, but it’s better to do it together now.”

“Really? Then let’s go and compare them.”

As Ian went out into the hallway, Myaene looked back and forth between the food bowl and him.

And eventually, she trotted over and climbed onto his shoulder.

“Sometimes, Myaene seems smarter than those guys.”

“They’ll cry if they hear that.”

“They can cry. Isn’t that right? Myaene?”

“Myaa~ Myamyamya~.”

Myaene nodded as if it were obvious.

He smiled and stroked her, and others appeared in the hallway.

“Oh? Ian, where are you going, Grajin?”

It was Haryun, Wildy, and Oerina.

In response to Wildy’s question, Ian held up the paper with the practice questions.

“I’m going to raise the scores of the guys who are at the bottom. It’s unfair if they get held back by the written exam.”

“Oh? Really?”

“Grajin prepared them too.”

He showed them, and the three were surprised.

They thought Ian would, but they didn’t expect Grajin to prepare practice questions as well.

“It’s like Ian said. We can aim for the championship this time, right?”

Until now, they had the lowest score in cooperative combat, so it was hard to aim for the championship even if they did well on the written exam.

But this time it was different.

Ian was there.

“Ah. I see. By the way, Ian. You’re amazing. Did you even have time to make something like that?”

Classes, personal study, training, volunteer work.

Plus, he practically lived in the alchemy lab or the smithy, or even the library.

The fact that he made practice questions was enough to praise him.

“I made it in my spare time, so I just finished it yesterday. But where are you guys going?”

“We’re gathering to do a final check.”

“We’re going to do it in the conference room, what about you guys?”

Ian nodded at Haryun’s words.

“We’re going to the conference room too.”

Thus, the B class students with the highest scores moved.

After waiting for a while, all the remaining B class students came running in.

“I thought you chose death?”

The ones who had been frustrated until yesterday, saying they couldn’t do it, grinned at Grajin’s teasing.

“I’m not stupid enough not to grab the lifeline you’re throwing me.”

Ian and Grajin, who had consistently ranked first in the written exams for all subjects during the semester, were giving them practice questions.

How could they choose death?

As they said with a smile, Ian looked to one side.

“Hey. Blanche. You managed to come?”

He must have had a drink with Killord earlier.

He grinned with lingering intoxication.

“This is called studying while drunk. Just a moment. I’ll go throw up and come back.”

While he went to the bathroom to throw up and came back, Grajin quickly wrote on the large chalkboard.

He created ten questions in an instant and asked Ian.

“Ian. First question. What is the formula for making Pardenin Potion?”

“1 part Boyden Pool root juice. 1 part Radke leaf. 5 parts purified water, 0.5 parts troll blood. 1 part Oridin ore.

Boil the root juice and grind the leaves.

Put it in purified water and reheat it, then add Oridin ore soaked in troll blood.

And if you age it in a dark place for 10 days, you get the base of Pardenin Potion.”

Ian recited the formula and quickly wrote it on the chalkboard.

The students desperately copied it down.

“What is the use of Pardenin Potion?”

“It amplifies the effect when combined with other potions, especially healing potions.”

“And the next question is…….”

Like that.

In the B class conference room, the practice questions for tomorrow’s exam continued late into the night.

* * *

The day of the highly anticipated written exam arrived.

While the students who had studied all night were nervous, the classroom door opened.

“Huh?”

The B class students were taken aback when a different instructor than the one who was supposed to come entered.

“Why is Senior Instructor Hastings supervising? I heard Instructor Hound was supposed to supervise today…….”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s nothing, but…….”

“Then shut up and prepare.”

Hastings clapped lightly.

Another instructor entered the back of the classroom.

He was also a senior instructor.

As he entered, Hastings looked at Ian.

“As you all know, cheating is allowed. But remember that you will be expelled if caught.”

“But why are you saying that while looking at me?”

“I’m telling you to be especially careful.”

‘How petty.’

This will only be the beginning.

Ian smiled back at Hastings, who was smirking.

‘Do as you please.’

‘I studied, so it’s okay if you don’t.’

This written exam is easy even without help.

As Ian put down his quill and ink, Hastings checked the time and said.

“Then begin.”

As soon as the exam papers were distributed and he read the questions, Ian quickly wrote down the answers.

He created a neat answer sheet with elegant handwriting and leisurely crossed his arms.

Hastings’ face turned red as he glanced at his answer sheet while passing by.

It was because there was nothing to criticize.

If Ian made a mistake, they would have tried to delay replacing the answer sheet, or not do it at all.

But Ian had made it meaningless by doing this.

‘You’ve seen what I’ve done in class so far. Hastings won’t do that because the risk is too great. It doesn’t matter if he does.’

The fact that he could create such a perfect answer sheet meant that he completely understood the class.

If it goes as Kirke said, he can make this public and gather the instructors to demand a re-examination.

Then only Hastings will be in trouble.

Knowing this, he gritted his teeth while glancing at the perfect answer sheet.

‘You arrogant bastard. This is just the beginning.’

As he thought, the Hero Festival was just the beginning.

After the first day of the exam, the other students roared as Hastings left with a distorted expression.

“It all came out of the practice questions! Oh oh! Ian! Oh oh! Grajin!”

“Sniff sniff. The day has come when I can fill in half of the answer sheet in my life…….”

“No, how can you only fill in half after teaching you like that yesterday?!”

Grajin looked at the people who were moved with amazement.

As they grinned, Grajin covered his forehead.

“Oh…… Do I have to keep doing this…….”

“Oh. Hey. Don’t abandon me…….”

“Still, it’ll be the highest score I’ve ever seen on a test…….”

While they were clinging to him, Haryun approached Ian.

“Why did the exam supervisor change?”

“It’s because of me.”

“Chairman Rakid’s matter?”

“Yeah. I heard the Imperial Academy laughed a lot about that. Other than that, well. There must be a personal reason.”

Ian didn’t care, but Haryun’s expression couldn’t help but harden.

“This is worrying. What if they cause trouble at the Hero Festival…….”

“It’s just trouble if they cause it. What else could it be?”

“It’s not like that. You know they give out equipment during the survival exam, right?”

The exam where you go into the Mial Mountains and survive for a certain period of time.

During the Hero Festival, all the middle-class students take the exam together for the last week.

At that time, the academy provides food and equipment.

“They’re going to tamper with that?”

“There’s a good chance. And I heard that senior instructors are also participating as trackers this time…….”

They might be targeting only Ian on purpose.

His stealth is great, but can he avoid the senior instructors?

Despite Haryun’s worries, Ian only smiled.

“That’ll be fun.”

Of course, nothing will happen, but there is always a possibility.

As Ian, who heard Kirke’s report, gave permission, Haryun frowned.

“How about we stick together when the survival exam starts?”

“No.”

He put his hands in his pockets and got up from his seat.

“I’ll move alone. Don’t get caught in the crossfire by being next to me, just stay out of it.”

* * *

After the first day of the written exam, Hastings and the senior instructors deliberately watched only Ian.

They kept watching him to put pressure on him on purpose, but he didn’t care.

“What the hell is wrong with that guy?”

“Hmm…….”

Throughout the written exam, Ian never asked for his answer sheet to be changed even once.

Was that all?

Some subjects were so difficult that even the instructors had to think about them, but he created the answer sheet without hesitation.

“He’s not ordinary after all.”

“If he was an ordinary guy in the first place, he wouldn’t have said that there.”

Hastings sipped his high-end wine.

“Wouldn’t it be better to push that guy?”

That much guts and skill.

Plus, he has a wealth of knowledge.

So, instead of Rakid, he could be raised well and made the representative of the academy.

But Hastings’ opinion was different.

“That guy is a resister. Let’s say that guy is promoted to senior.”

“Yes…….”

“When he takes on a mission, will he obediently take it on?”

As Hastings spoke seriously, the senior instructors were taken aback.

“Wouldn’t he do it if we ordered him to?”

“Looking at Ian’s actions so far, it seems like it would be okay…….”

Hastings shook his head.

It can’t be.

His rebellious nature and his ability to dig around unnecessarily should not be left alone.

‘No way. No. No way.’

Especially the parts related to missions are even more so.

The missions of senior students are mostly to eliminate demon contractors or monsters that have occurred within the territory.

In other words, the territories where they carry out their missions can save on troops and extermination funds.

In particular, if the enemy is of the level that requires a request to the academy, the cost of disposal is considerable.

Therefore, each territory often requests the dispatch of senior students to the academy.

Anyway, you can apply if you just pay the sponsorship fee.

And it was Hastings, the representative of the senior instructors, who selected the dispatch destination from among those many requests.

‘That guy will definitely resist.’

That was the case with Rakid, and it was the same with this written exam.

He didn’t bow down to himself, a senior instructor, but only laughed at him.

What if such an Ian is promoted to senior?

And what if he gives an order regarding the mission?

Ian will look at himself again with that mocking look and ask.

What are the mission selection criteria?

And he will try to dig into the mission selection process on his own.

And if he becomes the student council president, he will try to access other parts that he handles by using the president’s authority.

But to make such a guy the representative?

That is something that should never happen.

“He’s a guy with yellow leaves [past his prime] and a guy who will cause chaos. So we have to trample him down now.”

“Hmm…….”

“Well, let’s just say that. So what are you going to do, Instructor Hastings?”

As Instructor Romentle, one of the senior instructors, asked, Hastings smiled brightly.

“I’ll take care of it myself, so you guys just faithfully carry out your assigned missions.”