Grade Assessment (5)
TL/ED: Lolz
The sword held out by Sharon.
The student who took on the money looked puzzled but accepted it.
“Uh, the ratio…?”
Sharon coldly muttered in response to the student’s words.
“It’s unnecessary. It’s obviously not going to happen anyway. Instead.”
Sharon’s eyes sharply lit up towards Ian.
“Ian, if what you said is a lie, confess all your sins in the soon-to-be-open disciplinary committee.”
Disciplinary committee.
Although it proclaimed fairness, the disciplinary committee was heavily influenced by the potential of the subject. Lina Rosewell was a good example.
In fact, Ian’s current manipulation of the situation was also aimed at gaining an advantage in the disciplinary committee.
Having agreed with Silvia’s opinion that building a positive reputation could be helpful, Sharon’s strong stance might have been an attempt to obstruct that plan.
‘Why is she so obsessed with the disciplinary committee?’
The situation where heroines gathered was clear.
Why Sharon took the lead in such a way was even more intriguing.
It wasn’t unreasonable to assume that Sharon Pierce was the culprit who had pushed Pongpong off the rooftop.
Sharon Pierce, possessing overwhelming physical abilities among the heroines and a cold, composed personality.
She was determined to resolve her childhood traumas through growth alone.
If Pongpong interfered with her growth, a few uncomfortable corners would be understandable as motives for the crime.
‘If she couldn’t satisfy the pressure for growth imposed by her family and it erupted on Pongpong, who happened to confess…’
At first, it was just to remove an obstacle.
When Ian came back to life, there was a possibility that he had planned a more elaborate scheme to eliminate Ian through the disciplinary committee.
‘Considering she grew up in the Pierce family, it wasn’t unthinkable.’
As a traditional knight family, they prioritized honor over life.
In addition, as a family that thrived on survival of the fittest, various machinations among siblings were rampant.
Given all this, the background of the Pierce family she grew up in would not likely value human life so highly.
The endlessly cold and firm gaze of Sharon.
‘… There is no need to think about it now.’
From the beginning, there was no intention to restore the relationship with Sharon.
‘Even if everything miraculously fell into place, in the end, I’d become Sharon’s enemy.’
The next main story, ‘Act 2, Frozen River,’ would inevitably involve conflict with her.
Therefore, the only way to resolve the conflict with Sharon now was for one of them to collapse.
The only reason to defeat Sharon in the disciplinary committee had just been added.
So, Ian nodded straight away.
“I pledged the honor of Blackangers.”
Honestly, no matter how you thought about it, it was a benefit.
The sword that Pongpong had given to Sharon. It was quite valuable.
And if he lost, confess his sins?
He didn’t know what Sharon Pierce was thinking, but there was no crime to confess. Even if he brought Pongpong’s achievement into it, a simple ‘I apologize for confessing’ should have been enough.
This meant that it was unconditionally beneficial.
“If I lose, I will reveal all the truths at the disciplinary committee.”
And anyway, he would succeed.
“Hey, student Ian? It’s good to chat, but time is not that abundant.”
It was Ian’s turn again, who had returned unnoticed.
As a gesture of apology, Ian nodded to the instructor.
And then, he moved forward.
Unlike the first day, today there were no special measurement devices.
A slightly elevated platform of about 3 meters in height and a transparent wall surrounding it to prevent the release of magic.
All he had to do was unleash his prepared abilities when he climbed up.
“Mana control ability measurement start.”
The instructor’s signal.
The surroundings buzzed with excitement.
Ian took a look around.
A group of Saron fan club members and their leader Lukasic were laughing.
Sharon Pierce, glaring.
And many students, watching with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
Today, Ian Blackangers, not Pongpong, would leave a lasting impression on them here.
“I will begin. I will demonstrate mana control ability by showing whether I can float sufficiently in the air and if there is movement while floating.”
The instructor and the evaluators nodded.
Ian looked down at the back of his hand.
Thin metal rings, each glowing in a different color for each finger. Rings crafted from optimized ratios of materials from floating stones.
He clenched his fist, focusing on them.
Rings that disappeared in an instant.
‘Extract it like this.’
He circulated the extracted components along the mana circuit inside his body.
He spread it throughout his entire body.
‘Try to cover the skin as thinly as possible here.’
From the wrist to the shoulder. Part of the chest, the knees, and from the ankles to the toes.
Optimal positions for floating found through numerous failures overnight with Christina.
Externally, it should appear as if he’s wearing plates covering only a few key areas.
“…Wow, what’s that?”
“Can earth magic do that? Is he an alchemist?”
“Is that impressive?”
“Go, Ian!”
Admiration echoed around.
On the other hand, the faces of those who hoped for Ian’s failure frowned.
Unfortunately for them, Ian had not yet floated.
Ian closed his eyes and focused on the sensations at his feet.
The hard floor of the measurement room.
He spread magnetism through Extraction and Transformation.
And then, at a certain moment.
— Hmmm
Ian’s body floated in the air.
“?!”
Ian was floating in the air, motionless as if he were frozen.
Aerial suspension.
A technique achievable only with an extraordinary level of a mage’s mana control ability.
It was by no means an ability easily attainable.
“He’s floating, he… he’s really floating!”
“Can that even be done?”
“He’s not moving at all…”
Some Aether class mages, well aware of this fact, were the first to marvel.
“Wow!”
“Is that for real?!”
“Nyaaaaaaa!”
Following that, delayed shock filled the measurement room.
Ian descended from the platform, smiling.
At the end of that smile, Sharon and her group of guardians had gathered.
◆
The observation seats of the grade assessment room.
“The saint candidate is undoubtedly a saint candidate.”
“Don’t get too greedy. If you mess with the saint, even the Horizon Guild’s headquarters will disappear from the map.”
Until just a moment ago, the conversation here had only been about the overwhelming sacred power of saint candidate Aria.
But with Ian’s performance, astonishment filled the air.
“W-What’s that?”
“What is that? Hovering in the air? Using earth elemental magic?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Among them, Ray from the Magic Tower Lichten branch was particularly astonished.
“Supporting every point of the body with mana without disturbance. You have to constantly move the mana along the mana circuit, utilizing the mana that moves. Achieving that… even the Magic Tower Lord doesn’t do that.”
Ray muttered with a somewhat lost expression.
Elisha, on the other hand, answered somewhat bluntly.
“Of course, because it’s useless.”
“Well, that’s true. Still, the meaning of aerial suspension is like this! ‘I’m so great that I can do such useless things effortlessly!’ But for a student to show something like that…”
“Standing still in the air without moving is definitely not a bad ability. Still, well… it could be some kind of trick, right?”
“Even if it’s a trick, it’s impressive, really impressive…”
Ray, who was about to counter, glared at Elisha.
“Unni.”
Elisha rolled her eyes at Ray’s sharp words.
“Hmm?”
“Observe the principles of morality. It’s my turn this time.”
While the witches of the Magic Tower and Horizon Guild were arguing.
Deep in the spectator seats, there was a figure, looking down from a shadowy corner.
“… Amusing, but it’s a gimmick.”
A girl with white hair that looked like stars and deep navy-colored eyes.
She was looking down at Ian with elegant but also curious eyes.
A knight from the Imperial Guard, the Knights of the White Lily, quietly approached the girl.
“If you’ve seen enough, you can leave now.”
“Sir Jerome, weren’t you here to see Sharon Pierce? Sharon Pierce hasn’t even started yet.”
“… You know well that my purpose for visiting is for escort duty. Please leave before the exit becomes complicated.”
The girl, Asteria, quietly observed Sharon Pierce from her seat. Even from a distance, Sharon’s face looked endlessly cold, like ice.
“Hmm. Lady Sharon would be sulky if she found out.”
Even as she uttered those words, Asteria’s gaze involuntarily fell on the black-haired boy.
A son of the fallen Blackangers family.
“Work has become fun. I think I’ve seen enough. Let’s go.”
The girl smiled and left the measurement hall with the knight.
In a secluded alleyway.
The girl flicked her fingers.
Her once brilliantly white hair transformed into radiant and noble golden locks in an instant.
Knight Jerome asked her.
“Are you going back like this?”
“No.”
“… What?”
“I’m going to enroll here.”
“But princess… what about…”
Jerome, the knight, looked around in haste.
In response, Asteria grinned.
“Don’t worry. I’ve cast a silence spell around.”
“Apologies.”
“It’s fine. Anyway.”
Asteria took a few steps ahead, clasping her hands behind her back.
“I’m looking forward to what the son of the Blackangers family will show us in the future.”
◆
Meanwhile.
Ian was busy stuffing his pockets.
Shimmering golden coins.
And an expensive sword.
Looking somewhat materialistic, he glanced at the original owners of these items.
“Is it serving you well?”
Smirking.
Ian laughed.
Asteria
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