Then...
"Group 8, forward."
Four people, including Knox, stepped forward to the podium.
Jane took the score sheet in her hand and began evaluating Group 8, looking at them closely.
"Group 8, that was great. No, it's more than great. First of all, I don't need to remind all of you here who watched Group 8's test that Group 8's Cyclops had the same strength as Group 7's, right?"
Hearing this, the students nodded. Only blind fools would fail to realize that something was wrong with Group 8's Cyclops.
Then Jane continued.
"Not only did you faithfully execute the established strategy, you also clearly improved upon the parts pointed out in the simulation. Moreover, when the test had just started, you immediately realized that something was wrong with your opponent, the Cyclops. But not only did you remain calm, you also adapted to the situation quickly."
"And that's not all. Moreover, your time was 2 minutes and 5 seconds. This was the shortest time in this evaluation. Not to mention, your opponent, the Cyclops, was not a normal Cyclops. It has already been confirmed that your Cyclops was also equivalent to a Red Cyclops."
Hearing praise after praise, the students felt as if they were dreaming. Murmurs could be heard here and there.
"And…"
Hearing this, the students who thought it was already over were shocked again.
"The barrier gauge of the main combatant was still at 100%, so it was a perfect performance."
Jane put down the group score sheet she was holding and looked at the students.
"Group 8's evaluation score is A+. I don't think I need to tell you which A+ is the best among the others, right?" said Jane with a smile.
"Thank you, Professor!"
Hearing praise after praise and the confirmation of which A+ was the best, Knox and the crew smiled brightly at the same time.
Jane then moved on to the individual evaluations.
"First, Claudia Menzies."
"Yes!"
"You played an important role in both attack and support by properly utilizing poison with your magic, poison vials, and also bleeding magic," said Jane.
"With that, it can be said that in this test you perfectly played both roles. Therefore, I give you 90 points."
Hearing this score, murmurs were heard throughout the classroom. But nobody protested because Claudia deserved it, especially since her group was fighting a Red Cyclops-level opponent.
"Thank you, Professor," said Claudia, trying to answer calmly, though the smile on her face betrayed her happiness.
"Next, Merida Hugh Ickel."
"Yes."
"Using two curses at the right time contributed greatly to incapacitating and weakening the Cyclops. You acted as a lubricant for Group 8's attack. Putting aside that you were buffed by Knox's magic, your curses were still able to pierce through the Cyclops—or to be precise, a Cyclops with the same level as a Red Cyclops—rendering it immobile. This gave your combatants, Cindy and Claudia, a chance to make their moves. Therefore, I also give you 90 points."
"Thank you," said Merida, her eyes lighting up slightly.
When two people received 90 points in a row, admiration spread among the students.
"Next, Cindy Vivace."
"Yes!"
"You did an excellent job as the main combatant. Not only were you able to move quickly with your Spirit Form, you also managed to evade attacks and use openings to strike the Cyclops at the right moments."
"Even though your opponent was stronger than a normal Cyclops, you remained calm and continued following your group's plan."
"Especially, it is not easy to defeat a Cyclops in one attack. Your original magic that you used to kill that Cyclops in one hit was amazing, showing precise judgment and execution."
"I give you a personal score of 95 points."
"I got 95 points in a military academy… Is this a dream?" said Cindy.
Jane added to Cindy, who was mumbling with a surprised expression.
"It's not a dream, and try to maintain that score in subjects other than command studies as well."
Hearing this, the excited Cindy immediately turned pale.
"…Yes."
Cindy slowly turned her head. The three members looked at her with snickers.
"Lastly, Knox."
"Yes, Professor."
"You played your role as the leader perfectly, calming your group members, motivating them, and leading them while also controlling the battlefield."
"You also effectively guided the Cyclops with summoner control skills that surpass the average of first-year students."
"Not to mention your summons alone—Death Knights. And not just one, but two Death Knights. This is already something no first-year in the history of Kizen has managed to do."
"Not to mention third-years. Even among second-years, I doubt many could summon two Death Knights and control them flawlessly like you," said Jane with a smile.
Then she continued.
"Not only did you support your team with summons, but you also provided support with your exceptional and unique musical buff magic."
"And of course, I noticed that the musical buff magic you used during the test is your original magic, right? What is the name of that magic?" asked Jane.
Hearing this, the students murmured in shock.
Knox answered. "Yes, Professor. As for the name, I haven't decided yet. I'm currently considering between 'Century: Fantasy' or 'Golden Courtyard.'"
Hearing these names, many students nodded in approval. Some even murmured and quietly debated with their friends about which name was better.
Jane smiled. "Good names. As expected of you."
"But don't forget to register your musical buff magic at Pandemonium later."
Hearing Jane mention Pandemonium, the students froze and looked at Knox with awe and envy.
Pandemonium was the central research institution of the Dark Alliance, where necromancers, scholars, and researchers gathered to present and register magical discoveries.
It functioned as a combination of a research academy, an academic conference, and a magical patent office. If research was acknowledged as original and valuable, it would be officially registered, granting the creator recognition and ownership.
Because of this, Pandemonium served as the primary hub of magical innovation in the necromancer world.
Just imagining a first-year student of Kizen registering something there was already astonishing.
Of course, the students here didn't know that Knox had already registered several discoveries at Pandemonium even before he entered Kizen.
Jane then continued. "With all the praise I have given you…"
She smiled slightly. "It would be strange if I didn't give you a perfect score, wouldn't it?"
Then, after Group 8's evaluation was over, murmurs and praises immediately spread throughout the classroom.
Students whispered to one another, some still shocked by the results they had just heard.
"Group 8 really cleared it in just two minutes…"
"And their Cyclops was confirmed to be Red Cyclops level too…"
"That musical magic Knox used… what even was that?"
Admiration and excitement filled the room as the students continued discussing the battle they had witnessed earlier.
Meanwhile, Hector sat in his seat with a dark expression. His face had already turned sour after Group 7's score had surpassed his.
Now, hearing that Group 8's evaluation was even better than his own group's result only made his expression grow darker. The fingers resting on his desk slowly tightened.
Meanwhile, the members of Group 3 carefully glanced at Hector. They had already been anxious ever since Group 7's score was announced.
Now that Group 8 had also surpassed them, the atmosphere around Hector had clearly grown heavier.
No one dared to say anything. One of his teammates opened his mouth as if wanting to speak. But after seeing Hector's expression, he quickly closed it again.
An uncomfortable silence settled around Group 3.
Meanwhile, the rest of the classroom remained lively, completely unaware of the tense atmosphere surrounding Hector's seat.