"Bye, everyone!"
"Today's study session was awesome!"
Everyone said their goodbyes. Honestly, they would've loved to continue and go for a dinner after-party, but since it was exam season, they all agreed to focus on individual study for now.
Claudia, meanwhile, had to act like a nanny to two certain group members who needed supervision to actually study.
Seeing that, Knox grew a little concerned about whether Claudia would even get time to study herself.
So—
Knox brib—ahem—coaxed Cindy and Merida instead.
If their scores turned out well, he promised to cook whatever they wanted until they were full.
The moment they heard that, Cindy and Merida's eyes lit up, practically burning with motivation.
After successfully "motivating" the children, Knox offered to walk Lorain to the Kizen exit.
"Hehe, it's already been a month since we started at Kizen," Lorain said, walking with her hands behind her back, lightly hopping as she moved.
Then she turned to look at him, smiling.
"Knox, are you enjoying school life?"
"Hm… putting aside the homework, I'd say it's not bad at all~" Knox replied with a grin.
Lorain's expression shifted slightly.
"Too bad there's a 'bug' disturbing our school life."
Knox shrugged lightly.
"Don't worry, Lorain. Even if we can't see the future, we'll just do our best, right? Besides…"
He placed a hand over his chest and smiled confidently.
"I'm here~"
Lorain looked at him for a moment.
At her childhood friend.
Then she smiled softly.
"Hehe~ you're right. Knox is here. But—"
Her steps came to a stop.
She turned toward him, her expression turning serious.
"I'm here too. So, Knox… don't try to handle everything on your own, okay?"
She knew how strong Knox was. She knew what he was capable of.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't worry.
Knox saw that concern clearly reflected in her eyes.
He smiled, then gently placed his hand on her head.
"Yeah… you're right. We're here."
Feeling that warmth, Lorain's expression softened into a bright smile.
Then Knox added casually,
"I just hope that didn't sound like a flag~"
Lorain's eye twitched.
She lightly punched his chest.
"Don't jinx it!"
They both paused—
then burst into laughter.
After that, Lorain draped her robe over herself and pulled up her hood.
She stretched out her arm, opening a subspace in the air. From within it, an imposing skeletal horse stepped out.
"Thanks for walking me here. From this point on, I'll go by myself. I don't want to take up more of your time."
She placed her hand on the skeletal horse and leapt onto its back in one smooth motion.
Knox reached out and gently patted the creature's head. The skeletal horse let out a soft neigh and leaned into his touch.
"Knox," Lorain called.
"Yeah?"
From beneath her hood, her glowing red eyes shimmered faintly.
"See you later~"
Knox smiled brightly.
"See you later!"
With that, she tugged the reins—and rode off into the night.
***
The exam period passed like a flash.
With midterms approaching next week, the duel evaluations faded into the background, and every student focused on test preparation. The professors seemed pleased to see the once-distracted students taking things seriously again.
One noticeable change this week was that the second- and third-year students had finally returned to Kizen.
Since classrooms and dormitories were separated by grade, it was rare to meet upperclassmen during class hours. Still, they occasionally appeared in campus cafés or the library after classes.
At a glance, the difference wasn't obvious, but second-years had a small red mark on their collars, while third-years had a gray one.
Third-years were especially hard to spot. Most of them were busy with missions or practicum work. Even the student council and clan management were largely handled by the second-years.
A small, amusing moment happened one day.
Knox was teaching Lorain in a campus café when they noticed Rick sitting with his group nearby.
Rick had gotten a bit too noisy.
A female senior turned toward him and scolded him sharply.
Rick immediately straightened up and apologized politely.
Seeing that, Knox was reminded that Kizen was a place where seniority carried real weight.
Then the senior noticed someone watching her.
She turned, trying to glare at whoever it was.
Her eyes landed on them.
A white-haired boy with a striking presence.
And beside him, a beautiful girl with black hair and red eyes.
At first, she looked ready to assert her authority.
Then something clicked.
She froze.
She looked at Knox and Lorain again.
Her expression darkened slightly, and she immediately lowered her head, burying her face in her magazine.
Knox's mouth twitched.
Really? Where did that seniority go just now?
Lorain had been indifferent at first. She had no intention of interfering and was even willing to respect the upperclassman.
But the moment she saw that glare directed at Knox, something in her shifted.
For a split second, she almost broke that "seniority" with a physical response.
Her body had already moved slightly, ready to act.
Then she noticed the senior suddenly back down and hide behind her magazine.
Lorain scoffed inwardly.
Then, she turned her attention back to Knox—
cough, she meant, back to studying.
The next day.
And the day after that.
Students frequently had nosebleeds during lectures, and some even slammed their heads loudly against their desks from sheer lack of sleep.
But no one gave up.
As long as you belonged to Kizen, there was no escaping the suffocating pressure closing in around you. If you couldn't endure this level of stress, then leaving the academy would be the wiser choice.
And so, a few days later—
Jane's Elementary Black Magic class.
"The time limit for the performance evaluation test is 60 minutes."
This group-based evaluation had been scheduled a week before midterms.
Even though it fell during exam season, none of the students complained. After all, this test served as practical preparation for the midterms themselves.
The classroom was arranged so that each group gathered around a massive test sheet, over two meters long, solving it together.
All eight subjects, except Elementary Black Magic, were included.
No doubt about it. Having four group members with different specializations is definitely an advantage, Knox thought.
Knox glanced over and saw Cindy subtly looking around.
Other groups with overlapping specialties were still busy arguing over who would take which section.
"Alright, guys, let's focus."
Knox snapped his fingers and immediately began giving rapid instructions.
"Assuming each of us handles two subjects, I'll take Darkness Dynamics and Summonology. Claudia, you handle Haematology and Toxicology. Cindy, you've got Necromancy and Magical Combat. Merida, you take Katarology and Defense Against Holiness."
He continued without pause.
"If you run into a question you don't know, mark it with a star and move on quickly. If something looks confusing or needs double-checking, mark it with a triangle. I'll go through everything starting from question one and review them all. Is that clear?"
Hearing Knox's clear and structured instructions, everyone nodded.
"I agree", Claudia said with a small smile.
"I think that would be good as well…" Merida added quietly.
"I'll do my best, team leader!" Cindy said, giving a quick salute.
Jane glanced at her wristwatch and spoke.
"Alright. Let the test begin."
Riiip!
Sixteen teams simultaneously tore open their test sheets.
Knox immediately searched for the Summonology section.
Which of the following undead reproduces through biological reproduction? (2 points)
① Zombie
② Skeleton
③ Specter
④ Ghoul
⑤ Lich
Number 4. Ghoul.
A rare case of undead that reproduces biologically. The offspring mature within a month, and the parent shows no maternal instinct, Knox thought as he marked his answer.
Without hesitation, he moved on.
When modifying a regular zombie into a berserker zombie, which of the following formulas would not be appropriate to add to the magic circle?
① Construct
② Rage
③ Scream
④ Madness
⑤ Seizure
Number 5.
"Seizure" is already included in the base zombie formula. Adding it again would be redundant, Knox concluded.
He continued solving the rest of the Summonology section without any difficulty.
Once finished, he immediately moved on to Darkness Dynamics.
Just like before, he cleared the problems smoothly.
"Okay, does anyone have any issues?" Knox asked, glancing at his group.
"Knox, Curse question number 9…" Merida said quietly.
Knox walked over to her side without delay.
Not long after—
"Leader! I've got a problem here!" Cindy called out.
After helping Merida, Knox moved straight to Cindy.
Meanwhile, Claudia worked steadily on her own and managed to complete her sections without any trouble.
Time passed quickly as Knox moved between his teammates, helping wherever needed.
Before he realized it, only five minutes remained.
By then, Knox, Cindy, Claudia, and Merida had all begun reviewing their answers.
Knox continued assisting the others, double-checking each section carefully.
Sixty minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
"Time's up."
Jane's voice rang out.
"Everyone, put down your quills!"
"Hands above your heads!"
Assistant instructors moved around the room, collecting test sheets and answer papers. The students watched them go with heavy, regretful gazes.
"Well done, everyone."
Fresh answer sheets and detailed solutions were handed out.
"The results of the performance assessment will be announced after the midterms. For now, use the remaining time to grade your answers and identify any mistakes."
"Yes!"