The three nobles in front of me clearly expected some kind of reaction. Maybe anger, maybe embarrassment, or at least an attempt to defend myself. Instead, I simply looked at them calmly.
The one standing in front seemed slightly annoyed by my silence. He crossed his arms and leaned forward slightly, studying my face as if trying to figure out whether I had finally lost my pride.
"You're quiet today, Valemont," he said with a smirk. "Did you finally realize you don't belong here?"
The other two standing behind him chuckled. One of them casually added, "Honestly, I'm still surprised the academy hasn't expelled you yet. A rankless noble is just embarrassing for everyone."
A few nearby students slowed their steps when they noticed the scene. Whispering began to spread among them as they glanced in my direction. Apparently, the rankless noble attracting attention wasn't anything new here.
I didn't bother replying.
In my previous life, I had dealt with criminals, rival gangs, and people who actually wanted me dead. Compared to that, a few arrogant academy nobles were barely worth my time.
Before the conversation could go any further, a loud voice suddenly echoed across the courtyard.
"All students participating in today's combat evaluation, gather at the training grounds immediately!"
The chatter around the entrance died down as students began moving toward the large training field behind the main buildings. The three nobles in front of me glanced toward the direction of the voice before looking back at me.
The one in front smirked again.
"Well, looks like it's evaluation day," he said. "Try not to embarrass yourself too badly."
The three of them walked away, clearly losing interest now that something more entertaining was about to happen.
I followed the crowd toward the training grounds.
The Imperial Academy's training field was enormous. Large stone platforms surrounded the central arena where students usually practiced swordsmanship and combat techniques. Today, hundreds of students had gathered around the field, forming small groups as they waited for the evaluation to begin.
Several instructors stood near the arena while assistants prepared equipment and recording tablets. Some students were stretching, others were showing off their aura to friends, and a few looked nervous about the upcoming tests.
The atmosphere was exactly what you would expect from a typical academy evaluation day.
Eventually, one of the instructors stepped forward. He was a tall man wearing the black coat that marked him as a senior academy teacher. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd until the noise slowly died down.
"Listen carefully," he said, his voice carrying easily across the field. "Today's combat evaluation will determine your rankings for the next semester. Each student will demonstrate their abilities in the arena. Swordsmanship, aura control, and overall combat capability will be judged."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Rankings mattered a lot in the academy. Higher-ranked students received better training resources, better instructors, and sometimes even direct recommendations to imperial knight orders.
The instructor continued, "Students will be called one by one. When your name is announced, step into the arena and demonstrate your abilities. That is all."
Assistants began organizing the list while students gathered closer to watch.
I stood quietly near the back of the crowd.
Then, without warning, the familiar blue system screen appeared in front of my vision again.
[ Task Active ]
[ Academy Arc: Combat Evaluation ]
[ Objective: Reveal your hidden power ]
[ Condition: Shock the academy instructors and students ]
[ Reward: Aura Growth ×10,000 ]
My eyes paused on the last line.
Ten thousand times.
Even a small increase would become something ridiculous with that multiplier.
A faint smile appeared on my face as I looked toward the arena where the first student had already stepped forward to begin his evaluation.
"Well," I muttered quietly to myself.
"Looks like the show's about to start."
The first few evaluations began normally.
Students stepped into the arena one by one while instructors watched from the side and assistants recorded their results. One student demonstrated his sword technique while releasing a faint layer of aura around his blade. The instructor nodded slightly as the boy finished his sequence.
"Rank C aura control," he announced.
Murmurs spread through the watching crowd. It wasn't particularly impressive, but it was enough to be considered decent among first-year academy students.
Another student stepped forward next. This one raised his hand and quickly formed a small fireball, launching it toward a stone target on the far side of the arena. The spell exploded with a sharp crack as the instructors observed carefully.
"Rank B magic affinity," another instructor said while writing something down.
Several students whispered among themselves while watching the demonstrations. Evaluation day was always like this. Some students showed talent, others struggled, but everyone had at least something they could demonstrate.
Except one person.
Me.
It didn't take long before someone in the crowd noticed I was standing near the back of the field.
"Hey, isn't that Valemont?"
"The rankless one?"
A few students turned their heads and looked in my direction. Some seemed curious, but most simply looked amused.
One of the nobles who had mocked me earlier spoke loudly enough for others to hear.
"This should be interesting," he said with a grin. "Maybe we'll see the legendary rankless evaluation again."
A few nearby students laughed quietly.
Apparently Adrian failing during evaluations had become a small tradition for the academy.
I ignored the whispers and instead focused on the instructors' table. The assistant holding the student list flipped through several pages before stopping and glancing toward the arena.
Then he called out the next name.
"Adrian Valemont."
The moment my name echoed across the training field, the atmosphere changed slightly. Conversations died down and dozens of students turned to look at me. Some expressions were curious, but most of them were already filled with anticipation, clearly expecting another embarrassing performance.
I stepped forward calmly and walked toward the arena.
When the instructor standing near the center saw me approaching, he frowned slightly.
"Valemont," he said in a flat tone. "You're participating today?"
I stepped onto the arena floor and shrugged lightly. "Why not?"
A few chuckles spread through the crowd again.
The instructor sighed quietly before gesturing toward the open space in front of him. "Fine. Begin your evaluation."