Chapter 153: Final Evaluation

“You’re not saying that you’re entering as your real identity, are you?”

After a moment of calm consideration, it was a somewhat surprising story, but not to the point of being shocked.

Judging from his tone, it seemed to mean that he would protect the family members who could be a weakness for me.

“Of course not. Why would I want to create a controversy that the Empire’s most wanted criminal, Salem Edidia, entered under Count Cromwell?”

“It was just an abrupt story.”

“Not to the extent of being so shocked. It’s not a lifetime commitment, just one year. And I haven’t fully analyzed the scripture you shared. Spending a year researching here isn’t such a bad idea.”

I wouldn’t mind as long as Salem’s identity remained undisclosed.

This way, I could prevent interference from other dark mages due to the faction issue.

“You’re already about to graduate, and I’ve given you just one year. But who knows how circumstances might change? Various things might overlap, and I could end up staying under your wing for longer.”

“I appreciate it. If Salem is by my side, I can feel more at ease.”

“However, there’s a condition.”

“…Aren’t you just helping me because I’ve received so much from you?”

“Am I a sucker?”

I had no response to Salem’s straightforward statement.

To see what the condition was, I nodded my head.

“What’s the condition?”

“I’m a magician too. And research requires money.”

“I never thought that Salem would be short of money.”

“Even though I’m a wanted criminal in the Empire? Do you think I would have a stable source of income? Despite my considerable skills, I make a living through various means, but it’s still difficult to settle in one place.”

I hadn’t thought of this.

Now, with the need for money and having to provide it to Salem, I wouldn’t be able to use the ‘Strength’ of my enhancement for a while.

‘Still, being able to hire Salem with money is a significant advantage.’

The question was how much he needed.

“You don’t need to think about it so seriously. While I leech off the Cromwell family, I’ll also find ways to earn money. Besides, your sister’s business seems to be doing better than expected. With my connections and help, it should grow much more than it is now.”

“Amy’s business is that successful?”

When I last checked, my income from patents was only about 10% of hers.

Of course, it was mainly because the guild structure had just been established, so expenses were higher than income. But I wondered how Salem would be satisfied with my income, even if I used all of it.

“Yes. I heard you also have a stake in the guild. For now, let’s discuss my salary together with your sister.”

“Alright.”

“Good. Now let’s get back to work.”

Salem got up from his seat, ordered another beer at the counter, and returned with a satisfied smile.

Regardless of his age, that mischievous expression suited him remarkably well.

“It should be quite interesting. The next year and the time after that. Can you handle the assembly?”

“If I become the owner of the assembly, will you consider entering it, Salem?”

“Am I crazy? If I enter, I’ll do it while there’s no owner… No, it might be more tempting to make it easier for you to swallow when the time comes?”

I knew it was a joke, but coming from Salem, it was a bit eerie.

In fact, if Salem were to reveal himself to me, I wouldn’t be able to move recklessly.

And that’s not all.

Although he said it would only be for a year, situations could change unpredictably.

Various things could overlap, and I might end up being under him for even longer.

“Amy doesn’t know about Salem’s true identity, right?”

“I’ve hidden my identity for now. I plan to keep hiding it in the future. There’s nothing to gain from revealing it.”

Salem, taking a refreshing sip of his reordered beer, stood up from his seat.

“She probably sees me as a powerful figure in the political underworld or the hidden world. If someone like me becomes subordinate to the Cromwell family for about a year, she might even prefer it. Your sibling is more cunning than you might think.”

“What about Amy?”

“What on earth does he think of our innocent Amy? It’s unbelievable, but I know she has a bold side, so she must be a trustworthy sibling.”

“Let’s finish this conversation at home.”

“Alright.”

As I had to return to the academy, Amy’s opinion on this matter was more important. If she disapproved, I would do my best to persuade her.

‘For a few coins, Salem offers to provide protection. Refusing would be a loss.’

One year ahead. It might be a short or long time, but it was ample time to make a change.

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The academy was in turmoil due to the impending final exams, which were just a week away. Especially for the fourth-year students who would graduate next year, the gravity of the situation was etched on their faces to the point where they seemed to be developing wrinkles on their foreheads.

“Long time no see?”

As I sat in the classroom, waiting for the upcoming lecture to begin, an unexpected person struck up a conversation. She naturally took the seat next to me and started pulling out her textbooks.

“Yurie, where’s Dianne?”

“She said she had something to take care of, so she came early today.”

“Is that so?”

I hadn’t expected Yurie to initiate a conversation with me. I knew how she had perceived me all this time, and I had simply ignored her because there was no point in engaging with her.

“So, why are you here?”

“Well, it’s almost time for the final exams, and they’re as important as the graduation tests. I came to get some advice from the illustrious Adrias Cromwell.”

Since our academic performance and scores throughout our time at the academy would be tallied for the graduation class placement, as long as we’d done well so far, we could progress without a hitch. However, that didn’t mean this upcoming final evaluation, which could be the last one before moving up to the graduation class, wasn’t important.

Of course, it was a given that I knew the contents of the evaluation since I had played Dianne.

“Where could I possibly have advice to offer? We don’t even know what the evaluation will be about.”

“Do you happen to know if it’s a group evaluation? If it is, I’ll be counting on you.”

The easygoing way she said it showed how she had become friends with Dianne. Surprisingly, what she said was accurate.

The final evaluation for the fourth-year students of the Academy’s School of Magic was indeed a group evaluation.

And if possible, I hoped Dianne and I could be in the same group.

“It’s determined randomly, so it’s a pointless hope.”

Unlike the midterm evaluation, which had passed without a whisper, this final evaluation would have a special incident, a kind of episode, similar to the dormitory incident that had occurred earlier.

I had experienced it twice while playing Dianne in the game.

Of course, I had initially failed to conquer it properly and had to load a save.

However, once you experience it once, you have no choice but to clear it easily on the next try.

Unfortunately, it seemed that this time it would be slightly different.

I was there when I shouldn’t have been originally.

‘If it were a game, I would have already died.’

Just then, I saw Dianne entering the classroom. When Yurie, who was sitting beside me, warmly greeted her, she immediately approached us.

“What’s going on? You two sitting together?”

“That’s true.”

When I playfully acknowledged it, she let out a little chuckle. If I couldn’t be in the same group as her for this final evaluation, there would be no way to protect her.

“But…”

The current her was not a game character but a real person. Moreover, she was a prodigy. Perhaps this episode could be overcome even without my assistance. It wasn’t the type of episode that required brute force.

I looked at her face once again. While Dianne and Yurie were playfully bantering, she appeared somewhat naive, but considering her performance in the tournament, I couldn’t underestimate her.

This time, I had no choice but to trust her.

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The fourth-year students of the School of Magic gathered together after a long time to board the Mana Train.

Professor Michelle, who was leading them, had a joyful expression on her face, as if they were going on a picnic. However, the students’ mood seemed as though they were preparing for war.

“I understand that everyone is nervous, but if you become too tense, it can be counterproductive,” Professor Tolman, who was co-leading the group, said as he observed the students.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere remained heavy, so he stood up from his seat.

“The upcoming evaluation is just a step on the way to graduation, not the final destination. When you become part of the graduation class, you will face similar challenges in the future. If you’re too tense, you’ll easily become fatigued, which leads to a loss of energy. Try to relax a bit, even if it’s forced, and engage in conversation with your peers.”

The advice of a former Battle Mage had definite credibility. Students exhaled and tried to relieve their tension, even if it was forced.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

Yurie asked Dianne after taking a deep breath.

Dianne responded with a smile as if brushing it off, “I’ve already aced my grades.”

“Oh, right. You also won the tournament. I’m really envious.”

The conversation didn’t continue for long. Even the students who had tried to engage in conversation soon fell silent, and ultimately, the same silence that had filled the train earlier enveloped its interior.

Finally, after nearly seven hours of silence, they arrived at a place that was quite famous.

“Monet’s Maze.”

It was an archaeological site discovered decades ago and currently managed by the Imperial Palace. Although the excavation was complete, the place remained off-limits to the general public due to its structural characteristics and mana anomalies.

“Now that we’ve come this far, I’m sure you can guess the nature of this evaluation,” Professor Michelle said, and the students nodded in agreement.

Coming to a maze was too obvious a clue.

“This evaluation involves navigating Monet’s Maze. It goes without saying that the relative evaluation will be based on how quickly you manage to escape.”

Tolman explained the details. “You’ll all enter the maze simultaneously. A starting point will be randomly designated, and you need to make your way to the exit located in the center.”

A regular maze wouldn’t pose much of a challenge, but this was an ancient relic. Although all significant dangers had been removed after the excavation was completed, there were still numerous small traps scattered throughout the place.

“By the way, for this evaluation, the groups will be randomly assigned, as I mentioned earlier. Students who start from the same point should consider themselves part of the same group and cooperate with each other toward the goal.”

As Tolman finished speaking, the students began to buzz with excitement.

However, he wasn’t finished yet.

“The time it takes to escape is important, but there will also be a separate score for group members. After the escape, the members will rate each other. Students who didn’t contribute to the escape or were uncooperative will receive lower scores.”

As his words grew longer, an eerie tension began to permeate the group. Finally, Tolman extended his arms as if to signal that he had finished.

“Now, let’s enter. I’ve calculated that each group will consist of exactly five members. Please, I hope all five of you can escape safely without any disagreements.”

The students approaching the entrance heaved relieved sighs.

Meanwhile, Yurie held Dianne’s hand and pleaded, “Please! Please, Dianne, let’s be in the same group!”

“Your prayers seem to be a bit late. Hopefully, you and I will end up in the same group.”

“I’m not joking! I really hope we end up in the same group! Seriously, please, I wish we were in the same group with you!”

“All right. I hope I end up in the same group as Yurie too.”

To ease the tension, the two of them chatted playfully but soon fell silent along with the other students.

Even though they had already secured their grades, the ambient atmosphere had an effect on Dianne. She found herself unconsciously searching for Adrias.

‘Is he nervous?’

In the past, Adrias would have been trembling and couldn’t even lift his head, but it was unimaginable that he would be nervous now.

“…”

As expected, just as Dianne had anticipated, Adrias nonchalantly gazed at the entrance of the maze. Then, as if sensing her gaze, he turned his head toward Dianne and slightly pursed his lips.

“Be careful with your group members.”

Be careful with my group members?

Dianne observed Adrias’ enigmatic advice and then saw the ancient relic start to emit light. The entrance to the massive maze began to open.

In the midst of the students who were watching this scene, Professor Michelle shouted, “Alright, enter!”

The students believed that the sooner they entered, the more advantageous it would be to reduce their escape time, and they began to move toward the entrance.

Even Yurie, who had been holding Dianne’s hand until the moment they were about to enter, had joined her at the entrance.

“Ah!”

As Dianne sensed the peculiar feeling of the space transitioning and looked around, she could immediately feel that Yurie, who had been holding her hand, had disappeared.

“Amazing. It’s an ancient relic, after all.”

“Dianne? It’s Dianne Alben!”

“Really? Wow! Lucky us!”

The sudden voices from fellow students who had already entered were accompanied by cheers.

Observing this with a wry smile, Dianne sensed that something was amiss.

“Wait a moment.”

“Yes? Why?”

As her fellow students looked at her with a nervous expression upon sensing her unusual expression, Dianne pointed to each of them and then pointed to herself.

“Didn’t they say we were going to be in groups of five?”

“Yes, they did. They said we’d be exactly five…”

The student who had been speaking finally realized something and, perceiving it, looked around at their group members.

Dianne, who had felt the initial doubt, slowly spoke, “But why are there six of us?”

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