Chapter 66: Final Exam (part 1)

It was humans who had driven her to become a demon. They had forced her to abandon humanity herself, ensuring she felt no guilt.  

“Dinua.”  

“Yes… Ian…?”  

“It must have been difficult.”  

I pulled her into a tight embrace. Unlike before, when I was simply trying to console her so she wouldn’t cry, this time, I was genuinely offering comfort.  

Like her, I had no friends or family. I could easily understand her pain.  

“Don’t worry about the future. I will be by your side.”  

And she had to be by my side.  

A 3-star Summoner, especially one specializing in debuffs, would never lose value—not even in the later stages. If I nurtured her properly from now on, she would become a great Summoner.  

Yes, a powerful Summoner—one who would prove her worth to all those who had ignored her.  

‘To do that…’  

I recalled the next major event—the final exams.  

And, of course, after the finals came vacation.  

A perfect period to level up.  

***

Academy Final Exams.  

Midterms.  

Student duels.  

Special exams.  

Student Battle Royale.  

From the nature of previous exams, it was clear that the Academy prioritized competition among cadets. They seemed to believe that cadets of the same age group could improve the most by fighting each other.  

By this point, most cadets could predict the format of the final exams.  

— They’ll just make us fight again.  

However, after two grueling exams, many had already lost their motivation. No matter how skilled you were, the cadet with the higher-ranking summon always won in the end. What was the point of trying?  

The academy instructors were well aware of the cadets’ frustrations.  

“We need to change the exam format.”  

Playna firmly argued her point before the principal. She had a fiery personality—much like her summon—and a strong tendency to rush into things before fully considering them.  

“How?” the principal asked.  

“…That—”  

“If you don’t have an answer, perhaps you should refrain from speaking,” the principal interrupted.  

Playna, her face flushed red, sank back into her seat.  

Free discussion was the best way to generate good ideas, but what could the nobles—who valued status over education—possibly contribute?  

Several proposals were put forward, but they were either impractical or too difficult to implement.  

Eventually, the principal, unable to watch the debate drag on any longer, spoke up.  

“How many cadets have 3-star or higher summons?”  

“Sixteen,” an instructor replied.  

The principal smiled.  

The teachers exchanged puzzled glances, unable to grasp the significance of the number.  

Then Catherine spoke.  

“This time, shouldn’t we have them experience real combat?”  

“…Like a field training exercise?”  

“To be honest, the previous trip was poorly executed. The local lords went out of their way to make things easier for the cadets.”  

“So what do you propose?”  

“This time, we evaluate them strictly based on results—by grading them on how many demons they capture.”  

Her words sent a wave of shock through the room.  

It was only natural. Sending cadets into real battles was already a gamble, but basing their grades purely on performance?  

That would push some students to take reckless risks, leading to mistakes.  

And mistakes on the battlefield often resulted in death.  

“You can’t be serious, Principal.”  

“Do you think the cadets’ lives are a game?”  

“Even considering our previous exams, this seems excessive.”  

Despite the backlash, the principal remained unfazed.  

History had proven time and time again that all innovations faced resistance. The only way to silence opposition was through results.  

“There will be no objections. We will divide the sixteen 3-star Summoners into teams, forming sixteen groups in total. Each group will be sent in a different direction for the mission.”  

“To ensure their safety, we’ll assign an experienced leader to each team.”  

Within the Academy, the principal’s authority was absolute.  

Unless a catastrophe resulted in mass casualties, no one could overturn her decision.  

Since persuading her was impossible, the instructors shifted their focus—figuring out the best way to protect the cadets.  

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