Chapter 302
Dressed in a neat suit, with short hair tidily arranged, a woman stood with a clipboard tucked at her waist, wearing a displeased expression.
Bahil clicked his tongue, tsk, then showed a smiling face.
"It's nothing serious, vice-chancellor."
"...I think I just heard you click your tongue, but I'll let it pass. The event will start soon. Please return to your seat."
Bahil went back to the auditorium, and Belya, too, let out a cheerful laugh and blended in with the other students as she went inside.
Just as Jane turned her back to leave.
"Professor Jane! We made it back safely!"
Simon greeted her with a smile. Jane glanced back at them, then gave a small nod.
"Yes, I'm glad you came back without trouble."
Dick, quietly watching her departing back, muttered softly.
"Professor Jane's personality is as stiff as a block of wood, really doesn't change. I thought she'd soften up if we got closer."
"Really?"
Simon smiled.
"To me, it looked like she was really happy to see us."
"...That?"
"Simon~"
At the sound of her name from behind, Simon turned around.
"Ah, Kami!"
It was Kamibarez, in her school uniform for the first time in a while, running up with quick steps. The bat wings on her back flapped rapidly in joy.
"Hey! What, what? What did Professor Jane say?"
Behind her, Maelyn, with sky-blue hair that rippled like a stream, followed.
"She just said she was glad we came back safely."
"Professor Jane? That's unexpected."
Kamibarez came closer and gave a goofy laugh.
"A new schedule's starting again! Let's all do our best!"
She clenched both fists tightly and shouted "Fighting!"
Everyone's expressions softened. Somehow, their hearts felt at ease, a sense of healing washing over them.
"That's right! Let's survive this fourth BMAT and make it to the fifth...!"
"Still not dead yet, trash."
Dick's gaze shifted.
The burly, broad-shouldered Hector stood with his hands in his pockets, smirking.
"Too bad."
Around him, the infamous members of Hector's faction snickered along.
When Hector's eyes moved toward Simon, his expression grew momentarily serious, but then he said, "Let's go", and turned his back.
His faction followed after him in a noisy group.
"Hector! Hurry up and tell us the story about fighting a priest three-on-one in the Neutral Zone!"
"Wasn't it five-on-one?"
As they left noisily, Maelyn let out a sigh.
"Ugh, when will those guys ever grow up."
Dick chuckled and added.
"I just think of them as kids who need a little attention, so I don't even get that pissed anymore."
Kamibarez pushed the three of them from behind.
"Let's go inside too!"
The moment they entered the auditorium, Simon's group was taken aback.
"Wh-what is all this?"
A surprising sight spread out before their eyes. The auditorium's straight rows of seats had all been removed, replaced with round tables.
In the center, an array of luxurious buffet-style dishes was displayed.
Chefs bustled about, replenishing freshly cooked warm food, and in front of the podium, musicians played classical pieces.
"A... group banquet?"
"...Wow."
The students were excited. Simon's group quickly grabbed a round table near the front before the others arrived.
They took off their uniform jackets, hung them on their chairs to reserve the seats, then went to get food.
'So many dishes I've never seen before.'
Simon's pupils darted around rapidly. Having grown up in the mountains, he still couldn't get used to parties like this. He filled his plate with familiar foods first and returned.
The other three had come back first and were chatting.
Even the food they'd taken showed their personalities. Dick's plate was loaded with carbohydrates and fish dishes, Maelyn's with salad and pasta, and Kamibarez preferred meat dishes.
"Would you like a glass of wine?"
Tall, slender waiters approached and asked. Dick jumped in surprise.
"W-wait, we can drink? In the school?"
"For this occasion only, Lady Neftis has granted permission."
"Wow!"
It was obvious that Keyzen had gone to great lengths in preparing this group banquet.
"Guess they felt a little guilty about sending us to the Neutral Zone and making us suffer, so they set this up?"
Maelyn didn't seem to dislike this kind of event; she elegantly brushed back her hair and sipped the wine. Though she could be easygoing when they lived together, at times like this she carried the grace of a high-ranking noble's daughter.
"Mmm!"
Her eyes lit up after a sip.
"This isn't cheap! This is expensive wine!"
Simon took a sip and nodded pleasantly. Kamibarez, finding alcohol burdensome, sipped orange juice instead.
"I'll take that plate for you."
Just then, a maid-uniformed woman appeared with timid steps, pushing a cart and collecting empty dishes.
Maelyn popped the last mushroom dish in her mouth, then handed over her empty plate.
"Please take this too... Ah!"
She suddenly pointed at the maid in surprise.
"Teaching assistant! What are you doing here?"
The one in the maid outfit was none other than Jane's head teaching assistant.
Her face flushed red as she raised a finger and hissed, "Shh, shh!"
With Simon, Dick, and Kamibarez's gazes all fixed on her, she looked as though she might cry.
"Sh-shouldn't you, as decent human beings, just pretend you didn't see this?"
"Pfft."
Maelyn covered her mouth and let out a chuckle, making the head teaching assistant's face turn even redder.
'...Th-this is awkward.'
Simon, reading the mood, stood to put his own empty plate on the cart, but she pushed against his chest, telling him to just stay seated.
"Wh-why are you here, TA?"
Kamibarez asked with wide eyes.
"...Ahem, well, it's all just part of making a living."
"?"
The assistant shook her head.
"You might not know it now, in the prime of your youthful lives, but all these little frustrations pile up and up, and that's how you become an adult."
"...."
The sudden melancholy in the air prompted her to quickly add,
"Ah, actually, it's nothing much. They were short-staffed here and put out a call for support. They needed five people, the TAs played rock-paper-scissors, and in the end, I..."
Tears welled faintly in her eyes as she spoke.
"To think, at my level, I'm working as a maid..."
"Ch-cheer up."
Kamibarez offered quietly.
"TA."
Dick suddenly cut in. She knew his personality well, so she looked at him with a wary "Hing" sound.
"If you make fun of me, I'll really cry."
"No, no, it's not that... But still, it's better than that person."
Dick pointed to the side.
At the next table, Bred, the Magical Combat teaching assistant, was clearing dishes while wearing a maid uniform.
With his hulking muscle mass, the maid uniform looked like it was about to burst, and beneath the wide skirt, visible hair was instantly killing the students' appetites in real time.
"Mm."
The head teaching assistant let out a hollow laugh.
"I feel a little better now."
"Stay strong!"
And so, the atmosphere of the banquet gradually grew more lively.
But when happiness that exceeds one's lot continues for too long, people inevitably start to doubt it.
"Ah, this is making me anxious!!"
Dick slapped the round table with his palm.
"What's Keyzen up to, treating us like this? What are they planning that they're feeding us so well?!"
"Could it be something like this?"
Simon, sipping his wine, joined in.
"'Did you all enjoy yourselves? Then from now on, the fourth BMAT will begin.'"
At those words, Maelyn and Kamibarez let out screams.
"Hey!! Don't say that, you'll jinx it!"
"K-Keyzen would really do something like that, so it's scary."
In fact, Simon wasn't the only one; most of the students were having similar conversations right now.
Just then.
Pop.
Pop-pop.
The lights in the auditorium dimmed. Spotlights focused on the podium, and the musicians who had been playing instruments withdrew.
Broadcast underlings quickly set up a standing amplification magic orb.
Step, step.
Everyone's eyes focused on the sound of footsteps.
Simon's eyes widened.
Wearing not his usual shabby outfit, but a formal suit, Aron appeared.
"..."
A tremendous tension swept through the students, and a deathly silence fell.
With a blank expression, Aron approached, checked the standing amplification magic orb, then looked at the students.
"Right now."
Seeing the students' overly tense faces, Aron smirked.
"It's not what you're thinking, so no need to be scared."
Haaaa—
Sighs of relief escaped from various spots.
"First, fill out these forms."
As soon as Aron spoke, the underlings moved swiftly as if on cue, handing out forms and quill pens to the students.
'Wh-what's going on all of a sudden?'
Simon unfolded the form and checked the format.
Name:
Gender:
Major:
Minor:
Usable black magic and proficiency level:
Chronic illnesses:
Trauma experiences:
"Chronic illnesses and trauma? Why are they suddenly asking for this?"
Maelyn crossed her arms, looking puzzled. Kamibarez quietly added,
"Th-this feels a little suspicious... ahaha."
"I wonder if it's okay to write this honestly."
Dick was already trying to think of a trick when Aron spoke.
"Don't try to be clever, write it truthfully as it is. This is for your benefit as well."
At that moment, a hand shot up. Simon didn't even need to see the face, from the posture and the bracelet on the wrist, he could tell who it was.
"This is Jaime Victoria, professor! We're still first-years, so we don't have majors yet!"
"In the major field, write the subject you're most confident in."
Aron replied.
"And, it doesn't have to be the one you put for your group assignment preference. There are plenty of cases where, due to team composition, you've listed a subject that's not your specialty. Write down the one you're best at."
At those words, Maelyn, who had written "Katarology" in the major field, drew two lines through it with her quill and wrote "Darkness Dynamics" instead.
Then another student raised a hand.
"Will this be shown to other students?"
"Only Keyzen personnel will be able to view it. Don't worry about that part and just fill it out."
The once boisterous auditorium now rang only with the scratching of pens.
Simon confidently wrote "Summonology" for his major, then pondered over his minor.
'They said the minor is the subject you're second most confident in, right?'
He naturally thought of Katarology, Magical Combat, and Haematology, but if he had to choose the one he was most confident in and used often, it would be Magical Combat.
Since this wasn't set in stone anyway, he went ahead and wrote Magical Combat.
'Uh, somehow I'm getting an image of Professor Bahil's angry face... but it should be fine.'
Once all the first-year students had finished filling out their forms, Aron returned to the podium.
"First, I'll explain an important announcement. And from this fourth BMAT onward, there will be changes, so pay attention."
Hearing that, Dick pointed at himself with an excited face.
"See?! I told you! I said there would be changes, didn't I?!"
"Alright, alright, shut up already."
Maelyn flushed and glanced around nervously. He was truly an embarrassing teammate anywhere they went.
Simon turned his head back and focused on Aron at the podium.
Holding the standing amplification magic orb, Aron walked to the very edge of the podium.
"First."
Aron held up a new document.
"I will introduce the necromancer who will oversee this fourth BMAT."
Simon's eyes widened.
'So, aside from the Keyzen headquarters, there's a separate necromancer supervising the exam?'
It seemed something really had changed.