The exam papers suddenly lifted off every desk, fluttering through the air as though caught by an invisible current. Pages slipped right out of our hands, soaring toward Professor Argois, who raised one arm and gathered them all neatly in a controlled sweep of magic.
I cursed under my breath. Damn it. I had barely managed to scribble down answers for three questions. Two whole pages left blank. My stomach twisted at the thought. That's going to tank my grade, isn't it?
I rubbed my temple, forcing myself to breathe. Panicking wouldn't help. Calm down. Relax. You'll figure something out.
My eyes drifted toward [Archiver]. I was about to dismiss the book back when a sharp voice cut through the room.
"Dean Mayfest!"
I froze. Slowly, I turned. Professor Argois was striding toward me, expression a mixture of irritation and something else—confusion? His sharp eyes locked onto [Archiver].
"Hand me that book. Again."
I blinked at him. "Uh… sir?"
"Now."
His tone left no room for argument. With a wary glance, I handed over the [Archiver]. Why does he want it again? He already confirmed earlier it didn't have any mana.
Argois flipped it open, brows furrowed. He inspected the pages once, twice, thrice—his fingers glowing faintly as he channeled mana into the book. I stiffened. Did I do something wrong? No… no, calm down. If [Archiver] had mana, he would've noticed the first time.
Still, the professor's scrutiny made my skin crawl.
He abruptly snapped his fingers at the student beside me. "Fetch Professor Isen Flint. At once."
The poor boy jumped out of his seat. "Y-yes, sir!" He nearly tripped over himself in his hurry to escape the lecture hall.
My pulse hammered. Okay, this is bad. Really bad. Did he somehow noticed I cheated on the test? Or is the answers I wrote down that bad?
I glanced at my half-finished test. No way. I tone down everything in this world's language … more or less. Maybe it's my handwriting? Ugh.
A girl raised her hand timidly. "Professor… if the exam's over, can we go? Other classes are starting soon."
For a moment, Argois said nothing. Then, with a sharp exhale, he waved his hand. "Fine. You may leave. All of you—except Mayfest."
My gut sank. Of course. Just my luck. His glare pinned me to the seat like a bug under glass. I'd seen that look before—in cutscenes from NOTFH. The "you're in trouble" look.
I slumped back, resigned. "Understood, Professor."
…..
A few tense minutes later, the door creaked open. The student returned, panting, followed by an older man with graying hair streaked faintly blue. His tired green eyes studied the room with a sharpness that belied his age, and his neatly trimmed beard and magi-tech goggles gave him an almost eccentric air.
My breath caught. Wait. I know him…
Professor Isen Flint. One of the school's top magic engineers. I'd seen his character model countless times in NOTFH's upgrade menus. So it's really him. Great. Exactly the guy you don't want inspecting your suspicious magical artifact.
Argois greeted him quickly, handing over [Archiver]. "Professor Flint, thank you for coming on such short notice. Please examine this book."
Isen raised an eyebrow. "A book?" He turned it over in his hands. "Looks ordinary enough. Why call me for this?"
Argois' jaw tightened. "It's… urgent." His eyes flicked to me, then back to Flint.
The older professor chuckled softly. His gaze lingered on me, and a small smile tugged at his lips. "So that's it. This boy managed to make you paranoid enough to drag me here? You've brought me a troublemaker, haven't you?"
I swallowed hard. Not helping.
Isen lowered his goggles over his eyes. Mana hummed through the room, thick enough that even I—without mana—could feel it prickling against my skin. Thanks to [Second Sight], I could see waves of shimmering blue energy pulsing outward. My hairs stood on end.
After several long moments, Isen lifted the goggles back up and handed the book to Argois. "Nothing. No mana. No hidden attributes. Just a book."
Argois frowned deeply. "Are you certain?"
"Quite," Isen replied, brushing at his beard. "What exactly are you afraid of?"
Argois hesitated, then leaned in and whispered something in Isen's ear. The engineer's eyes widened slightly. He gestured, and one of the collected exam papers floated into his hand.
He scanned it, then glanced at me. His lips twitched… and suddenly, he laughed. "Ha! So that's it."
Argois stiffened. "You think this is amusing?"
Isen waved him off. "You believed this boy cheated? No, Argois. Look more closely. These are his answers. His work. Unless you think a commoner boy somehow snuck access to a research library…" He chuckled again. "Ridiculous."
Heat crawled up my neck. Wait. Did he just… defend me?
Argois narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying—"
"I'm saying," Isen interrupted, "that Dean Mayfest here is talented. Raw, unpolished, but talented nonetheless." He stepped closer, resting a surprisingly gentle hand on my shoulder. "Well done, lad. Rare to see such initiative from someone of your… background."
I forced a nervous smile. "Th-Thank you, sir."
Turning back, Isen added with a sly grin, "And Argois, you owe this boy an apology. Doubting your students so easily reflects poorly on you."
Argois' jaw clenched, but he gave a curt nod. "Understood."
"Good." Isen patted my shoulder once more and turned toward the door. "Mayfest, I expect great things. Don't disappoint me." With that, he strode out, leaving the air oddly lighter in his absence.
My mind raced. So isen's still the same as in the game—kind, blunt, and sharp as ever. Good thing those goggles of his didn't pick up anything strange about [Archiver].
Then the system's chime echoed in my head:
[You have altered the story in a unique way. Reward will be given accordingly.]
[Your Reputation Has Increased: 0.1% → 0.2%.]
I blinked. Wait. I actually got rewarded for this? That's … kind of amazing.
Before I could savor it, Argois' voice drew me back. His posture stiff, he bowed his head slightly. "Dean Mayfest. I… apologize. I misjudged you."
I kept my face neutral. "It's fine, Professor."
But inside?
Oh boy. I feel a bit guilty now. I really did cheat. Guess lucks on my side today.