Book 1 Chapter 737

737.

Ding dong, ding dong-

The bell signaling the end of the Magic Department class and the exam echoed.

"Good job."

Arby collected the exam papers with his characteristic sharp expression.

As soon as the exam ended, Kal collapsed onto his desk as if falling over.

"Ugh…"

Chelsea poked Kal, who had a look as if his soul had left his body, with her finger.

"You're dying."

Kal muttered, looking at Chelsea, who was openly showing a look of pity.

"What good is being a hero if you have to be ground down by school exams?"

"How appalled others would be if they knew that someone who had attained the position of hero was suffering so much just because of a school exam."

Chelsea clicked her tongue.

Abad, who approached Kal, pulled up a chair and sat down, looking puzzled.

"Aren't you supposed to be excused from grades since you received a special admission as a hero anyway?"

"Brother, that seems like a problematic statement."

"I think so too."

Chloe, who had finished grading, approached.

Students swarmed around Chloe.

"Chloe! Let me see my exam paper!"

"Me first!"

The students did not hesitate to engage in a fierce physical struggle to get Chloe's exam paper.

"As expected, Chloe got 100 again this time!"

"Amazing!"

Exclamations poured out from everywhere.

"You're really amazing, aren't you? You got a perfect score on all written exams for this mid-term, too?"

"In our school, practical skills are more important than written exams."

Chloe and Abad had always competed for first place in the Magic Department's overall rankings.

"There's a strong competitor this time, too."

Chloe smiled faintly and looked at Chelsea.

While Chloe and Abad fiercely competed for first place, Chelsea had always been in third place.

However, starting from her third year, Chelsea also joined the competition for first place.

Chelsea made a V with her fingers at Chloe's gaze.

"Hey, you heavenly beings. Please don't talk about that in front of me and go somewhere else, okay?"

Kal said with a gloomy face, and Abad looked puzzled.

"This exam seems particularly stressful. Is there a particular reason you're so desperate about your grades?"

It was unlikely that Kal would suddenly start talking about the duties of a student.

Kal laughed sadly at Abad's question.

"Professor Halind said it would be more interesting if I neglected my grades even though I had special admission."

"Oh dear."

As Abad made a sympathetic expression, Chelsea's eyes sparkled.

"Kal, try to mess up the next exam. I'm curious to see what kind of trouble you'll get into."

"Chelsea. You shouldn't tease your friend."

"Sorry, Kal."

Chelsea apologized immediately as Abad chided her.

"By the way."

Chloe looked puzzled.

"Why is Iliana so quiet?"

The exam had ended with today's major exam.

But Iliana, who should have been the loudest, was quiet.

Everyone looked at Iliana with puzzled expressions.

Iliana, who sat right in front of Leo, was looking at Leo with her hands clasped together as if praying.

Leo, with his chin resting on his hand, stared at Iliana as if bewildered.

"Leo oppa, what is that idiot doing?"

"She's praying."

"Praying?"

Chelsea, with a puzzled expression, approached, and Iliana's mumbling could be heard.

"Lord Kyle. Please. Grant me your protection."

Saying that, Iliana opened her eyes and checked the answer to one of the multiple-choice questions.

"Great! This one is correct too!"

Chelsea crossed her arms, watching Iliana clench her fist and cheer.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm grading."

"No, I get that. But why are you praying to Lord Kyle with Leo oppa sitting there?"

At that, Iliana's face fell sadly.

"In this exam, I've been hunting students every night and putting all my effort into solving the exam questions, so I didn't have enough time to study."

"You don't study normally anyway. You cram a few days before the exam."

It was a cold observation, but Iliana didn't care.

"So, I had no choice but to go all-in on the essay questions because I didn't have time to cram even the scope of the multiple-choice questions."

"Isn't it better to study the scope of the multiple-choice questions since they're easier?"

"Chelsea, you're an idiot."

"Who are you calling an idiot, you idiot!"

"Class president! Chelsea is trying to hit me! Class president! Help!"

Iliana desperately called out to Leo as Chelsea grabbed her by the collar with a blank expression.

"Please go easy on her just this once."

"Tch."

As Leo said with a laugh, Chelsea clicked her tongue and let go.

Iliana, freed from Chelsea's grasp, said.

"Anyway! I have a secret weapon for multiple-choice questions."

"Secret weapon?"

Iliana gave a meaningful look and pulled out a pen from her pencil case.

"The pen the class president used!"

"…Does studying with that make you remember better?"

"Hmph, your thinking is so low-level."

At that, Chelsea looked at Leo.

Leo shrugged as if to say, "Do as you please," and Chelsea, without hesitation, lunged at Iliana, grabbed her arm, and applied an armbar.

"H-Haa, surrender. Surrender. I won't be cheeky anymore."

Tap, tap, tap-

Iliana narrowly escaped Chelsea's grasp by hitting the floor.

With her arms dangling, Iliana pointed to the tip of the pen.

"Look here. There are numbers written on it."

"So?"

"The number rolled by the pen will be the correct answer."

"…She's really an idiot."

Chelsea scowled, but Iliana's expression turned serious.

"Chelsea, don't underestimate Lord Kyle's blessings."

"What?"

"This pen was used by the class president, Kyle's successor. And during the exam, the class president, Kyle's successor, was behind me. I, who receive Kyle's blessings, am invincible in multiple-choice questions. All the multiple-choice questions I guessed with this pen were correct."

"…"

Chelsea looked dazed.

Iliana, holding the pen as if it were a holy relic in both hands, raised it with sparkling eyes.

"Worship Lord Kyle! Then you shall be saved in the exam!"

"Oh, that's a good idea! Should I sell it?"

Just then, Kal approached, showing interest. Iliana carefully put the pen in her pocket and waved her hand.

"Begone, peddler! Shoo! Shoo! If you touch this pen with such irreverent thoughts, the sacred blessings of Lord Kyle will be defiled!"

"But, if you think about it, isn't that Leo's blessing?"

"As I said before, the class president is Kyle's successor. As his successor, it's no different from Kyle himself!"

'…It's strangely close to the truth.'

Kal let out a hollow laugh inwardly.

"Now! Shall I grade the essay questions I answered? Heh heh! This might get better scores than I thought?!"

Iliana, pleased that all her guessed questions were correct, graded the other questions.

A little later.

Thump-

"All wrong."

Chelsea looked at Iliana, who was despairing with her palms and knees on the floor, with a look of pity.

***

The war between the dormitories had also concluded.

The Summoning Department took the overall championship.

It was a feat that narrowly beat out the Knight Department and the Magic Department, which were tied.

At the center of it all was Lil, the dormitory representative.

And Lil was also the MVP.

"Tch, Lil… that monster."

Elena, sprawled on the sofa in Leo's room, wore a rare sulky expression.

Watching Elena, Leo said.

"You seem quite frustrated?"

"Oh my? When it's just the two of us, you don't treat me like a senior anymore?"

Elena squinted her eyes, and Leo chuckled.

Elena, with her legs crossed, irritably loosened her tie and unbuttoned a few top buttons.

It was a rather provocative pose, but it wasn't for any other reason.

She was simply angry because she was frustrated, and her school uniform felt constricting.

After glaring at Leo, Elena snorted and looked at the documents.

The reason Elena, who had set her sights on MVP, was surpassed by Lil was simple.

She couldn't fully focus on the departmental war during the exam period.

Now that she knew the existence of the ability called "unmelting ice" was real, Leo mobilized everything he could to find its whereabouts.

He narrowed down the places where suspicious activity might have occurred.

And Leo enlisted Elena's help to investigate that data.

Elena was far beyond the level of an ordinary student in many ways.

Her skills, her strength as the vice-head of the Zerons, and her power.

Furthermore, since she knew of Leo's existence, it was convenient to ask for help.

With Rishinas in charge of the Shan Empire and manipulating shadows, and having heard that a fragment of Erebus had been resurrected, Elena couldn't just focus on school matters either.

Still, it was frustrating.

Especially since the MVP prize was quite substantial.

As if sulking, Leo spoke to Elena, who was not even looking at him.

"When everything is finished, I'll grant you one wish to cheer you up."

At those words, Elena glanced at Leo.

Then she smiled faintly and straightened her posture.

Leo, who had been staring intently at Elena, who was now smiling cheerfully as if her mood had improved, said casually.

"You're still a child, I see."

At those words, Elena scowled and looked at Leo.

Leo ignored her and focused on the documents when suddenly-

Creeeak-

The door opened, and someone appeared.

Elena's eyes widened slightly upon seeing the other person's face.

'King of Wisdom…'

She had already heard about it.

Moreover, since Elena knew Leo's true identity.

She expected to encounter him soon.

'No, I've actually met him before.'

She had seen Rishinas possessing Chloe's body.

Of course, she didn't know Rishinas's existence at the time, but meeting him directly like this made her nervous.

'She's beautiful.'

Elena muttered inwardly and stood up.

Then she bowed respectfully.

"I pay my respects to the great King of Wisdom. I am Elena Zerone."

"Ah, I've heard a lot about you."

"Please speak comfortably."

"Hmm? Shall I?"

Rishinas smiled faintly and sat on Leo's sofa.

"You have great power for your age. I look forward to your future."

"You flatter me."

Elena smiled faintly.

Rishinas smiled faintly, seeing Elena, who wasn't intimidated at all in front of him.

"However, you're a bit different from what I heard."

"…Leo… No. What did Lord Kyle say about me…?"

"He said you were an incorrigible troublemaker."

Upon hearing that, Elena glared at Leo.

"It's the truth."

Leo smiled nonchalantly.

Rishinas clicked his tongue, seeing Leo's reaction, and said.

"On that note, I've figured out the most suspicious place."

"Where is it?"

"Devian Kingdom."

"…As expected."

"It is as I thought."

Leo and Elena nodded at Rishinas's words.

***

The land of death, ruled by the Death King.

The Commander-in-Chief of Tartarus.

And currently, the only remaining Legion Commander from the Erebus era.

With the Demon Queen and the Giant King having been vanquished,

The Death King's will became the will of Tartarus.

However, the Death King had left his domain to greet someone.

Crackling-

The lifeless land froze.

The Death King smirked and looked at the being before him.

"I pay my respects to the great ancient god."

A respectful greeting.

But a sinister aura of death emanated from the Death King's body.

Flicker-

Black flames erupted from the Death King's body.

"There is no place for you in this era."

The Death King spoke, looking at the silent, forgotten evil god.

"Return to the flames of destruction."

As soon as those words were spoken, a chilling cold swept through.

CRASH-!

The cold and the flames clashed.

The flames of destruction and the eternal ice collided, devastating the surrounding area.