154 – The Exam is Over, Time for Rewards.

─ Practical Exam Concluded. The practical exam has ended.

─ All injured cadets should proceed to the tent set up in the center and receive treatment from Instructor Marcel…

Not only Marcel.

As the exam ended, all the instructors gathered at the tent on the grounds.

Thankfully, no cadets suffered severe injuries, and Instructor Marcel’s final tasks didn’t take long.

“Instructors! You worked hard!”

“You rascals, it’s good to play, but don’t cause trouble outside.”

At Instructor Ed’s words, the remaining group of cadets erupted in laughter and departed.

With the multi-day exam finished, most cadets were leaving the academy en masse, heading to the city center for after-parties.

The tent emptied of cadets without exception.

Only then could the instructors converse comfortably.

The point to note now was the emptiness at Juyeon’s waist. When the instructors focused their questioning gazes on her, Juyeon raised the corners of her lips, candidly revealing the truth.

“Rohan Cadet took the bell.”

“““!!!”””

The instructors knew Juyeon’s personality.

She was definitely not one to show favoritism to a cadet under her charge. She wouldn’t let her guard down just because the opponent was a cadet, and would have conducted the exam with utmost strictness.

Knowing this, the instructors present could not hide their astonishment.

“Hoh! That one’s… a find, he is.”

Ed scratched at his thicket of hair, replaying the close-quarters bout with Rohan.

There had to be something more to it than what he’d seen. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to reach Juyeon.

‘He wasn’t giving it his all with me? Amusing fellow.’

Far from being offended as an instructor, he found it intriguing. Utterly fascinating.

How much would he have grown by the second semester exams? Ed already found it hard to contain his anticipation.

Amidst a short-lived silence thick with admiration,

Instructor Marcel, stroking his beard, spoke.

“Cadet Rohan… displayed a certain spark in his eyes. He is a cadet from whom much is expected.”

“I felt the same.”

Instructors Marcel and Falkenhain, having only briefly encountered Rohan, were equally unstinting in their praise.

With their accumulated years and insight, they’d gleaned a great deal in that short time.

It seemed the moment had turned into an opportunity to offer a word on Rohan, so Carrot and Ed, looking at Juyeon, added their own comments.

“He’s fluent with combat style transitions and tough!”

“The moment I engaged him, the hairs on my neck stood on end… It didn’t feel like I was testing the cadet, you know?”

Juyeon couldn’t hide the smile creeping onto his face.

He was pleased that the cadet he was in charge of was being praised.

“Cadets close to him might, in a positive way, be infected by Rohan… influenced or changed in such a fashion.”

“That would be a good thing, indeed.”

Everyone agreed with Falkenhain and Marcel’s words.

Every instructor present was once regarded as a prodigy amongst their peers.

But their type was closer to Ichinose Yuina or Noah Frozenheart, different in kind from Rohan.

Even Juyeon wasn’t one of them.

That’s why they all felt it.

That having someone as alien as Rohan as a rival during this time of remarkable growth would increase the potential for reaching greater heights.

Juyeon found it increasingly difficult to suppress his grin at the continuing praise of Rohan.

He cleared his throat to change the subject.

“Are there any other noteworthy items? I am curious if there are any bells left.”

As if waiting for the cue, issues began to surface.

“Several cadets failed to pass the exam I administered. I believe it would be best to conduct supplementary lessons and hold a re-examination.”

Marcel, the proctor, who possessed beads equal to the number of students, was displeased with the substantial amount remaining.

So many students, wielding such potent mana, yet lacking finesse.

If the raw force of their mana swells further, it will become harder to correct; it must be remedied swiftly.

And the other proctors were no different.

Proctor Carrot had four beads left out of twenty.

Proctor Ed, starting with the same number, still had eleven remaining.

“Leaving so many beads, Proctor Ed is far too strict, wouldn’t you say?”

“Still, I’ve recorded all the students deserving of bonus points. We can adequately differentiate the rankings.”

Ed waved Carrot’s words aside, and Proctor Marcel rose from his seat.

“Let us move and continue this discussion.”

It was common enough for the proctors to dine together after an exam.

Especially on days like today when the students would swarm the commercial district.

If a problem arose, they had to move immediately, so the proctors’ dinner was practically a certainty.

And so, leaving the tent and heading towards the staff parking lot.

Carrot stuck close to Proctor Joo-yeon.

“Proctor Joo-yeon! It wouldn’t hurt to have a drink today, would it? Ed and I will abstain instead!”

“Hold on, why am I being dragged into this…?”

Ed let out a flustered sound from behind, but Carrot ignored him, continuing to coax Joo-yeon.

She wished to offer Joo-yeon, who restrained herself to a suffocating degree, a taste of primal joy and pleasure, just once.

But Joo-yeon shook her head, declining Carrot’s offer. It wasn’t a lie, she truly was alright.

Her promise with Rohan still lingered in her mind.

“I have another day planned for drinking.”

She wished to postpone alcohol for the sake of future enjoyment.

That was how she felt, at least, for now.

*

Rohan, hearing the announcement that the exam had concluded, gathered his belongings.

Leaving Ichinose and Noah, who were relaxing together, with the promise to prepare quickly and be in touch.

He left Orion Academy, heading towards Sion’s manor.

Sion and Clara, having completed their mission flawlessly, were resting at the manor.

Shouldn’t Rohan go and fetch them?

‘A shower wouldn’t go amiss.’

He buried his nose in his sleeve, taking a sniff. The scent of sweat rose to meet him.

He considered going back to the dorm to wash, but then Zion and Clara’s messages kept arriving, one after the other, barring him from changing course.

[Zion: Showering here avoids a detour.]

[Clara: (灬╹ω╹灬)]

“Hmm…”

Rohan decided to accept the homeowner’s hospitality and make use of the mansion’s shower facilities.

Zion had already stashed some clothes in the provided room, so there shouldn’t be a problem.

And so, he arrived at the mansion with a brisk pace.

Before Rohan could even fiddle with the lock, the door opened from within.

“Oppa…!”

“Welcome. You’ve worked hard.”

The girls, dressed in light clothes, greeted him.

Rohan set his bag and weapons down on the living room floor and offered his thanks to Zion and Clara.

“You two went through even more trouble to cater to my whims.”

“It was a good experience for Clara and me, too. It’s the first time I’ve felt my skills were so useless.”

Zion fluttered her eyes, her pupils morphing into hearts as she gazed at Rohan.

Heart Sniping.

Zion’s skill that makes bullets travel to the heart.

“Did you use a lot of mana? If you’re tired, we can rest today. We can head out another time.”

“It’s not that bad. I only used it briefly a couple of times to create the ideal angle for ricochet.”

Heart Sniping isn’t some ridiculous skill where a bullet fired at the head somehow ends up lodged in the heart.

It simply grants a bonus to accuracy and subtly curves the bullet’s trajectory when targeting the heart from a certain distance.

It’s a tricky skill that can’t be used haphazardly without a solid foundation in marksmanship.

And if one wants to intentionally utilize the curvature the skill creates, like Zion does, then innate talent coupled with grueling training is a must.

“O-Oppa…!”

“Hm?”

“I… It’s been a while since I handled a heavy gun, and my shoulders are stiff…”

Considering Clara’s physical abilities, that made absolutely no sense.

Rohan wouldn’t even entertain such thoughts.

“Are you really uncomfortable?”

“A little? It feels like it’d loosen right up if you touched it…”

“The timing is a bit tight… I’ll head out and give you a massage when I get back. Can you bear with it?”

Sion watched the two of them, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

Rohan, even for himself, was truly weak against Clara.

It was that very kindness that allowed the girls to subtly express their desires.

“Rohan. My legs feel so heavy.”

“…”

Rohan, flustered, lowered his gaze to Sion’s thighs.

Receiving his attention, Sion felt a slight flush creep up her body and took a step closer to Rohan.

The rich scent emanating from Rohan made the girl’s mind feel hazy.

“Aren’t you going to do it? I feel like my fatigue will only accumulate if you leave and come back.”

“If Sion wants it, of course, I have to. We don’t have much time, so I’ll go wash up first.”

When Rohan readily agreed to Sion’s request, Clara mentally added a spot to complain about that evening.

“Rohan. Put your clothes in the basket. I’ll wash them and put them in your room.”

“How can I make the homeowner do something like that? I’ll do the laundry.”

“That won’t do. Right now, Clara’s and my clothes are in the rotation. I even hung up the undergarments to dry.”

“Ri, right…!”

“Ah.”

Rohan’s speechlessness was the perfect opportunity.

Sion and Clara pushed Rohan’s back, directing him towards the shower room.

“Just hurry up and wash. Didn’t you say we don’t have time?”

“Sorry. I’ll be quick.”

Once Rohan closed the door and disappeared.

Sion and Clara looked at each other, nodding with satisfaction.

Even Rohan’s discarded clothes were within the realm of reward for the girls.

The delightful time was just beginning.