Chapter 35: The Placement Assessment and an Unwanted Encounter

The candidates were now poised to undergo a placement assessment, though the specific details of the evaluation remained undisclosed. This assessment would be live-streamed from Theoviga Academy, and every participant in the arena seemed to brim with confidence.

Having regained his male form, Gern watched the students below, who were diligently preparing for the upcoming assessment, a faint sense of wistfulness stirring within him. Thanks to Snow, he was exempt from this particular evaluation; his role, like that of other staff, was simply to observe. Gern settled comfortably into a seat in the lounge area, betraying not the slightest hint of tension.

“Hey, kid! You were the one drinking with the Princess that day, weren’t you?”

Suddenly, a discordant voice cut through the air. Gern looked up, recognizing a few of the men he had encountered briefly that day. Their auras suggested they were all roughly at the Second Tier, with the highest-ranked among them, their leader, only at the peak of the Second Tier. Gern, reluctant to provoke a conflict, responded with respectful deference.

“Are you looking for me, sirs? Perhaps you are friends of Her Highness?”

Seeing Gern’s politeness, the leading youth found it difficult to unleash his anger. He merely snorted, his voice laced with menace.

“Kid, don’t let us catch you during the assessment later, or you’ll get what’s coming to you!”

After delivering his threat, the youth led his companions away. Gern watched their retreating backs and couldn’t help but let out a soft scoff. ‘I don’t even need to take the assessment, and it’s highly unlikely I’ll be assigned to the same class as them anyway. Snow said I’d have a private tutor once I arrived at the Academy.’ As for their threats, Gern dismissed them entirely. ‘Just a Second Tier Knight. What if he’s one step away from the Third Tier? It’s not like I can’t beat him.’

****

Following this minor interlude, Gern, feeling a touch bored, suddenly noticed a figure approaching him from a distance. A shiver involuntarily ran down his spine, his first instinct to bolt in the opposite direction. Yet, he forcibly quelled this primal urge, instead greeting the young woman with a smile.

“Well, well, isn’t it the Princess herself? Is there something I can do for you?”

Lilia eyed him askance, then reached out and playfully pinched Gern’s cheek.

“Hm?!”

The sudden sting of pain caused Gern to recoil a step, his violet eyes wide with disbelief and alarm.

“Princess, perhaps… it would be best to maintain some distance. After all, it’s improper for men and women to be too close.”

“Improper for men and women to be too close?” Lilia repeated Gern’s words in her mind, a hint of amusement bubbling within her, though her expression remained impassive. “Why so formal? We’re drinking buddies, aren’t we? Just call me Lilia.”

“Alright, alright, Miss Lilia.” Gern shrugged helplessly. Even with this renewed interaction, he maintained his guard.

“So, Miss Lilia, what brings you to me?”

“Could you be my teammate?”

“Teammate?”

“Yes, I’ve heard a rumor that this assessment involves hunting magical beasts in the forest. These beasts are specially bred by the Academy to hone students’ combat will. Going solo makes it incredibly difficult to score high, so I was hoping to find someone to team up with. What do you think?”

“Ah, I see… I refuse.”

“Eh?”

The light in Lilia’s eyes dimmed slightly.

“Why?”

“Because…”

Gern had been about to say that he didn’t need to take the assessment, that Miss Snow had simply passed him. But then he remembered that Lilia had seen him in his Dragon Girl form, alongside Miss Snow. If he revealed that, there was an eighty percent chance his identity would be exposed. He thought for a moment, then amended his answer.

“Because I already have a teammate. I’m truly sorry, Miss Lilia.”

“Who is he?”

“Hm?”

“Who is he?”

Lilia’s sudden surge of anger made Gern retreat once more. If she took another step forward, he was ready to unleash his Netherworld Steps. Lilia, noticing her outburst, quickly regained her composure and gave a slight bow.

“My apologies, Gern. I lost my temper. I was just curious who you were teaming up with. If it’s inconvenient to say, then I won’t press.”

“It’s not inconvenient. A close friend of mine also passed the student assessment, so we plan to act together.”

“Alright, then. I apologize for bothering you, Mr. Gern.”

Upon hearing this, Lilia’s heart finally settled. She knew Gern’s situation; in her Dragon Girl identity, even with a disguise, it was utterly impossible for him to have a ‘close friend.’ This was merely an excuse to avoid teaming up with her. But why would he be so resistant? It baffled Lilia. She had previously speculated that Gern was avoiding her, even fearing her, but she had never found a logical explanation. Perhaps Gern simply disliked humans who got too close to her, she could only conclude for now.

****

As the assessment drew near, candidates from across the world had arrived at the venue, eagerly preparing in the plaza before the grand building. Watching their eager anticipation, Snow, standing on the high platform, allowed a faint smile to grace her lips. She then addressed the crowd.

“Silence, everyone! I am the examiner in charge of this assessment. You may call me the Snow Witch, or you may call me the Vice-Dean.”

“Hiss, that woman is the Vice-Dean?”

“The Vice-Dean is truly beautiful. If I could marry the Vice-Dean in this lifetime, my life would be complete.”

“Get real! I heard the Vice-Dean only likes girls.”

“Ah? Then, good brother, can you turn me into a girl?”

“…”

“Is the placement assessment really this grand? The Vice-Dean personally overseeing it? That’s too exaggerated.”

The murmurs from below were incessant, and Snow, growing impatient with the noise, subtly released a fraction of her power. In an instant, the temperature across the entire grounds plummeted, and a sudden, sharp frost blossomed on the surrounding flora.

“I said… Silence! Can you not hear me?!”

At this, not a single person dared to utter a sound. Even Gern, who had been idly watching the show from the sidelines, was startled by Snow’s display. Just a tiny wisp of her power, escaping her control, was enough to freeze everything around them. If she were to unleash her full power, this place would surely become an icy wasteland.

Seeing that all discussion had ceased, Snow continued.

“Your assessment criteria will be based on your survival time, combined with the level and quantity of magical beasts you hunt. You may attack other students, but you must not cause fatalities or permanent injuries.”

“The assessment will last for ten days. The events will be live-streamed, and each of you carries a memory stone to record your actions within the grounds. If anyone is found destroying their memory stone, they will be immediately expelled from the assessment.”

“During this period, the Academy will not provide any assistance. Does anyone have any objections?”

The arena remained in utter silence. Snow nodded, satisfied, feeling that they now looked like proper students.

“Very well, I declare this placement assessment officially open!”