The chirping of birds echoed in the early morning air.

The recent days had been hot, but a cool breeze prevailed during the mornings.

Yeniel was warming up in the sports field.

A sigh escaped her as she prepared for her daily workout routine.

Her day started at dawn.

A ritual from her time as an assassin involving stretches and meditation to condition her body and mind.

Over the years, this routine had become second nature.

Skipping it would make her feel sluggish all day.

So she continued her exercises, then took a shower.

***

***

Fresh and rejuvenated, she headed towards the classroom.

On the way, she noticed teaching assistants updating a board.

They were posting rankingslikely the newly announced grades.

Though grades weren't her priority, Yeniel was curious about her rank, since Evan had been teaching her.

She moved closer to examine the rankings:

Evan

Of course, Evan held the top spot. It was predictable, given his diligent studying habits. Her gaze scanned the rest of the list.

Rudy Astria

Yeniel

Rie Von Ristonia

"......?"

Puzzled, Yeniel scrutinized the grades. She blinked and double-checked the bulletin board. It remained unchanged.

"Oh! Isn't this Yeniel, the pride of our Swordsmanship Department!"

A burly professor from the Swordsmanship Department strode towards her, his booming laughter resonating in the corridor.

His massive muscles were a testament to his hard work.

"Hello."

Politely, Yeniel greeted him and gestured towards the board.

"It seems.....the grades are a bit strange...."

"Heh heh heh! Modesty, eh? Fitting for the pride of the Swordsmanship Department!"

Bewildered, Yeniel looked at the professor.

"With your top score in swordsmanship and you aced the general knowledge exam, that rank is no surprise! You even surpassed that so-called wise princess! Truly, you're our department's pride. Ha ha ha!"

The professor chortled, walking away after adding, "Can't wait to see Cromwell's face!"

"???"

Meanwhile, in his office, Professor Cromwell was staring at the grade report, sighing.

"Haaah... These kids..."

Professor Cromwell stared at the grade sheet spread across his desk.

The top students' scores had taken a serious hit.

It wasn't a matter of one or two students; the average score had dipped significantly.

While Evan's performance was stable, both Rudy and Rie's grades had plummeted.

"This is a disgrace to the Magic Department....."

The Magic Department was traditionally at the top of the academy's academic leaderboard.

Not so much a tradition as an inevitable fact.

Excelling in the Swordsmanship Department or other fields required physical training.

Students who opted for the Swordsmanship Department came not to study, but to train.

Naturally, they didn't have as much time to hit the books.

But Yeniel was an exception.

As a former assassin, she was already proficient in swordsmanship and martial arts.

All she needed was to polish those skills and develop her sword aura.

High grades in swordsmanship, combined with ample study time, resulted in her stellar performance.

Unaware of this, Professor Cromwell was left puzzled.

"But this student..."

Cromwell glanced at the lower part of the report card.

Luna Railer

"Why has her score fallen so much?"

"Haah...."

Luna walked aimlessly, yawning.

Upset over the previous day's exam, she had cheered up after a delightful dinner with Rudy.

She figured everyone found the test tough, Rudy and Rie included.

"It can't be that bad, right?"

Just as Luna thought that, her spirits took a nosedive.

"No, this can't be."

From a mid-term rank of fifth, she had plummeted to thirty-fifth.

"What... what should I do?"

Despair washed over Luna, but she soon started to rationalize.

"Does... does it really matter, these grades?"

She nodded, trying to convince herself.

"Exactly! These numbers don't mean anything!"

"What do you mean they don't mean anything?"

The voice startled Luna.

"Pr...Professor Cromwell?"

Behind her stood Cromwell, arms folded, staring at her.

"Come with me, Luna Railer."

"Eek."

Luna trailed after Cromwell, a gloomy expression on her face.

They headed to Cromwell's office, where Rudy and Rie were already seated, heads bowed.

"You've really messed this up."

Cromwell showed them their grades, all lower than the previous exam.

"Considering that Rudy Astria was hospitalized, that's understandable. But what about you two? Why the drop?"

"I'm sorry....."

Luna mumbled, head still bowed.

Rie, on the other hand, spoke with conviction.

"The exam this time was tough. Isn't that why everyone's scores dipped?"

Her tone was confident but respectful.

Professor Cromwell responded by presenting them with the top students' scores.

"Take a look."

Evan's grades remained unchangedperfect scores on both midterms and final exams.

The same held true for other top performers.

"Lower-ranking students did see their scores drop, but the top-ranking students' performance held steady. You three are the exception."

"Eh......"

"Huh...."

Rie and Luna were taken aback by their scores.

Comparing their own scores to the rest, they realized how much they had slipped.

"Yes, as Rie and Rudy's scores were already high, a slight drop didn't affect their ranks much."

Having said this, Professor Cromwell turned to Luna.

"Luna Railer."

"Yes...?"

"What are your plans for the holidays?"

Luna fiddled with her fingers, her eyes darting.

"I, I intended to go back home..."

"So, you're free."

Next, Professor Cromwell offered Luna a sheet of paper.

"It's an invitation to a special lecture by Professor McGuire over the break."

Luna accepted the paper, scanning its contents.

The lecture focused on magical circle theory, a topic Cromwell knew Luna was keen on.

"Attending this lecture could help cut down your regular study time."

While Luna found the lecture appealing, there was one glaring issue.

"I... I don't think I can attend..."

The issue was the cost.

The lecture fee, written at the bottom of the paper, was beyond Luna's means.

She had some funds from Rudy for research, but she couldn't use them for a special lecture.

Asking Rudy would probably result in him happily footing the bill, but she was uncomfortable with that.

She was already relying on him for tuition, living expenses, and research funds.

She couldn't ask for more.

Cromwell glanced between Rie and Rudy.

"You two may leave."

"...Understood."

Rudy and Rie, concern etched on their faces, glanced at Luna before exiting.

Watching them leave, Cromwell leaned back in his chair.

"I will cover the lecture's cost."

"...What?"

Luna's eyes widened at Professor Cromwell's words.

"I can manage that. Learn from Professor McGuire, improve your grades."

"But... Professor, you don't have to..."

"On the contrary, Luna. I do."

Professor Cromwell declared, gritting his teeth, fists clenched.

"I can't bear those swordsmanship department brutes belittling my magic department any longer...!"

"...Huh?"

Luna's head tilted in confusion as Cromwell veered off-topic.

Cromwell rose from his seat, his grip firm on Luna's shoulders as he locked eyes with her.

"Luna, study hard, and show Yeniel or whoever she is your strength. Don't let those muscle-brained guys stand tall."

His gaze held an intense fervor that made Luna chuckle awkwardly.

It was strangely heartening to see the usually grouchy Cromwell so fired up.

"Ahahaha."

"Then I'll assume there are no objections. I'll arrange the special lectures with Professor Mcguire."

"AhThank you!"

Bowing deeply, Luna offered her sincere gratitude. Cromwell responded with a warm smile.

As Luna exited his office, Cromwell returned his attention to her exam paper.

Luna's answers in the magic theory section were all correctshe even correctly answered some questions that both Princess Rie and Rudy Astria had missed.

Only Evan and Luna had correctly answered these particular questions.

"Rie will figure it out."

Rie, ever prideful, would use this setback as a lesson to drive her own improvement, but Luna was a different story.

Her scores had dropped since the previous test, and Cromwell suspected she would rationalize her performance.

She might have convinced herself that her recent score reflected her actual ability and that her midterm success was merely luck.

"Why did her scores drop?"

Cromwell furrowed his brow.

He couldn't imagine that her grades had dropped because she was busy preparing for Rudy's birthday.

***

3/5 Enjoy the chappy!

Coming soon!