Cromwell's Lab.

"So, I've won the bet since Evan technically won."

Cromwell declared his victory, but his face was far from happy.

In contrast, it was Robert who sported a grin and started talking.

"It must be nice to get out of guard duty."

Robert teased Cromwell, humming a playful tune.

Even though Cromwell was the victor, it was Robert who mocked him.

That was because he'd heard the full story about the incident from the teaching assistant.

The clash between Evan and Rudy.

More than a couple of teaching assistants had watched this fight.

They were ready for any issues, knowing it was a battle between reputedly strong students.

As the teaching assistants anticipated, it was a fierce battle.

Their fight resulted in damage to the surrounding trees and landscape.

At the fight's end, Rudy landed the final hit, sending Evan flying far away.

The teaching assistants were on high alert, ready to intervene even in the final moments.

Usually, students at the end are so thrilled that they often launch a huge attack, even when the opponent can no longer fight back.

They were prepared to stop the fight if Rudy tried to attack Evan further, but what Rudy did next was unexpected.

He didn't just refrain from attacking; he didn't even take the gem from Evan.

The teaching assistants were puzzled and reported it to Cromwell.

And now.

The bet had started over 'who has a better eye for students' and 'who has trained their students better'.

But they couldn't outright order the students to fight each other.

So they wagered on the scores.

Even if Rudy had directly fought with Evan and won, it was fine to lose the bet.

Scores weren't important.

They just wanted to prove that their judgment was correct.

"Wow~ Professor Cromwell sure knows how to pick students who score well."

Robert didn't dispute when knowing the reason for the bet.

He simply accepted his loss cheerfully and shrugged it off.

Robert was happy just proving he had taught Rudy well and that his judgment wasn't off.

"Whoever taught Rudy has trained him well in combat. Hahahaha!"

Robert exited Cromwell's lab, his laughter filling the air.

"Hmm....."

Cromwell watched Robert leave, a frown on his face.

"The top first-year student this year is Rudy Astria, right?"

Cromwell had chosen Evan after much consideration.

After all, he was the one who kept taking the Top Seat among the first years.

He had bet on Evan's potential.

However, the highest-ranking first-year student this year was unusual.

Despite consistently scoring top grades, he didn't draw attention.

The professors' focus was on different students.

McGuire, Robert, and the other professors all focused on one unusual student.

"He seems pretty capable..."

Nobody doubted Evan's superior skills.

Yet, if asked whether they could mentor him well, they would shake their heads.

The method Evan used in his individual assessment.

None of the professors knew such a technique.

Given the professors' abilities, it was far more effective to overpower than to use such a method.

"Will this be a curse... or a blessing..."

Evan's unusualness was an advantage, but the absence of any mentorship was a significant drawback.

He had to chart his own path, without help.

Of course, they could help with intermediate magic like eco-magic, but even that wasn't ordinary.

"I have no clue..."

Cromwell would have thought more about it if Evan was his official disciple, but he decided to let it go, figuring Evan had his own plans.

He simply grabbed the calendar on his desk and erased all his scheduled guard duties.

"I should just be content that I won't have guard duty."

Cromwell sighed, finding some satisfaction in this ambiguous victory.

He had been defeated.

Thoroughly defeated.

He had done his best, but it was still not enough to reach him.

Evan was alone in his room, lost in thought over his sword.

"Did I choose the wrong way......?"

Was it a mistake to use a sword, being a wizard?

Then again, Rudy Astria was too unusual to be considered a typical wizard.

A wizard who employs fists, magic, and even elementals.

He was versatile, if that's the term you want to use, or a jack-of-all-trades.

"But... what about me?"

No matter how much he thought, he had no particular color.

He wasn't exceptionally strong in any one area, nor could he freely handle a variety of skills.

All he did was create a new magic.

This might surprise some, but it wasn't anything spectacular.

Others might argue, but at least to Evan, it was so.

"What do I want to do......?"

He had clinched the Top Seat.

If you only consider this, he could be said to have beaten Rudy Astria, but it felt like an empty victory.

The joint practical was no different.

Clearly, he had been beaten and lost consciousness.

But Rudy Astria didn't steal his gem.

"Intentionally......"

He was unsure what Rudy was aiming for, but he didn't take his score.

Because of this, he felt even more defeated.

As he thought more, he felt like Rudy Astria was giving him the Top Seat.

Evan shook his head when this thought crossed his mind.

Why would Rudy Astria surrender the spot to him?

In this aspect, he firmly believed he was a step ahead of Rudy Astria.

"I will...never concede first place."

A fight?

He could tolerate losing once in a while.

But he couldn't lose in the assessment that evaluated his semester-long efforts.

Evan clenched his fist tightly at this thought.

Following the training, the Academy granted the first and second-year students a break.

It appeared to be a chance for the students injured during the training to comfortably receive treatment and refocus on their studies.

After such a sweet break passed.

"Ah......"

I found myself looking at the report card posted on the notice board.

Evan, precisely in the second position.

And Rie, who had secured the first place.

"......What is this?"

This was already a point of concern.

The growth of those around me.

They were progressing too quickly.

Whether it was Rie or Luna......

While I did predict such a situation to some extent, I genuinely didn't consider it a significant problem.

If it helps in the fight against the enemy, it's a boon.

I never thought it could be a hindrance.

"Still, I didn't expect this to happen......"

There was only one reason for this outcome.

The fight between Rie and Luna.

If that fight hadn't taken place, Evan would have comfortably claimed first place.

However, because Luna and Rie fought, Rie claimed all of Luna's points.

I reflected slowly.

The influence joint practical has on the total score and the impact of midterms and final exams......

While the joint practical indeed accounts for a large portion of the score, it didn't carry enough weight to invalidate the results of other exams.

"If Evan...continues to score perfectly......"

But on calculation, it was really a narrow escape.

Evan naturally had to receive perfect scores, and Rie had to underperform on the tests.

It was a fact that a minor score difference has a substantial impact on top-ranking students.

"Sigh......"

I sighed after musing for a while and turned around.

Then I saw Astina trailing behind me.

Her usually noticeable dark circles and fatigue were visible.

Astina, with a vacant expression, held documents in her hand and sighed as she walked past me.

"Astina, ?"

When I called her name, Astina was startled and looked at me.

It appeared she hadn't even noticed that I was next to her.

"Ah...Rudy......"

"Do you have something on your mind? You look quite exhausted."

Astina gave an awkward smile and gestured towards the documents.

"Paperwork to be done. It's more than just a few."

"......Are there that many documents?"

Seeing the documents in Astina's hands, I regretted asking the question.

At first glance, the sheer volume of paperwork was daunting.

"Um... I'll help you carry them."

"......Okay. Thank you."

I took Astina's documents and directed our steps towards the student council room.

I paced alongside her.

Then, Astina broke the silence.

"You've done something peculiar again."

"Peculiar... what?"

I asked Astina, my face a mask of confusion.

"Evan mentioned that you didn't take his points."

"Ah......"

Astina chuckled softly at my response.

"I thought you didn't want to be the top student to not draw attention with such noticeable behavior?"

I chose not to answer Astina's statement.

But, Astina insisted.

"You said before that you opted to be the runner-up because you dread the responsibility that accompanies being the top student."

I gave a slight nod in response to her words.

"Don't be afraid."

Upon hearing those words, I met Astina's gaze.

Astina appeared serious.

But then, her expression relaxed, and she laughed lightly.

"I must be out of my mind because I'm tired. I'm talking nonsense."

Afraid......

I had no regrets about the decisions I've made so far.

Gradually, I was becoming certain of my survival, and I was also contributing to Evan's development.

Evan's growth......

Evan's top rank......

That was the most efficient survival strategy in the end.

Amongst various alternatives, I was selecting the one with the highest probability for everyone at the academy to survive.

And I knew the result......

"I understand. I'll handle it."

As I was deep in contemplation for a moment, the student council office materialized before my eyes.

Astina unlocked the door to the student council office and attempted to take the documents I was holding.

Then, suddenly, Astina swayed a little, losing her balance.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh......"

Fortunately, she didn't tumble, having rapidly regained her balance, but something was wrong.

I studied her and suggested cautiously.

"Wouldn't it be better to take a brief rest?"

I was concerned she might suddenly collapse.

"I can't... I've got a pile of work these days......"

"Nevertheless, you should take a break."

Then the student council office door swung open, and Rie emerged, declaring,

"Hand it to me, I'll take it."

Rie naturally attempted to take the documents I was holding.

I recalled how Rie appeared after the practical.

She had been staggering and clinging to me.

I expected Rie to shout at me, "It was because of the medicine!" when we meet again, but she was surprisingly calm.

"Rie, you seem to have recovered now?"

As I handed over the documents to Rie, I voiced my thoughts.

Then, as Rie accepted the documents, her hand lightly brushed against mine.

"Huh!!!"

With that, Rie was startled and retreated swiftly, clutching her hand.

"......"

I observed Rie in her current state.

Then, Rie curled up defensively and stammered,

"W-w-what!!! What! G-g-give me the documents! Quickly!"

"......Here you are."

I was dumbfounded by her reaction, which was so different from her initial calm approach.

If she was going to react that way, she should have done so from the beginning.

Rie quickly grabbed the documents and ran into the student council room without saying anything else.

"What was that about......"

I mumbled to myself and shifted my gaze to Astina.

"Well, Astina, health comes first. You should take care of your health while working."

Astina gave me a smile before disappearing into the student council room.