Chapter 346

The exam period was only a week away.

Tension was palpable among the first-year students of Seirun.

“Is this my seat?”

“It was empty. Why is it yours?”

“It was only for a moment. I had my book here.”

“There was no such thing.”

“Huh? You intentionally moved it, didn’t you?”

First-year library.

Sharp voices were exchanged in a place where silence should have reigned.

“Both of you, stop talking. Can’t you see others studying?”

At that moment, an irritated voice cut in between them.

The two students reacting sharply to each other flinched.

Seeing them, a female student smirked.

“Hmph, if you’re nothing but lower intermediate class, why bother disturbing others?”

“What? What did you say?”

“You’re barely in the upper third class as well!”

“Are you serious? Are upper and lower classes the same to you? You fools.”

“That…!”

Voices rose once again.

Watching this, Eclere got up from her seat.

As the exam period approached, the atmosphere among the first-year students grew tense.

Especially between the lower first class, which could advance to the upper level anytime, and the upper third class, which could drop down if they faltered, nervous conflicts were frequent.

‘This isn’t right.’

Eclere muttered to herself.

As a student in the upper first class and the representative of the year, Eclere struggled to adjust to the recent school atmosphere.

She knew that, as a school, there was bound to be competition.

As the class representative, she understood that many people were after her position.

However, the recent school atmosphere was far too overt, aside from Lea and Elric who scored higher than her.

Upper first class students were preoccupied with keeping an eye on Eclere.

Many students avoided speaking to her, while those who did secretly criticized her behind her back.

Furthermore, the atmosphere in the class wasn’t good either.

The upper first class students were as restless eating each other alive.

‘At least the new teacher Geras seems to be encouraging such a tense atmosphere…’

Lea was an exception.

Dominating as the year’s top student and a direct heir of the Tingel family, everyone was eager to get close to her.

Among them were those who openly tried to split the relationship between Lea and Eclere.

It was the doing of offspring from prestigious families who underestimated Eclere’s affiliated Wellarun family.

Of course, Lea openly ignored them.

‘But… having school life with only two heart-opening friends, I couldn’t have imagined this.’

With drooping ears, Eclere searched for a quiet place to study.

Anyway, she had to give her all as the third in her year.

Arriving at a secluded corner of the Start’s Castle, the first-year building, Eclere looked around.

An old classroom block.

A place rarely visited by anyone.

‘Here, I can probably study in peace…’

“Aha-ha-ha-ha!”

At that moment, the sound of many people laughing reached her ears.

Eclere’s ears perked up at the immensely cheerful laughter.

Holding her textbook tightly, Eclere cautiously headed in the direction of the sound.

When Eclere arrived at the old hallway, her eyes widened.

‘Lower class?’

Realizing she somehow ended up at the lower class rooms, Eclere blinked when this happened.

“Correct! Emethra magical power theory!”

“Ding!”

“Ah!”

“You fool! What happens if you get it wrong? There’s a punishment, you know?”

“Punishment! Punishment!”

Reprimanding shouts and jeers were heard.

However, those voices were filled with playful mischief.

Swallowing hard, Eclere carefully opened the back door to peek inside.

Lower class students were dividing into teams for a quiz competition.

The quiz competition’s scope seemed to cover the upcoming mid-term exam subjects.

The penalties involved eating extremely sour and spicy fruits.

Eclere stared in a daze at the joyful scene when it happened.

Creak!

“Huh?!”

Thump!

“Eek?!”

Leaning against the door and observing the lower class students playing, Eclere fell forward when the door suddenly opened.

At once, the gaze of a hundred lower class students fell on Eclere.

“Eclere Wellarun?”

“Isn’t that the class representative?”

“What’s the class representative doing here in the lower classes?”

Suspicious expressions clouded the faces of the lower class students as they looked at Eclere.

“Ah, sorry, I was just looking for a place to study and ended up here by chance!”

Eclere answered as she got up.

“What? Are you here to spy on us?”

“Maybe! You could have come here to tattle on us to the upper class teachers!”

Senior and intermediate class students had often fabricated baseless excuses to label lower class students as rule violators to cause them trouble under the guise of pleasing teachers.

Moreover, as these students were secretly studying the “Introduction to the Magic of Stars,” not meant to be exposed, their vigilance was even higher.

Looking at the openly distrustful and hostile lower class students, Eclere nervously shook her head.

“Ah, no! I really just came here to study for the exam! Truly!”

As Eclere complained with a sad expression, someone else spoke.

“Children, stop it. She said she came here to study.”

Angr calmed down the same-class students.

“And Eclere Wellarun is different from other upper class kids. She is a kind one.”

“If Angr says so.”

“But if you’re the head of the class, shouldn’t you study in the best seats at the library?”

“Exactly. Why did you come here?”

The students looked at each other and tilted their heads.

“Senior students also have their own difficulties, right?”

Eclere’s ears drooped at Leo’s words.

Seeing such Eclere, Angr scratched his cheek and said,

“Would you like to study with us during the self-study time?”

“Really? Is that okay?”

Nodding at the brightly smiling Eclere, Angr said,

“Of course. Everyone’s fine with it, right?”

“Uh-huh. We don’t care.”

The atmosphere followed the general agreement as Angr’s leader-like manner resonated.

Watching this, Leo smirked.

‘That’s a good mood.’

The next day.

As soon as the classes ended, Eclere headed somewhere.

The upper class students watching her started chattering.

“Did you hear? Eclere hung out with the lower class students yesterday.”

“Shame on her, disgracing the upper class.”

Mocking laughter spread from every corner.

While organizing her books, Lea glared at them and looked toward the door Eclere had gone out of, thinking.

‘I’m envious! Eclere!’

There’s Leo, whom Lea admired deeply, in the lower classes.

Eclere was going there to study with such Leo.

“By now, the younger students should be studying under the guidance of Senior Flob. I also want to go and study with them.”

However, Lea couldn’t go.

She remembered what Senior Leo had said to two seniors from the second year, Lunia and Eiran.

“Senior Leo said that grades should be improved solely by the strength of the lower class.”

If Lea were to go and study together, there would definitely be rumors.

“Though even Eclere, as the year’s representative, might attract gossip…”

She couldn’t stop Eclere.

Lea knew that her closest friend, Eclere, was struggling with school life.

‘Even Eclere wants to make many friends.’

There was no atmosphere in which one could make friends in the current upper or intermediate classes.

As Lea sighed quietly, someone called out.

“Lea.”

“Yes, Elric.”

“Shouldn’t we stop Eclere?”

Elric showed concern as a friend.

Seeing this, Lea picked up her bag and replied,

“She’ll be fine. Don’t worry too much.”

“Still…”

“Rather, shouldn’t I be worried about you?”

“What?”

“If Eclere beats you for second place.”

Lea gave a faint smile and left the classroom.

“Our school needs to change.”

Taking in the awe-filled gazes of the other students, Lea sighed.

The sights she had once taken for granted seemed different after hearing Leo’s words.

She clearly saw that the lower class students were being discriminated against.

‘If it doesn’t change, I’ll transfer to Lumeran no matter what dad says.’

Lea clasped her hands, lost in reverie.

‘Then, I can have a happy school life receiving guidance from Senior Flob, right?!’

As Lea left the classroom,

Teacher Geras, who remained in the classroom, narrowed his eyes.

“Eclere Wellarun… playing with the lower class, as expected, shows the inadequacy of a less prestigious family.”

With an irritated expression, he smirked.

In his hand was the list of teams for the upcoming practical exam.

The power of the upper first class homeroom teacher was immense.

He had the authority to arrange the practical exam teams for all first-year students.

‘Humph, if she ends up in the same group as the lower class students, she’ll realize her mistake and regret it.’

On the day of the first-year mid-term practical exam at Seirun.

All students of Seirun gathered at the “Start’s Castle” building.

The exam venue was the training grounds located in the outer area of the first-year Start’s Castle.

Since the exam task was monster taming, the first years were filled with tension.

Some had hopeful expressions, eager to show their abilities in front of the seniors.

This mid-term was the first official chance after enrollment to display their skills in front of the prestigious seniors.

The first years wanted to make an impression on renowned seniors.

“Huh! Aren’t those second-year senior Tuinas?”

“Right!”

“Should we talk to them?”

First years were in a flurry as they looked at the second-year Tuina siblings ranked 4th and 5th.

Lower class students noticed the Tuina siblings and were surprised.

“Huh! Senior Tuina!”

“I like them.”

The Tuina siblings were from the lower class at the time of their enrollment but climbed into the upper first class through relentless efforts during the first semester.

The second-year runner-up Eiran also started from an intermediate class but rose to the second place overnight, respected highly among the lower class students but not as much as the Tuina siblings who started from the lower class.

Leo glanced at the lower class students.

After putting much effort into studying, they looked extremely nervous with the exam day arriving.

Leo approached the Tuina siblings as he watched the lower class students.

“Let’s see if there are any promising juniors.”

Aris, the younger sibling, seriously evaluated them.

Perceiving her serious expression, Jin looked smug.

“The respect-filled gaze of the juniors is overwhelming.”

“That’s not for you, it’s me they’re looking at.”

Aris smirked back playfully as Jin frowned.

“No, it’s for me. They’re looking at me.”

“I have three reasons why they look at me. One, I study better than you. Two, I’ve been the year’s representative. Three, you have never been the representative. Does that explain?”

“How good could you be if you’re better than me? And you couldn’t keep the representative seat for even a week! And you, did you just say ‘you’ to your older brother?”

“If you’re upset, then get a higher grade than me! And quit boasting just because you were born thirty seconds before me! Girls are originally better at studying!”

“Where is the logic here?”

While the siblings began arguing, the first-year students were taken aback. Students hesitating to get involved in the fight between the heavenly seniors burst into laughter.

“What? Aren’t you from the lower class?”

“Lower class students don’t speak to the upper class seniors, right?”

“Lacking self-awareness.”

Ignoring those jeers, Leo approached the two siblings and said,

“Senior students, my classmates admire you a lot. Could you give them a word of encouragement?”

As someone spoke, the Taena siblings who were about to grab each other’s collars paused.

And after clearing their throats awkwardly, they looked at the person who had spoken.

“Okay, what class… Cuh…?!”

“Big brother, why are you so… Hee?”

The Taena siblings, trying to show their dignity as seniors, were startled when they recognized Leo’s face.

“You, you! Why are you here?”

“Why are you wearing our school uniform…”

“Shh…”

Leo raised a finger to his lips with a faint grin.

At that, Aris and Taena shut their mouths.

“Can you encourage our students, please? We are the lower class.”

As Leo pointed at the lower class students, who were nervously looking away, Aris and Taena approached them.

When all eyes were on them, Taena spoke to the lower class students.

“Don’t be discouraged just because you’re lower class!”

“Yes! You can do it if you work hard. Look at this fool, he made it to the upper class!”

“Fool? Did you just call me a fool?”

“If you’re upset, study better than me!”

“I’m telling mom!”

“Ack! You pulled my hair! I’ll tell dad on you!”

The two siblings, who were supposed to be cheering, started wrestling, grabbing each other’s heads.

Seeing this, the lower class students began to laugh.

Seeing this, Leo lightly smirked and said,

“Everyone, relax and just do what you’ve practiced. I promise you.”

Leo looked at the intermediate and upper-class students and said,

“By the end of this exam, there will be a change in our rankings.”