Chapter 62

Chapter 62. Midterm Evaluation (7)

A quiet silence fell over the clearing in the forest.

I hastily stepped back, my face pale, and asked, “What kind of crazy nonsense is that…?”

“Why, do you dislike it?”

“This isn’t about liking or disliking, is it?!”

Professor Elisha looked at me, flustered, and chuckled. “It’s a joke, so don’t get so worked up.”

“……”

I stared at Professor Elisha, who was making such a serious expression that it was hard to believe she was joking, and made a face of utter disbelief.

‘What era is this, huh? A professor making such jokes to a candidate?’

Frowning, I glared at Professor Elisha, and she smiled faintly, placing her hand on her chest.

“Well, aside from the joke, it’s true that I’m interested in Candidate Dale. Both as a hero and as a man.”

“…Huh?”

Wait, what? A sudden straight pitch here?

“Is there a rule that says a professor can’t be interested in a candidate?”

“No, well… I guess not.”

“Before being a professor, I’m also a woman. It’s only natural to be drawn to a man I like.”

“Uh… so you’re saying right now…?”

My mind went blank from the unexpected barrage of straight pitches.

‘Professor Elisha Baldwin is interested in me?’

What kind of situation is this, seriously.

“…Isn’t this only the second time we’ve met and talked?”

And even that wasn’t exactly a pleasant conversation.

“Hmm? Does the number of times we’ve met matter when a woman is drawn to a man?”

“…At least, I don’t think there’s been anything in our meetings so far that would make you interested in me.”

Let’s set aside the whole “female” and “male” terminology for now.

“Didn’t I show you? Didn’t I show you on the very first day we met?”

“You mean the duel with Instructor Vincent?”

Well, it’s true that it’s not common for a mere candidate to overwhelm an instructor in a duel.

But to be honest, it wasn’t enough to attract the attention of the “Spider of the Abyss,” who ranks 9th among thousands, tens of thousands of heroes.

‘Even Yuren could have easily overwhelmed Instructor Vincent.’

I didn’t even need to go as far as Yuren.

Even Camila could have put up a decent fight against Instructor Vincent.

‘Instructor Vincent’s level isn’t really that overwhelmingly high, after all.’

The reason Instructor Vincent showed such overwhelming prowess at first was solely due to the level of his duel opponents.

Candidates who barely scrape by with average grades couldn’t possibly withstand the attacks of an instructor who specializes in swift swordsmanship.

“Hmm. Of course, that’s part of it.”

“There’s something else?”

“Yes.”

Something else that could attract Elisha’s interest.

‘Don’t tell me.’

Could it be that she found out about the Primordial Flame?

“Hehe. It seems you’re misunderstanding something.”

As I glared at her with suspicious eyes, Professor Elisha smiled faintly.

“What attracted my interest the most was Candidate Dale’s appearance.”

“…Huh?”

My mind went blank from the completely unexpected answer.

Professor Elisha raised her hand and gently stroked my cheek, then nodded with a satisfied expression.

“Indeed, your gloomy and melancholic appearance is just perfect. I really like it.”

“……”

What is this?

Is she picking a fight now?

“Ugh. Don’t stare at me like that.”

Professor Elisha avoided my gaze and let out a fake cough.

Her cheeks turned red as she turned her head.

“…Isn’t it embarrassing?”

“No.”

Calling someone gloomy and melancholic, and then getting embarrassed about it now? What’s the point?

‘I can’t tell where her true feelings lie.’

I let out a deep sigh and shook my head repeatedly.

“Well, no need to worry. It’s just curiosity ‘for now.'”

Professor Elisha smiled faintly and took out a cigarette from her pocket, biting it.

She flicked the cigarette in her mouth and gestured to me.

“Light.”

“…I don’t carry a lighter.”

“Didn’t you use fire magic when dealing with the monsters earlier?”

“That was…”

Using the Primordial Flame to light a cigarette seems a bit… excessive, don’t you think?

“Hmm. I guess there’s no choice.”

Professor Elisha took out a lighter from her pocket and handed it to me.

“Light.”

“…You could just light it yourself.”

“There’s nothing as special as a cigarette lit by the man you’re interested in.”

“……”

What kind of unreasonable woman is this?

“Sigh.”

I let out a deep sigh and lit the cigarette for Professor Elisha with the lighter she gave me.

Professor Elisha took a deep drag and nodded with satisfaction.

“Ah. Good.”

“…So, about the investigation you mentioned earlier, how are you going to do it? Should I draw some blood for you?”

“No, it’s fine. I wouldn’t be able to find out anything anyway.”

“……”

Then why did you say you needed further investigation earlier?

“Hehe. It’s a good excuse to kiss the man you’re interested in, isn’t it? That’s why I love being a special professor.”

“Such a splendid idea, very fitting of a professor.”

“Your praise is making me a bit embarrassed.”

With a serious expression that made it hard to tell if she was joking or not, Professor Elisha exhaled a long puff of smoke.

“By the way, what are those monsters?”

“We’re still trying to figure that out.”

*Click.*

Professor Elisha flicked the cigarette butt and approached the corpse of the alligator monster.

“The test area is so vast that sometimes monsters from outside do come in… but this is the first time in the entire 500-year history that a monster of this level has entered.”

“That means…”

“It’s reasonable to assume that someone intentionally sent the monsters.”

Professor Elisha examined the alligator monster’s corpse with a deep, sunken gaze.

“Do you have any suspects in mind?”

“Well. It’s still just speculation, but…”

Professor Elisha dipped her finger in the blood flowing from the alligator monster’s corpse and tasted it.

Her purple eyes split vertically, revealing golden pupils.

The sharp glint of her “Insight’s Blessing” shone brightly.

“As expected, it’s not just a monster, but someone’s familiar.”

“Like the One-Horned Beast?”

“Yes.”

Professor Elisha nodded slightly and continued.

“There aren’t many beings who can control monsters of this level as familiars.”

“……”

Coincidentally, as soon as she said that, a name immediately came to my mind.

“Grand Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal.”

Elisha touched the scar running across her left eye and spoke in a heavy voice.

‘Jackal.’

The Grand Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal.

One of the “Six Grand Archbishops” standing at the pinnacle of demons, commanding thousands, tens of thousands of monsters.

‘It took almost a war to capture him.’

After nearly half of the over 1,000-strong allied forces of three nations were sacrificed, they finally managed to kill Jackal and his monster legion.

‘The hero who killed Jackal back then… was definitely Elisha Baldwin.’

Was it a coincidence, or fate?

I looked back at Professor Elisha and clicked my tongue softly.

In my past life, she participated in the war against Jackal, cut off his breath, and met her end on that very battlefield.

‘Though I didn’t witness it myself.’

The war against Jackal, which led to the formation of the Tri-Nation Alliance, happened 10 years after I graduated.

About 12 years from now.

‘It was around the time I had just quit being a mercenary and started forming a party with Yuren and the others.’

At that time, our party was just being formed, so we didn’t directly participate in the war.

As I was recalling memories from my past life and continuing my thoughts.

“Candidate Dale? Do you know something about Jackal?”

“Huh? Ah… no. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

Professor Elisha crossed her arms and looked down at the monster’s corpse with a deep, sunken gaze.

“…Jackal.”

Her eyes glinted fiercely as she uttered the name.

After a while of staring at the monster’s corpse, Professor Elisha turned her head toward me.

“Candidate Dale, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“Can you keep this matter confidential until the investigation is over?”

“Confidential to what extent…”

“To everyone. I’d like you to keep it a secret even from your supervising professor.”

“…Are you planning to cover up the incident?”

When I made a surprised face at her request to not even tell Professor Lucas, Professor Elisha nodded heavily.

“If this incident starts spreading around the school, the culprit will just run away again. Just like during the Sealing Festival.”

“……”

The main culprit behind the Sealing Festival incident actually didn’t escape and died by my hand, but…

I couldn’t tell Professor Elisha that now.

“Understood. This incident will remain a secret between you and me.”

“Hoh. Calling it a secret between just the two of us is kind of exciting.”

“No.”

“Hehe, just kidding.”

“…You really like jokes, don’t you?”

“It’s just that I have such a humorous and witty personality.”

“Haha. Where do you even come up with such nonsense?”

Professor, you’re really something.

“Well, then I’ll take this alligator monster’s corpse with me.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, are you feeling alright? You don’t look so good.”

“Well… to be honest, I’m not in the best condition.”

I was barely holding on, feeling like I could collapse at any moment.

“I guess I shouldn’t keep you any longer. I’ll take care of the monsters around here, so rest easy.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

It didn’t matter much if I got attacked in my sleep, but for Yuren, who had collapsed from magic exhaustion, it could be fatal.

*Whoosh!*

Professor Elisha flicked her fingers, and dozens of silver threads wrapped around the alligator monster’s corpse.

She dragged the monster’s corpse away and disappeared.

“Sigh.”

I let out a tired breath and leaned back against the rock where Yuren was lying.

‘I really can’t hold on anymore.’

I closed my eyes slowly, letting the waves of exhaustion wash over me.

‘Ah… wait.’

I feel like I forgot something…

* * *

“I will now announce the test results.”

Professor Lucas held the report card and continued.

“Candidate Yuren has achieved the bonus objective and is in first place regardless of points. Next, Candidate Morris is in second place with 182 points… Candidate Camila is in third place with 98 points… Candidate Juliet is in 57th place with 47 points… Candidate Albert is in 136th place with 24 points… and.”

Professor Lucas’s gaze turned to me.

“Candidate Dale is in 253rd place with 0 points.”

“……”

Oh, for f***’s sake.

Dead last again?