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Chapter 17 - Class Placement Exam (4)

Whooosh, crash—!

A deafening roar tears through the air.

The shards of swords soar like butterflies, swirling into a raging storm.

I mutter under my breath.

"This... wasn’t what I expected."

Standing before the wave of steel was the platinum-blonde girl.

Charlotte was frozen in place, staring blankly ahead.

Perhaps the sudden loss of control caught her off guard.

She reached out to regain control, but it was already too late.

Swish—!

So, the girl chose to bear it all herself.

To avoid causing harm to others.

The petals whirl in a dazzling display.

Charlotte silently braced herself for the impact.

‘...Did she twist the attack just to protect me?’

I never imagined she’d redirect it like that.

Thanks to her, my plan for a dramatic defeat had completely fallen apart.

She really is unpredictable.

Just moments ago, she was mercilessly pressing forward, yet now, in a dangerous situation, she’s shielding me.

She truly is a 4-dimensional character, someone who’s impossible to read.

Well... that’s part of what makes her so charming.

‘What should I do?’

If I leave things as they are, she’ll get hurt.

No matter how exceptional Charlotte is, she’s still a young girl.

Given that it’s early in the original story, her abilities are still unstable, and she can’t fully control her power yet.

She’s a genius in the process of growing.

If this collision happens, at best, she’ll end up with bruises or minor cuts.

At worst, she could end up in the infirmary in bad shape.

Sure, the priests are always on standby, so she’d recover quickly... but just thinking about one of my favorite characters getting hurt is unsettling.

‘Damn it.’

But stepping in to save her feels risky.

There’s too much at stake.

I’ve worked hard to blend in as a background character.

I’ve hidden my strength and acted weak, so if I suddenly save Charlotte, everyone will start to get suspicious.

The students can’t see through the barrier.

But the faculty is different.

They’re watching this situation unfold.

For a moment, I consider blocking the view of all the monitoring devices, but with the energy I have left, it’s impossible.

I have to make a choice.

Do I save Charlotte for a brief moment of satisfaction?

Or do I let her get hurt for the sake of long-term stability?

‘What do I do...?’

In less than five seconds, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind.

What ultimately pushed me to a decision was...

"…It’s going to hurt."

Just a quiet, unshaken whisper.

The platinum-blonde girl closed her eyes gently, as if drifting into a peaceful sleep.

I let out a bitter chuckle.

"Hah."

How can I not save her after seeing something like that?

It was a foolish dilemma from the start.

Didn’t I come to the academy to protect these kids?

I wanted to stand by them as an ally, yet here I was, trying to avoid taking responsibility.

"I need to reflect on this."

Snap!

I snap my fingers.

The sharp sound rings out, and my vision blinks.

In the next moment.

I was behind Charlotte.

She was still standing there, seemingly unaware of the impending impact.

"Pardon me for a moment."

I gently reach out and wrap my arms around her.

As I pull her small frame into my embrace, I gather "Lies" in my other hand.

Whooosh—!

The air splits with a tearing noise.

I point my fingers at the tidal wave of blades rushing toward us. With just the right amount of power.

A faint smile crosses my lips.

I speak words darker than night.

To create something more blissful than anything.

The world’s youngest mausoleum.

I am the agent of stars, or perhaps the tooth that gnaws on the flesh of the void.

"Shatter."

My lips move.

And then—

Crash—!

The torrent of steel fragments shatters into pieces.

As if unable to withstand immense pressure, the surroundings crack and crumble.

The once-solid barrier collapses.

The ashen garden disintegrates into dust.

It’s like witnessing a scene of destruction that shouldn’t exist.

A world that once was, now devoured by paradox, slowly disintegrating into a beautiful ruin.

‘Maybe I overdid it a bit.’

I shake my hand, reflecting calmly.

I thought I’d adjusted my power, but the barrier was unstable and ended up breaking along with it.

"Phew."

As I catch my breath, I feel a slight movement against my chest.

The platinum-blonde girl in my arms.

Her clear blue eyes look up at me.

She seemed confused, unsure of what just happened.

"…?"

"Are you alright?"

I ask softly, checking her condition.

Thankfully, she doesn’t seem injured.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Charlotte still seemed a bit dazed, unable to grasp the situation.

She was just staring blankly. I decided to tease her a little.

"Hmm, well… can I count this as a favor you owe me?"

"…"

"Heh."

A faint smile lingers on my lips.

I hold Charlotte gently until the barrier completely crumbles away.

***

"I forfeit."

With Charlotte’s declaration of surrender, the match ended.

She was still unsteady on her feet, perhaps due to lingering dizziness.

I hear murmurs from the surrounding area.

- What? She’s forfeiting all of a sudden?

- So the phony top student actually won?

- No way.

- I’m sure Her Highness was dominating the match... What happened inside the barrier?

- How could Her Highness lose to someone of that level...?

The students couldn’t see what happened inside the barrier.

All they remember is me struggling before Charlotte expanded her domain.

It’s only natural that they’re confused.

They expected me to be thoroughly crushed.

But the actual outcome was the exact opposite.

It’s no wonder they’re flooded with questions.

- What kind of trick did he pull?

- Honestly, from his swordsmanship, he didn’t seem like a total phony. He was pretty skilled...

- Still, how does it make sense for him to beat Her Highness?

- Maybe she held back on purpose?

Amid the noisy chatter, I turn to look at the girl standing before me.

"…"

"…"

Charlotte was also gazing at me.

A moment of silence hangs between us.

It was Charlotte who broke it.

"So it really was you. The person I thought you were."

She murmured matter-of-factly.

The girl seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking again.

"Hey."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Why did you save me? You could’ve just left me alone."

"Who knows?"

I shrug lightly.

I pretend to ponder my answer, but the truth is, I already know exactly why.

I reach out and poke her cheek.

Soft to the touch.

Charlotte tilted her head.

"…?"

Such innocent eyes.

Clear and unclouded.

A gentle smile naturally spreads across my face.

"I just didn’t want you to get hurt."

This time, it was no lie. It’s the pure truth.

"Does that answer your question?"

"I’m not sure."

"That’s unfortunate."

"Yeah."

Her responses come back curt and direct.

Even that is amusing to me, so I chuckle.

It’s my usual eerie smile.

Times like this make my trait quite inconvenient. It doesn’t even let me laugh freely...

I silently sigh, but then—

"Your smile is pretty."

An unexpected compliment came out of nowhere.

The one who said it was none other than the Little Prince.

Hearing such words for the first time in my life, I blink in surprise and ask back.

"...Are you talking about me?"

"Yeah."

"What part of it is pretty?"

"It’s a clean color. So it’s pretty."

A clean color? What does that even mean?

While I puzzled over her words, the girl’s lips curled into a faint smile.

"I think I’ll keep watching you for a bit."

"Hmm?"

"I still don’t know if you’re a good person or a bad person. So, yeah. I’ll watch and see."

"You’re saying your judgment is on hold."

"Something like that."

This was unexpected.

I thought that once she realized the ominous power I wield, she’d at least show some reluctance.

But instead, Charlotte seems even more interested.

Should I call her eccentric? Or pure?

I can’t quite decide... but it’s exactly the kind of reaction I’d expect from the "Little Prince" I remember.

"Are you a bad person?"

"What do you think?"

"I’m not sure."

"Your Highness has a keen eye. Most people would say I look like a bad person."

"Just because one out of ten says otherwise doesn’t mean they’re always wrong."

"Wise words indeed."

After exchanging a few simple words, the announcement signaling the end of the exam echoed through the air.

{The 7th match has concluded.}

{Participants who have completed their exam should follow the staff’s guidance to exit.}

"It looks like that’s it."

"Yeah."

"I’ll be going, then."

"Alright."

We slowly start walking away.

We part ways as if we never spoke, each heading toward the entrances we first came through.

{Charlotte Little von Stauffen has forfeited. The winner is Judas Snakes.}

And with that, the class placement exam came to an end.

***

Meanwhile, in the faculty lounge.

All the faculty members, including the Dean, were gathered in the spacious room.

They were seated to evaluate the class placement exam.

As one of the academy’s major events, it should have been a solemn occasion, but the lounge was abuzz with noise.

"What did I just witness?"

"Quick, rewind that scene! There must’ve been some mistake with the recording!"

"...This is absurd."

"Is that even magic a student could pull off…?"

Professors stared blankly at the screen, their faces drained of color.

On the screen, a scene from the 7th exam was playing on repeat.

[Shatter.]

The boy with narrowed eyes muttered softly.

And then, the once-solid steel garden shattered into pieces.

The barrier crumbled in a brutal display, leaving the professors in shock.

"What... what on earth was that?"

One professor’s muttered words echoed faintly.

The staff would only watch in stunned silence as the golden-haired boy smiled ominously.