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chapter 36
That was why Claude trampled and tormented Carnis. He enjoyed belittling her abilities while comparing the incompetent girl to his own brilliance.
“Still, the head of the family should be the eldest daughter.”
“Even if talented, being illegitimate… is a bit…”
“You can’t possibly let someone of lowborn stock become the family head, can you?”
Yet, in the end, such remarks always followed. Claude felt frustrated by this truth but never gave up.
“Poor Claude.”
“Why care about the old-fashioned opinions of adults?”
“Anyway, Claude’s mother is currently the Duchess! Isn’t that better than that fool?”
Until remarks like these emerged.
Though the current heads of the Escliff family still shunned him, most academy students were on his side.
Finally, a glimpse of possibility appeared before him.
A slim chance to surpass his inherent limits.
‘Even the academy students who will dominate high society, and even my father, will support me.’
Then he could show everyone.
That he was not just a “mere” illegitimate child, but something far greater.
That he was far more suitable for the family head than that woman.
However…
Rank 1: Carnis Escliff (100)
Claude’s fist trembled.
The force of his grip cut into the soft flesh of his palms, drawing blood.
But he didn’t notice the pain, only asking himself:
“Why?”
Why, of all times, now?
The moment Carnis Escliff became a mage, eighteen years of effort turned to dust.
She didn’t even need to try to surpass him.
Even as a non-mage, she had already earned the support of the retainers.
Had she only become a mid- or low-level mage, the students might have pitied Claude, but they would not have doubted Carnis’s talent.
The ground Claude had stood on had been a fake, built by slowly stealing Carnis’s evaluations. And because he was directly involved, he knew this painfully well.
That was why… he had ignored and cursed Carnis all the more.
A grinding sound of teeth echoed.
‘I will never accept this.’
He had spent eighteen years cutting into his own bones without missing a single day.
Meanwhile, Carnis Escliff had wasted twenty years doing nothing.
Her awakening was nothing more than sheer luck and innate differences. Carnis had achieved nothing on her own.
It was a paradoxical thought.
The only reason he could even aspire to Carnis’s position was because he was the duke’s illegitimate son. His so-called magical talent was only “innate,” “born with him.”
The very ability to improve through effort was itself a talent.
How many had given up on becoming mages because they lacked natural magical power?
Magic had always been that kind of discipline.
It was not about effort, but birthright.
Overwhelming talent capable of surpassing the lifetime achievements of others in mere seconds.
Yet Claude deliberately ignored these facts.
That Carnis had endured her share of cold treatment and harassment, and that part of it was his doing, were not important to him.
‘As long as that woman lives, I will never have what I want.’
His desire had always been the same, in the past as in the present.
And he would stop at nothing to achieve it.
“…I’ll kill her.”
He muttered, his eyes empty.
Meanwhile, Claude was not the only one trembling at the report cards.
“Wow, insane! This is amazing! Escliff is completely unreal!”
“Don’t scream, Felix, it’s embarrassing.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this epic news?!”
Daeon sighed deeply as Felix shook him by the shoulders.
“…I’m just as surprised. Every time I tried to follow her secretly, she’d notice like a ghost.”
“You crazy stalker!”
Felix kicked Daeon in the shin.
<Advanced Magic Form Exam Results (4th Year)>
1st: Carnis Escliff (100)
2nd: Daeon Grace (42)
3rd: Bella (27)
…
6th: Asphodel Luxelord (19)
…
100th: Marco Crav (0)
Asphodel stroked the part with her name and muttered:
“I… got 6th.”
Seeing the list in order of scores left a bitter taste.
Due to the commotion at the announcement, this was the first time she saw her actual score.
…19 points.
The number 6 overall was relatively high, but the score itself was trivial.
Even second-place Daeon didn’t reach half of Carnis Escliff’s overwhelming score.
And now she had dropped one rank lower.
“…I’ll have to try harder.”
“Ha!”
Bella washed her face after checking her score.
Her face was hot.
“Only 27 points?”
Less than a third of Carnis Escliff’s perfect score.
“…It hurts my pride.”
While Carnis treated her as a disposable villainous extra, Bella was actually an exemplary student.
Her written scores alone ranked her first overall. Including practical exams, she was 5th in her year, 7th overall.
Though she lagged behind Daeon in magical formulas and runes, she excelled in all other written subjects.
She hadn’t frequented the library before the break for nothing. Had she not encountered the transformed Carnis, she wouldn’t have faced such humiliation.
It was her own doing, having provoked the situation, but still…
‘I’ll skip lunch today.’
Bella gave up her meal and headed to the library.
She was hot-tempered and could never tolerate losing.
She had trampled those who belittled her as a noble of fallen lineage multiple times.
‘At least in writing, I will win.’
Her next target was decided.
“Hmm, this is remarkable.”
Aiden Grace had climbed all the way to the main building of the Department of Magic and smoothed the corners of his mouth as he glanced at the top of the report card.
“I’m always amazed.”
If Felix had only admired her rank, Aiden’s amazement mirrored that of the other magic students.
He was a sword master, but also a mage.
He could roughly gauge how difficult the exam problems that had shaken the Department of Magic were.
To be honest, even understanding the questions was challenging for him, putting aside that he was more skilled in combat than theory.
‘She’ll obviously dominate the tournament.’
It was absurd enough that she had awakened as a mage so suddenly, but her previously poor written scores had also shot through the roof.
In some ways, even more astonishing.
Whether she had hidden her writing grades all along or had become a genius capable of reaching this level in just a few weeks,
Aiden’s lips curved into a faint smile.
‘If she’s top of her class, she’ll participate in the combat exercises too.’
Practical exercises mid-semester drew only the top-ranking students.
Aiden had always participated without fail, and unlike Daeon, who unleashed his power without restraint, he had achieved solid scores while keeping his strength hidden.
The only other noteworthy student was Claude Escliff, but even he paled in comparison to Daeon.
That much proved Daeon’s unrivaled position in their generation.
But what about this time?
How would she perform in the monster subjugation exercises?
And what expression would the empress wear upon seeing it…
The thought brought a faint smile to Aiden’s lips.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
