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Chapter 91
Ever since that time in the student council room when Nathan probed Lionel’s feelings, he had been certain of where Lionel’s heart lay.
That day, Lionel had been overly defensive. He spoke as though Jaelyn wasn’t even worth considering.
And then there was Lionel’s reaction when Nathan declared he would court Jaelyn.
“Do as you like. I don’t care who you date. But be prepared for your reputation at the academy to take a hit.”
With that one remark, Lionel walked away—as if he didn’t want to discuss the subject any further.
Nathan’s reputation when it came to romance was already poor. Some called him frivolous, others claimed he was promiscuous. Lionel, too, was well aware of the rumors that clung to Nathan.
But Nathan swore he had never behaved frivolously or promiscuously. Whenever he dated someone, he devoted himself solely to that person.
That was why, though he had dated many, he had never parted on bad terms with a single one. Every one of them had been satisfied while they were with him, and even after breaking up, they kept good relations.
No matter what others said, the people who actually dated Nathan never had any complaints.
Lionel, who knew the truth better than anyone, had never once voiced an opinion about it.
And now, suddenly, he brought it up?
Judging by the way Lionel was acting, his feelings for Jaelyn seemed to run very deep.
To think Lionel was the kind of man who couldn’t even express himself properly to the person he liked!
To think his friend was such a blockhead that he didn’t even know how to treat the woman he loved!
Even the flawless Lionel had something he couldn’t do.
Yes—life required trials like this. Nathan himself had never lost in looks or skill, but whenever he looked at Lionel, he couldn’t help but think, How can someone be so perfect? He had often struggled with feelings of defeat and humiliation.
But the world wasn’t so unfair after all. Seeing that there were things Lionel couldn’t do either proved it.
Nathan tried hard to stifle the laugh threatening to escape. The atmosphere was still as tense as walking on thin ice.
It would be unthinkable to laugh now. As he forced down the upward twitch of his lips, his nostrils began to flare instead.
The team had originally planned to meet elsewhere, but news of Jaelyn’s injury drew them all to where she was.
By the time Adrian and Illiana arrived, Jaelyn’s wounds had already been treated.
“Plans got a little shaken up, but it won’t make much difference if we start here.”
Everyone agreed with Lionel. Despite the rocky start, everything afterward went smoothly.
Lionel’s team cut down monsters that blocked their path and advanced at terrifying speed.
Their target monster had already been decided—everything else was just an obstacle.
One student watching the test from the waiting room realized where they were headed.
“Huh? Where are they going? That way leads only to Tripcalypso. Don’t tell me…?”
Since the details of this test weren’t important, all students could watch the trials in real time from the waiting room.
Murmurs spread quickly among the waiting students. Some even jumped to their feet.
“They’re going after that with just those numbers? Are they insane?”
“Tripcalypso is a boss-class monster! How are they going to kill it?”
“Wait, no—look carefully. With their lineup, it might actually be possible. That combination could take it down…”
“Still, no way.”
The King of the Forest, Tripcalypso. Just killing it would all but guarantee Lionel’s team first place.
Tripcalypso could manipulate all trees within a kilometer as if they were its own limbs.
In other words, its domain extended across that entire radius.
Even approaching it was nearly impossible—the dense trees and thorny undergrowth around it made sure of that.
But contrary to the students’ fears, Lionel’s sword pierced straight into the core hidden deep within Tripcalypso’s body.
Everyone in the waiting room held their breath, watching.
Other teams hadn’t even started yet, but it was already obvious—Lionel’s team would win first place again.
Sasha’s despairing cry rang out through the waiting room.
“Ah… I lost again.”
***
After the exam, Jaelyn checked the community chat again. Her messages were there in the log—but none of the other students had received them.
“R-really? They didn’t go through? But I sent them…”
She looked at Adrian with teary eyes, but he shook his head.
“They didn’t come through. No one else got your messages either.”
“T-that’s strange. Why not? I definitely sent them.”
“Try sending one again.”
Jaelyn resent a message to Adrian, but once again, it didn’t go through.
And not only that—messages from Adrian to Jaelyn didn’t arrive either.
“Let me see.”
Stefan took Jaelyn’s community bracelet and examined it. Holding it up to the sunlight, he peered at the mana stone.
“There’s a faint crack in the stone. That’s probably why the artifact isn’t working properly.”
“Wh-why would the mana stone crack?”
“A strong impact can break one.”
But even as he said so, Stefan’s expression looked doubtful.
“Ah…”
Jaelyn suddenly gasped as if she realized something. Stefan pressed her urgently.
“Why? Did something come to mind?”
“Y-yeah. I had a really bad fall not too long ago.”
Stefan let out a deflated sigh.
“That wouldn’t be enough to crack a mana stone.”
“B-but the bracelet broke clean through. Maybe when I fell, it hit the ground and cracked the stone?”
Still, Stefan shook his head—looking certain such an impact wasn’t nearly enough.
“To damage it like this, you’d need to strike it deliberately with a mana-forging tool.”
“I-I’ve never done that…”
“Then there’s no reason for it to be cracked. You don’t make artifacts, so it’s not like you’d accidentally hit it with a tool. Did you ever entrust your bracelet to someone else?”
“W-well, when the bracelet snapped, I had to leave it with the department office for repairs. Someone else turned it in for me while I went to the infirmary…”
“Who was it?”
“R-Rozia. She’s in my department.”
“Who?”
Stefan scratched his head.
“The first-year who presented evidence at the peanut disciplinary hearing.”
“Ah, that kid. Then maybe the repairer broke it by mistake?”
“M-maybe…”
“Is it possible to break a mana stone while repairing a bracelet?”
Nathan frowned slightly. He’d never heard of such a thing.
“The chances are extremely low, but not zero. Of course, I would never make such a rookie mistake.”
Listening nearby, Lionel immediately realized the truth. The moment Rozia’s name came up, there was no doubt.
Rozia was the one who sabotaged Jaelyn’s artifact. Lionel had thought that complying with her demands would keep Jaelyn safe, but he had been entirely wrong.
“Anyway, you’ll need to go to the office and have the stone replaced. Just tell them to swap it, and they’ll give you a new one without issue.”
Stefan returned the bracelet to Jaelyn.
“Mm, thanks.”
“What a hassle.”
“Y-yeah, really.”
And so the matter of Jaelyn’s broken mana stone was put to rest—for now.
***
The exam period that had felt endless finally neared its end.
The academy, once cloaked in silence and gravity, was gradually regaining its lively atmosphere.
Students were already excited for summer break, their minds filled with thoughts of vacation.
And then, just around that time, an incident shook the entire academy.
“Rozia! Something’s happened!”
On her way to the library to study for her last remaining exam, Rozia was suddenly grabbed by a fellow Magic Design student rushing toward her.
“Hm? What is it?”
“There’s been trouble in the workshop. You’d better go check right away.”
A deep, secret smile curled at Rozia’s lips.
There could only be one kind of trouble in the workshop. It was finally time for the trap she had set before the exam to be exposed.
So, it’s finally been discovered?
Before the test began, Rozia had left a few vials of her own concentration enhancer for herself, and moved the rest—all of them—into Jaelyn’s locker in the workshop. Alongside them, she placed a hefty bundle of cash, far too large for Jaelyn to plausibly explain.
As soon as someone found them, Jaelyn would be branded as possessing and distributing large amounts of illegal stimulants.
Escaping that snare would be impossible. Rozia’s fabricated evidence was far too perfect.
