Vol. 8 - Ch. 397 - Let's Check Everyone's Academic Ability!

"We're going to hold a test strategy meeting!"I announced loudly in the guild room.

"Hold on, Zephyr. Why are we having a meeting for the test! Let's leave it for later and go to the dungeon!"

"No."

I immediately turned down Lana's complaint. You think I don't want to? No, I want to. Only I know how I am restraining my dungeon spirit!

However, we were currently facing an adversity I couldn't turn a blind eye to, and so, this emergency meeting was to make sure everyone does well in the exam. I took out certain sheets of paper.

"First, I'd like to assess everyone's performance. Here, solve them. These are the questions that had come out in last year's Class 1-1 end-term exam."

"Huh, don't take me for a fool, Zephyr. This is a piece of cake for me. More importantly, let's go to the dungeon, alright?"

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You think I don't want to? No, I want to. Only I know how I am restraining my dungeon spirit! (again)

"Don't you have your stuff to handle for the home visit, and then you will be busy preparing for the exam next week, am I wrong? Then you're putting your future in danger by skipping today."

"Haa, you're looking down on me too much, Zephyr! Saying I will fail is like the highest degree of insult to me!"

"Hmph. Then, you are saying you can solve these questions?"

I fluttered the math's questionnaire in my hand.

"I would normally. But the current me is in the mood to visit the dungeon. I don't think I can handle the question when I don’t have enough of dungeon. Right, it's definitely not that I am cutting any corner. This is what I really think."

Lana, however, replied with an unusually long explanation. No, what kind of gibberish reasoning was it? Her expression was needlessly stern too. What a joke if she thinks that was enough to deceive me!

But I know anything I say now would be going in a deaf ear.

I guess it was her way of protesting since I had suddenly changed our plan when she was excited for the dungeon to the test strategy meeting. I understand how it feels. Very much so. I might have reacted the same if I was forced to study when I wanted to play a game. But what else to do...

I glanced at other members. Everyone that had been mentioned in the report---Lana, Ester, Hannah, Karua, Rika, Lulu, Pamela---were in the guild room. Of course, Sierra, who was the one to bring the topic up, was also there, alongside with brain clique's Celestine, Rina, Mert and Misato.

It's unfortunate that neither of them seemed ready to intervene in this situation. Well, what else I expected, huh? The princess category wasn't just a pompous sounding title after all.

It wouldn't go anywhere at this rate, so I stopped focusing on just Lana and notified others as well.

"I repeat, we're going to have exams the week after next. So a strategy meeting is needed since anyone who failed in getting passing marks will be presented with make-up lessons by the academy that you can't not take them in this summer vacation, no matter who it is. I would like everyone to take study seriously if you don't want your summer vacation to just become a memory about make-up exams rather than a dungeon."

The make-up lessons, once begun, would continue for 10 days. The dungeon, too, would be off-limits for them in that duration. It was a grave situation, so a plan was necessary. And I also wanted everyone else to know how important exams were as well.

However, Lana raised her hand again, brimming with rebellious spirit.

"But isn't reducing dungeon time for the test meeting getting our priorities backward!? So I think we should go to the dungeon today!"

"Like hell!? You can do so anytime once you get a passable score."

Don't tell me she wants to get stuck in make-up lessons?

The end result was I forced her to accompany us to the study meeting. I also ignored whatever complaint she had. I should arrange some kind of reward for later.

Afterwards, I called out to Shizu and somehow had her persuade Lana. Her two attendants, Ester and Pamela, were completely useless in this regard so I could only resort to this. We had to promise 'we will hunt down the dungeon boss everyday while she will have to study after returning back' in the end to calm her down.

"I apologize for all this, Zephyr-dono. I will make sure Her Highness Lana focuses on her study at night so you can be rest assured."

"I knew I could rely on you at least, Shizu. Yes, please keep an eye on her."

"Yes, it goes without saying. I will never let Her Highness Lana's mark reach below the failing marks. Even if it meant putting my life for it."

"No, you don't need to make such a grim resolve."

Like this, it was decided that Shizu would look after Lana's studies in the night.

For other members, I had them solve the test to conclusively see where they stand, and how much they understand for now. Conclusively speaking, they weren't as bad as I had feared.

However, a misstep could still lend them to the make-up exams. I asked them to focus on subjects they were weak at night time. Karua and Lulu especially needed to be looked after. Their marks were barely better than failing marks. It was so to the point I really wanted a private tutor for them.

Ultimately, I requested both Rika and Celia to help out Karua and Lulu in studies respectively. I obviously couldn't enter the girl's room. I mean I could in the day I guess, but it's out-of-question in the night.

Both Rika and Celia accepted my requests readily, so that was one burden down from shoulders. But there must be many parts that they would need help with. Since the dungeon would be off-limits for the next two weeks, I decided to hold a study meeting in the next week.

On the side note, <Meowrrior> becomes our punching bag to satisfy Lana's demand for a dungeon boss fight. Forgive me, <Meowrrior>, but it's all just simple force majeure.