Chapter 583
However, the trust that was once lost did not return.
The White Tiger Tower students who came down on stretchers glared at Professor Ingurdel with eyes like a puppy betrayed by a trusted snack.
"Everyone..."
The students turned their heads away.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I misjudged the difficulty of the exam."
"That can happen."
Yi-Han, who was leading his friends at the front, reflexively answered.
When Jijel next to him looked at him like he was crazy, Yi-Han made an excuse.
"Sorry. It's a habit."
When a professor apologized, he couldn't help but blurt out 'It's okay' out of habit.
"Were you defeated by the slimes?"
The knights asked in amazement.
The number was too large to have been defeated by slimes.
Shifting slimes were perplexing monsters that struck at weak points, but they weren't extremely powerful monsters either.
They thought that once some students were defeated first, the remaining students would figure out how to deal with them on their own, but...
"Ugh... ugh."
"Answer."
A knight of the White Wood Knight Order called the squire in a strict voice.
This final exam was not only a test for the Einroguard students but also an opportunity to evaluate the abilities of the squires.
While Professor Ingurdel would admonish the mistakes made by the Einroguard students, it was the knights' job to admonish the squires' mistakes.
"If you knew that a transformation-type monster had appeared, there should have been ways to respond?"
For monsters like shifting slimes, the best thing to do was to split up into confirmed groups and keep a distance from each other.
Monsters of this type would eventually reveal their weaknesses if they had to endure in such a way due to their lack of patience.
"That... we weren't defeated by the slimes."
"Not defeated by the slimes?"
When the squire spoke while reading the situation, the knight was surprised.
"Ah. I see. Did you perhaps encounter giants?"
"There are giants in the mountain range!?"
The squire was startled.
At that reaction, another colleague next to him whispered in shock.
"I thought it was just a rumor..."
"Ahem! Don't mind that. Anyway, if you encountered other monsters, it makes sense."
If that was the case, it made sense.
If the students' plans were changed because of the shifting slimes, and they were attacked by other monsters while moving hastily...
"What kind of monsters?"
"Well, actually."
The squire pointed his finger while reading the situation. That finger was pointing at Yi-Han.
"?"
"We were defeated by Wardanaz..."
"..."
The knights fell silent as if they had lost their words. The squires also read the atmosphere and bowed their heads with embarrassed faces.
"Explain how it happened."
The squires explained to the best of their ability.
The shifting slimes disguised as Yi-Han's party were so cunning and crafty that they easily lured the students, and this guy deceived them and made them attack the real Yi-Han's party, but...
"...I, I see."
"But not all of these many people would have been defeated like that, right? Why were you guys knocked down?"
The other squires explained to the best of their ability.
The shifting slimes disguised as Yi-Han's party...
"Enough! Enough!"
The knights shouted, their faces turning red.
Everyone was defeated in the exact same way!
Even if one or two were defeated like that, it was normal to be suspicious and on guard from then on, but it was embarrassing beyond words.
"No! The exam is a competition, so no matter how close you are, how can you trust others so easily! What did you even learn!"
"Wardanaz looked so trustworthy... Sob. I'm sorry."
The knights of the White Wood Knight Order reflected.
Professor Ingurdel's exam wasn't too much. Rather, they were too complacent.
"I didn't take good care of you guys. To think you can't even respond to a situation like this."
"Ah, no...! This was unavoidable because those Einroguard bastards were fooled first!"
"Shut up! Where are you making excuses? When we return, it's training time!"
While the squires were being scolded, Professor Ingurdel apologized to the students once again.
"Everyone. I will never prepare an exam like this for the 1st-year final exam again. You all worked hard."
"No."
"?"
Yi-Han, who was listening, turned his head.
Which crazy student would say such a thing in front of a professor with a sword?
Rock Drake
Shadow Specter
'Hmm.'
Yi-Han thought after receiving the question.
At first glance, it looked easy, but this was a trick question.
'A skeleton is not a creature.'
The correct answer was 'none of the above.' Yi-Han wrote the answer with a quill and moved on.
Gainando, who was next to him, looked at Yi-Han and said confidently.
"Yi-Han. Isn't it too easy?"
"Are you sure you read the question properly?"
"Of course!"
'This guy. I'll have to check after it's over.'
Yi-Han was going to scold Gainando harshly later if he had written skeleton.
How could he fall for such a childish trick question?
'Yi-Han, really.'
Gainando was rather angry at Yi-Han inwardly.
If they had studied together, he should trust his friend, but asking if he read the question properly?
Choose the creature living in the undead realm from the following.
Sand Octopus
No matter how he thought about it, the answer could only be sand octopus.
***
"Um. Professor."
After all four of them submitted their exam papers, Raphael carefully raised his hand.
Gainando blankly stared at Raphael while eating the leftover sandwich.
"I still want to have the undead summoning practice I did during the 2nd semester checked."
"Cough."
Gainando almost spat out the sandwich.
"Are you crazy!? The exam is over!"
"...Still, we should have the summoning practice checked. That's what exams are originally for."
"What are you saying like Yi-Han! Are you crazy!?"
Yi-Han and Ymirg also looked at Raphael in surprise.
They didn't know Raphael would say such a thing.
'What is he thinking?'
Professor Mortum asked with a cough.
"It seems you've become quite close with your summons."
"Ah... no! I'm not close with them!"
Raphael was startled and denied it.
How could he say that to someone from an honorable knight family who learned dark magic to deal with dark mages?
But Professor Mortum nodded as if he knew everything.
"Cough. It's always like that for dark mages who learn undead summoning."
Unlike other summons, undead summons had a rough temperament and often didn't listen well to their master's orders, waiting for an opportunity to rebel.
However, if one endured and trained them despite such problems, at some point, one could find oneself easily commanding undead summons like one's own limbs.
The sense of accomplishment at that moment was incomparable to other summons.
'Is that so?'
Yi-Han was puzzled by Professor Mortum's words.
He didn't quite empathize with them.
It was one thing for the undead to act picky, but summoning the undead didn't give him a sense of achievement...
'This kid is thinking unnecessary thoughts.'
Professor Mortum clicked his tongue while looking at Yi-Han.
Well, it was natural for Wardanaz not to empathize much with those words.
"It seems you had a recent realization... Cough. Okay. We have time left, so let's just have a simple undead summoning additionally."
Gainando let out a short scream, but Professor Mortum had no intention of reversing his decision once made.
"You bastard. Why are you doing this? You hated dark magic, right? Go back to the you who hated it!"
"...I still don't like it much."
"You're lying!! It's a complete lie!! Would someone who doesn't like it prepare this much!?"
While Gainando was grabbing Raphael's collar, Yi-Han picked up his staff first, trying to go ahead.
'A dark element skeleton warrior would be good.'
Among the various undead summons, it was the one he could move most confidently.
Thanks to his recent efforts upon efforts, he could even perform a dance if he summoned a single entity.
If it was a skeleton dancer, it would surely be a perfect score...
"Cough. Wardanaz."
"Yes?"
"You don't have to show it."
"..."
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