The bell rang for the end of the exam and Mia put down her pen on the desk. The questions were difficult but all of them are something Shirabe Sensei has taught them in their class at least once, so she's sure she hasn't missed anything.
"I will collect the sheets. Put down the pen on your table!"
Her fingers were still trembling. This was the first time I felt so mentally exhausted in my life. That might be natural I guess. Depending on the results of Mia and others, Shirabe Sensei will be expelled from the academy and stripped of his territory.
In order to calm down her heart, she put her hands down the desk that were still trembling little by little, and corrected her posture.
Examiners were now currently answering sheets from Mia and other students. Right at the time, as the examiner grab the answer sheet from the desk of Mia, number 3 from behind, it overlapped with the left palm placed on the top.
(Hmm?)
She just happened to notice that. If she hadn't noticed the examiner's face at that moment, she would have dismissed this as a person with strange habits only. That would have been the only thought that came to mind.
The both corners of the examiner's mouth were lifted up and that face was dyed with ecstasy.
(!!?)
Instantly, a peculiar chill ran through the spine of Mia, as if countless worms were crawling up her spine.
"Stop!"
She grabbed the left wrist of the examiner and twisted it.
"Ah!!?"
As Examiner shouted in a creaking voice, the answer sheets scattered and fell down the floor.
Instantly, Mia saw her answer sheet that was scattered but everything except her name was blank.
"Lie...... "
As I picked up my blank answer sheet and was in daze,
"E-Everyone! This traitor's daughter exercised violence on me, the examiner and stole her answer sheet!"
Examiner shouted in full force, exaggeratedly spread his arms and prattle about.
"Tsk! You're not a kind of noblewoman that it can even count as violence"
Alan, sitting next to her, clucked his tongue in displeasure.
Mia who stunned finally recognized the fact that her answer sheet become blank,
"What have you done to Mia's answer sheet!?"
She grabbed the examiner's collar with right hand and shook him several times.
"What!? Get off of me!!"
"What did you do!?"
She was desperate. If Mia's academic score is zero, it would be hopeless for her to enter in the top 40. Mia will drop out from the academy and will have to part from everyone.
Shirabe Sensei too will no longer remain in this academy. She hates it completely, it's intolerable and unforgivable for her and so, Mia violently shook the examiner's collar multiple times.
"What are you doing!?"
Cliff pulled her away from behind and held her down.
"Return my answer sheet! Return it!"
Sad and frustrated, tears gushed off her eyes endlessly as if the tear glands had broken in frustration, Mia continued to shout like a child throwing a tantrum.
Cliff looked down at the Mia's answer sheet fallen on the floor,
"So that's the case...... "
And muttered that as the color of bitterness dyed his face, then he made Mia sit on her seat, clenched his right first hard and punched the examiner.
Soon the better down examiner pulled out the long sword at his waist but Rebecca Sensei, who was in the classroom next door, immediately rushed to intervene.
After that, Rebecca Sensei shut Mia and Cliff into a single room on the corner of the third floor of the academy building and hurriedly left the room.
Roughly around 30 minutes later, Rebecca Sensei come back with three teachers in tow.
Right, they were explaining what happened in the details.
Pluto stopped him with his right palm.
"I would have done that too!"
Teresa also agreed while clenching both of her fists.
"But what should we do? First of all, Mia's score would be zero. To be honest, it's a bit hard to overturn...... "
Cliff pointed out the fact he's most worried about with a bitter expression.
"Do your best in the practical exam. Although I don't know what precise marking but you should be able to pass if you win in the team battle"
"But...... if we don't enter in top 40, then Sensei一一"
"The 40th place has nothing to do with passing our exam. Isn't that right?"
Interrupting Mia's complaint, Eight asked Pluto.
"Y-Yeah, that's right. Regardless of the class, the conditions to promote for first years are achieving 40% of scores out of 200, in short 80 points. Unlike us, Mia is a first year student, it's quite feasible to be promoted if she gets at least 80 points."
"But then, Shirabe Sensei一一"
"With the high possibility of Mia's academic score being zero, it's impossible for her to be in the top 40. That's why those bastards pulled such a cheap trick"
"You have a way to overturn this, don't you? Stop putting air and just tell us"
Eight looked at everyone and raised the corner of his mouth.
"It's about the overall victory in the team battle practical exam. From what I heard, not only His Majesty the emperor but even everyone from the imperial family and the Ex emperor, who's hard to be seen, will come to watch it. This alone should attract a lot of attention from the emperor. If our team wins, they won't be able to expel us carelessly."
"Why are you sure of it? They are the kind of bunch who can pull even such a nonsensical trick"
"Just think about it. This the spiritual support of the professors of pure bred aristocrats?"
"It should be Ex emperor"
Eight nodded in satisfaction at Cliff's swift reply.
"Yeah, Ex emperor. Try to think about expelling the victor in front of such a persona. Naturally, there will be criticism that the marks aren't distrusted well. What will happen in that case?"
"I see. It's only from this year that such an absurd allocation of marks happens. Considering the situation, there's no doubt it's the intentions of the newly changed group of professors this year. The criticism will be directed at them then. Not only that. It's also possible to earn the emperor's wrath if these rumors were to be heard by the Ex emperor."
Cliff began to explain as if he agreed with Eight's conjunction.
"Exactly. I'm sure they will give us passing scores for some reason."
"But what about Sensei? Isn't the condition for the Sensei to remain in this academy is to have all of us enter the top 40?"
"You see, a professor who guided the lowest G class towards the victory in practical skill. Try to fire him. This will become a big problem. If you deal with this badly, it's possible to be subjected to the national harm law"
The law punishes those who act against the national interest of the empire. According to the Sensei, it is the worst kind of law because it can send you to the death row at the will of those in power.
"It looks like we can finally see our way"
"That's right. Either way, our goal is to win the championship. There's no need to be being pessimistic or scared at this point"
"I also agree!"
Mia bowed, as everyone's word and attitude were endearingly reassuring to her,
"It happens because of Mia, I'm sorry"
And expressed her gratitude.
"What are you saying? If you hadn't noticed the abnormality, we all would have received 0 points and expelled without even knowing where we goes wrong. In fact, we should be the one to thank you"
"Yeah, I'm really gratified for Mia-chan"
Eight stood in front of them, inhaled the air and,
"The five of us all are going to definitely promote and receive the teaching of Shirabe Sensei!! Isn't that right!?"
He raises a loud voice that shakes the atmosphere and asks Mia and the others about their intentions.
「「「「yeahh! 」」」」
Mia and others shouted loudly, almost to the point of throat bursting out.