Surviving as the Hidden Mastermind in an Academy Story Chapter 25

Chapter 25

 

Emily loved magic.

This was a fact that no one could deny.

It was natural that Emily, who had been exposed to magic from a young age, would be drawn to it, and, true to her lineage as a mage, she had talent.

However, Emily was a bit different from most mages of this era. Unlike those who focused on profitable and practical combat magic, Emily preferred to lock herself in her lab and conduct research.

While her sister received praise from the family for freezing two trolls with a single spell, Emily would lock herself in her room, experimenting with freezing various liquids instead of trolls.

People around her would say it was pointless and that she’d be better off building physical strength instead.

But Emily steadfastly pursued what she loved.

As a result, though the journey had been filled with too many challenges to summarize in a few sentences, Emily was satisfied with where she was now.

After all, she could spend her time however she pleased, doing what she loved.

‘This one’s a bit more twisted.’

Whisk, whisk—

With each problem she solved, Emily felt a surge of accomplishment and joy, driving her to immerse herself deeper into the task.

If the last problem had been twisted twice, this one was entangled three times over.

In these cases, it was best to proceed carefully, tackling the most apparent issues one at a time, rather than trying to solve them all at once and risking everything unraveling.

Whisk—

Emily continued to solve the problems, applying utmost caution.

‘Still, these are easier than the ones Aunt used to give me.’

She recalled the times when she lived with her aunt, who would occasionally give her puzzles to solve.

They seemed simple on the surface, but if she didn’t spot the hidden traps, she’d inevitably arrive at the wrong answer.

Compared to those, the Academy’s tests were straightforward, with traps clearly marked.

‘Here, if I substitute this with…!’

“This is it!”

Though it was the problem that had taken her the longest to solve so far, Emily confidently entered the answer.

Flash—

It was correct.

The board lit up, signaling that her answer was right, and Emily’s smile widened with joy.

‘Will the next one be harder?!’

Flash—

“Huh…?”

“Oh?!”

While waiting eagerly for the next problem, Emily was surprised to see that no new question appeared. Instead, the bold text on the board jolted her back to reality, breaking her intense concentration.

<End of the First Test>

“Wow, it’s over!”

“A-Already?”

Emily muttered to herself in a disappointed tone. She’d been fully immersed, her focus at its peak, only to have it end abruptly. But her disappointment didn’t last long.

Suddenly—

“Whoa! You were amazing! What the heck?!”

“Eek—Ah!”

Startled by someone suddenly hugging her, Emily looked to the side to find Ryu beside her, arm around her shoulders, beaming with pride.

He looked genuinely happy.

More than the unexpected hug, Emily felt an unexplainable emotion as she looked at Ryu’s delighted smile.

It wasn’t as if she’d displayed any spectacular, powerful magic; she’d simply solved a few problems, yet he was genuinely thrilled for her.

“I expected you’d be good at this, but you exceeded all expectations! Although, I admit, it was a little scary to watch you work!”

“Ah, oh… hehe.”

“Thank you for your hard work! You were incredible!”

“Wow, you really are smart.”

As Elaine and Cynthia joined in with their praise, Emily felt her face grow hot, overwhelmed by the unfamiliar feeling of receiving such genuine excitement and compliments for doing something she loved.

“Um, could you… let go now…?”

“Oh? Ah, sorry.”

‘Whew…’

Her earlier disappointment at the abrupt end of the test had already faded, replaced by her friends’ enthusiastic reactions. Emily sighed softly as she stepped out of Ryu’s embrace.

It was a strange feeling, but seeing her friends so happy made her feel a sense of pride and joy that was hard to contain, a smile forming naturally on her face.

“Anyway! You did amazing, and Emily, you’re all set even if you don’t do anything else today!”

Nod, nod—

As Elaine and Cynthia nodded in agreement with Ryu’s words, Emily couldn’t help but smile even more.

“Hehehe…”

Emily was grinning a bit foolishly, though she didn’t realize it herself.

Emily couldn’t stop smiling as they moved to the location for the second test.

***

 

“Did you say there were twenty questions on the first test?”

“Yes, Vice Principal.”

Most of the professors at the academy had gathered in a room, watching a large screen on one of the walls, engaged in light conversation.

They were waiting for the broadcast of the inter-grade competition, specifically the second test, where the official coverage would begin. True to the nature of the competition, involving all grades from first through third year, no classes were held at the academy that day.

Students were likely gathered in their classrooms, watching the broadcast together.

‘What’s the Vice Principal doing here?’ Amilion sipped her coffee, glancing at Vice Principal Randgar before turning her attention back to the screen.

Though thirty minutes had passed since the start of the first written test, no teams had been transported to the second test site yet.

“With only twenty questions, the third-years should be wrapping up by now, right?”

“Yes, that’s likely. However, this year’s participation is so limited that it may take a bit more time.”

“True, especially with only four first-years competing.”

Amilion couldn’t help but feel as though the Vice Principal’s comment was directed at her, but she pretended not to notice, keeping her eyes on the screen.

Though she hadn’t reviewed the difficulty of the test questions herself, she could guess they wouldn’t be easy.

‘Well, I give up at this point,’ she thought, letting out a sigh. Amilion had long since resigned herself to the oddities of this competition.

After all, she had initially been surprised to find exceptional talent in Ryu, the top first-year student, enough that she’d pushed for the schedule to be advanced and the third test to be added.

However, she’d come to realize that Ryu had no talent for magic aside from his ability with teleportation.

Only recently, she had been embarrassed by how seriously she’d taken the probability of him being the hidden descendant of the First Emperor.

“Oh!”

“Looks like someone’s finished the first test!”

At someone’s exclamation, everyone’s eyes turned to the glowing screen on the wall. A light appeared at the starting point, indicating that a warp spell had been activated.

The figures emerging in the light were two students: Garrett, who was brushing back his hair, and Verte, surveying the area with her usual calm.

“Hmph.”

As the third-year students appeared, Cassis Sinclair, their homeroom professor, let out a pleased chuckle that seemed especially audible to Amilion, annoying her slightly.

“So, it finally begins.”

“The top two third-years, a knight and a mage—that’s a well-balanced team.”

‘Well, I hope the second and third years finish the first test quickly before the third test even starts,’ Amilion thought, watching the composed and focused third-years advance.

Despite her low expectations, there was a part of her that hoped her own students would be able to keep up.

Flash—

“Oh! Another team already?”

“They’re keeping up with the third-years? Looks like this year’s second-years are quite capable, too.”

As another light began to glow on the screen, the professors assumed the next team to arrive would be the second-years, right behind the third-years. Amilion thought the same.

‘If the second-years are this fast, it might actually turn into a big scene… Huh?’

At first, Amilion worried that the difference in speed might be too stark, but then—

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

Murmurs filled the room. Emerging from the light were not three but four figures: the four first-years.

“First-years?!”

“How… how did the first-years finish so quickly?”

“What?!”

The most shocked of all was Amilion, the first-year representative’s homeroom professor, who leapt to her feet, eyes wide in disbelief.

Just to make sure she wasn’t imagining it, she fixed her gaze on the screen, where Ryu’s unmistakable black hair confirmed what she was seeing.

The fact that the first-years had completed the first test right after the third-years, even before the second-years, stirred a wave of reactions in the room.

The Vice Principal watched with growing interest, and Cassis Sinclair’s face froze momentarily. The other professors could only stare, stunned.

‘Is… is that even possible?’

Gulp—

Amilion peered at her students on the screen, as if she were about to step through it. She never could have expected them to finish the first test so quickly.

“W-Well done…”

The words slipped from Amilion’s lips, so unfiltered by surprise that she hadn’t even realized she’d spoken them aloud.

 

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Chapter 25
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