Chapter 21: Cramming for the Comprehensive Exam (2)


    TL/Editor: Raei


    Schedule: N/A


    Illustrations: Posted in discord.


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    Upon arriving at the library, it looked like a battlefield.


    "In 815, the founding of the Holy Lucia Empire; in 816, the establishment of the capital, Luciana; the abdication of the emperor..."


    "The title of a knight''s assistant originally began as an honorary term but over time evolved into a title indicating and-owning noble..."


    Every student was buried in their textbooks, cramming fervently for tomorrow''sprehensive exam.


    ''This is intense.''


    Eugene nodded and began searching for an empty seat.


    Fortunately, the library was spacious, and there was a vacant spot.


    It was in a secluded corner, a bit dimmer than the other areas, which probably exined its vacancy.


    ''Wherever I can sit is good enough.''


    Without hesitation, Eugene took the seat and started studying.


    The adjacent seat was empty, allowing him to concentrate even better.


    ''Let''s start with aristocratic etiquette.''


    He opened the textbook and began memorizing.


    Meanwhile, two female students were watching him.


    "Celine, look over there."


    "I see."


    It was Tina and Celine, who were studying for the exam.


    They''d taken a break after their meal and were surprised to see Eugene there when they hade back.


    "It''s the first time we''ve seen him in the library... right?"


    "Seems so."


    "He''s definitely cramming for the exam..."


    Suddenly, Tina stood up determinedly.


    "Isn''t this the situation we talked about?"


    Huh?


    Celine looked taken aback.


    "Are we starting right now?"


    "Yes! Why not?"


    Tina, belonging to one of the continent''s top families, had been taught from a young age to seize the opportunity when it arose.


    "Even so, it''s not that simple."


    Eugene was in the middle of studying.


    The only way to approach him would be to suggest studying together.


    But that seemed like a tall order.


    "Asking someone to study with you isn''t really something you do unless you''re pretty close."


    "If we keep hesitating, we''ll never get anywhere."


    "But..."


    "Don''t you want to talk about the sword?"


    "...".


    Tina had struck a chord.


    Celine hesitated, then admitted,


    "...I do."


    "See? Lets go."


    Tina, with a bright smile, gathered her scattered textbooks.


    "Ugh..."


    Is this really a good idea?


    Celine sighed and stood up.


    This caught the attention of the male students studying nearby.


    ''Whats happening? Are they moving seats?''


    ''Damn, it was so nice until now...''


    ''My Celine...''


    Tina and Celine were the dreams and hopes of every male student.


    Those fortunate enough to experience them sitting nearby during their study sessions felt blessed, like they were studying next to angels amidst a group of smelly men.


    But now, the two were standing up.


    ''It seemed like they were talking about someone just now. Who might it be?''


    ''Who could it be?''


    A fire ignited in the eyes of the male students.


    If the girls ultimate destination was another guy, the looks on their faces said they were ready to challenge him on the spot.


    "If it''s a female student, I''ll leave it be."


    "She needs to be a female student."


    "If you want to live, be a woman."


    As the girls slowly moved, the eyes of the male students followed them.


    They walked to a corner of the library where the light barely reached.


    "What are they doing?"


    "There aren''t many people studying over there, right?"


    The boys'' eyes darted around.


    Suddenly, the girls stopped walking.


    At the end, there was a person beyond their wildest imagination.


    "Is that... Eugene?"


    "Eugene?"


    "Am I seeing this right?"


    Eugene, the notorious joke from the fallen Barony of Grace, known for cluelessly following around the beauties.


    Because of that, everyone discreetly avoided him.


    Everyone knew he had not even a single proper friend.


    "It must be for a reason!"


    "Theres no way they''re interested in someone like him!"


    The boys stared at the girls, eyes wide in disbelief.


    The girls hesitated, fidgeting with their fingers, unsure of how to approach the subject.


    Suddenly Tina, seemingly having made up her mind, clenched her fist and spoke up.


    "Eugene, would you like to study with us?"


    "What the..."


    "Did I hear that right?"


    The boys were on the verge of losing their sanity.


    The three great beauties of the school: Tina, Celine, and Yerina.


    It was unthinkable for even one of them to approach Eugene, let alone two.


    It was unbelievable.


    But the human mind adapts.


    "That guy Eugene..."


    "Did he cast some kind of hypnotic spell?"


    "Or did he find their weak spot? Otherwise, this doesn''t make sense."


    They were convinced Eugene had pulled some cunning trick.


    Nothing else could exin the situation.


    "He mustve yed some trick."


    "Even if he didn''t, he did. Eugene, you''re ying tricks."


    A malicious aura began to flow amongst the boys in the library.


    Until now, the reason they had ignored Eugene chasing after the girls was that the girls had always pushed Eugene away.


    But now, the girls were approaching Eugene.


    This meant Eugene was no longer just a pitiable and pathetic guy.


    Now, he was someone deserving of death.


    "Yes? Study with us? Celine said she wants to study with you too."


    "Wait a minute! What are you saying! I never said that... mmmph!"


    As Celine began to protest, looking wronged, Tina covered her mouth with a yful grin.


    There was even a hint of mana in that gesture, leaving Celine wide-eyed in surprise.


    "What''s going on?"


    Really, what?


    Seeing this astonishing scene, Eugene found himself in deep thought.


    ''Wasnt my rtionship with the three leadingdies over?''


    Due to his predecessor, he believed his rtionships with the heroines hade to an end.


    He had not thought of them since then.


    He had enough on his te, plenty to focus on.


    But with the heroines taking the initiative like this, it was as if they were breaking down the front door and demanding his attention.


    Eugene reflected on recent events.


    He rarely had direct encounters with the girls, but...


    ''Whenever I helped, they always tried to repay the favor.''


    Like the time he assisted Yerina during wind magic practice, and when he helped Tina in her fire magic training.


    They always tried to give something back.


    He never really expected anything in return, nor did he pay much attention to it.


    But looking back, if they truly wanted to end their association with him, they wouldnt have bothered to reciprocate at all.


    Especially today, during themotion caused by his unexcused absence.


    ''I understand everyone is on edge due to the exams, but I don''t think it''s right to corner an innocent student.''


    It was Celine who stood up to defend him.


    Thanks to her, he was able to smoothly resolve the situation.


    As he kept recalling these instances, he came to a peculiar realization.


    ''I thought my rtionship with the girls had ended...''


    But it didn''t seem to be the case.


    ''I''m not entirely sure, but...''


    Just by looking at the faces of the girls who approached him to study together, he was convinced that he had been overly pessimistic.


    ''So our rtionship isntpletely severed, right?''


    Eugene slightly adjusted his perspective on the heroines.


    From considering it a permanent rift to realizing it might not be that extreme.


    Of course, this wouldnt significantly change how Eugene interacted with them.


    Even if they didn''t dislike him, his main priority remained his swordsmanship and enhancing his own abilities.


    Nothing thrilled him more than bing stronger.


    All it meant now was that he wouldn''t actively avoid the heroines anymore.


    ''It''s good to get help in subjects that require memorization.''


    The subjects Eugene had to cram were primarily about memorization.


    If he could get summaries or anticipated exam questions from the girls, he could cut his study time in half.


    ''There''s really no reason to decline.''


    Having made up his mind, Eugene spoke up.


    Sure, sit down.


    Huh?


    "What?"


    Tina and Celine''s faces froze, unable to easily understand Eugene''s words.


    ''...Is this really happening?''


    Tina had impulsively brought Celine along, but she hadnt expected Eugene to agree so easily.


    Other guys might bend over backward for her, but the current Eugene was different.


    "Sit, I said."


    Oh, Celine, lets sit.


    ...Okay.


    After a momentary daze, at Eugenes insistence, Tina led Celine to sit opposite him.


    And so, an unlikely study group, was formed.


    ---


    Raei Trantions


    ---


    About 30 minutester.


    Watching Eugene, who was focused on his books without saying a word, Tina nudged Celine.


    ''We''ve secured our spots. Arent you going to start the conversation?''


    ''What conversation are you talking about?''


    Having been together for so long, the girls couldmunicate just with their eyes.


    This unspoken understanding, like an advanced form of telepathy, enabled them to converse without saying a word.


    ''You wanted to talk about the sword, right? Why not ask now?''


    ''How can I just bring that up out of the blue?''


    ''Why can''t you?''


    ''Then why dont you start a conversation about magic?''


    Celine red at Tina with a sharp gaze.


    ''Is it because you find it hard to start conversations?''


    ''Not at all!''


    Tina, feeling cornered, quickly turned her head.


    She wasnt incapable of talking to Eugene.


    She looked over at Eugene, who was lost in his book, and slowly opened her mouth...


    ''I can''t do it!''


    Tina shook her head.


    ''How can I interrupt him?''


    Eugene''s eyes were burning with intensity.


    He looked as though he wanted to burn the textbook into his brain.


    The very picture of a student cramming at thest minute for an exam.


    ''Well... I mean, I can talk, but...''


    If it was going to distract from his studies, perhaps it wasn''t a good idea.


    She should say something that would aid his studies.


    ''I should at least offer something beneficial for the exam...''


    Tina''s eyes wandered around until they settled on the textbook Eugene held.


    ''His book is in perfect condition.''


    It seemed he had set aside topics for the exam, but there were no highlighted areas or notes on which sections to focus on.


    ''It must be hard studying like that.''


    Should I offer him my annotated book?


    Tina hesitantly pulled out three books and handed them to Eugene.


    "Here, take these."


    "Hm?"


    Eugene, his fiery concentration interrupted, epted the books.


    "What are these?"


    "Theyre just my notes. These are textbooks on History, Noble Etiquette, and Acoustics I used. They have my annotations on the essential parts to focus on, and there''s a summary included. If you just memorize that, you should score reasonably well."


    "Why would you give away such valuable resources?"


    "Huh?"


    "No, never mind."


    Without another word, Eugene began flipping through the books Tina gave him.


    "Unbelievable."


    Inside was a treasure trove: neat, well-organized notes in beautiful handwriting, highlighted memorization sections, and summarized content condensed into a few pages.


    ''This is exactly what I needed.''


    How much of a headache did he get from trying to memorize from an untouched textbook?


    But with these, he could potentially cut his study time in half, if not by two-thirds.


    "Thank you, Tina."


    "Huh? It''s nothing, really."


    Tina smiled shyly at his genuine gratitude.


    Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Celine ring at her.


    ''So, you''re ying it like that?''


    ''You saw his eyes just now, right? He was genuinely grateful.''


    ''Well, thats true.''


    ''By opening it up like this, wont it be easier to discuss other topics with himter?''


    ''...''


    Listening to Tina, Celine realized she had a point.


    Celine then started rummaging through her bag.


    ''Is she, by any chance...''


    Going to use the same strategy?


    Tina stared intently at Celine.


    Celine pulled out four books and handed them to Eugene.


    "Here are the notes and summaries for Philosophy, Noble Arts, Traditional Ethics, and World Geography. Read them if you find them useful."


    "......"


    Eugene''s eyes gradually widened, then bulged in surprise.


    Given Celine''s meticulous nature, the notes and summaries were impably organized.


    Possessing such treasures meant he could achieve a passing mark without needing to pull an all-nighter.


    Immediately diving into the books, Eugene began to study fervently, expressing his gratitude without a second thought.


    "Thank you so much. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word."


    "......Huh?"


    Celine''s face turned to one of confusion.


    She could ask if she needed something?


    This meant she could ask about swordsmanship without it being awkward.


    ''Good for you, Celine.''


    Tina grinned mischievously.


    Seeing that, Celine felt as if she was being treated like a child and her face flushed with embarrassment.


    ''Quiet down.''


    Under the table, Celine gave a sneaky kick to Tina''s leg.


    "Ouch!"


    Being in the library, Tina couldn''t scream out loud, so she suppressed a groan, bearing the pain.


    And so, the three students continued their studies.


    ---