Chapter 41: Something Scarier Than Magical Beasts

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“Why… Why would you do something like this?” Mil couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion at the green-haired girl’s actions.

Why did she deliberately break the compass? It wasn’t an accident or a slip of the hand; she intentionally smashed it against the ground. There shouldn’t be any benefit for her in doing so.

Moreover, she clearly stated that my “expulsion” was decided. What could her objective possibly be?

“A-Class first-year, Miltyu Grasse. The only student selected as a special scholarship student in the entire year,” the girl called out my name with a defiant expression.

“Eh…”

As I wondered how she knew my name, she shrugged her shoulders with an exasperated look.

“There’s not a single person in our year who doesn’t know about you. Everyone’s watching you, whether it’s for better or worse.”

“For better or worse…?”

“Just being a commoner without a family crest and snatching the prestigious special scholarship seat from the elites, it’s no wonder you’re envied.”

I had already felt that way for a while. Ever since I received the title of special scholarship student, the gazes around me became more piercing. On top of that, unfounded rumors began to circulate. To be honest, my current experience at the academy was far from pleasant.

The cause was obvious—being a commoner without a family crest.

“But that’s not all. You even took on other people’s requests and earned achievements. A mere commoner accomplishing tasks that nobles couldn’t handle must have been satisfying for you. Deep down, you must have looked down on us who couldn’t achieve those requests,” the green-haired girl continued.

“Taken… their requests?”

“Isn’t it true that you completed tasks that we couldn’t and earned the credits for them? Just a commoner looking down on us in your heart because we couldn’t achieve those requests.”

As she mentioned the rumors, I began to understand. Apparently, this girl had complete knowledge about me—about how I had been taking care of pending requests and about being a commoner without a family crest. Was that why she appeared here and shattered my compass?

Her hostile gaze seemed to confirm that it was true.

In other words, this girl…

(From the beginning, she was targeting me…?)

In hindsight, the situation was odd.

It was already close to thirty minutes since the practical exam began, and it was clearly unnatural for other students to be near the starting point. If she hadn’t been targeting me from the beginning, it would be impossible for her to create this scene.

So, what was her reason for approaching me? Based on her words, it seemed likely that she held a grudge for taking away the requests from others. Perhaps she even intended to disrupt this practical exam.

The fragments of the compass scattered at her feet served as evidence of her attempt to hinder me.

“Why…” Mil couldn’t help but voice her question, reaching a conclusion and then facing a new mystery.

“Why did you know where I was? In such a vast forest, shrouded in darkness…”

Understanding that she was trying to sabotage my practical exam, new inconsistencies emerged.

Even if she had been targeting me from the beginning, it should have been nearly impossible to pinpoint an individual’s location precisely within the Forest. Even if she used spatial awareness magic to gain detailed knowledge of the surroundings, the range of coverage would be significantly limited. No magician could cover the entire width of the forest with such magic.

In conclusion, it should have been impossible for her to intentionally locate me and disrupt the exam.

As Mil pondered this, the green-haired girl pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.

“Just for you, I’ll tell you something, you idiot,” she sneered.

It was the lottery ticket that had been distributed to all participants just before the start of the practical exam, determining their starting positions. The number written on it was “265.”

It was only five numbers away from the “260” that I had drawn.

“I happened to be near your starting position from the beginning. Following you would be easy,” she explained.

Indeed, if that were the case, it wouldn’t be difficult to tail me from the beginning of the exam. But that raised another question.

Was the number on the lottery ticket intentionally manipulated?

If she had planned to disrupt my exam from the start, it would make sense for her to prefer a starting position close to mine. However, the starting position was determined by the lottery drawing.

It seemed unlikely that the lottery was intentionally manipulated without any kind of preparation or setup. But then, the truth turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

“It was just a coincidence,” she said with a smirk. “I happened to draw a ticket near yours. There were no tricks or schemes involved.”

Is it permissible for someone who is intentionally trying to sabotage my exam to coincidentally draw a convenient lottery ticket? Can such a stroke of luck be allowed?

In an instant, the phrase “unfortunate disposition” flashed through Mil’s mind. She keenly felt that she was truly an unlucky person.

“That’s what I meant by ‘you’re unlucky.’ Well, in the end, there was a high possibility that your exam would be disrupted,” the green-haired girl said with an arrogant tone.

“What… do you mean?” Mil asked, unable to comprehend the situation.

“About thirty people. Do you understand what that number signifies?”

Still frozen, Mil listened as the green-haired girl continued to speak with a defiant attitude.

“It represents the number of students who hold a grudge against you for stealing their requests. It means that there were others besides me who intended to sabotage your exam. Among them, I happened to be the closest to your starting position, so that’s why I’m here to harass you.”

“I didn’t… have any intention of stealing…”

Mil recalled what Sachi had told her. The rumors circulating within the school about her. Sachi had mentioned that someone was deliberately spreading malicious rumors, but she never thought that one of those thirty people might be responsible for…

No, perhaps the girl standing before her was the source of those rumors.

“You’ve gotten too cocky for a commoner, Miltiyu Grasse. Well, I’ll be going now,” the girl said, revealing the truth just to satisfy her superiority complex. She turned on her heel, casting a final glance at Mil with a smug smile.

“Congratulations on your expulsion.”

Afterward, she melted into the darkness of the forest, completely disappearing from sight. Mil knew she should immediately give chase, but she couldn’t move right away. It was the first time she had been confronted with such malice head-on, and she was left stunned.

Eventually, Mil snapped back to her senses and rushed to the spot where the girl had been standing. The shattered compass lay there, and Mil trembled as she picked up its fragments. The compass was crushed beyond recognition, making it impossible to determine the directions.

If she didn’t have it, she wouldn’t be able to know the location of the target point.

(If things continue like this, I’ll be expelled!)

Mil found herself unable to reach her destination as planned, falling into the trap set by the girl’s scheme. She was on the verge of being expelled from the academy. She couldn’t help but feel that she was a useless magician who couldn’t accomplish anything on her own.

Wasn’t it true that she couldn’t overcome a single exam without Sachi’s help? She was nothing more than a burden. Being chosen as a special student, and even being able to enroll in this academy in the first place, was all thanks to Sachi. Mil believed that she was a complete failure and deserved to be expelled.

But then, a familiar voice echoed in her mind, interrupting her negative thoughts.

“Among the students, you’re the best in this year, Mil.”

In that moment, Mil gasped and held her breath. It was Sachi’s voice, the voice that she was so accustomed to. Even though she was such a mess, there was someone who still recognized her.

She wanted to advance through the grades with Sachi. She wanted to reach graduation and become a national mage. Above all, she didn’t want to be separated from Sachi. She had found her one and only precious friend.

“I won’t give up!”

A spark of fighting spirit ignited in Mil’s eyes, illuminating the dark forest.