Once the exchange entered the preparation phase for the final defense, the students who hadn't advanced felt a bit of regret, but they also completely let go of their stress and eased into a life of leisure.
Consequently, the number of figures burying their heads in study inside the Magic Tower's library had dwindled by more than half, replaced by a rare and welcome peace.
Sunlight poured through the high windows, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow across the long wooden tables and open book pages, while the faint scent of paper and ink drifted through the air.
Yet even under these serene conditions, a few figures in the corner of the library were still suffering in agony.
“This is so frustrating! We might have ten days to prepare, but we'll have to randomly draw one of five topics for the defense. On top of that, they're all unsolved, legendary-tier problems! This tiny bit of preparation time is nowhere near enough!”
Victoria frustratedly ruffled her smooth, long gray hair.
Her once neatly kept hair became quite messy under her hands, with a few stray strands sticking up and reflecting a soft luster in the afternoon sun.
Yet even with her hair in disarray, her delicate features and vibrant gray eyes kept her looking incredibly beautiful, lending her a casual, endearing charm instead.
She slumped over the table, her chin resting on a thick, open tome, radiating a defeated aura of I can't study anymore.
“It's all right, Victoria.”
Silvia, sitting across from her, couldn't help but giggle softly. Putting down her quill, she offered gentle reassurance:
“You did more than well enough during the secondary defense. Now, we just have to do our best.”
Silvia sat upright in her chair, her long pink hair draping smoothly over her shoulders. Her posture was elegant and poised, a quill held in her hand, and a parchment filled with notes spread out before her.
The sunlight fell upon her profile, tracing her in a soft halo of light. She looked like a serene oil painting, radiating a gentle, beautiful warmth.
Although no one in the secondary defense had been quite as absurdly talented as Greg to score a perfect one hundred, no one else had surpassed Victoria's ninety-two points either.
In the end, she tied with Melina for second place.
It was undeniably an outstanding achievement.
“That might be true, but...”
Victoria suddenly bolted upright, her expression turning dead serious as she slammed both hands onto the table with a loud thwack.
“Greg has been missing for three days! Today is already the fourth day! I highly suspect he's secretly grinding somewhere behind my back again! Just the thought of it makes it impossible for me to relax!”
Ah, so she just doesn't want to be left in the dust by the guy she likes.
Silvia's expression dimmed for a brief instant.
She lowered her head, her eyes falling to her notebook.
In the secondary defense, even with Senior Greg's guidance, she hadn't managed to break ninety, finishing with an eighty-five.
Perhaps it had something to do with her being too distracted to fully absorb Senior Greg's explanations at the time...
Regardless, it was an indisputable fact that there was now a clear gap between her and Victoria.
Yet, the moment she remembered that while she might be slightly behind Victoria in grades, she was a step ahead of her in another area, Silvia's mood instantly rebounded.
She clapped her hands together lightly and spoke in a cheerful voice:
“In that case, let's grab a bite first. We've been studying all morning, and if we don't refuel, our brains won't be able to keep up. Besides, I heard they're serving cheese apple pie today!”
“Apple pie!”
At Silvia's mention of it, Victoria did feel her stomach rumble.
If she starved herself, her performance in the final defense would only suffer.
She feigned deep thought for a moment before closing her book and reluctantly agreeing, “Well... I suppose that's fine.”
Packing up their books and notes, the two girls rose and walked out of the library.
Sunlight streamed through the windows lining the corridor, casting bright, warm patches across the floor.
As they walked side by side, Silvia was just about to bring up Greg when she spotted a familiar figure in the corridor ahead.
Lilith's vibrant red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail that swayed with every step she took.
She had intended to greet her fellow disciple, Silvia, but the moment her eyes fell upon Victoria, her steps faltered. Letting out a quiet huff, she prepared to brush right past them.
Victoria knew exactly why Lilith was avoiding her gaze.
She remembered perfectly well that Lilith had scored an eighty-six in the secondary defense, while she herself was a full six points higher.
The two of them had been bitter rivals since their first day at the academy, and Lilith had rubbed her face in defeat more times than she could count. Now that Victoria finally had the upper hand, how could she possibly let this chance slip away?
“Oh my, if it isn't Her Highness Lilith, the eighty-six-pointer?”
Victoria deliberately sidled over, her voice dripping with equal parts smugness and provocation.
“Why the cold shoulder for someone who scored a ninety-two? Or do you just look down on the six points I have over you?”
Lilith ground to a halt. As a princess, she had never been subjected to such blatant mockery, and there was no way she was going to take it lying down.
Lilith puffed out her chest and crossed her arms.
“Hmph! Is ninety-two points really that impressive? You beat me once, that's all. The final defense is what actually matters. I just hope you don't get so nervous in front of the five headmasters that you can't even squeak out a word!”
“I don't need your concern. You'd better worry about yourself!”
Victoria raised an eyebrow. “Because if I can beat you once, I can beat you a second time, and a third!”
“What did you say?!”
Lilith refused to yield, taking a step forward. The distance between them shrank to less than a meter as invisible sparks practically flew through the air.
If Greg had been there, he would have despaired. In the original game, these two were supposed to be close friends by Act Two. Yet here they were in Act Three, still acting like mortal enemies.
Victoria: “I'm just stating the objective fact that I scored six points higher than you. Is there a problem?”
Lilith: “It's only six points! Keep talking big until the final defense is over, then we'll see!”
Their exchange grew increasingly heated, rapidly escalating from a verbal spat to the brink of a hair-pulling catfight.
Silvia stood on the sidelines, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to intervene, completely at a loss for words.
At this critical juncture—
“Coming through! Out of the way!”
A frantic shout echoed from the far end of the corridor. Before they could react, a figure dashed past them at breakneck speed, whipping up a miniature gale in his wake.
The sudden gust caught the hemlines of their skirts, lifting them into the air for a split second and offering a fleeting glimpse of the delicate fabric beneath.
“Ah!”
“Eek!”
“Oh!”
Three gasps rang out almost simultaneously.
Victoria, Lilith, and Silvia bent over in a synchronized reflex, their hands slamming down to hold their windblown skirts.
Once the corridor settled, Victoria whipped her head up, her glare sharp as daggers as she stared at the receding figure. She hissed through gritted teeth,
“Who was that absolute bastard?! I'm going to murder him!”
Lilith stamped her foot in sheer embarrassment, her face flushed crimson.
“How dare he! How dare he! If I ever catch him, I'll make him regret ever being born!”
Silvia, however, simply held her skirt down, breathing softly as she watched the disappearing figure.
She recalled the voice she had just heard and the fleeting glimpse of his back. After a brief silence, she spoke up softly,
“That person... I think it was Senior Greg.”
Rate on N.U.
