"Oh, so you can't bring monsters from outside into the Academy?"

"Yeah, they say you shouldn't bring them inside the Academy..."

She took out a small bug from her chest.

At first glance, it looked like a stag beetle.

It crawled out of her hand and greeted me with a nod.

Bow.

"...A stag beetle?"

"It's a magical creature. I brought it because it's cute... Don't tell anyone else."

"Hmm, alright."

It would be a disaster if someone found out.

No, even if no one finds out, isn't it a big problem?

Bringing a controlled magical creature inside the Academy...

Maybe you should just let it go outside the Academy...

No, that's not right, she's a valuable five-star asset after all.

It's just a stag beetle, and it doesn't seem that dangerous.

I looked at the magical creature and felt a sense of déjà vu, so I spoke up.

"...It doesn't have a collar?"

Her unique armament is a collar.

You have to put on a collar to firmly control it.

If there's no collar, it's either completely under control or a magical creature without intellect.

"Oh, you know about my ability."

She said as if it was nothing.

"When the control period gets long, they don't rebel much, even if the control is lifted."

"That sounds good, let's trade abilities."

"Hmm..."

She thought for a moment and then spoke.

"No."

"Didn't you just say you wanted something ordinary?"

"That was just something I said..."

Saccharin laughed softly.

"I don't like killing magical creatures with my own hands. I like magical creatures and animals. They're cute."

"What about ones that aren't cute?"

"I don't like them. So from now on, I'll only catch the not-so-cute ones."

Saccharin remarked.

"Whether I'm in a lab, living like a recluse, or staying in the Academy, it's the same that I have to deal with monsters with my own hands. So rather..."

She trailed off, not finishing her sentence.

I couldn't guess what she was going to say, but it seemed she intended to stay at the Academy, which was a relief.

I told her, "You haven't received your terminal yet, right?"

"Yeah, I heard they're giving it out after the mid-term evaluation."

"Then remember this; it's my number."

I wrote my number on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

"If something like before happens, call me. I might be able to help."

"...Okay."

"It's nice, right? I hate to say it myself, but my number is quite rare as it's from an Academy Disciplinary Committee Executive. There are only about ten of these in the world."

"Okay!"

She seemed somewhat uplifted.

I was glad she appeared more spirited. I left the medical room, leaving her behind.

As I exited the medical room, a pungent smell hit my nose. Someone must have been using the printer.

Anyway, it was time to return to my duties as a member of the Disciplinary Committee.

On my way back to the dormitory.

There was an unusually noisy area, so I went to take a look and saw something posted on the bulletin board.

[Midterm Ability Assessment]

[Tournament Rules Information]

It seemed everyone had gathered to see this.

[Tournaments will be held at the Main Building's competition arena.]

[The exam is divided into two parts.]

[In Part 1, competitions are held in groups from A to F based on grades, and the winner of each group qualifies for Part 2.]

[Winners of each group can challenge the winners of higher groups.]

[If victorious, they will be placed in the higher tier of the upper group; if defeated, they will be placed in the lower tier, and if they forfeit, they remain in their current rank.]

[Losing to a challenge from a lower group, does not lead to advancement; instead, they remain at the top of their current group.]

Hmm, it's clear that being the number one in the group is important.

If you're the top in your group, just challenging a higher ranking will move you to the lower tier of the upper group.

If you forfeit and don't challenge, you remain the top of your group.

If you win, do you immediately move above your opponent?

So, which group am I in?

A, B, C, D, E... F.

For some reason, my name was registered midway down in the F group, the lowest tier.

"Ah, the entrance exam."

I really messed up both the written and practical parts back then.

Hmm...

But even being in the F tier is just a rank.

There are students who only failed the written part but got in solely on their practical skills.

If I’m careless, I'll end up in trouble.

"Don't let your guard down, give it your all."

In front of the bulletin board, I resolved myself. Some of the people who overheard me were taken aback.

"Does he have no sense?"

"He's going all out in a lower-tier group?"

"...I might as well forfeit."

Regardless of the buzz around me, I headed back to the dormitory.

In front of the bulletin board where Gardner just left, three people were standing with serious expressions.

One was the top in Group F, a candidate for promotion.

Another was the top in Group E, also a candidate for promotion.

The last was the lowest in Group F, too lazy to prepare for the exam.

Among them, the top-ranked in Group F and the top-ranked in Group E mumbled, "If this happens, we're doomed..."

They luckily ended up in groups where they could potentially become number one.

Neither of them was confident in beating someone from a higher tier, but they thought it might be worth a shot.

Their goal was to improve their rank in this test.

However, a wall had appeared: Gardner, the head of the Disciplinary Committee.

Without overcoming that wall, they couldn't advance to the next group.

"Should we give up on ranking this time..."

"Maybe we should just forfeit and stay put..."

At that moment, the two, who were quietly murmuring, made eye contact.

Although the two hadn't spoken to each other, they felt a mutual understanding.

"Hey, you too?"

Divided, they were weak, but together they felt strong.

With the two of them brainstorming, a plan seemed to be forming.

The top-ranked in Group F started the conversation.

"In our group, there's someone who nearly scored perfectly in practical exams and is at the lower end of the rank..."

The top-ranked in Group E seemed to understand what he was getting at.

The person who always lies down and sleeps in one corner of the classroom.

Always at the bottom in written tests, but thanks to her high scores in practicals, she hasn't been expelled.

One-eyed Sword Jane.

Could they really be thinking of bringing her in?

The top-ranked in Group E asked.

"But how are you going to entice someone who values sleep the most?"

"Do you know what's better than sleep?"

The top-ranked in Group F pulled a ticket from his pocket.

On it, in bold, flashy letters was written:

[Amusement Park Free Pass]

"An amusement park."

"...Where on earth did you get something that expensive?"

In this world, amusement park tickets are not easy to come by.

The places where people live aren't continuously connected.

It's a world filled with contamination zones between areas where people reside.

Places where people live are fortified, resembling castles with walls surrounding them.

In the passageways between these fortified areas, there's a risk of unauthorized people, drifters, or magical creatures intruding.

As a result, they tightly control entry and exit, thoroughly inspecting all visitors.

However, with that admission ticket, you can enter the fortress with almost no suspicion. Plus, you can enjoy the amusement park to your heart's content.

Its value is beyond words.

"You're not saying it's a counterfeit, are you?"

The top-ranked in Group F showed the seal embedded on the ticket and said, "Can't you see the Government Hologram here? It's genuine."

"Wow... But do you think that alone will sway her?"

She's a one-eyed Sword Jane, after all.

Who knows if she even likes amusement parks...

What if she prefers sleeping at the back of the classroom more than going to an amusement park?

When expressing these doubts, the top-ranked in Group F replied, "The cost to hire her might not be enough; we'll need to gather a bit more."

"Hmm... Where should we find additional funds..."

"That's your problem to solve."

The top-ranked in Group E looked up at the top-ranked in Group F.

The top-ranked in Group F said, "You're not planning to ride for free, are you? You need to empty your pockets too."

The top-ranked in Group E nodded.

He emptied out all the meal tickets he had saved up that day.

After arriving at the dormitory, I unpacked my things and took stock of the current situation.

Hiro, eyes and sword fully opened. Additionally, their physical abilities have surpassed the expected level, while it remains uncertain if they have grown mentally.

Current growth rate is over 15%.

Laurent. Completed Taeguk.

Current growth rate is over 15%.

Trinia. Completed Full Spectrum.

Current growth rate is over 20%.

Other five-star individuals average around 7-8%.

Or possibly higher.

"This is strange..."

It's understandable for Hiro and Laurent.

In the original story, they were perceived as fast growers.

But Trinia is slightly different.

To think she has already completed the Full Spectrum.

In the original, she struggled with the theory, worrying over it until her sister appeared in a dream to give advice, which led to its completion.

Even then, it was an unstable theory, requiring Laurent's assistance.

However...

I recalled the divine power Trinia showed in the infirmary.

The Full Spectrum flames that naturally glowed in her hands.

A scent that sharply pricked the nose.

It was a scent of the air melting away.

"How on earth did she complete the Full Spectrum..."

Even though she got inspiration from the combined technique Laurent and I used...

Is it really a skill that can be used so naturally with just that?

Or, perhaps she has already received advice from her sister in her dreams.

There was a description of receiving advice from her sister in a dream.

But that shouldn't be the actual Iscaliote.

It's probably a metaphor.

In reality, Trinia's learning likely accumulated unconsciously and manifested in the form of a dream.

In other words, creating the Full Spectrum requires a corresponding level of learning.

Could the fight against the Parasite Queen fill that amount of experience?

"I have no idea..."

I kept having the vague feeling that there was something I wasn't aware of.

Something invisible suddenly spurred Trinia's growth...

What could that possibly be?

Thinking that, I stretched.

While I was zoning out and organizing my thoughts for a moment,

A sharp scent rose to my nose.

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