#34. Preparing for the midterm exam (1)
“The first semester midterm exams start next week.”
When Professor Klein made his announcement in the top class classroom, cheers erupted here and there.
It seemed like no one really liked tests.
“It seems like there are a lot of complaints. Those who don’t feel like it don’t have to take the test.”
“Professor, is that okay?”
“Of course. If you can afford to get a zero.”
“no way…….”
“Haha. Don’t make such faces.”
Klein looked around the classroom and said,
“The midterm is 100% written. Your results will be proportional to how much you studied.”
“Professor, there are people who don’t get good grades even if they study!”
“Really? I always got good grades as much as I studied.”
“…….”
“Anyway.”
Klein is also an elite among the elite.
It seemed like he didn’t have much empathy for students who felt burdened by exams.
“The midterms are held over three days. The next day and the day after that are all holidays, and since it’s the weekend right after, it’s a four-day holiday.”
“then…….”
“After I finish my midterms, I can take it easy for four days. I can even go out of the island for a bit.”
“ah……!”
Ars Magna Academy is located on a remote island.
That’s why it’s not easy to travel to other areas unless you take advantage of the vacation period.
However, if you take advantage of the 4-day holiday… … it might be possible to travel to nearby areas.
“I hope you enjoy a relaxing holiday. I hope you do well on your midterms.”
“yes…….”
After finishing the story, Klein left the classroom.
Then everyone gathered together and started talking about the midterm exam.
“Midterms… I’m worried.”
“That’s right. Since it’s the highest level class, you have to get good grades.”
“The practical test is important, but the written test is also very important.”
Senia, Charis, and Milia sighed and chatted.
Everyone here must have gotten good scores on their entrance exams, but it looks like they’re still nervous about the exam.
“Hey, Eriol.”
Then Kane put his arm around my shoulder and said,
“Shall we study together?”
“Study?”
“Let’s all study together for the midterms. What do you think?”
As Cain said that, Milia chuckled beside him.
“If it were Ariol, I think he’d say something like, ‘Why are we all studying together for the test? Shouldn’t we be studying alone?'”
“Hmm, it definitely looks like someone who would reject it because it would make studying less efficient.”
“Hey, everyone. You shouldn’t make rash decisions.”
When Charis agreed, Senia looked embarrassed.
“Eriol… what do you think? Honestly, from our perspective, I think it would be a great help if we could study together with Eriol.”
“I don’t care.”
“Oh, really?”
I don’t think there will be much difference in studying efficiency whether there is someone next to you or not.
It’s a problem with my concentration anyway.
“But there is a condition.”
“What is it?”
“If we’re going to do it, let’s do it hard.”
“…….”
In front of the four people whose expressions were hardening, I spoke in a clear voice.
“Let’s study with the determination to monopolize the places from 1st to 5th. What do you think?”
“No, I think that’s a bit too much……!”
Kane raised his voice in disgust.
* * *
Eventually, I ended up studying with Cain, Senia, Charis, and Milia.
My room, room 801, was chosen as the study location because it was larger than the other rooms in the dorm.
“We’ll prepare everything like snacks, so all you have to do is lend us your seat.”
“I’ll clean up after myself too.”
“Hmm, but it’s not as creepy as it used to be.”
“That’s right. Was the rumor about ghosts just a rumor?”
As it happened, there was a table and extra chairs in the warehouse on the 8th floor that could seat several people.
I brought it in and set it up, and it turned out to be a pretty decent study space.
“Basically, the midterm exam questions come from three departments.”
Before starting to study in earnest, Kane began to tell us about the information he had collected so far.
“The transmission, production, and elemental studies departments… the professors who taught us all this time are the ones who are giving the questions.”
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“I thought I studied many subjects, but in reality, I only studied three departments.”
“It’s still the first semester of the first year. Anyway, you can think of the first day as the transmission, the second day as the production, and the third day as the element study.”
“The first day will be about basic magic theory and history, the second day will be about crafting, and the third day will be a test of elemental magic.”
“According to my research, the first and second days are all about memorizing what you’ve learned. The third day is the problem.”
Kane said, pointing to the elemental science textbook he had placed on the table.
“He said that both the basic elemental science course and the practical elemental science course have a lot of applied problems.”
“I need to understand the theory of elementalism well.”
“No, it’s not like it’s over just by understanding the theory… I think there are a lot of problems that can only be solved by using your head.”
“In what way?”
“Well, I’m not sure about that.”
“hmm…….”
Senia, Charis, and Milia groaned at the same time.
People say it’s difficult, but it’s frustrating because you can’t even figure out how it’s difficult.
“That’s what I’m saying… It’s important to get past exam questions.”
“Previous exam questions?”
“I’m talking about the problems that seniors solved in the first semester last year.”
“You can get something like that?”
Charis tilted her head.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of such a thing.”
“It’s not like they go around in public. But I think it’s common for students with connections within the school to get past exam questions through their seniors.”
“okay?”
“maybe…….”
Kane said, crossing his arms.
“Kids who are around Monarch Orson’s age will have their hands on past exam questions and be preparing for their midterms by now.”
* * *
“Okay, here it is.”
“Thank you, senior.”
Monarch Orson bowed his head as he accepted the envelope of documents his senior handed him.
“Are these the problems from last year and the year before?”
“Since the exam questions are new every year, the questions that are on the test aren’t exactly the same. However, you can probably guess what types of questions will come out.”
“That’s enough.”
Inside the envelope were copies of midterm exam questions from last year and the year before.
After the exam, you have to return the test paper, but some thoughtful seniors have restored the questions from memory.
“I know you know, but don’t go around bragging that you received this. Passing on past exam questions to your juniors could cause problems later. It’s not a violation of school rules, though.”
“I know.”
“So… later, tell the Duke that I helped you.”
This senior was from a count family that was close to the Orson Duke family.
He passed the exam questions to Monarch for the benefit of his own family.
“Don’t worry. I’ll send you a letter right away.”
“Yes, please.”
After glancing at his senior who had a momentary, cowardly expression on his face, Monarch turned his gaze back to the envelope.
‘I missed out on first place in the entrance exams… … but I will definitely get first place in the midterms!’
The Monarch was fired up.
To beat Eriol Valencia for first place.
* * *
“Charis and Milia don’t have any proper connections either?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Because we are from the outskirts too.”
“Hmm…….”
“Cain and Senia are from prestigious families. Don’t you know any seniors?”
“Our Trigger family is a bit special.”
“Our Artian family… has always kept our distance from magic.”
It seemed like they all had no connections.
Of course, that was the case for me too.
The only connection I have is my uncle Kaisel… … I can’t ask the professor for past exam questions.
“If I had known this would happen, I would have built up connections with my seniors in advance.”
“There’s nothing I can do. The dorms are different, and I rarely have the opportunity to interact with upperclassmen.”
During the first semester of the first year, there are few opportunities to interact directly with seniors.
They say it’s different starting from the second semester though.
“Actually, there is a way to get your hands on past exam questions even if you don’t have any connections.”
“What is it?”
“You have to pay for it.”
“Money…!”
Everyone looked surprised at Kane’s words.
“There are seniors who run a black market on campus. They say they were the ones who distributed past exam questions first.”
“You’re buying and selling past exam questions? Isn’t that a problem?”
“That’s why I heard that the Academy doesn’t look favorably on exchanging past exam questions. Even if you get it through connections, it’s usually kept quiet.”
“Hmm…….”
Everyone had a worried look on their face.
Even though I need past exam questions, I am reluctant to buy them.
“it’s okay.”
“what?”
“I don’t want to go that far to get past exam questions.”
I don’t want to pay money to the black market to get past exam questions, as the academy might take issue with it later.
“Eriol……”
Senia looked at me with a moved expression.
But Kane immediately objected.
“But Eriol, if you don’t have past exam questions, you’ll be at a disadvantage in the exam. Let’s aim to monopolize the top five places, right?”
“That just meant that we should stop doing other things and study hard.”
“You mean……”
“still…….”
I said, getting up from my seat.
“It’s a disadvantage if there are no past exam questions.”
“Hey, where are you going?”
“I’m studying first.”
I left room 801, leaving the four people wondering.
“I don’t know if you could call it a connection, but… there’s someone I want to ask.”
* * *
It was dark outside.
As I walked into the park with my bag in hand, I saw Charlotte Strasbourg sitting on a bench, eating a late-night snack alone.
‘Are you addicted to late-night snacks… … .’
It might not be good for your health.
With those worries in mind, I approached Charlotte.
“Eriol Valencia?”
Charlotte noticed my approach and raised her head.
“It’s been a while.”
“okay.”
I sat down on the bench next to him and gave a curt answer.
And then I took out the food that was in the bag.
“What did you buy?”
“hot dog.”
“hot dog……?”
As expected.
This noble lady, who couldn’t even buy things properly at a store… … had never bought something like a hot dog from a street vendor.
Because he comes from the Duke of Strasbourg, one of the most prestigious families.
“Then shall we try it?”
“…….”
I picked up a hot dog and, just like Kane had taught me, slathered it with ketchup and mustard to make it look appetizing.
I could feel Charlotte’s gaze following me every time I moved my hand.
“Whew, this looks delicious.”
He took a big bite of his hot dog, speaking loudly on purpose.
The bread and sausage combined with ketchup and mustard created an exquisite harmony.
“…….”
Charlotte gulped as she looked at me.
But I ate the hotdog all by myself without even looking at it.
“Oh, I ate well.”
“…….”
“I need to eat one more.”
“……!”
Charlotte flinched as she took another hot dog out of the bag.
You probably didn’t know there was one more.
“Oh, but I’m a little full.”
“……!”
As I was deliberately stalling for time, Charlotte, unable to bear it any longer, opened her mouth.
“Ah, Eriol Valencia!”
“why?”
“If you’re full, why don’t you give it to me?”
Charlotte said, watching me closely.
“That… also sprinkled with an unidentified red and yellow sauce.”
“No, but I was going to eat it, so I’ll eat it.”
“Now, wait a minute!”
As I tried to bring the hotdog to my mouth, Charlotte leaned forward hastily.
“Do you want to eat a lot?”
“Ugh…….”
Charlotte blushed as she realized she had done something shameful.
“Then I’ll just give it to you.”
“Oh, thank you……”
“Instead.”
I pretended to give Charlotte a hot dog, then took it back.
“Do you know how to get past midterm exam questions?”
Hearing the unexpected words, Charlotte blinked blankly.
