Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 49

Episode 49. It's a double kill.

The next day after Lanshi returned.

We unpacked our bags from our temporary accommodations, moved them back to our original dorms, and had a meeting in the first-year cafeteria.

Project name: Making Damian a Model Student.

An unprecedented project whose name alone predicts its extreme difficulty.

That's what started the first meeting.

but.

'hmm.'

I folded my arms and quietly watched Damian and Chenbi.

'As expected, it won't be easy.'

I expected it.

Is it even possible for the noun 'model student' to be added to the noun 'Damian'?

Of course, there was no need to create a real model student.

'Make Damian a model student?'

If that were the case, the difficulty would not be extreme, but impossible.

Since it is something that no one else could have done, I wouldn't have accepted it either.

but.

– Get into the top 16 overall.

Getting Damian to 16th place was easier than that. Of course, it was just 'easier' than that, but it wasn't easy at all.

Look at it now.

“What is this, what is this…….”

Chenbi, clutching his head in despair.

It was only 20 minutes into the meeting.

Objectively, Damian's academic achievements were equally disappointing.

No, is it just hopeless?

Hell itself!

– Damian, how much do you understand about basic magic principles?

– What is basic magic?

It's common to not know the names of subjects you've studied for a month.

– Uh… Damian. Can I see your notes? Um… But, where is your textbook?

– I don't know. I brought everything I had.

Some subjects didn't even have textbooks.

Of course, it wasn't all hopeless situations.

– Hey, Damian. By any chance… did you finish the assignments the professors gave you on time?

– Yeah, I did!

Damian said he did his homework on time.

For a moment, a bright color came to Chenbi's face.

A thick bundle of parchment.

If you did your homework on time, it means you studied the basics, even if you don't know about anything else.

but.

'well…….'

I glanced at the parchment on the table.

A piece of paper full of unidentifiable scribbles and formulas, not magical formulas.

Judging by the words 'Blood, Sweat, and Tears No. 2' written next to it, it seems like they drew up a blueprint for Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

One, I didn't say anything like this.

'It's like killing Chenbi twice.'

purple.

Even now, I'm tearing my hair out to the point where it's falling out in clumps.

If we tell this fact here, Chenbi will reach the realm of a penman without being a penman.

The first level of the pen.

This is the beginning of hair loss.

How unfair this is.

However, Damian crushed Chenbi's heart, making my consideration meaningless.

“Chenbi.”

"……huh."

"Don't worry too much. I never give up. I will definitely do it."

“Ah, ahhh…… ahhhhhhh……!”

Could there be anything more heartbreaking than this?

Who is the cause of this despair, yet burns with such calm and resolute will?

One, Chenbi is an indomitable man.

If there is even a small spark of hope, it can ignite that will.

So, I threw a little spark.

"Yeah, yeah. That's right. Let's look at the assignment, the assignment."

Chenbi takes on the task to gauge Damian's level.

I didn't really pay attention to the rest of it.

Close your eyes tightly.

Just by hearing the sound, the despair Chenbi feels can be easily inferred.

Sararak.

I hear the sound of paper turning.

"ah."

A short final remark.

It wasn't the long, drawn-out scream of the previous one, but this was a true scream. It was the sound of a person's hope vanishing.

As expected, I opened my eyes and saw that sight.

'What a strange thing.'

Although his complexion remains the same, it seems as if he has turned to white ash.

"Chenbi, if you study hard, you can do it. Don't be too discouraged."

A spoonful of oil there.

It was a completely retired Chenbi.

Anyway, that's all for the joke.

'Hmm.'

I crossed my arms and watched as Chenbi had been organizing Damian's level for the past twenty minutes.

Two liberal arts subjects.

Four magic-related classes.

A total of six subjects.

'At least, the good news is that culture and history, which are classified as liberal arts, aren't bad.'

It was worth it.

Culture and history are areas of common sense.

This was something Damian had been taught while he was at Blando.

The problem was the rest of the magic classes… … .

'It's the end of the world.'

It's the end of the world.

There was no answer in sight.

Three magic-related textbooks brought by Damian.

It was supposed to be a four-volume set, but one of them was nowhere to be found.

The few books I have are as clean as new.

So, you're saying you never studied even once.

“Chenbi, at least since Damian did his homework properly and on time, isn’t there still hope?”

Of course, Chenbi wasn't unaware of this fact. He just didn't know it would be to this extent.

And maybe… … .

'I guess I was relying on Damian being a genius. His talent is incredible.'

One, unfortunately, that was also a false expectation.

There are two types of geniuses in the magical world: those who study magic and those who utilize it.

For example, something like this.

'Henge.'

He could be said to be a genius in magic.

Although his magical skills are not lacking, he seems to be more specialized in exploring and understanding principles rather than directly utilizing them.

The other side is… … .

'Pahern or Damien.'

It was a category specialized for direct use.

therefore.

'I guess you could say it's the difference between using your body and using your head.'

Of course, since you have magical talent, you will easily accept the principles and formulas… … .

I doubt that it would be possible in just one month.

But, that was then.

“Good, good idea.”

“What is it?!”

Chenbi suddenly raises his head.

Damian looked at him with shining eyes.

“Is this how major subject scores are originally calculated?”

Chenbi wrote down the words on the parchment.

The major subjects are four magic-related classes.

The pricing method is as follows:

<Practical: 70 points>

<Written: 20 points>

Assignment: 10 points

Higher proportion of practical exams compared to written exams.

This was great news for us.

Even if Damian doesn't know anything else, he'll be able to see the actual performance really well.

'But, I'm sure you're not trying to point out such an obvious fact… … .'

I wonder what kind of measures they will come up with.

I was looking at Chenbi with some expectations, and that's when his mouth opened.

“First of all, it goes without saying that Damian has to be good at practical skills.”

"yes."

“But, isn’t handwriting a problem?”

Chenbi's eyes sparkle.

"Let's think about it the other way around. Is it really necessary for Damian to raise his score? Rather…"

“……?”

And when the words continued, I could realize that Chen Bi was not in his right mind.

"What if I lower my other friends' practical scores? Or what if I lower their written scores? Either way."

“…….”

“Then, wouldn’t it be possible for Damian to advance if he just gets the practical skills right?”

It's clear that he's not in his right mind.

And one more thing.

‘How could I possibly get 16th place if I just half-assed my writing…?’

Of course, the counter-threshing wasn't easy either.

Five essay questions. The test required logically solving the magical quiz presented in the questions.

Still, I thought that with Damian's magical talent and brains, it might be possible somehow.

'This kid… … .'

It was clear that they did not view Damian as a creature capable of learning.

"after."

But it's all because of Damian's accumulated karma, so there's nothing to say.

I started to worry about it in my own way.

'Is it a fair method after all?'

It's because I don't study, but when I do, I do quite well.

Magic?

'It's easy.'

Although not as knowledgeable as the professors, the undergraduates were far superior.

I've already read about a third of the magic book that Henji gave me.

If I were to teach, there's nothing I can't teach…

“Chenbi, are you having a hard time?”

“Ah, ahh…….”

"It's okay to take a break if it's hard. But I believe Chenbi can do it!"

I have no confidence.

'Can I not hit you?'

If he did that to others, I would just let it go, but if he did that to me, I could have beaten him up.

'What should I do?'

Because we don't have much time.

But, that was then.

"excuse me."

“……?”

A boy approaches us cautiously.

He was sitting at the table right next to me, and his face looked quite familiar.

“Furio?”

“……It’s Furion, Aster.”

“Yes, Furion. I called you correctly.”

Same M3 class. It was Furion, a collateral branch of the Dinaiga.

At the guy's appearance, both Chenbi and Damian, with their dead eyes, turned their heads slightly.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard the conversation. It seems like they're trying to help Damian with his studies."

"however?"

I glanced at Furion with a slightly askance look.

'Do you want to burst?'

I wish that were the case.

It had been quite some time since I had beaten up any of my blood relatives, so I was missing the taste of it.

And to be honest, Furion was one of those faces I'd been eyeing for a while and wanted to hit.

A worldly, lofty attitude. An unmistakable confidence that subtly shines across his face.

What should I say? Even among the nobles, he has a particularly unlucky face.

'Finally, is it today?'

I looked at Furion with anticipation, but what he said was quite unexpected.

“Maybe I can help.”

“You’ll accept it?”

“……? What are you talking about? You’re saying I can help Damian with his studies.”

"……you?"

I tilted my head.

“……What is that look in your eyes?”

What is it?

'It's the look one gets when looking at an unlucky, foolish collateral relative.'

Judging from the fact that he came to the academy, he must be quite promising in Denai.

If you look at the atmosphere and appearance alone, it's like Henji's… … nameless, idiotic younger brother.

It was a deep-rooted, baseless distrust.

'But, overall, it wasn't wrong.'

however.

“Hmm, I wasn’t going to show you this much.”

Furion returns to his seat and shows the pile of parchments on the table.

The first to react was Chenbi.

“That, that is…….”

"As expected, Chenbi. I knew you, a sincere person like me, would recognize it. This is it…"

“……The legendary past exam book!”

"That's right. It's a collection of past exam questions from the Academy over the past ten years. But that's not all."

The guy who quickly shows me another bundle of documents.

“That, that is……!”

Furion nodded happily.

“Yes.”

The sight was somehow disgusting, but I managed to calm my crying fist.

Even if you hit someone, you should hit them knowing what they are trying to say.

but.

Unfortunately, I never got to hit Furion.

That's how shocking the bundle of documents he showed me next was.

“This is…….”

"This is a test given by Professor Jayra. It's also a compilation of data on topics he's currently researching. Professor Jayra usually gives questions related to his research topics."

"……that?"

"Professor Falun's exam collection. Since the questions tend to focus heavily on the textbook, there's not much to refer to… but look at this. It's a notebook I wrote while going through the M1, M2, and M3 classes, highlighting the parts the professor emphasized."

Besides that, Furion continued to boast about the materials he had.

When I saw that sight.

I had no choice but to admit it.

“Furion, you really…….”

“Will you admit it now? That I can help you.”

“A natural born fool… no, a schoolmate.”

“……? A natural born student? What’s that?”

If Furion isn't a born fool, then who else can be?

'Okay, you do your best.'

I'll give you my honor.

However, it never happened that I was given the honorary title.

“But there is a condition.”

“This piece of trash.”

It ended well.

"……what?"

“No. Just tell me.”

I looked at Furion with cold eyes.

If you talk nonsense, I'm ready to beat you up.

"Where there's a going, there's a coming. I'll help Damian with his studies. In return, Aster, you…"

"I am?"

“Help me with the interpersonal combat that will take place after the midterm evaluation.”

Hmm.

It's a one-on-one battle.

The interpersonal battle is the finale to the first semester of the first year.

While the midterm evaluation looked at understanding and basic acquisition of the theory, the interpersonal combat was an item that looked at practical application.

Could this be considered a test that replaces the final evaluation for first-year students in the basic class?

“Are you already preparing for a one-on-one battle…?”

Furion nodded in response to Chenbi's question.

“The sooner you prepare for anything, the better.”

“Well, that’s true.”

I nodded readily.

It would be better to beat up Furion to your heart's content than to accidentally beat up Damian.

Did he feel my gloomy gaze?

"Now, wait a minute. You're not helping me in my personal combat. There's someone else who can help you."

“They’re separate?”

"Okay. Do you have a minute? I'll show you around."

At those words, I glanced back at Chenbi and Damian.

Chenbi nodded, suggesting they follow along. Damian packed his bags.

“Okay, then.”

After we quickly cleaned up, we followed Furion.