The Third-Rate Academy Villain Who Refuses to Become a Beggar

Gerhard hastily swallowed a mana potion and raised the ground once more. Meanwhile, a massive dark cloud had already formed in the sky.

Crack-

An ominous sound was heard.

"It's over, Gerhard."

"Wait! This level of magic could kill people!"

"Luina Berchef. That's not my concern. That's why there are assistants and professors to prevent that."

That wasn't wrong.

At that moment.

"I'll be the top student in the magic department this time too. As always."

-----!

A flash more like divine punishment than lightning enveloped the world.

Boom-

The ground collapsed.

***

"..."

Gerhard got to his feet.

"Carlo, you damned bastard."

Group 2's joint magic had completely shattered through five layers of rock walls.

The protective magic circle was destroyed, and the defensive artifacts worn all over his body had done their job and lost their light.

"...One is completely ruined. Do you know how much this cost..."

Still, thanks to them, the map was intact. And so was Luina.

But the impact had caused the ground to collapse, and Gerhard had fallen along with Luina.

Other students were also swept away, but there was no spare attention to worry about all of them.

"Luina, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Contrary to her words, Luina's complexion was quite pale.

"But what about the others...?"

"I don't know. I didn't expect a place like this to exist."

The underground area was extremely vast. Heaps of soil and rock from the collapsed ground were scattered everywhere.

"First priority is to get out of here."

"Yes."

Luina, who was checking her condition while dragging her aching body, paused.

"What's wrong?"

"There's something where I was lying."

"What is it?"

Gerhard's gaze followed Luina's.

There was indeed something. A light was shimmering through the gaps in the mounds of soil that had fallen.

Gerhard carefully dug it out.

It was a door. A metal door attached to the floor leading underground.

"...What is this?"

It wasn't very large, but an eagle design was engraved on its surface.

No, not an eagle.

"Armian...?"

Due to its similar appearance to an eagle at a glance, it was the symbol of the Armian family often called the white eagle, the Saint Bird.

A sacred bird with two pairs of wings.

"The Armian symbol is really engraved here. Why in this underground...?"

Luina wore a puzzled expression, but Gerhard immediately realized what this meant.

"...This crazy, underground enthusiast."

It was an arrangement.

The First Emperor's arrangement.

How could all arrangements be made underground? Was he a earth magician rather than a knight?

'No, one was on an island. Anyway, that Aint guy. Not diligently finding everything...!'

In any case, there wasn't much time to investigate in detail now.

"Is anyone there!"

"Is everyone okay?!"

"Help me!"

Hearing cries from all around, Gerhard organized his thoughts.

'I can't let others have this. This shouldn't be revealed now.'

No matter what, Aint had to be the one to find it.

Gerhard drank a magic potion and drew a magic circle with reagents.

"What are you doing?"

"A concealment magic circle. I'll make it so that no one can find it."

"Why...?"

"I'll tell you the reason later. For now, we should help our team members."

"Understood."

After completing the magic circle, Gerhard and Luina began searching the surroundings.

"Are you alright?"

"Th-thank you, Luina."

"Gerhard...!"

"I'm alive!"

After searching, they were able to find a total of seven students. However, five of them had their maps burned.

"We survived. Thanks to the artifacts you gave us."

"Same here."

The two survivors were the flag bearer Gert and his partner Neria. Distributing artifacts in case of emergency had proven to be a wise move.

"Those crazy bastards...! Who uses joint magic like that!"

"Aaaah, my leg!"

While there were some injured with broken arms or legs, there were no critically injured or deaths.

The magic embedded in the maps seemed more excellent than Gerhard had thought.

"Gerhard. Do you have any potions?"

"Potions?"

"Shouldn't we treat these people?"

"There's no need to use potions."

"What?"

They sensed a presence.

"Where is everyone!"

"I feel life force over there!"

It was Professor Grad and three assistants.

"...Cheapskate."

"I just don't endure unnecessary expenses. Get ready."

"Ready for what?"

"The exam isn't over yet."

Since we're still alive.

***

"I won...!"

Carlo was filled with joy.

Until recently, he hadn't imagined feeling this way just by defeating Gerhard.

Ranked 10th. Clearly high, but definitely insufficient compared to him, the top student.

That's what he had thought. But it wasn't true. Gerhard had been hiding his abilities and had chased Carlo right up to his chin.

He couldn't let his guard down. He couldn't lose the top spot.

Especially since Rudger Schwaben was showing interest in Gerhard while also being wary of him.

That's why this victory was more valuable.

Because he had been defeated in the practice and had been pushed back in the midterm exams.

"That's right. We won...!"

"To think we'd really get first place!"

"But the guys who fell, they're okay, right?"

"It's not over yet! Finish off the fallen ones!"

"We just need to find who the flag bearer of Group 3 is!"

Since the magic department students were unable to move due to the effects of the joint magic, the knight department students began to search for scattered Group 3 students to finish them off.

Already, about half had their maps burned and been eliminated, but there were survivors.

But that was it, they were eliminated without even being able to put up a proper resistance.

Carlo was certain of victory.

If only rocks hadn't emerged from the collapsed ground.

If only a knight and a wizard hadn't been standing on them.

"Luina!"

"Yes!"

Luina Berchef, the knight with no one to match her in the second-year knight department except for Almon, charged in a straight line toward Carlo.

She was fast. So fast that the knights of Group 2 scattered around couldn't keep up.

"You bit—!"

That was his last word.

The map's protective barrier blocked the sword strike, but simultaneously, Carlo's map burned.

"You let your guard down, Carlo Deneb."

The sneer of the wizard who didn't want to lose even in death mocked Carlo.

"I won."

Gerhard ridiculed him.

"As for being the top student... I don't particularly care about that."