The World After the Bad Ending

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The group exam at Jerion Academy involves defeating apostles created by magic.

The exam scores are divided into three categories:

Efficiency.

Time.

Cooperation.

How efficiently can the apostles be defeated in a short period?

And how well did the team members cooperate during the process?

These are the criteria for scoring.

And there’s one more thing.

There exists a ranking system that evaluates separately.

The group exam features a structure where apostles appear one after another.

So, how many of the appearing apostles can be defeated counts as a separate score.

“And the evaluation for cooperation scores has already begun.”

From the moment the team composition isn’t properly assembled, the cooperation score decreases in real-time.

Thus, forming an effective team is part of the evaluation.

This is the academy’s intent for students to communicate well with each other.

“It seems like those without friends can’t survive in this harsh academy.”

For someone like me with limited connections, this scoring system is quite brutal.

Do they think gathering people every day to form a team is easy?

Bringing people over through deals can only happen a time or two.

“Those cruel professors…”

“It’s just that the princess has no friends.”

“What?! What does someone with a narrower network than me even know?”

“What? I at least know everyone I’m with!”

“Sure, you knew them and got abandoned, now you’re alone.”

“They didn’t abandon me; I abandoned them!”

Seron huffed and turned red in the forehead.

A white steam seemed to be rising from her exposed forehead; it was as if an egg could be cooked.

Then Seron’s eyes landed on my hand.

“I’ve never seen that ring before. What’s that?”

“I got it as a gift.”

Seron’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

It was as if she was saying, “You?”

It was a joke, but her expression looked angry.

“Who on earth would gift you something like that?”

“You might not know, but I’m more popular than you’d think.”

“How pitiful. Princess Sweet Potato, you’ve never even looked in a mirror…”

Seron cast me a pitying look.

This girl…

“And what about you?”

I shot Seron a sharp glare.

“When have you ever been popular?”

Seron blinked in surprise.

Then she flicked her tied-up red hair.

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

“I can’t tell at all.”

“Hmph, look at me, I’m pretty.”

I decided to say nothing more.

“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything? Answer me.”

Looking out the window, I spotted a carriage crossing the bridge towards Jerion Academy.

“I told you to answer! My dad says I’m the prettiest in the world!”

Today is the day of the group exam.

As such, distinguished guests from the Empire have come to observe the academy.

Those visiting this time can be considered some of the most important figures in the Empire.

In the meantime, I noticed an especially white carriage.

A carriage pulled by white horses.

Inside, there must be an important figure who will resolve the events to come.

I absolutely must excel in this group exam to meet the person inside the carriage.

“Seron.”

By now, Seron had let her hair down and was using her hands as a flower support.

I regarded it with disgust.

“What the heck is that? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Seron’s face flushed bright red.

“Hey, this is all because of you!”

“I’m going for the group exam. If you’re late, you’ll be kicked out of the team.”

“Ah, I’m coming with you!”

Seron rushed after me with her hair tied back again.

As I walked, a familiar face came into view from afar.

Every time she walked, her silver hair fluttered, still maintaining its beautiful color.

But her face hidden beneath the silver hair had lost much of its former vitality and was terribly dark.

“Nikita-senpai.”

When I called her name, Nikita slowly lifted her head.

She then met my gaze and smiled softly.

“Ah, junior.”

Unlike before, her smile lacked energy.

Since Nia’s death, she’d been in that state continually.

“Looks like you’re going to the group exam.”

Nikita seemed to have realized where we were heading.

Her face had become thinner than before.

It was clear she wasn’t eating properly.

“Senpai.”

I rummaged through my bag.

I then handed her the sandwich I had planned to eat for lunch today.

“It’s a tuna sandwich.”

Nikita glanced at the sandwich in her hand and shook her head.

“Junior, I’m fine. I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“But you’ll be participating in the group exam today, just like you.”

I firmly pressed the sandwich into the resisting Nikita’s hand.

“Please eat it. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”

Nikita was getting thinner by the day.

All I asked was that she at least have a meal; Nikita stared at me blankly.

Her eyes smiled weakly.

In the end, she cautiously accepted the sandwich.

“Okay, I got it. I’ll eat it. I need to think of the junior who’s looking out for me.”

Nikita left with those words, and I felt a pang in my chest as I watched her walk away.

Even though I knew everything.

It was the guilt of keeping silent to advance the scenario.

After today’s group exam, Nikita would come to learn one crucial piece of information.

The information that Nia Cynthia was not an accident but had been murdered.

Through this information, Nikita would eventually reach for ancient dragon magic in pursuit of revenge.

And I…

I must watch it unfold.

My fists clenched tightly.

‘…It’s okay.’

I decided that I would save Nikita.

I must not let her become the disaster dragon maiden.

What happens to her will depend on my actions.

To achieve a not-so-bad ending but a happy conclusion for everyone.

I resolved to do whatever it takes.

So, I will make it happen.

“Princess Sweet Potato, are you okay?”

Perhaps because my expression was too stiff.

Seron asked cautiously.

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

I hoped she would hold on.

I moved my steps toward the group exam.

*

The place where the group exam would take place resembled a huge arena.

Since high-level magic like illusion magic is applied to summon the apostles, a wide space was needed.

Soon enough, several distinguished guests had taken their seats in the arena.

They were watching this group exam with great interest.

“This second-year class is the famous generation of Golden Flames, right?”

“I’ve only heard rumors; I haven’t seen them until now. I’m looking forward to this.”

“I hear the first-year students are impressive as well. They say there’s a child from the renowned Beauxbell family.”

“I heard there’s someone contracted with the Spirit Sovereign. This is promising; the future of the Empire looks bright!”

Among them, everyone was highly interested in this generation and engaged in conversation.

However, no one showed any interest in the third-year students.

The third years were the weakest generation.

Thus, they were disregarded by everyone.

As a result, the third years, who were set to take their exam first, were quite deflated.

It would have been better if they had taken the exam without spectators.

But with the most eminent figures in the Empire watching, it was no wonder they felt demoralized.

Under normal circumstances, Nikita would have encouraged them in her own way.

But even Nikita was quietly silent.

“The atmosphere of the third years is a mess.”

Then Card, who was watching beside me, remarked.

“Tch, if they’re intimidated from the start, they won’t be able to perform properly.”

“Hey, Potato, don’t you think it’s time to care about others? We should focus on ourselves.”

While Card remained relaxed, Seron seemed tense.

I noticed why that was.

“Seron, your dad is here today, right?”

“Ugh.”

Seron seemed to be caught off guard and swallowed her words.

The reason she was nervous wasn’t due to her father’s strictness.

“If I can’t perform well here, my allowance will get cut again.”

She was merely worried about making a mistake and losing her pocket money.

What a carefree girl.

“Don’t worry.”

Since we were on the same team, I decided to boost Seron’s confidence.

“Even if you lose your allowance, we won’t lose in the group exam.”

“My allowance getting cut is the most important thing!”

That was up to Seron. It wasn’t my responsibility.

“Ugh, I’m so sleepy.”

At that moment, a voice came from behind me.

The reason I had been sitting perfectly still until now.

It was because Sharine had fallen asleep, leaning against my back.

As always, she was uncharacteristically relaxed, stretching and then tilting her head back.

“When are we starting?”

“Right now, it’s the third year’s turn.”

“Then I can sleep a bit more, right?”

Sharine leisurely leaned back against me, dozing off once again.

If you’re going to sleep, go find another place.

Why lean against me when you could sleep somewhere else?

At that moment, I felt a gaze and looked up.

I met the eyes of Isabel, who was staring at us from a distance.

She looked surprised to meet my gaze and quickly turned away.

It seemed she was quite bothered by me taking Sharine away from her.

I still remember Isabel’s face looking dumbfounded after Sharine declared she’d join our team.

‘Is Isabel’s team still the same as the one seen back at Magung?’

Since it was a balanced team, Isabel’s group would likely perform well without issue.

‘What about the others?’

I shifted my gaze to another team.

There stood a woman with long black hair quietly.

Perhaps it could be said that this was the strongest team across all grades.

Team Iris.

Frontline, Martial Arts Deputy Iris and her deputy.

Rear guard, Magic Arts Deputy, and Special Studies top student.

Holy Studies deputy.

‘Even looking again…’

Their team balance was insane.

Who could have guessed that a third princess would fill her team with her connections?

This elite team could reasonably be seen as the favorites to win the group exam.

And they were also the team we had to beat.

Otherwise, we wouldn’t catch the eye of the guests who came for the group exam.

The issue was that there were many other formidable teams apart from Iris.

‘This is going to be tough.’

As I thought that, Seron tugged at my sleeve.

“Princess Potato, speaking of which, who’s our healer for this event?”

Seron’s eyes were glimmering with quiet anticipation.

It was clear she expected it to be Saint SirMiel again.

“I looked for a healer from the Holy Studies, but I couldn’t find one.”

“What?”

Seron’s eyes widened in shock.

That was almost equivalent to losing points in team balance.

There was no help for it.

It was because of my previous team experience with the Saint.

All the Holy Studies students had quickly backed out, saying, “I can’t take a seat where the Saint has been.”

They were cunning acolytes, scared of being compared.

“What were you thinking?!”

“I managed to bring someone from Special Studies.”

As Seron let out a complaining sound, I glanced back.

Just then, someone was walking over.

Seron’s face began to harden slowly at the sight.

On the other hand, Card lightly whistled at the approaching figure.

It was someone unexpected.

The shiny white skull head glimmered under the sunlight.

“I’ll introduce you. This is Grantoni from Special Studies.”

“Hehehe, hello, hello?”

The small sanctuary and academy’s infamous troublemaker.

Grantoni.

He was our team’s healer—an ethereal spellcaster.

“MY SANDAL FOOT!!!”

And then Seron cried out in despair.