After finishing the early morning exercise, I headed somewhere immediately without stopping by the dormitory.
Today was the day to form groups for the joint evaluation, which was part of the midterm assessment, especially for the 1st year students of the Knight Department.
'The Tower of Modras Alben.'
An inferior version created by Modras Alben, the first head of the Alben family, after experiencing and building the real "tower" in the palace.
As the founder of spatial magic, which could be considered the symbol of the Alben family, the tower he created was of immense scale.
'It may not compare to the actual tower, but it's an impressive achievement considering that.'
Entry into the Tower of Modras is organized in groups of 10.
Since only 10 teams could enter, if the preceding team took several days to conquer, one had to wait accordingly.
'However, most finish within a day or two.'
Until now, no one has fully conquered the Tower of Modras.
Despite being less challenging than the tower in the palace, no one has reached its end.
Modras, the founder, set entry restrictions for his tower.
Biological beings that had lived for over 25 years were completely restricted from entry, allowing only students to use it.
'So, even professors can't enter to check.'
Instead, there was a magical screen sharing charm inside the Tower of Modras, allowing them to see the interior. This was a device designed by Modras for educational purposes, enabling professors to assess students by observing them.
Thanks to this, it was confirmed that there were a total of thirty floors, but no one had ever reached or conquered the 30th floor.
As if jogging slowly, I ran, and the Tower of Modras appeared in the distance.
Students were already gathered in front of it. Although I wasn't late, the fact that I arrived last unavoidably drew attention.
"Is that person Adrias Cromwell?"
"Comes in last again. Is this the entrance of the protagonist? Haha."
The Knight Department freshmen generally looked at me with curious and interested eyes. Well, I guess I would be interesting too. After all, it's rare to see someone who can wield both magic and a sword simultaneously.
"He's shameless. What was he doing that he's coming now?"
"He's been like that a couple of times, right? He was always like that."
Contrary to the freshmen, my fellow students didn't seem to have a favorable impression of me.
After all, that guy who everyone used to look down on suddenly started doing well, must be the reason.
Of course, not everyone is like that, but about 80% are.
'I've built up quite the reputation.'
To be fair, I wasn't exactly a good-natured person in the past, so I bear some responsibility.
But what can you do? If you don't like it, become stronger than me.
"Adrias Cromwell."
Approaching my fellow students felt like a miracle akin to Moses parting the sea.
The obvious reluctance to get close to me was on full display, but Dianne waved her hand in their midst.
"Good morning, Dianne."
"Uh. Did you finish what you were working on yesterday?"
"Yes. I organized it."
Dianne had been attending our recent research endeavors with fervor, showing up without fail every day. Considering the busy studying schedule due to evaluations, I was both thankful and a bit sympathetic for her effort.
To her, this seemed more like a gathering of friends rather than a research project, probably because she was well-acquainted with loneliness.
'Being socially awkward, subtly vulnerable to emotions, and easily swayed are some of Dianne's characteristics.'
As Dianne continued to chat, there was one person who observed her with an uneasy expression. That was Yurie Kaltz, Dianne's close friend.
Yurie stood by Dianne's side, sending me a somewhat cryptic glance. It was as if a mother cat would glare at its prey.
'Am I really a threat to Dianne?'
I met Yurie's slightly cooling gaze and still saw Dianne trying to engage in conversation.
"…So, I thought about it yesterday. We might need to add a bit more Magania leaves."
"If it's not urgent after seeing the group assignment today, let's give it a try."
"Sure."
Seeing Dianne nod her head with satisfaction made me find her subtly cute. Her appearance actually closely matched the ideal type I, Adrias, had envisioned before, so the thought wasn't uncomfortable.
'Setting that aside, someone's been staring at me for a while now.'
I shifted my gaze and looked towards the Knight Department students.
Especially, three noticeable individuals were all looking at me.
'Louis, Serena, Chris.'
I could brush Louis aside since I hadn't been able to give him much attention. But what about the other two? How much have they grown?
It couldn't help but make me anticipate. Not only had I guided them once, but they had also confronted a Dark Magic Potion-drinking Todlon directly.
Surely, that must have given them a solid experience boost.
'It would be nice if we end up in the same group for the evaluation, but it's unlikely.'
Group assignments were made based on grades in an equal distribution.
Perhaps those three will naturally separate, and Dianne and I will end up in a group with weaker extras.
Unavoidably, when they enter the Tower of Modras, I'll probably need to watch the relay screens.
Fortunately, the relay screens weren't just for professors; they were also open to students.
"Everyone has gathered."
The magic department's faculty member Kayleen Jose, in charge of this evaluation, suddenly appeared and spoke.
Standing beside her was Orte Marigold, a professor from the Knight Department.
Both were middle-aged professors, and especially Orte had a splendid history, having been the former vice-commander of the White Falcon Knights under Count Oswald, despite losing an eye. He boasted of muscles that didn't match his age and was a proficient professor.
Kayleen immediately started explaining the evaluation.
"This evaluation is..."
I already knew the content.
And the students gathered here had probably guessed it too.
Even the fact that we gathered in front of the Tower of Modras was enough of a clue, but it was an annual event like a ritual, so it was a given.
"I will now call out the pre-arranged groups."
After the explanation concluded, Orte spoke up.
All eyes were concentrated on the announcement of the groups.
"Group 1! Michael, Sebastian, Maxim... Group 97! Gilbert, Britney, Angelo, Adrias..."
Each group had 7 members, 5 from the Knightly Department and 2 mages.
And I happened to be assigned to the last group.
'Is this a good thing, actually?'
For me, who had to keep the hidden peace, the less attention, the better.
Being in the last group probably meant that the students who had completed the evaluation were less likely to pay attention.
Students were gathering in their respective groups and giving introductions.
I also went to find my group members.
'They're all pretty decent.'
Maybe because I was the finalist, all of my group members seemed to be quite reliable.
The 1st-year trio and Dianne were exactly as I expected, scattered.
Each group member was looking at me with hopeful eyes, like chicks. I glanced at my fellow next to me and, after confirming he was hesitating, I opened my mouth first.
"I'm Adrias Cromwell, a 4th-year student in the Magic Department."
Even though I already had a hunch before introducing myself, we went through the formality.
Then, the fellow beside me seemed to have waited as if I was going to introduce him, so he spoke up.
"I'm Vincent Vega. I'm also a 4th-year student in the Magic Department, just like Adrias."
He was an extra who didn't even appear in the story.
Nevertheless, I already knew the names of my fellow students, so I knew them to some extent.
After we introduced ourselves on our side, the freshmen quickly started introducing themselves.
They were all like Vincent, insignificant extras. I knew the names of Louis's classmates since they were known to me.
"I never expected to be in the same group as Senior Adrias!"
They sent me curious glances, especially focusing on the Galakshur hanging at my waist.
"Senior Adrias, I heard it as a rumor, but did you really defeat Chris using only swordsmanship?"
Britney, the only redhead in the group, asked.
I nodded quietly in response to her question.
"I don't know where you heard that, but it's a meaningless question."
"Meaningless?"
"I still can't properly weild a sword."
I was speaking the truth.
While I was confident that I could beat Chris in a contest of victories and defeats, in terms of swordsmanship itself, his skills were superior to mine.
My sword was heavily inclined toward combat talent, so at this point, it was closer to combat tactics than pure swordsmanship.
However, the freshmen seemed to think differently after hearing my story.
"Of course, he's a finalist. He has time to spare."
"You're so humble."
"I'd like to have a match with you sometime too!"
They seemed to be having some misconceptions, but I didn't bother explaining.
Even Vincent, my fellow, looked at me with admiration, which made me slightly uncomfortable, but there was no need to add anything here.
After the casual conversation with my group members ended, Professor Orte spoke again.
"As Professor Kayleen mentioned earlier, from Group 1 to Group 10, we will now proceed with the entry to the Tower of Modras. Groups 11 to 20 should wait, and the other groups can disperse. When your turn comes, you'll receive a message on your tablets. You can take care of anything you need to do until then."
Being in the last order, it didn't seem like our turn would come today.
I thought I'd use this time to focus on research or magical training, but then I realized that Serena and Louis were among the first to enter.
'Perhaps I'll watch a bit.'
Most other students seemed to have the same idea as me, as they gathered around the 10 massive screens installed at the entrance of the tower.
The Tower of Modras was essentially copied from the tower in the palace, so Modras's own experiences climbing the tower were infused into it.
Though a modest database had been gathered so far, covertly circulating among students, it only extended up to the 10th floor.
Certainly, some had climbed further since, but their numbers were too few, and most had barely survived, making it an unproductive endeavor.
"Ah!"
As exclamations echoed out, it became clear that some teams among the newly entered ones were already facing eliminations.
Generally, since the Tower of Modras was meant for education, if the situation became life-threatening, the tower would automatically eject the participants. Those who were expelled came out holding a badge indicating at which level they were eliminated.
'Ah, I guess they were really nervous.'
The student who had been eliminated came out with a disappointed expression, checking on their teammates through the screens. The evaluation was mainly based on scoring – the sum of the levels from which each of the 7 team members had been ejected.
"Wow, look at that!"
"He's doing it all by himself. It's Louis after all."
The screen displayed Louis's splendid performance live.
Some were capturing the scene on their tablets, relaying it in real-time.
'Now, where's Serena...'
Serena had taken my advice and had stopped insisting on using a greatsword.
However, probably due to suddenly changing weapons, she couldn't put on a spectacular show like Louis, just doing her best as a team member.
"Second floor."
"Wasn't the second floor where goblins appeared?"
In the Tower of Modras, the monsters and traps that appeared were all illusions. It was another result that would have been impossible without Modras, a master of spatial magic.
"Adrias Cromwell."
As I was watching the screen, I turned my head at Dianne's voice from beside me.
Then, Dianne, with an eager glint in her eyes, said to me,
"Let's make a bet."
"A bet?"
"Yeah. Who do you think will climb this tower faster? How about it?"
I was surprised by the suggestion of making a bet, but what I really didn't expect was Dianne proposing something like this to me.
Lately, her attitude towards me had been changing slightly, but was she now valuing me this highly?
Dianne, who always upheld fairness and justice, wouldn't make such a proposition unless she considered me her equal.
'She must be thinking of me as her peer.'
Was it because of the last tournament?
Either way, it didn't matter to me.
Anyway, I had no intention of reaching the end, but it was good that a sense of competition was arising.
"Alright. What should we wager?"
"How about granting one wish?"
"Excuse me?"
I was quite taken aback.
No, I was very taken aback.
A wish? Wasn't that too vague and broad?
"Why, not confident?"
"It's not that..."
"Then let's do it. You always talk so much."
With those words, Dianne shook my hand and disappeared somewhere.
This was another moment which became another reason compelling me to conquer the Tower of Modras.