Standing under Sing Claire's gaze was both intimidating and nerve-wracking, but I struggled to keep my trembling body under control.
It felt different from when I stood before Bahart, more directly palpable.
"This is the real Aura Master," I thought to myself.
In reality, facing him made my past experiences seem insignificant. He was a monster in every sense of the word.
It felt as if I were standing not in front of a human but before a ferocious wild animal.
Each of his movements reflexively put me on guard, and without realizing it, I found myself watching the subtle movements of his muscles.
"Look at this."
When Sing Claire spoke, I quickly shifted my gaze to his face, trying to calm my nerves.
"Are you a student?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," I replied.
"But why do you stare at me as if...?"
Before he could finish his sentence, Sing Claire turned to Tollman, who had been following behind him.
"Tollman."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I heard the students here also participate in practical combat, is that true?"
"Yes. Almost every year, we conduct evaluations of that nature."
"Hmm..."
"May I ask why you're interested?"
Without saying a word, he stared through me, then revealed a distinctive toothy smile and tilted his head.
"It's nothing, really."
I wish he would just stop showing so much interest.
I have no idea why he knows my name or why he approached me in the first place.
Anyway, as I stood there, at a loss for words, Sing Claire suddenly extended his thick hand towards me.
"...?"
What's this? What am I supposed to do?
Ignoring my confused reaction, he reached out his hand again, as if gesturing for a handshake. Instinctively, I reached out and held his hand.
It was a natural gesture, but I couldn't help but wonder what he intended.
Well, it's not like Aura Masters are normal in the first place.
"Haha! Adrias Cromwell!"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I wanted to thank you."
"Thank me? Uh, yes. Thank you."
What? Why? What is this about?
Adrias, what did you do before I arrived?
No matter how much I wrack my brain, I can't recall any connection with the Cloush Duchy, or rather, the Cloush family.
"Thanks to you, it seems like McKein Jajak has a child under my command."
"What?"
I had no idea what he was talking about.
I had never anticipated such an unexpected use for the potions.
Wait, a stamina enhancer!
It was a completely unforeseen application.
While stamina-enhancing potions could be considered stamina boosters, I had never imagined they could be used in such a way since I had only used them in games.
Leaving aside how I acquired the potions, the unexpected usage of the potions hinted at a significant aftermath.
A stamina enhancer with undeniable effects and no side effects? This could cause quite a stir.
There couldn't be a more potent item for men.
Of course, it meant that it would sell well, which was good news for me as someone who made a living from it.
The problem was the excessive attention it could attract.
As it is, that impressive martial artist is holding my hand and expressing his gratitude.
It was a foregone conclusion that I would face significant challenges until I became strong enough to protect myself.
"Congratulations on a job well done," Sing Claire said as the conversation ended.
"Yes, yes. I'll keep an eye on you in the future. I'll also provide support, so please accept it."
There was no need for that.
But I couldn't bring myself to refuse and forced a smile, expressing my gratitude.
Refusing her would only backfire.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
As the conversation came to an end, Sing Claire briefly spoke with Tollman before boarding the train and leaving.
It was a stark reminder of how confident he was, despite being a duke.
"Attention! We've wasted enough time. Let's get to the main point quickly."
Tollman gathered the students from the Knight Department and the Magic Department and began his explanation.
Finally, he was going to explain the evaluation, and everyone leaned in to listen attentively.
"This evaluation will be a joint evaluation between the third-year students of the Knight Department and the third-year students of the Magic Department. And I want to emphasize that this is not a competition but a cooperative evaluation."
A cooperative evaluation?
I wasn't the only one who found it strange. The atmosphere around me grew restless.
"Now, I will form teams with three Knight Department students and one Magic Department student. As for the last team, since there are remaining students, it will consist of three Knight Department students and two Magic Department students. I will now announce the prearranged teams."
I wasn't sure what the task would be, but if it was a group assignment, it would be a breeze.
After all, I would be the bombshell.
I decided to go along with the Knight Department students.
"...Evans, Clodos, Pine. They make up Team 8. Next, Christopher, Hazal, Vivian, Adrias. They make up Team 9..."
As the names were called out one by one, we stepped forward and lined up according to our assigned teams.
When my name was called, I stepped forward, but a sense of unease washed over me.
"Wait, just a moment ago, he called out Hazal and Vivian...?"
I couldn't be sure since I had been focusing only on my name, but seeing the members of Team 9, I couldn't shake off a sense of unease.
Phew, calm down. There's no need to be scared already.
"Hmph, you look like a weakling," a certain someone, most likely Christopher, sneered as I approached.
I was already familiar with the other two, so it was most likely Christopher.
"Well, even if that's the case, let's not forget that Cloush praised me just now. Hello, I'm Hazal Gafris."
A man with a brown complexion and gleaming eyes greeted me with a friendly smile.
I tried my best to ignore the information I knew as I accepted his greeting.
"I'm Adrias Cromwell. Nice to meet you."
"Yes, nice to meet you all. So, what are you all doing? We should introduce ourselves."
At Hazal's words, Christopher, who had been wearing a hostile expression, spoke up.
"Yes, nice to meet you all. So, what's everyone doing? Let's introduce ourselves," Christopher said, expressing hostility with an unwilling expression.
"Christopher Grodon. I hope you won't be a burden in this evaluation," he said.
"Vivian," she said, briefly stating her name and then getting distracted again.
"Oh, haha. Sorry. It seems like the most unsociable people ended up in the same group," she added.
"This guy. Who do you think you're talking to?" Christopher retorted.
"Obviously, it's you," she replied.
As they suddenly started arguing among themselves, I subtly observed Vivian's reaction. Fortunately, she seemed completely uninterested in me.
"Well, please don't pay too much attention to me," I thought.
Of all the people, why did I end up in the same group as them? Can't I change groups?
To be honest, Vivian being quiet is one thing, but I was more intimidated by HaJal pretending to be fine.
"A fanatic of the Jepar Order and an academy lady..." they were both crazy in their own ways.
Although it was a bit annoying, I started to dislike my previous enthusiasm for group assignments.
I just hoped that nothing would happen during this evaluation.
Then, the professor in charge of the Knight Department walked up, seemingly to lighten the atmosphere.
"Professor Bigor," I thought, an insignificant professor, not worth paying attention to.
Rather, it was the assistant we needed to be concerned about.
"This evaluation will involve random missions," he said.
The Knight Department students nodded with a somewhat understanding expression, while the Magic Department students seemed puzzled.
"The given period will be until next Monday. For students with classes during this period, we have already obtained permission for their absence. We will also provide separate lectures on the content."
He paused, waiting for questions.
Since no one asked any, he continued speaking.
"The instructions are simple. We will draw lots here to assign missions. Your task is to successfully complete the assigned missions. However, what you need to pay attention to is that each member will rate one another. If cooperation or skills are lacking, it will reflect in your teammates' evaluations, so be careful. And to prevent any potential accidents and ensure an objective evaluation, an assistant will accompany each group. The assistants will also rate your performance. That's all for the instructions. Any questions?"
What was supposed to be a mission completion evaluation quickly turned into a political game.
It seemed like we had to present ourselves as well as possible to each other.
And to prevent any "cheating," assistants were assigned to provide objective judgments.
"Now, the assistants will be assigned. Please get along well with your fellow team members for the next few days."
As Professor Bigor finished speaking, the assistants who had been waiting behind him were assigned to each group.
Looking at the assistant assigned to our group, I couldn't help but feel like there was some fate involved.
Just when I thought I had to pay attention to the assistant, we ended up in the same group.
"Assigned to Group 9, Ivy Claire," he announced.
A woman with long blonde hair and tanned brown skin approached while chewing gum.
Her revealing attire accentuated her well-toned body.
Seeing her rough appearance and behavior, everyone in our group looked at her with cautious expressions.
"Hey, when someone greets you, you should respond," she said.
Tch.
I watched her spit out the gum roughly and felt a headache coming on.
I introduced myself before she could respond.
"I'm Adrias Cromwell, a third-year student from the Magic Department."
"Hmm~" she made a sound that seemed to indicate interest, and my heart skipped a beat.
Ivy Claire. She wasn't a playable character.
However, she could be described as a "hidden strength" character, someone who hides their abilities despite their appearance and behavior.
She was one of the few who could rival the Master of Aura.
But why was a woman like her working as an assistant here? It was something I couldn't understand, despite having played the game so much.
"I couldn't even figure it out," I thought.
Despite her casual behavior and appearance, she was someone who kept herself hidden and had an exclusive attitude toward others.
Although I had become acquainted with her a few times, our relationship never went beyond that.
I had made efforts to increase her affinity, but nothing seemed to work.
"Don't tell me...," I thought. "Please don't show any interest in me until the end."
It was just my luck.
Why did I end up in the same group as her and HaJal, who pretended to be fine, of all people? Can't I change groups?
We formed an uncertain mixture of Jepar cultists, academy ladies, extra knights, hidden strength ruffians, and even a necromancer.
A chaotic group of uncertain fate was formed.