Freya had made rapid progress and was doing well academically. While it might be a stretch to ask for first place in the finals, securing a top five position shouldn't be a problem.
She seemed taken aback by Lion's request, momentarily frozen, before slowly removing the object from her mouth. "Tenth place?" she asked, looking up at Lion.
"Yes," Lion said, informing her about the graduation exam.
"You want to pick me as your assistant?"
Lion nodded. "Of course, I want someone who is both capable and completely trustworthy…" He lowered his head and gave Freya a gentle kiss on the lips. "And someone who has had 'detailed and in-depth' understanding with me."
"Besides," he added, "I think they will all choose assistants with higher rankings. So, if you come in tenth, my chances of picking you will be much higher."
Freya didn't say much more. Lion's reasoning was reasonable. Freya might not be the best third-year student, but she was the one Lion knew best, the most reliable, and the most trustworthy. Moreover, they had been together for so long, sharing daily life and developing a silent understanding, which was also very important in actual combat.
The power of a wizard did not solely lie in the magic they possessed.
Plus, Freya had a high talent for prophecy, which would help find the correct path in the maze. Of course, if they encountered a fierce monster, she wouldn't be much help, but Lion hadn't counted on her for that anyway.
The third-year finals, although important, were far less significant compared to the graduation exam. As long as Freya didn't fall into the bottom ten and get eliminated, it was enough for her to intentionally hide her strength.
Freya nodded and fell silent, lowering her head to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear before continuing to "help" Lion with his "concentration."
Her skills were getting better and better, soon making Lion feel a bit overwhelmed. He gave up on trying to focus on casting spells, closing his eyes and leaning back against the headboard to fully enjoy the moment. Freya was lowered her head, so he didn't see the hesitance in her eyes.
There was a hint of unease in the girl's gaze.
Before Lion knew it, the graduation exam had arrived.
The exam was scheduled at the end of Storm Moon (the fourth month of the year). After the exam, students could go straight home. Luggage? The school paid for all expenses during the students' stay, and of course, all living essentials belonged to the school, so there were no personal belongings to pack. Even magical items like wands, robes, rings, and necklaces had to be returned to the school after the exam.
Of course, if they passed the graduation exam and became official wizards, whether they joined the government, the military, or entered the Arcanist School, they would naturally receive better equipment. Spiritshade City, which valued hierarchy, would never disappoint in this regard.
The exam ended at the end of the month, and the next day was Grass Green Festival, considered the true arrival of spring. Everyone in Spiritshade City would go out to celebrate, taking flowers carefully nurtured in temples and sprinkling them in the air, symbolizing the banishment of winter and the welcome of spring. This day was also the enrollment date for the wizard school. Five years ago, Lion participated in the opening ceremony and put on his wizard robe on Grass Green Festival.
It was both the beginning of a new school year and the day of graduation. If they passed the exam and became official wizards, they would be overjoyed, happily attending the graduation ceremony while celebrating Grass Green Festival. But if they were eliminated, they would have to return home dejectedly, burying their heads in the pillow and crying.
Some were joyful, while others were sorrowful.
Lion didn't have to worry about being eliminated. His goal was to come in first place. To achieve this, he had trained very hard recently, even reducing the number of intimate moments with Freya.
He had become very stable in deeply connecting to the third layer of the Magic Web, clearly analyzing each interwoven silver thread and extracting the power he needed to shape various spells.
Lion had never been particularly fond of combat-specific magic, as he always believed that magic was a delicate and beautiful art, not a tool for killing. But for the graduation exam, he had to spend all his time studying spells that might be useful in combat. Besides flight, he had also learned acceleration, deceleration, and spider skin. He really didn't like the last spell because he had to swallow a small piece of spider skin to cast it. If wizards weren't so fragile and in desperate need of protection, Lion would never have learned such a bizarre spell.
"I will never learn Spider Walk," he vowed silently. Although being a spider-man had once been his dream, the thought of swallowing a live spider whole made him feel nauseated.
The third-year graduation exam was held a few days earlier, and as planned, Freya successfully came in tenth place, nothing more, nothing less.
Overall, everything went smoothly. The only was that the exam was scheduled at the end of the month, so he couldn't go home to hear his sister shangjia blessing in person before the exam.
Well, he would use his excellent first-place performance as a Grass Green Festival gift for his sister.
Five years of study would come to a conclusion tomorrow. He felt a faint excitement he hadn't experienced in a long time, mixed with a bit of nervousness, reminiscent of the feeling before taking the college entrance exam in his past life.
Let's work hard.
The exam was divided into two parts. The first part examined theoretical knowledge and practical spellcasting. A review committee composed of high-level wizards and school professors sat on the stage, observing each student's performance, similar to a university thesis defense.
Magic was ultimately a practical discipline, and it was easy to distinguish the levels of proficiency. Soon, the worst half of the students were identified and eliminated at the final hurdle after five years of struggle.
The remaining eighteen students had also been accurately graded, with Lion ranking fourth, neither too high nor too low.
The most exciting and crucial part was about to begin.
The four winners, including Lion, stepped forward. The professor handed each of them a list of the top ten from the third-year finals, with Freya at the bottom.
As Lion had expected, the other three did not choose Freya. Their specialized fields were conjuration, evocation, and necromancy, respectively, and they had completely abandoned the other two schools of magic as per convention. Although this was a necessary compromise, it was also a flaw. Therefore, their common goal was to choose an assistant who could compensate for their deficiencies. Secondly, they wanted a strong assistant.
They chose the top three, and it was Lion's turn. Lion pointed to the bottom of the list and read out the name.
"Freya Monica."
The little girl stepped out of the crowd, giving Lion a sweet smile.
"Let's begin!" the professor announced loudly.