I Became a Murderer in the Academy.

Chapter 29

The practical exam is boring.

The written exam was, too, but the practical exam was even more so.

You might say, “But isn’t it okay since you’re moving your body?” That’s because you don’t know my case.

First, I had to wait in the waiting room or spectator seats until my turn.

It was already a chore to wait idly for time to pass, but there was nothing to do even when the duel started.

Most students forfeited when they faced me.

Challenging an opponent they couldn’t beat was a waste of mana.

Instead, many students gave up one duel and prepared for the next one.

It’s a rational decision.

Lucia was among those students who forfeited.

“...You know that group of monsters we met during the last practicum? You cleared them all out by yourself, right?”

“......”

“Then I’ll look forward to next time. I hate to admit it, but I don’t think I can win right now.”

Lucia, who was once full of pride, came to acknowledge me after that day.

I single-handedly subjugated several monsters she couldn’t defeat when she challenged them and came back unscathed.

She knew I was hiding tremendous skills despite my appearance, but she didn’t realize it was to that extent.

“I’m not giving up on being the top student. It’s just not this year.”

So Lucia also gave up on the duel.

Six more victories were added without me doing anything.

The practical exam, where I just stayed in place without doing anything, was boring.

I sat in the waiting room, holding an armful of mana potions.

Didn’t they say transferring to others was impossible?

I was wondering how to dispose of them.

I opened one and put it in my mouth.

Munch munch.

“Ptooey.”

I immediately spat it out because it tasted like garbage.

I didn’t understand why people drink this stuff.

So I threw them away.

I opened the lids and poured them on the floor.

It was cumbersome to hold seven of them in my arms.

And that scene was very unpleasant for other students to see.

“Why is she throwing away all those precious potions?”

“I guess she thinks she’s something special because she’s the top student.”

Potions were as valuable as life for other students taking the practical exam.@@@@

Each potion I poured on the ground was precious to them, directly linked to their grades.

Of course, the potions became useless to me because I won without fighting duels.

I understand that logically.

I understand why I’m doing this.

But seeing the potions being discarded right before their eyes made their anger rise.

That’s how the emotion of inferiority works.

Once you dislike someone, all their actions seem unpleasant.

In the academy, where the top student enjoys the most privileges, I was a good target for criticism.

Unlike Lucia, I had no backing or family name.

From the start, people didn’t like that a commoner was the top student.

“Hey, lower your voice. She’s passing by.”

But of course, there were no fools who would say this in front of me.

Until recently, the scariest person among the first-years was Lucia Aster, but I was more terrifying than her.

“Now that I look at it, Iria seems quite pitiful. She doesn’t seem to know what kind of person you were in the past. She must be having a hard time with a fox like you hanging around.”

Whoosh.

For a moment, unable to hide her emotions, flames came out of Rena’s hand.

Wendy sneered at this.

“You idiot, don’t pretend you’ve reformed. You were the same. No, weren’t you even worse?”

“I’m different from you, Wendy. Don’t lump me together with you.”

Rena’s brow twitched, and the temperature of the flames on her hand rose.

But,

“What, you want to fight? Do you have the confidence?”

Rena was the first to be wounded.

It happened in an instant.

A cold chill swept across Rena’s neck.

Wendy was pointing an ice sword at Rena’s neck, though it was unclear when she had created it.

“See, you’ve gotten slow.”

Wendy was faster than Rena.

If this had been real combat, Rena would already be dead.

Even if this was a duel, it would be judged as a defeat.

After accumulating one more victory like this, Wendy erased the ice sword with a smile.

There would be a chance to face her soon, even if not now.

“Just check the match table. Don’t waste mana unnecessarily.”

Wendy turned around and disappeared.

On the match table she left behind, the list of upcoming matches was written.

A space with Rena and Wendy’s names on it.

***

On the day of the practical exam, the academy was full of empty glass bottles.

These were the mana potions that had been distributed to the students.

I placed the bottles of the potions I had emptied next to them.

The practical exam was already nearing its end.

What had I even done?

In the end, I couldn’t duel until the very end.

The only one that started was the first duel, but even that wasn’t much of a battle.

I suppose it’s good news that nothing happened and it ended, but my position as the top student is certain at this rate.

The academy grades weighted the practical exam more heavily than the written exam.

When I, who had won all ten duels, went out of the waiting room, I saw a familiar face.

“Rena. What Are you done with your exams?”

“No, I still have one left.”

“......”

I was about to speak more to Rena but stopped.

Her expression didn’t look very good.

She was leaning on the railing, looking at the sky.

It wasn’t a particularly meaningful action.

It was to shake off the idle thoughts swirling in her head.

I wonder what she’s thinking.

Suddenly curious, I wanted to peek into her memories, but I couldn’t read them because Rena turned her head away.

“Did something happen?”

So I finally asked verbally.

Rena hesitated to answer with her back turned, then replied briefly.

“I have a duel that I must win.”