Chapter 208: Midterm Exam (3)

“I will ignore Leif’s group and break through towards the boss area.”

At my words, the two looked at me. A dungeon where the monster hordes were dozens of times larger than usual.

And the center of that dungeon was even more filled with monsters, comparable to the Werniger Plains.

Naturally, the closer you got to that area, the more intense the pressure and curse of demonic power became. It meant that it was extremely dangerous.

The two’s expressions hardened.

‘This is the reaction I expected.’

In other words, my statement a moment ago was like a suicide charge order. Maria pushed up her glasses with her fingertips and asked me again.

“Since you are the party leader, I don’t want to object. But I don’t understand. You must be confident in your swordsmanship skills. Is your confidence based on the fact that you can survive even if other students die?”

She said that and glanced at Eric. Unlike Maria, whose breathing was slightly disturbed, Eric looked very tired now.

He had regained his confidence with my instructions and encouragement. But he had also pushed himself quite hard to show good performance.

“Eric is already tired. If you order him to break through in the front line like this, he will die soon. Of course, this dungeon is not a real dungeon.”
“No!! Young Lord! I can do it! I will open a path for you in the front line…”
“No. I will stand in the front line. Eric in the middle. And Maria will take the rear.”

At my words, Maria nodded as if she had understood.

“I see. Anyway, the only parties that have arrived here are us and Leif’s party. One of those two parties will get first place, so there are two options. Either make the other party retire or arrive at the boss area first.”
“You know well.”
“Did you choose the magical beasts rather than a full-scale battle with that party? That’s unexpected. It would be easier to directly attack Leif’s party than those magical beasts.”

Maria was right. It would be easier to deal with three humans than those many magical beasts.

Since the only parties that had arrived here were us and Leif’s party. If we defeated Leif, our group would get first place.

‘But I’m not sure about myself. Eric would definitely retire during the fight.’

And Maria also wouldn’t show more than the skills she had set for herself. She would retire if she thought it was too much.

Then, even if I survived, my party members would be annihilated. Unless Leif’s party was stupid, they would definitely target those two before me.

‘Then, as a party leader, I will get a penalty.’

So, it meant that we shouldn’t fight Leif’s party right now. And I was planning two things at the same time.

Annihilating Leif’s party and entering the boss area with our party all alive. In other words, I was planning to get the highest possible score in this evaluation.

‘There was definitely a full score bonus reward in this evaluation in Demon Survival.’

Although Instructor Darren didn’t announce it in advance. There was a special reward for the first-place party in this exam.

The Imperial Guard. The core of the Imperial Guard, the Guard Knights. It was one of the three major knight orders representing the Empire, along with the White Night and Sentiac Knights.

If you record a score that satisfies Darren in this evaluation. He would use his connections to set up a meeting with the executives of the Guard Knights.

‘He’ll give an award in the name of the Guard Knights and arrange a short dinner party.’

At first glance, it wasn’t a very great reward. But most of the students at the Pantheon wanted to graduate and join the Guard Knights the most.

Making a name for yourself with the executives of the Guard Knights in advance meant that a path to success for the future would be opened.

Although Darren was strict. He had planned such a special reward because he had great affection for the students.

However, I was the successor to the Archduke who would own the White Night Knights in the future. So, that great reward seemed trivial, but.

That reward was surprisingly important to me as well.

Although the factions of the Emperor and Klaus had split and their power had weakened. The Guard Knights were still powerful.

Of course, Instructor Darren’s connections were with the executives of the Emperor’s faction. I had no intention of missing the opportunity to naturally meet those executives.

‘It’s something I have to do to eliminate Cardinal Klaus’s faction. And to prevent the chaos that the Extermination Squad will cause in the future.’

And also for my fiancée, Lillia. Their loyalty to the Imperial Family was beyond doubt. It was a good opportunity in many ways.

Of course, the task at hand was the priority. I explained the truth behind the charge I had ordered a moment ago to Maria, who was misunderstanding my plan.

“My instructions must be confusing. But there’s no need to worry. I’m not a pervert who would choose suicide.”

And at my next words, Maria’s expression changed with interest.

“I’m planning to lure Leif’s party.”

---

Maria was surprised by Julian once again.

His swordsmanship skills. And his skills as a commander who encouraged the morale of his party members. She had seen those two facts with her own eyes and had evaluated him quite highly.

But the plan he had made at the end of the evaluation. She hadn’t expected it at all.

‘He’s much more cunning than I thought.’

That’s right. The three of them were now charging recklessly towards the boss area. The most dangerous hell in this dungeon.

So, it seemed like they had lost their reason and were making a crazy charge, blinded by the evaluation scores. But in fact, it was the Count’s cunning deception tactic.

In the front line, Count Julian was creating a path with his reckless swordsmanship skills.

And the other two. Eric and Maria were just following him without doing anything.

No, strictly speaking, the two were recovering through Eric’s holy power. And instead of the front line full of monsters. The two were watching the rear.

‘He knows how to use Leif’s psychology.’

The successor to the Archduke. A person with such a high status also knew well about the feelings of Leif, who was just a commoner, though he was the student representative.

Leif, who was popular as the student representative because of his good skills and character.

But because of Julian’s return and Lucia’s sudden increase in skills. There was no way his mind wasn’t complicated.

‘He was pushed down to third place, not even second in the Order.’

And since Leif was also skilled. He would already know the gap between him and those two. He knew that he had no chance of winning with a simple 1:1 duel.

But this evaluation was an evaluation through a party, not an individual duel. So, it was a good opportunity for Leif to regain the honor of being the student representative.

Count Julian cleverly used Leif’s anxious feelings.

“Young Lord… You’re amazing. How did you predict that when I was observing Leif’s party… they would also find us?”

Eric said to Maria casually. Julian was clearing the path, so the two had the time to talk.

Maria listened to Eric’s words and continued to think.

‘That’s obvious. Leif can use as much holy power as Eric.’

If Eric could detect Leif’s party. It meant that the opposite case was much easier. The moment Eric watched Leif’s party. It was also possible for Leif to find this side.

But that was also Julian’s intention. He deliberately exposed the party’s location. And then, he made a reckless charge as if to stimulate Leif’s party.

‘And it went as the Count said.’

Instead of creating another path to the boss area, Leif’s party immediately started chasing Julian’s party.

‘It’s obvious. They’re waiting for our group to run out of energy and then ambush us.’

The rivals in front of them had started charging towards the boss area, blinded by their rankings. Then, Leif’s party would also be impatient and rush to the boss area.

But a better method was to choose a free ride. They would ambush Julian’s party, who were exhausted from clearing the path.

Then, the last party left would be Leif’s party. Julian’s party had already cleared the path, so the boss area would be near. That was a rational choice. It was quite cowardly, though.

‘Leif would normally try to compete with a frontal attack instead of an ambush. But the Count read his psychology well.’

It was a good opportunity to save face as the student representative. Moreover, the Count was now dealing with a large number of monsters in the front line.

Soon, Leif’s party, three people, reached near the group.

“Target Count Julian first!!”

As expected, they targeted Julian first. He was in a state where it was difficult to deal with an ambush because he was dealing with magical beasts. And his stamina was probably low.

It would be impossible to withstand a combined attack of three people.

But Count Julian knew that he would be attacked by a combined force.

At that moment, Eric shouted.

“Maria! Let’s take on Leif together!”

And Eric and Maria, who had already finished recovering their stamina. The two of them defeated Leif with a combined attack.

“Damn it! Leif is down!”

Of course, the attacks of Leif’s party didn’t even graze Julian. And looking back at the remaining two people of Leif’s party. Count Julian smiled.

“Eric. Maria. Our party is in first place.”

---

The evaluation of the Combat Order was over.

I and my group, who had easily dealt with Leif’s party. Quickly arrived at the end of the dungeon, the boss area.

‘We were the only party among the parties that took the evaluation together.’

Moreover, all three party members survived.

And the magic recording stones that each of us had brought at the start of the evaluation. All the activities of each party member would be recorded on those stones.

Although the results hadn’t come out yet. I could feel the moment I left the dungeon that I would be the top student in this evaluation.

‘I’ve overcome a big hurdle in this midterm exam.’

I didn’t know who my party members would be. So, there were many variables in this evaluation.

But thanks to meeting fairly decent party members, Eric and Maria. I smoothly achieved the result I was aiming for.

‘Maria…’

And when the evaluation was over. She confessed her identity willingly.

‘I am Lady Lillia’s maid and a Royal Guard.’

As expected, she wasn’t hiding her skills for no reason.

A Royal Guard. A loyal bodyguard who protects the safety of the Imperial Family. Her skills were good enough to be compared to the knights of the three major knight orders. It was natural that I felt a sense of incongruity with her.

Of course, when I told Maria about the incongruity I felt. She was surprised for a moment.

‘It must have been a perfect disguise. Are the people of the Reinhardt family different after all?’

And then she regained her composure. She told me the reason why she had revealed her identity to me.

‘Her Highness Lillia is very worried about you these days. So, there’s something she wants to tell you…’

She said something unexpected.

‘If Her Highness Lillia is avoiding intimacy, there is a reason for it. I hope you know that it’s not because she doesn’t like you.’

After saying that, Maria left. It was such a stealthy movement that Eric didn’t even notice when she disappeared.

‘The reason why Lillia is avoiding intimacy.’

Maria was right. Lillia avoided intimacy with me in the Imperial Library.

I couldn’t have direct intimacy with her.

So, I tried to have anal intimacy as usual. But that day, Lillia didn’t want to do it with me, unlike usual.

Of course, before that, Lillia had attacked me first and given me paizuri and fellatio. So, it wasn’t like she didn’t like me.

‘Since it’s anal… I thought that Lillia might have been repulsed that day. But there’s another reason.’

The reason didn’t come to mind easily.

Maria said that there was no need to worry. But I was still worried about Lillia’s changed attitude. So, I sent a separate letter to Lillia.

‘We agreed to study for the exam together starting tonight.’

Wednesday, a day after the Combat Order’s evaluation. The midterm exams were slowly coming to an end. Now, all that was left for me was the theory evaluation and practical training of the Alchemy Order.

I had studied alchemy quite a bit. But recently, I had been busy, so I didn’t have time to review. Since it was the last exam anyway, I was planning to stay up all night to study.

‘So, I invited Lillia to the atelier.’

The Imperial Library wasn’t bad, but there was no place better than my atelier to stay up all night. Today, it was just going to be the two of us, so I sent Eileen back to the mansion in advance.

I spent time alone in the atelier, and it quickly became evening. And finally, the door of the atelier opened.

‘Lillia has arrived.’

I got up from my seat to greet her.

“Welcome, Your Highness Lillia…?”

But the person who opened the door wasn’t Lillia. It was Chloe, a young lady with silver hair and red eyes.