I’m Just an Ordinary Clown at the Academy - I’m Just an Ordinary Clown at the Academy chapter 84

84 – Midterm Exam 4

On the day of the practical exam.

Loki walked to the forest inside the academy with the special class students.

Since Elysia announced during the morning assembly that the practical exam would take place in the forest, they all went there together.

“Loser, what do you think the practical exam in the forest is all about?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure. Sephia, do you know what last year’s midterm exam was like?”

“Last year’s midterm practical exam evaluated how students in the auditorium handled artificial monsters. But even if we knew what happened last year, it wouldn’t be useful.”

“Why is that?”

“Because the academy exams are different every year. There has never been an academy exam that was the same as the previous year.”

-Step by step.

As they walked and talked with the special class students, they suddenly arrived at the entrance of the forest.

Except for the special class students, all the first-year students were already gathered at the entrance of the forest.

“Did we arrive the latest?”

“We would have been the first even if you hadn’t mentioned going to the store earlier.”

Since Elysia’s morning assembly was relatively short compared to other professors, they still had time to spare considering the distance to the forest.

So Loki suggested to the other special class students that they should grab a snack from the store before they go.

Other students were worried about being late, but Clara accepted the suggestion from Loki that they could run if they were in a hurry.

However, Clara, instead of going to the cafeteria, tried to go to the forest alone. Loki said that even if she went alone, she would attract more attention, so Clara reluctantly followed him to the cafeteria.

“Hey, Clara, you enjoyed the food, right? And we’re not really late, are we?”

“Yeah, we’re not technically late. It would be considered tardy if we were just one minute later.”

When other first-year students saw the special class students, they stared at them as if piercing through.

It probably wasn’t because they arrived last.

“Special class students all stick together; I envy that.”

“Even if you joined the special class, you probably wouldn’t be able to speak smoothly in front of the Crown Prince, right?”

“Honestly, I admit that. Still, it’s something to envy.”

Among the special class students, Clara’s name was particularly heard today.

No student was unaware that Clara was the first in the academy to score 100 points.

“Look over there. It’s Clara.”

“I heard Clara got a perfect score on the exam for the first time in the academy. I wonder what she wrote.”

“I want to invite Clara to tea time at least once. Even from a distance, she looks this beautiful. I wonder how much more beautiful she is up close.”

“Should I try talking to her at least once?”

“Oh, come on. How many people have tried talking to Clara so far? They all got ignored.”

Despite other students looking at her openly and whispering, Clara walked without paying any attention.

“Wow, Clara, you’re quite popular, huh?”

“I don’t care.”

Students grumbled while watching Loki chatting with Clara.

“Like Clara, who became famous for being the first to receive a perfect score in the academy.

Rocky, too, became famous for being the first to receive a zero in the academy.

Of course, other students mistakenly pitied Rocky, assuming he got a pity zero for not writing his name.

‘Clara, do you know about that?’

‘………’

Clara often ignored Rocky, but mostly when he approached her with a mischievous tone, just like now.

Clara had ignored Rocky many times, but Rocky had never given up.

‘Do you know about that?’

‘………’

‘Do you know…’

“Tsk. What is it?”

‘If you add our test scores together, it’s a hundred. Quite fascinating, right?’

Rocky exclaimed, surprised.

‘………………..’

Clara said nothing, giving Rocky a cold glare before striding away.

‘Let’s go together!’

Clara roughly took a seat in an empty spot, and Rocky sat beside her.

‘Should we sit a bit farther?’

‘Someone might think we’re cuddling if they overhear.’

‘……………..’”

Other students from the special class also sat near Loki and Clara.

“Just kidding. Honestly, isn’t it better for me to sit next to you rather than someone Clara doesn’t even know?”

“Tsk.”

Clara merely clicked her tongue once, not countering Loki’s words because what he said was true.

From Noble mtl dot com

It was much better for Loki to sit beside her, talking loudly, than having a stranger sitting next to her, sneakily scanning her body.

* * *

“From now on, I’ll explain about the practical exam.”

The professor’s voice, filled with mana, resounded loudly.

“This practical will be an individual battle taking place in the forest. The exam will end either when the time limit is reached or when only one person is left alive.”

“In the forest, there are artificial magical beasts created by Professor Hydra, and you will earn points by capturing them. For your information, the artificial magical beasts have different scores based on their strength.”

“If you eliminate another student, you can obtain the points they had.”

“If you get knocked out by another student or magical beast, the points you had just before being knocked out will be your final score.”

“The exam results will combine the points you’ve acquired with the evaluation scores given by the professors based on your actions.”

Upon hearing the rules, the students tried their best to strategize as quickly as possible.

The best method seemed to be hiding quietly, capturing a magical beast, and targeting other exhausted students for points.

However, doing so might lead to negative evaluations from the professors, or worse, if they stayed hidden and the time limit expired, they might not obtain any points at all.

“Now, you’ll all put on blindfolds. The professors will take you to random spots in the forest. Be careful, as getting out of the forest will result in disqualification.”

After the professor finished speaking, other professors started putting blindfolds on the first-year students.

“Sniff, it’s so sad that I have to be separated from all of you. Tears just keep flowing.”

“Why is Loki acting like that?”

“Have you ever been at the top?”

“Well, there was a time.”

Be a little understanding. This is too much.

“Even if you are far away, I will always watch over you.”

“………………..”

Now there’s no response.

I meant that sincerely.

“If you don’t want to be expelled, don’t make any mistakes this time.”

“I might have made a small mistake in the written test, but I won’t make any mistakes in the practical.”

“Well, that’s fortunate. Stay strong.”

“Sepia, fighting too!”

That’s how all the first-year students covered their eyes and followed the professor, moving into the forest.

One professor led a group of dozens of blinded students into the woods, placing each student at their designated spot and instructing them to wait until the signal sounded.

Rocky also covered his eyes with a blindfold and followed the professor.

After a while, a professor standing nearby said, “This is where Rocky should be. When you hear the signal shortly, that’s when you can remove your blindfold.”

“What happens if we remove the blindfold before that?”

“Naturally, you’ll be disqualified and get a score of zero.”

“Yikes! Understood. Thank you, Professor, for your hard work!”

* * *

The situation room was filled with screens displaying a detailed view of the entire forest.

Countless professors were observing the students through the screens.

Using the multiple screens showing the entire forest, the professors evaluated the students and eliminated variables.

“Can we start now?”

“The professor in charge of Group D hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Just now, the professor in charge of Group D has approached the situation room. I will momentarily lift the barrier.”

The situation room was located within the forest, hidden behind a barrier that prevented its visibility from the outside.

As the barrier was created by the Headmaster, a powerful sorcerer, other students were unable to perceive its existence.

“You can now remove your blindfolds.”

The professor’s words reverberated through the forest via the microphone, and on the screens in the situation room, the students could be seen removing their blindfolds and looking around.

At that moment, the professor in charge of Group D entered the situation room.

“What kind of students were in Group D?”

“The most famous student among those in Group D would be Loki.”

“Did anything unusual happen?”

“No, surprisingly quiet. Look, Loki is still standing there quietly.”

The professor in charge of Group D pointed in the direction where Loki stood motionless within the forest.

Yes, Loki remained motionless.

Without even removing their blindfold.

As the other professors observed Loki, who remained still without removing their blindfold, they couldn’t help but feel something was amiss.

“Tsk.”

Abruptly, when Elysia stuck out her tongue, all the professors turned their gaze toward her.

“Brought in something troublesome, it seems.”

Elysia looked at the professor in charge of Class D and spoke.

The professors couldn’t comprehend Elysia’s words.

“Since we’ve been caught, just come out.”

While the other professors were grasping the situation,

“Caught in this situation, huh?”

A mischievous voice resonated from the empty air.

From nowhere, Loki appeared, untying his blindfold.

“How did you get in here? I didn’t break any barriers.”

One professor, surprised at Loki’s entrance, mumbled to himself, and Elysia pulled something attached to the clothing of the Class D professor.

“A tracking magical device. Did you secretly attach this to a professor earlier?”

“Ding dong! Correct!”

No matter how this place doesn’t show from the outside due to the headmaster’s barriers, entering is easy when you precisely know the location through a tracking magical device.

If you cover your body with an illusion and follow behind the professors using a tracking magical device, even the professors watching the forest through the screen wouldn’t notice.

The professors lost their words after hearing Loki’s explanation.

In the control room, there were screens showing the positions and statuses of all students, and with this, Loki could know the whereabouts and conditions of all students.

Elysia recalled what Loki said yesterday.

“I’ve never violated any rules. This place is inside the forest, and I didn’t even untie the blindfold before the signal rang.”

As Loki said, Loki had never violated the rules.

Who would establish a rule that sensibly prohibits attaching a tracking magic tool to the professor’s body?

“Professors, feel free to do as you wish, thinking I’m not here. I’ll quietly keep to myself.”

Would you be able to do that? Loki’s words almost choked up to the professors’ throats, but they couldn’t say it.

“…………Alright! What if we turn off all the screens here, what will happen then?”

One professor said in a tone suggesting a good idea.

“Then how would we conduct assessments?”

The professor was at a loss for words at Loki’s statement.

As Loki said, if the screens were turned off, they couldn’t assess the other students.

But it wasn’t worth chasing Loki away from here because, just as Loki said earlier, Loki’s actions did not violate the rules.

In the end, that’s how the uncomfortable cohabitation between Loki and the professors began.

.

.

.

“Oh! Clara has already gained points.”

Loki casually sipped a drink and looked at other students through the screen with the professors.

“Hmm. She gets too excited when she engages in combat.”

They even brought out a chair in the astral space to evaluate other students.

[Darn it! My left arm is injured! If the others find out about this, I’ll surely become a target, so I need to hide it.]

The words of a student catching demons and taking a break echoed through the screen.

No! Don’t say it. One crazy guy is listening to everything!

Unfortunately, the professors’ inner outcry did not reach the students.

“Just now, that person is close to here.”

At Loki’s words, the professors flinched.

“Then I’ll go there for a moment. Keep an eye on the surveillance.”

Loki left his drink and location tracking device on the floor and walked out slowly.

The professors recalled what Loki had said.

That crazy guy just said he’s “coming” just now.

The academy’s practical exam began to take a strange turn.