‘The Young Master is kind to everyone.’
At an inexplicable ache, her heart pricked with pain.
Fingering the yellow ribbon Lionel had picked up for her, Jaelin stood there dazed, and only belatedly did she move her feet to follow them toward the building where the monster mock training class was held.
The moment she stepped into the lecture hall where the mock class was held, Jaelin spotted Stefan waving his hand vigorously at her.
When Jaelin went over to him, Stefan cleared his own bag from the seat beside him and fired off words like a rapid-fire gun.
“Jaelin, hi, hi! Sit here. I saved the seat so no one else could take it. Did I do well?”
“Yes. Th-thank you, Stefan.”
At the desk right next to Stefan’s on the other side, there was a man with his face buried in his arms, slumped over.
She could not see his face, but judging by the messy, curly brown hair scattered this way and that, it seemed to be Adrian.
Noticing that Jaelin was looking at Adrian, Stefan poked him in the side, but he did not stir.
“He’s like this every class. He doesn’t even listen properly, and yet his grades always stay in the middle. It’s a mystery for the ages, really.”
Shaking his head, Stefan suddenly pressed himself close to Jaelin.
“Wh-what is it?”
Startled, Jaelin drew back slightly, but Stefan paid no mind, narrowing his eyes and pointing to one side of the lecture hall.
“Jaelin, can you see over there? Over there. Lionel is over there. Weren’t you glad you listened to me?”
Where Stefan pointed, Lionel, Sasha, Nathan—whom she had met that morning—and a few students whose names she did not know were perched on desks or standing and chatting.
Just then, Nathan’s eyes, who had been listening intently to someone and chiming in, met Jaelin’s.
He grinned at Jaelin and lightly raised his palm.
Lionel, standing across from Nathan, turned his head following Nathan’s gaze, and at the same moment, Wallace, the professor in charge of this class, entered the lecture hall and the class began.
“I am Professor Wallace, who will be conducting the mock class this semester. As you all know, this semester the class will be conducted as a three-person team battle where three students form a team to face monsters.”
Wallace, who had been speaking while slowly walking across the platform, soon stopped before the table.
“One cannot do everything alone, can one? The goal of this class is for three students with different abilities to form a team, face monsters, and at the same time accomplish the assigned tasks as effectively as possible. And there is one thing that has changed from last year.”
Wallace deliberately paused for a beat, heightening the students’ curiosity.
Wallace, comfortably resting both hands on the table on the platform, suddenly curled up one corner of his mouth. It was an ominous smile.
“Team members will be decided by random draw.”
The moment the professor’s words ended, the students began to stir.
Until now, when forming teams, it had not been by random draw—students who wanted to be together had gathered and formed their own teams.
More than half of the students taking this class had already finalized their team members.
The top-ranking students had banded together for higher scores, and even if not, most had formed teams with efficient combinations that could complement each other’s weaknesses and create synergy.
Paying no mind to the students’ murmuring, Professor Wallace continued his explanation.
“In real combat, you cannot choose a comrade who fits you perfectly. You must be able to coordinate with anyone. I hope each of you will use your own abilities to lead the situation as favorably as possible through cooperation. Please keep in mind that this class is one where teamwork matters above all else, not individual excellence.”
Professor Wallace clapped his palms together to draw the attention of the restless students.
“Now then, let us draw team members at random. Those with the same number will form a team.”
Professor Wallace snapped his fingers at the air.
Dozens of motes of light were created in the air and simultaneously scattered in all directions.
A round light was assigned to each student before them. The light rippled briefly and then immediately turned into a number.
The number assigned to Jaelin was 3. The moment she confirmed the number, the light vanished without a trace.
“Now, who will be the first teammate with whom you will share life and death this semester? The numbers are marked on the table before the platform. Everyone, rise from your seats and gather with those who share the same number.”
The moment Professor Wallace’s words fell, the students rose from their seats and moved in a rush.
The lecture hall instantly became noisy as everyone hurried to find the table with their number.
Cheers erupted from the groups of students who were pleased with their teammates, and groans burst out from the opposite.
Jaelin, wandering through the lecture hall, finally managed to find table 3.
And at table 3, Stefan, having arrived before Jaelin, was sitting.
Unable to hide her joy, Jaelin approached table 3 with a flushed face.
Spotting Jaelin approaching table 3, Stefan pressed his forehead.
“Oh, dear…… Jaelin, don’t tell me you’re number 3?”
“Yes! Stefan, w-we’re on the same team.”
Jaelin was happy to be with Stefan. Being with Stefan was far better than being with someone she had never met.
But Stefan’s feelings seemed different from Jaelin’s. Stefan’s face grew endlessly gloomy.
“There go my grades this semester.”
Tearing at his long silver hair, Stefan suddenly raised his head and cried out in a voice full of hope.
“No, it’s fine! If the remaining one is a top-tier attacker, we might just manage…….”
Just then, someone approached table 3. It seemed to be the last student of team 3.
Spotting the student approaching table 3, Stefan waved his hand toward them as if shooing them away.
“Hey! No. No. Go away, Rita. Don’t come. Shoo, shoo.”
But despite Stefan’s protest, the student came and stood firmly before table 3.
The new student looked back and forth between Stefan and Jaelin, then asked Jaelin. She, too, did not look nearly as pleased as one might hope—much like Stefan.
Stefan’s face had already sunk even further, dead black.
Rita asked Jaelin.
“Seeing a face I don’t recognize, you must not be from the magical design department. You’re not from the healing division, are you…… no, right?”
“Uh, yes. I-I’m not from there……”
At Jaelin’s words, Rita’s face brightened in an instant, only to freeze solid at the words that followed.
“I’m from the m-magical design department.”
Rita plopped down on the chair, slammed her head despairingly onto the table, and muttered.
“We’re completely doomed.”
Stefan writhed and screamed.
“My grades this semester are over. If this goes wrong, I’m going to fail. There are only three magical design students in this entire class, so why did all three end up on one team?!”
Only Jaelin, not understanding what was going on, sat there blankly blinking her eyes.
Once all the students had found their places and the commotion had subsided somewhat, Professor Wallace opened his mouth.
“Now, how is everyone? Are you satisfied with your assigned teammates?”
Just then, Stefan, who had been continuously tearing at his hair, shot his hand up at Professor Wallace’s words and rose from his seat.
“Professor, this is unfair!”
“What is it that you find unfair? Hmm, your name is……?”
“It’s Stefan. Our team is made up of three magical design students, Professor.”
At Stefan’s indignant voice, giggles leaked out from among the students.
The agitated Stefan jabbed his finger indiscriminately at the students.
“You think it’s funny because it’s not your problem! Just wait until you’re all grouped with only your own major! You lot!”
Snickers burst out among the students.
“Three swordsmen would be total honey.”
“Whatever we do, it’s got to be better than three magical design students.”
“Now, quiet, quiet! Three people from the same major—is that really so important? Stefan?”
“Yes! The magical design department is famous as a support major with low attack and defense. If three magical design students are gathered together, far from killing monsters, we won’t be able to move a single step in the hologram arena!”
At Stefan’s desperate argument, Professor Wallace smiled leisurely and refuted him.
“But surely you haven’t forgotten that Pelodian Winona, the great magical designer who founded this Pelodian Academy, was once the empire’s most powerful sword and shield as an outstanding magical designer, have you? Stefan?”
“That person is a legendary figure beyond even the words ‘genius of the century’! She is on a different dimension from a mere bottom-feeder like me.”
“I don’t know. I happen to think Stefan has ample qualities to become a legendary figure like Pelodian Winona. Unfortunately, though, logic of that level won’t persuade me.”
At Professor Wallace’s negative answer, Stefan sat down with a disappointed face, then shot his hand up again and rose.
“Then how about this? You drew team members at random to create an environment similar to real combat. But in actual monster subjugation battles, one collaborates with comrades possessing diverse abilities. To have an experience similar to real subjugation, wouldn’t forming teams with diverse majors and cooperating fit the purpose of this class better than forming teams of a single major? I also believe that would be far more helpful for the fusion and development of multiple majors!”
Professor Wallace nodded.
“Hmm. With that reasoning, it is understandable. Then, for the sake of fairness, let us swap a few team members at random.”
At Professor Wallace’s words, Stefan let out a silent cry of joy.
