An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 12: The Angel Caught in a Test (9)

Soya racked her brain. Mixing mana of different attributes to create black mana, dark mana?

She recalled a recent paper she had read.

'It's a fact proven by the latest research. When mana of opposing attributes meet, it undergoes a transformation that’s closer to the dark.'

Soya, hailed as a once-in-a-generation magical genius, immediately began drawing a magic circle.

"If we apply the threshold of red mana... no, to achieve an equal ratio, we'll need Axtonian magical mechanics, so..."

She mumbled to herself,

completely immersed in the magic circle.

Watching her, Leffrey thought,

'I don't know what she’s doing, but she seems to be doing well...?'

How did Leffrey know how to solve this test? Naturally, it was because of the knowledge he brought from the future. If the future remained unchanged, a major incident would happen in the entrance exam next year. Namely, a candidate dying during Professor Klein's 3-minute endurance test.

Candidates dying during the exam was a common occurrence. However, the problem was that the deceased candidate was the granddaughter of the leader of America's top guild.

The guild leader's granddaughter tried to endure for 5 minutes to receive Professor Klein's recommendation letter, and the result, of course, ended in her death.

The issue, which had been quite noisy, eventually escalated into a hearing for Professor Klein.

There were arguments about whether deaths should even be allowed in academy exams, claims that 5 minutes was an impossible time limit and that even the top ten superhumans in the world would struggle to endure, and so on…

Professor Klein was cornered.

However, through the hearing, the professor made it known that it was entirely possible to endure for 5 minutes. No, if done well, even 10 minutes was possible.

The professor's answer was simple.

"Enduring for 5 minutes inside the room is a very easy task. The reason this room is dangerous is because one type of mana is too concentrated, but then, wouldn't it be solved by mixing it with other mana to stabilize it?"

With Professor Klein's magic, the color of the room began to change.

The answer was simple.

Mix the mana from each room.

"This is the true answer to this test. Who would foolishly endure for 5 minutes in a place like this? That's why those with slow minds..."

A clear sneer.

The enraged guild leader lunged at him, but he was instantly subdued by Klein and forced to kneel. It was the moment when Klein's true abilities were revealed.

The Central Academy, created in collaboration with another world and possessing legal privileges, revealed at that time that its professors not only held privileges but also possessed abilities on par with the world's top Awakeners.

"Sigh, in the end, no one truly passed this test until the very end. Dimwitted fools. Useless fools..."

Klein's true nature as a twisted genius who despised the masses spread through TV.

"Done."

Soya spread her chalk-stained hands wide.

"I did it!"

With that shout, the color of the room began to fluctuate.

The candidates looked at Professor Klein with reactions like 'What?' and 'Is it really...?'. And Professor Klein finally stopped his pointless laughter and looked at Soya with a surprised expression.

Leffrey nodded.

'Even though Soya didn't realize the true intention of this test, the fact that she's a genius doesn't change. If I let Soya get the recommendation letter like this, Klein, who recognized her talent, will promise her full support.'

Nod nod-

Leffrey gave himself a generous evaluation, thinking the snowball was already rolling well.

And one room had transformed into an incomplete color. It was almost black, but the colors of other magic were also slightly mixed in.

Soya looked at Leffrey and said,

"Even for me, a room filled with black magic would be dangerous. But if you mix in the colors of other rooms, the test becomes much easier to pass. Didn't you think of this?"

"Yeah..."

Of course, he had thought of it.

But to divert Klein's attention to Soya, Leffrey had only given her a simple hint.

However…

However, Klein was watching this scene.

'Damn it, I don't want to get close to that professor. Magical studies are only for rich kids anyway... and Klein is a dangerous professor who despises everyone that doesn't meet his standards.'

Naturally, Leffrey wasn't a genius.

That's why Leffrey felt that Klein watching him like this was quite dangerous. It would be better for everyone if the attention was focused on a genius like Soya.

"You didn't think of this, huh? Heh, well, that can happen."

Soya looked down at Leffrey again with a smug expression, her head held high. Seeing that, Leffrey couldn't help but swallow the thought, 'I want to flick her forehead...'

"Then let's pass the test."

With that, Soya entered the room humming a tune, and Leffrey tried to kill time by pretending not to notice Klein's piercing gaze and saying nonsense like, "Oh, what's this floor made of?" However…

"Amazing. It wasn't that girl who figured it out, but you who discovered the answer."

"...Haha. Are you interested in the floor too?"

Klein looked at him with an expression full of recognition. Naturally, Leffrey felt uncomfortable in this situation. So he tried to change the subject…

"No. What I'm interested in is you, Leffrey."

"Ah, I'm not someone good enough for your attention, professor."

"Yes, that's right. You're not outstanding."

Professor Klein bluntly spoke his mind as if it were obvious, then straightened his posture like a haughty nobleman.

"If you had solved the test yourself instead of leaving it to that girl, you could have gathered 3 recommendation letters and received a legendary-grade artifact..."

"That is a bit of a shame."

"Do you want to pass that girl even if it means giving up a legendary-grade artifact?"

"..."

Professor Klein frowned as if frustrated.

"This is your flaw. The foolishness of being held back by emotions even though you could be exceptional. The stubborn attitude of caring for others. That's why you're not outstanding. If you were alone..."

"But..."

Leffrey couldn't help but think many things. 'Actually, the reason I'm helping these kids is for my own wealth and fame, and for a special power called Angelic Power. And if I don't raise these kids, we'll all die at the hands of the demon king.' But he couldn't say that, obviously.

So Leffrey made up an excuse.

"But it’s lonely being alone."

Professor Klein, hearing Leffrey's insincere answer, made a crucial misunderstanding about the boy. Someone who is overflowing with talent, but ultimately unable to abandon others.

Just like himself.

Leffrey couldn't see what kind of expression Professor Klein was making. Was it anger? Or annoyance? But why did he feel like it was a sad expression?

For the first time in his life,

Klein gave a recommendation letter to a student.

"... I will give you a recommendation letter. Since you were the one who originally solved the test, it's only right."

"Wow, thank you!"

"And Leffrey."

Professor Klein said with his back turned,

"I highly value your talent."

Professor Klein had never said such words to a student before. And so, the second test ended.

*

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Now only the final third test remained. If the exam proceeded according to the documentary, the third test would be 'Guess Your Own Race' hosted by Lusa, the overall supervisor of the exam.

'The test will probably change.'

Why would it change? Because Leffrey had already guessed Lusa's race. However, the boy didn't think the test would be cancelled.

In the documentary, since no one guessed Lusa's race correctly, they moved on to a newly improvised test by Lusa. That meant there was already another test prepared.

Perhaps the name of that test was…

At that moment, he heard a girl's voice.

"What's your name?"

Soya, who had finished the test, asked cautiously. Leffrey smiled and replied.

"Leffrey. I don't have a last name."

Soya looked at Leffrey intently.

He really looked like an angel, and he doesn’t seem like he could hurt anyone.

In fact, Leffrey had saved her and said he believed in her.

And he even helped her with the test…

This was the first time Soya had met someone like this in her life.

'But still, who knows? There's a reason for the confirmation bias that all men are beasts, right? It's all proven results.'

Soya, who only knew one man, which is her father, cautiously gathered information about Leffrey. Judging by his clothes, he was poor, and judging by his abilities, he was a healer type with divine power...

‘Physically, I win!’

Soya quickly came to a conclusion.

Even if that's the case, she's a black mage, so would she lose to a healer with no background?

With her resolve solidified, Soya opened her mouth.

“I would have passed the test anyway, but thanks to your question, I was able to pass a little faster. So…”

“So?”

Soya blushed.

As soon as she felt her face flush,

she quickly pulled down the brim of her hat.

“…Thank you.”

[Receiving genuine gratitude from a future hero is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power]

‘As expected of my Angelic Power source…!’

So sweet…

Leffrey smiled.

“So I mean…”

Soya hesitated and continued.

“You have a favor to collect from me, right? I’m not saying I’m going to skip out on it. I’ll definitely repay it. But… it will take some time for me to become the greatest mage.”

He knew that.

Leffrey nodded.

“I’ll repay your favor with interest, so please help me shorten that time. That, that’s what I mean. Hmm. Something like a companion. A party or… you know? It’s good for you and good for me. You have something to gain, and I… I don’t have anything good!”

It was literally rambling.

The way Soya’s hands moved here and there was quite distracting.

‘Soya has been betrayed her whole life. She probably won’t trust me right away. The fact that she’s reaching out like this now… she must want to use me.’

Why was she so flustered? Naturally, it was because something was bothering her. Even the clueless Leffrey could understand this much.

However, Leffrey was also in a position to use Soya. So…

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t need a companion. Just…”

“Let’s do it. A party.”

Leffrey offered his hand to Soya.

Soya hesitantly took the boy’s hand.

“…It can’t be helped.”

Soya accepted the handshake with an expression as if she were doing him a favor. Leffrey thought again.

‘I want to flick her forehead…’

But how could he flick the forehead of his Angelic Power source? The noble Leffrey had to endure.

[Staying by the side of a lonely girl is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power!]

On top of a pillar in the hall, a girl was looking down, her tail swishing.

The pink-haired girl tilted her ears back, expressing her displeasure with her whole body.

“Who is that little thief?”

Hongwol glared at Soya with eyes full of annoyance. She looked like nothing special, just another mage. And yet, she dared to covet what she had decided to steal.

“This… ahem.”

I almost made an animal-like sound, Hongwol thought. The girl’s cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment.

‘I’m not an animal. I don’t act like a cat. Wait…’

At that moment, a small glass ornament caught her eye.

Thump- Hongwol lightly pushed it, and the ornament quickly fell and shattered into pieces.

Crash-

‘I don’t know why… but dropping things from shelves makes me feel good.’

With her mood slightly improved, Hongwol looked at Leffrey once again.

However, she wasn’t the only one watching the boy.

There was another person.

Yumari, who was talking with an acquaintance, was stealthily observing the boy’s actions.

‘What is this feeling?’

Unrequited good deeds.

A dragon who never changed her way of life. However, despite that.

Whenever she saw the boy, that dragon kept coming to mind.

‘Mother comes to mind…’

In fact, Yumari wanted to stop paying attention to the boy. After all, he was from a different social class, someone with a different life trajectory than her own, someone she would never see again if she ignored him.

‘Leffrey, the boy who hates me.’

She caught sight of the boy talking happily with Soya. Yumari clenched her fists.

‘So he makes that kind of expression with other girls…’

The thought of making him fail grew stronger and stronger.

And so, the third test began.

As explained earlier, the third test was the final test, and Lusa, the overall supervisor of the entrance exam, was in charge of this test.

Lusa, still in her middle-aged man form, stood on the podium.

“Uh, you’ve all worked hard on the tests.”

“…”

“Hey, what should we do?”

Lusa yawned and sat on the podium as if bored.

"Actually, I had something in mind for the final test... but some guy cleared it all by himself..."

Whispers spread among the candidates as they looked at each other.

'Who on earth was it?'

'Passed the final test by himself?'

"Well, we need to sort that out first. Come up here."

Seeing Lusa's sly grin, Leffrey sighed inwardly. 'Ah, please. I don't want to attract attention at this point...!'

Being noticed as a top student at the Central Academy had its pros and cons. The pros were obviously wealth and fame, and the cons…

'I'd be a perfect target for terrorism. Especially from the demon king’s army...'

For Leffrey, who had no particular power to protect him, excessive attention could actually be poison.

"...Why aren't you coming up? Should I go find you myself?"

Lusa stood up again.