The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

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Chapter 62: Midterm Evaluation (7)

A quiet stillness settled over the forest clearing.

I hurriedly stepped back and asked with a stunned expression,

“What kind of crazy nonsense is that…?”

“Why? Don't you like it?”

“It’s not a matter of liking or disliking!”

Professor Elisha looked at me, amused by my flustered reaction.

“Don't get so worked up. It was just a joke.”

“...”

I stared at Professor Elisha, wearing an expression of disbelief, as she maintained a face far too serious for me to believe it was just a joke.

‘What kind of professor makes jokes like that in this day and age?’

I glared at her, furrowing my brow.

She smiled softly and placed her hand on her chest.

“Well, joke or not, it's true that I’m interested in you, Cadet Dale. Both as a hero and... as a man.”

“…What?”

Wait, what?

Where did that sudden blunt remark come from?

“There’s no rule saying a professor can’t be interested in a cadet, is there?”

“Well, no... technically, there isn't.”

“Before I’m a professor, I’m a woman. It’s only natural to be attracted to a man I like.”

“Uh… so, you’re saying…”

My mind went completely blank at the unexpected barrage of bluntness.

‘Is Elisha Baldwin saying she’s interested in me?’

What is even happening right now?

“…Haven’t we only met twice?”

And neither of those were particularly pleasant conversations.

“Hmm? Does it matter how often a woman meets a man to feel attracted?”

“…I don’t think I’ve done anything during those encounters that would attract you.”

Let’s set aside the "male" and "female" terminology for now.

“You didn’t? Didn’t you show me on the very first day?”

“Are you talking about the sparring match with Assistant Instructor Vincent?”

Well, yes, it’s not every day a cadet overwhelms an instructor in a duel.

But let’s be honest, that shouldn’t be enough to catch the attention of the ‘Spider of Dread,’ ranked 9th among the thousands of heroes.

‘Even Yuren probably had no trouble overwhelming Assistant Instructor Vincent.’

I didn’t even have to bring up Yuren.

Camilla, for instance, could likely hold her own against Vincent.

‘Vincent’s level isn’t exactly outstanding, after all.’

The only reason Vincent appeared so dominant in the beginning was because of the relative skill level of his sparring partners.

It’s not like cadets barely passing their average scores could hope to withstand the swift strikes of a swordmaster.

“Hmph. Well, that’s part of it, of course.”

“You mean there’s something else?”

“There is.”

Something else that caught Elisha’s attention…

‘Could it be…?’

Had she somehow figured out about the primordial flame?

“Fufu. You seem to be misunderstanding something.”

As I stared at her with suspicion, Elisha smiled softly.

“Your appearance, Cadet Dale drew me to you the most.”

“…Excuse me?”

My mind went blank at the completely unexpected response.

Elisha raised a hand to brush my cheek gently, then nodded in satisfaction.

“As I thought, no matter how often I look at you, your somber and gloomy appearance is just to my taste. I love it.”

“...”

What?

Is she insulting me right now?

“Mm. Don’t stare at me like that.”

Elisha awkwardly averted her gaze, clearing her throat with an embarrassed cough.

Her cheeks flushed a faint red.

“…Isn’t it embarrassing?”

“No.”

After calling someone’s face gloomy and somber, what's the point in being embarrassed now?

‘I can’t tell where her true intentions lie.’

I sighed deeply, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Well, don’t worry too much about it. It’s only curiosity for now.”

With a faint smile, she pulled a cigarette from her coat and placed it between her lips.

Elisha tilted her head towards me, motioning with the cigarette in her mouth.

“Light.”

“…I don’t carry a lighter.”

“Didn’t you use fire magic earlier when fighting that demonic beast?”

“Well, yes, but…”

Using primordial flame to light a cigarette seemed... inappropriate.

“Hmph. I suppose that’s true.”

Elisha pulled out a lighter from her pocket and handed it to me.

“Light it.”

“…Can’t you light it yourself?”

“There’s something special about a man I’m fond of lighting my cigarette for me.”

“...”

What kind of unreasonable woman is this?

“Hah…”

I sighed deeply and lit her cigarette with the lighter she handed me.

Elisha took a deep drag from the cigarette, exhaling the smoke with a satisfied nod.

“Hah. That’s nice.”

“…So, what about the investigation you mentioned earlier? Should I offer you some of my blood?”

“No need. There’s nothing more to learn anyway.”

“...”

Then why did you even bring up needing further investigation earlier?

“Fufu. It was just a good excuse to kiss the man I fancy. That’s why I love being a special professor.”

“That’s a very, uh, ‘professor-like’ way of thinking.”

“Hearing that is a little embarrassing.”

Elisha replied with a straight face, leaving me unsure whether she was joking or not as she blew out a long stream of smoke.

“By the way, what were those demonic beasts earlier?”

“We’re still looking into it.”

Elisha flicked the cigarette butt away as she approached the dead crocodile-like demonic beast.

“Given the size of the exam grounds, it’s not unusual for wild demonic beasts to occasionally wander in, but… this is the first time in the academy’s 500-year history that an 8-eyed demonic beast has shown up.”

“So, that means…”

“It’s reasonable to assume someone deliberately sent them.”

Elisha inspected the corpse of the demonic beast, her gaze heavy with suspicion.

“Do you have any suspects in mind?”

“Well… it’s only speculation at this point, but…”

Elisha dipped her finger into the blood seeping from the crocodile demonic beast’s body and tasted it.

Her purple eyes split vertically, revealing golden pupils.

It was the mark of the ‘Blessing of Insight,’ a power she possessed that activated her keen vision.

"Turns out it wasn’t just an ordinary demonic beast, but someone’s familiar."

"Like a unicorn?"

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"Yes."

Professor Elisha nodded slightly and continued speaking.

"It’s not common for someone to control a demonic beast of this caliber as a familiar."

"……."

Coincidentally, a name popped into my head as soon as I heard those words.

"Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal."

Elisha spoke in a low voice, her hand brushing the scar that stretched across her left eye.

'Jackal.'

Archbishop of Beasts, Jackal.

One of the six archbishops standing at the pinnacle of demonic beings, commanding thousands, tens of thousands of demonic beasts under his rule.

'There was practically a war just to take him down.'

Only after nearly half of the combined forces of over 1,000 soldiers from three nations had been sacrificed could they kill Jackal and his army of demonic beasts.

'The hero who killed Jackal was surely… Elisha Baldwin.'

Was it a coincidence, or was it fate?

I clicked my tongue softly, glancing at Professor Elisha.

In a previous life, she had participated in the war against Jackal, severing his lifeline, only to meet her end on the battlefield.

'Though I didn't witness it myself.'

The war with Jackal broke out ten years after I graduated.

About twelve years from now.

'That was when I quit being a mercenary and started forming a party with Yuren and the others.'

Our party had just been formed then, so we didn't participate directly in the war.

While recalling these memories of my past life, I kept thinking.

"Candidate Dale? Do you know something about Jackal?"

"What? Oh… no. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Professor Elisha crossed her arms, gazing deeply at the corpse of the demonic beast with a heavy expression.

"…Jackal."

Her eyes glinted fiercely as she uttered his name.

After staring at the beast's corpse for a while, Professor Elisha turned to look at me.

"I have a favor to ask you, Candidate Dale."

"What is it?"

"Could you keep this matter quiet, at least until the investigation is over?"

"Keep quiet? How much are we talking about…?"

"From everyone. I'd appreciate it if you didn’t even tell your supervising professor."

"…Are you planning to cover up the incident entirely?"

Surprised by her request to keep it secret even from Professor Lucas, I made a startled face. Elisha nodded heavily.

"If this incident spreads through the academy, the culprit will escape again. Just like during the last sealing festival."

"……."

The real culprit behind the sealing festival didn’t actually escape but died by my hand.

But I couldn't tell Professor Elisha that right now.

"Understood. I’ll keep this incident between the two of us."

"Oh. Just between the two of us, huh? That sounds quite thrilling."

"No."

"Haha, just a joke."

"…You do love your jokes."

"I've always had a humorous and witty personality, you see."

"Haha. Where did you come up with such nonsense?"

You really can't win with this professor.

"Well then, I’ll take the corpse of this crocodile beast with me."

"Yes."

"By the way, are you alright? You don’t look so good."

"Well… to be honest, I’m not exactly in great shape."

I was barely holding on, feeling like I could collapse at any moment.

"Seems like I’ve kept you here too long. I’ll take care of the remaining beasts around here, so rest easy."

"That would be much appreciated."

Though I wouldn’t be affected even if I got attacked while sleeping, Yuren, who had passed out from mana exhaustion, would be in danger.

Ping!

With a snap of Professor Elisha’s fingers, silver threads wrapped around the crocodile beast’s corpse.

She then disappeared, dragging the corpse with her.

"Sigh."

I leaned against the rock where I had laid Yuren, exhaling a breath heavy with exhaustion.

'I can’t hold on any longer.'

Without resisting the overwhelming fatigue, I slowly closed my eyes.

'Wait… hold on.'

I had a nagging feeling that I’d forgotten something….

* * *

"I will now announce the exam results."

Professor Lucas began, holding the score sheet.

"Candidate Yuren takes first place with a bonus objective, regardless of score. Next, Candidate Maurice is second with 182 points... Candidate Camilla is third with 98 points... Candidate Juliet is 57th with 47 points... Candidate Albert is 136th with 24 points... and."

Professor Lucas's gaze landed on me.

"Candidate Dale, with 0 points, ranks 253rd."

"……."

Are you kidding me?

Dead last again?

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