It’s a Problem That My Scores Keep Coming Out Too Well
This is bad.
“First place in potential divine power among the third-years is Lukna Golden. Please come forward.”
The professor of Divine Studies, wearing a round zucchetto on his head, called Lukna up to the podium.
Potential divine power referred to the possibility of generating divine power.
Since true divine power could only be fully awakened after becoming an ordained priest, cadets were measured not by actual divine power but by their potential.
Clutching her head in despair, Lukna let out a hollow sigh the moment her name was called.
“Lukna Golden?”
The professor called her again.
Before she could rise, Hans sprang to his feet instead, clapping loudly above his head and shouting, “Lady Lukna, we respect you!”
Already mortified, Lukna felt even heavier in her seat.
Hans even tried to coerce a few weaker cadets into doing a wave of applause like some street thug, but after catching Lukna’s sharp glare, he quickly shut his mouth and sat down.
Why did they have to include the potential divine power test in this midterm evaluation?!
This midterm for “Applications of Divine Power” consisted of two parts: the potential divine power score and a practical activity of purifying monsters using that power.
If I’d known in advance, I would’ve thrown the Holy Sword necklace back in the dorm before coming.
The potential test required placing one’s hand on a crystal orb that measured divine energy.
Without thinking much, Lukna placed her hand on the orb.
When other cadets touched it, it glowed faintly.
But the moment Lukna made contact—
「The great Holy Sword, Visbi, shall momentarily forget the virtue of humility.」
W-What?
The orb flashed as if it were about to explode.
The cadets watching were so shocked their jaws nearly dropped.
“Are you kidding? That was Lukna Golden just now?”
“I thought lightning struck the classroom!”
At least one thing was fortunate: Matian wasn’t present.
He was taking a separate exam in another lecture hall.
It was said that when someone from the Wiegratz family placed a hand on the potential divine power tester, the orb would turn black. Therefore, their Divine Power subject was evaluated through a written exam instead.
Apparently, during the Demon War of the past, a fragment of a demon had seeped into the heart of Hero Wiegratz.
So that rumor about having a demon’s heart… was it actually true?
Recalling the unbelievable legend, Lukna stepped forward to the podium.
“Truly astonishing, Lukna Golden.”
The professor praised her with a warm smile.
“You always had high potential divine power, but I never expected such improvement! Have you perhaps received a sacred oracle?”
“Ah, well…”
Lukna scrambled to come up with an excuse.
Since this body had always had high potential to begin with, whatever she said likely wouldn’t raise too much suspicion.
Well, whatever.
“I… received an oracle telling me to strive for world peace and environmental protection.”
She blurted out a generic beauty pageant answer to brush off the situation.
It wasn’t like she could say, Actually, I’m carrying a Holy Sword overflowing with divine power.
For some reason, the professor was deeply moved—so moved that his eyes even grew misty.
“What an incredibly noble oracle, Lukna Golden!”
Maybe she’d overdone it. She probably should’ve left out the environmental protection part.
“I’m sure the High Priest would like to meet you as well.”
The professor spared no praise, remarking that such talent was fitting of someone from the Golden family.
From a corner of the classroom came a muttered complaint: “She’s just an adopted brat without a single drop of Golden blood!”
But Hans swiftly smacked the back of that cadet’s head, and peace returned to the room.
Meanwhile, the professor selected the largest box among several lined up on the podium and dragged it in front of Lukna.
Whatever was inside shifted violently, scraping metal against metal.
“Now then, let’s test your purification ability. With such outstanding potential divine power, Cadet Lukna should be able to handle the highest difficulty.”
When the professor removed the black cloth covering the box—
“Skreee!”
Inside the iron cage was a juvenile griffin.
A griffin—its lower body that of a lion, its upper body that of an eagle—was a monster that, once fully grown, could easily tear apart a three-ton elephant.
The creature twisted the bars with its beak, as if desperate to attack Lukna.
“Th-That’s strange. I definitely gave it a calming potion before bringing it… Why is it so agitated?”
Worse still, it seemed unusually strong, as though someone had temporarily amplified its power.
Before long, it began bending the iron cage engraved with high-level barrier magic.
Craaaack!
Something was clearly wrong.
The professor hastily uncovered the other boxes as well.
The monsters prepared for the evaluation—each dosed with calming potions—were rampaging inside their cages as though under the influence of dark magic.
A small shadow flickered beyond the window, spying into the classroom, before vanishing.
A dwarf? Or a gnome?
The professor glanced that way, but had no time to investigate.
“Please wait, students. We must suspend the exam.”
Drawing upon his divine power, he began calming the enraged monsters one by one.
But with over twenty monsters, it would take time. Some inexperienced cadets trembled in fear.
“A-Aren’t they going to break through the cages?”
“Even if it’s the professor, that many monsters might be too much!”
“And Matian and Ched aren’t here right now!”
Crack! Screech! Smash!
The still-awake monsters burst from their cages all at once.
“Aaaah! Everyone, run!”
“W-What? The door’s locked! We can’t get out!”
Some cadets fell to the floor in tears. Others bravely drew their swords and fought.
Bolton and Aaron from the student council stood out in particular.
The largest and the smallest members of the council seemed to share similar tastes in weapons, as they grabbed cricket bats from the corner of the classroom and started beating monsters senseless.
They didn’t even touch the practice swords at their waists.
The professor erected a barrier with all his remaining divine power to protect the students.
Then he suddenly remembered Lukna.
She had been closest to the strongest monster—the griffin. Surely she must be injured.
“Lukna? Where is Cadet Lukna?”
Turning toward where she had been—
He saw Lukna standing with one foot planted atop the griffin’s body, which lay defeated.
She had subdued it in a single strike and successfully purified it.
Seeing her holding a mop handle instead of a training sword, the professor thought the graduating class had rather peculiar weapon preferences this year.
But that aside—
“Truly remarkable, Lukna Golden!”
To purify the strongest monster with such ease!
By then, the other monsters had also been subdued.
The professor awarded Lukna the highest score and graded the others in order of their contributions.
“Wow, what’s gotten into Lukna the deadweight lately?”
“Seriously. They said she ran off from the academy before and came back after getting her act together. Guess it’s true.”
Even those reluctant to admit it couldn’t deny the results.
Of course, some were jealous. A scruffy noble youth sitting in the corner trembled with rage.
“Lukna Golden, that bastard… not following orders!”
“C-Calm down, Zwei. Hrk!”
The cadet trying to restrain Zwei flinched as—
Thud!
A textbook Zwei hurled embedded itself into the wooden floor.
Lukna glanced at him.
What’s with that orc-looking guy?
Compared to Matian’s chilling glare, that level of hostility was child’s play.
Winning first place against her will, Lukna pressed a hand to her forehead with no joy whatsoever.
Her mind was occupied with someone far more dangerous.
At this rate, I’ll end up listed alongside Matian for real.
If that happened, he might challenge her to a sparring match.
I really want to avoid that.
She remembered how he would smile as he mercilessly cut down opponents in the training hall—how cadets applauded as his opponent lay bleeding on the ground.
Imagining herself in that position sent chills down her spine.
Before I get on his nerves, I’ll deliberately score the lowest in the remaining subjects. Then I can finish with an inconspicuous ranking.
I’ll become as ordinary as possible and graduate quietly.
With that firm resolve, Lukna stuffed the griffin she had defeated into a large sack and tidied up.
Have I already drifted too far from being ordinary?
Just after leaving the classroom, Lukna thought that as she looked at the wrist Matian was gripping.
This was already the second time he had grabbed her wrist.
After finishing the Divine Studies evaluation and walking down the corridor, Matian—having completed his alternate exam—had stopped her.
“I heard the rumors, Lukna. Congratulations on the top score.”
How do rumors spread this fast?
Lukna awkwardly smiled and hid the sack containing the griffin behind her.
It was far too large to conceal, but she could always claim it was debris from cleaning up the chaos.
“I… just got lucky.”
“You already had high potential divine power. It’s not luck. I hope we’ll have a good competition from now on.”
With a gentle smile, Matian extended his right hand toward her.
Even in that moment, he was busy checking his reflection in the window.
Seeing how often he admired his own face, he clearly knew he was handsome.
Subtle prince syndrome, huh. Is he asking for a handshake?
It didn’t seem like he truly wanted to shake hands.
Rather, after noticing she had hidden the sack in her right hand, it felt like he was deliberately prompting it.
Instead, Lukna extended her left hand and smacked his palm in a high-five.
“For someone like me to compete with you? Impossible, Matian.”
“……”
“You’re the eternal top student. Fighting!”
After cheering him on, she hugged the sack she had hidden behind her back and hurried down the corridor.
