Chapter 21: Cramming for the Comprehensive Exam (2)

Chapter 21: Cramming for the Comprehensive Exam (2)

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: N/A

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

Join the discord! Here

Upon arriving at the library, it looked like a battlefield.

"In 815, the founding of the Holy Lucia Empire; in 816, the establishment of the capital, Luciana; the abdication of the emperor..."

"The title of a knight's assistant originally began as an honorary term but over time evolved into a title indicating a land-owning noble..."

Every student was buried in their textbooks, cramming fervently for tomorrow's comprehensive exam.

'This is intense.'

Eugene nodded and began searching for an empty seat.

Fortunately, the library was spacious, and there was a vacant spot.

It was in a secluded corner, a bit dimmer than the other areas, which probably explained its vacancy.

'Wherever I can sit is good enough.'

Without hesitation, Eugene took the seat and started studying.

The adjacent seat was empty, allowing him to concentrate even better.

'Let's start with aristocratic etiquette.'

He opened the textbook and began memorizing.

Meanwhile, two female students were watching him.

"Celine, look over there."

"I see."

It was Tina and Celine, who were studying for the exam.

They'd taken a break after their meal and were surprised to see Eugene there when they had come back.

"It's the first time we've seen him in the library... right?"

"Seems so."

"He's definitely cramming for the exam..."

Suddenly, Tina stood up determinedly.

"Isn't this the situation we talked about?"

Huh?

Celine looked taken aback.

"Are we starting right now?"

"Yes! Why not?"

Tina, belonging to one of the continent's top families, had been taught from a young age to seize the opportunity when it arose.

"Even so, it's not that simple."

Eugene was in the middle of studying.

The only way to approach him would be to suggest studying together.

But that seemed like a tall order.

"Asking someone to study with you isn't really something you do unless you're pretty close."

"If we keep hesitating, we'll never get anywhere."

"But..."

"Don't you want to talk about the sword?"

"...".

Tina had struck a chord.

Celine hesitated, then admitted,

"...I do."

"See? Lets go."

Tina, with a bright smile, gathered her scattered textbooks.

"Ugh..."

Is this really a good idea?

Celine sighed and stood up.

This caught the attention of the male students studying nearby.

'Whats happening? Are they moving seats?'

'Damn, it was so nice until now...'

'My Celine...'

Tina and Celine were the dreams and hopes of every male student.

Those fortunate enough to experience them sitting nearby during their study sessions felt blessed, like they were studying next to angels amidst a group of smelly men.

But now, the two were standing up.

'It seemed like they were talking about someone just now. Who might it be?'

'Who could it be?'

A fire ignited in the eyes of the male students.

If the girls ultimate destination was another guy, the looks on their faces said they were ready to challenge him on the spot.

"If it's a female student, I'll leave it be."

"She needs to be a female student."

"If you want to live, become a woman."

As the girls slowly moved, the eyes of the male students followed them.

They walked to a corner of the library where the light barely reached.

"What are they doing?"

"There aren't many people studying over there, right?"

The boys' eyes darted around.

Suddenly, the girls stopped walking.

At the end, there was a person beyond their wildest imagination.

"Is that... Eugene?"

"Eugene?"

"Am I seeing this right?"

Eugene, the notorious joke from the fallen Barony of Grace, known for cluelessly following around the beauties.

Because of that, everyone discreetly avoided him.

Everyone knew he had not even a single proper friend.

"It must be for a reason!"

"Theres no way they're interested in someone like him!"

The boys stared at the girls, eyes wide in disbelief.

'We've secured our spots. Arent you going to start the conversation?'

'What conversation are you talking about?'

Having been together for so long, the girls could communicate just with their eyes.

This unspoken understanding, like an advanced form of telepathy, enabled them to converse without saying a word.

'You wanted to talk about the sword, right? Why not ask now?'

'How can I just bring that up out of the blue?'

'Why can't you?'

'Then why dont you start a conversation about magic?'

Celine glared at Tina with a sharp gaze.

'Is it because you find it hard to start conversations?'

'Not at all!'

Tina, feeling cornered, quickly turned her head.

She wasnt incapable of talking to Eugene.

She looked over at Eugene, who was lost in his book, and slowly opened her mouth...

'I can't do it!'

Tina shook her head.

'How can I interrupt him?'

Eugene's eyes were burning with intensity.

He looked as though he wanted to burn the textbook into his brain.

The very picture of a student cramming at the last minute for an exam.

'Well... I mean, I can talk, but...'

If it was going to distract from his studies, perhaps it wasn't a good idea.

She should say something that would aid his studies.

'I should at least offer something beneficial for the exam...'

Tina's eyes wandered around until they settled on the textbook Eugene held.

'His book is in perfect condition.'

It seemed he had set aside topics for the exam, but there were no highlighted areas or notes on which sections to focus on.

'It must be hard studying like that.'

Should I offer him my annotated book?

Tina hesitantly pulled out three books and handed them to Eugene.

"Here, take these."

"Hm?"

Eugene, his fiery concentration interrupted, accepted the books.

"What are these?"

"Theyre just my notes. These are textbooks on History, Noble Etiquette, and Acoustics I used. They have my annotations on the essential parts to focus on, and there's a summary included. If you just memorize that, you should score reasonably well."

"Why would you give away such valuable resources?"

"Huh?"

"No, never mind."

Without another word, Eugene began flipping through the books Tina gave him.

"Unbelievable."

Inside was a treasure trove: neat, well-organized notes in beautiful handwriting, highlighted memorization sections, and summarized content condensed into a few pages.

'This is exactly what I needed.'

How much of a headache did he get from trying to memorize from an untouched textbook?

But with these, he could potentially cut his study time in half, if not by two-thirds.

"Thank you, Tina."

"Huh? It's nothing, really."

Tina smiled shyly at his genuine gratitude.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Celine glaring at her.

'So, you're playing it like that?'

'You saw his eyes just now, right? He was genuinely grateful.'

'Well, thats true.'

'By opening it up like this, wont it be easier to discuss other topics with him later?'

'...'

Listening to Tina, Celine realized she had a point.

Celine then started rummaging through her bag.

'Is she, by any chance...'

Going to use the same strategy?

Tina stared intently at Celine.

Celine pulled out four books and handed them to Eugene.

"Here are the notes and summaries for Philosophy, Noble Arts, Traditional Ethics, and World Geography. Read them if you find them useful."

"......"

Eugene's eyes gradually widened, then bulged in surprise.

Given Celine's meticulous nature, the notes and summaries were impeccably organized.

Possessing such treasures meant he could achieve a passing mark without needing to pull an all-nighter.

Immediately diving into the books, Eugene began to study fervently, expressing his gratitude without a second thought.

"Thank you so much. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word."

"......Huh?"

Celine's face turned to one of confusion.

She could ask if she needed something?

This meant she could ask about swordsmanship without it being awkward.

'Good for you, Celine.'

Tina grinned mischievously.

Seeing that, Celine felt as if she was being treated like a child and her face flushed with embarrassment.

'Quiet down.'

Under the table, Celine gave a sneaky kick to Tina's leg.

"Ouch!"

Being in the library, Tina couldn't scream out loud, so she suppressed a groan, bearing the pain.

And so, the three students continued their studies.

---