Meanwhile, while Baek Yu-Seol was wandering around the wilderness searching for the Green Core, the additional practical exam proceeded as scheduled at Stella Academy.
And it wasn't just Stella Academy.
The Five Prestigious Magic Schools of the floating city Arcanium held this joint exam together, an annual event that drew significant attention in the magical community.
By this time of year, prodigies had already made their marks and risen to prominence. The next question was: Are these prodigies just as extraordinary in real-life combat?
For second-year students, this was also the time they began receiving actual field assignments. So while officially called Joint Training, the event was essentially no different from real combat.
While efforts were made to prioritize student safety, the monsters appearing in the exam were real.
If caught in a trap, students could genuinely be injured. And if struck by a monster, there was even the risk of death.
Of course, such incidents had never occurred in the exam's history. The difficulty level was adjusted to around risk level 3, taking into account the students' capabilities.
Frankly, it was already an unbelievable feat for 18-year-olds to clear a dungeon of this difficulty. But then again, the students of these prestigious schools were far from ordinary.
***
Satellite City of Arcanium: Seven Stadium
This floating city was built solely for the annual Joint Practice, and every winter, it became crowded with people.
What kind of performances would the geniuses from the five prestigious schools put on this year?
Every year, early in the academic season, even the most active prodigies in academic theses and debates failed to draw the interest of the magical elite. But around this time of year, those same big names suddenly began to take an interest, leading to an increased presence of mages.
***
"Boring..."
Hong Bi-Yeon sighed deeply, propping her chin in her hand as she watched the crowds gathering.
"Why do I have to participate in something like a risk level 3 dungeon?"
She had a point.
Hong Bi-Yeon, along with Flame and Eisel, was already far beyond the level of a typical second-year student.
The exam was too easy, and the practice was so dull it made them yawn. Their abilities, already reaching Class 6 and aiming for Class 7, were more than enough to earn them positions in the Mage Towers.
Given their skills, it wasn't surprising that they found a risk level 3 dungeon uninteresting.
Of course, participation wasn't mandatory.
However, all of this could ultimately contribute to Hong Bi-Yeon's career, so she couldn't afford to skip any important events.
"Your Highness."
While Hong Bi-Yeon absentmindedly gazed at the clouds outside the airship's window, her escort, Yeterin, handed her a file.
"Her Majesty has instructed you to handle this personally. It seems you'll need to review it and enclose it with the mail by tomorrow morning."
"Hmm…"
Tomorrow morning didn't exist in her schedule. Once they arrived at Seven Stadium, there would be a brief waiting period before the practice session began immediately.
Looking through the documents, she saw that they were related to royal affairs. While they were tasks that could comfortably be completed by tomorrow morning if time was set aside, it was clear to her:
'They gave me this knowing full well I don't have the time to do it right now.'
It was undoubtedly intentional.
While it might seem as though they were giving Hong Bi-Yeon plenty of leeway, in reality, they were fully aware of how little time she had.
If she failed to handle this properly, they could criticize her for neglecting royal duties under the excuse of being too preoccupied with other matters.
Still, it didn't leave her with a bad feeling.
She didn't exactly appreciate being tested this way, but the very fact that the king continued to assign her these tasks was proof that she was being acknowledged as the rightful heir to the throne.
"Are you alright?"
Even Yeterin, understanding the situation, looked anxious. But for Hong Bi-Yeon, this was nothing.
"Isn't it enough if I just finish it here? Just wait a moment."
"What? But there's a lot of paperwork…"
Yeterin expressed concern, but Hong Bi-Yeon had already pulled out all the documents and started stacking them in midair.
Using magic, she created a makeshift desk.
The papers and quill pen began fluttering around as if they had a will of their own, while her eyes darted back and forth at a speed faster than light.
Speed reading.
It was one of the talents that made Hong Bi-Yeon a genius, complemented by her extraordinary memory.
Though she lacked creativity, Hong Bi-Yeon was a young prodigy who had memorized every spell. Remembering this, Yeterin finally let out a sigh of relief.
"By the way, how is Hong Si-Hwa doing?"
The question came out of nowhere as Hong Bi-Yeon continued working through her tasks, but Yeterin had already looked into the situation and answered without hesitation.
"The public opinion isn't great. Ever since the last ball, nobles have started to come forward one by one to expose Princess Hong Si-Hwa's misconduct. But there's something unusual…"
"Unusual?"
"Yes. Upon investigating the nobles revealing her misconduct, there were reports that Lady Eisel was involved behind the scenes."
Suddenly, Hong Bi-Yeon's pen stopped mid-air.
"Eisel…?"
Come to think of it, over the past few months, she had barely seen Eisel outside of class.
After school and on weekends, Eisel always disappeared somewhere.
"Upon further investigation, it seems she had already made contact with nobles connected to Hong Si-Hwa's misconduct before the ball and has been systematically unraveling their ties."
"…That's quite efficient of her."
"But there have been reports of some of those nobles going missing or even dying. It seems her methods are a bit too aggressive."
"What's the harm in a few rotten scumbags dying? If anything, the world will be a cleaner place."
"Your Highness, you're the future queen. You must learn to embrace all of them, even those people."
"No, thanks. When I become queen, I'll get rid of all those kinds of people. Honestly, I'm grateful Eisel is handling something I'd have to do myself."
"Is that so…"
It was said that Eisel was also participating in the upcoming joint practice.
Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't help but think about how Eisel managed to balance acting as a model Stella student during the day while roaming the darkness of Adolevit at night.
"But you should be careful."
"About what?"
"I don't think Princess Hong Si-Hwa will just sit still. Lately, she's been unusually quiet… she might be preparing something big."
"Well… that's only natural."
It was unlikely that Hong Si-Hwa would easily give up the throne.
Her support had always been solid, and the worse public opinion grew, the more likely it was that she'd lose the favor of the people.
To turn the tide in her favor, she would likely unleash something powerful all at once.
If not that...
"She might half-kill me and force others to choose her."
If it came to that, Hong Bi-Yeon wouldn't be able to stand by idly.
"In that case… it might not be a bad idea for me to properly support Eisel's activities."
"What? But, Your Highness, that would involve illegal actions. We can't dirty your hands."
"Hong Si-Hwa has already stained her hands with blood. If I try to play the good girl, I won't accomplish anything. This might actually be for the best. Eisel's decisiveness will help me, too."
Besides, Eisel would eventually hit the limits of what she could accomplish alone.
Not only would her access to information be restricted, but rumors of nobles being attacked by a mysterious assailant would soon begin to spread, prompting heightened security.
Eisel couldn't possibly cover every gap on her own, meaning she would undoubtedly need Hong Bi-Yeon's help.
***
Meanwhile, Eisel sat slumped in the farthest corner of the airship, looking utterly exhausted with her head bowed.
"I haven't slept much the past few days…"
"Have you been studying that hard?!"
Her friends crouched next to her, patting her back and making a fuss.
"Well, it's… something like studying."
"Are you sure you'll be okay today? It's the joint practice, after all."
"…I won't die or anything."
Her once-silky sky-blue hair now looked brittle and disheveled, and spread out chaotically in all directions. It was a pitiful sight.
Normally, no matter how much she studied, Eisel never showed signs of exhaustion. Her friends were curious about what could have caused her current state, but she wouldn't answer, so they had no way of knowing.
"Well, it doesn't really concern us since we're not participating, but it's still a bit worrying…"
"Even if she's not in top shape, she's Eisel. She'll manage somehow, right?"
"True, she's always done well no matter what."
While her friends expressed their concerns, Eisel was exhausted as she was and didn't think much of it.
After all, even though she hid most of her abilities at school, as a master of Class 6, there was no way she would struggle in something as trivial as a risk level 3 dungeon, no matter how tired she was.
Her gloom stemmed from an entirely different reason.
'Things aren't going as smoothly as I'd hoped.'
Ten years ago, crucial evidence of the incident committed by Hong Si-Hwa needed to be secured. However, this part was surrounded by impenetrable barriers, making it increasingly difficult to approach.
During the process of stirring up the nobles, Eisel managed to uncover other scandals involving Hong Si-Hwa, but she still hadn't found the most critical piece of evidence she was looking for, leaving her frustrated.
'Well... it'll work out somehow.'
Despite her exhaustion, Eisel spent her time answering her friends' questions. In the midst of this, a man wrapped in rags stumbled past the seats where she and her friends were sitting.
The other female students backed away slightly, complaining about the smell, but Eisel didn't react. As the man brushed past her, he whispered quietly:
'I know what you're looking for.'
It was such a fleeting moment and spoken so quickly that no one else noticed, but Eisel heard it clearly.
She looked down at the floor and saw a note that had somehow been dropped nearby.
[In 30 minutes, at the bow of the ship.]
The bow wasn't exactly an ideal location for a secret conversation.
Perhaps it wasn't something that needed to be hidden at all.
'What I'm looking for?'
If there was something Eisel was seeking, it had to be information related to Hong Si-Hwa.
She quickly glanced toward where the man had disappeared, but he was nowhere to be seen.
'No need to rush.'
Thirty minutes wasn't a long time. She could simply meet him and ask directly.
"I'll go get some fresh air for a bit."
"Sure! Go clear your head and come back!"
Leaving her friends behind, Eisel hurried to the bow of the ship.
Strangely, although the bow was usually crowded with people, this time it was completely deserted.
It was as if someone had deliberately cleared the area.
Standing alone at the bow, Eisel let the wind whip through her hair as she waited for 30 minutes.
Then, a voice called out.
"You came early, Eisel Morph."
Exactly 30 minutes later, the man in rags appeared at the spot.
Eisel frowned and asked, "You said you know what I'm looking for. What is it?"
"You're quite the greedy girl, wanting all the information from the start."
"You're the one who called me here."
"Haha, true enough. But if you want information from me… you'll need to help me a little."
As expected, he wanted something in return.
"Tell me what you want."
"During the joint exam… an incident will occur."
"...And?"
"When that happens, don't intervene. Just stay still. That's how you can help me. If you do, I'll give you very crucial information related to your father."
"What? Wait a moment—!"
Before Eisel could finish, the man leapt off the airship.
She hurried to the edge and looked down, but he had already vanished without a trace.
'An incident will occur…?'
And if she simply did nothing when it happened, he'd give her decisive information?
'What on earth…?'
Eisel's mind spun in confusion.