Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Exam Day: Part OneThe cold was beginning to fade.

    Thin trails of melting snow lined the edges of the stone paths, vanishing under the pale morning sun. Winter had nearly passed, and with it came the slow arrival of spring—and his birthday, too. But that wasn’t what weighed on Noel’s mind.

    He walked alone, hands tucked in the pockets of his coat, his eyes fixed ahead toward the massive conference hall at the center of campus. That was where the exam would take place. Theoretical finals. His weakest ground.

    ’If I mess this up, my spot in Class S is gone.’

    And that wasn’t just about prestige. Class S meant access—better equipment, private training rooms, direct mentorship, and the right to move freely beyond academy limits.

    ’Without that, everything gets harder, and it is already hard enough.’

    As he neared the entrance, he caught sight of a familiar figure turning the corner ahead: Seraphina. Her long white cloak fluttered behind her, elegant as always, drawing glances from the students nearby.

    He quickened his pace.

    "Hey, princess."

    She stopped and turned to face him, eyebrow raised.

    "Why do you keep calling me princess? Call me Seraphina. That’s what all my friends do."

    Noel hesitated for half a beat.

    "...Yeah."

    She tilted her head slightly, waiting.

    "I was wondering... is there any way the council can help with the theory exam? Even a bit?"

    "No."

    "...Oh. I see. Well, thanks. See you around."

    She gave him a short nod and walked off without another word. Noel stood there a second longer, watching her disappear into the crowd.

    ’Guess that was dumb to ask. But it was worth a shot.’

    He stepped into the building, the warmth inside wrapping around him as the doors closed behind. The final battle had begun.

    Noel stood near the entrance to the exam hall, arms crossed, trying to recall every line from the mana theory book he’d forced himself to read the night before. Nothing was sticking.

    Roberto appeared beside him, humming some ridiculous tune, completely at ease.

    "Hey, Roberto. How are you holding up?"

    Roberto grinned. "Great, great. But judging by your face... you’re not doing as well as I am, huh?"

    Noel sighed. "Not even close. I think my time in Class S has reached its expiration date."

    "For real? Nah, I don’t think so. You know they changed the practical part, right?"

    Noel turned his head slowly. "Changed how?"

    Roberto blinked. "Wait, you didn’t read the announcement?"

    "...No?"

    He laughed. "Typical. There’s only one practical test now, not three. Also, there’s gonna be a general ranking for everyone."

    Noel raised an eyebrow. "That’s new." Sёarch* The N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "And they’re expanding Class S. Instead of twenty students, it’s going up to forty. That means twenty new spots will open up."

    Noel fell silent, processing that.

    ’Makes sense. Since the Lereus incident never happened in the story, thanks to me, they must be adapting the system to prepare more promising students. If a war breaks out again, they’ll need all the strength they can get.’

    Roberto nudged him with his elbow. "So if you mess up the written part, you can still redeem yourself in the practical. All you gotta do is impress."

    Noel smirked faintly. "Finally. Something useful came out of your mouth."

    The conference hall was silent, the kind of silence that made even the sound of ink on paper feel loud. Rows upon rows of students sat at long tables, heads down, quills scratching nervously. The mana-infused lights above glowed dimly, cold and clinical.

    Noel sat near the center, back straight, eyes on the sheet in front of him.

    The title at the top read: Advanced Mana Control – Written Examination

    His quill hovered.

    ’Shit. I don’t know any of this.’

    He scanned the questions again. The first one asked about the flow resistance ratio between raw and channeled mana. The second required diagramming a mid-tier internal circulation loop. The third—

    He sighed and lowered his head slightly.

    ’Control of mana, huh? Ironic, considering I ranked first in that subject in the practicals.’

    He glanced around. Most students were already writing. Some were halfway through. Clara’s quill moved fast. Garron looked like he was trying to translate the paper with his fists. Roberto seemed relaxed. Of course he did.

    Footsteps echoed.

    Professor Daemar walked slowly between the rows, hands behind his back, violet eyes sharp and precise. He stopped briefly, then continued down the line—until he reached Noel.

    He paused, glancing down.

    Noel’s page was nearly blank.

    Daemar’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

    ’This boy... didn’t study? No, impossible. He came to me for help last time. I’m sure he worked hard this time too.’

    The professor didn’t speak. He turned and stepped to the desk in front of Noel’s, leaning slightly to explain a question to a student.

    As he did, his hands—now behind his back—shifted just slightly.

    A second sheet appeared between his fingers. Thin. Folded. But unmistakably filled with answers.

    Noel’s eyes locked on it instantly.

    ’You sly old man.’

    He tilted his head, memorizing the contents line by line as fast as his eyes could track.

    ’Thank you, Professor Daemar. I owe you one. I swear I’ll pay you back someday.’

    And with that, his quill started moving..

    The sun had risen higher by the time they left the hall. The breeze outside was gentle, carrying the scent of thawing earth and the first hints of spring.

    A group had already formed near the entrance: Marcus, Clara, Roberto, Laziel, Garron—and Sophie, who leaned comfortably against Garron’s side.

    Noel stepped out last, his face unreadable.

    Marcus raised a hand. "How’d it go?"

    Clara was the first to answer, arms folded tightly. "Terrible, I think. I’ll just have to wait for the results and hope I passed."

    Noel glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

    ’She’s one of those. Says she failed, then pulls a nine or ten. Hate that.’

    Roberto stretched his arms behind his head. "The second sheet was definitely harder. Especially the last two questions."

    Noel stopped walking.

    ’Second sheet? What second sheet?’

    He slowly turned toward Roberto. His face had gone pale.

    ’There was a second sheet?’

    Roberto blinked. "Hey, you okay? You look like you saw a ghost."

    Noel’s voice was flat. "Perfectly fine. Let’s go hit the rest of the exams."

    He kept walking.

    ’Great. I copied half the answers of a test I didn’t even finish. Now I’m definitely screwed.’

    The rest of the day passed in a blur.

    Four more exams, back-to-back. Theory of enchantments. Magical history. Defensive spell theory. Ethics of power. Each one chipped away at his energy, draining what little focus he had left. By the last paper, he was just filling in what he could and moving on.

    When the final bell rang, Noel didn’t wait around. He left the hall without a word and walked straight to his dorm, ignoring the groups forming around him, the chatter, the laughter, even the groans of shared misery.

    His room was quiet when he arrived. He closed the door behind him, tossed his coat onto the chair, and collapsed face-first onto the bed.

    Noir, curled up on the pillow, blinked lazily before yawning and resting his head again.

    ’Tomorrow’s the practicals. Just one more day.’

    He lay there, unmoving, staring at the ceiling.

    ’One more push. And then it’s over.’

    Noir shifted slightly, pressing against his arm.

    Noel let his eyes close.

    ’Please... let the practical go better than this.’