Chapter 212: Chapter 192 : Testing

'Very peculiar...'

Ralf noticed the difference at once.

Since coming back from his daily physical exercise session, the Transmigrator had been on the receiving end of way more attention than usual.

His Pather identity and the various acts he had done over the last week had drawn considerable attention to himself. Wherever he went, attention would naturally follow, with each passing day attracting more eyes to himself. Still, while it was on a steep climb, the level of attention Ralf was currently registering was clearly abnormal.

Something must have happened, he thought.

Curious, he honed in on the many whispered conversations in his surroundings. Listening in, the reason for the drastic uptick became crystal clear and a radiant smile immediately leapt onto the Transmigrator's face. He rushed to the library to confirm the words. Doing so, his smile widened until it was ear to ear.

Bedazzled and admiring looks never failed to bring a smile to Ralf’s face. Attention felt good. He relished in it; the spotlight was a place most pleasant for him. This inclination did much to brighten his expression usually, however, on this occasion, it played almost no part in the smile he was wearing.

‘I must thank Sigurd, truly. This is perfect,' a smitten Ralf thought as he walked through a corridor. ‘With this, Ray and Silver are naturally introduced to the Academy. Lane and the others will see the videos eventually and develop an interest. Interest runs hot and sure enough, Ray's ice wall will be melted in due time. Aha, the day that damn tsundere is dragged out of the shadows is nigh. It's only a matter of time.'

Imagining said day, Ralf’s eyes shone with a blinding light. His steps turned giddy and he skipped onward, a big smile plastered on his youthful face.

***

Entering the large hall, Ralf’s gaze swept over the dozen students who had arrived before him.

He welcomed more or less the same dazzle as outside, though only briefly, as most went back to focusing on their last-minute preparations.

Ralf had heard that a good chunk of students was participating in a bet over the test results. The Transmigrator wasn't given the invite, and in fact, was the only person who was excluded from competing.

'If you can't beat them...don't let them join the competition, huh,' Ralf thought with a bitter smile as he remembered the bet.

He was disappointed by his classmates' decision. The decision to exclude him had been made without any knowledge of his Natural-like mental prowess, meaning it was one rooted in fear and not logic. Disappointed and dishearted, Ralf made sure to move the proposers of the bet down the 'list'.

Nazo greeted him with a smile and then pointed Ralf to his assigned seat, all the way in the back. The Transmigrator returned the greeting before breaking into stride. His eyes moved across the large hall, briefly passing over the students and then focusing on the dozens of Assistants/proctors lining the walls. They bore vigilant looks, sharp senses and Psi ready to unravel any cheating attempt, well...

'...any conventional one,' a smirk arose on Ralf's face as he thought.

He could easily cheat to his heart's content and no one would be the wiser. Hundreds of thousands of books filled the Mental Space's library and a quick search would answer pretty much any history question imaginable. With these tools in hand, even one completely ignorant would be able to ace any history test in Ralf's world.

All that said, he didn't plan to cheat - and in fact, Ralf didn't plan to take the test at all.

Finding his seat, Ralf watched as the white hall quickly filled with students. Bored, he decided to go over historical facts out loud,

making sure to change up the names and dates. Students paid attention and then the price, many faces contorting as confusion and self-doubt set in.

Ralf watched their reactions in amusement, but not for long. Thirty seconds in, Nazo caught wind of his miasma of misinformation and wasn't pleased. Her subsequent glare brought an end to his mischievousness, turning the Transmigrator silent and sheepish.

After sending a wordless apology, he went back to people-watching, holding his head in his hands with a listless look on his face. This would change a few minutes later.

Lane and Skye were the first of the group to arrive. Before taking their seats, they, at Skye’s lead, passed by to impart good luck high fives. A few minutes later, with the last batch of students, Charlotte, Yuki and Violet, made their entrance

Ralf offered the trio a wave and a smile, radiating his usual sunny energy. He didn’t think much of his gesture, but the same couldn’t be said of the ladies. They responded...awkwardly, returning stiff smiles and waves before quickly averting their gazes and heading for their seats.

Ralf raised a brow. ‘What’s...with them,’ he thought, eyeing them with a crinkled forehead, genuinely baffled.

It was one thing for Yuki and Violet to act awkwardly, but for Charlotte to do so too; there was clearly something afoot. ‘Wait!' The Transmigrator's eyes flickered as a thought passed through his head. 'Did they view the videos already? That could be it…but wait, that still doesn’t explain it,' Ralf rubbed his chin as he contemplated the matter. 'Hmm, did they think I was lying about Ray and Silver this whole time? Not...unlikely? Questions for later, I suppose.’

Putting such concerns aside, Ralf shifted his attention to the front where Nazo stood, having just taken a Psi podium.

[Greetings students, I trust that everyone has used their allotted week wisely and studied hard and smart.] The History teacher's lips curled up as she read the room, her students - most of them - had clearly been hitting the books over the last week.

Satisfied, she glanced at her watch and then traded looks with the surrounding proctors before addressing the students again. [Excellent, I like what I'm seeing. I'm sure your efforts will bear fruit in the end. Now, students, we'll begin in five minutes. Before then, I’ll be going over the basic rules. Firstly...]

While Nazo was explaining what was essentially common sense, Ralf directed his attention inward.

Mental Link!

[[Yo.]]

[[Yo, what up?]] Ray returned.

[[Hey, want to take this history test in my place?]]

[[...You called for that?]] Ray asked after a bout of silence.

[[Yes,]] Ralf said seriously, even nodding. [[I was just thinking to myself and concluded…Ray, you’re not pulling your weight.]]

Ray went silent again, this time for a different reason. He had been called many things in his life but never lazy, ever. He was taken aback, genuinely.

[[Sure, you work on anime and games, but I do that too,]] Ralf followed up. [[I do the daily exercises, Events and attend classes...it's tiresome,]] he said, his voice echoing said emotion. [[Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing these things, just not all the time,]] Ralf sighed, his surroundings growing confused.

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He didn’t care and continued to unload his ‘grievances’.

[[...and that last Event was a super pain. It was cold and wet, and exhausting. We’re partners, equal partners,]] Ralf stressed as he played with a silver coin. [[I won’t hassle you with the exact numbers, but I’d like to take a break every now and then. Since you do more Mental Space stuff, I won’t ask for it to be split fifty-fifty. Eighty-twenty - no, even ninety-ten is fine by me. Tests, daily exercise, Events and classes; I just need a hand here and there for the outside world stuff. What do you say?]]

Ralf awaited his other self's response in a gambler's silence. Some part of him expected to be brushed off. Thankfully, this part of him turned out to be wrong.

It wasn't that Ray was ignorant about Ralf's aims, he knew full well. Still, that was immaterial. It was true that he hadn't been doing his fair share, and that needed to change.

[[...Sorry. I’ll contribute more from now on...starting with this test.]] Saying sincerely, Ray left his couch and joined his other in the outside world. [[Take a break, I’ll handle this.]]

[[Ah, yes, thanks,]] Ralf said, having to collect himself from the injection of delight. He shifted to the Mental Space. Landing on his couch, Ralf’s face collapsed into a brilliant smile. To celebrate, he summoned a bag of chips, took one out...and ate it.

"Huh?"

"Ah, this sensation..."

"This is?"

At the same time, a small stir was created in the outside world as a sudden chill spread through the venue. It wasn’t the frigid blizzard that Turner and the Lagner villagers had experienced, far from it. Still, the mental signal was extremely noticeable when compared to the usual warmth Ralf gave off. Nazo, the Assistants and the students' attention snapped toward the source of the spine-tingling aura.

Ray bore their agitated gazes calmly. While he didn’t pursue the spotlight, he was nonetheless very used to it. Donning a cool indifferent look, he reclined back and shut his eyes, dismissing all around him.

Nazo noted his stance and after a stumble, hushed the class and continued her explanation. Attention continued to linger on the ‘black personality’, especially the trio of ladies, whose gazes had regained their courage.

Finally...

[Okay, time starts now. Begin.]

Only at these words did Ray finally break from his statue roleplay. Eyelids flapping open slowly, he grabbed his pen and with elegant motions, turned over the set of stapled pages, before setting his sights on the questions. No cheating was needed. His prodigious brain mentally filled in the page in seconds. Entering test-taking mode with a blink, he joined the rest of his fellow students in melody-making.

The test was a collection of simple close-ended factual questions, mostly composed of multiple-choice questions. The topics were broad and surface-level, covering basically every significant period, from the Ancient Era to modern times.

With history being his forte, Ray raced through the test's three hundred questions in less than thirty minutes. After double-checking, he handed in his test and then proceeded to rest his head on his folded arms, before shifting back to the Mental Space.

The duo would spend the remaining sixty minutes competing in games and duels. An hour later, their limp body filled with tension as Ralf made his return.

'Oh, now that's something.'

The Transmigrator awoke to dozens of eyes staring at him. Ralf was no masochist, but he couldn't help but be delighted as he noted the sheer disappointment in others' gazes, especially those of his friends. It was a good sign.

Nazo recovered from her disappointment and moved to address the students.

[Test concluded, well, the first test that is,] she smiled at the students’ collective sigh. [Get used to it, your future here will see plenty of them, and not just from me. From this week onward, your free time will be a lot more scarce. Classes, tests, and Events; buckle up dear youngsters. Oh, and speaking of that, I have an announcement to make regarding an upcoming Event.”

The students collectively tensed up at the words, most beginning mental preparations as they readied themselves for whatever.

Nazo’s lips curled up at the sight. ‘Cole’s effect took hold even quicker than usual. That last Event really did a number on them.’ Doing a fake cough to hide her rising smile, she reassured her troubled students.

[Don’t worry, this Event won’t happen immediately, so you can relax,] she said, provoking sighs of relief this time. [The last Event was a tough one, but fear not, this one is pretty easy, fun even. It is...Pair’s Maze.]

Hearing the name, eyes lit up around the room. Unlike Life Race, Pair’s Maze was a long-standing Event. It was a two-person norin Event, that tested a pair’s cooperation, intelligence and basic physical prowess. The designated pair would make their way through no less than a dozen rooms, each holding its own challenge/puzzle, with at least one of them involving a maze.

[That's the basic setup,] Nazo said, interlinking her fingers, before continuing her explanation. [Pair's Maze is an ever-changing event. To prevent cheating, the Academy keeps it fresh, changing up the number of rooms and the types of puzzles/challenges the pair has to complete every year. Consulting seniors will do you little good...especially this year. Mister Brown has personally seen to it that this year's Pair's Maze is unlike any other.]

The students groaned as dreadful possibilities passed through their heads. The Event Coordinator had left quite an impression on their young minds.

The History teacher smiled and then shook her head. [Don't worry, it's unique, but in a fun way. There's no use in stressing over it. Aside from psyching yourself up, you can't really prepare for Pair's Maze. It's just something you do.]

The students somewhat relaxed at the words.

Nazo nodded and continued after a clap. [Now, for the when. Unlike most other Events, Pair's Maze takes place over several days. From tomorrow till Friday, fifty-one pairs will attempt the Event. To prevent cheating, every pair that attempts Pair's Maze will be cordoned off in a special zone till the Event's end. The pairs and order have already been decided. Have a look.] Saying this, Nazo snapped her fingers and a fifty-one-point list projected into the students' minds, informing them of their partner and place.

Right at the end, two names stood side by side, Violet's and Ralf's. Noting the fact, the pair’s gazes moved to each other.

Ralf, with his cheek resting on his palm, flashed a smile her way.

{A perfect partner for a perfect victory. Ready to kick some ass, princess?}

Violet’s face flickered a moment before settling into a cheeky smirk. The air around her turned prideful as unseen lightning traversed through her being.

To his question, she returned a nod and then in a manner most seductive, she raised her pointer finger to her shut lips, touched them and then swiped said finger across her front. Lightning trailed in the glowing finger's wake, briefly spelling out the words, 'Ready and eager, partner.'

With these unspoken words traded, the pair of Blessed Bloodlines solidified their partnership. The Academy would suffer greatly from their union.

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