The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound

Chapter 188 Aftermath (3)

Halfway through the seemingly never-ending midterm exam period.

On a quiet afternoon with the sun shining brightly, Dolores, the student council president, and Vikir, a first-year newcomer, were having a meeting on a sunny cafe terrace.

“You’ve been very busy lately, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

Dolores and Vikir were engaged in a conversation. The official reason for this meeting was that Dolores wanted to discuss how to support the new members who had joined the newspaper club under her leadership. However, in the course of their conversation, Dolores began to open up about things she had not shared before.

“I feel really sorry about what happened with that urinating incident… I couldn’t explain things in time, and it caused even more trouble. And thank you for stepping in for me.”

“It’s okay; everyone makes mistakes. That’s what makes us human.”

Vikir nodded without thinking much about it. It was at that moment that Dolores seemed slightly startled. Suddenly, she heard a voice echoing in her ear.

‘It’s okay; everyone makes mistakes. That’s what makes us human.’

Surprisingly, the words were identical to the words of comfort she received from Night Hound. The same reassuring words for a shared concern, delivered by different people. Was it an accident?

‘…Well, it’s just a coincidence,’ Dolores thought to herself and couldn’t help but smile.

Comforting words are often quite similar among people; it’s a common sentiment shared by many. She believed that was the case.

Anyway, Dolores had arranged this meeting to support the first-year students who would be taking the upcoming Attack Exam. Vikir lowered his head and said, “I appreciated the records you provided through Figgy. Thanks to them, I was well-prepared for the written exam. Thank you.”

In the written exam, the theme often revolved around strategies to combat the ‘Carnage Ants.’ Researching that topic could be applied to the Defense Game and was useful for secondary research as well. Thus, it was a good idea to select it as a free research theme to streamline their studies.

Dolores smiled lightly and shook her head. “All the third-years had those notes. Mine are not that special; they are just a bit neater than others. It’s you who managed to achieve legendary-level research results.”

“Of course, that’s true.”

Vikir honestly admitted his achievements, making Dolores chuckle.

Now that the midterm exams were halfway over and both the written and Defense exams had concluded, only the Attack Exam remained, accounting for 40% of the total score.

The written exam only accounted for about 10% of the total score, and the Defense Exam held the greatest weight at 50%. The remaining 40% was the Attack Exam.

Since the Defense Exam and Attack Exam had a much higher weight in the final grade, Vikir asked Dolores to share her insights to better prepare for the Attack Exam.

Dolores gave a brief overview of the midterm exam structure.

“As I mentioned before, the midterm exams consist of a written exam worth 10%, the Defense Exam worth 50%, and the Attack Exam worth 40%. Now that both the written and Defense exams are over, only the Attack Exam remains.”

The structure of the Attack Exam was relatively simple. It was a ‘Professor vs. Student,’ 1:1 match. The rules were straightforward: students would face off against golems controlled directly by the professors. The students won if they defeated the golem.

The test golems were standard stone golems with a head, torso, two large arms, and two legs. What set them apart was that the professors would control them personally. The golems would imitate the professors’ movements with perfect accuracy, copying their actions, speed, and fighting style.

Fighting against a golem that mimicked the professor’s every move was quite challenging for the students. It felt like they were directly confronting the professor in battle.

Though the written exam only accounted for about 10% of the total score, the Defense Game and Attack Exam carried 50% and 40% respectively. The Attack Exam was the final test for the midterm exams.

Despite the difficulty of facing golems in the Attack Exam, it had value because it allowed students to use their best combat skills. It was used to assess a student’s true fighting abilities.

Students had to fight against the professors, who were experts in combat. By sparring with them, students could experience the intensity of real combat. The professors had to deal with the various variables introduced by the students, and the rules were designed to minimize casualties.

Dolores made a serious gesture, raising 2 of her fingers.

“First, there are two issues you should be aware of when taking the Attack Exam.”

Dolores folded her index finger.

“First, archers are at a disadvantage when facing the golem one-on-one.”

In the Defense Exam, archers had an advantage. They could stand back, targeting the opponents from a distance while the tank players in the front took care of most threats or only missed a few, which allowed archers to accumulate points easily. However, in the Attack Exam, it was different.

Since it was a 1:1 match, there were no tank players up front to create a line, and archers had to fight alone. If the archer allowed the golem to get close, it was over. The professor controlling the golem would rush forward recklessly, and the archer couldn’t inflict pain as the golem was impervious to it. Therefore, archers had to run around, maintaining a distance and shooting powerful arrows occasionally. However, if they couldn’t match the professor’s speed, it was nearly impossible to land a critical hit.

As a result, archers would lose the advantage they gained from the Defense Exam, and this helped balance the overall grading.

“But my concern doesn’t end there,” Dolores continued.

She raised her middle finger with a serious expression.

“Second, the professor who will be responsible for examining you is… Professor ‘Sadi.'”

At this, Vikir narrowed his eyes.

“Professor Sadi. Is that the pathetic professor who disappeared with the B key and was found in a drunk state?”

“Yes.”

To Vikir’s question, Dolores nodded solemnly. Professor Sadi, whose full name was ‘Donatien Alphonse François Sadi de Sade,’ was, strictly speaking, an “escaped” noble.

Long ago, due to an unfortunate incident, the Sade family had fallen from grace. Professor Sadi was the last descendant of this family, and she was reduced to a wretched state. Unable to bear the sight of a noble family’s fall from grace, the Academy, according to a long-standing tradition of treating nobility with respect, assigned him to a professorship.

Dolores shuddered at the memory.

“Her personality is strange, and her work ethic is a mess, making her the top professor students avoid at all costs. Most of the classes she was in charge of were canceled due to insufficient enrollment. I attended her class a few times, and she canceled class without notice nine out of ten times.”

The fact that Dolores, known for her friendly and gentle demeanor, was saying this about Professor Sadi indicated how serious the situation was. Besides, Vikir had also heard some professors, including Professor Banshee, criticize Professor Sadi.

It seemed that her reputation was not good even among her fellow professors. However, the situation was not entirely negative, as Dolores added some positive comments about Professor Sadi.

“But there is one thing for sure. She has a unique skill. Besides her role as an Academy professor, she also serves as an adviser to the Royal Guard for arrests and interrogations. Recently, she had been assisting with criminal investigations.”

“Criminal investigations?”

Vikir nodded in response to Dolores’ question. He was aware of the infamous “Night Hound,” a criminal who had caused turmoil across the entire Empire, even leading the Imperial Army on a wild goose chase.

“Another crazy pursuer, huh,” Vikir thought to himself. He wondered why someone as reckless as Professor Sadi would suddenly take an interest in capturing the Night Hound.

Vikir soon pushed the thought aside. He couldn’t make much sense of it, but it was none of his concern.

However, Dolores continued with her warnings about Professor Sadi. “Professor Sadi has a peculiar habit. She tends to ruin the future of talented students.”

“What do you mean?”

“For example, she might inflict severe injuries during sparring or cause severe ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’ for no apparent reason. There are also rumors that she inappropriately traumatizes students, regardless of their gender. You need to be careful.”

“Oh?”

Vikir was puzzled by this revelation. He couldn’t fathom why Professor Sadi would have a reason to act this way.

“Well, some say it’s because of her inferiority complex. Being the last descendant of a fallen noble family, she might hold grudges against well-to-do students from prestigious families. But who knows if that’s true; only she knows for sure.”

Talented students, high-ranking nobles, attractive students, or exemplary students are all targeted by the notorious professor “Sadi,” who is known for tormenting them.

Considering Vikir’s excellent performance in the Defense and Written Exams, there was an increased possibility that Professor Sadi might target him. Dolores was genuinely concerned about this.

At that moment, a lively voice interrupted their conversation. “Hello, the weather is so nice, isn’t it? Your parfait and espresso are ready!”

Cold and hot beverages were placed on the table. The cheerful waitress who brought them smiled at Vikir and Dolores. It was Sinclaire.

Dolores raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked, “Sinclaire, are you working here?”

“Yes, I am, President! I only work on weekend mornings! I was also a substitute yesterday and this afternoon,” Sinclaire replied enthusiastically.

Beside Sinclaire was the plump-faced Bianca.

Dolores inquired, “Why are you two working here?”

“Isn’t the tuition payment deadline coming up soon? I have to earn my tuition, hehe. The first-year scholarship doesn’t cover 100%, you know. And I wanted to try working in a café during my school years,” Sinclaire explained cheerfully.

In contrast, Bianca had a simpler reason. “The uniform for this place is cute,” she said.

Vikir chuckled at Bianca’s comment, while Dolores seemed to understand their motivations and nodded.

Sinclaire placed some unrequested biscuits and pie on the table. “This is a complimentary service offered by me! Do you like sweet things, Big Brother~?” she asked.

Vikir replied, “I don’t.”

Sinclaire responded, “I’ll keep that in mind for next time!”

Sinclaire remained upbeat. Then, she suddenly remembered something and asked Vikir, “By the way, have you paid your tuition for this term?”

Vikir replied, “No.”

Sinclaire inquired further, “When do you plan to pay?”

Vikir scratched his chin and said, “Hmm.”

He realized that he had been quite busy lately and hadn’t thought about paying his tuition. He had decided not to seek financial assistance from Baskerville this time and had chosen to enter in a trade deal with Ballak with the hellp of CindiWendy, which might take some time to yield the required funds. Since a significant portion of his tuition would be covered by scholarships, the immediate financial burden was not substantial.

So, Vikir had a question for Sinclaire. “I have a question about this café. Do they hire male staff, by any chance?”