Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Assessment
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Terra Calendar, 1589.3.4
A colossal floating city was moving slowly through the Britannian Channel. Naturally, this floating city was the supernatural enclave known as Three Portlands.
After spending a month in the Misty Capital region, Three Portlands had finally set out for the Central Continent.
As a supernatural enclave, Three Portlands naturally possessed dimensional traversal and warp capabilities. However, each use consumed a tremendous amount of resources. Since there was no hurry, Three Portlands merely maintained a steady cruising speed, without even activating its acceleration engines.
Deer Institute, D Wing, Underground Level Two
Occult Studies Group Classroom No. 4
Swish, swish, swish—
Professor Laungen sat at the lectern, drinking coffee and reading a book, while the students below bent over their papers, writing furiously in response to the questions before them. Their pen nibs danced across the pages, producing a steady scratching sound.
Today was the first-year monthly examination at Deer Institute—and the little fawns’ first assessment.
The purpose of the examination was to determine whether the little fawns had kept pace with their professors’ lessons. If they failed their first monthly examination, the only thing waiting for them afterward would be endless assignments.
Whenever an examination was held at Deer Institute, a shielding field was activated to cut off the students’ lineage connections. The professors of the various study groups also personally served as proctors.
This was the final subject of the monthly examination: a mathematics paper set by Professor Dylan of the Mathematics and Sciences course.
Professor Dylan was practically a demon in the students’ eyes. Not only did he habitually run over the allotted class time, but the problems he assigned were so absurdly difficult that they seemed impossible for any human being to solve.
“Examination over. Candidates, stop writing!”
When the examination period ended, a circular warning in red sprang up before each student. The students could only reluctantly put down their pens, while the completed papers automatically flew in orderly fashion to Professor Laungen.
“All right, the examination is over.” Professor Laungen rose and caught the papers flying toward him before addressing the students. “Everyone, get yourselves ready. Next comes the practical assessment. I assigned your preparations earlier, and now it is time to see the results. In a moment, all of you will follow me to Training Ground No. 4 in the Grand Hall of A Wing for the practical assessment.”
So tired…
After being tormented by the mathematics examination, most of the little fawns could barely summon any energy. Seeing this, Laungen smiled and shook his head. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the restraining field, then headed to the training ground ahead of them to prepare the equipment for the practical assessment.
“Camille, I’m finished. I feel like my head is about to split apart. Professor Dylan’s problems were so difficult! The questions in class were one thing, but the examination was something else entirely.” The three-eyed girl Ushas hugged her best friend with a haggard expression.
“There were indeed several especially difficult questions. How did you do, Hugh?” Camille turned toward Hugh Xiu, who was sitting nearby.
“Mm, not too bad.”
Hugh, who had finished the paper long ago and had been idly twirling his pen, answered absent-mindedly when he heard Camille’s question.
“Were you spacing out? You didn’t think the paper was difficult?” the three-eyed girl asked enviously.
“Let’s go. It’s time to prepare for the practical assessment.” To avoid further damaging Ushas’s already math-ravaged spirit, Hugh changed the subject.
“Come on, Ushas. The other students are leaving too.” Camille took hold of the self-deprecating Ushas and led her toward A Wing.
A poor student should never try too hard to understand how a top student solves problems. All it would do was stab an already wounded heart a second time.
········
A Wing, Underground Level One, Grand Hall—Training Ground No. 4
Under Professor Laungen’s direction, the students were divided into orderly columns and began taking the practical assessment one by one.
Laungen brought them to the thaumaturgical shooting range and called each student forward in turn.
“Billy Potter!” Laungen read from the list.
“Present!” A boy with freckles and spectacles immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t be nervous. Relax,” Laungen said gently.
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“...Yes.” Billy Potter took a deep breath, and his gaze hardened with resolve.
“All right. The practical test begins now. A thaumaturgical target will appear ten meters away. Ten meters is the academy’s accuracy requirement for you.
“You must hit the thaumaturgical target at ten meters. There is no requirement concerning casting time for this assessment, nor is there any requirement regarding suppression by the field. Take your time, and don’t be nervous.” Laungen spoke patiently to the student before him.
“Yes!”
“All right. The rest is up to you.” With that, Laungen cleared the space for Billy Potter.
Billy Potter took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on the thaumaturgical target that had appeared ten meters ahead. He raised his right hand, and a blue book bearing the image of a reindeer on its cover floated above him.
The temperature around him began to rise. A swirling fireball formed in Billy Potter’s hand. With a bang, it shot forth, grazing the thaumaturgical target as it struck.
External lineage projection required for assisted casting.
Volume adjustment time: 3.3 seconds
Timbre determination time: 4.6 seconds
Frequency adjustment time: 3.2 seconds
EVE released: 80 spirits
Accuracy: Poor
Overall rating: Below average
After recording Billy Potter’s practical assessment results in the student file, Laungen looked at the uneasy boy encouragingly.
“For a freshman, you did very well. Just remember to practice your aim more in the future. The academy’s training grounds are open to students all day.”
“Yes, thank you, Professor.” Billy Potter answered excitedly.
“All right, next.”
The assessment continued. The results Laungen recorded afterward demonstrated that his words to Billy Potter had not merely been consolation.
Fail.
Fail.
Poor.
Fail.
The students who followed all took more than ten seconds to complete their spellcasting. Their volume and frequency were also problematic. Though none of them suffered a misfire, their accuracy was more outrageous than the last.
“Camille Sifini!” Laungen called the next student forward. He watched Camille approach with considerable anticipation. She was one of the outstanding native-lineage students in this year’s first-year class at Deer Institute, and he had every reason to expect something from her.
“Good day, Professor.” Camille greeted him politely.
“Begin the assessment.”
“Yes.”
Camille moved into position. She raised her right hand and placed her left hand against her forearm. A water sphere rapidly formed in her palm, then shot out like a cannonball, striking the target dead center.
Bang—
The target shattered into pieces.
The surrounding students stared at Camille as she lowered her arm. Their expressions were those of poor students gazing upon a prodigy.
No external lineage projection required for assisted casting.
Volume adjustment time: 1.02 seconds
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Timbre determination time: 1.53 seconds
Frequency adjustment time: 1.2 seconds
EVE released: 50 spirits
Accuracy: Good
Overall rating: Good+
She had entered the five-second range, but she was still not fully proficient. There were too many unnecessary movements.
Laungen felt a pang of regret inwardly. Even so, he was extremely satisfied that Camille, a genuine freshman, had managed to reach this level.
“Next, Ushas.”
“Coming, Professor!” The three-eyed girl happily bounded forward.
“Begin.”
“Take this—Sand and Soil Art!”
Bang—
Looking at Ushas, now covered in dust, Laungen silently wrote the words “Fail” on the assessment sheet. Three students remained.
His expression grew complicated as he looked at the list in his hand. The names of those three students—and the lineages they represented—were far from ordinary.
————————
Name: Muji
Photo: A frog sitting on a flying carpet and wearing black formal attire
Race: Traveling Frog
Lineage: Dimensional Courier
————————
Name: Lifenel
Photo: A handsome black-haired young man wearing Deer Institute robes, smiling shyly at the camera
Race: Ghost
Lineage: Haunted Spirit Street
————————
Name: Hugh Abraham
Photo: A man with golden hair and golden eyes, handsome to an almost inhuman degree, wearing a brilliantly radiant smile
Race: Human
Lineage: Heaven! [Written in red ink]
——————
The powers backing these students were more troublesome than the last.
Laungen thought this to himself, though not the slightest change appeared on his face. He continued reading the names in order.
“Muji!”
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