Chapter 156: The Day of the Partner Exam

"Shari, let’s go."

"Yeah—oh, wait, hold on a second!"

On the day of the exam, I was waiting in front of the dormitory when Shari came sprinting toward me, already a few minutes behind schedule. She started rummaging through her pockets with a frantic rustle before pulling something out.

It was a cloth bracelet woven from a peculiar type of thread.

"Is that a magic tool?" I asked, eyeing it suspiciously. "You know anything not pre-approved is strictly prohibited."

"It’s just a good luck charm. I made it so we can take first place today."

"Listen... if you had enough free time to make jewelry, you should have spent it—"

"Yes, yes, excuse me! Coming through!"

Cutting me off mid-lecture, Shari slid the bracelet onto my wrist with practiced ease. This kind of pushiness was just so... her.

Good grief. I really can't keep up with this girl.

"It’ll be fine," she said, her voice turning uncharacteristically firm. "We’re absolutely winning today. After all... I can’t exactly let you be a loser, can I?"

"Hmph. At least you’ve got your priorities straight."

We had grown strong. We’d unlocked new abilities and practiced our coordination techniques until we were practically dying on our feet. But we weren't the only ones who had improved. This wasn't the Original Story anymore; there were team combinations here that never should have existed.

Heh. This might actually be fun.

The exam venue was an ancient forest owned by Noblesse, centered around a village that had long since been abandoned. It was a rugged landscape filled with cliffs, caves, and plenty of places to hide.

In the Original Story, this scene was usually skipped over, so I hadn't realized we’d be traveling by ship again. Seriously, another boat?

Once we arrived, we were gathered together to wait with our respective partners. I caught sight of Allen and Cynthia; they seemed to be getting along much better than before. If I said I wasn't a little jealous, I’d be lying, but more than that, I found it fascinating how the "protagonist pull" was working just like in the Original Story.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Shari whispered, leaning in. "Is this some kind of weird hobby of yours?"

"Shut up, Shari."

"Yes, yes, understood."

Good lord, she really knows how to throw me off my game.

As usual, Chloe stepped forward to address the crowd. She held a small box in her hands.

"We will now begin the exam. A representative from each pair, please step forward. Inside this box are name tags. You are to check your own tag privately. Under no circumstances are you to show it to anyone else."

That was a rule I didn't recognize. Then again, Noblesse was nothing if not unpredictable; the exams were designed by the faculty, and since Teacher Milk and Coco had joined the staff, things had clearly shifted.

I stepped up as our representative, drew a tag, and walked back to Shari. I shielded it from view and showed it to her.

Written on the tag were two names: Allen and Cynthia.

Once everyone had their tags, the explanation continued.

"The names you have just drawn are your targets. Now, please look at your chests."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the students as everyone looked down. On our standard training uniforms, our own names had begun to glow.

"When you defeat a target, their name will be recorded beneath yours," Chloe explained. "For example, if my target were Teacher Milk and I defeated her, her name would be added to my tag. Each target is worth three points. Since this is a Tag Match, defeating both members of your target pair is worth six points. To pass the exam, you must collect a total of twelve points."

A student chimed in, confused. "Wait, wouldn't that only be six points?"

"No. Your own name tag is also worth three points. Combined with your partner’s, that provides a base of six. To reach the required twelve, you must secure another six from your targets. Any other students you defeat who are not your designated targets will be worth one point each."

I see. So, if we take down Allen and Cynthia, we hit the clear condition immediately. Alternatively, we could hunt down three "unrelated" pairs for one point per person to hit twelve. But something felt off. I’d heard this exam was supposed to last three days.

"Furthermore, you must maintain those twelve points until the final day," Chloe added. "This time, even if you are defeated, you are allowed to return to the field once. However, all your accumulated points will be transferred to the person who defeated you, meaning you will restart with zero. If you lose your target or choose to hunt non-targets, you would need to defeat at least twelve people to clear the exam. Regardless, as this is a Tag Match, the final score is calculated as a combined total between partners."

Another student raised their hand. "What if we defeat someone who is already carrying a massive amount of points?"

"Then the victor claims them all. And as per tradition, the Magic Bird will be providing live announcements. Everyone will know exactly who holds the most points at any given time."

In other words, if we manage to beat Allen and Cynthia, the entire forest is going to find out. The more we won, the bigger the bullseye on our backs would become. And the fact that people could respawn once? That was going to be a massive pain in the neck.

"Is it possible for targets to be asymmetrical? Like, my target is hunting someone else entirely?" Shari asked.

"Of course," Chloe replied.

"Weiss... this is going to be a nightmare," Shari whispered.

"Yeah."

There was a high probability that Allen and Cynthia weren't even looking for us. That meant we had to balance being the hunters and the hunted simultaneously. If we played too well, we'd become the "high-value targets" that everyone else would swarm to for a massive point payout.

Ideally, you’d want a weak target. But no, I had to pull the protagonist and the ice queen.

"Clearing the exam requires twelve points, but any points beyond that will be added to your final grade as a bonus," Chloe continued, her voice dropping an octave. "However—and this is vital—no matter how many points you hold, if both partners are forced to retire due to mana leakage, you will be treated as having zero points, even if there is only one second left on the clock. Your score will be decimated."

"What happens if you're defeated once, hit zero, and then get defeated again?"

"You will receive a negative score and face immediate expulsion. However, since your name tag disappears after the first defeat, you can use that to signal your surrender. Whether your opponent chooses to finish you off anyway... well, that depends on their mercy."

The crowd erupted into a nervous frenzy. One mistake and you were on the brink of ruin. You could play it safe at zero points, but your grade would tank. It was a brutal gamble of risk versus reward.

Heh. Now this is what I’m talking about. This was the harshest, most stressful exam yet—and I loved it.

"Shari, you heard her. Even if our targets are those two..."

"I won't hold back," she said, her eyes narrowing. "I’m a student of Noblesse, too."

"Good."

We were going to take down Allen and Cynthia. And anyone else who dared to cross our path.

"One last thing," Chloe said, silencing the crowd. "There is a reason we did not allow you to bring your own weapons."

Right. We’d been told beforehand that personal gear was banned. I didn't have my magic tools, and even Lilith hadn't been allowed to bring her knives.

"Hidden throughout this island are magic tools, food, water, bedding, and weapons. Magic is permitted, but bringing any outside equipment is strictly forbidden."

The panic reached a fever pitch. At Noblesse, a warrior's own weapon—the one they had bonded with and poured their mana into—was their lifeblood. Staves, swords, even specialized armor... all of it was gone.

Even Carta was without his staff. However, Cynthia’s Glass Sword was a product of her magic. Allen had his Copy ability. Those two essentially had a free pass on the weapon ban.

Seriously, Noblesse loves making things as difficult as humanly possible.

But it wasn't all bad news. The fact that everything was hidden meant this was now a game of exploration and survival. And in that arena? Shari’s traps and scouting were going to be god-tier.

Watch out, world. I’m taking first place again.