089: Final Exams

Noblesse Oblige was a school story through and through.

And just as naturally as it included a school trip, it featured final exams.

Classroom learning covered a wide range of subjects: magic studies, history, monster studies, martial arts, swordsmanship, and linguistics.

Personally, I preferred swordsmanship. It was straightforward—learning where to aim for maximum effect—but it also delved into the legendary combat styles of historical icons.

As for magic studies, there was simply too much to memorize. It was a popular subject, but the difficulty level was astronomical.

In the Original Story, Chloe usually handled this for me, but the stakes here were real. If test scores tanked, my points would drop significantly, and poor performance could even lead to expulsion.

Nobless Academy didn't have a grade-retention system. You either passed, or you were out. That was why everyone studied like their lives depended on it, and those very final exams were looming over us.

Since we’d entered the exam period, even Duke—a man who usually had nothing but muscle fibers firing in his brain—was racking his head in agony.

Actually, the entire classroom was in a similar state of despair.

"Allen, is this magic circle formula right?"

"I think that's wrong. Isn't that folk magic from the Miya Tribe in the west?"

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

"You're both wrong, Allen. That's the Libito Tribe's variant."

Shari, who consistently pulled in top grades, was acting as the supervisor for those two. Honestly, if they just studied on a regular basis, they wouldn't be in this mess.

"...Cynthia, what on earth is this 'Girao Declaration' from the Country of Andas a hundred years ago?"

"That refers to the war treaty where they agreed to mutual non-aggression, Lord Weiss."

"I see..."

"Lord Weiss, I suspect the Uodangan War of the Country of Andas will definitely be on the test!"

"What kind of fish-like name is that...?"

...The truth was, I was just as bad as the rest of them.

I’d been so busy lately that my studies had completely fallen by the wayside. At this stage, failing a test wouldn't really hurt my point total, but I had the pride of a consistent top-ranker to maintain. I didn't want to lose my spot now.

Though, honestly, it's hard to find the motivation to memorize history that wasn't even mentioned in the Original Story...

Suddenly, Duke, who had been aggressively scratching his head, stood up as if struck by divine inspiration. He clapped his hands together with a loud smack and shouted, "I've got it!"

He then marched over to me, looking far too pleased with himself.

"Weiss, let’s have an Academic Training Camp! It'll be way faster if we all do this together!"

Ah, you muscle-brained idiot.

—Just for today, I’ll actually give you some credit.

---

"Yes, yes, that’s it. Weiss-kun, you’re so amazing! You're a total geniuuus."

"A-Ah, thank you... Eleanor-senpai."

We were in a study room at Nobless Academy.

Sitting around a large table, the Witch Sisters—the strongest duo in the school—were acting as our teachers. The "students" consisted of me, Cynthia, Lilith, Allen, Shari, and Duke.

"No, that's not it. Try thinking about it in terms of muscles. For example, what if you visualized this variable as the biceps brachii?"

"—I get it! So the answer here is 24042! As expected of Sierra-senpai!"

And so, a bizarre classroom session using muscle analogies had begun. I knew Sierra had a high IQ, but I never expected her to get Duke to solve problems so fluently.

Even Shari looked stunned. "I didn't know such a method existed..." she muttered, sounding utterly exasperated.

Well, at least it lets her focus entirely on Allen, so I suppose it’s a win.

"Lilith, that part is incorrect."

"Oh! I see it now!"

Cynthia was busy teaching Lilith Magical Pharmacology. This "camp" was turning out to be much more productive than I’d anticipated. (By the way, it was just a figure of speech—no one was actually staying overnight.)

As for why the Witch Sisters were even here, Cynthia had bumped into them on the street and asked for a favor. The sisters’ grades were top-tier; the Noblesse Elite Four weren't just about raw power.

『I suppose it can’t be helped if it’s for our dear juniors,』 Sierra had said. 『Sure thing~』 Eleanor had chirped.

They’d agreed so easily it actually shocked me. They were surprisingly kind.

Meanwhile, Eleanor was sticking to my side like glue. I tried my best to focus on the practice problems, desperately attempting not to be distracted by the floral scent of her perfume or the... impressive "softness" that my eyes kept wandering toward.

She was actually a fantastic teacher. Concepts were flowing into my unmotivated brain with ease. I was a bit nervous that Cynthia might snap at me, but things seemed fine so far.

"Yes, yes, Weiss-kun really is clever."

Is she mistaking me for a nephew or a pet or something? Her relaxed, airy way of speaking and that whispery voice were formidable enemies, even for me. In the Original Story, Eleanor was incredibly popular with the readers. Even among the Noblesse students, she had many fans despite her Dark Attribute—provided they didn't get close enough to anger her.

Still, a seed of doubt remained. Eleanor aside, would that Sierra really do all this without some kind of ulterior motive? It was natural for seniors to help juniors, but I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. She still hadn't told me about her "trump card" either, which kept my heart racing.

Despite my anxiety, the studying progressed smoothly. To make sure we didn't have any blind spots, we rotated partners every now and then.

"Vai, you've got East and West swapped there."

"I understand."

Wait, when did I become 'Vai'? Well, whatever. I gratefully accepted the advice, and our "training camp" (provisional) eventually came to an end.

As we prepared to leave, we thanked the seniors and headed back to our rooms. I made sure to thank Cynthia as well.

"Thanks, Cynthia. I think I’ll actually survive the exams now."

"Hehe, I'm glad to hear it. However... you mustn't get too close to them, understood?"

"Right."

"I'm only joking, of course."

Cynthia looked more beautiful than ever as she gave me that cute, teasing smile.

The camp continued for the next two days. The final exams were split into two halves, and finally, the day of the written tests arrived.

"...This is incredible."

I stared at the exam paper in shock. Almost every single topic the Witch Sisters had covered was on the test. As expected of the upperclassmen—they know exactly what to look for.

"This one is definitely the biceps brachii," I heard Duke mutter nearby.

That's a little terrifying. Please tell me he didn't actually write that on the answer sheet.

Fortunately, my worries were groundless. We all pulled off brilliant scores. I ended up at the top of the rankings, trailing just behind Shari, Cecil, Cynthia, and Carta.

"As expected of you, Weiss," Cynthia praised.

"Yeah, I really owe it to the seniors this time."

"It's the result of your hard work, Lord Weiss!"

Since there was a gap before the second half of the exams began, we all put our heads together to figure out a thank-you gift for the sisters. After much debate, we finally settled on something.

"Onee-chan, you look so cute..."

"...Eleanor is cute, but am I really...?"

Since the sisters preferred relaxing in their room, we bought them matching loungewear. Shari and Lilith had insisted on a bear-patterned design that was almost too precious for words.

It definitely suited them, though the height difference between the "matching" set was pretty comical.

"Well, thanks, juniors," Sierra said. "Thanks! I'm gonna treasure this~" Eleanor added.

With that, the first half of the exams concluded. All that remained was the second half—which, at Noblesse, was the real event. I had to stay sharp.

While walking through the hallway later that day, Eleanor spotted me and came jogging over. She looked oddly happy, chirping, "There you are!"

"Did you need something?" I asked.

Her cheeks were flushed—though that might have just been from the running.

"—I just wanted to say thank you. Onee-chan seems to be having a lot of fun lately."

"Sierra-senpai is?"

"Mhm! We get plenty of attention, sure, but we're usually so 'out there' that people are too scared to talk to us. Well, that's partly my fault... but Weiss-kun is the only one who approaches Onee-chan without hesitating. She seems really happy about that."

Well, they were depicted as singular, untouchable existences in the story. Challenging her to a duel was probably unthinkable for most people. If she was happy, though, that was a good thing.

"I'm glad. She's a wall I intend to overcome one day, after all."

"Fufufu. And you know, the real reason Onee-chan helped with the studying was actually because you were there, Weiss-kun."

"...Me?"

"Yep, yep. Listen..."

Eleanor glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then leaned in close to my ear.

"I think Onee-chan probably likes you, Weiss-kun."

"...Excuse me?"

"Well, that's all! Thanks again~!"

With a cheerful wave and a distracting sway of her curves, Eleanor vanished down the hall.

She likes me... I see. So that's how it is.

To think I've been recognized as a worthy rival... I really have grown strong.

I couldn't help but let a smirk slip. Sierra... just you wait. One day, I'm going to crush you utterly.

---

In the Witch Sisters' room in the Upperclassmen Building, the two were lounging on the bed in their matching bear pajamas. Sierra was using Eleanor’s lap as a pillow.

"Onee-chan, apparently Weiss-kun got a really high score~"

"Hmph. I see. Well, good for him. What about the muscle guy?"

"His score was so high they suspected him of cheating~"

"Hmph. I guess that happens."

Sierra sipped her juice, feigning indifference. Then, after a moment...

"...Did Vai say anything? You know... about me?"

"He was really grateful! Also, I told him that you like him~"

"Hmph... Wait, what?! Eleanor, what did you say?!"

Sierra bolted upright, her face turning a deep crimson.

"Exactly what I just said~"

"D-Don't get the wrong idea, okay?! It’s not like I like him or anything! I just think he's a little strong and handsome and cool, but it's not like that!"

"Sure, sure~"

Sierra was strong, and because of that strength, she had a natural inclination toward those who could stand their ground against her. The intensity of their snowball fight had left a much bigger impression on her than she cared to admit.

"...So, how did Vai react?"

"He looked happy~"

"H-Hmph. I... I see."

Weiss remained blissfully unaware that he had already achieved a complete Victory.