Chapter 99

EP.99 Joint Practical Evaluation - Interlude

As I reflect on the fragmented memories of Isaac that remain in my mind after the trials of the frost, I recall the following:

Isaac and his sister, Eve Rofenheimer, had different biological fathers.

Isaac's mother fell for the sweet courtship of Baron Rofenheimer, fell in love, and became pregnant.

However, she was abandoned along with the child in her womb because the baron grew tired of her.

She then gave birth to her daughter, Eve, in a shabby rural house and continued to live there.

Amidst the despair and sorrow, Eve became the reason for Isaac's mother to live.

Then, she met a commoner man, and Isaac was born. This gave Isaac's mother another reason to live.

I can recall such details about their birth backgrounds, but the specific events of their childhood are a complete blank in my mind.

Isaac's father disappeared, and how Eve Rofenheimer ended up with her biological father, the baron….

Of course, it's unlikely to be a pleasant story.

'Anyway.'

No matter how much of a scoundrel Baron Rofenheimer is, no matter how much mental suffering Isaac's mother endured, and no matter what kind of person Eve is, that's a separate issue.

Let's focus on the current situation.

From the fact that Eve made it here safely, it seems the fourth gate messenger has lost its function.

Therefore, academic personnel are likely on their way to this cave to replace the messenger and the professor.

In conclusion, we don't have time to hang around here.

"Y-Yeah! I'm this kid's sister!"

Eve's enthusiastic shout sounded awkward.

Before Kaya could say anything, beads of cold sweat on her forehead, I subtly placed my finger to my lips.

Kaya, who had been in shock, regained her composure.

It seemed my silent request for a moment of silence was well understood.

'First, let's review what this sister said.'

Eve had no idea what Kaya and I had been doing.

Moreover, she hadn't seen the territory of the frog demon, but she seemed to have noticed Kaya's blood magic, suggesting she was quite far away.

In other words,

'She must have been outside the hole I created.'

The amount of magic Kaya possesses is so minimal that Eve wouldn't even notice it.

I can use this as an excuse to explain that Kaya's magic was just barely perceptible.

"Also, who are you calling a demon?"

"…Huh?"

I maintained a calm expression and looked down at Eve closely.

Anyway, this sister is incredibly tense.

"Kaya has a rare and powerful attribute. She saved me by dispelling the entire trap just now. I'm grateful for her help, but don't push her away. You didn't even pass the fourth gate properly."

"How did you know…?"

"Did you think I wouldn't notice you following me?"

Eve hiccuped.

"Time-wise, it's impossible. For you to have broken through the fourth gate alone and arrived here immediately… What were you thinking?"

"That… It was unavoidable. It was like a service, a service! If you were in danger in a place like this, I had to step in. You're so… weak… right…?"

You're not that weak for someone at level 87….

Eve trailed off. She must have realized her words were inappropriate after she spoke them.

Still, it wasn't difficult to catch the concern in her roundabout and fussy speech.

'She seems kind on the surface.'

I wonder how they ended up on such bad terms.

For now, I need to end this conversation quickly.

Pretending to be at a loss for words, I passed by Eve without a response.

"Kaya, let's go."

Kaya followed me.

"Sir Isaac, please… just give me a chance to make amends with your sister…."

Her pleading in a whisper, her desperate expression was pitiful.

However, I regretfully didn't have the time to grant her request.

We left Eve behind and ascended above the hole, casting wind magic on our bodies.

As we did, I glanced at Eve out of the corner of my eye.

Her eyes, filled with sorrow, were staring at me intently.

[ Eve Rofenheimer ]

Psychology: [ Feeling guilty towards you. ]

…Later.

I briefly considered telling Eve that I had selective amnesia, where only part of my memory was lost, but decided against it.

'No need to do that.'

In the story of Isaac, who was born into an ordinary commoner family and eventually took his own life, Eve didn't play a very positive role.

"Isaac!"

At that moment, Eve called out to me.

"Mom passed away… What happened in the two years after that?"

Her doubt seemed to stem from watching me while following me.

'Understandable.'

The boy who was always the weakest and was mocked for his lack of magic by the children in his hometown is now displaying a level of skill above the middle rank at a prestigious academy.

There was no trace of the always weak and frail Isaac.

All Eve saw was a reliable and skilled young man.

'Perhaps…'

He must have endured all kinds of pain and used that pain as a stepping stone, gritting his teeth and moving forward.

After his mother left this world, Isaac abandoned the shabby house and disappeared without a trace.

And Eve only met him again today, as a fellow student in the same academy, in the same examination room.

Eve couldn't even begin to imagine how much blood and sweat Isaac had shed to change so much.

Her heart ached, and her throat tightened. She had been a sister who couldn't even properly support Isaac.

While Isaac was immersed in sorrow and worked tirelessly to improve himself, Eve had done nothing for him.

She had only driven a nail into his heart.

Eve sighed deeply.

"But…."

Feeling defeated, she looked up at the hole. It was high.

"How do we get out of here…?"

The harsh reality pulled Eve out of her thoughts.

Her magic was depleted from overusing wind magic to chase after Isaac and attacking Kaya.

She regretted not asking Isaac to help her get up.

* * *

[ Status ]

Name: Isaac

Level: 82

Gender: Male

Grade: 1

Title: Passionate Freshman

Magic Power: 12000 / 12000

- Magic Recovery Speed (B)

Autumn has arrived, and the students walking through the academy streets are gradually dressing warmer.

The cold season is slowly approaching, and the day when the floating island will appear is not far off.

Before then, I want to become strong enough to be confident in solving the floating island problem.

If nothing else happens soon, I won't have to worry about a bad ending, and I can focus on training.

"Hmm."

Rumble──!

Bang──!

At the academy training ground.

I was disposing of various magical creatures with elemental magic.

Now that I've shed the title of the weakest, no students challenge me over my skills.

On the contrary, the number of students who admire me has increased. It seems my handling of Zanya's staff is quite a spectacle. I can't help but feel a bit proud.

I passed the joint practical evaluation in 30th place. Considering the time I spent dealing with the frog demon, it was a better result than expected.

'Although I did use some tricks.'

Of course, game knowledge played a significant role.

If I had taken the exam based solely on pure skill, I would have been in the middle or upper-middle ranks.

I felt sorry for Kaya. She must have wanted to beat Lucie.

But she laughed it off, saying that maintaining the academy's peace was more important than her personal competitiveness.

The only regret was that Eve Rofenheimer seemed to dislike me.

I could see tears welling up in Kaya's eyes whenever the topic of Eve came up.

It's the first time I've ever wanted to turn back time so badly.

Incidentally, when asked if I had kept my identity hidden from my family, I vaguely answered yes.

She seemed surprised that my sister, Eve Rofenheimer, appeared so ordinary.

Kaya's parents are a sword saint and a genius mage, so she must have expected my family to be even more remarkable.

And,

'How long does this sister plan to follow me?'

After the joint practical evaluation, Eve hasn't spoken to me.

However, I can easily spot her stalking me when I occasionally use [Eagle Eye] to look around. She doesn't seem to be at the training ground now.

Perhaps we'll have a conversation soon.

'It's worrying…'

The day when I defeat the evil deity and my journey ends,

I don't know if I'll return to my original world or be left in this one.

Of course, as a human, I sometimes miss my blood relatives.

So, I occasionally feel a personal desire to get along with Eve, who is my blood relative in this world.

'But there's no need to force it.'

I don't know anything about Isaac's childhood.

I don't know what connections he formed, how he specifically got along with Eve, or what memories they shared….

I don't particularly feel the need to dig into the past of the deceased Isaac now.

I can think about it after defeating the evil deity.

For now, I want to train with several times the efficiency to bring down the floating island.

So, every day, I train.

I don't stop casting magic even when I'm nosebleeding.

I ask Dorothy for buff spells to forcibly recover my condition and train again.

I repeatedly apply what I learn from classes and books to my magic.

By sparing even my sleeping time and training like a madman,

Ten days later, the accumulated fatigue from my daily routine,

I suddenly fainted.