Margaret Gradually Understood Everything

Margaret did not appear in the final round of the examination to face the candidates herself.

She lacked both seniority and experience.

In the final round, strength was only one aspect. Combat experience and acting skill were equally important. The whole process had to be controlled with perfect restraint, allowing the candidates to showcase their abilities and traits to the fullest.

Margaret had not been a lecturer for long. While her strength ranked among the better young lecturers, her acting was still lacking. The moment she went easy on someone, it would look painfully deliberate.

So, during the final round, she was only responsible for peripheral work.

But that did not mean she did not care about the practical examination groups and examiner assignments.

On the contrary, she cared a great deal.

Especially after learning that Jia Xiu had been assigned to a group with Mia and Ram.

It was irritating.

Why had Jia Xiu been assigned two teammates who would only hold him back?

Though it did make sense for the three of them to be grouped together based on their performance in the second round.

But Jia Xiu had real ability.

As his mentor, she decided to help within the bounds of the rules.

What kind of mentor did not protect her own students?

Thus, Margaret went to find Gudrian. As a member of the Capet family, she had little desire to speak with someone named Reinhardt. If it had not been for her precious student, she probably would not have exchanged a word with him until retirement.

Strangely enough, although the Capet family and the Reinhardt family did not get along at all, they showed one another the utmost respect whenever they met in public.

"Professor Gudrian," Margaret said with a radiant smile as she arrived at Gudrian's office. "I heard you'll be in charge of assessing the most distinctive students of this class. That must be quite troublesome."

"It's all right, Professor Margaret. It isn't too troublesome. Are you interested in these students?" Gudrian replied politely.

"Yes. After all, the top two students in the written examination are both in this group. As you know, my laboratory has always lacked good students with outstanding mathematical and theoretical abilities."

In truth, her laboratory lacked good students of every kind.

"Please rest assured. I will treat this examination seriously and responsibly."

"Ahem, you know, I'll be overseeing the third-round assessment in another two years as well, so I wanted to learn from you and see how experienced lecturers select their spells. Would that be all right?"

The moment Margaret finished speaking, she was so embarrassed she wanted to slap herself.

What kind of terrible excuse was that?

She really was not good at this. She could not think of anything better.

According to the rules, the spells selected by the examiner would be announced three days before the examination. There was still a week left until the test.

Margaret's plan was to give Jia Xiu more time to prepare.

Gudrian was a little surprised by her request, but he still replied, "Of course."

He took out the spell list he had filled in.

"Thank you very much."

Margaret accepted it, then frowned after taking a look.

Something was strange. Although it complied with the examination rules and was restricted to a maximum of fourth-circle spells, why were they all fourth-circle spells?

Wither, Confusion, Binding Tentacles, Flame Shield...

Did he really have to be this strict?

The spells might not seem offensive, but that was because Gudrian's main class was Arcane Archer, specializing in enchanted bows and arrows.

He had brought a whole pile of control and defensive spells precisely so he could better use the archery he excelled at most.

Was this an examination attitude?

He was clearly aiming to kill Jia Xiu's group of three!

"Professor Gudrian, aren't these spell selections a little too powerful? Aren't we supposed to encourage spells of varying strengths, progressing from easy to difficult over ten minutes to comprehensively display the candidates' abilities?"

Margaret reminded him. Jia Xiu was already at a disadvantage with two teammates who had little combat ability, and now he had encountered such an aggressive examiner.

Was there something wrong with every Reinhardt's brain?

"Really? I don't think it's that strict. Jia Xiu did come first in both rounds of the examination. Giving him a little pressure will allow him to better demonstrate his level."

"If the pressure is too great, could there be risks?"

"How could there be? The assessment takes place in the Phantom World. Injuries will not affect the real world."

Margaret had wanted to say more, but then she noticed that he had mentioned Jia Xiu's first-place rankings in both rounds.

Thinking more carefully, the Reinhardt family...

Thomas, the greatest "lunatic" of the current Reinhardt generation, was also taking this year's examination.

He was obsessed with being first in everything.

Even the carriages he rode had their drivers seated behind, up on the roof, because he could not tolerate anyone being in front of him.

And now Jia Xiu ranked ahead of him.

Gudrian was from a branch of the Reinhardt family, so that was why he had voluntarily taken on the task of assessing Jia Xiu's group. He definitely did not mean well.

A task from his master!

No. She had to report this. She absolutely had to report it.

Margaret bade him farewell with a professional fake smile, then hurried straight to the headmaster's mage tower.

A few minutes later.

"Headmaster Nico!" Margaret said urgently. "I believe Gudrian intends to harm Jia Xiu's group during the examination."

"Do you have any evidence?" Headmaster Nico asked unhurriedly.

"Evidence..."

Margaret bit her lip. The evidence was all her own speculation, along with her understanding that everyone in the Reinhardt family had something wrong with them.

"Headmaster, you have to believe me. The spells Gudrian prepared are all far too powerful."

"Did he violate any rules?"

"No... he didn't."

Margaret now felt that he was truly cunning. He had indeed not broken any rules; none of the spells exceeded the fourth circle.

"So why are you so nervous? You should trust that little fellow Jia Xiu. Aren't you more familiar with him than I am?"

As Headmaster Nico spoke, he polished his monocle.

"No matter how much I trust him, he's only eighteen..."

Before Margaret could finish, she suddenly realized that the headmaster's words about being "more familiar with him" might have been a tease.

"No, Headmaster. What would I be familiar with him for? Hahaha. I only happened to proctor his examination."

She was terrible at lying. Whenever she lied, she could not hold back her laughter.

"Little Marg, I've been studying divination spells for one hundred and sixty years. I know quite a lot."

That sentence nearly scared Margaret into confessing everything.

"Oh, looking after your student isn't such a big deal. I'm only telling you to have more faith in Jia Xiu," Headmaster Nico said with a smile.

After seeing Margaret off, Headmaster Nico sighed and opened a cabinet. Inside was a row of shattered divination crystal balls.

Looking at those crystal balls, a wave of frustration rose within him. He had studied divination for one hundred and sixty years, yet he had stumbled several times over an eighteen-year-old brat.

Still, perhaps it was good to stumble. If even divination could not see him clearly, perhaps he was the variable of the future...

Folen Territory, Creekwood Town, the lord's manor.

The baron flipped through the newest issue of Caster Weekly. With the technical support of the Caster Association, it was the only newspaper that could be published simultaneously across multiple countries and regions.

"The Adventurer Association revises its commission deduction rules and strongly condemns those who change races or religions to evade commission deductions."

The baron smiled. There truly were all kinds of people.

"The Caster Association sues Saint Delro Academy, accusing it of sending people to register themselves as owners of various stars, moons, and celestial bodies, thereby showing contempt for divine authority. Saint Delro Academy refuses to admit it. After two days of dispute, the two sides reach a private settlement. The details of the negotiations remain unknown, but the Caster Association revises its rules the following day, and individuals may no longer register ownership of celestial bodies."

Huh.

The baron stroked his chin. So many interesting things had happened this week?

"The Larven entrance examination is underway. After the second round concluded, numerous candidates stated in interviews that a candidate from Creekwood Town, Folen Territory, Iris Kingdom, who claims to be the son of a baron, behaved extremely badly and caused them great trouble."

What the hell?

The baron's eyes widened. Why was this involving him?

Which one of his children had gone to take the Larven examination?

"According to reliable sources, that candidate is named Hannas..."

"This report was brought to you by our reporter, Jack Love."

The baron's hand holding the newspaper trembled. All of a sudden, the world felt terribly unfamiliar.

He was only a baron from some small place. Who was trying to harm his family?