Chapter Summaries

Catherine learned that her siblings had begun investigating the Screech-Type Magic Devices she was secretly bringing to market, including her supposedly useless younger brother Leon. She prepared to adjust her plans while Bella accepted her payment in silence, leaving the reason for Bella’s hesitation unclear.

• Catherine met with Bella after the Academy airship carrying her classmates departed.
• Bella reported that Catherine’s second brother and third sister were investigating the source of the Screech-Type Magic Devices and could trace her intermediaries within a month.
• Catherine discovered that Leon Roman had also noticed the devices and questioned how he had learned about them.
• Catherine thanked Bella for the report, gave her a bag of gold coins, and said they would soon prove themselves to the trading company.
• Bella accepted the coins and tightened her grip on the bag before quietly agreeing with Catherine.

Greg and the other Glory Kail representatives returned to the Academy, where students and teachers celebrated their achievements at the Exchange Meeting. Greg, Alice, and Victoria stepped out to the cheering crowd, leaving Alice and Victoria newly encouraged by the recognition.

• Greg woke aboard the returning airship and awkwardly encountered Sylvia, who hurried away after Victoria questioned their behavior.
• Greg and Victoria met Alice, then Olivia announced that the three of them should disembark first as the Academy’s greatest contributors.
• The crowd welcomed Greg, Alice, and Victoria with cheers and applause as they stepped onto the gangway.
• Alice resolved to become someone her students could be proud of, while Victoria felt she had earned the Academy’s recognition through her own efforts.
• Greg looked over the crowd and thought that the Academy Dungeon’s king had returned.

After Greg returned to the Academy Dungeon, Vivian woke him for his practical magic exam, and he playfully coaxed her into kissing him. While washing up, Greg reviewed the many skills he had gained from clearing the respawned Monsters on the first two floors.

• Vivian gently woke Greg in their camp and reminded him that he still had to take the practical magic exam.
• Greg teased Vivian with a story about a prince asking a princess for a kiss, and Vivian kissed him.
• Greg washed up at the Dark River and reviewed his acquired skills, many of which had improved or were newly gained.
• Greg reflected that Nightmare had taken all the Gems and Low-Tier Gems he found to restore her magic power, but he accepted the loss because it would bring her Night catgirl form sooner.

Greg and Vivian planned to improve his Dungeon camp, and Greg warned her to be wary of Melina during the upcoming training camp. After Vivian revealed that Melina had once stopped her without explanation, Greg suspected Melina had tried to manipulate Vivian with the Fallen Mother's authority in the original story and resolved to thwart her.

• Vivian offered Greg a residence at the Academy, but he declined and said he preferred living in the Dungeon.
• Greg and Vivian agreed to improve the camp, and Vivian said she supported Olivia's Dungeon training camp plan because it could help her grow stronger.
• Greg warned Vivian to watch out for Melina, and Vivian recalled that Melina had stopped her after the Exchange Meeting's Preliminary Debate results were announced, looked at her, then left without explanation.
• Greg suspected Melina had used the Fallen Mother's authority to push Vivian toward darkness in the original story, and he resolved to stop whatever she planned.

After Greg and Vivian went their separate ways on campus, Greg received warm greetings from students who admired his Exchange Meeting performance. A girl reconsidered confessing to him after hearing frightening rumors about what had happened to previous confessors, and Greg continued toward the dining hall before his exam.

• Greg and Vivian parted ways at the surface, with Vivian heading to the Student Council office and Greg taking the main path alone.
• Students and professors greeted Greg warmly as he crossed campus, while nearby girls praised him and dismissed earlier rumors about him.
• A girl with a headband decided to confess to Greg, but her friends warned her that girls who had confessed to him suffered strange supernatural incidents.
• The headband girl abandoned her plan, and Greg wondered why she had lost her nerve despite his recognizing her signs of a confession.
• Greg reflected that he was receiving fewer confessions, checked that he had time before the exam, and headed to the dining hall for breakfast.

Greg met Victoria, Sylvia, and Catherine in the Academy dining hall and discussed plans for the Dungeon training camp. Catherine privately invited him to meet at a café after the exams, leaving Greg wondering why she wanted to speak with him alone.

• Greg joined Victoria, Sylvia, and Catherine for breakfast in the dining hall.
• Victoria teased Greg about receiving love confessions, and Sylvia nervously asked whether someone had confessed to him again.
• Greg explained that he would lead their Dungeon training camp and reviewed precautions with Victoria and Sylvia.
• Catherine left after wishing Victoria and Sylvia luck on their exams, then quietly invited Greg to meet her at a café afterward.
• Greg concealed the invitation from Victoria and Sylvia and wondered whether his actions had triggered a new storyline involving Catherine.

Greg Sass faced an unusually difficult practical magic exam after Academy Head Olivia required him to fight four elemental Golems at once. He destroyed the wind Golem immediately with Wind Vortex Level 4, while the other three Golems remained.

• Students struggled against the aggressive Golems during the practical exams, and some failed or were injured.
• The examiner called Greg Sass, whose exam drew attention because he had gained renown at the Exchange Meeting.
• The examiner explained that Greg had to defeat four Golems of different elements, with their strength adjusting to his magic power.
• Greg opened with Wind Vortex Level 4 and blasted the charging wind Golem apart.

Greg defeated all four elemental Golems in seconds and earned an excellent assessment, with the examiner saying he could compete for Second-Year Top Student. Lilith and Sylvia watched him from the stands, each reacting to his renewed brilliance in her own way.

• Greg pierced the fire Golem’s core with a Molten Fireball and destroyed it.
• Greg trapped the rock Golem with Earth Vein Snare and crushed it into rubble.
• Greg sliced the water Golem apart with Torrent Blade after cutting through its water spikes.
• The examiner awarded Greg an excellent evaluation and said he could compete for Second-Year Top Student.
• Lilith watched Greg with admiration, while Sylvia recalled their night together and struggled to calm herself.

Victoria watched Greg fight the Golems and found herself overwhelmed by unfamiliar feelings, while Greg dismissed the students who tried to recruit him into their faction. After leaving the examination grounds, he hurried to another appointment.

• Victoria watched Greg defeat the Golems and blushed when he glanced toward her stands.
• Victoria wondered why she could not meet the eyes of a mere Greg.
• Vivian hoped Greg would take the Second-Year Top Student position, while Greg worried she might think he wanted to compete with her.
• A group of aristocratic students invited Greg to a banquet at Rose Manor, hoping to draw him into their faction.
• Greg refused the invitation, warned the students to watch themselves, and left the examination grounds for another appointment.

Catherine met Greg at a café to ask how he had learned that her family had noticed the Screech-Type Magic Device, but he kept his source secret. She offered him two thousand gold coins for his help, and Greg refused, calling her a friend before abruptly rushing out and leaving her baffled.

• Greg and Catherine met at a café, where Greg accidentally revealed that Olivia had accepted Catherine’s sponsorship in exchange for an exemption from the final assessment.
• Catherine asked Greg how he knew that people in her family had noticed the Screech-Type Magic Device, but he declined to explain his source.
• Catherine offered Greg a check for two thousand gold coins to repay him for helping her.
• Greg returned the check, saying he had helped her as a friend and that she had already repaid him for earlier favors.
• Greg suddenly claimed he had an urgent matter and left, while Catherine stared after him and wondered what kind of man he was.

Wendy took Ellie shopping to repay her for helping at the Imperial Capital, and Ellie bought a lily-of-the-valley hairpin while wondering whether Greg would like it. Their outing ended when Ellie saw Greg having coffee with another woman and left in anger.

• Wendy and Ellie browsed the busy shopping district, where Ellie turned away several young men who tried to approach them.
• Ellie admired an elven silver hairpin but hesitated because she wondered whether Greg would like it on her.
• Wendy bought the hairpin for fifty gold coins, and Ellie tried it on and was pleased with how it looked.
• Wendy led Ellie toward a café, where Ellie spotted Greg sitting with an elegant woman and assumed they were secretly on a date.
• Ellie walked away in anger, while Wendy noticed Greg had seen them and reflected that the Bishop's luck was terrible.

Wendy helped Greg defuse Ellie’s anger after she caught him with Catherine by prompting him to praise Ellie’s new hairpin. Ellie lowered her sword and blushed, while Wendy quietly left them alone.

• Greg tried to explain to Ellie that he had not forgotten his promise to treat her to a meal, but she confronted him with a sword.
• Greg noticed Wendy signaling him toward Ellie’s new hairpin and began praising it and Ellie’s appearance.
• Ellie’s anger faded as Greg told her he had thought her beautiful since they first met.
• Wendy slipped away, deciding to leave Ellie and Greg alone together.

Greg took Ellie to dinner at the Golden Crucible to make up for a meal he owed her, and the two shared an awkward but warm evening. Their outing ended when a middle-aged steward approached Greg beside an unmarked black carriage.

• Greg reassured Ellie that he could afford to pay for dinner and invited her to the Golden Crucible.
• Ellie accepted Greg’s hand, and they walked together to the restaurant.
• Greg ordered a generous meal and looked after Ellie as she grew shy during dinner.
• Greg told Ellie he would still love her if she gained weight, and she threw a table knife at him.
• After dinner, a middle-aged steward approached Greg beside a black carriage and greeted him formally.

A steward from the Sass Family asked Greg to return during the holidays to discuss reinstating him as heir, but Greg said he could not come because of training for the Five-Academy Competition. After the steward left, Greg gave Ellie a silver ring and thanked her for staying by his side, and she promised to keep doing so.

• Ellie recalled how Duke Sass's strange recruits and the disappearances at the mansion had changed Greg and made him withdraw from everyone.
• The Sass Family steward invited Greg to return for the holidays to discuss reinstating him as heir, making Ellie wary.
• Greg told the steward he could not return because he had to attend training camp for the Five-Academy Competition, but might visit if Academy Head Olivia persuaded him.
• After the steward left, Greg reassured Ellie that he was fine and gave her a silver ring as thanks for always staying with him.
• Ellie fought back tears and promised to keep staying by Greg's side.

Greg worried that Duke Sass's House had begun targeting him ahead of schedule and trained in the Academy Dungeon to relieve his stress. After returning to camp, he decided to expand it before the Dungeon training camp began.

• Greg killed goblins in the Academy Dungeon while wondering why Duke Sass's House had moved against him so early and concluding that he was likely their target.
• Greg received the maximum-level Sowing skill, dismissed its effect as a future liability, and returned to camp to wash and change.
• Greg realized the camp's single tent would not suit the upcoming training camp with Victoria, Sylvia, Vivian, Lilith, and Melina.
• Greg decided to upgrade the camp and planned to ask Vivian to bring additional workers to help.

Victoria became irritated after thinking about Greg and hearing other students praise him, then agreed to join Vivian and the Student Council in improving the Dungeon campsite for the training camp.

• Victoria went for a morning run alone after remembering Sylvia was handling duties at the Church of Light.
• Victoria grew upset while wondering why Greg had never looked at her like the boys who watched her run.
• At the Library, Victoria overheard girls praising Greg and left after slamming her book onto the table.
• Victoria encountered Vivian and her Student Council subordinates, and Vivian invited her to help improve Greg's Dungeon campsite.
• Victoria accepted Vivian's invitation despite not wanting to see Greg.

Greg and Vivian gathered Student Council members and Victoria at the Dungeon camp to prepare it for the Five-Academy Competition training camp. Greg assigned everyone construction work, and the group began upgrading the camp with locally sourced materials.

• Greg was surprised that Vivian had brought nearly a dozen helpers, including Victoria, whom Vivian called her friend.
• Victoria admitted she had come because she was bored, though Greg’s thanks briefly flustered her.
• Greg told the Student Council members they would expand and upgrade the camp, with Vivian promising to treat them to a good meal afterward.
• The three boys eagerly volunteered for heavy work because they admired Victoria for saving them during the Cemetery Incident.
• Greg explained that Dungeon magic disrupted construction spells, then assigned the group to gather rock and vines, clear the site, level the ground, and build a framework.

Greg and the others worked together to build their camp, and Vivian told him she helped because he was Greg Sass. After Greg rescued Yelina from a fall, she grew more impressed with him and decided to trust him to handle his relationships with Vivian and Victoria.

• Vivian stopped Greg from thanking her and told him she was helping simply because he was Greg Sass.
• Greg worked with Victoria to build the camp, and they playfully argued over whose name should come first in their imagined construction firm.
• Yelina asked Vivian why she had invited Victoria, and Vivian said Victoria's presence was fine.
• A loose rock caused Yelina to fall from the stone bridge, but Greg caught her and warned everyone to be careful.
• Greg inspected the damaged bridge and planned to reinforce it, while Yelina decided to trust him to handle things with Vivian and Victoria.

Greg and the Student Council made steady progress rebuilding their camp while Victoria endured teasing about her closeness with Greg. On the third day, Catherine sent students with building materials in exchange for a room reserved for her.

• Greg organized the Student Council's work as the boys hauled stone and cleared vines and the girls made ropes.
• Three boys tried to impress Victoria, but she ignored them and stayed close to Greg.
• The girls teased Victoria about her relationship with Greg, and she fled to take a break while Vivian watched her closely.
• On the third day, students arrived at the Dungeon carrying quality building materials Catherine had provided.
• A student told Greg that Catherine wanted a room reserved exclusively for her, and Greg wondered if that was all she expected.

Greg and the Student Council completed their Dungeon camp after Catherine supplied building materials and Chloe sent energy potions that left everyone exhausted. The finished camp was a two-story house with bedrooms, a communal living area, and a fenced courtyard.

• Greg agreed to give Catherine a bedroom in exchange for her shipment of building materials, which sped up construction.
• Vivian suspected Catherine had sent the materials to curry favor with her as the Kingdom's First Princess.
• A student delivered energy potions from Chloe, and the workers drank them before returning to the construction.
• The potions made everyone work through the night until they collapsed, frightening Alice when she arrived to help the next day.
• Greg and the others completed the two-story camp, including bedrooms, a communal area, and a courtyard.