"Simon! Simon! Simon! Simon! Simon!"
As the audience solemnly called out his name, Simon received a crystal ball loudspeaker from the MC.
"Now, Mr. Simon, please tell us how you feel right now!"
Said the MC while winking.
Simon raised the crystal ball to his mouth.
"Hello. I'm Simon Polentia."
When asked about his feelings, he continued with something formal but not over the top, saying how grateful he was to his professors and teammates for training with him in their free time and that he would train harder.
At that moment, the MC interrupted at the right moment and asked another question.
"I guess we can't help but talk about Deimos! I want to know how you got that rare summoning and why you didn't turn him into a submerged whale!"
Simon was about to answer, but he hesitated for a moment.
'Is it okay if Professor Walter finds out I went to the fish market?'
Simon changed his answer slightly.
"I got help from a senior in my club, Benya Vanilla."
He explains that there is a successor of the Vanilla company in his club and he got the body from there.
The reason why he didn't turn it into a bottom whale was because the condition of the raw materials was poor.
In the end, Simon thought turning him into a skeleton was the best option, because he could have a Deimos skeleton with Alpha's abilities.
The MC nodded in satisfaction with Simon's public speaking skills, able to convey as much information as possible while keeping his answers smooth and concise.
"I want to thank the people who gave me this opportunity. To Benya, and… Ah!"
Simon's eyes widened.
From the crowd, he recognized some old men he knew and cheered very loudly.
'They came to watch!'
It was Diego and his junior.
Simon quickly continued,
"I would like to thank the Vanilla necromancers—Diego, Marco, and Rodrion—for perfecting the deimos they manifested for the first time! Applause to them, who are here today!"
As Simon pointed at them, the crowd's attention was drawn there as well. There was a loud applause, and the screen showed the three of them smiling awkwardly.
Since he got a lot of help from Vanilla for this BDMAT, he thought it was only fair to help them out with a little advertising like this.
And finally, I want you to hear what you've learned from this for the future!
Simon nodded at the MC's words.
"I was lucky this time and got first place, but in a chaotic situation like the BDMAT exam, I'm sure anyone could be one of the 50 students who are at risk of being expelled. I will stay alert and work harder. Thank you!"
So, Simon finished his interview to a standing ovation and walked off the stage. He heard the MC call Elissa, the next interviewee, to the stage.
"Very good."
Jane said as she stood with her arms crossed.
Simon lowered his head with a bright smile.
"Thank you! I got first place again, Professor."
"Of course."
Simon scratched his head.
'He was much calmer than I expected. I assumed he would have been happier if I had gotten the first one.'
Jane stood with a blank stare, but an arm she held behind her back—away from the students—was shaking with excitement.
"Hello! I'm Elissa Seline!"
Completing his turn without difficulty, Simon allowed himself to relax as he listened to the other students' interviews.
Elissa's speech was a bit long.
He thanked his parents for giving birth to him, his nanny and the servants who took care of him when he was young, the necromancy professors, especially Professor Umbra, the teaching assistants, the dormitory attendants who had given him a nice place to sleep, his friends who lent him his notebooks, and everyone else he could think of.
It was like a medal ceremony, not an interview.
The MC couldn't hold it in and interrupted her to call the next student. At this point, Elissa even mentioned the name of the horseman who brought her to Kizen at the entrance ceremony.
Next was Laheim. He suddenly turned around and shouted, pointing at Simon,
"Our duel in this test is a draw! Zimon Valentino!"
Simon laughed wryly.
'…He's still doing that?'
"You and I aren't both eliminated either, right? Let's save the duel for Meilyn next time!"
After Laheim, it was Hector's turn.
He targeted Laheim as soon as he received his loudspeaker crystal ball.
"Nonsense. I am the one who will defeat Simon Polentia."
Simon smiled while maintaining his composure, but the corners of his mouth twitched.
"Never think that the chair will be yours forever."
Wanting a provocative interview like this, the MC responded enthusiastically.
"Wow! A declaration of war! Will these two finally settle this in the fourth BDMAT? Please come to watch the next test as well! Yes, and the last student to be interviewed is…!"
At that moment, one of the broadcast attendants ran onto the stage and handed a note to the MC.
"Oh, I think we'll make some adjustments!"
The MC said while looking at the note.
"Apparently, Jules, who placed 3rd, is being treated for an injury in the ward. So, instead of Jules, we will be bringing in the student who placed 6th for our final interview! The lady who placed 6th in this test, please step forward!"
Step, step, step.
A student he knew was walking up to the stage.
Simon couldn't close his mouth in shock.
"Here's your loudspeaker, Miss."
"Thank You."
As he picked up the crystal, he did a quick microphone test. Then, with a slightly nervous expression on his face, he spoke.
"Um, hello. I'm Claudia Menzies."
The sixth winner of the third BDMAT this time is none other than Claudia.
"Welcome, Claudia! One of the biggest topics of the third BDMAT was the hard work of the poison alchemy candidates! They showed a strong presence in the ocean, and Claudia's growth was the most outstanding of them all! 710th place in the second BDMAT, and now 6th place overall!! How incredible! Do you have a secret to your growth in Kizen?"
He replied with a stiff smile due to nervousness.
"I-I don't think I've developed particularly well. I think it's just that this third test is a theme that poison alchemy students really like. There are many poison monsters, and only poison alchemy students can easily make wide-range attacks in the sea."
The MC clapped his hands. He wasn't an adult who just brought up a topic like this.
"Hahaha! How humble of you! Isn't '6th overall' good enough just for having a favorite theme? I think there must be a big change in heart or personal awareness!"
He nodded slowly and continued his answer.
Maybe Claudia was nervous in front of so many people, because her voice was shaking and the words were coming out of her mouth.
It was a different world from the way he pushed the action in front of his classmates.
It felt like he had returned to being a normal student like before the boycott.
"U-Uhm…"
"Yes! Don't hesitate to speak!"
"Can I share my opinion too?"
"Ah! Yes! Of course!"
He then took a deep breath, turned to look at Simon behind him, then looked straight ahead again.
"There are times when I wish I could turn back time."
Her silvery voice was heard.
"It was a stupid act caused by my paranoia, sense of crisis, and desperation. I led a boycott of my class."
The commotion.
The crowd became noisy.
"The reason didn't make sense, even to me, so I used a lot of vague reasons like student rights and everything to defend myself. I've hurt some people in a way that can't be undone by what I've done. I'll visit them one by one and apologize."
He then took a deep breath before continuing,
"Actually, it all started from a misunderstanding on my part. Thankfully, the professor came to talk to us first, and I finally realized my actions and stupidity. And thanks to the professor, I got sixth place, which is a huge honor."
Claudia smiled.
"However, at that time, the professor told us something that I didn't quite understand."
"Someone asked me to do it."
"The more I think about it, the funnier it is. I told him I would help him, and then he puts on an event like this for someone who has nothing to do with him."
Whether it was out of good intentions, sympathy, mischief, or just a random thought…
He didn't know why he asked Belya for help like that.
But one thing is for sure.
"I don't know who that person is, but…"
He wiped the tears from his eyes.
"But if he's listening, I really want to tell him this."
She smiled brightly.
"Thank you. Your words changed my life."
* * *
* * *
Without a doubt, the center of the storm for this third BDMAT is Belya.
There was an unprecedented situation where his classes were boycotted, and there was a lot of criticism from elders and parents about him making his students eat poison.
However, suddenly, the poison alchemy aspirants lifted their boycott and showed up for the exam armed with a new skill called 'secret poison'. They then performed brilliantly.
Needless to say, it was thanks to this that Claudia placed sixth overall. If the story were as simple as an exam that only had a theme that supported the poisoned alchemy candidates, things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand. The problem lies elsewhere.
The fact that there was a huge difference between the performance of the students who took Belya's Poison Alchemy class and those who took other professors' classes.
After the exam, students from other classes started requesting transfers, saying that they wanted to take Professor Belya's Poison Alchemy class.
Obviously, Belya's fame skyrocketed significantly. Kizen HQ also changed its mind.
(He found a great opportunity, although Professor Belya's wildness is something we need to be wary of.)
(When Professor Hong Feng was first assigned, he was criticized for his outdoor classes! But now he has been at the top of the class satisfaction list for five years in a row and is now one of the professors representing Kizen.)
(Very good. Are there any other astrologers from the grasslands? Try contacting us.)
(Don't start. I heard Alland, Sierra, and Moyran are already on the move.)
(Hahaha! That's why they're always number 2. Always one step behind.)
Although there are still some issues, it seems that Belya's adaptation to Kizen has been quite successful.
"Cheers!"
With a clink, raucous laughter erupted.
Hong Feng personally invited Belya and her hardworking assistant teachers to celebrate at the cottage.
"Eat it all!"
"Thank you, Professor Hong Feng!"
Flushed with liquor, Belya gestured,
"Hey, hey! You come here and have a drink too."
"Let me finish this stew."
Hong Feng frantically shuttled between the hut and the fire. A drunken assistant teacher chuckled.
"Haaaaah! You really never know what's going to happen in your life, huh! I thought it was all over, but it turns out everything worked out as it should."
"I thought I was going to get kicked out!"
"I heard there are a lot of transfer requests. I can't wait to see the look on Professor Dunkun's face. It will show that he and his assistant teachers treat us like trash!"
"I told you, didn't I!"
Belya shouted while raising her glass high.
"I told you, trust your brother and just follow him!"
"Truly!"
"Cheer again~!"
Hahahaha!
For the first time in a long time, everyone put their worries aside and had fun.
Able to smile once again, the assistant principal—who was taking care of the professor and his junior because of their difficulty in holding back alcohol—looked at the girl sitting next to Belya and said,
"Claudia, how long are you going to be there like that? You're making us uncomfortable."
Kneeling beside Belya, Claudia nervously played with her glass.
"N-No matter how much I think about it, I don't think I deserve to be invited here…"
"It's okay! It's all in the past!"
Belya ruffled her hair.
"And even though you gave me a hard time with the boycott, it's all good because you got sixth place in the BDMAT and made me feel proud! Don't you guys agree? Huh?"
"You're absolutely right!"
"you bastards!"
Belya shouted while looking at her assistant teacher.
"I want to make Claudia my direct disciple starting today. What do you all think?"
"Yes!"
"What we can be certain of is!"
The surroundings erupted in loud cheers.
Tears welled up in Claudia's eyes due to emotion.
"I-I've… I've only caused trouble for all of you, but…"
"She's crying again! Hahaha!"
"You little brat! Tell me now!"
Belya said as she brought her face closer.
"Are you going to refuse like 'that bastard'? Huh?"
"N-No! I would love to be your direct disciple, Professor! It would be an honor!"
"That's how it should be!"
"Well then, to welcome the newest member of the family…!"
"Cheers!"
The party atmosphere was increasing.
As the night progresses, several of the teaching assistants become drunk to the point of unconsciousness.
Belya stood up giggling. The assistant head teacher asked,
"Professor, where are you going?"
"To the bathroom!"
After giving a very harsh answer, Belya walked to the back of Hong Feng's hut. There she saw Hong Feng making soup in a large cauldron.
"O."
Hong Feng turned around.
"Ah, big sister."
"You should go eat too."
Both of them stood some distance away.
There was a moment of silence.
"Congratulations, big sister."
"For?"
"To complete this big task. I didn't think you would be able to adjust well in Kizen."
Belya giggled.
"You didn't say something so stupid just for me, did you?"
"Stop that nonsense and remember…"
Hong Feng's gaze became serious.
"This place is more brutal than the grasslands where we live. If you show any sign of weakness, you will be bitten. How long do you think they will be lenient with us just because we come from a different culture?"
"Gosh, ranting as soon as we meet again."
Belya laughed. Hong Feng also laughed softly.
"O."
"?"
"Simon told me. He said you helped me."
A smile formed on Hong Feng's mouth, but it quickly returned to its usual calmness.
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
Hong Feng said as he stirred the spoon in the pot.
Belya asked,
"Do you want Simon too?"
"I'm sure there's no professor who wouldn't accept it. You too?"
"I'll catch him, so just give up."
"That's ridiculous."
The laughter of the two twin sisters filled the night.