Chapter 252: An Ordinary Afternoon [1]

The final results of the practical assessment were posted the following morning.

As expected, the notice board outside the Magic Department attracted a crowd large enough to obstruct half the corridor. Students compared scores, argued over evaluations, and congratulated their friends while several instructors attempted to restore order.

Ilya waited until the commotion subsided before checking his results.

Team Seven had received an excellent evaluation.

Their completion time placed them among the better-performing groups, while their resource management and cooperation scores were particularly high. The instructors had also included individual remarks concerning each participant’s contribution.

Elise received praise for her precise spellcasting and ability to support the team’s movements without interfering with her companions.

Solenne earned excellent marks for formation analysis, situational awareness, and objective handling.

Ilya’s evaluation emphasized tactical judgment and adaptability, although the instructors once again recommended improving his mana efficiency.

Apparently, that particular criticism intended to follow him everywhere.

Still, he had no complaints.

The assessment had gone well, and he had learned enough to make the experience worthwhile.

"You’re looking rather pleased with yourself."

Ilya turned.

Elise stood beside him, carrying several textbooks against her chest.

"I passed."

"With excellent marks."

"That too."

She smiled before examining the notice board herself.

Her individual evaluation was among the highest in their group, and the result clearly pleased her. Elise had always taken her academic performance seriously, even during their childhood, when she had occasionally dragged Ilya away from sword practice to remind him that written examinations existed.

He hadn’t appreciated those interruptions at the time.

In retrospect, she had probably saved him from several embarrassing conversations with his tutors.

"You did well yesterday," Ilya said.

"So did you."

"Solenne helped quite a bit, too. We would’ve lost time at that gate without her."

Elise agreed.

Whatever private reservations she had about Solenne, she wasn’t the sort of person who would deny someone’s contribution simply because she found their circumstances inconvenient.

They discussed the evaluation for a little longer before heading toward their morning lecture.

The practical assessment had occupied much of the department’s attention over the previous days, and ordinary classes were finally returning to their usual schedule.

For most students, that meant lectures, assignments, and the occasional opportunity to sleep through an explanation they didn’t particularly enjoy.

For Ilya, it meant returning to a routine that had become surprisingly comfortable.

A few months earlier, he would never have imagined looking forward to attending classes.

His experiences in the Knight Department had been rather effective at discouraging academic enthusiasm.

Fortunately, magic had turned out to be considerably more interesting.

By the end of the morning, the instructors had already assigned another round of coursework.

Garen reacted to the announcement with visible despair.

"We just finished the assessments."

"Yes," Solveig replied. "And now we’re studying again."

"Don’t you ever get tired of being reasonable?"

"Occasionally. Usually when I’m talking to you."

Ilya chuckled while gathering his belongings.

Their group had agreed to meet in the library later to review the new assignments, although he had a separate training session scheduled with Hakon beforehand.

As he prepared to leave, Solveig approached him.

"Are you free after your training?"

"Probably. Why?"

"There’s something I wanted to ask you about."

Her expression was unusually serious, enough that Ilya stopped packing.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing like that."

She glanced toward the others, who were still discussing their assignments.

"I’ll tell you later. It’s easier when Garen isn’t around."

That was a reasonable preference.

Ilya agreed to meet her in the library after his session, and Solveig returned to her seat.

He wondered what she wanted to discuss.

They had grown rather comfortable around one another since becoming classmates, and Solveig had never been particularly shy about speaking her mind.

Still, she occasionally preferred discussing certain matters privately.

Ilya respected that.

He had enough experience with troublesome personal circumstances to understand why someone might not want an audience.

His training session with Hakon began shortly after lunch.

The professor had prepared a smaller exercise than usual, involving several moving targets positioned throughout a reinforced practice chamber.

Ilya recognized the arrangement.

It resembled the assessment’s obstacle course, although the targets were considerably faster.

"Your evaluation was excellent," Hakon remarked after examining the report. "But I see the instructors criticized your mana expenditure again."

"They’re beginning to sound familiar."

"Then perhaps you should listen."

"I was hoping you’d disagree with them."

"Unfortunately for you, they’re correct."

Ilya sighed.

The professor activated the formation.

Several targets began moving throughout the chamber, changing direction at irregular intervals.

"Your mobility gives you an advantage against conventional spellcasters," Hakon explained. "However, you rely too heavily on sudden acceleration. Every correction costs mana, and your opponents will eventually learn to exploit that."

Ilya understood the problem.

During his recent engagements with Tristan, he had repeatedly used the blizzard to close distances or evade redirected spells. The technique was effective, but changing direction at high speed required constant adjustments to the surrounding currents.

Against someone capable of predicting his movements, those adjustments could become expensive.

Hakon instructed him to complete the exercise while maintaining a strict limit on mana expenditure.

The first attempt went poorly.

Ilya reached the final target, but the formation indicated that he had exceeded the permitted allowance.

The professor reset the exercise.

"Again."

On his second attempt, Ilya reduced his acceleration and concentrated on predicting the targets’ movements.

That improved his efficiency, although he lost too much time navigating the chamber.

The third attempt was better.

Rather than pursuing each target individually, he began positioning himself where their routes intersected, allowing them to approach him instead.

He completed the exercise with mana to spare.

Hakon examined the results.

"Better."

"I’ll accept that."

"Don’t become complacent. A moving target isn’t the same as an intelligent opponent."

"I’ve noticed."

The professor gave him another set of exercises to practice before dismissing him.

By the time Ilya reached the library, the afternoon was well underway.

He found Solveig near one of the windows, occupying a small table away from the main reading area.

She had several books spread before her, although none appeared related to their current coursework.

"Sorry. Training took longer than expected."

"That’s fine. I haven’t been waiting long."

Ilya sat across from her.

"So, what did you want to ask?"

Solveig closed the book she had been reading.

"Are you doing all right?"

The question surprised him.

"With what?"

"Everything."

She regarded him for a moment before continuing.

"Since Saint Aurelia, you’ve been studying, training, and running around as though nothing happened. I know you’re used to dangerous situations, but that doesn’t mean they stop affecting you."

Ilya hadn’t expected that.

Most people had been content to congratulate him on returning safely or ask about the incident from a distance.

Solveig, however, seemed more interested in how he had been coping afterward.

"I’m all right," he answered. "Better than I was immediately after returning."

"That’s good."

She didn’t press him for details.

Instead, she mentioned that several students had been struggling to return to their usual routines after hearing about the tragedy. Even those who hadn’t been directly involved had found the news difficult to process.

Ilya listened quietly.

He understood their feelings.

The events at Saint Aurelia had been far more difficult than an ordinary confrontation with hostile wizards, and the memory of what happened to the children would remain with him for a long time.

There were things he couldn’t fix, no matter how much stronger he became.

Still, he had no intention of allowing that helplessness to determine everything he did afterward.

"I appreciate you asking," he said eventually.

Solveig offered a small smile.

"Well, someone has to."

"You’re making it sound like nobody else cares."

"That’s not what I meant."

"I know."

She laughed softly.

For a while, they discussed ordinary academy matters, including their recent assessments and the upcoming coursework.

It was a pleasant conversation.

Ilya had initially assumed Solveig wanted help with an assignment or some other practical concern. Instead, she had simply wanted to check on him.

He found that rather comforting.

Before they separated, Solveig mentioned that their friends were planning a small outing over the weekend.

"Nothing complicated. Just lunch somewhere outside the academy."

"Sounds good."

"You should come."

"I’ll try."

She looked at him.

"That means you’re coming unless something important happens."

Ilya smiled.

"Understood."

Solveig appeared satisfied.

They returned to the main reading area, where the others had already gathered around a table covered in books.

Garen immediately complained that they had abandoned him to deal with the assignments alone.

Ma?lle pointed out that he had spent most of the afternoon talking instead of working.

Ilya joined them without further comment.

For once, an ordinary afternoon at Holy Trinity seemed like exactly what he needed.