I Will Not Fall For the Villain’s Flirtations - Chapter 47

“Mmph! Mmph!”

I watched in shock as Jayton, despite his enormous size, was helplessly dragged away. What did I just see?

And that man just now, he was incredibly handsome.

“Don’t look at him like that. He’s gay, you know.”

“Really? Oh, how unfortunate…”

Wait, that’s not the point.

Regaining my composure, I glared at Keene and scolded him.

“What’s the deal with you? Doesn’t the Magic Tower fire people for acting so childish?”

He must have some kind of backing to act so recklessly. Considering his behavior in the training ground and his lack of hesitation in dealing with the Magic Tower people, it seemed my hypothesis that he was a high-ranking official was correct.

“It’s all about performance here.”

He answered, adding playfully.

“Don’t worry. Even if I get fired, I can still take care of you, Du.”

As expected, it was nonsense not worth listening to. I sighed deeply and spoke without even looking at him.

“Enough. Just take me back. Who knows what other crazy things you’ll do.”

Fortunately, there weren’t many people in the dining hall. The few who had shown interest seemed to lose it once Jayton left.

For such a crazy incident to be resolved so quickly, how chaotic must it usually be here?

As Keene stared at me grumbling, he led me towards the hallway and tried to explain.

“This is also part of the lesson. Don’t forget, attacks come when you’re off guard. The test won’t be any different.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. They wouldn’t conduct the ordination exam like some thugs, would they?”

A novitiate wouldn’t have known.

How thuggish the temple could be.

* * *

The day of the ordination exam, which I had fervently prayed would never come, finally arrived.

However, contrary to my worries, the start wasn’t bad. The first test was written.

Honestly, the written exam wasn’t that difficult. Having spent my previous life in a country known for its cramming education system, I was quite confident in cramming information into my head in a short period, and I had always been good at studying. Thus, the first three-hour hurdle was quite manageable.

“Oh, if I fail, how will I face my parents?”

Although Leila, who had a face that looked like her soul had been sucked out, didn’t seem to have done very well.

The second test, which was the preparation of a recovery potion, was also completed without any issues, perhaps because I had mastered the basics well during the vigra incident.

The same went for the healing technique I had practiced tirelessly, tying that wretched gyursh to a fixed stand. Fortunately, I performed much better in practice than I had worried. The effort I put into being cautious paid off, as I didn’t sever the stem of gyursh this time.

In fact, except for the peeling process, the rest was rather interesting, so I expected good grades. As a result, I successfully restored a fruit that looked like it had been stabbed with a fork back to its pristine condition.

The unexpected challenge, or rather, the anticipated final boss, was the defense test, which was worse than I had feared, truly the worst.

“Gasp!”

I was shocked by how similar the situation was, like déjà vu. I mean, it wasn’t even a real battle, and the test was this underhanded?

It had been quiet for a long time after the final attack, so I thought the test was over and released the barrier, only for a new attack to fly straight at me!

I glared at the cannon-like machine, sweating profusely. This magical weapon, made in ancient times when engineers were abundant, was disgustingly sturdy and had been playing its role perfectly in the ordination exam for hundreds of years.

Looking back, the written test, which only required a pen, was heaven, and the healing technique test, which I had worried about, was better than purgatory compared to this.

It felt like I had been tormented by this hellish barrier test for thirty minutes. Wasn’t this enough? How long did I have to endure this?

“Increase power. Raise the concentration of magic energy by 5%.”

No way, Sister Elexi? Are you telling me to die?

I looked at the supervising priest with an extremely aggrieved expression. I really felt like I had done enough. But her orders didn’t stop there.

“All directions.”

Even if I couldn’t hear her voice well, I could read her lips. She definitely said all directions. Is she crazy?

Following her order, two other priests turned the springs attached to the weapon, and even more powerful attack magic began to pour out indiscriminately. Unable to withstand it with the current barrier alone, I drew on my holy power to add another layer and slowly stepped back.

In this test, I had to protect not only myself but also the holy relic behind me. Of course, it wasn’t a real holy relic but a replica, but since it was a fairly large statue, the range I had to maintain the barrier over was wide.

With my holy power being drained significantly, the best I could do was to stand as close to the statue as possible.

“Seriously, I might pass out at this rate…”

I suddenly thought of Keene, who had pushed me to my limits. Did he know in advance that the ordination exam would be like this?

Though I didn’t want to admit it, I felt like it was thanks to him that I was holding on this much.

“Sister Elexi… I really can’t go on…”

I looked desperately at Sister Elexi, who was observing me with eyes devoid of any sympathy. Surely, she wouldn’t give me a low score after tormenting me this much, right?

At some point, I saw her eyebrow twitch. Just as her unique expressionless face softened slightly, my strength left me, and my legs gave out.

Bang!

Almost simultaneously, Sister Elexi waved her hand, neutralizing the attack magic pouring down on me with holy power. I looked at the priests who quickly turned the springs to stop the machine, then rested my head on the ground. The damp smell of the cold dirt floor, not the usual marble floor of the temple, wafted up.

“Sister Elexi, please give me a good score…”

That was my last memory.

Please, I don’t even wish to become a Great Saint, just let me return to secular life without worrying about employment.

* * *

Noisy sounds and walls full of graffiti. The familiar scent of snacks that made my mouth water and the students in school uniforms sitting on simple chairs.

A scene that was as familiar as the air back then.

“Wow, are you going to Seohan University?”

The fork that was heading towards the egg mixed with tteokbokki trembled. When the name of the school that gave me both relief and disappointment came up, my chest twisted uncomfortably.

Unable to find anything else to say, I replied briefly, “Yeah.” My friend clapped as if it were their own celebration.

“What, why didn’t you say anything? Congratulations!”

“Right. That’s awesome!”

I awkwardly smiled at my friends who were congratulating me and said a quick thank you before picking up my fork again. The subtle pride mixed with lingering regret created another wave of ambivalent emotions.

“Mihyun got into Korea University. You can see each other often since it’s close.”

“…”

The fork that was cutting the plump egg in half stopped once more. What struck my ears more intensely than my close friend’s name was the university he would attend.

Like a first love that refuses to be forgotten, I lowered my head, hiding the lingering attachment to my top-choice school deep inside. On the plate, the half-cooked yolk was miserably crushed, peeking through the whites.

A half-cooked egg. Properly cooked, but never fully done.

My life had always been like this slightly lacking yolk.

“Du! You’re awake?”

As I slowly blinked, I saw the striking red hair that always caught my eye. As I raised my hand to my throbbing forehead and sat up, Leila frowned as if she didn’t like it but dutifully supported me.

“Where am I…”

“Where else? The infirmary. You fainted during the test because you were so tense.”

No wonder it felt familiar. It was the place I had come to when I was poisoned by a wolven. Shaking my head with a sigh, I spoke as if I was sick of it.

“I didn’t faint from tension. I collapsed from exhaustion. What kind of test is that harsh?”

“Exhaustion? Did you give it your all?”

“Of course. If I don’t become an ordained priest, I can’t think of going home.”

The prerequisite for my mother’s ‘daughter marriage project’ was that I be ordained as a priest. If I ruined my mother’s ambition to find a top-class son-in-law with my elevated status as Stella, I would surely be beaten for the rest of my life.

“Ha, well, at least fainting was worth it. You came in first place.”

“…What?”

“The results just came out, and it was a huge deal. I was so surprised! You were always complaining, but you turned out to be super talented!”

“What did you just say…”

My brain froze, and my jaw went slack.

First place?

…Me?