The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 58

Episode 58

Rose was taken aback by Jasper’s confident attitude. The introductory exam in magic engineering wasn’t particularly difficult. Since it was a pass/fail evaluation, they didn’t purposely make the questions overly challenging to introduce differentiation.

However, no matter how easy the exam might be, getting a perfect score was no small feat. Rose looked at Jasper, who wore a relaxed smile.

“It would be great if you get a perfect score, but… What if we make a bet? Would that motivate you more?”

“Of course.”

“But what’s in it for me if I win the bet?” 

“We should decide on a reward.”

“What could it be?”

“Well… Granting one wish for the winner as the reward.”

Rose rolled her eyes and thought carefully. She couldn’t think of anything Jasper might want. 

‘Jasper has already received so much.’

Even now, it was enough.

‘If Jasper doesn’t get a perfect score, I’ll make my wish for the next exam to be a perfect score.’

Rose felt a sense of responsibility for Jasper’s grades. After all, she had received tuition fees from Jasper in exchange for helping him improve his magic engineering grades. Other than doing well on the exams, she didn’t want anything else from Jasper.

Rose nodded firmly and spoke.

“Alright, let’s make the bet.”

“You’re the one who suggested it, so you can’t back out later.”

Jasper said firmly, his voice sounding almost intimidating.

Rose tilted her head and asked.

“What kind of wish could it be?”

“It’s something I have in mind. I’ll tell you if I win.”

Jasper’s expression seemed slightly more excited than usual as if he had already thought about his wish.

Rose was genuinely pleased that Jasper seemed to have a newfound determination to study magic engineering. The probability of fulfilling Jasper’s wish might be slim, but she felt that she could grant any wish without hesitation.

* * *

Next Thursday, Rose submitted her thermodynamics answer sheet and was the first student to leave the exam room quickly.

“Phew.”

Rose took a relieved breath and hurriedly walked towards another classroom. 

“I’m glad it wasn’t as difficult as I thought.”

Thanks to finishing the thermodynamics exam quickly, she had a little more time to prepare for the advanced mathematics exam in the afternoon.

After that, Rose had no more exams left. She had studied for days with little sleep, but from tonight onwards, she could finally take a break. She was free until Monday when regular classes would start again.

‘I can read the books I couldn’t get to… and maybe go to the salon that Briley and Rebecca wanted to visit.’

Until last year, her life had continued just like usual after exams ended. However, this year felt a bit different.

She used to think she shouldn’t feel this kind of relaxation. The pressure to maintain her grades was intense, and she pushed herself harder, feeling like she couldn’t afford to have fun like other students.

But recently, her thoughts had been changing little by little. She realized that even if she took a few days to relax and have fun with friends, nothing catastrophic happened. Instead, it refreshed her mind, and she found herself more determined to work harder.

‘By the way… Is Jasper doing well?’

It was the time when Jasper was taking the introductory exam for magic engineering. Rose’s steps slowed down as she thought of Jasper.

‘I should watch out for him.’

She believed he wouldn’t fail like before. Jasper’s confidence was not without reason. She also knew he was a clever person who could do anything if he set his mind to it.

‘But is it not too hard to get a perfect score?’

However, if he did manage to get a perfect score, it would make her proud and happy. It would be proof that she had somehow helped Jasper.

‘I hope he’s doing well…’

As she walked down the corridor while praying for Jasper, Rose’s eyes caught sight of a bulletin board. Two notices were posted side by side in the center.

One was about an invention contest hosted by the royal family, and the other was about the preliminary rounds of a sword-fighting competition taking place next week.

‘So, the sword fighting competition is being held here again this year.’

Berkley Academy was not only located in the capital but also had the largest sports field in the city. In addition to school events, external competitions like this were often held at Berkley.

‘Jasper will probably participate.’

Jasper Conway had broken the record for the youngest champion last year. The previous year’s champion had faced a tough challenge this year to make it to the finals.

‘If he wins in the finals, he’ll become the defending champion and compete again next year. If he loses in the finals, Jasper’s championship record will remain at one. Champions who win five years in a row can enter the Hall of Honor and retire gloriously from the competition.’

Winning at such a young age was already remarkable, but if Jasper defended his champion title this year, he would be making history once again.

The sword-fighting competition winner not only received a substantial cash prize but also the honor of being acknowledged by the Emperor himself. In cases where someone had won three or more times but had not been knighted, the Emperor even bestowed knighthood personally. It was a chance for commoners to turn their lives around.

As always, the excitement surrounding the competition was bound to be intense this year. Those who had passed the regional qualifiers would gather at Berkley Academy for the official qualifiers held over a day. Following the tournament, Jasper would have to face one challenger who had risen through the ranks.

‘I hope he wins again this time.’

Rose naturally recalled the scene of Jasper’s victory last year. 

‘It was so impressive.’

The appearance of the youngest champion had excited the audience. Jasper, standing tall in the middle of the arena, having defeated the reigning champion last year, looked like a boy hero out of legends.

‘I wonder if Jasper is nervous right now?’

She hadn’t realized it, but next week was the start of the competition. 

‘How nervous must he be…’

As Rose walked, she thought she should encourage Jasper when they crossed paths.

* * *

However, two days later, during their club activity, Rose received an unexpected response from Jasper.

“Oh, that sword fighting competition? I’m not nervous about it.”

Everyone was gradually filling the club room, and Jasper shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Because I’m going to win anyway.”

Briley, who had been contemplating cushion covers for the makeshift sofa, heard Jasper’s response and commented.

“Wow, you’re quite confident. Do you know who the challenger in the finals will be?”

“It doesn’t matter who it is. I’ll figure it out during the qualifiers.”

Jasper’s expression remained unwavering, without a hint of doubt. 

Rose found Jasper’s confidence fascinating. To have such unwavering belief in oneself and the skill to back up that confidence, in reality, was impressive.

‘He doesn’t seem nervous at all…’

Rose, on the other hand, had been feeling a bit tense lately. The confirmation of receiving support for the invention contest had not yet been finalized.

Rose believed that she and Theo had come up with the cleanest and most realistic project proposal, but the anxiety wouldn’t go away until the results were announced. Winning the invention contest meant a lot to her.

There seemed to be quite a few academy students applying for the contest, more than expected, so it was taking some time to finalize the list of supported teams. According to Theo, it would be confirmed next week. 

‘I hope it works out.’

As much as she was desperate for it, Rose also hoped Jasper would perform well in the sword-fighting competition. Seeing Jasper’s attitude now, she didn’t seem to have any reason to worry.

Rose sighed in admiration inwardly as she moved her hands faster, tidying up the shelves in the club room. The once-empty club room had transformed into a rather cozy space.

With the club activity funds they received from the academy, Rose had bought various things. She had brought in a bookshelf that had been stored in the academy’s warehouse and filled it with secondhand books. 

Rebecca had brought in fancy teapots and tea leaves, while Briley took care of the overall design. It seemed like Adela and Jasper had arranged the substantial furniture.

The club room had become more luxurious than Rose had imagined. Although it wasn’t very spacious due to the small number of members, the items inside made it as enviable as any larger club.

‘I could come here and take a nap when I need to relax.’

The walking club, which had only one member at first, had developed into this state. It was something she couldn’t have imagined just a few months ago.

Rose felt a slight excitement as she continued to fill the bookshelf. However, as she went higher, her small stature became a hindrance. To place books on the second-to-top shelf, Rose had to raise her heel as much as she could.

It was a bit precarious, but she managed to put books on the second shelf by herself. So, she was silently organizing without asking for help from anyone. Suddenly, a giant shadow loomed behind her.

Silently, Jasper had approached her from behind and took a book from Rose’s hand. Rose was startled and turned around. Jasper’s chest dominated her field of view. While they didn’t touch, she felt enveloped in Jasper’s presence.

‘He’s really big…’

Rose realized Jasper’s size once again and instinctively shrunk her shoulders. For a moment, she smelled something familiar, a scent she had encountered just a while ago. It was the scent coming from Jasper’s jacket. A strong woody aroma surrounded her.

‘Why… Why am I feeling embarrassed?’

Rose felt her cheeks warming for some reason. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Jasper’s eyes and subtly moved away from him.

“I’ll handle the top shelves.”

Jasper’s words made Rose quickly nod in response. 

“Th-thank you.”

With an awkward movement, Rose slipped out of Jasper’s shadow. As she did, she noticed Adela and her gaze met from afar. Adela’s amethyst eyes had a peculiar depth to them.