After returning to the dormitory, Camilla rubbed her itchy nose as she put Rimuru into its little nest.
The blue slime had already finished digesting the energy of the Awakening Potion, and now it was quietly curled up, its body surface shimmering with a luster even more radiant than usual.
Camilla sat down at her desk, but instead of immediately starting to type or review her notes, she rested her chin on her hand, letting her thoughts drift back to memories of the game .
Next month’s Combat Test… In the game, this was the first major story event. Depending on the player’s chosen academic path, the test’s content and the antagonists they encountered were completely different.
Summoner Path: during the test, there would be a sudden assault by the Dark Monster Legion.
Players had to protect their classmates while working together with the professors who arrived to repel the enemy, and finally, they’d have a decisive battle with the Mutant Beast Horde on the edge of the sealing zone. If the player was strong enough, they could even discover the signs of the Legion’s infiltration in advance and trigger the hidden quest “Preemptive Strike”.
Alchemist Path: during the test, players would be drawn into the conspiracy of the “Eye of Truth”.
They’d conduct a Forbidden Experiment somewhere in the back mountain, accidentally causing a monster riot. Players would have to deal with the rampaging monsters while investigating the truth, eventually facing off against the Eye of Truth’s alchemists in a Hidden Laboratory.
Warlock Path, Mage Path, Warrior Path… Every path had its own exclusive villains and storyline. In the original, Ophelia, as the protagonist controlled by the player and a peerless genius, would shine brilliantly on every route.
But that was in the game. In reality, all the strongholds of the various organizations had been wiped out overnight, and the villains who were supposed to appear in the academy were either dead or on the run. Surely this time, the Combat Test wouldn’t have any problems?
The only concern was that, due to certain irresistible circumstances, Krowa would most likely be absent during the test. Without a ninth-rank powerhouse holding the fort, Camilla couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.
But it’s fine. As long as big sister takes the initiative to strike, everything will work out!
The next day at noon, in the Mystra Academy cafeteria, Camilla circled around with her tray and quickly found Ophelia in her usual seat by the window.
The golden-haired girl sat alone, a meal in front of her that was balanced yet generous in portion, eating quickly but with small bites.
“Sis!”
Camilla scooted over and sat down opposite her.
Ophelia looked up, a hint of gentleness flashing in her ice-blue eyes.
“Finished your classes?”
“Yeah, all done. By the way, sis, I wanted to discuss something with you.”
As she spoke, Camilla naturally forked a piece of grilled fish from Ophelia’s plate—big sister never minded sharing her food.
“For next month’s Combat Test, the academy allows students to form their own teams, four people to a team.”
Camilla chewed on the grilled fish, watching her sister’s expression.
“Her Highness Lilian and Miss Elena invited me to join their team. I wanted to ask… do you want to join us?”
Camilla sent a team invitation to Ophelia, but unexpectedly, her sister declined.
“Sorry, Camilla. I’ve already agreed to someone else’s invitation.”
“Eh?”
Camilla was stunned.
This was completely unexpected. Given her sister’s personality, aside from training and classes, she almost never interacted with others. Who could have invited her—and actually gotten her to agree?
“Who is it?” Camilla couldn’t help asking, her tone unintentionally tinged with a hint of jealousy.
“Ludmila, from the Magic Swordsman department—the one you were interested in before.”
Hearing Ophelia’s reply, Camilla nearly choked on her food.
Ludmila? That tragic little prodigy who once slept in a trash can? She actually took the initiative to invite someone to join her team?
No way—in the original, wasn’t she supposed to become a playable character only after completing a certain story event in the second academic year?
“How… did she persuade you?” Camilla asked carefully.
Ophelia thought for a moment, seeming to organize her words.
“A few days ago, she found me on the training ground and just knelt down.”
“…Huh?”
“She said ever since she fought me last time, her swordsmanship hit a bottleneck, and she started doubting her own path. She thinks only I can guide her to a breakthrough, so she begged me to let her follow me in training, including this Combat Test.”
Camilla’s mouth twitched.
What kind of classic story development is this? After being defeated, her resolve is shattered, so she seeks out her rival to become a disciple? Ludmila, isn’t there something off with your character setting? This shouldn’t exist in the original!
“So… you agreed?”
Camilla probed.
“Mm.” Ophelia nodded earnestly.
“She’s very talented, just a bit off in her approach. Guiding her might inspire my own swordsmanship as well.”
Camilla held her forehead. Sis, sis, you’ve totally fallen for her scheme! Swordsmanship inspiration, my foot—she obviously just wants to observe you up close, learn from you, and eventually surpass you! This is the classic “rivals become master and disciple” storyline!
But actually, this isn’t so bad. Little Ai is invincible early on, Big Ai-sensei will shine later, and Ludmila, as a noble magic swordsman, is strong at all stages. Plus, her skills are super effective against demons, which makes her perfect for dealing with troublesome enemies.
“By the way.”
Ophelia suddenly remembered something and mentioned it casually.
“Ludmila said that a few nights ago, she ran into a ‘suspicious demon’ in the academy. The demon was very strong and even injured her.”
Camilla’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her face calm. “A demon? Why would there be a demon in the academy?”
“I don’t know.”
Ophelia shook her head.
“She said the person used a really strange attack, a sickeningly sweet scent that made her whole body feel uncomfortable. Later, the person even gave her a Pure Blood Crystal as ‘compensation.’ Honestly, a very odd demon.”
“Haha, that is weird.”
Camilla lowered her head and ate quietly, doing her best not to let anything show on her face.
“The academy hasn’t been very peaceful lately.”
Ophelia looked at her little sister, worry in her ice-blue eyes.
“Try not to go out alone at night. If anything happens, contact me with your Communication Crystal anytime.”
“Got it.”
Camilla nodded obediently.
“You too, sis—make sure you stay safe.”
The two continued eating, their food vanishing rapidly from the table.
Camilla, meanwhile, was pondering one thing: now that her sister wasn’t joining, who should fill the last spot on the team?
After a few seconds’ thought, Camilla immediately came up with the best candidate—Emma.
Big Ai-sensei, huh…
As she chewed on some grilled mushrooms from her sister’s plate, Camilla weighed Emma’s advantages in her mind.
First, a good personality.
Shy and pure, she wouldn’t plot to lock Camilla up in a small dark room to force her to write like Elena, nor would she be as scheming as Lilian. The team already had a troublesome Royal Princess and a hot-tempered Thousand Gold, so a normal person was desperately needed to balance things out.
Second, all-around capability.
Although she was only a freshman from a commoner background, Emma’s magical talent was the real deal—All-element Affinity, able to use every type of magic and with plenty of tricks up her sleeve.
True, her mana was a bit lacking in the early stages, but that could be solved with some potions.
Got it. After lunch, I’ll go find Big Ai-sensei.
Camilla thought to herself quietly.