During my conversation with Professor Radvisin, it became clear that my concerns were not unfounded.
But I couldn't act immediately.
I needed time to figure out what I should say to help Skati steady herself and break free from the bullying on her own.
The biggest obstacle, of course, was the fact that the body I possessed belonged to Karvaldr.
Given his personality, offering warm comfort or words of encouragement was impossible.
Furthermore, since Karvaldr had been a perpetrator of bullying, it was absolutely impossible for him to empathize with the pain experienced by a victim.
Another problem was that I had no idea where Skati usually stayed or what she normally did.
Although students were still allowed to enter the Combat Building, which contained the personal rooms and dedicated training grounds of combat faculty, even during the exam period.
'There's no way Skati would stay there, right?'
The people harboring malice toward Skati were most likely combat-line professors.
Scholar-type professors were always occupied with their own research, and because their fields differed, they had no reason to see Skati as a rival or try to keep her in check.
Moreover, the process through which they became professors differed from that of combat-line faculty.
In any case, from the perspective of scholar-type professors, both Skati and the other combat-line professors had simply been hired because their martial prowess had been recognized.
So there would have been no reason for them to complain about her being some sort of parachute appointment.
'Who would willingly spend time in a place crawling with people who hate them?'
For that reason, I didn't waste time visiting the Combat Building.
I don't know whether Reisir went there or not.
If he had encountered Skati and read her skill window, he would have said something to me, but since he hadn't brought it up so far, he likely hadn't met her either.
Then the week of midterms arrived, and today was Wednesday, the day of the Dagger Skills practical exam.
Once this exam ended, I planned to request a conversation with Skati.
"I'll explain the testing method now~, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) so everyone listen carefully, okay~?"
The Dagger Skills practical exam Skati prepared involved passing through obstacles while throwing daggers at targets.
There were ten targets in total.
Half were fixed in place, while the other half moved continuously.
Anyone could tell at a glance that this was an exam conducted one person at a time.
In that case, naturally, the first participant was at the greatest disadvantage, while those who went later held the advantage.
Because they could observe the movements of the person who tested first and compensate accordingly to achieve a better result.
Perhaps Skati was aware of this issue as well, because instead of immediately calling the name written at the top of the attendance sheet, she stepped forward to demonstrate herself first.
To provide a perfect example so everyone could take the exam as fairly as possible.
She leaped over or dodged the various obstacles she had set up while simultaneously throwing daggers at the targets.
At the very end, to strike a target hanging high above, she even used an obstacle as a foothold to leap upward.
All of those acrobatic movements incorporated the techniques she had taught during lectures.
"Each person gets two tries, and the better result will be reflected in your grade~. But the grading criteria don't only include the time it takes to hit all the targets~? The number of daggers you throw also matters, so don't just throw them carelessly. You have to be careful~. Got it~?"
Skati finished her explanation while pulling the daggers embedded perfectly in the center of the targets free.
Both the testing process and the grading method prevented the professor from arbitrarily manipulating scores.
My concern that Skati might intentionally give only me a low grade became meaningless.
The students stepped forward in attendance order to take the test.
Including myself, there were only ten students in the Dagger Skills class, so I initially assumed it would end quickly.
Yet it took a surprisingly long time for my turn to arrive.
'Am I the only one who separately reviewed the movements taught during class or practiced throwing daggers at targets...? If so, then why are they even taking this class? Because it looked fun? Or is this genuinely the result of their practice?'
It seemed I was the only person taking this lecture seriously.
I suppose that was inevitable, since the others didn't know that Demon Realms would soon begin appearing throughout the world.
They probably didn't think there was any need to develop various survival skills.
Even for aspiring knights who wished to refine their martial abilities, the same applied.
Training with their primary weapon would naturally take precedence over a secondary weapon like a dagger.
I suspected most of them enrolled with the lighthearted thought that it would look cool when playing dart games.
'Most students at this academy come from noble families, so it can't be helped.'
Throwing daggers at targets while traversing obstacles?
Everyone managed it once.
But only one student succeeded, and even that happened through sheer luck.
In the end, after crossing each obstacle, the students repeatedly stopped in place to throw daggers at the targets.
At minimum one or two daggers, but usually around five or six. In extreme cases, one student threw more than ten daggers at a single target.
And that was only for the stationary targets.
When it came to the moving targets, the number of daggers thrown doubled.
Naturally, the number of daggers they brought before the exam was insufficient.
As if she had anticipated this, Skati stood beside the students and immediately resupplied them with more daggers.
And after each round ended, all the scattered daggers had to be collected again.
So delays were inevitable.
The attitudes of the students later in the order, who initially complained about why they couldn't do that or whined that waiting was boring, gradually changed.
Everyone became tense, holding their breath.
They realized there was a high probability they too would embarrass themselves just like the earlier students had.
"The next one is~, Karvaldr Austri?"
"Yes."
I was seventh out of ten.
Recalling Skati's demonstration in my head, I fastened a belt carrying fifteen daggers around my waist.
Then, after taking a deep breath, I looked toward Skati, and the signal to begin was given.
'First, jump over the waist-high hurdle and throw a dagger at the target on the side, then lower my posture... and that obstacle is...'
Although I missed the moving targets three times midway through, I struck all the others on the first throw.
And I didn't do it while standing still, but while simultaneously navigating the obstacles.
I immediately threw additional daggers at the missed targets and struck them right away, consuming only thirteen daggers in total.
Naturally, the time I took was short.
Considering combat against moving enemies, all the training I'd done, even asking Yor to throw disc-shaped targets for me, had clearly been worthwhile.
'If I do even better next time, I might be able to hit every target...?'
Thinking that, I looked toward Skati with a slight sense of excitement.
It was a reflexive action, since she was a professor who never hesitated to praise students who performed well and knew how to encourage students who struggled.
Having heard praise several times throughout her lectures, I unconsciously expected her to do the same this time.
But...
"......"
Of course things turned out this way.
Skati didn't even glance at me and merely recorded the result on the score sheet in silence.
I wasn't some child starving for an adult's attention, and I felt embarrassed wondering what exactly I had been expecting.
"It seems someone is outside...? I'll go check for a moment, so everyone wait here~."
While I silently gathered the daggers I had thrown, Skati suddenly said that and stepped out into the hallway.
Did someone really come?
Or was she intentionally interrupting the flow to prevent me from achieving a better score on my second attempt?
That negative thought suddenly crossed my mind, but...
'Probably not. Considering the level of the other students, she'll have to give me an A regardless based solely on the result I just achieved.'
Looking at the expressions of the other students, I could see surprise and admiration written across their faces.
As though they were thinking... so this test wasn't actually impossible for students after all.
Judging by their reactions, it didn't seem likely any of them would outperform me.
About five minutes later, Skati returned to the lecture hall and signaled for me to begin my second attempt.
Perhaps because the flow had been interrupted midway through, or perhaps for some other reason, I strangely lacked motivation.
As a result, far from hitting every target, my performance actually worsened, and this time I used fourteen daggers.
"Nyaang~."
As I returned the daggers to Skati and headed back to my seat, the baby dragon gave me a double thumbs-up.
The gesture was so charming and adorable.
Not only did it soften my mood, but I nearly laughed aloud and had to struggle to maintain my expression.
While petting Yor, who clung to me while acting cute, the remaining three students finished their exams.
As expected, none of them achieved a better result than mine.
"Everyone worked hard~! Good luck on the rest of your exams, and see you next week~?"
Just as always, Skati bid farewell to the students with a bright tone and expression.
Usually she either left first or remained in the lecture room, and today it was the latter.
She was probably cleaning up the obstacles set up for the exam.
The students began leaving one by one, but I remained in place because I had an objective.
Skati ignored me and quietly cleaned up the obstacles one at a time.
After mentally counting to sixty once the last student had left the room, I decided it was about time to start a conversation.
So just as I opened my mouth...
"Karvaldr? Why aren't you coming out?"
A student who didn't even take the Dagger Skills class stood at the doorway and said that.
Naturally, my brow furrowed at the sudden appearance of an intruder.
"Reisir... Why are you here?"
"My exam ended early, so I thought I'd hang out with you until dinner?"
It was absurd nonsense.
Obviously, he had come to check Skati's skill window.
Don't tell me Skati went out into the hallway earlier because she sensed Reisir's presence?
If so, I should assume Reisir had already read Skati's skill window.
I needed to talk to Reisir about what he saw, but that was something I could do at any time.
On the other hand, if I couldn't speak with Skati today, I would have to wait an entire week.
"You came for nothing. I have something to discuss with the professor, so go entertain yourself somewhere else."
I waved my hand dismissively, as though shooing him away.
At my gesture, Reisir looked puzzled.
"Where's the professor?"
"You... what are you talking about right now...?"
My first thought was, 'Does he mean he refuses to acknowledge a former assassin as a professor?'
But I quickly realized that wasn't what Reisir meant.
Because Skati was nowhere to be seen inside the lecture room.
