While the Warriors get an Ascension Exams that requires them to fight deadly battles with divine beasts once they reach the Upper Years…..
The Scholars have this 7-day examinations called the Scholastic Exams to serve as their own test for how much they improved since the Lower Years.
At the very beginning of his 4th year, Ronin walked into the classroom with every single students with their nose deep into their books, reading and reading for this prestigious examination.
He just walked into his desk and spent his time staring off the window.
“You’re not going to study, Ronin?”
He turned, and saw that Edelweiss was looking at him with a judging look.
(He has been in a daze for a long while… I did not want to talk to him ever since he and Cermin became friends, but….)
(Could something have happened between them? Could Cermin have done something to him that made him suddenly become so….. quiet?)
Ronin raised an eyebrow at her concern. But then again, it made sense.
Edelweiss, like Belladonna, sees him as something different from the other guys.
They see him as weaker and have lesser capability to bring harm, not to mention that he was always disinterested in women. And so, they felt safer around him and regard him like an ‘equal’ or even a ‘comrade’.
Edelweiss reminded him: “The Scholastic Exams may be two months from now, but it would be extremely difficult, with a thousand questions every single day for a whole week.”.
“All of us would best study as early as we can.” She advised.
Ronin shrugged. “Thanks for reminding, but I will be fine. I did a bit of study beforehand.”
Many years ago, in fact, when he was still a child. Yet it was still fresh on his mind.
And besides, academic examinations were not really difficult at all.
‘There’s always a pattern in the way questions were structured, and as long as you have a bit of prior knowledge, contextual analyzation skills, and logic…..’
‘Any exam, no matter the subject, would be easy as pie.’
‘Like chess, and life itself, you would do well if you know the rules and follow those rules.’ Ronin thought to himself.
Meanwhile, Edelweiss thought about his response, and realized it did make sense.
“Oh, right…. You were the highest scorer in the entrance exams after all, and all your tests and quizzes had always been perfect.”
She added: “A genius like you that does not really have any pressure to meet the standards of your family would have nothing to worry about.”
Ronin raised an eyebrow. “You don’t say…. I suppose not much would be expected from a Coal commoner, eh?”
She blinked, then raised her hand in defense. “Oh, no, I do not mean it as something offensive.”
” It’s just the conclusion I made about you, being calm and aloof, and I’m sorry if that made you think I’m looking down on Commoners.”
Ronin shook his head. “No, I don’t think that. You’re basing on logic too, it makes sense.”
He added: “My family would have already been happy with having me attend this Academy as the first Commoner student, that’s why you assumed that, right?”
“Yes….” Edelweiss lowered her head.
“Since you are not a noble, your family would not really put much weight on your success. You do not have to compete at all, and yet you were included in the competition because of your natural giftedness.”
“Meanwhile, I have to compete with all I have just to get past these men….” She said, more of to herself than to Ronin.
Then, shook her head.
“I’m speaking nonsense. Since you do not want to study, can you help me by asking questions instead?” She asked.
“We still have some time before the teacher arrives. I’ll answer them as fast and efficiently as I can.”
Ronin sighed. (Everyone thinks I’m some nice guy they can rely on. First as a research buddy, now a study buddy.)
But he can’t really blame them, that’s exactly the impression he wanted to have from them in order to gain advantage of them.
He agreed, since he had nothing better to do anyway.
“What subject shall I first ask questions about?”
Edelweiss thought about it. “I am not that good at the new Advanced Life Science, the one revolving around chemical compositions and geological aspects of Magecia.”
“Mn. I do best in that subject.” Ronin said. “Very well, hand me you textbook.”
She smiled and seemed somehow relieved. “Thank you, Ronin.”
She must have also felt that they were essentially acquaintances now after doing a group project once, and talking more than she did with anyone else in the room now that Klio was on the Spire of Artisans.
So, it’s the same with Cermin too. He’s all she had to socialize.
Ah, humans really were too pathetic as even their most introverted creatures like Edelweiss seeks companionship.
And Ronin would be the most useful study companion with his exceptional intelligence in all topics, so it’s logical too.
But as they exchange questions and answers in various subjects like Science, History, Law and Politics…
He heard:
(I’m glad that he seemed as fine as before. I must have been over worrying after what happened with Cermin.)
(I pity him. Ever since the start, he reminded me of what I was like before I met Calla Lily and Klio.
(Always alone with no one to understand him… People like us really are just like that.)
(Difficult to understand. We find it difficult to trust, and so we don’t say what’s on our mind and gets misunderstood because of it.)
(I still distrust Cermin. But…)
(If he finds him as someone who could at least understand him for who he is, despite the differences, like I do with the girls…..)
(Then I guess….. their friendship would not be so bad.)
Ronin frowned, and handed back the textbook to her.
“That would be enough for now. The professor will arrive soon.”
“Ah, yes.” Edelweiss nodded. “Thanks again, and I hope we both do well today.”
Ronin faked a smile, even though he was seething with anger. “Yes, have a good day ahead.”
Edelweiss turned around to face forward to the teacher again, and Ronin gripped his quill like he could snap it in half.
Her thoughts repeated in his own head.
(I pity him….)
He always knew she pitied him, but he assumed that has something to do with being perceived weak as a Commoner.
But to pity him simply because he was…. alone? Because he had no friends?
(If he can find someone who understands him for who he was… if Cermin would….. It’s not a bad friendship.)
Ronin sneered. He wanted so badly to reply to these words, but kept it in his head:
‘I don’t need anyone to understand me, especially not that idiot Cermin who barely understands anything in this world. I do not need actual friendship.’
‘Because unlike you, Edelweiss, I do not seek the companionship or validation of others to know that I am good enough. I do not need to compete with anyone to know my worth.’
‘You are the pitiful one, not me! You are just like every puny human here that needed someone else by their side in order to exist!’
‘Meanwhile, I can live by myself. And I do not need to be pitied for being by myself!’
‘I only need myself and nobody else!’
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