I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines-Chapter 106 – Final Exams (3)
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 106 – Final Exams (3)
Regia Pilots.
The protagonist of the original work ‘The World Seen by the Little Prince’ and a girl who held a spot in Class A with top-tier grades.
At the same time, she was also considered the most gifted summoner of the modern era.
However, just as a promising seed doesn’t always bloom into a flower, even the greatest talents require time to fully mature.
Because she was still inexperienced, the protagonist faced various challenges.
Lately, her worries had grown particularly heavy.
- What do I do…?
The source of her troubles was none other than her abilities.
From the moment she first began communicating with summoned creatures until now, she had been grappling with the same persistent issue.
She couldn’t freely activate her powers.
A miracle known as the Dragon.
Perhaps the side effects required to achieve such a miracle were only natural.
After all, transcendent beings were capable of overturning the natural order with a mere breath. Expecting a fragile girl to fully contain such a miracle was unreasonable.
It was like trying to fit the ocean into a single pot.
- I… I did it. I was scared, but I overcame it.
- I just wanted to help you… even if it was just once.
Of course, Regia had already managed to overcome her limitations.
Despite walking a path filled with fear, as if treading on the edge of a blade, she had learned how to bloom without wilting.
It was thanks to the deep affection she held for someone precious to her.
But even so, a new repercussion had emerged alongside her growth—she had become overly reliant on that person.
Regia could only feel free from fear when she was by his side.
In other words...
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- When I’m alone… I can’t do it.
Her entire emotional state revolved around him.
She couldn’t properly control her abilities.
While the summoning process itself was always a success, maintaining a transcendent being in the current world depended entirely on the summoner’s capabilities.
In her case, it was like rolling a die.
Depending on her condition that day, the summoned creature might last for a long time—or disappear before it even had a chance to exhale.
Her ability was as unstable and volatile as her own inner state.
However, things were different when she was by the Serpent’s side.
- I have no doubt about it.
- Miss Regia, you’ll become a star that shines brighter than anyone.
- Until then, I’ll stay by your side.
Perhaps because those words had left such a vivid memory, being by his side always felt comforting.
It was as if all the worries in the world vanished.
When every concern scattered like dust and only the sound of his steady breaths remained, Regia could summon without a single flaw.
She could maintain her summoned creature in the best condition possible.
‘Because you were there.’
He was the only one who believed in her, despite her shortcomings.
The one who helped her forget her weakness.
And so, Regia couldn’t help but open her heart to him, allowing herself to lean on him.
A dependency.
“U-Um…Lord Judas.”
“Yes, Miss Regia?”
“A-About the practical exam… I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
This final exam was important to her.
As the semester’s grand conclusion, with all the students watching, it was a chance to prove herself to those who had mocked her.
She needed to show overwhelming results.
Though she wouldn’t be expelled—she’d been admitted on the headmaster’s recommendation, after all—she didn’t want to remain as a mere hanger-on in Class A.
She wanted to stand tall in front of those who had looked down on her and prove her worth.
So that she could stand by his side.
So that she could contribute, even just a little, to his dazzling light.
That’s why she made her request.
“Would you… watch my match during tomorrow’s practical exam?”
A step forward.
A request to witness her inexperienced self striving to grow.
* * *
On the day of the practical exam.
The public arena where the exams were held was packed with people.
Even excluding those waiting for their turn, the seats were crowded with students from other years and academy staff alike.
The wide spectator stands buzzed with noise.
Everyone was here to watch.
Eyes brimming with anticipation, they were all fixated on the circular arena.
It seemed that, as one of the academy’s most notable events, the practical exams drew attention from students of all grades.
The first day of exams, in particular, featured several matches that had caught people’s attention.
《The sixth match will begin shortly.》
《Participants in the sixth match, please follow the broadcast instructions to proceed to the arena.》
The sixth match.
Regia’s match.
[Match 6]
[Regia Pilots vs. Britton Bladers]
As always, dueling exams vividly exposed the gap between the competitors.
It made it painfully clear who was stronger and who was weaker.
This time, the match had drawn significant attention because it pitted Regia, the lowest-ranked student in Class A, against Britton, the top-ranked student in Class B.
The outcome of this match could potentially affect the class assignments for the next semester.
-If Britton does well, he might move up to Class A, right?
-And the other one? Would she drop to Class B?
-It’s not that simple, but if he wins overwhelmingly… it could happen.
-Yeah, it seems likely. I mean, look at his opponent—she’s so weak.
Regia Pilots.
There was plenty of gossip about her.
While she had proven her ability by summoning a dragon, that had been during an incident in a far-off desert.
Most people at the academy still didn’t know much about her.
The only image of Regia in their minds was from the placement test at the start of the semester, where she had been crushed by the villainess, left in a pitiful state.
To them, she was just a pretender—a student unable to properly handle her own powers.
-So, who are you betting on?
-There’s no need to even think about it. Britton, obviously.
-She hasn’t shown us anything. Meanwhile, Britton hasn’t lost his top spot in Class B all semester.
-She doesn’t have that overwhelming presence the other Class A students have…
-It’s a mystery how she even passed the entrance exam.
-Who knows? Not like we’ll ever find out.
It was only natural.
In Galimard Academy, filled with fierce competition, Regia was an easy target.
Especially because rumors claimed she was trying to mingle with nobles like Judas and Emilia, despite being a commoner of unknown origin.
People naturally mocked her for aiming too high.
-They say she can summon something amazing, though.
-A wyvern? Wasn’t that just a rumor?
-Some say it’s made up, while others claim she does summon dragons but can’t control them.
-Doesn’t matter—Britton’s already won this one.
-Yep.
Some even believed her abilities were a hoax.
After all, interactions between classes were limited, so unless someone was in the same class, it was hard to verify the rumors.
With few opportunities to showcase her abilities, doubts were inevitable.
-Let’s see how badly she gets crushed.
-I’m betting five minutes tops.
-Five? I’ll say three.
-I just hope she doesn’t embarrass herself too much.
Amidst the murmurs of gossip, most saw her as nothing more than a withered flower by the roadside.
But what they didn’t know was that, even in the darkest hours of dawn, the protagonist had managed to bloom into something truly beautiful.
It didn’t take long for the tide of opinion to turn.
《Participants, please take your positions.》
《The exam will be conducted as a duel. The match will end if one side is subdued or incapacitated.》
《The match will also end if one participant forfeits.》
As the first announcement signaled the start of the match, and the broadcast echoed across the arena, everything began to change.
《Ready… begin!》
Before her opponent could make any moves, the girl’s lips softly whispered an incantation.
A faint echo, barely audible, resonated in the air.
It was fleeting, but her voice carried an overwhelming presence, enough to seize control of the atmosphere around her.
“Lend me your strength.”
She transcended.
“Efri.”
The next moment, a roar that seemed to herald the collapse of the world echoed from the sky.
Parting the white clouds with a single flap of its wings, a colossal creature descended with perfect precision to the center of the circular arena.
The autumn air, which had been crisp and cool, instantly turned scorching hot from the presence of the being.
The audience erupted in startled cries, their voices mixing into a chaotic cacophony.
But even that noise was drowned out as the creature let out another bellowing roar.
It was the dragon’s roar.
Kuoooooohhh—!
A bone-chilling sound of overwhelming authority that instilled pure terror across the entire arena.
Before the dragon, which now lowered its head in submission, stood a girl with soft pink hair.
Her hand gently stroked the creature’s snout, as if she were soothing it.
The flames reflected in her emerald-green eyes seemed to make her pupils glow.
The atmosphere, which had shifted in an instant, captivated the entire audience.
Regia reached out her hand, her expression calm but resolute.
“All of it.”
Then, her next command fell like an unyielding decree.
“Burn it all.”
Grrrrrrrr…!
Flames began to gather in the massive creature’s maw, swirling and crackling with terrifying intensity.
The next moment, a blinding white inferno erupted, engulfing the entire arena.
It was a brilliant spectacle, so dazzling that it seemed as though it could split the midday sun in two.
***
It took only ten seconds.
That was the time it took for the match to end.
- All of it… burn it all.
By the time she uttered those words, her opponent had already collapsed, unconscious.
The pressure alone was too much for anyone to endure at a student’s level.
Even though Britton, the top-ranked student in Class B, had only locked eyes with the dragon for a brief moment, he had already started foaming at the mouth and fallen to the ground.
The same was true for many of the students sitting in the audience.
Although the barrier around the arena protected them from harm, several students could be seen clutching their stomachs, groaning from nausea.
I observed the ensuing chaos with calm detachment.
"That’s enough! The match is over!"
It was the supervisor who intervened to bring the situation to a halt.
Perhaps realizing how dangerous things could get, the professor overseeing the exam leapt into the arena, creating a massive magical shield to block the dragon’s raging flames.
Even with the magic-coated barrier minimizing the damage, the surface of the shield was already melting from the intense heat.
“What… What in the world…?”
The professor’s face was pale with shock.
If the dragon’s summoner hadn’t restrained its power at the last moment, the professor might not have been able to block the attack at all.
He wiped a bead of cold sweat from his temple, clearly shaken by the thought that the flames could have consumed him entirely.
Meanwhile, the dragon continued to let out deep, resonating roars.
Kuoooooo—!
“Hmph.”
I remained quietly seated, observing the scene.
As the head assistant responsible for helping facilitate the exams, I had the best seat in the house to watch Regia’s match.
Of course, I was here because of her request.
- Would you… watch my match during tomorrow’s practical exam?
At the time, I had been a little taken aback.
To think she had worked up so much courage to ask for something so simple.
It felt almost anticlimactic, as if the anticipation she had built up had deflated in an instant.
Still, since I had already planned to watch the match, I readily agreed to her request.
And thanks to that, I was able to enjoy an unexpectedly entertaining spectacle.
《The winner of the match is Regia Pilots. Britton Bladers is declared defeated.》
The announcement broadcast came through hurriedly, the speaker’s voice trembling ever so slightly.
It carried the news of Regia’s overwhelming victory.
Behind me, the reactions of the spectators quickly shifted into an uproar.
-W-What the hell did I just witness?
-A… A wyvern?
-She really summoned one?! I thought it was just a stupid rumor…!
-I told you it was real!
-All it did was roar, and I felt like my entire body was crushed by fear…
-...I think I might’ve wet my pants.
-You’re disgusting.
In just an instant, the public opinion had flipped.
All the ridicule directed at the girl vanished, replaced by awe and admiration that rippled across the audience like waves.
Mockery had shattered in the face of overwhelming strength.
As for the protagonist of this incredible scene, she didn’t seem to care about any of it.
As soon as the match ended, she bolted toward me, her green eyes sparkling with joy.
“I did it, Lord Judas!”
Without warning, she threw herself into my arms.
“Ah—!”
Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, I froze for a moment. But instead of commenting on the unexpected contact, I let it slide.
In this situation, offering praise came first.
“You did an excellent job. It was truly remarkable.”
“Hehe…!”
“You really pulled it off when it mattered most.”
“T-That’s because… you were there by my side, Lord Judas.”
“Ah, so now you’ve mastered humility too?”
I wrapped my arms around her slender figure, feeling her warmth as she fit perfectly into my embrace.
Her soft body and the gentle rise and fall of her breaths brought a subtle warmth to the cool autumn air.
As I stroked her silky pink hair, the tender moment seemed to stretch on for a while.
“…Ah.”
Finally, she stiffened, as if realizing something.
Perhaps she had become aware of her surroundings.
A massive screen above the arena was broadcasting our embrace for all to see.
Before the entire student body, the two of us were frozen in what could only be described as a bold public display of affection.
Her face, already pale from the post-match adrenaline, quickly turned a deep shade of red.
Like a ripened tomato, her flushed cheeks practically radiated heat.
As if realizing her blunder, she awkwardly tried to pull away.
But before she could escape, I mischievously tightened my arms around her, preventing her from leaving the screen’s frame.
Her panicked flailing was rather amusing to watch.
“L-Lord Judas…?!”
“Oh my, you’ve used so much of your strength. You must rest now. Please, lean on me and relax.”
“T-That’s not what I mean…! This isn’t the time for that!”
Amid the brief commotion, the practical exam concluded on a successful note.
***
Later, after the practical exams had ended.
“So, you’re the one, huh? The so-called ‘lover’ of my personal physician.”
The Rose, seated in her wheelchair, cast a cold glare at Regia, who shrank under the weight of her piercing gaze.
Even though her body appeared frail, the sharpness in her leaf-green eyes radiated an imposing presence.
“H-Hiiik…”
Regia cowered, trembling like a frightened rabbit.
Desperately, she shook her head, trying to explain herself, but no matter how much she tried, the Rose’s sharp demeanor didn’t soften.
“T-That’s not it… I… I was just so happy…”
“And?”
“…Huh?”
“I don’t recall asking for an explanation.”
“…Sniff.”
“Why are you crying? I haven’t even said anything yet. What, do I look that terrifying to you?”
“N-No, it’s not that…!”
“Then what is it?”
“U-Um… P-Please, Lord Judas, help me…!”
Her tearful plea for help echoed faintly.
For a while, the timid girl could do nothing but endure the suffocating presence of the princess.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
