Dark-colored Fairy Tale: Seven Magicians - Chapter 47
Chapter 47
The Test
With P.E. class over, the students headed back to their classroom just before the second class of the afternoon. They had barely settled down to rest when the math teacher walked in with a sunny smile.
At the sight of his smile, Chloe suddenly stiffened. The girl who had been sprawled out on her desk sat bolt upright, assuming a defensive posture. This sudden change immediately caught Li Qiuyu’s attention. She glanced at the math teacher standing at the front—a portly man in his forties who seemed completely unremarkable. How could an ordinary middle-aged man like this cause such a strong reaction in Chloe?
While Li Qiuyu was puzzled, the seemingly benevolent teacher pulled a stack of test papers from behind his back. The white sheets, covered in black text, looked like a ravenous beast, drawing groans from the students.
Li Qiuyu had never been to a regular school, so she was initially confused. The teacher, however, was unfazed. He smiled as he unfolded the stack of papers. It was then that Li Qiuyu realized they were a set of tests. Hearing the students’ hushed chatter, she understood the routine: the math teacher would have them take a test in the evening, grade them overnight, and then lecture the failing students the next day.
During her investigation of Liu Menglu and Chloe, Li Qiuyu had looked into their academic records. Chloe scraped by in most subjects, but her math scores had always been excellent. Liu Menglu, on the other hand, consistently ranked first in the entire grade, with near-perfect scores in every subject.
So if Chloe’s math was good, why was she acting like she was facing a great enemy?
As Li Qiuyu puzzled over this, the teacher distributed the tests. She clearly saw Chloe’s hand tremble slightly as she picked up her pen. This strange behavior only piqued Li Qiuyu’s interest.
However, her intense focus also caught the math teacher’s attention. He quietly walked over to her and watched as she remained fixated on Chloe. He then glanced at Chloe’s test paper, which was blank except for her name. What was Li Qiuyu looking at? He had tested her math skills before and knew she had no need to cheat.
Thinking Li Qiuyu was simply daydreaming, he gently tapped her desk. She snapped back to attention, feeling a bit embarrassed. Her expression remained blank, though, so he couldn’t see anything amiss. With a kind smile, the math teacher motioned for her to start her own test.
For Li Qiuyu, who had already self-studied college-level courses, the math problems were nothing. The teacher had allotted two hours for the exam, but she was done in half that time.
It was then that a faint magical fluctuation suddenly emanated from Chloe’s seat. Li Qiuyu immediately looked up. The next second, she saw Chloe, wearing the Headless Tyrant’s Armor, brazenly stand up from her seat. She grabbed a small stool and her test paper, moved to Liu Menglu’s desk, and began to copy the answers.
Liu Menglu not only let Chloe copy, but she also provided instructions. She told Chloe to intentionally get a few answers wrong and to change the order of her work so the teacher wouldn’t notice they had cheated.
Seeing their well-coordinated plan, even the unflappable Li Qiuyu couldn’t help but want to pry open Chloe’s skull to see what was inside. As a magical being, she knew the properties of the Headless Tyrant’s Armor—a legendary artifact known for its physical and magical defense. It was a top-tier piece of gear with no obvious weaknesses. And now, this powerful piece of equipment was being used to cheat on a math test?
Surrounded by a lifetime of rigid adherence to rules, Li Qiuyu’s worldview was utterly shattered.
Chloe knew that doing this would catch Li Qiuyu’s attention, but did she care? After all the nights she’d spent tormented by math problems, what was so wrong with using her own artifact to cheat? She was cheating right under the teacher’s nose using her own abilities. If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and report me! she thought. The world’s rules would repair the anomaly anyway. That’s why Chloe was so unconcerned, brazenly wearing that black, spine-covered armor to cheat.
After all, getting twenty or thirty points on a math test and being called to the office to study equations she didn’t understand was just too awful. She believed her cheating was simply another way of experiencing the deadly sin of laziness, so she saw nothing wrong with it. But in Li Qiuyu’s eyes, this behavior was just further proof that Chloe was on a path of self-destruction.
This solidified Li Qiuyu’s resolve to separate Liu Menglu from Chloe.
…
And yet…
The sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Liu Menglu and Chloe. One wore a terrifying suit of armor, while the other was in a soft school uniform. They sat close together, and the sharp spines on the armor seemed poised to pierce the girl’s delicate skin at any moment. But watching their focused and innocent expressions, Li Qiuyu suddenly felt a strange sense of harmony between them.
The thought quickly surfaced, and just as quickly, Li Qiuyu rejected it. How are they harmonious? Even if they looked that way now, the moment Chloe fell into a demon, Liu Menglu would be the first victim. Recalling the lunch box she’d been offered this morning and that warm, kind smile, Li Qiuyu’s complicated emotions solidified into fierce determination.
It was better to be safe than sorry.
The math teacher collected the tests exactly two hours later and announced that class was dismissed. The moment the tests were handed in, Chloe collapsed onto her desk like a deflated doll, looking pitifully at Liu Menglu.
Liu Menglu was both amused and annoyed. She leaned in and said in a hushed voice, “Don’t act so tired. I’m the one who did all the work.”
Chloe ignored her and simply stared at Liu Menglu with her dark, pleading eyes, which were like a small animal’s begging for a pat. Liu Menglu’s heart instantly melted. Just as she was about to hug Chloe, Li Qiuyu’s cold voice cut through the air.
“Chloe, I challenge you to a duel, a magical duel with a bet.”