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After settling in, they skimmed the handwritten menu displayed on the wall.

Evan leaned in, squinting. "Alright, what are we getting this time? We can't just keep ordering 'the thing that looks like pizza.'"

Pierre sighed. "You could just learn the actual names of the food."

"I could," Evan said. "But I won't."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Carmen muttered. "I also don't think they have it here in this restaurant."

"I think they do, here it is," Maria showed the menu.

Evidently, "the thing that looked like pizza" was a common food around here.

---

The waiter arrived, a young Beastman with sharp golden eyes and a clearly overworked expression.

"What'll it be?" he asked, not even attempting to hide his exhaustion.

Mei ordered first. "I'll have drake pepper stew and flatbread."

Pierre followed. "Something heavy. Meat platter."

Maria and Carmen glanced at each other before settling on seafood skewers.

As the orders continued, Zack scanned the menu, frowning. "Hmm… What do I want?"

The waiter tapped his pen impatiently.

"Come on," Evan said. "Just order already."

Zack looked at him seriously. "I need a meal that represents my journey here. A dish that speaks to my soul."

The waiter didn't even blink. "We have soup."

Zack gasped. "Perfect. One soup, please."

The waiter walked away without another word.

---

As the food arrived, the group settled into conversation, talking about their exams, training, and the things they had learned in just a week.

"It feels weird," June admitted, poking at her stew. "I thought Hell Week would be harder."

"That's because you're actually competent," Maria pointed out. "Some of the students did fail, remember? They are the ones that named the week 'Hell Week'."

"Still," June said, "I was expecting something… worse."

"Give it time," Sia said, chewing thoughtfully. "The real challenges start after graduation."

Mei glanced at Arlon. "What about you? What do you think?"

Arlon took a bite of his food, not rushing to answer.

Finally, he shrugged. "It was worth it."

That was the most they were going to get out of him.

It was the truth anyway. Arlon achieved what he came here for. His only regret was not fighting Orlen once more.

He also wanted to fight other teachers, especially Cika. But he would still have other chances in the future.

---

As they finished eating, the reality of the night settled in.

This was their last meal together as a full group. By tomorrow, the players would be gone, and Cardon Academy would return to its usual routines.

The conversation slowed, but no one mentioned it outright.

Instead, they lingered at the table a little longer than usual, letting the moment last.

Then, as the hour neared its end, they stood up and left the restaurant.

It was time to hear the final results.

---@@novelbin@@

When the group stepped out of the restaurant, the sun had dipped lower, casting long shadows across the academy grounds.

They didn't rush. There was still time.

Even Zack, who usually walked ahead, lingered slightly behind, as if dragging out the moment.

As they neared the exam hall, the atmosphere around them shifted.

The once-busy academy grounds were now filled with students gathering in small groups, all moving in the same direction—toward the large open courtyard where Borik had told them to assemble.

Excitement and tension hung in the air. Some students looked confident, others nervous, their conversations a mix of eager whispers and last-minute self-assurances.

"Some of them are probably worried they failed," Mirek noted, glancing at a group of students exchanging anxious glances.

Pierre nodded. "With how strict the grading is here, I don't blame them."

Leafa crossed her arms. "If they failed, they already know. They just don't want to accept it yet."

She seemed like a pouting child in that pose.

As they entered the courtyard, the students arranged themselves in a loose formation, waiting for the professors to arrive.

Arlon took his place near the front, arms crossed, while the rest of the group spread out nearby.

---

The murmurs in the courtyard fell silent as the academy's professors arrived.

At the front stood Borik, arms crossed, his ever-present scowl making it impossible to tell if he was satisfied or disappointed with the results.

To his side was Cika, observing the gathered students with her usual sharp gaze.

Other examiners stood behind them, holding thick stacks of papers, no doubt containing the final rankings.

After a brief pause, Borik stepped forward and spoke in his deep, commanding voice.

"The exams are over. Some of you passed with excellence, while others barely scraped by. And some… failed."

Tension rippled through the students.

Borik continued, "Now, for the top rankings—those who proved themselves during Hell Week. The first place goes to... Arlon."

No one acted surprised even after the unnecessary suspense created by Borik before giving Arlon's name.

Eyes flickered to Arlon, but he remained completely unmoved, arms crossed as if the announcement had nothing to do with him. He had already known the outcome.

Some students sighed, others nodded in acknowledgment, and a few grumbled under their breath, but there was no dispute.

Cika took a step forward, her voice smoother but carrying just as much weight.

"For second place, we have… a tie."

That caught everyone's attention.

She let the moment stretch before announcing:

"Mei and Alia."

Mei's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she immediately broke into a huge grin and turned to Alia.

"Heh! Looks like I finally caught up to you!" she smirked, nudging Alia with her elbow.

But Alia didn't react how she expected.

Instead of getting annoyed or trying to one-up her, Alia smiled genuinely.

"Congratulations, Mei," she said sincerely. "You did well."

Mei blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Uh… yeah. Of course, I did!"

But before Mei could get carried away, Alia added, "But don't forget… this was thanks to Arlon's help."

Mei's expression froze.

"You should be proud, but don't let it go to your head," Alia continued. "If you want to keep this up, you need to keep working hard."

Mei pouted. "Tch. Why do you always ruin my moments?"

Alia smirked. "Because you make it too easy."

The group chuckled, while Mei grumbled something about never getting to enjoy her victories in peace.

Cika ignored the exchange and moved on.

"Since second place is a tie, that makes third place… or fourth, in this case—Leafa."

Leafa smirked to herself, arms crossed. She had expected as much.

Cika continued, "Fifth place—June."

A few heads turned in surprise.

Everyone, even the players, had assumed that Sia would take fifth place.

Sia herself blinked. "Wait. What?"

Mei burst out laughing. "No way! You lost to June?!"

June, completely ignoring the growing tension beside her, leaned back casually. "Guess I'm better than I thought."

Sia, however, wasn't taking this well. "No, no, no. Something's wrong with the rankings. June is strong, but she shouldn't be stronger than me."

Cika didn't care about Sia's complaints.

"Sixth place—Sia."

Sia let out a dramatic sigh. "This is a disaster. I refuse to accept this."

Mei, grinning like an idiot, patted Sia on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll always be first in our hearts."

Sia swatted her hand away. "Shut up, Mei."

"And in seventh place—Mirek."

Mirek smiled slightly, content with his placement.

Cika finished the top rankings with a final note.

"The rest of the rankings will be posted shortly. However, I will mention that all guest students have placed within the top 25."

Some students looked disappointed hearing that.

Even though the players had only been here for a week, they had managed to outrank the majority of Cardon Academy's third-years.

Borik stepped forward again.

"That concludes the exam results. Those of you who passed—prepare for what comes next. Those who failed—you already know your fate."

With that, the exam week was officially over.

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And for the players, their time at Cardon Academy was coming to an end.