She had gathered all the points she needed.
With this much, she not only met the minimum requirement to pass the exam but could even rank among the top scorers.
And it was all thanks to that student from the Magic Noble House.
‘A sneak attack… from behind, no less. I could’ve been seriously hurt!’
Last night—just a few hours ago—Yeon-ha-neul had been ambushed by the very student she now grudgingly credited.
The shock of that moment was still vivid. Even recalling it made her blood boil.
Not that sneak attacks were inherently dishonorable.
In a test where the goal was to seize exam tokens, ambushes were a legitimate strategy.
In such a scenario, the one who got caught off guard was at fault.
Still, there were limits.
The magic used by the Magic Noble House candidate was lethally powerful.
If she hadn’t been the one hit by it, someone else could’ve been seriously injured.
Had she been unlucky… she might’ve died.
That justified her emotional reaction at the time.
She hadn’t held back—just a little too much power in her response.
Not that she underestimated her opponent. That student was no pushover like the others.
‘She was strong. If I hadn’t forced the fight into close-quarters, the outcome could’ve gone either way.’
Maybe… maybe she would’ve lost.
Yeon-ha-neul acknowledged the student’s strength.
And yet, an uneasy feeling lingered deep in her heart.
“…Am I really going to be okay?”
Last night, she’d been too exhausted and furious to think straight. But now, reviewing it with a clear head, she began to worry.
Her opponent had come from one of the Twelve Houses—the Magic Noble House.
And she’d not only defeated her but taken all her exam tokens.
In the worst-case scenario, the family could retaliate.
She doubted it would go that far—but even the slightest chance made her stomach twist.
For someone like Yeon-ha-neul, who quietly carried her worries like a second skin, this was deeply unsettling.
To ease her nerves, she muttered a calming incantation to herself.
“It’s fine. If something does happen… Gyeon-woo will take care of it.”
Do-gyeon-woo would handle everything.
She had unwavering trust in him.
As long as he was around, she didn’t feel afraid.
Just the thought of his face brought a smile to hers. Her rabbit ears perked up cheerfully.
But only for a moment.
“…Where is he, anyway?”
Yeon-ha-neul grumbled in frustration.
With her tokens secured, she had no reason to keep fighting.
So, from the crack of dawn, she’d been searching the island for her childhood friend, Do-gyeon-woo.
She’d prided herself on being able to find him no matter where he was—but even her rabbit ear radar was proving useless today.
“Sigh… Another ambush.”
All she’d done was run into more test-takers trying to steal her tokens.
Naturally, her collection of tokens kept growing.
Leaving another batch of defeated examinees behind, she moved on.
‘If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll run into Gyeon-woo where the supplies just dropped…’
Moments earlier, a new round of supply drops had been made.
Every participant was now racing toward the nearest drop zone.
Yeon-ha-neul joined the rush, heading toward a descending parachute.
“Looks like I got here first.”
She spotted the supply crate.
But instead of finding the person she’d hoped for, she encountered someone else—Lisa Grace.
“…Lisa?”
“Oh, Ha-neul!”
Lisa, her blonde braid draped gracefully over her shoulder, greeted her warmly.
Yeon-ha-neul, who had been on alert, relaxed and smiled back.
The two exchanged a few friendly words.
“You came for supplies too, huh? Would you mind sharing some with me? I can heal any injuries you have. Or give you a buff!”
“Sure, take some. There’s too much for me to carry alone anyway. And I’m good on healing—I can manage a bit of that myself. Buffs too.”
“Oh, alright. Still, if you ever need anything, just say so. By the way, have you eaten? Want to have lunch together?”
“Sounds good. Let’s sort through the supplies first.”
Together, they dug through the crate, taking what they needed.
Soon, the sound of others approaching reached them.
Yeon-ha-neul’s rabbit ears twitched at the faint footsteps in the distance.
“People are coming. Should we take them out?”
“We could… but we might end up stuck here. And others could keep chasing us.”
“True.”
Lisa had a point.
Yeon-ha-neul nodded and quickly made a decision.
“Can you cast something to lighten the load and help us run faster?”
“I’ve got just the thing. I’ll throw in a Silence spell too—dampen our footsteps.”
Lisa tapped her staff against the ground.
Particles of multicolored light fell gently over them.
Buffs.
“Let’s go.”
“Right.”
The two girls gathered their belongings and sprinted toward the part of the island with fewer examinees.
Behind them, the sounds of scuffling and shouting grew louder.
“Someone got here first!”
“Wait—there’s still some left!”
“I found it first! Back off!”
“Ugh, we’re too late!”
The clash of metal rang out.
A skirmish had begun.
With everyone’s attention focused there, the two slipped away in search of safety.
“There’s so much food. But, uh… Ha-neul, do you know how to cook this? It says three-minute spicy chicken? How does that work?”
“Just heat it up in boiling water. There’s a stream over there—we’ll get water from that. I’ll handle the cooking, just get the water.”
“You got it.”
In a quiet part of the forest, they set up camp.
Yeon-ha-neul cooked, while Lisa fetched water.
Using their supplies, Ha-neul prepared the meal and set it on the large wooden crate.
“Wow, this is delicious. If I hadn’t run into you, I’d probably be gnawing on a chocolate bar alone.”
“You saw how simple it was. You could’ve done it without me.”
“Maybe. But I wouldn’t have gotten the water ratio right and ruined the instant noodles.”
Lisa ate with care and grace, trying not to slurp the noodles.
She looked every bit the noblewoman she was rumored to be.
‘She really is like a princess… or maybe even a royal?’
Ha-neul, sitting across from her, couldn’t help but admire her.
Even as she nibbled on rice mixed with curry or chewed on fried chicken, Lisa’s elegance shone through.
It was obvious she wasn’t just anybody.
Then a thought crept in.
‘Would Gyeon-woo like someone like her?’
Even Ha-neul had to admit Lisa was pretty—elegant in a way that made her stand out.
And then she remembered that time Gyeon-woo had spoken to Lisa first.
Maybe he preferred someone refined. Someone graceful.
‘Should I try braiding my hair…?’
Her fingers absently toyed with her locks.
Maybe it was time for a new hairstyle—something tidier, more graceful.
‘Would Gyeon-woo like that?’
She imagined what he’d say.
“Ha-neul, you look good no matter what. You’re beautiful.”
Of course he would.
That wasn’t a delusion.
He would absolutely say that.
She was sure of it.
‘Kyaaaa!’
The very thought made her face burn and her stomach flutter.
Ha-neul kicked the air wildly, flailing with embarrassment.
“Ha-neul? What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing… The food’s just really good!”
Lisa blinked in confusion.
Ha-neul buried her flushed face in her hands.
They continued chatting as they ate together.
“So, what’s your plan now? Going to look for Gyeon-woo?”
“Yeah. I’ve got all the tokens I need, so I’ll search for him while collecting a few more along the way. What about you?”
“I’ve scraped together enough… but I’m a supporter, so I couldn’t do it alone. If it’s okay with you… can I stick with you?”
“Of course. But I might not collect as many if you’re with me. Are you alright with that?”
“I am.”
Lisa had proposed a party.
Ha-neul saw no reason to say no.
Besides, Do-gyeon-woo had shown interest in Lisa.
If he wanted to get close to her, Ha-neul would help.
‘He never acts without a reason. There must be a purpose to why he wants to befriend Lisa. It’s not just some crush.’
She’d known him for five years.
Outside his family, no one understood him better.
He wanted Lisa to pass.
That much, she could guess.
And what he wanted… she wanted too.
Together, they scoured the island.
Then suddenly—
“Huh?”
“Ha-neul? What is it?”
“I heard something… from over there.”
Her rabbit ears twitched again, alert and focused.
And then—
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“I just heard from someone I know—there’s a candidate from the Sacred Sword Path who’s been sweeping up exam tokens. Apparently, their score is the highest right now.”
“How high are we talking?”
“Word is… over 1,000 points.”
“Whoa, no joke. That guy’s probably in first place right now.”
“Yeah, seems like it. No one knows how things will play out next, though.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Think about it. If someone just takes his tokens, they’d not only pass but probably place first. That’s why everyone’s headed straight for him.”
“But he’s from the Sacred Sword Path. You think anyone can beat him?”
“Who knows? But if enough people team up, maybe it’s possible.”
“Can’t say that’s wrong.”
“Exactly. So I’m heading that way too. Everyone else is going after him—it makes sense to hunt where the prey is. You coming?”
The candidate from the Sacred Sword Path.
There was no doubt in Yeon-ha-neul’s mind.
They were talking about Do-gyeon-woo.
“Ah, there are some examinees over there. Are we engaging them? I can prep a buff—”
“….”
“Ha-neul?”
Yeon-ha-neul came to a sudden halt.
Lisa called out in confusion.
But Ha-neul didn’t respond. She simply turned and strode toward the group of examinees deep in conversation.
Then, calmly but firmly, she asked:
“Can I hear more about what you just said?”
“…Huh?”
“You said everyone’s going after Gyeon-woo?”
“….”
“You’re all planning to join in too, aren’t you?”
“…N-No.”
She’d approached so silently, they hadn’t even sensed her coming.
Now, blinking in stunned silence, they failed to answer.
They didn’t need to.
“That makes you Gyeon-woo’s enemies.”
Her crimson eyes flared.
Yeon-ha-neul drew her iron hammer.
“H-Ha-neul… you’re insanely strong…!”
Lisa shivered as she watched Yeon-ha-neul effortlessly crush the group of examinees in a single charge.
Go Eun-bi’s role was deception.
It wasn’t in her nature to deceive others, but if she wanted to score high on this exam, she had no choice.
Sometimes, it had to be done.
At Do-gyeon-woo’s request, Go Eun-bi was diligently making her rounds across the island, fulfilling her task with precision.
‘Found them… five of them.’
She concealed her presence and hid behind the terrain, carefully observing a small group of examinees.
Go Eun-bi was a natural at understanding social dynamics. She could grasp relationships with uncanny speed.
She observed quietly:
Who took the lead in conversation?
Were the bonds firm or loose?
Was the structure hierarchical or flat?
Who was the anchor?
‘Looks like they haven’t known each other long. That boy seems to be the leader.’
Once her analysis was complete, she waited for the right moment—and approached.
A faint rustle.
“Who’s there? Show yourself!”
“O-Okay! Don’t be alarmed! I’m not here to fight. I just thought maybe… we could work together.”
“Work together?”
With her hands open wide to show she held no weapon, Go Eun-bi stepped out from the bushes.
Then, she recited the lines she had already spoken to several others.
“You know about the Sacred Sword Path candidate, right? The one with the black exam tokens? He’s been taking down anyone in range, swiping their tokens. Everyone’s moving to bring him down. Would you consider helping?”
“The Sacred Sword Path guy? How strong is he that you need to gather people against him?”
“I saw him from a distance. His score’s already over 1,000 points. And I’m pretty sure he has hidden tokens that aren’t even showing. Add those, and it’s probably more.”
“….”
“He’s guaranteed to take first. Everyone’s getting wiped out because of him.”
She had already identified the group’s decision-maker. The others were just following his lead.
So she focused solely on him as she continued:
“If we bring him down, there’s a shot at sharing at least 1,000 points. That’s huge, even divided. It’s worth the risk.”
“Where is he now?”
“Head about seven o’clock from here. He should be on that trail.”
“Hm… that’s why the token tracker showed everything clustered there.”
“You mean the alert at 3 o’clock? Yeah, that’s all him. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Gotta spread the word to more groups nearby.”
It didn’t matter whether they believed her.
What mattered was the rumor.
Once the story passed through them, someone would verify it. And that one person’s belief would give the rumor weight and truth.
Go Eun-bi was good at talking to strangers. With that, she turned to leave.
“Wait.”
“…?”
The leader called out, stopping her.
She hid her tension behind a calm facade.
“What is it?”
“Doesn’t matter if what you said is true. We’re more interested in your tokens. If you don’t want trouble, hand them over.”
“I don’t have any. Can’t you see? I already got robbed by the Sacred Sword guy. That’s why I’m playing messenger now. Got nothing left to lose.”
“How do we know you’re not hiding any?”
“Exam rules say each candidate must keep at least one token visibly attached. Look—there’s nothing on me. I really don’t have a single one.”
“Tch… fine, then get lost.”
Good. Everything went just as she’d expected.
Just in case, she and her friends had given all their tokens to Do-gyeon-woo and split up to spread disinformation.
Now, having gained nothing, the group disappeared in the direction she’d pointed.
Finally, Go Eun-bi exhaled in relief.
“Ugh, Gyeon-woo better wipe them all out.”
Deception didn’t suit her.
Her conscience poked at her with every word.
If Gyeon-woo hadn’t promised generous compensation, she would’ve flatly refused this mission.
Brushing her face with a sigh, she steeled her resolve and moved on.
It was time to mislead the next group.
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