The World’s Strongest Daughter.

After 3 days of written exams, we finally had our practical exams.

Today’s test is lighting up a mana stone.

It’s really the basics of the basics, so it’s not a very difficult exam.

In fact, it might be easier than the written exam?

Since the exam requires using mana, it’s conducted in the combat training room.

With all the 1st year students gathering in the combat training room at once, it felt a little cramped.

After waiting for a while,

[ We will begin the basic mana control exam. Teachers in charge, please… ]

Finally, the voice of Lim Cha-kyung resounded through the training room, announcing the start of the exam.

Then Lee Dae-san, standing with a bored expression, spoke to us as if he had been waiting.

“Okay, everyone can pass if you do it like you’ve practiced so far, so don’t be nervous. Hmm… Number 1, Kang Ju-ho, come forward.”

The student whose name was called stood up with a slightly nervous expression, and the surrounding students watching him began to quietly make a fuss.

“Hey, if you fail this, don’t you have to drop out on the spot?”

“I heard it’s more sensitive than the ones we used, so wouldn’t most people pass?”

“It’s only right to drop out if you can’t light up a mana stone…”

Whether it was then or now, it seems people making a fuss over useless things hasn’t changed.

At that moment, Lee Dae-san patted the shoulder of the student who had gone forward and spoke.

“Let’s finish it in one go.”

In tune with Lee Dae-san’s signal, the student lightly placed his hand on the test mana stone, and at the same time, the eyes of all the students were focused on him.

He glanced at us with a burdened look, then immediately closed his eyes tightly and began drawing up mana.

“Hnng…!”

It didn’t look very natural, perhaps because he wasn’t used to drawing up mana yet.

At that moment, the test mana stone began to emit a faint light.

“Ooh… it really does light up.”

“Seeing him do that much, it seems pretty easy?”

The dim light swirled for about 5 seconds, then went out.

“Good job. Next! Number 2, Kang Yu-jin…”

Judging from Lee Dae-san sending him in without saying much, it seems you pass as long as some light appears.

Perhaps encouraged by seeing the first turn, the order went by quickly from the second student onward.

After the 10th student passed like that,

“Number 11, Kong Hye-sun!”

“Y-Yes!”

It was finally Kong Hye-sun’s turn.

She got up from her seat stiffly and approached the mana stone with awkward steps.

She seemed very nervous.

Standing before the test mana stone, Kong Hye-sun took several deep breaths before slowly placing her hand on it as if she had made up her mind.

She practiced so much, she’ll do well, right?

Seeing how tense she looked, I felt a little worried.

Kong Hye-sun took one last short breath, then slowly closed her eyes and gently drew up mana.

And then…

“Wow, what is that…”

“Was it always that bright?”

The students began to murmur at the tremendous brightness of the light Kong Hye-sun produced.

The test mana stone was said to be sensitive, but it emitted a much brighter light than when she practiced.

I felt satisfied seeing the results she had produced through her efforts.

Kong Hye-sun’s talent is also quite impressive.

Of course, not as much as So-yeon’s.

Kong Hye-sun finished the test with high praise from Lee Dae-san and returned to her seat with a red face after drawing attention from students in other classes.

“That girl just now was no joke… I wonder who her partner is? I’m so envious…”

“Isn’t it Yoo Ji-hwan? Those two are always together.”

“Is that so?”

After Kong Hye-sun’s turn, some attention poured onto me, but I ignored it, thinking, ‘Whatever.’

And so the order went around again.

“Number 19, Yoo Ji-hwan!”

Finally, my name was called.

As I raised my hand and got up from my seat, I could feel the students’ piercing gazes on me.

“He’ll probably do well too, right? He even beat Jang Su-won.”

“Hey, he’s the guy who took down the terrorist. How could he possibly fail?”

They seemed to whisper quietly in their own way, but I heard it.

I was going to just make some light and be done with it, but seeing the expectant gazes mixed in, I felt like I needed to put on a bit of a performance.

I approached the mana stone and lightly raised my hand right away.

At that moment, Lee Dae-san, standing next to me, grinned and spoke.

“You can do well, right?”

His words carried a hint of anticipation.

I just smiled slightly, then immediately drew up mana.

The blue mana stone the size of an ostrich egg began to vibrate faintly and gradually emit a transparent light.

The more I slowly increased the mana, the stronger the light became.

Bzz bzz bzz-

I could feel my hand trembling from the strong reaction.

The light from the mana stone became so strong that it was hard to keep my eyes open, so I slowly reduced the mana.

As the vibration weakened, the light gradually died down as well.

When I completely cut off the mana, the mana stone became still as if nothing had happened.

As I lightly removed my hand from the mana stone, Lee Dae-san patted my back and praised me.

“Excellent! Very well done!”

After finishing my turn like that, I headed back to my seat.

“Wow… I wonder what rank someone like that will get…”

“Is that how it’s normally done?”

“I guess he didn’t catch the imposter by luck.”

I could hear the students muttering.

As expected, there’s nothing better than seeing with your own eyes – the gazes of the students looking at me were mixed with a hint of surprise.

“J-Ji-hwan…! That was so cool!”

Even amidst that, Kong Hye-sun gave me a thumbs up and praised me.

She’s so kind.

I smiled at her slightly, then quietly returned to my seat.

And after a few more turns.

“Number 24, Min So-yeon!”

Finally, Min So-yeon’s name was called.

“I wonder how well she’ll do?”

“Still, she’s the daughter of the ‘Sword Empress,’ so she’ll be good.”

“Min So-yeon’s partner is Yoo Ji-hwan. How could she possibly do poorly?”

The students’ expectations were already sky-high.

Strangely, I wasn’t very worried.

Who’s worried about whom when there’s no one here with more outstanding talent than her?

***

Min So-yeon’s POV

“Number 24, Min So-yeon!”

The moment my name was called, I could feel the gazes from those around me looking at me.

They weren’t particularly positive.

A feeling of ‘let’s see how well she does?’

Honestly, I don’t really like these kinds of gazes.

As a result of being labeled the ‘Sword Empress’s daughter’ since I was young, I felt keenly that my parents’ fame was not beneficial to my life.

Ignoring the gazes of others, I quietly approached Lee Dae-san.

“…”

Lee Dae-san just grinned at me and didn’t say anything else.

To finish quickly, I lightly touched the test mana stone, then gently closed my eyes.

Until just recently, I didn’t know how to properly handle mana.

If it came out, it came out; if it didn’t, it didn’t.

Thanks to that, I learned how to handle mana from Yoo Ji-hwan.

One thing I don’t really like is that the method is inappropriate.

Suddenly grabbing my hand!

He even arbitrarily infused mana into me.

Mana is such a curious thing—as if it takes after its owner’s nature, his mana was so cozy and warm.

It would have been nice if he only used that method with me.

Yoo Ji-hwan taught Kong Hye-sun the exact same way he taught me, tightly grabbing her hand.

That kind of unnecessary friendliness is Yoo Ji-hwan’s problem.

It was like that until recently too.

He kept grinning, so I asked what had happened to make him smile so much, but he just brushed it off, saying I looked pretty.

Of course, I was happy to hear I looked pretty, but what I wanted wasn’t that kind of simple compliment but to hear his true feelings, like why he was in a good mood or what had happened.

But he didn’t tell me anything, and as if trying to cover my eyes, he just showered me with endless compliments and smooth talk.

I’m not stupid either.

What could have made Yoo Ji-hwan, who’s with me all day, so happy?

Something must have happened at the part-time job he had over the weekend.

After discussing it with my ‘friends’ for a few days, we concluded that his part-time job was suspicious.

It’s true that Yoo Ji-hwan is poor, so there’s a high possibility he’s really working.

But the content was the issue.

Taking care of a rich wife recuperating in Gangwon-do.

From my close observation, the amount of money he spends is definitely not small.

How did he even get a part-time job like that?

Doesn’t it seem suspicious to anyone?

At first, I didn’t want to doubt him either.

However… the more I heard from my ‘friends,’ the deeper my suspicions grew.

Recently, there have been many cases of rich middle-aged people giving ‘allowance’ to young students and receiving ‘compensation’ for it.

The targeted students are all either young or have outstanding appearances.

And Yoo Ji-hwan just happens to be a guy who fits all those conditions.

Young, handsome, and tenacious Yoo Ji-hwan.

His employer is a rich wife.

It’s such a suspicious combination.

In the end, unable to bear it, I asked him subtly yesterday evening.

What exactly does he do?

Yoo Ji-hwan just brushed it off, saying he only cooked meals, did house chores, and left.

I can’t even describe how absurd it was.

And then what, I’m… the first? The prettiest?

If he really likes and loves me, shouldn’t there be no secrets?

That ambiguous attitude he keeps showing is also a problem.

He could just say he loves me, let’s date.

Why does he keep acting ambiguous…!

“Kuh! Min So-yeon! Stop!!”

At that moment, I heard Lee Dae-san’s shout and came to my senses.

When I regained my senses, the first thing I noticed was a light so intense that I couldn’t even open my eyes.

Ugh…

And then a roar.

Boom!!!!

The last was…

“So-yeon!!!”

Warmth.