How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 419: RE-EVALUATION

Inside Killian Hall, the atmosphere was buzzing.

Hundreds of senior students had already gathered, flooding into the academyʼs largest—yet rarely used—training grounds.

The place was massive, built like a coliseum more than a typical arena.

Towering walls surrounded it, and though it was enclosed, it was still spacious enough to comfortably hold several thousand people if needed.

The wide, flat surface was reinforced with layered mana stones, and above it, magical domes shimmered faintly, primed to activate high-level formation spells in case things got out of hand.

This place wasnʼt meant for casual sparring. It was made for large-scale, high-risk combat testing. And today, it looked like it was finally being put to use again.

Kagami walked in with his usual heavy steps, his presence immediately drawing attention.

A few students parted instinctively, clearing a path for him—not out of respect, but caution.

His build was massive, towering over most others with a frame more suited to a battlefield than a classroom.

The buzz-cut, squared jawline, and naturally furrowed brows didnʼt help either.

Combined with his infamous scowl—the one he couldnʼt get rid of even when he tried—he gave off the impression of a final boss looking for someone to crush.

He didnʼt mind the stares.

”Man… there really are a lot of people here,” he muttered, glancing around. His voice rumbled, low and tired. ”At this rate, weʼll hit over a thousand participants.”

He clicked his tongue.

”But then again, the offer was way too tempting to pass up.”

A rare chance to climb the ranks through a special re-evaluation, with eyes from the upper brass and department heads watching?

Yeah.

No one with even a shred of ambition would ignore that kind of opportunity.

Scanning the crowd, he spotted a few familiar faces—Susan from his class, chatting with a couple of alchemy nerds; Gilbert, as well, stretching near the edge of the arena; even a few recognizable seniors from the other faculties scattered throughout.

But most of the participants… werenʼt exactly top dogs.

There were some but no one worthy to take note in particular.

As expected, it was mostly students from the lower end of their classes. The underachievers. The overlooked. And the ones who had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Kagami sighed.

”I figured itʼd be like this, but still… kind of disappointing.”

It wasnʼt that he looked down on them—okay, maybe a little—but it just meant he couldnʼt go all out.

With so many students cramped into this space, there wouldnʼt be enough room to properly let loose without risking collateral damage.

And if things got physical, which they always did during these evaluations, heʼd have to hold back. Again.

He cracked his neck, eyes narrowing toward the center of the hall where the instructors were still preparing the formation.

”You will be given a chance to re-evaluate your final scores for the practical exams, your performance in the dungeon exploration and monster subjugation missions will be included in the evaluation. The academy will disregard your written exam scores for this process and base your overall grade solely on practical performance. This re-evaluation is entirely voluntary. If you choose not to participate, your current scores and rankings will remain unchanged. However, those who wish to take this opportunity should proceed to the Killian Hall training grounds and follow the instructions given there by Professor Ferdinand. S-ranked students are also not required to participate. However, any S-rank who chooses to join will have the opportunity to shift their current position in the rankings next semester. The same applies to all students below S-rank. If you believe your grades donʼt reflect your true abilities, this is your chance to prove otherwise. That is all. Thank you.”

Was what was said to them back in the announcement grounds outside but he doubted that was really all to this re-evaluation.

Kagami was already an S-rank student, sitting comfortably in the top five of his year.

He didnʼt need to prove anything to anyone.

Yet here he was, standing in the middle of Killian Hall, surrounded by students who had far more at stake.

So why was he still here?

It wasnʼt for the grades. Not really.

It was the curiosity.

The feeling in his gut that this re-evaluation wasnʼt going to be as simple as a basic combat test.

Looking around, Kagami adjusted his stance, reaching into his pouch to pull out his gauntlets, readying himself in case things escalated sooner than expected.

But just as he began slipping one on, his sharp eyes caught sight of two very familiar faces weaving through the gathering crowd.

”Oh? Lucas, Janica—you two came as well?” he called out, raising an eyebrow.

Janica, with her signature fiery red hair tied into a high tail, beamed brightly at him and gave an energetic wave. ”Oh, Kagami! Youʼre here too? Not surprised. I guess meatheads really do think alike, huh~?”

Kagami let out a sharp chuckle, the kind that rumbled from his chest. ”Kuhaha! Was that a compliment or are you trying to start something?”

”You can take it however you want,” Janica shrugged dramatically, before placing a hand on her hip. ”Honestly, I wasnʼt even planning to participate. My rankʼs already basically locked in, yʼknow? But—” her gaze shifted toward Lucas, who looked away with an awkward smile.

”This guy right here made some half-baked excuse about ʼtesting himselfʼ or whatever. But letʼs be honest,” she leaned toward Kagami with a mischievous grin, ”all he really wants is to fight quite the musclehead right? I swear his training maniac days wonʼt end until he can cut the world in half or something”

Lucas let out a small sigh, scratching the back of his neck.

”Thatʼs not completely fair… I mean, we donʼt even know if the re-evaluation is going to get that physical.”

Janica rolled her eyes. ”Oh, please. Everyone knows itʼs going to get at least a little physical. I mean—itʼs a practical re-evaluation. If there wasnʼt combat or some sort of challenge, what would be the point?”

She gestured around with a lazy sweep of her arm.

”There are easily hundreds of students here already, maybe even a thousand. And itʼs not just the lower-rankers hoping for a second chance. Iʼve seen a few Top 10 S-ranks from the senior years show up. That alone tells you how serious this thing might get.”

As she scanned the crowd, her lips curled into an amused smirk. ”Ohh~ This is going to be a mess.”

Kagami grinned as he slipped the second gauntlet onto his hand, the metal clinking into place with a satisfying click.

”Heh. Sounds fun.”

”Wonʼt you have a hard time fighting with this many students?” Lucas asked, casting a glance at the thickening crowd of competitors around them.

Kagami cracked his knuckles, his expression unbothered. ”Thatʼs true. But hey, my grades are on the line, bud. I wonʼt go out of my way to fight others—but if they get in my way?” He gave a small shrug. ”Iʼm not holding back. That includes you two, by the way.”

”I see,” Lucas replied, nodding with a soft smile.

While he didnʼt particularly enjoy the idea of hurting others just to climb a rank, he understood the pressure—there were always nuances to these things.

Gray areas that came with competition.

”Well, good luck to us then,” he said.

”Yeah,” Kagami grunted, adjusting his stance.

Lucas scanned the field once more, his eyes sweeping across the assembled students.

Something in his expression sharpened—as if he were trying to locate someone in particular.

But before he could focus, a shadow loomed closer than expected.

He turned his head—only to find Janicaʼs face inches away from his own, her green eyes narrowed, an unimpressed look plastered across her face.

”J-Janica?” he stuttered, instinctively pulling back a little. ”What are you doing?”

Janica raised an eyebrow, leaning in even more as if trying to peer straight into his thoughts. ”Were you looking for someone just now?”

”Huh? What do you mean?”

She crossed her arms, eyes flicking toward the section where the mage department students were gathered. ”You were staring at the mage side like you were waiting for a parade. Donʼt play dumb.”

”Thatʼs just… they happened to be in my line of sight, thatʼs all,” Lucas said quickly, his voice rising just a little in defense.

”Oh, really now?” Janica tilted her head with a sly grin. ”You sure you werenʼt looking for someone? Maybe… blonde? With certain blue eyes?”

”N-No!” Lucasʼs face turned a shade redder.

”Kuhaha!” Kagami burst out laughing, finally catching on. ”I knew it. Lucas just couldnʼt help himself—trying to catch a glimpse of his girl, huh?”

”S-Sheʼs not my girl…...”

”Sheʼs not his girl!!” Janica echoed at the exact same moment, cheeks puffing slightly in irritation.

Kagami doubled over laughing. ”Ahahaha”

As Kagami watched Janica continue to scold Lucas with her usual fiery energy, his laughter gradually faded.

He found himself quietly observing the two bicker like they always did—though lately, something felt… different.

Ever since Lady Evelyn had become part of their group, the dynamic between Lucas and Janica had shifted.

Their relationship, once full of sharp remarks and awkward tension, had started to soften in a way that even Kagami hadnʼt expected.

There was a strange warmth there now, hidden beneath all the jabs and teasing.

He almost felt bad for Janica, though.

As much as her confidence masked it, it was painfully obvious where her feelings lay.

And yet, Lucasʼs attention seemed increasingly drawn elsewhere—to a different girl entirely.

Kagami couldnʼt help but wonder if Evelyn was doing all those flirtatious things deliberately.

Maybe it was her way of shaking things up, of pushing Lucas to feel something.

Whether it was just for fun or something more calculated, he couldnʼt tell.

But knowing Evelyn, she probably sensed Janicaʼs feelings too—and was nudging Lucas just enough to stir things between them.

Still… with all things considered, it was clear Lucas had become more intrigued by Evelyn than anyone had anticipated.

It made Kagami feel a weird mix of secondhand discomfort and curiosity.

After all, Evelyn did look eerily like Lucasʼs long-missing friend/Rival.

Kagamiʼs gaze drifted toward the crowd again.

”Looks like Miss Evelyn isnʼt participating,” he muttered quietly.

Lucas, still distracted, gave a small nod in confirmation.

The subtle look of disappointment on his face didnʼt escape Janicaʼs notice, and it irked her more than she expected. Her lips pursed, green eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

She had complicated feelings—she could admit that now.

But one thing she knew for sure: she loved Lucas first.

Long before Evelyn ever came into the picture.

And she wasnʼt about to let some charming newcomer sweep him away just like that.