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"This matter is clearly your mistake," Gerhart began, his tone calm but firm.

"I feel wronged, but please continue," Karen interjected, her voice tinged with a mix of defiance and resignation.

"Especially, there was a big mistake in setting the difficulty. It wasn\'t a mistake per se, but I admit it was somewhat problematic."

"But," Gerhart continued.

"But?" she echoed, her brow slightly furrowing.

"I can\'t see a clear fault that would invalidate the evaluation."

Professor Karen\'s eyes widened, genuinely surprised. This was far from the harsh criticism she had anticipated.

"This is not only my opinion but also the main opinion of the review committee," Gerhart added.

"Really?" Karen\'s disbelief was evident in her voice.

"So we\'ve decided to conclude with no issues," Gerhart stated, his tone final.

"Wow, that\'s good news!" Karen blurted out, her relief spilling over.

"Don\'t interrupt me," Gerhart snapped, his frown deepening.

"Yes," Karen replied meekly, quickly schooling her expression to one of professionalism.

Gerhart, who had been slightly amused by her initial excitement, quickly returned to the matter at hand. "While the official final conclusion will be as such, unofficially, there is unanimous agreement to convey a stern warning to you."

"Ugh." The weight of the warning hit Karen hard. An unofficial severe warning, unanimously agreed upon by the higher-ups, was no small matter. It was, in effect, a final ultimatum. If she made another mistake like this, there would be no leniency next time. Her professorship would be on the line.

Karen could almost see her career flying away before her eyes. She sighed deeply, feeling the gravity of the situation. "I understand. I\'ll take that warning to heart."

Even someone as proud and capable as Professor Karen had to accept the reality of her precarious position. Gerhart\'s tone softened as he continued, though his words still carried the weight of authority. "I\'ve guided many students, but you are certainly one of the most outstanding talents among them."

"It\'s an honor," Karen replied, her voice tempered by a mix of pride and humility.

"So don\'t disappoint me. Attempts are good, but there is a line that must be kept."

"...Yes," she conceded quietly.

And with that, the turmoil caused by Professor Karen\'s mishandling of the group evaluation at the academy was resolved, at least officially. As the room grew quiet, Gerhart was left alone, reflecting on the situation. "I\'ve been too indulgent," he muttered to himself, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

There were, of course, several reasons why the review committee had made such a lenient decision. They were concerned about maintaining the academy\'s authority, and punishing a professor of Karen\'s standing too harshly could undermine that. Furthermore, they didn\'t want the issue to escalate unnecessarily.

Her noble lineage, as part of the prestigious teenage Magus families, and her undeniable talents had played a role in the decision as well.

Gerhart disliked such favoritism, but he understood the reality of the situation. Had it been an ordinary professor, the punishment would have been much harsher. Yet his personal reasons for agreeing with the leniency were more sentimental.

Karen had always been a bit of a troublemaker, even during her student days. But Gerhart had seen something in her, a spark of brilliance hidden beneath the surface. When she had been on the verge of expulsion for insufficient attendance, he had fought tirelessly to keep her in the academy. Despite her rebellious nature, she had been one of his most promising students.

He recalled the satisfaction he had felt when she finally managed to meet the minimum attendance and graduate. It had been one of the few moments in his life when he felt a true sense of achievement. Karen was special to him, a disciple who had even given up her right to succeed her prestigious family in order to carve her own path.

Now, seeing her as a professor at their shared alma mater, Gerhart couldn\'t help but feel conflicted. She had grown, but she was still unpredictable, still capable of causing chaos at any moment. Yet, despite her flaws, she remained one of the brightest talents he had ever encountered.

"Well, that\'s just like her," he muttered, a fondness creeping into his voice.

Still, this had to be the last time he indulged her whims. She had narrowly escaped serious consequences today, but Gerhart knew that next time, there would be no saving her. They had overcome a major crisis, but she couldn\'t rely on such leniency forever.

***

Max had acquired the ultra-rare item, \'Tears of Frost,\' which was significant. Even though only a few days had passed, he could distinctly feel his body becoming much lighter and refreshed. He immediately noticed a smoother flow of power when practicing swordsmanship and archery.

Then there was the relationship with Elaine, the representative heroine of the second year. He had managed to barely mend a broken relationship. That was also a significant achievement.

There was also the matter of piquing the interest of another heroine, Professor Karen, but that was something to be observed further.

"So far, the progress is reasonably good."

It was still the early stages before the real hard difficulty unfolded. Even as an extra, this level of progress was as much as he could have done. Evaluating thus, Max opened his notebook.

It was a notebook meticulously filled with events and quests he remembered, so he wouldn\'t forget any.

"The academy should be fine for a while."

For the time being, it was a smooth schedule without any special events. However, the place he needed to pay attention to was not just inside the academy. Outside the academy, he always had to be vigilant about events and quests happening externally. Especially considering their importance…

"Hmm, could it be cleared now?"

Max\'s gaze fell on a quest marked with a special asterisk. It meant it was a most important quest.

The starting point of essential linked quests. Duration: Possible until the end of the second semester. Difficulty: Companions at the level of the protagonist in Chapter 2, at least two required. Hidden present.

A quest with a name as grand as its importance. Simply put, it was a quest where the protagonist first discovers the existence of a vast underground space beneath the holy city.

The quest was important as a standalone, but its true value was related to future events. Only by clearing this quest and the protagonist learning about the underground space would subsequent quests related to the underground space continue to open.

The phrase Max had written, \'the starting point of linked quests.\' That phrase was exactly right. However,

"The difficulty is there…"

It was considered more challenging than the hidden dungeon quest they had cleared before. Especially since there were quite a few variables, it was a quest perfect for a tragic death if one didn\'t know the strategy.

Of course, Max knew the strategy well enough to recall it with his eyes closed.

"Now the protagonist\'s party is two… The protagonist and Annette. Even if their current skills were not reliable, with their improved skills and strategy, it\'s possible."

Max nodded as if he had made an estimate. Come to think of it, he had said he would go to check his situation anyway. While clearing the essential quest, he could also check the protagonist\'s condition. There\'s nothing more certain than actual combat.

"Good. Let\'s do that."

He organized his plan one last time.

"You\'re not late."

He checked the time and adjusted his posture.

"Isn\'t that obvious?"

Kamian said as if it was ridiculous. After all, even an unreliable protagonist wouldn\'t be late for a time commitment.

"You arrived first, senior."

Annette bowed her head in greeting. Still a polite one. Max nodded slightly in response.

"I heard the rumor. You got a perfect score in a very difficult evaluation…"

Naturally, it was such a noisy affair that even the first years had heard the rumors.

"Well, yes."

"Congratulations, though it\'s late. I didn\'t know at that time…"

It seemed they were talking about when they had treated Sunny.

"Thank you."

Max graciously accepted the congratulations from the kind one. On the other hand, Kamian still seemed awkward in dealing with him. Well, it\'s not like they had seen each other much.

But it was disappointing, considering they had shared the joy of defeating a boss in the dungeon with the expression of true comrades.

"I\'m curious why you called." Kamian said.

"Why? Can\'t I call just to see your face?"

"We\'re not that close, are we?"

"That\'s cold, second-place junior."

Max said with a smirk. An immediate reaction came.

"Ugh, I told you not to call me that…"

Kamian flared up. He was second place at admission. Now 29th. That alone made it easy to understand why he was flaring up.

To Kamian, second place was no longer a word of honor but a relic of the past and a complex in itself. But the fact that he was second place was true, and if he reacted like that, it made Max want to call him that even more. It was fun.

"What\'s the problem with calling you second place, second-place junior?"

"Ugh."

Kamian gritted his teeth. But perhaps because Max was somewhat a lifesaver, Kamian couldn\'t quite turn the tables on him. That\'s right, that\'s how it should be. Even a cur knows gratitude, protagonist.

"Calm down, Kamian. You know there\'s no malice in calling you that."

Annette hurriedly intervened. Yes, there was certainly no malice. It was just fun to tease him. Max barely held back the laughter that was about to burst out.

"Hoo, hoo."

Still, Kamian seemed to calm his emotions at the words of his close childhood friend.

"So why did you call…"

"Let\'s go."

Max interrupted and stood up.

"Let\'s eat."

Something might happen on the way.