The individuals gathered in the meeting room of Soul Academy were all equally exhausted.

The problem was that the entrance exams had been interrupted due to an incident that occurred during the test.

Since that day, all the professors at the academy had been working tirelessly, day and night, for nearly two weeks to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

If one were to describe it in words, the amount of hardship they endured could easily fill an entire novel, but after two grueling weeks, the professors of Soul Academy finally managed to complete the exams.

Now, the only remaining task was to select the candidates for special admission, and then everything would be over.

The professors, who were silently comparing the lengths of their dark circles, were all eager to finish the work as quickly as possible.

In the midst of this, Judy Albert, the principal of the academy, cleared her throat and spoke in a weak voice that sounded almost lifeless.

“Next on the agenda is Lady Lucy Allen of the Allen family. She is one of the victims involved in the recent incident, and I believe she needs no introduction due to her fame. Professor Luca, could you please explain why you recommended her?”

“Yes, of course.”

Luca stood up and surveyed the room with his bloodshot, reddened eyes before he began to speak.

“The reason I am recommending Lady Lucy Allen for special admission is…”

What he said was exactly what everyone had expected.

The incident where she outperformed Lady Merrill of the Baines family.

The exceptional leadership she displayed during the dungeon conquest portion of the entrance exam.

Saving all her party members during the sudden crisis caused by Agra’s curse.

“With such achievements, who could be more deserving of special admission than her?!”

Luca’s passionate speech, delivered with a hoarse voice, met no opposition from the other professors.

They all shared similar thoughts.

It was true that Lucy Allen had caused a lot of trouble in the past, but that was history.

What she had demonstrated now was more than enough to place her among the sacred ranks of the continent.

“It is true that Lady Allen has shown enough achievements to be considered for special admission, but…”

However, there was someone who voiced an objection.

It was Molly, the vice principal of Soul Academy.

Despite Luca’s sharp glare, she calmly presented her opinion.

“You should be aware that the special admission system is for those who did not pass the exam but excelled in practical skills.”

“I am aware, Vice Principal. Which is why Lady Allen is even more suited for it.”

It was well-known that Lucy Allen was not particularly good at academics.

According to her former tutors, she barely had the will to study at all.

No matter how much she had turned over a new leaf, it was hard to believe she could have studied well enough in just one year to pass Soul Academy’s entrance exam.

The combat studies professors nodded in agreement with Luca’s opinion, but the others had different reactions.

The professors who dealt with theoretical subjects all had peculiar expressions.

“No, Lady Allen’s performance was more than sufficient to pass the exams without special admission.”

Molly dispelled the doubts that were creeping up among the combat studies professors.

She did so with the unbelievable revelation that Lucy Allen had scored highly.

“Pardon?”

Luca blinked, and one of the professors in charge of literature raised a hand.

“Lady Allen scored 87 points in language. That’s enough to place her in the upper ranks.”

Following that, the history professor spoke up.

“She scored 98 in history. She only made a small mistake in a question about recent events.”

“Her performance in magical studies was relatively low, with a score of 68. It’s just barely average.”

Finally, the professor in charge of dungeon studies sighed as he spoke.

“As for dungeon studies, we’re still debating how to grade her.”

“Why is that?”

“Because 100 points don’t seem sufficient.”

After saying that, the dungeon studies professor shared one of Lucy’s answers with the others.

“First, let me explain the question. It was a descriptive question on how to deal with a group of undead.”

‘The undead, with their rotten brains, are pathetic weaklings, but they’re tenacious like cockroaches, so you have to be careful when dealing with them.’

“Wait. Hold on.”

One of the combat studies professors interrupted after hearing the first sentence of the answer.

“Is that really what Lady Allen wrote?”

“Yes. I’m reading it verbatim. Why else would I use words like ‘pathetic weaklings’ and ‘useless’?”

“...I apologize. Please continue.”

Although the answer was filled with excessive profanity, when you removed those parts, it was actually a rather well-thought-out response.

Precautions to take when dealing with the undead.

How to respond to unexpected variables.

The best team composition for clearing a dungeon filled with undead.

Lucy Allen’s answer was so precise that it could have been written by someone who had cleared dungeons on the frontlines, making it a perfect answer deserving of 100 points.

But that was only the beginning.

Up to that point, nothing was particularly unusual.

“Here’s where it gets interesting.”

‘The undead are so mindless that without a command unit, they’re nothing more than a swarm of mindless locusts. Even the most foolish dungeon masters know this, so they usually place a command unit among the undead. ...The high-ranking undead, the command unit, doesn’t lead by just using its own eyes. It has a few lower-ranked undead to relay battlefield information to it, and it makes decisions based on that information. In other words, if you take out the ones relaying the information first, you can turn the command unit into a clueless idiot. To find them, you need to...’

By the time the dungeon studies professor finished speaking, a heavy silence had fallen over the meeting room.

What was written there was something that shattered the conventional wisdom they all knew.

“Did Lady Allen really come up with this idea?”

Luca’s bloodshot eyes narrowed with intensity.

This was an idea too groundbreaking for a single student to conceive.

“Yes. As unbelievable as it may sound, it’s true.”

“Amazing. If Lady Allen’s suggestion is accurate, it would make dealing with the undead much easier.”

It was common knowledge that the first priority when facing a horde of undead was to eliminate the command unit.

The moment the command unit is gone, the undead become disorganized and chaotic.

However, following this common sense was extremely difficult.

High-ranking undead possess intelligence far superior to that of most humans.

They understand the significance of their own death.

For this reason, high-ranking undead never reveal themselves on the frontlines.

Attacking the command unit hidden behind a horde of undead is practically impossible, making the strategy of eliminating the command unit one that’s only theoretically sound.

However, if Lucy’s method were applied, the story changes.

There would be a way to disrupt the command without needing to hunt down the command unit itself.

“Furthermore, many of the answers Lady Allen provided in her exam are far too bold for a noblewoman who has never conquered a dungeon before.”

“This isn’t the only surprise?!”

“No. That’s why I said 100 points wouldn’t be enough.”

The quiet meeting room began to buzz with activity, which Molly silenced with a clearing of her throat.

“By now, you should understand, Professor Luca. Lady Allen is not a candidate for special admission.”

“I understand.”

Lucy Allen had not only achieved a score high enough to be in the top tier academically, but she had also performed exceptionally well in the practical exams.

She had essentially already secured her place at Soul Academy.

“At this point, we should be more curious about her overall ranking rather than whether she passed or not.”

Luca said this as he took his seat.

“Then let’s begin, my lady.”

‘I’m ready.’ “Come at me, you useless thing.”

As I readied my stance, Carl swung his sword.

It was already too fast for me to follow with my eyes, but that’s fine.

I have my Iron Wall skill.

As I raised my shield according to the skill’s guidance, the sword struck it immediately.

I could feel my arm going numb from the impact.

He’s really not holding back these days.

What’s he going to do if he ends up scarring the face of the master he serves?!

Now! This is your moment!

While gritting my teeth and enduring Carl’s attacks, Grandfather’s voice rang out.

The moment I heard it, I silently recited a prayer.

‘As the Lord showed mercy to Elliot, He grants a miracle, and the demon’s attacks could not reach him.’

Then, the magic within me flowed out, forming a divine barrier in front of me.

Carl frowned upon seeing it, but it was too late to stop his sword’s swing.

The sword struck the barrier and was deflected, creating an opening.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I dashed past the barrier and swung my mace.

Perhaps realizing it was too late to retrieve his sword, Carl chose to dodge rather than counter my attack.

I could see his eyes carefully tracking my movements.

Now! Shine your light!

‘When darkness was about to consume the world, the gods gathered and cried out for light, and a ray of light poured down from the heavens.’

As I recited the prayer in my mind, I closed my eyes.

No sooner had my eyelids shut than a bright light burst forth, shining even through my closed eyes. When I opened them again, I saw Carl staggering back, dazed by the flash.

Perfect!

Seeing Carl disoriented by the light, I deliberately made my footsteps louder.

Even though he was confused, I wanted him to sense my approach.

I wanted it to be so obvious that he would suspect it was a trap.

My plan worked perfectly.

Despite my raised mace, Carl didn’t move.

This was my chance.

Finally, a chance to land a blow on the knight who dared torment his master!

Just as I swung the mace with all my might, Carl moved his hand.

Clang!

The mace I thought I had swung was deflected, and at the same time, the Iron Wall skill warned me of danger.

But it was too late to react.

I stared wide-eyed, waiting for the attack to come.

However, Carl’s sword never touched me.

His blade stopped just short of my face before he withdrew it.

“You were impressive, my lady. I really thought this time was dangerous.”

‘Don’t lie to me.’ “Do I look like a fool who would fall for flattery, you useless knight?”

“I’m sincere, my lady!”

No matter what I said, the knight’s nodding head couldn’t be trusted.

You foolish girl, how many times must I tell you to stay calm in moments of opportunity?

‘I’m sorry.’ Let’s try it again.

‘Yes, sir!’

I readied my stance once more, taking Grandfather’s scolding to heart.

Opposite me, Carl also raised his sword.

“My lady!”

It was then that I heard a maid calling my name from afar as she ran toward me.

Wondering what was going on, I lowered my weapon and waited as the maid handed me a letter.

‘What’s this?’ “What is it, you useless maid?”

“A letter from Soul Academy!”

Soul Academy?

There’s only one reason they’d send a letter.

It’s the notification of whether I passed.

So, this one letter is about to decide my fate?

I took a deep breath before tearing open the envelope to check the contents.

After reading the letter, I froze in place.

“My lady, what does it say?”

‘Uh, well, I did pass, but...’ “I passed, but... What is this useless academy thinking, asking me to give the student representative speech?!”