Chapter 4- Basic Evaluation (1)
The name is, of course, Han Min-ha.
Looking at the photo again, it’s definitely the student who gave me the handkerchief earlier.
Let’s see, how did she get in here?
Hero’s child bonus points?
So that’s what it was.
I was wondering how she could enter the academy when she seemed so timid and intimidated, but it was the child bonus points.
The hero’s child bonus point system is a kind of privilege given when parents or grandparents are current or former heroes.
In the real world, it would be like a national merit scholarship system.
Although the bonus points vary depending on the hero’s rank, most can enter the academy.
This is because hero abilities are often inherited.
From the academy’s perspective, it’s much more efficient to accept students with some talent rather than starting from scratch with ordinary students.
But… this is strange. Why is the family relations section empty?
If they’re a hero’s child bonus point recipient, the related hero’s call sign and rank should be listed…?
Even if not, shouldn’t there at least be names of parents or siblings?
Perhaps an orphan?
But even if the parents died, if they were heroes, it should be recorded here.
If not, maybe the grandparents were heroes and both parents are deceased.
Hmm… What’s going on here?
I can’t go back to the administrative office to ask about this now.
It’s not urgent information anyway, so I’ll look into it gradually later.
There wasn’t much else of interest.
Are they asking me to turn this kind of student into S-rank?
No, are those letters really even a quest?
Once doubt begins, it leads to more questions.
I shook my head to clear away the suspicions.
This is different from other works where you get a status window and friendly tutorial after possession.
When there’s no information, it’s better to grab onto even small clues.
At least I know the complete story until the end, so I’ll figure out something somehow.
After returning to my lab, I briefly prepared for tomorrow’s basic evaluation.
We had already prepared several times through faculty meetings before the entrance ceremony.
Since it’s the same thing repeated every year, it didn’t take much time.
After finishing everything, I habitually lay down on the sofa.
The cough was gone, but I was quite tired from standing for so long.
As I was slowly falling asleep with my eyes closed, my phone suddenly rang.
There was a message from Professor Jin Se-young.
[Professor, you’re in this!]
It was a link to a site I’d never seen before.
When I clicked it, this morning’s entrance ceremony was posted as news.
Along with the anchor’s clear voice, I could see new students entering through the main gate.
And there I was, standing like a scarecrow waving my hand…
Oh my… I look so unnatural.
Fortunately, the embarrassing scene of me running away from the podium while coughing wasn’t shown.
It seemed they edited it out as it wasn’t really newsworthy.
I frowned as I scrolled down to see the comments.
The comment section was filled with discussions about a particular person.
Who’s that person standing at the main gate?
ㄴ A professor?
ㄴwtf that’s what a professor looks like?
ㄴso handsome omg
ㄴwhy does he have a different art style?
ㄴThis is what we call different resolution, you weeb
Why isn’t the Bureau Chief doing anything.
ㄴwhy are you blaming the innocent Bureau Chief
ㄴwtf this is ridiculous how can someone who looks like that become an academy professor
ㄴikr
ㄴFact) The academy isn’t under the Bureau’s management so complaining to the Chief doesn’t make sense
ㄴFact) You’re an idiot
Honestly he’s not that good-looking, kind of creepy.
ㄴIdiot
ㄴTrue
ㄴlololololol
ㄴPlease go outside, get some sun, meet some people
ㄴWe call that decadent beauty
ㄴDon’t you have a mirror at home? At least look at your phone screen when it’s off
Comment deleted by administrator.
ㄴWhat did this person say to get deleted?
ㄴSaid they’d let him do their back door
ㄴomg lololololol
ㄴlololololol
ㄴbut back door is too much, might let him suck though
ㄴgay gay…
Professor Jin Se-young… of all the videos, why send a link to such a strange community…
Didn’t think they’d do something like this.
Just in case, I typed ‘Graford Entrance Ceremony’ in the search bar, and related searches appeared in a row.
‘Graford main gate professor’, ‘Entrance ceremony main gate professor’, ‘Academy sick hero’ etc.
What’s this ‘Academy sick hero’ now?
When I clicked, this time a slightly shaky video probably taken by a new student played.
It showed me suddenly coughing severely and leaving the podium during my introduction.
Looking at it like this… how unseemly.
I cursed after seeing the comments on that video.
“Damn it.”
Because the very first comment read ‘Literally a pretty boy sickly water whimpering under an obsessive prince’.
Even when I clicked the wrong site, I really clicked the wrong one.
Like that, almost every community was full of talk about me.
Additionally, Yu Hee-won’s interview was becoming a hot topic.
Filmed in front of the auditorium after the entrance ceremony, it perfectly captured Yu Hee-won’s unique beauty and arrogance.
In some ways, it might be fortunate that it’s Han Min-ha and not Yu Hee-won.
If asked whether I could safely graduate someone while overcoming both that child’s personality and parental pressure, well…
While the original Professor Gyo might have done it, I’m not sure.
Hmm… Han Min-ha…
I opened Han Min-ha’s personal file that I had taken earlier in the gallery again.
Unkempt black hair, large glasses, and a gloomy expression.
So I need to make this child S-rank…
* * * *
The next day, all the faculty professors gathered for the basic evaluation.
While the administrative department handles the entrance ceremony, the basic evaluation is entirely the faculty’s responsibility as it’s closely tied to students’ grades.
“Everyone knows how important the basic evaluation is, right?”
The professors nodded in agreement to the department head’s question.
The basic evaluation is crucial for academy students.
Students are classified by level through the basic evaluation and guided accordingly.
The grades and rankings from this evaluation rarely change until graduation.
It can’t be helped.
The upper group gets high-level education appropriate for their abilities while studying with other talented students.
They get experienced advising professors and receive additional training from the academy itself.
Since the academy’s prestige increases with more successful hero graduates, they focus on supporting students likely to become A-rank or higher.
Most top students have already received private education before entering.
As for the rest, well…
The lower ranks only receive minimal essential education, with nothing additional provided by the academy beyond that.
They just collect tuition fees and let students graduate without much effort.
Children who graduate like that often start at F-rank and most end there.
Far from facing villains, they end up doing manual labor like construction site assistance, feeling discouraged and voluntarily leaving the Bureau Management.
That’s why new students put their lives on the line for the basic evaluation.
“Especially this year… you know, right Chairman?”
They must be talking about Yu Hee-won.
“Let’s be thorough since it would be troublesome if anyone gets caught up in the basic evaluation. Objectively and fairly.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
“And Professor Gyo.”
The head of the faculty department pointed at me.
“Yes, Department Head.”
“Watch your behavior. You know what I mean, right?”
“Understood.”
He was referring to how my story had caused a commotion in the community.
“Then let’s move to the basic evaluation site.”
As we left the faculty office, Professor Jin Se-young approached me.
“What’s this about watching your behavior? Professor Gyo didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’m fine.”
“Professor Gyo, you need to fix that habit of always saying you’re fine. That’s why the Department Head keeps looking down on you.”
“Haha, yes. I understand.”
The basic evaluation site is a massive set that takes up the academy’s entire second athletic field.
There, new students are comprehensively measured on their exercise ability, reflexes, endurance, judgment, and computational skills.
On the surface, it’s just a ‘basic’ evaluation to check new students’ levels.
But from the new students approaching the evaluation site, you could feel something like an invisible flame of fighting spirit.
At the very front was Yu Hee-won with her shining blonde hair.
True to her personality of enjoying attention everywhere.
Recognizing me from afar, Yu Hee-won gave a flirtatious smile.
I ignored that smile while shifting my gaze to look for Han Min-ha.
However, I couldn’t find the black-haired, gloomy, shrinking girl anywhere in sight.
She must have been pushed to the back somewhere.
When the new students lined up in front of the faculty, the Department Head stepped forward and began speaking.
“From now on, you new students will receive a basic evaluation. As you all know, the basic evaluation is a very, very important assessment.”
At those words, the new student’s faces hardened with tension.
Only Yu Hee-won maintained a relaxed smile.
“Our faculty professors will evaluate fairly, so please demonstrate your full abilities to receive high scores.”
The faculty assistants randomly divided the new students into groups of ten.
“Professor Gyo. See you at the exit.”
After saying that, Yu Hee-won walked away with a fluttering smile.
Ignoring those words, I looked at the group standing in front of me.
“Oh?”
Han Min-ha with her long black hair and glasses was looking down at the ground with hunched shoulders.
