A murmur came from Connie-kun. However, Rias ignored it and continued, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.
"The overall score of each class, including Class A, is here."
Then, instead of announcing it like earlier, she put up a piece of paper with everyone's scores on it for some incomprehensible reason.
Everyone shifted their gazes to the paper while audibly gasping in disbelief.
------Overall Ranking------
Class E
Arrival Rank 4 (100P)
Mission Difficulty Level 10
Achievement Rate 90%
Overall Score - 900P
Class D
Arrival Rank 2 (150P)
Mission Difficulty Level 12
Achievement Rate 60%
Overall Score - 1080P
Class C
Arrival Rank 3 (125P)
Mission Difficulty Level 14
Achievement Rate 80%
Overall Score - 1400P
Class B
Arrival Rank 1 (200P)
Mission Difficulty Level 16
Achievement Rate 85%
Overall Score - 2720P
Class A
Arrival Rank 5 (50P)
Mission Difficulty Level 65
Achievement Rate 140%
Overall Score - 4550P (!)
A deafening silence filled the hall, with everyone having the same question in their hearts— What the heck?!
Connie-kun took a quick glance at Class A.
The students of Class A barely showed any excitement over it, and just stared at the score with deadpanned 'Oh...' expressions.
"This… no way, how can that be?! I admit that they’re strong, but isn't difficulty level 65 too much?! There's no way that should have been allowed, even if they have Leo and Allen!"
Connie-kun raised his voice in objection. Had he not, then someone else would have said it in his place.
"Your doubts are justified, Connie-kun. As a matter of fact, we had also raised our doubts when the difficulty level of Class A's mission was set to 25 at first, and we tried to stop Sir Godorfun from going with it given the impossibility of it all.
However, they broke through their given scenarios with ease. The orientation would have lost its meaning had it continued, so Sir judged that the scenarios’ difficulty must be adjusted.
On the other hand, these outdoor classes aren't something one can hope to top by just one man's effort alone. I believe you all must have keenly felt it too by now, having experienced the brutality of the missions yourselves. So, the result you're seeing is something they’ve achieved while moving as one."
Seeing Connie-kun go silent, Rias addressed Class A.
"Class A, although this is the highest score in the history of the outdoor classes I fully recognize that you may not be happy with it. But rest assured, the symbol after the overall score means that the final result is still pending.
I, and many other teachers, had a discussion over it for the entire night, but we were unable to agree on a suitable score for your achievements. However, we all agreed that this score is 'too low'. So for the time being, we’ve put up the least possible score, and it’ll be reevaluated after we get back to the Academy. But I’m sure your score will only go up from here... and substantially at that."
The hard-to-believe explanation shocked the Class B students, who had been harboring discontented looks all this while.
The score was already something hard to swallow for them, yet now they were told that it would substantially increase without fail later on.
While they were still in a state of disbelief, their class leader, Aris Masculine, started clapping while barely holding herself together.
She had also put a lot of effort in bringing Class B to where it was now. Her regret... was obvious.
Once someone took the lead, the rest followed the suit, and soon the hall was filled with thunderous applause.
"Congratulations!"
"I’m too shocked to even say anything, you know?!"
"Just what have you gone through to get that ridiculous score?!"
"Now I'm glad to see you back in one piece!"
"No wonder you guys are the representatives of the first years!"
Aris noticed how Class A's expressions remained constant throughout the congratulations and praises, and burned that image into her mind.
She could have been one of them. According to the mock exam, she had sufficient caliber to join Class A. However, as the dark horse of the entrance exam, Allen had certainly shaken the world by joining Class A. But no one was more astonished than her, having missed out on Class A.
There was no place for 'what if' when it came to exams, but maybe she could have made it had she attempted one more science question. If only she could have gotten a slightly better score in the practical test.
If only Allen hadn't appeared like a shooting star out of nowhere.
She had lost count of how many times she regretted not doing just a little bit better in the once-in-a-lifetime exam. She had put every ounce of her being and bone-breaking effort into improving herself ever since the entrance ceremony to wipe away that regret of hers.
She challenged the outdoor classes, staking it all on the results, but still she failed. Surprisingly enough, there was no regret in her heart. It was because she was sure that she had given it her all this time.
She would use this frustration again, and aim higher. With that conviction in her mind, and with an ever burning fighting spirit in her heart, she clapped.
She praised without holding back, hoping that the day would arrive where she would be standing on the same side as them, where she could keep a calm expression like they did right now.
Relentlessly, Aris clapped her hands even if the scenery reflected in her eyes was too blurry to look at.
Of course, Aris’ entry into Class A would mean... one of them would have to drop from class.
This was an ironclad rule.
◆◆◆
In the end, the score of Class A was summed up as 'Impossible to evaluate’.
So the overall score ended up being—
Class A
Arrival Order 5 (50P)
Mission Difficulty Level 82
Achievement Rate 160%
Overall Score - 6560P
It was a score that substantially renewed what was possible in the outdoor classes.
At the same time, had Allen not insisted on playing around when Godorfun had admitted his defeat, it would have been possible Class A to arrive at the villa first. So, even by the lowest standard possible, the score might have been at least—
Class A
Arrival Order 1 (200P)
Mission Difficulty Level 70
Achievement Rate 150%
Overall Score - 21000P
A preposterous score it might be, but because the base score was increased by four-fold depending on the arrival order, there was no room to bring it down.
The Academy had raised their hands in defeat when they saw the numbers, stating that it was impossible to evaluate them with their current marking standard.
Typically, they'd decide the score by the achievement rate, which topped at 100%. But the fact that Class A had surpassed the top — the 100% rate — by a mile in the Academy's hypothesized simulation, the situation was bound to bring a headache to the invigilators’ side.
In a more detailed explanation— up until the point of Bester's base setup, the Academy had referred to their schemes and blueprints, and somehow managed to calculate the maximum possible score from there, surprised as they were. But when Leo's magic sword, Jeu's area healing magic, and Allen's trick of instant paralysis were brought into the picture, they could no longer catch up with the absurdity.
At the same time, the last aspects actually had to be kept as classified — Classified Level 4, which was equivalent to the military's confidential secret — by the top brass of the Academy.
Then there were the words of Allen Rovenne— "Who cares about the score, mark it however you want". Though he didn't say it explicitly, the hidden sarcasm in those words, that 'If you think you can evaluate us, then do your best for the fall-out in doing so’, was proof of his overflowing and absolute confidence.
And in the end, they certainly ended up as 'impossible to evaluate’.
The Royal Academy— it was a prestigious academy, with history itself being proof of their unbeatable track record. Yet, for the first time in its history, they, the teachers’ association, were given the label of 'disqualified' by the students of Class A.
T/N - How should I say, they read too much into the line, but it also didn't feel like they read too much for the comedy's sake. Next chapter will be straight from the teacher's meeting, where they had decided the score. Next arc, after 4 chapters, will be another interesting one---Allen saving the kingdom from crisis Arc! Well, not exactly overblown, but it's certainly the crisis resolution time---dealing with a horde of some type of insect monster that, if hatched, will end up in hundreds of thousands in number, resulting in a war against them. Quite funny interactions, and development, and scenarios.
E/N - I knew Allen's stubbornness at the end would cost them though with how high their base score already was, it didn't really matter anymore. It's not as if the MC cares anyway. And I somehow find myself rooting for Aris, is it just me? Though that would mean someone from the current Class A would drop out of the class, so I'm a bit torn.