Shirone did enjoy reading history that involved wars with mages, but he didn�t think that magic had to be so destructive.�

�I�ve never learned magic with the intention of hurting someone.�

He was curious about Yiruki, but it was Shirone who thought that getting along with him was out of the question.

As if he really put himself under probation, Yiruki did not come to class.

Although he felt a little bad, Shirone was relieved by this.

�I wouldn�t know what to say if we ran into each other again.�

After an ordinary day, Shirone took his first formal Class 5 evaluation.

His average score was 41 points.

It was still in the lower range, but it wasn�t an easy feat to raise all subjects by 10 points in one month.

After checking the test results, the students tidied up their desks and stretched.

�Phew, I guess I can lay back for a while. Shall we buy something and go to our research group?�

�Let�s. With all the stress off my shoulders, I�m feeling hungry.�

Students started leaving in pairs or more, but not Shirone, for he was not part of a research group yet.

�I should go to the library and study some more. My average score is still 40 points��

He was not satisfied with the results, but the process of enhancing his Core of Knowledge was going smoothly.

Shirone was pleasantly surprised when he noticed that all the knowledge was connecting much faster than he expected.

�It�s proof that my network of knowledge is evolving. Let�s not waver and stick to it until the end.�

The fact that he had already finished the 20 books he had borrowed a week ago kept his spirits up.

�Hey, Shirone.�

�Yes? What is it?�

A female student approached him as he was packing his backpack.

From a corner of the classroom, her friends were eyeing them with excitement.

�I�ve talked with my friends about this, but would you like to join our research group? We�re researching object-moving magic. We thought that if you were in our group, we could maybe make more achievements. It�s also a field that has a lot to do with photon magic.�

Shirone thought carefully.

He had received offers from several groups after being promoted, but this was the first research group that suited his aptitude.

Whether students wanted to join or not was 100% up to them, but there was no case where joining one would be a waste of time.

The academy�s evaluation methods were largely divided into three parts. Practical exams, theory exams, and performance evaluations.

Among them, the performance evaluation required one research paper on whatever topic to be submitted between semesters. That�s why many students joined a research group, to save time and effort.

Most of the students did it this way, as during vacation time, they would be able to visit their hometowns or stay at the academy to focus on fixing their weak points.

Of course, Shirone also checked the qualifications to join a research group, but eventually changed his mind. JrNovels.com