I Regress if the Villainess Dies! Chapter 24: Chapter 23 Top Contenders

Read chapter 24 of I Regress if the Villainess Dies! by Yuzai_Rearu on NovelPedia.

Fahna was gritting her teeth as she stomped her way to the second examination grounds. She knew that Rozenfall liked to change the examination each year regardless of difficulty, but she didn’t expect to encounter the one she’s most wary of. The grid maze was infamous for leaving even the strongest entrants hopelessly lost if they lacked enough brains. Yet two people had somehow gone ahead of her. Her perfect record had been broken once again, even though she had used her speed and observation to their fullest. Now she came face to face with the two mysterious opponents who had surpassed her. The first who caught her attention was a girl wearing ornate blue mage robes engraved with lines of runes. She had dark blue hair, bangs covering her forehead, and her face carried a forlorn expression as if she were on the verge of falling asleep. 'The Mage Tower’s jewel, Gumin Esolian.' Said to possess a talent never before seen in the history of the Magic Tower. A famous prodigy rumored to herald a new era for magic. Fahna understood that she was a worthy and formidable opponent. Magic was a tricky power to deal with. ‘And the other one…’ As someone who maintained her best image at all times, Fahna had researched potential competitors during her spare time. She refused to leave even the smallest possibility of placing second once the academy began. But she did not recognize him. Someone with that kind of appearance was bound to stand out and attract attention, perhaps even trouble. Sharp red eyes, a toned jawline, and short slicked-back red hair with clean faded sides. He was tall and clearly muscular beneath his clothes, which appeared to be a… butler suit? His expression and overall appearance made her feel strangely antagonized. As if his gaze said, 'What are you looking at?' “Would you like to team up with us?” While Fahna was observing him, Xian extended the invitation without much thought. Being recognized and leaving an impression on the starting heroines would be ideal for future interactions. “Team up?” Fahna poked her cheek as she considered Xian’s proposal. Meanwhile, as if she found the situation bothersome, Gumin let out a small sigh. “Yes. There will be formidable foes inside this labyrinth. If the three of us, the best among the entrants, work together, we can pass simultaneously.” Xian knew exactly what would sound appealing to someone like Fahna. As a player, treating the heroines he had conquered before appropriately came to him as naturally as breathing. ‘The best… Simultaneously…’ Those words were already echoing in Fahna’s mind the moment they left Xian’s mouth. Somehow his offer became tempting immediately, but still… “Sorry but, I can do this my—“ “You can take first place.” Hearing Xian relinquish first place so easily, her mouth stopped midway through the sentence. “What? Really? What about her?” She pointed toward Gumin, who was already leaning on her staff with half-lidded eyes, completely unconcerned with their conversation. Noticing their attention shift toward her, Gumin reluctantly gave a response. “Mm… I don’t really care either way.” “See?” Xian shrugged at Fahna, showing that neither of them had any real interest in taking first place. Even though Fahna liked to maintain a perfect persona, she was flexible enough to discard parts of it when necessary. Just like right now. More than being a perfectionist, she was someone who seized opportunities without hesitation. In the name of being ranked first, or being called the best and eventually, to become truly the best. That was how she had always lived. “… Alright. Just don’t pretend this conversation never happened later, okay?” she said in a relaxed, mask-off tone. With that settled, Xian had perhaps formed the strongest party he had ever seen. Normally, it was impossible to have both Fahna and Gumin in the same party. Gumin, being a mage, avoided anyone through invisibility. Meanwhile, Fahna, who had prior training from her clan, did not so much as glanc