When Kendra went back inside the cave; she saw that Emilia was awake, while Faye slept like a baby on Emilia's shoulder.
Immediately, Emilia woke Faye beside her.
"Faye, Kendra is back," Emilia mumbled beside her softly.
"Hmm?" Faye blink her eyelids, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
Afterwards, the three of them started having breakfast with the fruits that Kendra gathered when Kendra came back. While doing so, the three also discussed the strategy that Kendra laid out for them.
"There are only three teams from our S-Class left including our team. I suggest for the two of you to start on the east," Kendra said, eating the fruits in her hand elegantly.
"Alright, then you rest well while we're away," Faye said, looking at Kendra.
Emilia nodded as she stood up. "Let's go, it's better to finish these things as soon as possible."
Emilia and Faye left, running to the east; they also think that they should start on the closer perimeter.
After the two left; Kendra guarded the cave, manifesting an invisible light shield on the entrance, so no light or mana would come inside the cave except for hers.
This is all for the sake of the red Bellpepper monster, so it won't be able to use the light rays of the sun and spit fire all over the net-like vines that are restraining it. If that happens; it would only result in catastrophe for Kendra.
From daylight to night time, Kendra spent her time guarding inside the cave. Some participants, who would find their way near the cave, will instantly turn around and leave as soon as they sense Kendra's pressuring aura. So Kendra didn't find it that difficult to guard the cave alone.
The problem is when night time came and the two came back, building a bonfire inside the cave. Of course, as someone who is weak against fire, Kendra has no choice but to leave automatically. Although Faye and Emilia were both puzzled why Kendra is always in a hurry, they didn't question any further. After all, Kendra said to trust her, so they did.
Leaving the campsite at night, Kendra spends her time outside, helping other teams that Emilia and Faye haven't helped yet.
This routine continued until day five of five ended.
Every participant from the S-Class Greenhorn students all manage to complete the first task of the team cooking competition. On day 6; the only teams that manage to participate in the actual cooking are from Kendra's class, which is six teams in total.
"Ladies and gentlemen! What a lovely morning everybody. We all anticipated for this day to come. The finale for all mini competitions. All the sleepless nights of the participants and all the wishful thoughts are now happening in reality. The long wait is over. On behalf of our dearest dean master. I welcome all of you to the final act of the greenhorn mini competitions!" Matilda Degen announced.
The upperclassmen students on the tiered benches applauded and cheered.
"Now as your master of ceremonies, let me introduce myself once again, I am Professor Matilda Degen, an instructor of Melee Combat. So, without wasting any more time, let's now start the final day of the competition. Roll that drum!"
At that, the drumming resounded along with the blaring echoes of the boisterous upperclassmen students. Meanwhile, the participants went on to their positions. Kendra and her team are starting to prepare the ingredients.
Inside her chest, Kendra could feel her thundering heart, bolting in anxiousness. Despite what she feels on the inside, Kendra plastered an amiable smile on the surface. Yet, Kendra felt her mouth twitch seeing Faye starting to prepare the woods needed to start the fire.
Kendra swallowed her saliva, feeling her intestines fighting a war inside her stomach. She wanted to vomit, but since Kendra didn't eat anything to prepare her stomach for this day, she only felt nauseated.
But Kendra is a little unsteady and lightheaded.
For 5 days, she has been skipping a lot, and now, Kendra became a bit frail and pale. With shaking hands, she handled the knife, chopping the vegetables.
Fortunately, Kendra has experience in cooking. The only problem is, she can't handle the sight of fire till now. But thanks to her advance preparation of not eating for a whole week, Kendra can't vomit anymore other than her own blood and saliva.
While Kendra is busy in her thoughts and chopping the ingredients; other participants have already started making fire.
The dancing flame came into view; the smell of the burning woods lingered through Kendra's nostril like a provocation to vomit blood. But Kendra tried to endure. After all, she can't let anyone see her weakness. Especially Lilith and Zelda who are probably watching her somewhere in the crowd.
[I just need to last through till the end.] Kendra thought, pressing her lips together as she tried not to gag from the sight of flames around her.
Despite Kendra's nervous heart, it was Emilia and Faye who cooked the recipe in the end; Kendra only chopped and prepared the ingredients. Also, since Kendra's stomach is empty, even though Kendra felt sick from every inch of her being; Kendra somehow managed to last until the end. Kendra finally discovered that this is how she would handle her trauma against fire.
By not eating anything.
After every competition ended; the academy immediately announced the winners.
Kendra's team won first place. After all, Kendra made sure that all the ingredients used are high quality ones. Not to mention that Emilia is a good cook, so it won the taste buds of the judges.
On the other hand, the rest from her class also won. No one really lost, because even the last sixth team in the team cooking competition received a reward from the academy.
Later on that day, the ranking of all greenhorn classes was also posted on the bulletin board. Kendra's S-Class took the first spot with 300,000 class-points.
Next is the D-Class with a total of 200,000 class-points; these points were all earned since all of the students in their class joined every competition; they are a very competitive bunch.
Third is A-Class with a total of 150,000 class-points. After all, there are still many of their class members who didn't compete in the competitions; they earned less than the D-Class.
B-Class took the fourth place since they followed what A-Class did, making them only earn 100,000 class-points.
The fifth one is the E-Class; they are as competitive as the D-Class, but the problem is they won the last place in each competition, making their class only earn about 90,000 class-points.
C-Class is the last one; they weren't interested in these mini-competitions; only a few of them tried to join the fun, so they only earned 50,000 class-points.
F-Class got zero class-points; no one tried joining the competition from their class.
After all, every accumulated merit-points that are earned through competitions and other side quests are added in total as a class-point.
However, the merit-points that the students earned will not be taken away, but each merit-point that students earned will be added on the overall points of the class.
The class ranking also depends on the total accumulated class-points.
Despite the ranking and class-points being posted; no further details were announced on what it was all about, and most greenhorn students thought that it was just a simple class ranking, so no one paid any extra attention to it except for the few.
However, only the upperclassmen students and Kendra knew that it was not a simple class ranking. But the upperclassmen don't dare to tell the greenhorn students about it since they would be the one receiving a penalty by doing that.
On the other hand, Kendra is already making appropriate plans for all of her classmates.
After the awarding ceremony, Kendra brought Faye and Emilia to the forest and outside the borders of the academy, so Kendra could discuss things more openly.
"So…why did you bring us out here?" Faye asked, looking around the murky forest.
Emilia didn't say anything, but she also waited for Kendra to explain in detail.
"I need your help," Kendra said; direct to the point.
Faye, the good samaritan, hurriedly nodded her head in delight. "Sure, whatever is it," Faye said; she felt happy that Kendra is finally relying on her.
"I'll do the best I can do," Emilia said after Faye; she also wanted to help Kendra since this is why her leader placed her here.
Kendra didn't respond to them and only gave Faye and Emilia letters, and the two started reading at the same time.
The contents of the letter are simple.
Kendra explained to Faye and Emilia why they needed to bring the S-Class together; why they needed to win many mini competitions and earn a lot of class-points.
The answer is because of the class-points; it is something that will be used in the major tournament.
Kendra explained to Faye and Emilia that the major tournament is about war between greenhorn classes, where each class needs to battle out points from other classes.
The class with the highest class-points is the only class that would be exempted from the expulsion.
While the remaining greenhorn classes will all be dropped to the purgatory assessment competition. It's the final verdict given to the remaining classes who lost. However, in that competition, each student will have to manage to win their points by themselves. They will no longer be tested as a team but as an individual.
In total, there are about 700 greenhorn students that were enrolled this year, and 500 out of 700 will be dropped by the academy after the class year ends.
In each class, there are about more or less 70 to 100 students. Which means that any class who would rank the highest in the major competition; about 70 to 100 students in that certain class would be exempt from the expulsion process.
Meanwhile, the remaining greenhorn students will be one by one picked by the academy. The top 100 individual greenhorn students with the highest merit points in the purgatory assessment competition are the only students that wouldn't be dropped from the academy. The rest will be kicked out; no matter what status or grades they have.
Which is why Kendra needs to unite the S-Class together, but she can't be the one to act on it, and that's why Kendra will make Faye and Emilia the leaders, while Kendra is helping in the shadows.
After Faye and Emilia finished reading.
Faye then glanced at Kendra. "So it was because class-points are something that is needed in the major tournament. Is that why you asked to help our classmates in the competition?"
Kendra nodded as she replied, "...yes."
Emilia weaved her brows. "And that's why the academy posted class-points and rankings on the bulletin board. I knew there was something more to it, especially when Professor Frank said that the prizes that the students would get in the mini competitions are vital in the Major Tournament, but I didn't expect this…"
"That's why we need to unite our classmates together; we need to work as a whole class, so we'll get the free-pass on our class, and in that way, no one will be expelled from the S-Class, what do you think?" Kendra said, looking at Faye and Emilia back and forth.
Faye nodded solemnly. "I agree with this," she said.
Emilia, on the other hand, felt complicated. "I don't think this would be an easy feat like we did in the mini competition, especially since students from the noble family would probably disagree with the notion of working together with commoners like us," Emilia stated.
Faye pouted, but deep inside, she agreed as well.
"Don't worry, we still have time to pull the class together. Through each mini competition; we should work on bonding together the whole S-Class," Kendra said.
"Well, it seems that it's the only way," Emilia replied in agreement.
Faye nodded as well, then she glanced at Kendra with curiosity. "But Kendra, how did you manage to acquire this information? Doesn't the academy forbid these things?"
Kendra smiled mysteriously. "That's a secret, and I hope that I could trust the two of you to not speak any word of this…"
Faye nodded hurriedly. "Of course, don't worry."
Kendra then glanced at Emilia.
"My lips are sealed," Emilia mumbled.
"Good, then that's all I have to say, please burn those letters in your hand before you go back to the academy," Kendra said as she started walking, leaving the two.
"Where are you going?" Faye asked.
"I have another matter that needs attention. You two should go back without me," Kendra replied, waving goodbye at Faye.
Afterwards, Kendra went to the flower field, checking if Nasrin had already written a letter back.
Kendra raised her lip, looking far ahead with some expectation; her ocean blue eyes appeared bright and bubbly. It's been a week ever since Kendra wrote a letter to Nasrin, Kendra wanted to check if Nasrin wrote a letter back.
After all, Kendra wrote something important to Nasrin.
When Kendra arrived; Kendra didn't see any single fluttering letter in the flower field, which made Kendra feel somewhat disappointed.
However, Kendra thinks that Nasrin is just probably taking her time. Or maybe Nasrin hasn't received a letter yet, or perhaps Nasrin's letter hasn't arrived here yet?
Kendra isn't sure, but since there is still no letter in sight, Kendra went back to the academy. By the time Kendra went back to the GOF Dormitory, Faye was not around. The brunette haired girl is probably accompanying Emilia in the Familiar Facility.
At that, Kendra heaves a sigh of relief as she directly strides her legs to their private bathroom. As soon as she steps inside, Kendra locks the door, putting enchantment magic on every wall to block the sound.
Right after that, Kendra started vomiting blood on the toilet bowl. She had been suppressing the urge all this time, and finally, Kendra had the time to just let herself be free.
Free from the worries of being seen. She could finally be her true weak self again. This is Kendra's real self. Kendra isn't really strong. She is just a weakling who happens to return to the past.
But no matter what she is; Kendra already made it her goal to continue her goal. After all, this second life is not for her sake. This life is for atonement of her sins. No matter how hard things get, Kendra will just try to plaster a smile on her face and get on with it.
After vomiting as much as she could, Kendra fixed her appearance in front of the full length mirror. She cleaned up the mess inside the bathroom; not leaving a single trace or flaw. Afterwards, she then removes the enchantment circles.
With one truck of her platinum hair behind her ears, Kendra opens the door with an amiable smile.
[Nothing happened here.] Kendra chanted like a hypnotising song in her head.