"If it's still hard for you to understand, I'll explain it in the simplest way possible."
Mashima Tomonari let out a sigh, as if lamenting the intelligence of the student before him.
Without further ado, he pulled out four postcard-sized papers and four standard A4-sized manuals from behind his desk.
"As I said, this special exam divides all first-year students into twelve groups based on the twelve zodiac branches. This is your assigned group and the exam rules. Your group is 'Mao,' meaning the Rabbit Group. The other students in your group are receiving the same explanation in different rooms. Read through this, and if you don't get it, read it again."
"Oh?"
Kure Ragna took the materials, his eyes scanning over the contents as he raised an eyebrow.
The postcard displayed a large '卧' character, signifying the Rabbit Group, followed by a list of group members:
Class A: Takemoto Shigeru, Machida Koji, Morishi Takuro.
Class B: Kure Ragna, Karuizawa Kei, Somura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko.
Class C: Ichinose Hoonami, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, Beppu Ryota.
Class D: Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, Yabuna Nanami, Yamashita Saki.
Wait, we're mixed with students from other classes?
Just as Kure was processing this, Mashima Tomonari's voice rang out again.
"Aren't you going to read it?"
The room collectively turned toward the person in question—Karuizawa Kei.
She sat motionless, head down, her eyes vacant. She looked completely out of it.
"Karuizawa," Mashima prompted.
The girl jolted slightly, finally noticing the manual still in Mashima's outstretched hand. She hesitated before taking it, her expression unreadable.
Great, looks like I'll have to explain everything to her later…
Kure sighed inwardly and returned his attention to the instruction manual.
---
The contents were dense, but Kure skimmed through, simplifying the key points in his mind:
1. The first-year students are divided into twelve groups, each comprising members from all four classes.
2. Each group has one 'Preferential Student.' This student will receive a secret email at 8:00 AM tomorrow informing them of their status. Others will also receive emails, but with slightly different wording.
3. The exam somewhat resembles a 'Werewolf' game. The goal is to deduce the Preferential Student's identity. However, unlike Werewolf, the Preferential Student can choose to reveal themselves or remain hidden.
4. The exam lasts four days, with one free day in between. Students can submit their guesses via email to the school's designated mailbox anytime before the final night at 8:00 PM. Submitting early has both risks and rewards.
5. Daily one-hour discussions are mandatory, but students can discuss anything.
6. Each group's Preferential Student and their classmates are prohibited from submitting guesses.
---
The outcomes of the exam were as follows:
Submitting on Time:
If all group members guess correctly, each student earns 100 personal points. The Preferential Student receives 500,000 points.
If the guess is incorrect or unanswered, the Preferential Student alone receives 500,000 points.
Submitting Early:
If correct, the student who answered gets 50,000 personal points, and their class gains 50 class points. The Preferential Student's class loses 50 class points.
If incorrect, the student's class loses 50 class points, which are awarded to the Preferential Student's class. The Preferential Student also gains 500,000 personal points.
Additionally, the school's emails were read-only, eliminating the possibility of tampering. If a message was received, it was legitimate.
The explanation was lengthy and convoluted on paper, but once broken down, the core mechanics were straightforward.
---
"Alright, I get it now."
Kure stroked his chin, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"This special exam is actually pretty interesting."
"Eh? Your Highness Kure Ragna understands already? I'm still lost," Somura Hideo admitted.
Yukimura adjusted his glasses with a slight smile, indicating he understood.
As for Karuizawa… yeah, I'll have to tutor her on this later.
"It's not too difficult once you break it down," Kure said, re-explaining the mechanics using the analogy of submitting an exam paper early versus on time.
Somura went from confused to contemplative, finally nodding in understanding.
"So, I have a bold idea."
With a clap, Kure brought his hands together, his grin growing wider.
"What if everyone hands over their phones to me for the next few days?"
"... Huh?"
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