The announcement of the competition results caused quite a buzz. Even the usually disciplined students couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves.
"Who's in Group 5, Class 1?"
"Group 5, Class 1? Oh, you mean the healer? That buzz-cut girl the head instructor just called up?"
"Yeah, I remember her. She got her head shaved on the first day of pre-training. She's really pretty."
"Isn't she a healer? How'd she snag first place?"
"More than ten teams finished the course, and some even wrecked enemy outposts. So why is there only one first place?"
"Maybe her teammate was super strong? But if that's the case, why did the instructor only call her up?"
While everyone looked on in astonishment, Mandy twisted her fingers nervously. She had never been the center of attention before and felt like she was dreaming. It was hard to tell if she was more happy or terrified.