Chief Proctor (1)
Chief Proctor (1)
November 17th.
The day of the Arena Academy practical exam had arrived.
Baek Ha-na woke up at her usual time, ate cereal for breakfast like any other day, brushed her teeth, and washed her hair.
And now she sat in the empty study, blinking vacantly.
-I have something to take care of. Don't be nervous, and do well on the exam.
While she'd been happily eating her cereal, Baek Woo-jin had said just those words and walked out of the house.
Her original plan was to pester him into going to the exam hall together, but her scheme had failed before it even began, and that was why she was now sitting here blankly.
If it were anyone else, they'd be surfing the web, watching broadcasts, or at least reviewing the weaknesses of the monsters set to appear in the upcoming practical. But Baek Ha-na, who had grown up in a decidedly unusual environment, had little interest in such things. And since she'd already memorized every monster weakness that might show up on the exam, there was no need for her to study anyway.
For that reason, she was spending what she considered quality time by sitting in the study saturated with Baek Woo-jin's scent and breathing it in.
-Baek Ha-na!!
-Geez... you're gonna blow out my eardrums.
"......?"
Baek Ha-na, who had been hazily intoxicated by Baek Woo-jin's scent thanks to her ability-enhanced sense of smell, slowly regained her senses at the sound of two very familiar voices.
-Huh. She's not in her room?
-Did she go out?
The voices of her friends, looking for her.
Only then did Baek Ha-na fully snap back to alertness and shout.
"I'm in the study."
Before long, Maria and Idni cracked open the study door and peeked their heads in.
"Excuse us......."
"The professor isn't there, right?"
The one who'd offered the polite greeting just in case was Maria, and the one rolling her eyes around to confirm Baek Woo-jin's absence was Idni.
"He went out early this morning."
"Whew."
"See? You think the Executor would've told us to come for no reason?"
Only after getting Baek Ha-na's confirmation did the two of them enter the study. And the first thing they did was flare their nostrils and take several deep breaths.
"Haa... seriously, every time I come in here, I just feel so at ease."
"If you turned this into perfume or an aromatherapy candle it'd sell like crazy."
Baek Ha-na narrowed her eyes and glared at Idni.
She was a friend, but there were lines you didn't cross, and for Baek Ha-na, Baek Woo-jin was exactly that boundary.
"Whoa, hey. It was a joke."
"......So."
Baek Ha-na kept glaring at Idni as she continued speaking.
"We were supposed to meet at the exam hall. What's going on?"
"Hey, hey, I said I was sorry, so stop glaring. When you open your eyes like that, you look just like the Executor and it seriously gives me chills."
"Then maybe you shouldn't say stupid things to upset Ha-na."
"Aack!!"
Maria, who'd been standing beside her, smacked Idni on the back and shoved her aside.
Then she spoke to Baek Ha-na, who was still scowling at the dramatically wincing Idni.
"The Executor said you'd be alone, so we came."
"...Big Sis Claire said that?"
When Maria nodded, Baek Ha-na's expression shifted subtly.
"Did she say she had something to do and went out too?"
"No? The Executor is at the temple all day today. Why?"
"Mm. Never mind."
At that, Baek Ha-na's face returned to its usual easygoing grin.
"Argh... how do you manage to hit the exact same spot every time?"
"I dunno. Maybe your back has a magnet attached. Anyway, Ha-na. Are you sure you don't need to do any more prep for the exam?"
Maria pushed the whining Idni aside once more and asked Baek Ha-na. Baek Ha-na climbed down from the study chair and answered.
"Yeah. I've got all the monster weaknesses memorized, and Big Sis Claire said for everything else, just act like I normally do."
"See? I told you she doesn't get nervous."
"So it seems."
At Idni's remark, Maria shrugged in agreement.
"It's the same for you two, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah."
"We're apprentice priests and holy knights, after all."
Regardless of the practical exam's content, the two of them could wield holy power, and that alone already guaranteed their passing grade.
They weren't eligible for scholarships or rankings, so there was no real need for them to take the test at all. They'd signed up for Baek Ha-na's sake, and also to see firsthand how skilled the other students entering this year were.
"So, that means we've got three hours to play, right?"
"I guess so?"
As Baek Ha-na nodded, Idni flashed her characteristic sly grin, pulled her smartphone from her pocket, and said,
"In that case, Ha-na, play this with us."
"I'm not really into games......."
"Aah~ come on, play with us. Maria and I got permission yesterday and already started."
"......What is it, anyway?"
Baek Ha-na, who had absolutely zero interest in things like games, slowly read aloud the large text that had appeared on Idni's smartphone screen.
"The Guild?"
It was the game managed by the God of Amusement Vuar himself.
**
[Arena Academy Grand Auditorium]
-Check once more that the hitboxes are functioning properly!
-Please use new magic crystals for this one.
-Summoning devices 5 through 13 confirmed operating normally.
Each academy had its own admission regulations, but most placed no restrictions on age. Arena Academy was no different in that regard.
Awakening occurred regardless of age, so anyone confident in their abilities, of adult age, and within five years of their initial awakening could apply for the exam.
That was why academies in every country found themselves at their busiest during winter, the season normally reserved for year-end preparations.
And Kang Han-na—who had ranked in the top tier academically, yet failed to secure an offer from her desired guild, and in a fit of pique accepted a recommendation from her Enhancement major professor to become a teaching assistant—was also exceptionally busy.
"Uh...... 511 people... that checks out...... order is... correct too...."
The exam took place over three days, so sequencing was critical.
There were Awakened planning to come from the provinces, or even from overseas.
A meticulously fixed sequence.
If even one spot in this sequence got tangled, something incredibly annoying and disastrous would occur. The evaluations would get mixed up entirely.
Of course, there was another verification step prior to the actual test, but some Awakened were so nervous they'd answer every question with an automatic "Yes!" That made thoroughness essential.
'I should've just joined some random guild.'
Kang Han-na regretted it from the bottom of her heart.
She'd never imagined that as an Enhancement-type Awakened, she'd spend four years doing nothing but fiddling with paperwork and documents.
She wanted to quit on the spot, but if she endured just two more years, she'd be eligible to apply for an assistant professorship. So she was gritting her teeth and bearing it.
'......Plus, he did help me with my thesis.'
He worked her like a damn dog, but every so often—very, very occasionally—he extended a helping hand, and he never skimmed her pay, depositing it into her account right on schedule. So she had no choice but to keep hanging on by sheer spite and willpower.
-Beep.
[ AM 09 : 13 ]
The exam started at 1 p.m.
If she skipped lunch, she could catch about three hours of shut-eye.
"Ugh."
With the sounds of people and machinery drifting through the door as a lullaby, Kang Han-na collapsed onto the sofa.
"......Alarm."
Even if she didn't set one, someone would come wake her, but that would be a huge nuisance, so an alarm was absolutely necessary.
-Beep-beep.
The moment she set the time, her arm dropped limply onto the sofa.
Her consciousness grew distant.
Her awareness, which was about to sink into deep sleep—
Click—
—was forced back to reality by a small noise from behind her.
Kang Han-na lifted her heavy eyelids and sat up.
Then she turned her head toward the entrance of the Chief Proctor's office.
A middle-aged man of moderately sturdy build and a stern impression.
It was Kim Gyeong-ho, an Enhancement-type Awakened in charge of the Practical Combat Arts lectures.
"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt your break."
"...It's fine. Did you have something else for me to do?"
He was also the very professor who had been working Kang Han-na like a dog.
Kim Gyeong-ho carefully shut the door and approached Kang Han-na. Then he drew a single sheet of paper from his jacket and held it out to her.
"......?"
"Read it."
She had a powerful gut feeling that taking this document would be a bad idea. Unfortunately, she had no real choice in the matter. She accepted the paper and began to read.
"It's a profile."
"Indeed."
It was the profile of a young man who had just become an adult.
Starting with a facial photo, his awakened ability, and various other details.
"......Professor."
"Ahem."
Kang Han-na, who'd been quick on the uptake since childhood, understood exactly why the professor in front of her had handed her this document.
"It's not a particularly difficult task... and every other professor has done it at least once."
"Then why can't you supervise it yourself, Professor? Honestly, the idea of me, a mere teaching assistant, evaluating students is absurd."
"Hey. You're no ordinary teaching assistant. You're an elite who placed near the top among the kids they call the Golden Generation."
"Even so, I can't do it. I'm going to pretend I never saw this."
Very firmly, Kang Han-na extended the profile back toward Kim Gyeong-ho.
But Kim Gyeong-ho didn't take it. His expression hardened.
"Now that you've seen this, you're essentially complicit. Understand that."
"What do you mean by—"
"Kang Han-na. I'd advise you to think carefully. It's a simple task—just filling in numbers. Are you really refusing? Just do this for me and I'll push you forward aggressively next year."
"Haah......."
Kang Han-na wanted to storm out of her seat on the spot, but she couldn't.
To be blunt, being a little generous with an evaluation wasn't something anyone would notice, and that alone wouldn't guarantee the kid a passing grade. More than anything, the desire to escape this miserable daily grind was the biggest reason for her hesitation.
Still, she hesitated. The proctoring duty she'd always handled just fine was suddenly, out of nowhere, being shoved onto her.
And the timing of this particular request was uncanny.
Anyone could see this was a setup designed to pin the blame on her if things went wrong. It was so blatant she couldn't pretend not to notice even if she wanted to.
'Haah... this is insane.'
If she drew the line and outright refused, who knew if she'd be dragged off to some remote rift and disposed of to keep her quiet.
"Hey. Han-na."
"......."
Under Kim Gyeong-ho's veiled pressure, Kang Han-na bit down hard on her lip.
'......Fuck.'
No matter how she looked at it, this was wrong.
She was someone who took more pride than anyone in being an Arena Academy graduate. And now she was being asked to stain the academy with her own hands.
Though, judging by what Kim Gyeong-ho was telling her right now, it seemed this sort of thing had been happening on and off for quite a long while.
'Fine... let's just ram into it.'
With plenty of pent-up frustration already accumulated, Kang Han-na resolved to use this chance to let it all out. She readied herself to throw the profile in her hand to the floor—
Swish.
The document in Kang Han-na's hand slipped from her fingers as smoothly as flowing water.
As if seized by an unseen hand, it flew sideways through the air.
Kang Han-na and Kim Gyeong-ho's gazes naturally followed it.
And both of them froze for entirely different reasons.
Disheveled, messy black hair.
Opaque glasses that concealed half his face.
A height so tall you had to crane your neck to look up at him.
"Huh......?"
The man who had rescued her from that maze.
The man she'd searched for without finding a single trace, until she'd resigned herself to forgetting him entirely.
He was holding the document in his hand.
The man, Baek Woo-jin, handed the document in his hand to Kim Seong-won, who was standing beside him, and spoke in a low voice.
"It seems the faculty have a great many complaints about their pay."
A single bead of sweat slid down Kim Seong-won's smoothly bald head.