A Mockery of the Entrance Exam
There's no way you could be the summon.
The interior of the massive colosseum felt entirely different from the outside, right down to the very quality of the air.
Cheers from the packed stands crashed down like a waterfall while thick clouds of sand dust, the metallic stench of beasts, and the lingering haze of mana all blended together, making every breath feel stifling.
In the center of it all, the practical exam was well underway.
Kugugugung—!
A house-sized rock golem slammed its fist into the air with a roar that shook the ground.
The massive fist howled as it smashed into the test stone slab.
Kwagagagang—!
A huge cloud of dust erupted, and the first slab, caught in the shockwave, shattered into pieces.
The aftershock toppled the remaining slabs behind it like dominoes.
Fragments flew in every direction as dull cracking sounds burst out one after another.
When the dust finally settled, twelve utterly destroyed stone slabs lay in ruins.
"Ooooh—!"
"Twelve slabs? As expected, golem-types have unmatched destructive power!"
Admiring gasps rose from every corner of the stands, mixed with awed murmurs at the overwhelming force.
But Yustia Rosenhart, standing beside me, reacted completely differently.
Her eyes sparkled like a child who had just peeked at a secret, and she tugged at my sleeve.
"Look at that! They only managed twelve, yet everyone's fawning over it."
An irrepressible smile spread across her lips.
"Taesan, you shattered eighteen without even trying during training! This wouldn't even count as a warm-up for you, would it?"
"Yeah… haha…."
Right next to our field, a massive circular track hosted the speed measurement test.
A mechanical turret embedded in the center began spinning with a deafening roar.
Weeeeing—!
A leopard-shaped summon streaked around the track, dodging the mana beams fired from the turret.
Its movements grew so fast they left afterimages.
The crowd's eyes struggled to keep up.
Kwagagagang!
As it blasted through the final lap, kicking up a storm of dust, a number flashed across the electronic board.
"Look at that. Fourteen laps!"
"Insane! That's easily the best record so far!"
"As expected, beast-type summons have unmatched mobility."
Gasps and murmurs erupted everywhere.
Everyone was stunned by the overwhelming speed, but Yustia beside me was biting her lip, barely holding back laughter.
She poked my side and whispered.
"Hear that? They're losing their minds over just fourteen laps."
Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"If you hadn't tripped, Taesan, fifteen laps would've been effortless! This is basically a casual stroll for you, isn't it?"
"Huh? No, fourteen laps puts him around the same level as me…."
"Anyway! The records haven't improved much from last year. If we perform as we did in practice, passing will be no problem at all!"
Her voice held no trace of anxiety now—only confident delight.
"That's us! We're number 91! Let's go, Taesan!"
Yustia shot her hand into the air and bounced on her toes.
She looked as bright and cheerful as a child heading out for a picnic.
The other examinees kept shooting glances our way, but she paid them no mind and grabbed my arm, dragging me along.
Isn't she nervous? Why is she this excited?
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
The test we were heading to wasn't anything else—it was the mana measurement.
My mana was confirmed as unmeasurable F-rank.
Yet that supremely confident expression of hers came from who knows where.
"Yes… let's go."
I answered awkwardly and let her pull me forward.
"Did you see their faces earlier?"
Yustia giggled in a whisper.
"When they witness your true ability, they'll all faint. Even without mana, Taesan, you…."
"Shh."
It still wasn't time to reveal our hand.
"Let's just hope I don't embarrass myself."
"Come on, no way. Embarrass you? This is only the opening act of our reversal."
Yustia winked.
"Examinee number 80, please enter."
At the announcement, the male student ahead of us stepped into the testing area beyond the glass wall with visible tension.
I narrowed my eyes, staring through the glass.
"He's going in without a summon?"
No matter how I looked, I only saw the scrawny male student.
"No, it went in with him."
Yustia answered as if it were obvious.
"Where? Is it wearing an invisibility cloak?"
"Look closer. There, on his shoulder."
Following her fingertip, I spotted something tiny crouched on the student's shoulder.
It was a gray ball of fur no bigger than a mouse, smaller than a palm.
That's a summon?
The student extended the back of his hand with a solemn expression and shouted something.
The gray furball leaped from his shoulder.
Squeak squeak!
It nimbly climbed onto the mana measurement orb.
Then it pressed its tiny front paws against the sphere and began trembling all over.
It looked like it was desperately gathering every ounce of strength in its body.
Weeeing—
The measurement orb emitted a faint glow.
A very weak, pale violet light like a candle about to go out.
The needle on the gauge twitched once and stopped.
"Pfft."
"Hey, did the needle even move?"
Snickering laughter broke out all over the waiting room.
"That's basically no mana reaction at all."
"Even for a small summon, that's terrible. Is it just a pet hamster?"
"It's a fail. Total fail."
Blatant mockery poured down.
The male student beyond the glass wall turned beet red, hung his head, quickly scooped up his summon, and fled the area.
Watching his retreating back, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
This doesn't feel like someone else's problem….
That mouse was only bigger in size; when it came to mana, I wasn't much different.
If anything, that mouse might actually be better than me, since mine converged on zero.
"Oh dear, how unfortunate."
Yustia clicked her tongue.
"But we'll be different. Right?"
"Huh?"
She looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
I swallowed a bitter smile and shrugged.
"Who knows. In front of the mana meter, I'll probably rank below that mouse."
The students before us took their tests one after another.
A short while later, Yustia's name was finally called.
"Number 91, Yustia Rosenhart!"
"It's our turn! Let's go, Taesan!"
Yustia grabbed my arm and sprang forward like a spring.
"Yes? Yes…."
I half-stumbled after her as she dragged me along.
Why is she so excited?
It was obvious I'd suffer total humiliation at the mana meter.
I couldn't fathom the source of her overflowing confidence.
"Excuse me. Only one person at a time."
The student in academy uniform guarding the test entrance blocked our path.
The pure white uniform with gold embroidery was the very symbol of Ethenoa Academy that everyone dreamed of.
Yustia's eyes widened.
"Wow…."
She stared intently at the student's clothes as if she had spotted a celebrity and let out a sigh of admiration.
"Um, I'm actually the summon."
I stepped forward hesitantly.
The student's brows furrowed.
"What?"
"Ah, yes. This person is my summon."
Yustia snapped back to her senses and chimed in.
But the student let out a dumbfounded laugh.
"What nonsense is this? Stop joking and go one at a—"
"Here."
Yustia pulled out the crumpled application form and thrust it right under his nose.
It was the document bearing the dean's signature and Professor Brand's official seal.
The student took it with clear annoyance and scanned it.
Then his eyes gradually widened until his face froze in a blank stare.
"…What is this?"
He looked back and forth between the document and my face in disbelief.
"Like I said, this person is my summon. It even has the dean's approval."
Yustia spoke clearly, driving the point home.
At that moment, murmuring rose behind us like a wave.
"What? They're both going in together?"
"Crazy. Did she fail the summoning and just bring her dad?"
"What kind of act is this? It's hilarious."
Open mockery and laughter stung my ears.
But Yustia didn't bat an eye.
She strode confidently into the testing area.
"Right! Let's begin the mana measurement, Taesan."
Yustia still had that sparkle in her eyes, looking as if she were about to put on a grand magic show.
"Yes… let's do it."
I forced a smile and stood before the meter.
Beneath the transparent crystal orb, a complex magic circle glowed softly.
What am I supposed to do?
Should I pretend to pour in mana? Or shout some battle cry?
All sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind, but in the end I awkwardly raised one arm into the air.
"Hup!"
With a shout, I pressed my palm against the orb.
But of course, nothing happened.
All I felt was the cold surface of the crystal. Not the slightest trace of mana flow or wave reached me.
Weeeing—
The measurement orb didn't even pretend to flicker.
The needle on the gauge didn't budge.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Hey, look! It's actually zero!"
"There's no mana at all? Where did this puppet crawl out from?"
Through the glass wall, I could see the students in the waiting room clutching their stomachs and howling with laughter.
The way they pointed and roared with amusement was quite a spectacle.
"…This is embarrassing."
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
My face burned so hot I could barely stand it.
But Yustia simply shrugged.
"Well… it was all part of the plan."
There was no disappointment or shame in her eyes.
Instead, a mischievous smile played on her lips.
"Now it's time to show them the twist."
She tugged my sleeve and whispered.
"The mana measurement may be zero, but we can make up for it with everything else."