Recommendation Admission (2)
The temple wasn’t all that far from the academy.
That was because the temple was built right next to the academy in the first place.
Apparently, so many students got hurt during lessons that they’d gone and built a temple beside it for convenience, or so the story went.
Anyway.
Thanks to that, it didn’t take long to reach the academy by carriage.
By the time we arrived, it was afternoon, and the academy’s front gate was already shut tight.
Instead, a guard stationed at the gate came over to us.
“Please state your purpose for visiting.”
“I’m here for the recommendation admission exam.”
“Ah! So you’re one of the recommended applicants. We’ve been informed. Please follow me.”
I followed the guard into the academy.
Bella and Derick were outsiders, so they couldn’t come in any farther than this, which meant we had to part ways here.
“See you later, everyone.”
“Yes.”
“Mm.”
After saying goodbye to the two of them, I followed the guard toward the place where the recommendation admission exam would be held.
“We’re here.”
The guard led me to a massive colosseum.
They had a facility like this inside the academy?
Did they shove students in here and make them fight like gladiators?
“Please go inside. The professor in charge of proctoring the exam will be waiting for you. Then I’ll be on my way.”
With the guard gone, I was left alone as I stepped into the colosseum.
I’m going to get lost if I’m not careful.
The colosseum was huge.
So huge that it wouldn’t have been strange for a first-time visitor to lose their way.
But that wasn’t a concern for me, whose senses other than sight had become absurdly refined.
The terrain and objects around me were drawn in my mind like black-and-white holograms.
It was like I’d turned on a map hack and could read every path at a glance.
Thanks to that, I reached the arena without much trouble.
“There’s nobody here?”
Unlike the guard’s claim that the professor would be waiting, the arena was empty.
Wondering if I’d come to the wrong place, I sharpened my senses, but I still couldn’t feel a single human presence anywhere in the colosseum.
I was beginning to think I’d just have to keep waiting when—
Rumble.
Thunder suddenly rolled through the clear sky.
“Is it about to rain?”
The moment I tilted my head in confusion—
BOOM!
With a deafening crack that seemed ready to split my eardrums, lightning struck the arena floor.
A blinding flash swallowed everything around me.
Dust and debris scattered as the arena floor split apart, and I reflexively raised an arm to shield myself.
W-what the hell?
What was happening?
I had no idea.
For now, there was nothing I could do except protect myself.
A moment later, the thunderous roar died away and the dust settled.
Someone was standing in the place where the lightning had struck.
“You’re the recommended applicant?”
A woman’s voice, light and teasing, reached my ears.
I kept my guard up and spoke carefully.
“I am. And you are…?”
“Me?”
The woman gave a snort of laughter before answering.
“I’m Ileyna, the academy principal and Tower Master of the Golden Magic Tower.”
Principal.
And on top of that, Tower Master of the Golden Magic Tower.
Someone far bigger than I’d expected had shown up.
“Just call me Principal if you want.”
“...Understood.”
Once I decided she didn’t seem dangerous, I asked the thing I’d been curious about.
“Are you the one proctoring the exam, Principal?”
“That’s right. I’m in charge of this recommendation admission exam.”
“How do you take the test?”
“Simple.”
Ileyna grinned sharply and went on.
“If I say you pass, you pass. If I say you fail, you fail.”
“...Pardon?”
What the hell kind of nonsense was that?
When I stared at her in disbelief, Ileyna continued as if she’d expected that reaction.
“There’s no set format for the recommendation admission exam. All you have to do is prove your aptitude to the examiner. To judge that aptitude, some professors give written tests, while others put applicants through practical trials.”
Ileyna paused, then smiled with an air of hidden meaning.
“And I prefer practical trials. I can’t stand boring exams.”
At those words, sparks began snapping violently around her body.
“I’ll give you ten seconds. For that long, run and try to avoid me. As long as you don’t get caught, I’ll count it as a pass.”
...Understood.
Ten seconds should be manageable somehow.
Thinking that, I pushed my senses to their limit so I wouldn’t miss a single movement from Ileyna.
But something was odd.
Even as time passed, Ileyna showed no sign of moving.
“Aren’t you going to start?”
“Huh? You’re not taking off your blindfold? If you’re wearing that, you won’t be able to see ahead.”
“Ah, I’m blind. Don’t worry about it and go ahead and start.”
“...What?”
For an instant, silence settled over the arena.
“You’re blind?”
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“Yes. For real.”
Ileyna looked utterly unable to believe it and muttered to herself in a daze.
“Blind, and he beat Hate? How? No, more importantly, is that even possible?”
Though she’d spoken in a small voice, I heard every word clearly.
More than that, how did she know I’d beaten Hate?
I wanted to ask, but Ileyna recovered first.
“The fact that you’re blind is a little shocking, but that doesn’t change anything.”
“I don’t mind. I never asked to be treated differently just because I’m blind.”
At my answer, Ileyna gave a quiet laugh.
“I like your attitude. Good. Then let’s begin the test.”
The instant she finished speaking, a chill crept over my entire body.
It was a familiar sensation.
The same feeling I’d had on the first day I’d been sold off as a slave to the circus troupe.
The same sensation I’d felt when, in order to survive, I’d dodged a dagger for the first time.
Before I could even think, I kicked off the ground and threw myself to the side.
Crash—rumble!
Lightning came down where I’d been standing a moment earlier.
For a principal to hurl lightning at a student like this.
Was she insane?
I wanted to shout at her right then and there, but I couldn’t.
Crash—rumble!
Crash—rumble!
Because the lightning kept striking again and again.
It’s impossible for a human being to see lightning and dodge it.
The reason I could avoid it now was partly thanks to my [Evasion (A+)] skill, but more than anything, it was my instincts doing the heavy lifting.
There are still five seconds left?
It was only a ten-second exam, and yet time felt like it was crawling forward at a lunatic’s pace.
“Damn it!”
I spat out a curse and hurled myself sideways.
Flash!
The instant the burst of light swallowed my vision, a deafening roar shook the arena.
CRACK—RUMBLE!
The last bolt that fell was on an entirely different level from the others.
If I’d taken that head-on, I wouldn’t have survived.
“Hah, hah….”
Dragging in rough breaths, I looked toward Ileyna.
She was staring at me with her eyes wide open.
She looked genuinely shocked.
“N-no way. I was serious with that last one. How did you dodge it? Did I make a mistake? No, impossible. There’s no way I’d make a mistake. Then how…?”
While Ileyna rambled to herself, I asked cautiously, “Principal. What about my test?”
“Hm? Ah, right, the test.”
Ileyna hesitated for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
“You passed. Congratulations on your admission to the academy.”
“Thank you.”
I passed.
Did everyone who entered the academy through recommendation admission take tests like this?
Or was I the special one?
I had no way of knowing, but for now, simply passing was enough.
“It’s late today, so you can start attending classes tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
“I’m heading out now.”
With her shoulders drooping, Ileyna turned around and left the arena.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After Ileyna left, I also exited the arena and headed back outside.
Then I retraced the path I’d come by and made my way to the academy’s front gate.
The academy had dormitories, but I had no intention of using them.
After all, the only reason I’d come to the academy was to protect Medeia.
Come to think of it, I didn’t get to see Medeia today.
When she’d been convalescing in the temple, Medeia had disliked going out, and yet she’d still made a point of coming to see me every day, even wearing a veil. But today, because of the academy entrance exam, I hadn’t been able to meet her.
She’s probably back at the villa by now. I should hurry.
From what Bella and Derick had told me, after Medeia returned to school, she had always gone straight back to the villa as soon as classes ended.
If I went back to the villa now, there was no doubt Medeia would be waiting for me.
The moment I thought that I should return and tell her about today while serving her tea—
“Hm?”
I caught the familiar scent of flowers.
“Medeia?”
It was the floral fragrance that always came from Medeia.
I immediately followed the scent.
When I arrived, there were two people there.
One was Medeia.
And the other was a man I didn’t know.
Who is that?
The moment I started trying to place him, the man standing with Medeia opened his mouth.
“So you had the nerve to come back to school. Do you not think you’re being a burden?”
At his words, I remembered who he was at once.
The Crown Prince.