The Test Has Already Begun

The wolf-eared beastman police officer scratched his head with the back of his pen.

"So you're saying this Neon guy beat all of them up and then disappeared?"

"Yes!!"

"...Neon? The one with wolf ears on his head?"

Bleber answered the officer's question with complete sincerity, but the policeman only kept scratching at his scalp.

"The same Neon who almost never loses his temper... swung his fists and smashed up a bunch of orcs?"

"That's what I'm telling you!"

"...Lady Bleber. It's not that I don't believe you, but honestly, this is pretty hard to swallow."

"But...!"

Frustrated, Bleber thumped her chest.

"There are eyewitnesses giving the exact same statement!"

"Yet the victims themselves are keeping their mouths shut, aren't they?"

When the officer pointed subtly, the orcs sprawled on the ground flinched and quickly turned their heads away.

"Even if we're talking about a sheep beastman, he'd still be a lot smaller than these guys. Was it a woman?"

"It was a man!"

"Then it's even harder to believe. No, it's not that I doubt the existence of sheep beastmen themselves. It's the part where one of them took down these guys that's difficult to accept."

There were always differences in physique between beastmen races, but it was hard for anyone to believe that these whale-sized brutes had been knocked out without even putting up a proper fight.

"Still... I understand. Since he's one of the new students, and if we're talking about a sheep beastman, the numbers are limited anyway."

"Exactly!"

"Is there something else you'd like to report...?"

"You're not going to throw him in jail for assault, are you...?"

"Ah, no. That's not it."

The officer quietly shook his head and gestured toward the wide tablet in his hand.

"Records...? So you're not just looking at class grades, you're evaluating our entire school life?"

"That's correct."

Although he wore a police uniform, a button engraved with the Cadelis Academy emblem was fastened to the wolf beastman's sleeve.

"Everything you do while attending the academy will be evaluated. Receiving one of the Twelve Kings' Symbols means you must be someone worthy of that level of qualification."

"The qualifications of a king..."

"At the very least, in that regard, Lady Bleber, you could be said to be one step ahead of the others."

"Me?"

"Yes. You didn't turn a blind eye to the fallen and immediately took action. They probably wouldn't have died if left alone... but there are those who will look favorably upon the mindset that led you to report this."

Bleber wanted to snap back and ask who?, but she barely managed to swallow the words rising in her throat. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rabbit Princess who couldn't tolerate injustice—Bleber. That much was fine. But if the perception of 'Bleber who disrespects even public authority' spread, that would be problematic. If the academy truly evaluated every single moment of their time here, there was no need to start off with a bad image.

"Ugh... you rabbit beastman...!"

"Call me Bleber. That's my name."

"...I won't forget this kindness. Thank you."

The orcs, still clutching their aching solar plexuses, moved to leave. They weren't foolish enough to think Neon was secretly watching from somewhere, but the fact that they'd been knocked unconscious even for a moment left them depressed as they hung their heads low once more.

"Lady Bleber. If you're satisfied now, would you please prepare for the class assignment?"

"Ah, yes."

Class assignment. It was the most important event at Cadelis Academy, set to take place tomorrow morning alongside the entrance ceremony.

"...Do you happen to know if that person will be attending as well?"

"By 'that person,' you mean...?"

"My mother."

"Yes. Not only the Rabbit Queen, but I understand all of the Twelve Kings who are able to attend will be present."

"I see..."

Then this was an opportunity. She could prove that none of the other rabbit beastmen were qualified to receive the King's Symbol, and at the same time, sufficiently appeal to her mother that it was this Bleber—not her other daughters—who was worthy of inheriting the King's Symbol.

"I'll escort these ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠individuals to their rooms. Lady Bleber, you should go inside and rest."

"Um... is that really okay?"

"Yes. It wouldn't do for something like this to ruin your condition. After all..."

The officer smiled faintly and rubbed his fingertips together.

"You'll need to get into Class 1, won't you?"

"...Of course."

Class assignment. It was a matter of pride. Since she had already decided to claim the King's Symbol, it wouldn't make sense for her not to enter Class 1, where the most outstanding beastmen were expected to gather.

......

If she got into Class 1, wouldn't she run into that sheep beastman again? Even though he had no manners, if he was acknowledged as more talented than the rabbit princess and entered Class 1, they would definitely meet then. They would. Probably.

Bleber didn't think too deeply about the class assignment. She simply knew it existed and naturally assumed she would be placed in Class 1.

Each class had about twenty-five students. With twelve classes total, roughly three hundred new Cadelis Academy students would be divided into groups of exactly twenty-five.

The exact details—she didn't know. It was possible all the rabbit beastmen would be lumped into one class, or they might strictly separate them so no more than two of the same race ended up together. Either way, Class 1 was what mattered.

Even if she gave a hundred concessions and that damn talented rabbit got selected for Class 1, she could just end up in Class 2 and beat them before graduation. If they shoved all the rabbits into Class 4? That kind of environment would actually be perfect for Bleber to shine. After all, her position as the eldest princess didn't disappear just because she was in the academy.

Even if, in this academy—

"Ugh, damn it."

All beastmen are equal. It was the kind of phrase you'd find in any book in the library, yet for some reason, that sheep beastman's voice kept echoing in her head. Was it because his voice had left such a strong impression? Or because he kept bothering her?

"...No way."

It was only because there was a chance they might end up in the same class. It definitely wasn't because she felt anything special. Of course, if what was on his head had been rabbit ears, her thoughts might have shifted just a tiiiny bit, but what he had were sheep horns, not rabbit ears.

The unidentified sheep beastman. If he wasn't in Class 1 with her, he'd probably be in Class 2—or at worst, Class 3. At least if he was skilled enough to beat up those orcs like that. Or maybe as low as Class 6?

Only six students per beastman race had been allowed to enroll. The top twelve races had filled their six slots completely, and the rest were packed with the remaining species. There had been those orcs she'd seen yesterday, along with cats, spiders, scorpions, and even butterflies.

If she thought about it normally, Class 1 would probably be filled with twelve successors like herself, then the remaining spots filled with those from non-top races. Or perhaps Class 1 would symbolically contain only the twelve major races.

Whichever it was—

"...Why is this taking so long?"

Waiting quietly was starting to make her anxious. There was supposed to be an entrance ceremony or something, yet the only broadcast that had gone out across the entire dormitory after she woke up was a single instruction: Stand by.

Was the entrance ceremony being delayed? Or had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠some accident occurred? At other academies, they gathered students in the auditorium for long speeches during entrance ceremonies, or sometimes even held separate entrance exams, didn't they?

Since she'd already been told about the class assignment before even entering the dormitory, and since that police officer yesterday had clearly expected the rabbit princess to be assigned to Class 1 and tried to build some connections, there probably wouldn't be any major problems.

There wouldn't. There shouldn't be.

"...Should I go out?"

Creak.

Bleber opened her door. There was no movement from the other rooms in the dormitory, but she quietly left her room and headed to another floor.

"Ah!"

"Ugh..."

Other beastmen she occasionally ran into.

"Ah, sister...!"

"...Yeah, sure."

"Sister, maybe we could—"

"No. You do your own thing. I'll move on my own."

She ran into one rabbit she really didn't want to meet, but she intended to move separately just in case. She had never planned to work with anyone anyway. If some crisis came up, she'd rather handle it alone.

With that thought, she left the building, and there were already quite a few other beastmen outside. Like her, they had come out because nothing seemed to be happening even as the sun slowly climbed higher in the sky. Most of them were male, and they had already gathered in small groups, chatting among themselves.

"L-Lady Bleber!"

"Ah."

Bleber saw him. A beastman waving at her and approaching.

"L-Long time no see. H-Have you been well?"

"Ah, yes."

A turtle beastman named Kameha—with a bowl cut and the characteristic turtle shell on his back. They had known each other since childhood due to their families' connections, but it was rather unpleasant to see him approach with those glasses, that wrinkled neck, and that oily voice. Especially when he smelled like he hadn't properly washed, as if he didn't even know what a shower was.

"A-Anyway, about the current situation—"

"Huh?"

Bleber spotted him. Far in the distance, a blond sheep beastman with his hands in his pockets, heading somewhere.

"Lady Bleber. For now, why don't you come with—"

"Good luck!"

Without even touching the hand he offered, Bleber immediately broke into a run. As a rabbit, she had confidence in her sprinting. She could easily catch up to the sheep beastman who was just strolling along casually.

"Huff, huff...!"

That's what she had thought, but it took longer than expected.

"Y-You...!"

"This really is a bad relationship, huh."

"It was you, wasn't it? The one who beat up those three orcs yesterday...!"

"Yeah. But that's not what's important right now."

"Pardon?"

"The test has already begun."

The man strode forward with purpose.

"This is probably part of the class assignment process too."

"Are you... a member of the faculty?"

"Hmm?"

"If you're not faculty, then what exactly...? And what do you mean, a test...?"

"What do I gain by telling you?"

"Excuse me?"

"It's not like I can shake you off, but that doesn't mean I have any reason to tell you either."

......

Bleber bit her lower lip, then spoke.

"What do you want? Tell me. Let's make a deal."

She proposed a transaction.

"A deal, huh. What benefit do I get?"

"...As the First Princess of the Rabbit Clan, Bleber, I swear. Just once. Exactly once, I will help you. On the honor of the First Princess."

"Hmm."

The man stroked his chin with his hand. He didn't even have a beard, yet it seemed like a habit.

"Fine. I'll tell you."

The man pointed down the path that stretched straight from the dormitory.

"There's a saying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I know."

Toward the lecture building ahead.