Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Second Meeting (4)
A week after the exam.
From early morning, the academy’s central plaza was packed with people.
In front of the massive bulletin board, there was barely any room to stand, as examinees, parents, and attendants crowded together to check the results.
Yuki had dragged me out at dawn as if it were some kind of family emergency.
Did we really have to come this early?
I stood there rubbing my sleepy eyes, while she gripped my wrist tightly and urged me forward.
"Ian! Over there! The list is up!"
"Wait a moment, my lady. You’re stretching my clothes."
"Who cares about clothes?! Your life is on the line!"
I glanced over the plaza.
Some people had lines of joy rising upward, while others had lines of despair dropping straight down.
"Move! Move! Make way for the Castel ducal house!"
Yuki pushed through the crowd with overwhelming presence, as if she were the one who had taken the exam.
The noble ladies shrank back under her pressure, clearing a path for us to stand right in front of the board.
[Successful Candidates: Arts Department]
Where would my name be?
As a commoner, I expected it to be somewhere at the bottom or tucked away in a corner.
Just as I was about to lower my gaze—
"Alright, Ian. Close your eyes. I’ll check for you. And don’t cry if you failed."
"I don’t think I would cry, but..."
Though she spoke boldly, her eyes trembled far more than mine as she scanned the list.
"I said close them!"
"Yes, yes. As you wish, my lady."
I’ll just peek a little.
Yuki’s gaze moved from the bottom upward—
then suddenly stopped at the very top of the board.
"...Huh?"
Her mouth fell open.
I followed her gaze upward—and froze.
At the very top, surrounded by a golden frame, was a single name.
[Arts Department Top Rank: Ian]
"Top… top rank? Hey, Ian! You’re first! Not just accepted—you’re first!"
Yuki grabbed my shoulders and shook me while shouting loud enough to echo across the plaza.
The embarrassment was entirely mine.
The surrounding crowd fell silent, as if doused with cold water.
Hundreds of eyes turned toward me at once.
"My goodness, that boy is first?"
"So the ducal recommendation wasn’t just for show..."
Whispers spread like waves.
"Your name is at the very top! It’s gold, gold!"
Yuki kept shaking my arm excitedly.
Her silver hair whipped around, brushing against my face.
"My lady, please calm down."
"How can I calm down?! First place! In our family’s history, you’re the first—no, my sponsored student is the first—to top the Arts Department!"
She was completely out of control.
My vision blurred from being shaken.
I stared blankly at my name shining at the top.
Ian.
Inside a golden frame.
Now I understood.
Professor Beatrice’s trembling hands and silence.
So that’s what it meant.
This is troublesome.
First place?
All the future complications flashed through my mind.
I just wanted to pass quietly.
My plan was to be something like the 47th-ranked student, sitting in a corner and drawing for four peaceful years.
But my name at the very top shattered that plan completely.
"See? This is the level of talent recognized by the Castel ducal house! Those who whispered about him being a commoner—say something now if you can!"
Just like now.
Yuki puffed her chest proudly, as if she were the one who ranked first.
Too much attention, right from the start.
The next three days passed in a blur.
At the ducal residence, it felt like a national holiday, with celebrations every day. Yuki had my academy uniform tailored, making me stand like a mannequin while taking endless measurements.
And finally—
the day of the entrance ceremony arrived.
Under Yuki’s strict escort, I arrived at the academy’s grand hall.
But at the entrance, we had to part ways.
She went to the Knight Department section as a returning student, while I was seated in the front row as the top-ranking freshman of the Arts Department.
"Ian, wait for me here after the ceremony! If someone like Lil approaches, blow the whistle immediately!"
"Yes, yes. Please go carefully."
I barely managed to separate from her and entered the hall.
The massive hall, capable of holding thousands, glittered with chandeliers and magical lights.
I’m already tired.
The scent of perfumes and the sharp conversations of nobles tangled in the air.
Following the guide, I sat in the very front, center seat marked "Top Rank."
The moment I leaned back—
I felt thousands of eyes piercing into the back of my head.
I just want to sit and sleep. But that would be obvious.
At that moment—
the chair beside me moved.
Someone sat down.
A scent, completely different from Yuki’s roses or Lil’s buttery warmth, reached me.
Cold.
Like frost in a winter pine forest.
"So it’s you. The unusual commoner who took first place over my perfect answer."
A calm yet arrogant voice.
I turned.
A girl with long black hair sat beside me.
The lines around her body were different.
Perfectly straight.
No deviation.
Even her uniform was flawlessly symmetrical.
On her chest was a brooch bearing the crest of the prestigious Laurent family.
"I am Sylvia of House Laurent. I ranked second in the entrance exam."
"Ah, congratulations. That’s impressive."
Her brow twitched slightly at my indifferent reply.
"I am not seeking congratulations. I have a question. My answers were perfect—history, golden ratio, composition, even paint properties. Then why did your bird made of mere lines take first place?"
She looked straight at me, raising her chin slightly.
"I saw your work. It seemed illogical, driven purely by instinct. Art should be perfect order recreated by human reason. And yet you received full marks. I intend to analyze this."
"...You’re thinking too hard. It must be exhausting."
Her eyebrow twitched again.
"Rude. However, studies show that geniuses often lack proper linguistic ability. I will interpret your rudeness as delayed language development."
"..."
Is that an insult or consideration?
"I cannot accept that a being living so carelessly has surpassed me. Therefore, I have decided."
She suddenly leaned closer to my face.
"I will investigate you. I will observe everything you do and verify whether you deserve to be first. Prepare yourself."
Her cold pine scent intensified.
At that moment, the pamphlet on her lap fell to the floor.
"Ah."
She bent down to pick it up—
and hit her head on the chair.
Clang—!
A clear sound echoed through the hall.
"...Collision between skull and chair. Pain level: 8. However, showing weakness before the top student is illogical."
She lifted her head, eyes watering.
A red bump was already forming on her forehead, but she kept a straight face, trembling slightly.
"...Doesn’t it hurt? That looks serious."
"It does not hurt. It is merely stimulation for brain activity. Observation complete."
She straightened her posture, though the swelling on her forehead completely ruined her first impression.
...That’s a bit pitiful.
Voooooom—
The grand pipe organ signaled the start of the ceremony.
Thousands of students stood at once as the academy’s chancellor and professors entered.
"Owners of the academy, be seated."
At the podium stood the chancellor—the Emerald Duchess.
The flow of mana around her surged like a massive waterfall, filling the entire hall.
"You are the future—swords, staffs, and brushes of the empire."
Her voice, amplified by magic, echoed clearly.
But I was only thinking—
When will this end?
Too long.
I stared at the chandelier, watching the light scatter like shards of glass.
Then—
a cold presence beside me.
"The chancellor’s speech is expected to conclude within 15 minutes and 30 seconds. Currently 12 minutes have passed. The top student’s attention is declining."
Sylvia was writing in a notebook, ignoring the bump on her forehead.
"...Is that a log about me?"
"Correct. Analyzing your behavior patterns is essential for my artistic research."
"..."
Still crying from the pain, yet writing notes.
She’s persistent.
"Next, the representative oath. Top students from the Knight, Magic, and Arts Departments, please come to the stage."
Ah.
The most troublesome moment had arrived.
The hall stirred.
Thousands of eyes turned toward me.