The Entrance Exam
The academy entrance exam.
If the academy staff had to pick the most important event of the year, it would undoubtedly be the entrance exam.
The academy officially does not discriminate against applicants based on their backgrounds. This is no mere empty promise.
Parents, family background, wealth, or social status have not even the slightest influence on whether one passes or fails the academy. This is both the academy’s greatest pride and the very reason countless commoners view it as the sole path to social advancement.
The only factor the academy considers when selecting new students is skill.
Of course, the majority of academy students come from noble houses or the upper echelons of wealthy commoner families. After all, even talent is ultimately determined by the tangible and intangible assets inherited from one’s parents and lineage. The glittering illusion of the “commoner’s dream” was little more than a miniature replica of upper society that children from well-to-do families had always enjoyed.
Even so, the academy remains almost the only gateway for commoners seeking to climb the social ladder. That is why those who understand the height of reality’s wall better than anyone else keep knocking on its doors.
Since the academy staff know this truth intimately, they cannot afford to prepare the entrance exam half-heartedly.
To select talent with the utmost fairness, strictness, and accuracy, the entrance exam requires at least a two-month preparation period.
“By the way… does this not seem strange to you?”
Flora Tepes, a raven-haired beauty whose sharp, piercing aura dripped like living thorns, opened her mouth in a tone thick with irritation and barely contained displeasure. Her question was directed at the other woman wearing a black blindfold.
“What do you mean?”
The woman with the blindfold tilted her head. The sharp, intimidating presence that would have felled a weak-willed person was met with complete indifference by the gentle-looking woman wearing the blindfold.
“It’s the schedule. This year’s schedule is completely off. The entrance ceremony is a week after the exam? They want us to handle the complicated administrative work of calculating results and sending notifications in just one week. They should have told us to retire in some other way.”
Flora Tepes, famous under the moniker ‘Maiden of Thorns,’ spoke bluntly to her close friend and the head of the Magic Department, Biblio Organ, who was in charge of all academic schedules at the academy.
“It’s unavoidable. I didn’t decide the academic schedule. It was the heavens.”
Biblio Organ answered while gently stroking the purple crystal ball placed in front of her.
“Oh my. Deciding the academic schedule through astrology? The academy has fallen on hard times too. When you became department head, you should have wrapped your head in a headband and opposed it.”
“It was already well known that vampires are unscientific, but how could Professor Flora, an academy professor, say that? Flora, I’ve said this many times, but astrology is science.”
Despite Biblio Organ’s scolding, Flora could not suppress the rebellious spirit rising from deep within her chest. Watching a woman blindfolded and stroking a crystal ball to peer into the future was endlessly amusing, no matter how many times she saw it.
Even though Biblio Organ was her longtime friend, Flora had always found the woman strange, especially when astrology came up.
“No matter what you say, I don’t believe that.”
“Hehe. If you don’t believe me, believe in my trait.”
「Shining Guide」
That was Biblio Organ’s trait. It was said to be related to future prophecy.
“Then, why don’t you use that wonderful astrology to predict what will happen today? What will occur at the entrance exam. If you can even guess the overall top rank, I’ll reconsider my prejudice against astrology.”
“Astrology isn’t meant to see such microscopic futures. The movements of the stars only show me the great currents of fate.”
“So you can’t do it after all. Come on, be honest. You’re scamming, right? Tell me only about you. My mouth is really heavy.”
“It seems Flora needs more practice at provoking. And I need more practice not falling for Flora’s cheap provocations.”
After saying that, Biblio Organ gently stroked the purple crystal ball in front of her. It was an action to look into the future Flora had mentioned.
“Hmm?”
A strange, melodic question escaped Biblio Organ’s lips. Flora tilted her head and asked, ‘What did you see?’
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a clear star.”
Biblio Organ’s hand, which had been stroking the crystal ball, stopped. She looked up at Flora and spoke.
“Flora. I think I’ll meet a very interesting student.”
“What does that mean? I can make such boring prophecies too. Be more specific.”
“The future isn’t specific. There is no predetermined future in this world.”
“Stop saying meaningless things. What kind of student are you talking about?”
“If I give you a few keywords… shadow, blonde, bread, and… kiss.”
Flora’s curiosity deepened even further at Biblio Organ’s vague answer.
Shadow, blonde, bread, and kiss?
The first three were already vague, but she had no idea what the final kiss meant. Was she saying she was going to seduce a student like an old maid escaping her spinsterhood?
If so, it was truly a terrible prophecy.
However, Flora no longer had time to question it. The exam was about to begin.
“Tch. I’m going to take the exam. Just make sure your prophecy is wrong.”
Flora’s back as she grumbled was seen by Biblio Organ, who smiled silently. The prophecy she had just made was clearer than any other.
This year looks especially fun.
The central plaza of the academy.
The waiting area for the entrance exam was the grand central plaza adorned with a beautiful fountain. In front of the plaza stood the academy dormitory building with balconies. It was a delicate stone structure modeled after the 18th-century European Rococo style.
A tremendous number of people were waiting for the exam in the plaza. The ratio of nobles to commoners appeared to be roughly 5 to 5. From their clothing alone, the two groups were easily distinguishable, and naturally, nobles and commoners grouped together.
“There are so many commoners. I should throw away the clothes I’m wearing today. I actually liked them.”
“What idiots. They don’t even know they’re just wasting their precious money.”
“If you knew that, would you still live so miserably? We have to endure it. Those who haven’t been taught are naturally foolish.”
These words came from the noble group.
“I have to watch these unlucky bastards up close.”
“Hey, you don’t have to be so careful with your words?”
“There is no distinction of status inside the academy. If you’re annoyed, come and fight.”
These words came from the commoner group.
Generally, the nobles seemed to hold the upper hand in the verbal battle, but the commoners were not being outdone either.
The atmosphere was tense enough that a brawl might break out at any moment. In fact, academy professors were stationed around to prevent it.
“Yohan, there are more people than I expected.”
Sierra grabbed the sleeve of my clothes and said so. Yohan and Sierra were, of course, mixed in with the commoner group.
“Even if we don’t pass, there will be thousands. Only a hundred or so will pass. The competition rate is around 10 to 1.”
“Ugh… Can we even enter that?”
Sierra asked with a worried voice. Honestly, I had no worries at all.
“With your level, it should be enough. What we need to worry about isn’t passing, but ranking.”
Right now, the goal was the academy’s top rank. In my case, that was definitely possible. Not because of skill, but because of information.
There might be stronger characters than me. But I have information about the entrance exam.
There is no need to explain how large an information asymmetry gap can create. Especially in a ‘test,’ information is equivalent to skill.
The noise gradually subsided. It was because a woman had appeared on the balcony.
As expected, it’s following the game route.
The Maiden of Thorns, Flora Tepes.
She was the overall head of this exam.
“Is that the swordsmanship department head, Flora Tepes?”
“She’s a vampire….”
“A vampire teaching swordsmanship? That doesn’t seem right.”
“Be careful. She’s one of the three swordmasters in the royal capital.”
“Really? One is the captain of the royal knight order, and who’s the other?”
“That’s…”
“Quiet!”
Flora Tepes’ voice swept through the surroundings. Her voice touched the bodies of everyone present, making them tremble as if a massive speaker from a club had been activated. With just that one word, she silenced the entire crowd.
Once the surroundings fell completely silent, Flora opened her mouth again.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Flora Tepes, head of the swordsmanship department at the academy. If you enter the academy, you will see my face often, whether you like it or not. Especially in the swordsmanship department.”
Flora swept her sharp gaze over the surroundings. The students swallowed hard, tense under her gaze. Sierra beside me also could not hide her nervous expression.
“I don’t like wasting time. The exam starts precisely at 9:00 sharp. One minute and twelve seconds from now. I won’t start explaining yet.”
Click!
Flora snapped her fingers. Three enormous doors appeared before our eyes. Each was a different color.
The left door was red, the center blue, and the right yellow.
“The three doors lead to different dungeons. They are dungeons that test your strength and wisdom. You must choose one and bring back a medal. You can obtain a medal by hunting monsters in the dungeon.”
Flora paused for a moment and looked around again. She smiled faintly, apparently pleased with the heavy atmosphere, and continued.
“By the way, stealing or snatching medals from other examinees is not allowed. If you want to use tricks, go ahead. The price will be paid by you.”
With words like that, there was no one here who would try to use tricks.
“If you take a certain amount of damage inside the dungeon, you will be automatically expelled. You don’t have to worry about getting seriously hurt. If there is anyone who is scared, please withdraw here.”
Not a single person turned around at Flora’s words. No one had come here without that level of resolve.
“Good. Your spirit is not bad. You can’t pass the academy with spirit alone, but still.”
Creak!
The three doors opened simultaneously. The exam had begun.
“The given time is three hours. The exam has started!”
The exam began. The students at the front started entering the doors one by one, mostly choosing the door closest to themselves.
“Yohan, where are you going?”
Sierra asked. My answer was already decided.
“The center.”
“Then I’ll go to the center too.”
Sierra said without the slightest hesitation.
There were two main reasons I chose the center door.
The first was that the center was the easiest place to handle in ‘Ghost Soul Dagger.’ In other words, the dungeon where the Ghost Soul Dagger could be obtained most easily was the center dungeon.
And the second reason was…
Because it makes it easy to aim for a high score.
The academy’s overall top rank.
To aim for that, I had to enter the center door. Since obtaining the Ghost Soul Dagger, this choice had been predetermined.
As I headed toward the center door, a red-haired female student with a burning aura entered my field of vision.
Sara Leoris.
One of the strong characters in the early stages of the Legend Route.
She had also chosen the center door, like me.