Academy Entrance Exam
The day had dawned. Just two hours left until the Beatrice Academy entrance exam. I hadn't expected anyone to try sneaking into my room the night before the exam, but with Seung-ah gone, my senses picked up no fewer than three intruders. And there were only four people in the house total. So, who was the culprit? I had no intention of calling them out. Even culprits have rights, after all. I could guess their thinking, though. 'The academy's a dorm system, so no more chances like this.'
The academy felt like a military academy, teaching combat skills and related knowledge, so the rules were stricter than you'd think. My wives, now fully acclimated to the internet, must have known that and decided to make their move tonight. They slunk away dejectedly when they realized I was awake, though.
Morning came, and I was loosening up my whole body. After a full day of training yesterday, you'd expect muscle soreness everywhere, but with my Stamina stat at 59, that wasn't an issue. Waking up feeling perfectly normal was par for the course.
After a shower and changing into my activewear, I waited a bit, and soon all my wives were up.
"Sleep well...? You didn't seem to be sleeping even deep into the night."
If she brings that up... She had no qualms about revealing they'd tried to invade my bedroom. I was the only one who'd lost my emotions—they still saw me fully as their husband. To them, a wife entering her husband's room was perfectly natural.
"It's the entrance exam today. I was too excited to sleep."
"If only your mouth matched your actions..."
Estelle, arriving fashionably late, chimed in.
"We ultimately failed..."
The voice belonged to the one who'd tried more than twice. At my level, focusing my senses let me identify exactly who was who. She could've given up after I didn't open the door with my internal energy, but she'd come back three times, spaced out—like the classic three visits of courtesy. She probably hadn't slept much either.
"Liera, you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, darling."
"Uh... you know you have to call me Yu-won at the academy, right?"
We could be casual in private, but if she slipped up there, who knew what chaos it'd cause. I wanted my peaceful daily life to stay intact, so restraint outside was a must.
"I know."
I trusted her. Really.
"Then I guess it's fine if I call you oppa?"
"Sure, but then you'll have to use formal speech with the other students too."
Anyone from another world under 17 could apply, so claiming to be young wouldn't raise eyebrows. Of course, calling me oppa would make everyone perceive her as a year younger.
"In that case, I should call you Yu-won too, like before."
She meant back when she first joined the hero party. She'd only started calling me oppa long after we met. Her speech even felt like it had reverted to that era's version of her.
"Breakfast is ready here."
Having been born an orphan in all five lives, my solo living experience surpassed most elders'. I could cook just about anything, and for today's exam, I'd kept it light to avoid any stomach issues.
Cooking was one of the few things I did better than my wives.
We filled up moderately with the three of them, then headed outside, where Shin-woo and Seung-ah were waiting.
"You eat breakfast?"
Shin-woo, ever the Korean, checked on the rice power first.
"We all had just enough to avoid any issues. You?"
"Grabbed some cereal and bounced. Anyway, why's Seung-ah so quiet?"
Seeing my face must've reminded her of last night—her lips were sealed tight.
"Seung-ah."
"Yeah..."
She answered when called, at least.
"Sleep okay yesterday?"
Bringing up sleep made her cheeks flush a bit. Bad dream, maybe?
"Yeah. Had a good one, so I feel like it'll turn out great."
She bounced back quick, so probably just my imagination. Must've been half-asleep this morning.
With simple greetings between my wives and friends, we headed to the academy exam site. Everyone walked briskly, so we reached the spot on the map in no time.
The vast grounds used by Beatrice Academy for training and such were today's exam venue. We'd do registration and the written test in the front building, then the practical on the back grounds.
Thirty minutes to go. After finishing registration, we scattered to our seats. Not before huddling for a group cheer, though.
"Everyone, fighting!"
"Fighting!"
I figured we'd all pass the written easily, but with the academy exam being a one-shot deal, pumping up the mood felt right.
As I reviewed my study notes, the instructor entered and distributed the tests to everyone.
"The written exam starts now. If cheating is detected, you'll get zero and be escorted out immediately."
'Detected,' huh... It sounded like a dare: if you could cheat without getting caught by the front or back proctors, go for it. Probably counted info gathering and concealment as part of the test—like that mid-level ninja exam in some manga.
I didn't have those skills anyway and had studied diligently, so I dove right in. 15 multiple-choice for 60 points, one essay for 40. Pass with 50+. Even bombing the essay, 13+ on multiple-choice would do it. Yet half the students flunked this every year? With Intelligence over 20, rote memorization should've sufficed, but apparently plenty fell short.
I finished multiple-choice and moved to the essay.
[Essay Question]
[In the following situation, describe the optimal course of action.]
It described a real scenario, asking for the best response. This is... similar to something I faced in Estelle's world. The problem specified you as an A-rank hunter, so I'd tweak for lower power levels, but it wasn't tough.
I finished the essay and waited; soon, time was up.
"Raise your hands and wait for the instructor to collect your papers. Moving now means disqualification."
I saw a kid in tears as their paper got snatched mid-answer, while confident ones looked smug. Half smiling, half crying—just as expected for 50% pass rate.
"You may exit. Results will be posted on the bulletin board out front in 10 minutes."
After collection, we headed out and regrouped quickly.
"Everyone do okay?"
"Piece of cake." Shin-woo flashed a V-sign. Kid's always been smart.
"Wasn't hard." Seung-ah studied hard too, Intelligence over 30—easy pass.
"Probably full marks."
Yeon showed confidence. We'd see.
"You saw the essay too, right Yu-won?"
Estelle, who'd been with me for it, surely nailed it. No worries.
"Yeah. Smashed it."
She beamed at me, thrilled we shared the secret.
"100 points."
Liera's simple declaration—she was a genius in both fields, so odds were high.
Murmurs rose; scores were out.
"Shall we check?"
We headed to the board. Pass list posted, top with perfect scorers: four names.
Kim Yu-won
Estelle
Liera
Elis Strauss
"Wha... why?" Yeon denied reality, not seeing her name.
"What'd you write