Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The Entrance Exam
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The city gates were bustling with people.
There were students in academy uniforms, mercenaries who had just finished clearing a ruin, merchants looking to buy loot, and even children hawking wares.
It was a stark contrast to the surrounding cities, where people were lying low to avoid the sandstorms.
This was a testament to their faith in the city—and in the holy sword.
“We'll be on our way now.”
When Allen turned his head, he saw the people he had grown familiar with over the past few days already turning to leave.
“Leaving so soon? Why not come into the city with us? I'd like to reward you for all your hard work...”
“We simply did our best to fulfill the request.”
Allen insisted several times, but Alexius just shook his head with a calm smile.
“It's alright. We've already restocked our supplies in Kairan, so there's no need for us to enter the city.”
“Then at least take this.”
Allen reached out and handed him a small pouch he had told Inellia to prepare beforehand.
“This is...”
“A token of my sincerity. I trust you won't refuse this as well.”
The weight of the pouch, heavy with gold coins, made Alexius look troubled, but he finally accepted it at Allen's insistence.
“On behalf of my tribe, thank you.”
“No, if anything, I was worried I'd underpaid you for your services.”
He didn't know how long he would be staying here, but he needed to maintain a good relationship with them while he was at the academy.
*I never know when I might need their help.*
And just like that, after escorting Allen's party to the city, they departed as swiftly as the wind.
「They're gone.」
“Yes, they're gone.”
He turned his head.
“Brother Allen, it looks like there's a separate gate over there for nobles!”
Now, it was time to start running again without rest.
* * *
The security check was passed with ease after he presented a certificate bearing his family crest.
The city's name was Elpis (ἐλπίς),
meaning 'hope' in the ancient imperial language.
True to its name, the city's atmosphere was vibrant.
「Oh... At this rate, their technology might not be so far behind after all...?」
“......Wow.”
“Young Master, the, the iron armor is moving...!”
Inellia and Linbelle's jaws dropped.
Julius, too, looked around with wide, astonished eyes.
“This is incredible... Is that a train? No, a subway?”
The inside of the city was like another world.
An iron horse ran through the massive city, and towering buildings, a rare sight, were commonplace. Combined with various artifacts discovered in ruins, it was a world completely different from the outside.
*It's no wonder they say this is where the essence of human technology is gathered.*
From things he'd only heard of in rumors to things he'd never even imagined.
All sorts of things mingled together, creating a strange harmony.
The streets were filled with sights one could only see here, in Elpis.
*If I had to pick a comparable place, it would be the Free City of Pertail, where the Magic Towers are gathered.*
But that place developed in a different direction, so a direct comparison was meaningless.
The city was divided into several districts, much like an inner and outer castle.
The western district Allen had entered was a residential area packed with the main inns.
The dense residential area was filled with a boisterous energy from the mercenaries and adventurers who had come from out of town.
Allen looked up from the guidebook toward the wide-open gates of the inner city.
Countless students and magnificent white buildings.
The place was surrounded by massive walls, the very reason for the city's construction, and where two of the Eight Strongest were permanently stationed.
“So that's Galshdin Academy.”
He had received the guidebook after applying for the entrance exam.
Fortunately, with four days left until the exam, he had managed to apply just in time.
Applying for the exam was simple.
All he had to do was fill out some basic information at the admissions office near the inner city gates and pay five gold coins.
*The academy's purpose was to nurture a new hero and the champions who would aid him.*
Anyone with talent under the age of thirty could apply. The five gold coins were the benchmark.
For a talented commoner, five gold coins was not an impossible sum to gather if they put their mind to it.
“Linbelle, keep this safe and don't lose it.”
In other words, it meant that anyone could get in, as long as they had talent.
“Yes, I understand. But is it really okay for me to enroll?”
Allen handed her the temporarily issued certificate and instructed her.
“Yes. It would be a waste to let your talent go unused.”
“But if I do, my time serving you, Young Master...”
Allen shook his head.
“As a rule, outsiders are not allowed inside the academy.”
Even servants and maids attending to noble students cannot leave the dormitories.
“This means you have to enroll anyway if you want to accompany me inside the academy.”
“Ah!”
It was a common loophole used by nobles.
After a lifetime of being waited on, how could they suddenly be expected to manage on their own?
Besides that, not knowing what might happen at the academy, it was quite common for them to enroll a talented knight alongside them.
Allen had learned this from Catherine and Rachel's letters.
That was what gave him the idea to have Linbelle enroll in the academy.
“Inellia... can't because of her age, but you just turned sixteen this year, so you can enroll.”
At his words, Linbelle's gaze shifted subtly toward Inellia.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Inellia asked with an annoyed expression.
“What is it, Linbelle? Something you want to say? Hmm?”
“It's nothing.”
Linbelle said it was nothing, but Inellia clearly saw a fleeting smile grace her lips.
“...Linbelle.”
Allen immediately reached out to stop their regular bickering.
“Enough. Inellia, you have other things to do, so don't worry about it. You too, Linbelle. You're enrolling because I have things for you to do at the academy. So don't go picking fights on purpose.”
At his words, Inellia pouted while Linbelle calmly nodded.
“Yeees~”
“...Understood, Young Master.”
Allen's head throbbed at the sight of them, their roles seemingly reversed since the Forest of the Divine Beast.
「Serves you right.」
Ignoring Vestla's chuckling voice, he turned his head toward Julius.
“I will do my utmost to serve you.”
“I'll work hard too!”
Byron looked ready to kneel at any moment, while Anya's eyes shone with pure excitement.
Reina stood behind Julius like a shadow, as always.
“Yes, I'm doing this because you're my first subordinates. You know that, right?”
“Yes, sir! Thank you!”
“Yes!”
Julius beamed at their joyful reactions.
“The same goes for you, Reina.”
“Thank you for this opportunity, Young Master.”
Julius looked pleased as he watched Reina bow politely.
*His first subordinates...*
He doesn't seem to realize.
Allen recalled a certain apprentice knight waiting at the mansion, who had looked so dejected as Julius left.
“If I had my way, I'd bring Camilla over right now... But that would make our group too large and conspicuous, so I'll have to bring her next semester.”
“Wow! Is Camilla coming too?”
“Yes.”
The plan was proceeding steadily, and the fruits of his labor were beginning to ripen.
“She's my subordinate now too, so I have to take care of her.”
Without anyone knowing.
* * *
Four days passed in a flash.
For those four days, Allen didn't take a single step outside the inn.
He didn't for a moment think he would fail the entrance exam. Still, he needed to be in the best possible condition.
Julius seemed to agree, focusing entirely on getting his body back into peak condition.
Allen stopped his stray thoughts and looked around the streets of Elpis, bathed in the dawn light.
The darkness that had cast shadows upon the world shattered under the light of the streetlamps. As the obscuring gloom receded, the streets at dawn looked no different from how they did during the day.
The city was buzzing with anticipation for the entrance exam, an event that happened only twice a year.
It was one of the few days when outsiders were allowed into the academy.
“Hey, who do you think will get first place in this year's entrance exam?”
“The Descendant of the Hero, obviously. Who else could it be?”
“Didn't they say there's the first princess of the Great Forest and someone from the Dragias family, one of the three great families?”
“Still, it's the hero's bloodline we're talking about, right? It's hard to believe, but if it's true?”
“Then of course she'll be at the top, right?”
The academy students chattered about who would place first, and the crowd, bustling since morning, was visibly excited for the spectacle they were about to witness.
*...The Descendant of the Hero.*
Who could possibly know.
That a third party—not someone from the three great families, not an elven princess, not even the Descendant of the Hero—would take first place.
*It's not in the black book yet, but...*
He could easily predict that much from Julius's monologues.
Even if the exam's purpose was to measure potential rather than current skill, its value was not diminished.
In fact, future potential was often valued more highly than present ability.
*Still, too much attention is poison.*
Allen had no intention of hiding his skills completely.
He needed to reveal a certain amount of his ability to build influence.
The position he was aiming for was second place.
A position that would be overshadowed by the top student, yet was still high enough to reap benefits.
Second place would still draw plenty of attention, but he needed that level of recognition to prepare for future threats.
There was the variable of Julius, but that didn't matter.
『──Julius decided to hide his skills as much as possible.
If possible, he would pass the entrance exam with the lowest possible score.』
What that bastard wanted was different from his own goals.
『──If he entered with a score in the bottom 10%, he could get into the remedial class.
Julius needed both the fortuitous encounters only available there and the supporting characters who would awaken their powers later on.』
*What are these damn fortuitous encounters anyway...* Skill gained through luck rather than ability has its limits.
But that bastard had mockingly reached the pinnacle through the system and the world's favor, a fact Allen found laughable.
In the end, it just meant that the value of hard work was rendered meaningless.
He shook his head.
There was no need to waste mental energy on useless thoughts.
Rumble—
The gates of the inner city, leading to the academy, slowly began to open.
“Alright! All prospective entrance exam takers with numbers 1 through 500, please proceed to Testing Area 1!”
“All spectators, please step back behind the testing line! I repeat, all spectators for the entrance exam...”
“If you have lost your temporarily issued certificate, please get it reissued at the admissions office within 30 minutes.”
“Please note that the numbers on the certificates were randomly reassigned as of this morning, so be careful not to get confused!”
Allen checked the number on his certificate.
[572]
A completely different number from yesterday.
The number that had been 1483 was now something else entirely.
*Are they concerned about cheating...? They're surprisingly thorough about these things.*
Linbelle checked her number and immediately approached Allen.
“Young Master.”
“What's your number?”
“It's 133.”
“I see. Let's plan to meet back here after the exam is over.”
“Yes... I understand.”
After sending off Linbelle with Inellia, who was hesitant to let her go alone, he turned to find Julius waiting by himself.
“What's your number?”
“I'm 928. And you, Brother?”
“572. Looks like you'll be in the same testing area as me.”
Julius said with a smile.
“I hope we both get good results.”
Good results...
*As if, when you're aiming for the remedial class.*
Allen replied with a smirk.
“I certainly hope so.”
“Yes.”
They headed to Testing Area 2, where numbers 501 through 1,000 were being tested.
Testing Area 2 was a field with thousands of crystal orbs embedded in the ground at close intervals.
Hundreds of academy students and residents surrounded the area, staying behind the testing line.
“This is where we will determine your talent for magic! Step forward one by one! First, number 501!”
The academy's entrance exam had begun.