Practical Exam
Practical Exam
"Are you applicant number 655, Zenon?"
As soon as I stepped into the exam room, the first thing I saw were four people sitting in front of me, dressed like interviewers.
From a fairly young-looking woman to a white-haired old man, plus a grumpy-looking middle-aged guy, and a hikikomori-like researcher who couldn't even make eye contact.
'...They all look like professors, but they don't seem like important characters from the original novel.'
As soon as I entered, I naturally scanned my surroundings to take in the information without saying a word, then slowly moved two steps forward and bowed my head.
"Greetings! I am applicant number 655, Zenon!"
A greeting full of politeness that a noble would never use.
Seeing that, the four interviewers, having confirmed that I was a commoner, checked my personal information and special notes on the desk once more before carefully opening their mouths.
"Ahem, ahem. First, let's start with a few questions. It seems you were admitted with a recommendation from Duke Denius... What is the reason?"
"Well, since a commoner got a recommendation, I figured the high-and-mighty folks would be annoyed if I didn't take the exam, so I decided to take the entrance exam."
"I-I see. Then, for the next question..."
The white-haired professor, who was flustered because I so confidently said I came to take the exam because I was worried about what the nobles would think, started to feel awkward himself.
I wondered just how flustered he was for the interviewer to be stuttering and trying to change the subject.
He gestured awkwardly and continued his question.
"Ahem, ahem. Anyway, the second question is, could you give us a hint about your exact relationship with Duke Denius?"
At the second cautious question that followed, I fell into a moment of thought.
'Hmm... I'm going to be hitting on the Denius family and making connections anyway, including with Lady Rihel...'
I'm going to keep throwing lines at the Denius family and building connections in the future.
Wouldn't it be better to nail it down now rather than hiding it clumsily and having rumors spread behind my back later?
Having finished my quick mental calculation, I took a small breath and opened my mouth with a very confident expression.
"The Duke and I are in a relationship where we passionately love each other."
"......"
"...... Excuse me?"
For a moment, the four interviewers stopped breathing at the same time.
The white-haired professor dropped the fountain pen he had been twirling in his hand, and the grumpy-looking middle-aged guy stood frozen like a statue with his mouth wide open.
"To be precise, I am currently constantly courting her... and you can see it as the Duke slowly, bit by bit, accepting my blind devotion."
'Well, it's all going to happen according to my plan in the future anyway.'
Since it's half-truth, it shouldn't be a big problem.
"No, but still..."
"How are we supposed to take this..."
At my shameless and shocking statement, all four of them widened their eyes in astonishment.
Among the interviewers who were just gaping for a long time.
The young woman, who was the first to barely regain her reason, swallowed dryly and spoke with a stutter.
"D-Duke Mirea Denius's... lover. Yes, I understand. I will record it clearly."
As soon as she finished speaking, the look in the interviewers' eyes changed strangely.
The formal and annoyed gazes they had directed at me, thinking I was just a commoner who got lucky enough to catch the Duke's eye, were gone.
Instead, they looked as if they wanted to confirm why I caught the Duke's eye.
As if they wanted to verify what kind of extraordinary ability I possessed to become her lover.
They began to pour out questions that seemed completely unrelated to the entrance exam.
"What stance is the Denius family taking regarding the additional operation of magic golems by Duke Indake at the eastern border recently?"
"I would like to hear your opinion on the impact of the Imperial family's commoner appointment policy on the interests of existing magic noble families."
These were difficult questions that would have left a 21-year-old commoner stuttering and humiliated, but I was different.
Wasn't I a transmigrator who had the experience of 5 years as a K-office worker, and who, however clumsily, knew the settings of the original novel?
I smoothly dodged the trap questions the interviewers had laid out.
And I rattled off model answers that were the most ideal and closest to the truth that the Denius family would take.
"......"
"......"
As my unhesitating answers continued, wariness began to appear on the interviewers' faces instead of bewilderment.
How much time had passed like that?
The hikikomori-like researcher, who hadn't been able to make eye contact with me until the end and only kept flipping through documents, opened his mouth in a shrinking voice.
"T-The Q&A session is over. Now, go to the training ground prepared right behind you... and hit the scarecrow there with your strongest attack."
"Understood!"
Phew, finally this tiresome practical exam is over.
I've been worked to the bone under Mirea for the past two weeks just to pass this.
I walked straight in the direction they pointed.
In the spacious area provided behind the interview room stood a steel scarecrow thick enough that two adult men couldn't wrap their arms around it.
I heard it was hard enough to block the sword energy of an Aura user to some extent?
'I think the original male protagonist, Kalian Valetier, caused some trouble with this in the beginning...'
I stopped at a reasonable distance from the scarecrow.
I stretched my right hand forward.
At the same time, I closed my eyes and pulled up a small portion of the mana swirling in my heart, concentrating it on my fingertips.
The magic I was trying to manifest was the first thing I learned, and the one I perfected most perfectly, while being beaten by Duke Mirea with Black Flame every day.
It was Mana Shot.
Jii-ing-!!
With the sound of the air vibrating, a turbid blue mana sphere began to form roundly on my palm.
But.
'Uh, uh-uh?'
As I channeled mana through my palm, I felt a strange sensation flowing back into my fingertips.
Just before I sensed something was wrong and hurriedly cut off the flow of magic.
Above the blue mana sphere, which had always been made stably to a constant size, faster than me.
Suddenly, turbid and dull purple flames began to wrap around it.
At the same time, the purple flames, which swallowed the mana sphere completely like a living creature.
Without my will, it bounced off my hand and collided with the steel scarecrow.
Kwah-ah-ah-ang!
A tremendous roar and shockwave shook the entire interview room.
How much time passed after that?
The dust created by the shockwave and the black smoke created by the flames settled, and the scene revealed before my eyes was nothing short of miserable.
"What the hell."
The steel scarecrow had completely vanished without a trace, to the point where I couldn't even recognize its shape.
And in its place, only the purple flames burning faintly emitted a presence.
"W-Wait, what is this...?"
"The test scarecrow completely vanished?"
The interviewers, who had belatedly grasped the situation, looked at me and the spot where the scarecrow had been, alternating with expressions of disbelief for a moment, then opened their mouths with slightly troubled expressions.
"Phew... First of all, applicant 655 Zenon, you get a perfect score on the practical exam."
"Ah, yes... Thank you."
I could tell just by the expression on their faces that said, 'How are we supposed to handle this?'
It seems the scarecrow was a more expensive tool than I thought.
Well, it's not my fault, though.
Honestly, even the professors didn't know, so how would I have known I could burn this thing completely...?
As soon as I walked out of the waiting room after finishing the exam, Rihel, who found me first, approached with wide eyes.
"What on earth did you do in there to get a perfect score on the practical exam?"
Rihel lowered her voice, scanning me up and down as if she couldn't believe it.
"The interviewers this time were all known to be strict professors even within the Academy, so among the applicants, there was even talk about whether they would have to take a second exam, and everyone's results were bad..."
"W-Well, who knows?"
I evaporated the entire scarecrow, so it would be stranger if I didn't get a perfect score.
No, before that, there was no need to tell the truth and make her worry.
I shrugged my shoulders lightly and showed a sly smile.
"Just... I dedicated my body to making the Denius name even greater, you can just know that much."
"Haa... That tongue of yours again. I'm truly dumbfounded."
Rihel let out a dry laugh as if she was exasperated, then turned her body and flicked her hand slightly.
"Follow me quickly. I'll guide you to the dormitory where you'll be staying."
"You told me not to pretend to know you at the Academy... You're really kind."
"...Should I really ignore you?"
"No. I'm sorry..."
Since the acceptance was in the bag, I was about to follow her leisurely without worry, but that was the moment.
A commotion of murmuring was suddenly heard from not far away, and I, who had turned my head unintentionally, froze in place.
"Uh...?"
A female student with hair like a white snowy mountain and mint-colored two-tone hair that contained the author's desires.
It was because I could see the original female protagonist, Sereniel, sweating while being surrounded by numerous noble young masters.
'What? Don't tell me the original story hasn't started yet?'
At the completely unexpected scenery, I began to rack my brain quickly.
I clearly saw the original male protagonist, Kalian Valetier, take the practical exam before me and leave the waiting room.
And if it were according to the first episode of the original novel.
He should have discovered Sereniel in trouble while coming to run an errand for a professor and saved her spectacularly.
'Or is this the real beginning?'
"Hey! What are you doing not following me quickly!"
At Rihel's shout, filled with annoyance, I hurriedly raised my hand to ask for understanding.
"Just a moment, Lady. There is a very interesting spectacle over there."
I calmed my pounding heart and began to focus on Sereniel's appearance.
The first scene of the novel I had read countless times before transmigrating.
My heart began to pound at the thought that I could see the fateful meeting of the male and female protagonists with my own eyes.
However... 1 minute passed, then 3 minutes, but the development I expected did not happen.
The guy called the male protagonist was nowhere to be seen, and the harassment and pressure from the low-class noble group became more and more blatant.
It was visible even from afar that Sereniel was getting more and more scared and burdened.
'What is it? Why isn't he appearing? Where on earth is he and what is he doing?'
Frustrated, I looked around to find the male protagonist myself, and then I froze again after discovering a familiar figure standing in one corner of the waiting room.
Kalian Valetier.
He couldn't leave the front of the practical exam score bulletin board that had just been updated.
Because his name, which should have been in an overwhelming 1st place, had been pushed to 2nd place by the name tag 'Zenon' who had just received a perfect score.
Kalian clenched his fist as if something didn't please him.
He glared at the bulletin board one last time and left the waiting room just like that, without even looking at the side where the female protagonist was.
"......"
At his unhesitating exit, I opened my mouth as if my jaw would drop.
'Wow... The original story is getting twisted because of me from the start?'
My unexpected practical perfect score had scratched the male protagonist's pride.
And because of that, he skipped the female protagonist rescue event entirely.
It was a proper butterfly effect.
At the same time, my head became complicated.
Since there is no male protagonist, should I at least intervene directly and help the female lead?
Even if it's not as much as the villainess throughout the original story, which is one of my goals.
Should I intervene just to make sure Sereniel, who will have a pretty rough time, becomes completely happy?
But what if I intervene here and steal the original male protagonist's narrative, pushing her further away from a happy ending?
Above all, if I intervened clumsily, it could become a big variable in my survival plan, which only targets the villainesses.
However.
"You know best that it's hard to survive in the Rodpen Academy for long with that background, right?"
"I'm telling you, if you just stay by my side when I'm bored, I'll give you a year's tuition? You won't have to struggle to get a scholarship, so why are you kicking this away?"
I had no choice but to cut off my thoughts at the lewd harassment that was becoming more and more blatant.
Original story or whatever, I didn't know what would happen if I left her like that.
Yes, let's help first and think later.
Having reached a conclusion, I immediately grabbed the hand of Rihel, who was grumbling standing next to me.
Tak.
"U, Uh...! Are, are you crazy? Where do you dare to touch...!"
Rihel was startled by the sudden skinship, but I didn't care and began to approach the group surrounding Sereniel while leading her hand.
It looks a bit pathetic, but what can I do? If I don't have power right now, I have to use the cards I have well.