Entrance Exam Day
At long last, the day of the entrance exam had arrived. No matter how much I'd cried, begged, or thrown tantrums, some things just wouldn't budge. Meal times were strictly separated from Mom's, and even those were cut short when she jetted off on some distant assignment, leaving me with zero face time. Dad? He was never around to begin with. Honestly, I hadn't even exchanged words with the guy, but in this world full of dime-a-dozen pathetic☆ mages, he was probably no exception. If he were even halfway competent, he'd be glued to the house, swapping insights with his once-in-a-generation genius daughter who's the talk of the town.
Still... I didn't want to leave home. Sure, I'd barely ventured out in this world thanks to my constant minor ailments, but compared to anywhere else I'd seen, our place held its own. The Ascentrius Mansion was my nest, filled with memories from my early childhood here. But now, it was time to bid even that goodbye.
"Whatevs~☆ It's just some pathetic Imperial Academy anyway. They probably only teach worthless elementary magic, right?"
Thankfully, this elite-of-the-elite Imperial Academy had a decent grade-skipping system. Held quarterly—four times a year—but the odds were abysmal, maybe one or two kids across all grades making it through. Still, if I played it right, I could graduate early and scamper back home, no problem.
"Pfft, piece of cake. Just show 'em one trick at a time. To those brain-dead~☆ professors who couldn't hold a candle to Mom."
Think positive. I'd always thought positive. I was the eldest daughter of the prestigious Ascentrius family, which had produced five archmages. Destined to outshine even Mom—the empire's ruler and history's greatest archmage. Sure, I was young, so my mana calculation power was low and my body still tiny. My memory was spotty too, like any kid, but give it time. I'd grow up big and strong, just like her—top-tier mana ops and stamina to match.
I boarded the ornate carriage befitting the bright future of House Ascentrius.
The Imperial Academy's entrance split two ways: one for nobles, one for commoners. Ours, naturally, took the noble gate.
"Miss, you'll have to head to the exam hall on foot from here."
"Yup~☆ Thanks for the ride, Stretch~☆"
After a solid escort from our household guard, I hopped out of the carriage. I'd gotten the smallest custom robe from that magic robe specialist shop, but they kept yapping about my growth spurt and sold me a big one. Now the hem dragged on the ground like a train. Nearly tripped me flat on my face—thud—but I caught myself quick. Nobody saw, right? Whew...
From here on out, it was game time. Right ahead stood a signpost for examinees, and kids piling out of other noble carriages—big lugs, all of 'em—were checking it and shuffling toward the exam hall. What the heck did these kids eat? Even accounting for our six-year gap, they looked practically adult-sized. Average entry age was thirteen, yeah? But don't judge by Earth standards. This world's year was about 850 days—two and a half times longer—and bodies grew twice as slow.
Whatever. At seven, I was already below average for exam-takers, plus my growth stunt from illness. Made sense. Point was, this stupid oversized robe was tripping me up like an adult's hand-me-down! Who the hell designed this crap☆?
No choice. "Flight."
I cast a spell splitting my body's specific gravity, and whoosh—up I floated. Layered on a continuous function to keep me airborne in real coordinate space, gliding smoothly along elegant curves per my will. Just like that, I was skimming through the air.
The noble brats gawking at my flight tried copying—big mistake. One by one, thunk, crash, faces in the dirt.
"Pfft... Break a leg~☆ Keep trying☆"
I cackled loud enough for those dimwit noble kids to hear and breezed through the gate. But...
The moment I crossed into the exam hall entrance, hell on earth awaited.
"Over here! Right here!"
"Blue 314, this way!"
"Yellow 534, where do I go?!"
"Hey, you there! Aren't you Red 230? Oh man, this guy's colorblind."
Shouts everywhere—total chaos. Was this a marketplace or a brawl? Examinees in proper mage robes rubbed shoulders with street-rat types, all crammed in the waiting area with zero rhyme or reason. Paths tangled everywhere; bumping was inevitable. At my height, without flight, I couldn't even peek at the signboards.
I'd expected cultured chats from future elites at the vaunted Imperial Academy, but the plaza was a swarming mess of grubby examinee bugs. Made my nose wrinkle on reflex.
"Tch~☆ Imperial Academy's not all that~"
My exam ticket read White 5. Judging by the number and format, it was a special ticket for VIP examinees—basically a free pass on all basics. Mom must've pulled strings. I'd thought it unnecessary before, but now? White counters were dead empty from afar. Score.
I sauntered—er, floated—toward it, but shrill whistles pierced from below.
"Hey! Flying kid! Halt! No magic in the academy unless it's special circumstances!"
Some academy cadet in uniform was yelling at me. Pretty boy face, like he'd moonlight as a gigolo. His armband read "Student Council—4th Year, Rule Enforcement" in runes.
"What's this? Some pathetic☆ gigolo-wannabe?"
I stopped the flight spell and landed lightly. Up close, this cadet towered—I had to crane my neck. Not just him; every examinee here was two heads taller.
"I'm not an uncle, little miss~ This ain't a playground. Go find your bro or sis and head home. Want me to fetch your guardian?"
"Wha... baby?"
The word I'd rejected the second I was weaned. Baby. In this world, I'd never heard it before. These idiots usually clocked my skills on sight... but this clown missed my flawless flight stability? And hits me with that? My fists clenched, trembling with rage. I glared daggers and spat.
"You done? Calling me a baby? You illiterate magic moron?"
"Hey now, kiddo. Watch your mouth."
"Mouth? This pathetic☆ gigolo☆—thought you were a chick at first, all dainty~☆"
"You little—!"
"Pfft... lol, mad already~☆?"
This lanky loser boiled over faster than my tutors. Face red as lava, he swung without thinking.
"Eek! Bad man's gonna hit me!"
But I wasn't some dumb kid. I knew my body inside out. Shrieked, and poof—a mustachioed gent in a suit appeared. Professor, probably. I scampered to him, clinging tight. He patted my head and scolded the cadet.
"Now, now, Gail. What's this? Raising a hand to a child? And you, young lady—what brings you here?"
"Um, well~☆ This bad uncle... I came to take the exam, and he calls me a baby and stuff~☆"
Snickering inwardly, I milked my looks for gain. Trade-off, right? If he couldn't spot my flight magic, he didn't deserve the academy anyway.
"Gail... We'll discuss this later—"
"Baby! You an examinee? Perfect. You're dueling me for entry."
Gail exploded, yanking off his white glove and hurling it at my face. Duel challenge out of nowhere—eyes locked on us, folks rushing to intervene. I snatched the sweaty gross glove with fingertips and chucked it. Face control slipped, but whatever.
Didn't I mention? White exams skipped basics—straight to sparring with a senior for level check. Fourth-year seemed solid. I tilted my head up, flashing my White ticket.
"Whatevs~☆ Beat this uncle, and I'm in, right?"
"Damn straight, brat!"
"Now, Gail. Mind your language with an examinee."
Chaos erupted—people holding Gail back, professor mediating—but rules were rules. Accept a duel, you fight. Thought it'd be boring with all the idiots, but the Imperial Academy starts hot from the entrance exam~☆