Chapter 7
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Mage of the Entrance Exam (2)
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“Miss Lunaris, are you still sleeping?”
A familiar voice finally pried open my heavy eyelids.
Beyond the faint sunlight filtering in, I could make out the Vice-Captain's figure.
“...Vice-Captain. Bursting into a girl's room like this is a bit...”
I wrapped myself tightly in the blanket, peeking out only my face as I muttered in a flat tone.
Instead of a scream, all that escaped was a lazy yawn.
Before I could even gather my wits, the Vice-Captain had already strode right up to my bedside.
His expression... looked a little angry.
“Bursting in? Do you know how many times I knocked from outside?”
He raised his voice slightly, sounding aggrieved as he continued.
“I waited over ten minutes at the door. I came in because I was worried something might have happened to you.”
“...So, what brings you here?”
The Vice-Captain stared at me in disbelief before clearing his throat with a cough.
Then, out of nowhere, he pulled something out.
“About that entrance exam last time—you did amazingly.”
One, two, three, and four.
Four sheets of letter paper clutched in his hand, shaking them.
Each one bore a silver seal in the center.
“Truly beyond expectations? No, more like just like you'd expect from Miss Lunaris.”
“Well... yeah, that happened. Sorry. I should've been more careful.”
“Hah, sorry? Are you disappointed it wasn't perfect scores across every field?”
“...?”
What was this nonsense?
“You're probably the only one in academy history who could get the highest scores ever recorded and say something like that.”
“...???”
Huh?
Perfect scores in every field?
The highest scores in history?
Something felt off about his words, and without realizing it, my head tilted to the side.
With my long hair draping down off the bed, I made a face like I had no idea what he was talking about.
The Vice-Captain, looking a bit excited, began to explain.
“Miss Lunaris, do you know what this silver seal on these envelopes means?”
I shook my head.
No clue at all.
“It's the seal used when a department head personally invites an applicant for an interview.”
“...The department head themselves?”
“Yes. And get this—four of them. The heads of all four departments except Swordsmanship want to see you with their own eyes.”
“Wait... hold on a second.”
Sure, I'd scribbled all sorts of things on the exam paper.
But that was less solving problems and more just jotting down whatever came to mind.
...Apparently, all of it was correct.
“Well, the problems must've been too easy for someone like you, Miss Lunaris.”
“No, it's not that...”
“You held back so the other applicants wouldn't feel bad, didn't you? Haha!”
“Something's definitely wrong...”
“Talent like yours can't be hidden, even if you try.”
A sigh slipped out of me unbidden.
Still, better than bombing the entrance exam.
Good things were good—I decided to just go with that.
The interview date was set quickly.
The academy department heads wanted to see me as soon as possible.
I came to the interview room alone.
The Vice-Captain offered to assign an off-duty Imperial Mage Corps member as an escort, but I turned him down flat.
No need to get tangled up and make things more tiring.
But when I got there, every other applicant had brought escorts.
“Next applicant, Erma Blackburn. Please enter.”
At the attendant's businesslike voice, everyone in the waiting room except me rose to their feet in a rush.
A male student gave some instructions to those around him in a trembling voice.
Soon, his attendants moved with perfect coordination.
Two knights, three servants.
Plus various others in attendance—easily over ten in total.
The whole group shuffled out of the waiting room.
“Good grief.”
Left alone in the now-empty room, I stared blankly at their retreating figures.
...All that for just an interview?
I never imagined that out of all those people, only me and that guy were the actual applicants.
“Finally, some quiet.”
I closed my eyes, thinking I'd catch a nap until my name was called, but soon the door opened again.
Peeking with half-lidded eyes, I saw a female student entering, surrounded by several times more people than the previous group.
The waiting room filled up in an instant, and I couldn't help but frown.
This was a bit much. I thought royalty had shown up for an interview.
Not particularly interested, and not wanting to get involved, I closed my eyes again and started dozing off.
Then, a soft voice brushed my ear from right beside me.
“You must be really tired.”
I turned my sleepy head slightly.
A bright girl about my age had sat down next to me without me noticing.
“...Didn't get much sleep.”
No sooner had I given a half-hearted reply than the knight standing behind her raised his voice sharply.
“How rude! Do you know who this is? How dare you act like that—!”
“It's fine. Stand down.”
The girl gestured to restrain the knight, speaking in a firm tone.
The knight reluctantly shut his mouth and stepped back.
Who this is? Probably some big shot.
Of course, it had nothing to do with me.
“Well, it's natural to have trouble sleeping the night before an interview. I stayed up all night staring at the ceiling myself.”
“Nah, it's not that... This is usually my nap time...”
“...Pardon?”
“I'm dying to sleep, but they drag me out here. Honestly, I'm not thrilled. Yawwwn.”
“You don't seem nervous at all. Must've prepared a lot for the interview?”
“Not really. Is an interview even that big a deal to get worked up over?”
I made no effort to hide my annoyance, but she didn't seem offended.
Instead, she burst into delighted laughter.
“Which department are you aiming for, by any chance?”
“Magic Department, obviously.”
It wasn't a question—it was a certainty.
After all, the Ashen Witch from the original story had been in the Magic Department too.
“Ah! I figured. I'm going for Magic Department as well. It'd be so fun taking classes together.”
Only then did I properly look at her face.
Golden hair shining like sunlight, and clear, transparent pale purple eyes—what a striking girl.
...Huh?
I'd never seen her before.
Yet she felt strangely familiar, like someone I'd seen a lot...
“Have we met...”
I was just starting to feel a spark of curiosity when—
“Next applicant, Lunaris Evermoon. Please enter.”
The waiting room door swung open, and the attendant's voice rang out.
I sighed and stood up.
My stiff knees creaked and groaned in protest.
Interview or whatever—better finish quick and get back to bed.
As I trudged toward the interview room with a weary expression, the girl spoke quietly from behind me.
“See you in the classroom next time.”
“...Maybe.”
Honestly, I doubted we'd cross paths in class.
I planned to attend just enough to avoid failing for absences, and whenever I did show up, sleep through the whole lecture.
But if my guess was right.
If she was one of the original story's characters.
We might end up involved more often than I'd like.
“What an interesting person.”
The Third Princess, Celestina Belhart, thought of the girl who had just left through the door.
She looked so naive at first glance.
Her speech dripped with laziness, eyes half-closed, giving off an overall exhausted vibe.
Full of openings, yet Princess Celestina sensed something off in that drowsy demeanor.
“Lunaris Evermoon...”
There was a rumor quietly circulating in the imperial palace lately.
That the Vice-Captain of the Imperial Mage Corps had brought back a girl who was on track to become the youngest Archmage in imperial history.
Someone with the exact same name had been sitting next to her moments ago.
Though they'd only exchanged a few words, it was enough for her to be certain.
She was clearly gifted.
She radiated an aura of uniqueness.
“Your Highness, why did you stop me?”
The guard knight standing behind Princess Celestina spoke cautiously.
“That insolent fool needed to learn some manners...”
“This is the academy, isn't it? I didn't come here to be treated a certain way.”
Princess Celestina shook her head lightly.
“But she hasn't enrolled yet. She should still show proper respect to royalty.”
“She probably didn't even know who I am anyway.”
Even if she had known, her attitude wouldn't have changed, the princess added with a gentle smile.
“Ah, it would be wonderful if I could make her one of my own.”
Her smiling face carried a distinctly calculating edge.
If asked why Princess Celestina had come to Elterion Academy specifically.
The first reason was to escape the power struggles in the imperial palace, of course.
But more than that, it was to bring the empire's untapped 'future' under her wing.
In that regard, Lunaris was the most desirable talent.
She had no idea why someone with talent as good as done-and-dusted would come to the academy.
But one thing was clear: she held overwhelming value.
Still, it wouldn't be easy.
Lunaris reminded her of a cat.
A lazy stray that hated human touch.
So, first things first—get on friendly terms.
Fortunately, she had plenty of time.
A full four years, even. She could take it slow.
Just then, the waiting room door opened, and a group of people entered.
“P-Princess?!”
Unlike with Lunaris, they instantly recognized her noble bloodline and bowed deeply.
But Princess Celestina merely gave a slight nod.
She showed no particular interest in them.
A stark contrast to how she'd approached Lunaris first.