The Academy's Unforgiving Entrance Exam
[That moment, in the Esdinas Academy staff meeting room.]
"It's started."
As the middle-aged lion-maned man seated in the dean's chair spoke, sixteen screens appeared on the large mana stone screen set up on one side of the meeting room.
"All gates from east, west, south, and north are opening. Let the entrance exam begin."
The gold-haired, blue-eyed woman in OL attire wearing glasses turned off the power on her voice amplifier and set down the microphone.
"...Competition will be lower this year."
"Most won't make it through the western terminal anyway."
The instructors, each dressed in their distinctive styles, exchanged jabs while letting out sighs of relief.
"Isn't that right, Instructor Esta?"
"...Hmph."
The woman called out by name, the White Sword Saint Esta, fiddled with her white suit while intently watching the camera feed from the western terminal.
"Huh? No talk about giving those who couldn't reach the western terminal another chance due to unavoidable circumstances?"
"Why would I say something like that, Instructor Blaster?"
Esta sharpened her tone toward Blaster, who was needling her.
"Whether it's a natural disaster, someone's death, or the Silverstar train facing some anomaly that just happens to halt operations today. I have no intention of denying Esdinas Academy's 500-year tradition and history."
"You're firm. But if you think about those from the west later suing Silverstar for damages, it wouldn't be so easy to say that."
"Suing for damages? What a load of crap."
Esta shook her head.
"With all the unknowns, deciding to take the dawn train to Esdinas is carelessness in itself. At the very least, they should've stayed overnight somewhere outside the greenbelt... anywhere within walking distance that gets them to the academy in three hours."
"Well said, Sword Saint."
The dean clapped, affirming Esta's words.
"Back in my day, there weren't magic trains or terminals like this. My brothers and I walked a whole month from home to take the exam. Camping and roughing it were basics. Heh."
The dean reminisced about the old days, lost in nostalgia, but no one could rein him in.
"I, Ederson Lionheart, though I failed to open a 'Long-Term Wilderness Survival Training in the Greenbelt' course this semester, will one day teach the students survival skills for extreme situations. Heh."
He looked like a kindly lion-maned middle-aged man while seated, but as he stood and flexed his muscles, his body swelled instantly, straining his suit to the brink.
"Don't you agree, Sword Saint?"
"Yes. As the Lion King says, not quite to Lionheart's 'extreme' levels, but students must learn survival tactics for crises."
"Hah hah hah! Is the sun rising in the west today? The Sword Saint agrees with me!"
The instructors began eyeing each other warily at Dean Ederson's hearty laugh.
"Then for this summer session right away...!"
"Accident detected."
"Wh-what accident! Instructor Margarita!"
Dean Ederson jolted at the words from the gold-haired, blue-eyed OL woman, Margarita, and turned to the mana stone screen.
"The usual accidents. ...Innocent students have fallen prey to snakes in human skin."
"Ah, ahh...!"
Dean Ederson let out a lament of pity.
"Once again, good, righteous students...!"
"They're not students if they haven't passed the entrance exam."
Instructor Blaster shrugged sarcastically.
"They should've spotted traps that obvious."
As he gestured at the screen, Instructor Margarita nearby zoomed in on several feeds.
"Kid tumbling forward. Pervert suddenly charging at a girl. Boy vomiting blood and collapsing the moment the door opens without warning. ...All actors eliminating rivals."
"Not all. Last year, there was a real epilepsy case."
"Ugh...!"
Dean Ederson gripped his arm, face twisting.
"Even if instructors must remain impartial and neutral, it's heartbreaking not to warn them...!"
"Rules are rules."
Academy Regulations. The unchanging 500-year tradition of Esdinas Academy that must not change.
"The entrance exam may vary inside the academy grounds, but the key is 'stepping onto academy soil within the set time,' right?"
"Instructor Blaster."
"I'm worried too. See, that guy I taught before? He's not coming in because he's helping a fallen old lady."
Instructors were neutral, but each had ties to certain types.
"Look. Do I seem like the kind who'd leak rules? If I'd favored him, he'd have trampled the granny and passed the gate."
"Watch your mouth."
"Not wrong, though. Still... heartbreaking."
Dean Ederson squeezed his eyes shut at those still outside despite open doors.
"Can students who eliminate rivals like that truly learn 'how to prepare for the apocalypse'...?"
"Dean. If the prophecy comes true, it'll be hard to save even your own family."
Instructor Blaster tapped the gun at his waist.
"In the prophesied apocalypse, helping others before adulthood? People survive longer by being selfish. We teach 'how to survive.'"
"Ugh...!"
"Right, Maiden of Light?"
"Depends."
Esta responded indifferently to Blaster while focusing on one screen.
"Hm? Know someone at the western terminal?"
"......."
The other instructors showed brief interest in Esta's focus on the western feed, but lost it at her silence.
"Haah. Preparing a different exam each year is work, and some might say this isn't a proper process."
Dean Ederson clasped his hands in prayer.
"But may many among the new students have the character and ability to help others alongside themselves."
That wish meant the current academy lacked it.
"......."
"We...!"
Dean Ederson shut his eyes tight, fine tremors in the wrinkles around them.
"All this is to cultivate talent to save the world from the apocalypse...!"
The land of opportunity where anyone can succeed, Esdinas.
Women qualify at C-rank or above, men with certain conditions can just submit applications.
So how long does the exam take? Months? No.
It ends in a single day.
Cruel? Maybe—
It's like enlistment day.
Like army boot camp check-in or reservist muster. Late for any reason? Tough luck, your responsibility.
Even in this fantasy game world, no [Media Coverage] magic.
No media leaks to air grievances or vent.
In that sense.
"Um, are you okay? Your face looks even worse than before..."
"F-Fin... cough."
"D-don't talk. Just lie still."
Unia's actions—sacrificing her exam chance to save an injured man—were utterly foolish.
From 99.99% of this world's view.
"Is he hurt bad?"
"Not normal bleeding."
The white-robed elderly man with Silverstar insignia tilted his head at the blood-vomiting man.
"Poisoned, probably."
"Poison...?"
"Yes, miss. ...Be careful next year. Plenty get holes punched in their guts from drinks others give them and end up hospitalized."
Unia's face paled at the old doctor's words.
"Drink something and vomit blood...?"
"To fail you. Sabotage others in the exam, block good girls like you from entering."
"Ah...."
Unia sighed at the doctor's explanation.
"Urk, ugh...."
The man writhed, trying to rise, shooting me intense looks to signal 'I said nothing.'
Of course.
Unia now knew the dirty schemes around the academy exam, whether from warnings or firsthand.
Huge difference, especially realizing her kindness was a trap to ruin her life.
"Miss. Don't next time. Close your eyes and run like everyone else. Got it?"
"...Sorry, but I couldn't ignore an injured person."
"Miss."
"I still have two chances. Not this year, next... or the one after..."
Unia's voice caught.
"Unia."
If I hadn't placed a hand on her shoulder, tears would've fallen.
"Sir. Please take care of him."
"You've had it rough. Trying to enter together?"
"I think I'm better where I'm needed."
"......Take care. If injured nearby, find Dr. Frog."
The old doctor pointed to the frog pin on his robe and turned.
"Let's see... Not just bleeding, abdomen's twisted too..."
I led Unia out of the hospital.
Time had long passed; the doors for prospective freshmen were shut tight.
"...Hoo."
Unia stifled sobs, turning to me.
"Sorry to say this now, but... is there really a way?"
"What if it's a lie?"
"......."
"I get it, that look says enough."
I raised my hands surrender-style.
"Even without the academy, you'd find another way in, right?"
"Y...yes."
"Good. Then the solution's simple."
I took Unia to a secluded spot.
"We don't go to enroll. We make them beg us to."
"...Perhaps."
Unia's eyes sparkled hopefully.
"A special chance for those who helped others...?"
"Nope."
"Then...?"
"Just wait."
Quietly.
"Terminal has lodging anyway. Grab rooms? Three days... no, a week tops, relax."
"...You gonna tell me?"
"If you think you're out, enjoy terminal food till they come begging for us to take the exam."
"......Extra exam or something?"
Unia needed certainty.
"Was gonna hint mysteriously."
"I need answers now."
"What'll you give for it?"
"If you tell me..."
Unia blushed briefly.
"...I'll stay by your side tonight too."
"Hm."
Classic Unia.
"Terminal has plenty of rooms, could get separate."
"......."
"Kidding, kidding."
No reason for separate rooms anyway.
"Unia. Answer's simple."
The reason we must enroll.
"They pick the batch and find massive defects. Too severe for academy to accept."
"Possible? It's obvious visually."
Unia cupped her breasts from below, tilting her head.
"Huh?"
"Totally. Can't tell till you strip 'em."
"......?"
"Want the answer? Might shock you."
Here it comes.
"Fake Breast Devices."
Disqualified. Fake boobs.
The academy only realizes after admitting them for the exam that they're below C-rank.