Chapter 25 - The Magic Otaku Ends Up Going All Out on the Exam
The academy auditorium, which served as the examination hall, was a massive space capable of holding at least two hundred people. Long desks, wide enough for several people, were arranged in rows with matching benches. The aisles between them were wide enough to walk through. It felt less like the university lecture halls of my past life and more like a church chapel where mass was held. The fact that the benches and desks were fixed to the floor only strengthened that impression.
Prompted by a mage who seemed to be a proctor, I took my seat and found a large wooden board on the desk. Its surface was smooth, the wood a light color, with a number branded into the top right corner. This was to serve as our answer sheet; apparently, we were to write our answers directly on it, much like an ancient wooden tablet. Since it could be reused by simply shaving a thin layer off the surface, they were supposedly used for civil servant examinations as well.
Paper was not yet in practical use in this country. And since using parchment for a disposable test would be far too wasteful, these boards were the solution. The number on my board was thirteen—a pretty good number, I thought. Ruria, next to me, had fourteen, which was a somewhat ominous number, but with her smarts, I doubted it would be an issue. I decided not to worry about it.
Roche-kun was number fifteen, and Isak-senpai was sixteen. We were all sitting together on the same bench, but I could see a hint of stiffness in both of their expressions. Leaning past Ruria, I called out to them, "Relax. Let's just take it easy." They returned my words with slightly awkward smiles. They still seemed a little tense, but at this point, all that mattered was whether they could perform as they always did. You can do it.
As I surveyed the auditorium and inspected my answer board, a steady stream of examinees filed in, and the seats began to fill. It looked like there were about a hundred applicants this year. Some were children around ten, like us, but one or two looked to be nearly twenty. Based on appearances alone, the median age seemed to be around twelve or thirteen. About thirty percent of them weren't wearing robes, just their everyday clothes, so they were likely people who hadn't studied magic at a private academy.
Just then, a trio who arrived late caught my eye. They were all boys in robes, looking to be just over ten, perhaps the same age as Isak-senpai. The most conspicuous among them was the boy in the lead. He was clad in a dazzling, vivid blue robe lavishly adorned with gold and silver thread, and his ash-blond hair was slicked back. His steel-gray eyes held a sharp glint, and he carried himself with an air of haughty arrogance, paying no mind to his surroundings. One look was enough to tell he was the scion of a high-ranking noble family. The way the other two trailed behind him like followers only reinforced that impression.
They crossed in front of my line of sight and headed toward the seats in the back. I was sure he was a young master from a great noble house with his entourage, but unfortunately, I couldn't spot anything in their attire that would give away their origins. I mean, come on, that robe was so ornate that even if it had a crest, I wouldn't be able to see it. Come to think of it, I felt like I'd had some dealings with high nobility recently, but what was it?
As I tilted my head, trying to recall what I'd forgotten, another conspicuous person arrived. This time it was a girl. She looked a little older than the boys from before, likely in her early teens. Her robe was primarily red, but its subdued color scheme and tastefully embroidered patterns gave it an air of elegance. It was undoubtedly a high-quality piece.
But what was truly remarkable was her hair. A voluminous mane of golden hair, which could only be described as gorgeous, was styled in vertical ringlets that cascaded over her chest and back. Whoa, ringlets! Actual ringlets! They really exist! Long eyelashes framed her emerald eyes, and her features were refined. From any angle, she was a completely and utterly flawless noble lady.
As I stared, captivated by her, she must have noticed my gaze as she passed by. She looked my way and offered a faint, amused smile. Just as I considered whether I should return the smile, my right earlobe was yanked down with incredible force. As sudden, sharp pain shot through me, I fought back tears and desperately tried not to cry out. My eyes met Ruria's. She was gripping my ear, glaring at me with a half-lidded gaze. A chill ran down my spine.
By the time I finally managed to wrestle my ear free from Ruria's grasp, the young lady had already taken a seat far away. I felt like I wasn't learning my lesson, but it couldn't be helped. I mean, come on, who wouldn't stare at that? So please, Ruria-san, the exam is about to start, could you please let go?
Once all the examinees were seated and a hush fell over the auditorium, a group of robed boys and girls came in carrying what looked like signboards. Their familiar demeanor suggested they were students of the academy. It was a familiar sight from my past life—current students working part-time as helpers at the entrance exam. The signs they carried stood on their own with two legs and a base, and the rather large boards were covered with cloth. They were placed in front of the desks in the first row and in several of the aisles. Hmm, what are these for?
"Examinees, are you ready? Very well, you may begin."
At the proctor's words, the students unveiled the signs. Displayed upon them were the exam questions. I see. It would be too much trouble to distribute papers to everyone, so this is how they do it. The proctor who announced the start of the exam stood at the lectern and lit a short candle. That candle would likely serve as our timer.
For a magic academy entrance exam, the wooden answer sheets, signboard questions, and candle timer were all a bit underwhelming, but it couldn't be helped. Magic in this world was specialized for combat; as far as I knew, there were no spells for making life more convenient or cutting down on daily chores. In any case, the exam had begun. I immediately picked up the quill I had brought and started tackling the posted questions.
"Time's up! Put your pens down and remain seated until your answers are collected."
The exam felt like it lasted a little over an hour. As the candle burned out, the proctor announced the end, and a collective, silent sigh filled the auditorium. While the students went around collecting the wooden answer boards, I put away my quill and thought to myself, That was a piece of cake.
The questions covered the kingdom's history, geography, and mathematics, but none of it was particularly challenging. After all, the first question was "What year is it in the Kingdom Calendar?" and the next was "What is the name of the current king?" You wouldn't even see questions this easy on a kindergarten entrance exam. For the record, it was currently the thirty-fourth year of the Kingdom Calendar, and the name of His Majesty our King was "Yamin Ben-Heim Ele Hanoku IV."
However, there were some rather difficult problems in the latter half. The final question was: "On one of three posts sits a stack of sixteen disks of different sizes, arranged from largest on the bottom to smallest on the top. You want to move the entire stack to another post. You can only move one disk at a time, and a larger disk can never be placed on top of a smaller one. How many moves are required to transfer all sixteen disks?" The answer is two to the power of sixteen minus one, which is 65,535. Anyone who tried to solve that by moving the disks in their head definitely ran out of time.
Eventually, the proctors left, and a buzz of conversation filled the auditorium. Here and there, people discussed answers and which questions were the most difficult—a scene no different from after a test in my previous life. Our little group of four also gathered to share our thoughts on the exam.
"How did it go for you, Saki? There were a few questions I wasn't sure about..."
"I answered everything. How about you, Ruria?... Perfect? Well, of course you were."
"Y-You two are amazing. I, um, that last question..."
Ouch. So Isak-senpai actually tried to count his way through it.
"Well, the written exam probably won't create a huge gap, so the practical portion is what really matters. Do you two seniors know what kind of test it will be?"
"I heard that after this, we'll be moved to separate rooms where we'll have to recite a spell in front of a proctor, one by one."
"I-I wonder if we can try again if we fail? I'm so nervous..."
While the boys chatted about the upcoming test, Ruria had her head down on the desk with her eyes closed. Hmph, what a pro move. If the rumors were true, there were almost no examinees besides Ruria and me who had learned spells before enrolling, so her confidence was to be expected.
In the end, Ruria really did fall asleep. When the proctor came to tell us to move, she wouldn't wake up, and I had to carry her on my back. The proctor scolded me for being slow. Damn it.
The venue for the practical exam was at the end of a building in the academy, in a hallway lined with several doors. The examinees were arranged in a single file line by a proctor and went through the doors one by one, starting from the front. After a short while, the door would open and the student inside would come out, at which point the next student would enter the now-vacant room. The exam progressed in this fashion. It seemed there was a proctor behind each door, grading the students' spellcasting.
Most of the students came out almost as soon as they went in, so the exam proceeded quickly. This was especially true for the students not wearing robes, who seemed to finish their tests the moment they stepped inside. They probably hadn't studied magic at a private academy, so there wasn't much they could do. It couldn't be helped.
Oh, it looked like the young master in the blue robe from before the written exam was going in. But he, too, came out of the room shortly after entering. Had it even been three minutes? He wore a confident expression as he emerged, but he'd had the same look when I first saw him, so maybe that was just his natural face. I couldn't be sure, though.
Next, the girl with the golden ringlets went into the exam room when her turn came. And just like the young master and the other students, she came out a moment later. It was fine; this time, I didn't stare. Especially not with Ruria on my back. Even if she was half-asleep, letting my guard down was a bad idea. I shouldn't underestimate her ability to raise flags.
Before long, it was my turn. I helped a still-sleepy Ruria to her feet, waved to Roche-kun and Isak-senpai, and opened the door. The room inside wasn't very large. It was a bare space with exposed floors and walls, illuminated by magical light. In the back stood something resembling a scarecrow, similar to the practice targets we used at my family's academy. And there was a single person: a large, bearded man in a robe.
"Commander Azadh? Are you the examiner?"
"Call me Professor. State your number and name, quickly."
The commander, whom I had just met at the academy gate this morning, twisted his bearded face into a grin and demanded a correction.
"My apologies, Professor Ahab Azadh. Number thirteen, Saki Adoni Arcalai. So, what should I do?"
"Anything. Recite any spell you know for me. If you need a target, you can aim for that human-shaped doll in the back."
With that, the Commander—no, the Professor—took a step back and crossed his arms. Hmm, if anything goes, I'll start with the [Light] spell. I formed a triangular sigil in the air with my finger and visualized an equilateral triangle made of orange light. Imagining a sphere of light forming in the air before me, I chanted, "[Light]."
An orange sphere of light popped into existence—though without a sound—and Professor Azadh nodded. "Good. Do you know any other spells you can cast?"
"Of course."
This time, I drew a yellow square and chanted, "[Shield]." A shield shimmering with magical energy appeared in front of me. Professor Azadh touched it to test it before speaking.
"Good. Anything else?"
Whoa, hold on. I felt a surge of panic but kept my expression neutral as I replied, "Yes." My mana was getting a little tight, but I could probably manage. I formed another yellow square sigil and chanted, "[Armor]." My head swam for a moment, but I successfully wrapped myself in an invisible barrier. The professor touched it as well and, in the same flat tone, repeated, "Good. Anything else?"
"...Could you give me a moment, please?"
I held up my palm to the professor to ask for a pause, then took a deep breath to calm myself. Damn it, casting three spells in a row is tough with my current mana. I still had one more spell to show him, but if I cast it now, I'd probably pass out on the spot. The only other option was to use that in front of someone... Ah, what the hell, let's do it!
I continued to take deep breaths, holding my palms facing each other in front of my chest. I imagined a ball of light forming between my hands, drawing in the specks of mana drifting around us. As I focused on absorbing the mana, Professor Azadh watched me in silence.
Soon, I had gathered the mana in the room. I took in the swollen sphere of light and mixed it with my own power. Alright! Based on past experience, this was a little risky, but it probably wouldn't turn out too badly. This would be my last shot, the grand finale!
I steeled my resolve, drew an oval in the air, and chanted, almost shouting, "[Magic Missile]!" A bolt of light shot out from the sigil and instantly struck the target at the back of the room. A sound like a cannon blast and a shockwave followed. I was hit by a wave of severe dizziness and staggered.
"Whoa! You all right, Saki!"
Professor Azadh rushed over and caught me as I stumbled. Leaning on him, I managed to say, "I'm fine." In truth, I felt terribly nauseous and my vision was spinning, but it didn't feel like I was about to be dragged into unconsciousness like in the old days. The magic within my body had dimmed considerably, but it seemed I had narrowly avoided hitting rock bottom.
I stood still for a while, and the nausea and dizziness subsided. Though my footing was still unsteady, I was able to stand on my own. I let go of Professor Azadh's robe and apologized for my discourtesy.
"I am so sorry for that unseemly display. Please forgive me."
"Nah, don't worry about it. A little push is fine, but don't be reckless. Managing your own mana is crucial for a magic user. I'll be sure to teach you properly so this doesn't happen again, so you be careful."
"...Is that your roundabout way of telling me I passed?"
"You fool. As if I'd let a talent like you go, a boy who can master four spells at your age. The results won't be out until tomorrow, but you're not getting away, you hear? You'd best prepare yourself."
Professor Azadh let out a hearty laugh. Watching him, I couldn't help but start laughing myself. After we shared a good laugh, I said, "Well then, I'll be taking my leave," and reached for the door.
When I stepped out of the room, most of the examinees were gone. Only Ruria, Roche-kun, and Isak-senpai remained. Roche-kun and Isak-senpai were trying to reassure Ruria, saying things like, "It's all right," and "I-It'll be over in a second." Ruria, seemingly deaf to their words, was staring down at the floor, completely still.
As I approached, Roche-kun noticed me and called out, "Ah, Saki." At the sound of my voice, Ruria looked up, and I could see a flicker of anxiety in her obsidian eyes. Just as I thought. A situation where she had to be alone in a room with a strange adult would be unbearable for her. I walked over to Ruria, pulled her into a hug, and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, Ruria."
"See the door I just came out of? The person inside is Commander Azadh, the man we met this morning. He looks a little scary, his voice is loud, and he's a bit rough around the edges, but he's not a bad person. You can go in and take the test without worrying. I'll be waiting right here for you."
I looked her in the eyes. Ruria stared back at me for a moment before slowly nodding. As we watched, she glanced back at us several times before disappearing through the door I had just exited. The three of us watched her go, then let out a synchronized sigh as if on cue.
"Ruria's shyness is really something else. I hope she'll be able to interact with more people in her academy life and get a little more used to it."
"You don't doubt for a second that Ruria-san will pass, do you? Well, I'm sure she will too."
"S-She'll be fine, I'm sure of it."
The boys chattered on with their own confident predictions. But contrary to our easygoing expectations, Ruria did not emerge from the exam room for quite some time. A considerable amount of time passed, enough to make me worry that something had happened, before Ruria finally peeked her head out the door. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, but I couldn't help but wonder why Professor Azadh, who came out after her, was covering his face with his hand and looking up at the ceiling.
Later, I heard that after demonstrating the same four spells I had, Ruria responded to the professor's "Alright. Anything else?" by casting all her spells again from the beginning. She did this twice, and as she was about to start a third round, the professor frantically yelled, "That's enough! That's enough!" to make her stop. Oh, Ruria...
Well, despite a few minor incidents, the entrance exam concluded safely. All that was left was to wait for tomorrow's results.
The next day, we waited for news of the entrance exam results at the Goddess's Guidance Inn. The results were to be posted in front of the academy's main gate, but to avoid the crowds, we had Laz-san go check for us. There were, of course, security concerns as well. I was the type who would have preferred to see my own name on the list of successful candidates with my own eyes, but Nathan-san stopped me, so I gave up.
So, the four of us kids gathered in my room to wait for Laz-san's return. Roche-kun and Isak-senpai seemed a little fidgety, while Ruria, as usual, was lying on the bed, engrossed in a book. I wasn't particularly anxious either, partly because I'd received what felt like an unofficial acceptance during yesterday's exam.
We were relaxing and sipping tea that Hanna had prepared when Laz-san returned around noon. The results: everyone passed. Apparently, the names were posted in order of rank. Ruria had placed first, I was second, Roche-kun was seventeenth, and Isak-senpai was ninth. This was clearly one of those cases of 1st place >>>>>>>>> 2nd place >> everyone else. About thirty people had passed in total, making the acceptance rate a little over one in three. All in all, I suppose it was a reasonably competitive exam.
In any case, it was wonderful that we all passed. I made Roche-kun raise his hand and forced a high-five to share the joy. I did the same with Isak-senpai. Ruria, with an air of resignation, raised one hand from her reclining position, her eyes still on her book. After I high-fived her, I tickled her side. For a rare moment, she shrieked with laughter and rolled around. Then, her face beet red, she started pummeling me with light punches. Seeing that I was just laughing and not bothered at all, she let out a frustrated "Ughhh" and buried her face in the bed. Roche-kun and Isak-senpai watched this with wide smiles. Well, we're just kids. It's nice to let loose and have fun like this once in a while, right?
Afterward, we had a celebratory feast delivered, which we had arranged with the inn in advance. We invited Nathan-san, Laz-san, and the others to my room, and even the spacious suite started to feel quite cramped. I declared it an informal party and grandly ordered everyone to eat and drink as they pleased.
Alcohol was served to the adults, but only Nathan-san declined. Even now, he stood near the door with a plate of food, participating in the banquet from a distance. He was a truly stoic and serious man, very much a soldier. But a smile graced his face, so it was clear he was enjoying the party.
Throughout the evening, there were plenty of antics—everyone teased Hanna and Laz-san for sitting so close together, and Ruria retaliated by clinging to me, which led to me being teased in turn—but we all had a wonderful time before the party ended. Tomorrow, we had to check out of the inn and move into the academy dormitories, so everyone returned to their own rooms to prepare.
Starting tomorrow, we would officially be students of the Talgum Magic Academy. I was finally leveling up from "aspiring magic user" to "apprentice magic user." While I was excited to see what they would teach us, I was also eager to continue the magical research I had put on hold because of the exam. Having a lot to do is a good thing, as long as it's what you want to do. Feeling like I could break into song at any moment, I began checking the personal belongings I would take to the dorms.
Here is the twenty-fourth chapter. The academy life will finally begin next time. I hope you will continue to follow along.