Episode 25: Entrance Examination

“All these people here are examinees, right…”

“That’s right. As expected of a prestigious school that gathers people from around the world.”

“…I didn’t know there were this many people in the world.”

The carriage stopped, and what jumped into our view as we disembarked was a flow of people coming and going like a muddy torrent.

Eleanore was somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer number of people.

While Egenhardt was by no means a small town, it rarely gathered a population of this magnitude.

If you didn’t have experiences like being jostled around at a scramble crossing like I did, it would be no wonder if you were shocked.

Even I felt a bit intimidated.

Looking around, everyone had completely unfamiliar faces, each with their own unique individuality.

Some were dressed in dazzling clothing, while others wore tattered and dirty clothes.

Some were tense and nervous, while others casually enjoyed conversations with each other.

So this is what it means for such diversity to gather in one place – the super prestigious Royal Lytisia Academy.

“Shall we go too?”

Saying that, I offered my hand to Eleanore, and she stared at it with wide eyes.

“We mustn’t get separated… well, if you don’t want to, that’s fine though.”

My words trailed off.

I thought she would immediately respond and take my hand, so when she just stared blankly like that, I started to feel embarrassed…

“…! That’s right. We mustn’t get separated after all.”

However, as if to blow away the thoughts swirling in my chest, she broke into a beaming smile.

And then, with her white, supple hand, she grasped mine…

No, rather than that, she clung to my arm as if pressing her body against me.

“I didn’t intend for it to go that far though.”

“Oh my, is that so? But if we just hold hands, we might get separated by the impact.”

Without any hesitation or embarrassment whatsoever, she looked up at me.

…Where did that nervousness from earlier go?

Even at the exam, our young lady seems to be operating normally.

We pushed through the waves of people while clinging together.

This sensation of being jostled by crowds – it was quite nostalgic, the first time since my previous life.

Though somewhat reluctant, she might be right that we could have gotten separated with just hand-holding.

“Arcs.”

Just as we finally reached the gate, she spoke.

“Let’s definitely pass, okay?”

Our gazes met with her straightforward eyes.

I could sense a hint of anxiety from them.

“…Of course.”

I nodded deeply.

Well then, failing to get the special student status, or even failing the exam entirely, is absolutely not allowed.

I don’t know if she intended that, but I secretly steeled my resolve.

***

We passed through the giant arched gate.

A moat had been constructed around the outer walls, and this gate accessed by crossing a bridge was the only entrance to the inside.

No wonder so many people were crowded there.

If we had come right at the deadline, we might have been shut out here.

After getting through the turbid waves of people, we now had to stand in a long line.

This was for the reception desk to receive exam tickets and various explanations.

Since it was separate from the noble course, I parted with Eleanore once and stood in line alone. If we had stood in line together, people might have thought I was some creepy guy with girls attending to him at the exam venue. That was a close call.

But… this line was moving incredibly slowly.

There should have been about a dozen reception desks set up, but it was still slow.

…So this is what a school with a competition rate approaching 100 to 1 is like.

Well, with this many people gathered, it couldn’t be helped.

I would have been bored alone, but there was nothing to do but wait slowly.

Accepting that, I reached for my magic textbook to study.

But then.

“Hmm…?”

Something was lying at my feet.

When I bent down to pick it up, it was a paper with various things written on it.

Wondering what was written on it…

Name, address, date of birth.

Exam number and other etcetera.

“…Isn’t this an identification certificate?”

An incredibly important document had been dropped.

Is this okay… well, it’s probably not okay.

The owner must be panicking to death.

The name is…

“Emma Helena”

A woman.

I looked around, but there was no one who seemed to fit.

Well, what does someone who looks like Emma Helena even mean anyway.

Calling out loudly to search… should I go that far?

Besides, it might dishonor the person. If someone trying to become a knight had such a blunder publicized, it would be unbearable.

“This was dropped.”

“Oh, thank you very much.”

In the end, I handed it to a staff member at the reception desk.

I don’t know if the owner is behind me or in front of me in line, but well, I’ll hope they can take the exam safely.

…However, Emma.

I know one person with that name…

But Emma is such a common name. It’s probably a different person.

Besides, she shouldn’t be attending the knight course anyway.

Concluding that and cutting off that slight nagging thought, I psyched myself up for the test.

***

The atmosphere in the written exam venue was even more tense compared to outside.

Perhaps affected by the one-shot atmosphere where failure wasn’t an option, everyone’s expressions were perfectly suited to the two characters for “serious.”

Even I couldn’t say I had any composure in my state of mind.

In a hall even larger than a university lecture hall, over 1000 examinees including myself had gathered.

Furthermore, this wasn’t even all the examinees gathered in one place.

I was trying to push aside this enormous number of people to pass, and furthermore to secure one of the few special student seats.

I couldn’t let my guard down at all.

…But.

“Let’s definitely pass, okay?”

I ruminated on Eleanore’s words.

Right, I can’t be getting timid here.

“Begin!!”

The exam proctor’s booming command echoed through the hall.

In an instant, the sound of papers flipping rang out all at once.

All that was left was to give it my all.

Gripping my writing instrument tightly, I faced the problems before me.