Chapter 3: Admission test (2)

The Magic Academy is not an elementary school.

It is not a place that pampers novices just beginning their magical journey; rather, it is an institution of higher education that selects more specialized mages.

In reality, it should be called a Magic University, but it was likely named an ‘Academy’ to suit the age range of the main characters.

This means all freshmen are already capable of wielding some magic.

Therefore, the entrance exam doesn’t assess how much talent one has for sensing mana, or how much mana one possesses in their body—

“Fireball!!”

“Wind Cutter!”

“Gravity Fall!!”

It primarily assesses how skillfully one handles magic, and how well they can confront challenges with magic even in a ‘real combat’ situation.

Based on these settings, the entrance exam, which serves as a tutorial, focuses on ‘monster hunting’.

“Magic Arrow—!”

Wham—.

Blue magical energy, flying like a sharp arrow, shattered the slime in a single blow.

Though a common slime, these slimes, weakened for the entrance exam, exploded one after another with just simple basic magic.

Naturally.

While they possess the durability of real slimes, in reality, they are illusions created by magic.

‘That’s amazing.’

First examination hall. Slime extermination.

About 10 individuals are assigned to each zone, and points are awarded individually for each slime exterminated.

These points are recorded on the magic pad attached to me when I entered this examination hall, and the faster and more efficiently I hunt compared to others, the more points accumulate.

Once the criteria are met, the first exam is cleared.

Slimes are limited, and the entrance exam is competitive.

If everyone hunted fairly and equally, it would be an exam where all could pass, but…

“That slime is mine! Get out of the way!”

Accumulating more points means I can cause those in my group to fail.

“Ugh, I attacked first?!”

“If you couldn’t defeat it in one hit, scram!”

Is this truly a lily academy?

To enter the academy, aspiring students glared at each other, brandishing their magic staffs, a scene akin to a desperate struggle.

‘It is fierce competition.’

The Magic Academy is the safest place from the war with the Demon Realm.

If one can just get in, they can live peacefully for three years without facing demons.

In the best educational environment, if one secures scholarships and grants, their family can live near the Magic Academy, and after graduation, even just the diploma would allow them to live lavishly.

Everyone’s goals might differ from mine, but their desperation can be said to be similar to mine.

“I’ll be the first to get in!”

A character I know, no, a student.

A tall, slender woman with striking red hair and green eyes, she wore commoner’s clothes but her face exuded a strong sense of pride in her abilities.

‘She was a Magic Missile master character, right?’

Her name was definitely ‘Hannia’.

I had raised every character at least once, but if they weren’t a main character I focused on, it took some time to recall them.

That is.

“Ahahahah!!”

Even if she fiercely glared at her surroundings, continuously gaining points by destroying the ‘illusionary slimes’ created by magic.

‘Her skill is good, but her growth potential is clear.’

She isn’t someone I particularly need to pay attention to.

‘She lacks talent in elemental magic. And in sub-elements too.’

Even if it’s a ‘beautiful girl zoo,’ if there are cheetahs, there will naturally be rabbits and butterflies.

If I were to recruit someone as a companion, become close with them, or find someone who could be helpful later, they would need to be at least a mythical beast level, like a dragon, unicorn, or phoenix.

Me?

If I had to make a comparison….

“Ice Snake.”

A snake.

Crunch!

The moment I pointed my staff forward, an ice snake shot out directly in front of me and bit the rock flying towards me, shattering it.

“Oh, sorry!! It must have ricocheted! My mistake!”

“….”

A woman I’d never seen before smiled and apologized to me, but I wasn’t so naive as to simply accept her apology.

“Your name?”

“It’s Movbrina! And you?”

“Hmmph….”

“So your name is ‘Hmmph’!”

She was smiling sweetly, but it was clear she was trying to provoke me.

She gave off a slightly noble vibe; perhaps she was the daughter of a viscount.

“You haven’t been hunting slimes since earlier. You are here for the entrance exam, right?”

“Nosy.”

“Hmm, it is nosy, but…. are you perhaps guessing something?”

She seems quick-witted.

“Do you happen to know about getting a huge score for admission?”

“….”

Of course, I do.

“Won’t you tell me? It seems only you, me, and that person over there can pass the first exam in this group.”

“….”

As someone who has played the tutorial hundreds of times, I naturally know.

Of course, the tutorial can be skipped, but considering the tutorial rewards, experiencing it directly is faster than skipping.

“Exam passing criteria. Hunt 10 slimes to get 100 points, then take the pad and step onto the magic circle.”

“What suddenly….”

“You seem to lack imagination.”

I didn’t intend to draw aggro, but.

“The methods are, infinite, you see?”

****

At that moment, in the Magic Academy’s meeting room.

“It’s good that all the new students are so spirited this time.”

“Indeed. They are entering ‘Merlin’s Garden,’ of all places.”

From young women to middle-aged and even elderly women.

All of them were women, bearing the title of ‘Professor,’ and they leisurely enjoyed their tea while scanning the examination halls visible through their crystal balls.

“As expected of Her Imperial Highness. She alone has already hunted 10 slimes and passed.”

“Her Royal Highness has also already filled her points, you know? It’s truly pleasant to see her not entering alone, but helping her group members fill their points together.”

They chatted with laughter, but their conversation contained a subtle barb.

This was likely because among this year’s new students were those with the bloodline of the strongest empire and the only kingdom capable of standing against it.

“If one displays overwhelming power like Her Imperial Highness, wouldn’t others naturally follow?”

“I agree. A monarch should lead. But is someone who charges alone a monarch? A monarch needs followers.”

“Oh my. If a monarch leads the way, shouldn’t others naturally follow behind?”

“Hohoho, but if a monarch advances too far alone, who could possibly follow?”

A war of words ensued.

Somewhat political discussions, unrelated to the entrance exam, circulated around the table.

“Enough. Let’s stop there.”

Finally, a High Elf woman seated at the head of the meeting room raised her hand, stopping everyone.

“We must now recruit talented new students. To produce heroes who will protect the Magic Academy, and this world.”

“….”

“Who is right cannot be decided by the Academy. If there is an answer, it would be the one who defeats the Demon King.”

At the Vice-Dean’s words, the professors murmured.

Some felt ashamed by the Vice-Dean’s pointed words and bowed their heads, while others feigned disinterest with gazes that seemed to say, ‘What antiquated nonsense is that?’

“I understand that both the Imperial Princess and the Royal Princess are exceptional. To allow their outstanding talents to fully blossom in this lily garden, you must cultivate those talents without prejudice or personal bias.”

“We will bear that in mind, Vice-Dean.”

“Good. Then again… Hmm?”

The Vice-Dean extended her staff towards one of the dozens of crystal balls on the table, one that seemed somehow out of place.

“Magnify.”

Whirrr.

The examination hall for Zone 18, as it was labeled, was displayed as a video through the crystal ball.

“That place is….”

“Oh, it’s Hannia, isn’t it?”

“Is she someone you know?”

“Yes. She’s a child from our domain. I didn’t recommend her because she’s a commoner, but she does have a certain talent… Oh my.”

The group belonged to a woman talented enough for one of the professors to remember her name.

“A single passer…?”

There was only one successful candidate for the first exam in Zone 18.

“It’s not Hannia, is it…?”

The blonde, blue-eyed girl standing on the magic circle was a new presence, unknown to any of the professors.

“Good heavens. Is that even….”

“…The exam is clearly about stepping onto the magic circle. If it turned out like that, even if the points were met, it wouldn’t count as a pass.”

There was only one reason the professors were staring at that individual with such keen interest.

“To bury everyone else but herself in the ground. Is she an Earth Mage?”

Because everyone else, except for that one person, was on the verge of failing.

****

‘Better than I thought.’

Earth Magic, Sand Hell.

Using earth-attribute magic, the floor where the exam participants stood was turned into sand.

Someone as light as a feather wouldn’t be affected, but mages lacking physical training would immediately sink into the sand.

“H-hey! What are you doing!! Let me go!!”

“H-hey there!! Do you know who I am to do something like this…! Attacking a fellow entrance exam participant is against the rules!!”

“It’s not a violation of the rules.”

They screamed loudly, but there was no problem with the rules.

“You all just arbitrarily stepped onto my magic.”

“W-what did you say…!”

“It’s a magic that only traps those over 60kg.”

“!!”

I hadn’t attacked them; they had merely been standing on top of the large-scale magic I cast.

‘They’re watching, aren’t they? The professors.’

I buried the slime that appeared before me into the Sand Hell.

Quite a bit of mana was expended, but I was still fine.

‘Remember Liliana’s name.’

The only thing I needed to hide was being a spy for the Demon King’s army.

“I’m not one for hiding my strength.”

Revealing myself and proving my talent and qualifications is the path for me to survive.

“For now, I’ll just casually aim for top admission.”