Chapter 7: The Academy's Bully

The problem set was filled with countless circles drawn in red pen. Huang Boshu Jing stared at it, her mouth agape, lost in thought.

'All correct, everything is correct...'

Even she, while solving the advanced problems of the subject she was studying, couldn't be sure of getting all the answers right.

'Could he have looked at the answer key?'

That was unlikely. If he had seen the answer key, he wouldn't have answered all the questions correctly like this.

'If he can do this, there's a real chance he can get into the academy.'

Though she was teaching, she had half given up. The academy, even for those who enter through the written exam, only accepts outstanding geniuses.

As she finished grading, a rustling sound accompanied Bai Rizhen waking up.

'How can he look so good even when he just woke up?'

To Huang Boshu Jing, even Bai Rizhen's sleepy eyelids and tousled hair looked good.

"I've finished all the problems."

"Uh-huh. You did great. There's nothing to worry about in terms of comprehension! Just keep it up."

After finishing her words, Huang Boshu Jing looked at the vast amount of entrance exam books piled up next to the desk and sighed.

'The problem is the pace of the lessons...'

The average preparation period for the academy's written exam candidates was over five years, and many prepared for even longer.

'Can he really cover all this material in a week?'

Whether he knew of her worries or not, the expressionless boy just yawned repeatedly.

* * *

One week later.

Unlike the usual days when the sounds of practicing warriors and their cheers filled the air, today, the Huang family estate was enveloped in a strange tension.

In front of the estate's main gate, the Bileidai, Paewangdai, and the family head's direct command unit, the Tianwangdai, stood in formation with a certain interval between them.

The faces of the Shandong residents who gathered to watch the grand sight were filled with pride.

"Wow, those are the Huang family's military units!"

"Our Shandong can hold its own against the capital!"

"Indeed, the Huang family is the best among the five major families."

Huang Tieshu, seeing this commotion, grabbed his forehead and muttered, though his face was smiling.

"Ah, embarrassing... Don't do such things."

"Yeah, it's a bit too much."

Huang Ming, seeing his nephews packing their bags, felt a lump in his throat, thinking of his late brother and sister-in-law.

'Qingya, and Bria. You've grown so much.'

After gazing at them affectionately for a while, Huang Ming climbed up to the platform and grabbed the microphone made of magic stone.

"Ah, microphone test."

The microphone's performance was so good that even people far away could hear his voice clearly.

"Today is the day of the entrance exam for the twins, who will lead the future of the family, and for Bai Rizhen, the noble from the elf village."

People tilted their heads, wondering who Bai Rizhen was, but Huang Ming continued his speech without hesitation.

5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes. As the speech grew longer, the faces of the onlookers began to show signs of boredom.

"Everyone, please give them enthusiastic support as they head to 'Changan City,' where the academy is located. And remember, we, the Huang family, are always behind you."

Cheers erupted as soon as Huang Ming put down the microphone.

Thump, thump, thump.

Huang, Huang, Huang.

In sync with the cheers, the three military units stomped their feet, raising dust, and chanted "Huang."

Bai Rizhen, who had been quietly watching the moving speech, suddenly heard his grandfather's words in his ear.

'Whenever you're in trouble, come back. I'll be here, watching over you from the same spot.'

At that moment, Huang Tieshu approached and patted his shoulder, shouting.

"Rizhen, look! It's a warp spell!"

"Warp?"

Where he pointed, the mages invited by the family were creating a warp gate by layering magic circles.

"Let's go quickly! Wow, a warp spell!"

"Hey! What if you go alone?"

Huang Tieshu, who couldn't resist rushing towards magic, was the first to disappear into the warp gate. Huang Boshu Jing, trying to catch him, followed closely. Finally, Bai Rizhen stepped into the light and moved forward.

* * *

Bai Rizhen felt a strange distortion in front of his eyes and a peculiar dizziness in his head as he emerged from the gate.

Looking around, he saw the twins who had arrived earlier clutching the walls and vomiting.

"Ugh, ugh, I, I never want to use a warp spell again."

"Ugh."

Not just them, but many other children of similar age were appearing one by one through the warp spell nearby.

Their appearances were diverse. Students holding books and studying, students practicing martial arts, students reciting magic spells, and more.

Before long, the empty corridor was filled with people.

Among the many, the one who looked the most worried was Huang Boshu Jing.

'What should I do? I haven't covered all the lessons yet...'

Even though she had practically read the books out loud, she couldn't keep up with the pace. The amount of material to cover in a week was too vast.

'Should I just give up on the written exam? I want to give him a chance, even a small one.'

Glancing at Bai Rizhen, he didn't seem nervous. In fact, he looked quite relaxed, chewing on something.

'At least he doesn't seem nervous, which is a relief.'

At that moment, Huang Tieshu waved at a student who had just appeared through the warp.

"Jones!"

The person called Jones had fierce eyes. He was shorter than Bai Rizhen but slightly taller or about the same height as Huang Boshu Jing.

He was dressed in an overly fancy manner for a student taking the entrance exam, with a pompadour hairstyle, a neat suit, and a luxury watch.

"Why are you calling me Jones, Huang Tieshu? I'm Namgung Zongsu."

"Why, Jones. It's the nickname we made when we were young. We agreed to use it when we became mages..."

"Are you still talking about that magic nonsense? And you're taking the entrance exam with martial arts? Tsk."

Namgung Zongsu said this with a slightly unpleasant expression and then clicked his tongue in disdain.

"I'll learn magic at the academy!"

"What a waste of a good body."

Namgung Zongsu, while speaking, shifted his gaze to Huang Boshu Jing. His tone was completely different from when he was talking to Huang Tieshu, dripping with honey.

"By the way, Boshu Jing, it's been a while. You have a mature aura now—"

Namgung Zongsu and Huang Boshu Jing, who met each other's eyes, awkwardly smiled and greeted each other.

"Zongsu, it's been a while. You've changed a lot."

"Five years is enough time for a boy to become a man."

"Ah, yes. Haha."

Namgung Zongsu, who smiled back at Huang Boshu Jing, pointed to Bai Rizhen, who was with them.

"Who is this long-haired guy?"

"Oh, he's Bai Rizhen, a guest of our family."

"Is he taking the martial arts exam?"

"The written exam."

Bai Rizhen also looked at Namgung Zongsu. Their eyes met simultaneously.

"Written exam..."

Namgung Zongsu was somewhat interested in this Bai Rizhen but lost interest when he heard "written exam."

'For a written exam, he has quite a handsome face...'

Namgung Zongsu turned his head and left, leaving behind a scent of jasmine perfume.

"Rizhen, are you okay? He's not usually like that... Maybe he's just going through a late puberty."

"I'm fine."

At that moment, a crackling sound came from the speakers installed in the corridor.

Bai Rizhen looked up.

'Is someone speaking from there?'

At the end of the corridor, there were magic doors labeled "Martial Arts," "Magic," and "Written Exam." It seemed that a recommendation letter needed to be recognized to enter.

Entering the door labeled "Written Exam," he found a large room with desks and chairs prepared.

'The scenery is quite pleasant.'

Through the window, a vast green field with beautiful flowers swaying in the breeze could be seen.

After admiring the view for a moment, Bai Rizhen looked for Huang Boshu Jing but couldn't find her. She had clearly said she would take the written exam.

'Where did she go?'

At that moment, a man in his 30s with a strict appearance and dressed in a suit opened the front door and entered.

"Welcome. I am Sima Jin, the supervisor for the written exam."

He then looked at the tablet he was holding and started writing on the blackboard. Despite writing quickly, his handwriting was quite excellent.

"The exam time is 250 minutes in total, and there are six subjects. The order doesn't matter. There is no break during the exam. Any questions?"

"..."

The students remained silent, waiting, and no one asked a question.

"Alright. It seems there are no questions. I hope you all do well. That's all."

As Sima Jin finished speaking, a yellow light flickered, and the desks began to open. Inside the opened desks were screens displaying the exam papers and dedicated touch pens.

'This is how we take the exam.'

The pen was enchanted with a noise-canceling spell, so it made no sound. The only sound in the vast exam room was the nervous breathing of the students.

Pressing the button labeled "History," the exam paper appeared on the screen. All the questions were subjective.

As soon as the questions appeared, he quickly started solving them with the pen.

A. The martial arts alliance and the tower of mages agreed not to create a domain at the hermitage of the Martial God and the Great Mage Pietro to honor their achievements.

After writing the answer to the first question, some time passed.

Thinking he had answered all the questions he could, Bai Rizhen pressed the "Submit" button and stood up.

His sudden movement drew the attention of the other students who were taking the exam.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"I've finished all the questions."

Sima Jin, seeing Bai Rizhen, smiled sardonically. There were always a few students like this every year.

'Students who haven't even properly solved the questions and give up on the exam.'

It was a waste of time even to talk to such students.

"Alright. If you've finished, you can leave."

As he opened the door and left, the other students, who had been watching, also stood up, greeted him, and left.

'There are too many trash students this year. No wonder people are saying the written exam should be abolished.'

* * *

After finishing the supervision, Sima Jin returned to his personal laboratory and untied his tie. The dark circles under his eyes were even darker.

"Even the youngest can't do this. How many years have I been a supervisor?"

Supervising the entrance exam of students with no will or effort was more draining than he thought.

"Please, just send me a successor."

"Is it really that difficult?"

Sima Jin was startled by the voice coming from the corner of the laboratory. He quickly frowned.

"Professor Zhuge, please at least say something before you come in."

"Hehe, for the advancement of your formation."

He glared at Zhuge Muyan, who always managed to break through the enhanced formation he set up at the door.

'Old man, you're like a ghost.'

Seeing Sima Jin's expression, Zhuge Muyan smiled kindly and asked.

"What's that look for? You didn't think I was a ghost, did you?"

"No, no way."

"By the way, how were the prospective students who took the exam today?"

Sima Jin took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, answering. The gray smoke from his cigarette filled the room.

"Hmm, the same as every year. Trash and mediocre students who think they're geniuses."

Though it seemed impolite, Zhuge Muyan smiled and said.

"Hehe, is that so?"

"That's why we don't get any good candidates for the written exam!"

"At least you, the best output from the written exam, Professor Sima Jin, are here."

"Professor!"

Zhuge Muyan, seeing Sima Jin's puffed-up face, laughed and said.

"Still, there was one quite interesting student this time."

"An interesting student?"

"Take a look at this exam paper."

Sima Jin looked up at the object in Zhuge Muyan's hand.

'A tablet?'

It was the tablet used to grade the submitted exam papers. The owner of the exam paper on the tablet was a student he remembered.

'Hmm, let's see this guy.'