Chapter 12

"Finally, the day of the exam has arrived."

We had come to the knight school.

Since then, we had practiced so much that we could solve all the past exam questions with 100% accuracy, and as a precaution, we had done a mountain of similar problems.

Kuna and Anne had been familiar with studying since they were young, and being smart, they had quickly mastered the material.

We had also practiced a lot for the practical exams, so we should be fine.

Anne, whose nutritional state had improved, had regained the luster in her hair and no longer looked haggard. It was worth all the effort I had put into making nutritious meals. Now she should be in perfect condition for the exam.

"I'm nervous. If I fail here and only get a general admission, I'll have to take out a loan to pay for tuition. I'll have to borrow money, using myself as collateral, and pay it back to Soji, who charges ridiculous interest rates."

"Yes, I'll have to pawn this family heirloom magic sword and pay back the money to Soji Finance. If I leave it for a month, I won't be able to pay it back at all."

"That's a terrible thing to say."

"It's Soji (kun)'s fault for setting such ridiculous interest rates (isn't it)?"

As expected of friends, they were in perfect sync.

"I'm not a demon. I won't let your debt snowball. I'll take the interest and keep the principal from increasing, and I'm not averse to doing something a bit embarrassing in place of the interest. Look, if you do something embarrassing for me every ten days, your debt won't increase. There's no kinder lender than me."

"You're a demon enough!"

"What did you do before you came to this town?"

I had said it half in jest, but it was a problem that they took it seriously.

I had set the interest rate so high because I knew they could definitely pay it back.

No matter what, if the worst came to the worst, we could at least get general admission. In that case, we could take out a loan to pay for tuition, and once we were able to explore the underground labyrinth, the three of us could pay it back together.

However, getting all three of us into the school as special students was our first mission as the "Tail of the Magic Sword." We had to complete it no matter what.

"Hey, look. A noble is taking the general exam."

"He must be a former noble. But if I were in his shoes, I'd be too embarrassed to come."

"He's the daughter of a great sinner, so she has a thick skin."

Passing examinees whispered and gossiped as they walked by.

Anne's shoulders trembled.

"It's okay."

I said this and held her hand.

It was surprisingly cold.

"It's okay."

I repeated the same words with more force.

Anne looked up at me with a surprised expression.

"Anne, you just need to hold your head high. Don't worry about the riffraff. We're aiming for the top, right?"

Anne's cold hand began to warm up.

"I have to correct what I said yesterday. I thought you were a good person, but you really are a good person."

She smiled. I felt relieved. We headed toward the examination venue.

◇

The exam began.

First was the written test.

"Oh, this is one of the past exam questions we did!"

Kuna exclaimed in surprise because the questions I had given were almost exactly the same.

A supervisor ran over, hit Kuna on the head, and warned her that she would be disqualified if she spoke again.

What is he doing? It would be ridiculous to be disqualified for this.

I looked through the questions from start to finish.

The last application question was slightly different, but it was within the margin of error. Kuna and Anne should be able to solve it easily.

We were all sure to get full marks. We had an advantage in the written test.

I glanced at Kuna and Anne, and they were both writing smoothly.

Come on, I have to do my best too.

◇

The written test ended in the morning, and we moved to the waiting room.

There were eight rooms due to the large number of examinees.

We had about an hour for a break to eat lunch and prepare for the afternoon.

The results of the written test would be announced at 1 PM, and those who scored less than 60% would be immediately disqualified. The survivors would take the practical exam, and the final results would be based on a combination of the written and practical tests to determine the qualified and special students.

Anne was still attracting negative attention, but she seemed to have gotten used to it and didn't seem to mind.

We didn't have time to go out, so we had brought our own lunches. I had made a katsu sandwich, hoping it would help Anne, who was recovering.

"What is this? It has a great texture, is juicy, and the sweet and savory sauce is addictive."

"I worked hard on it. I made sure it would still be delicious even when cold, so I made it crispy and thoroughly drained the oil."

In this world, iron products are still expensive, so there are no iron cooking utensils, and the culture of frying doesn't exist. Frying should be a new taste for them. I paid careful attention to make sure it wasn't a bad experience, using my special mithril pot.

I also made various adjustments to the bread to prevent it from absorbing moisture, ensuring it would be delicious even when cold.

"It's really delicious. But wouldn't it be better when it's warm?"

Kuna called up a small flame and warmed the bread, toasting it slightly.

"Yeah, this is better. Hot, hot, hot."

She said "hot, hot" while enjoying the katsu sandwich.

"Kuna, that's unfair. Warm mine too."

"Sure, Anne."

And without mercy, Anne's katsu sandwich also became a grilled katsu sandwich.

"Really, this is much better. Can you grill the rest too?"

"Sure, I'll grill them all."

It was indeed delicious, but it was even better grilled.

"What's wrong, Soji? Oh, did you pout because only your sandwich wasn't grilled? Don't worry, I'll grill it for you. We're a party, so I won't leave you out."

Kuna said this with a big smile. I handed her the katsu sandwich with trembling hands.

"Thank you."

I couldn't say it. I was depressed that my efforts to make it delicious even when cold were wasted.

◇

After a while, we finished eating. Thanks to Kuna's help, it seemed that the first-time fried food was well received by both of them.

"Kuna, you shouldn't say things like, 'Oh, this is one of the past exam questions we did!' It was nerve-wracking. Some examiners might disqualify you on the spot."

"But I was surprised. All the questions except the last one were the same."

"Soji, you didn't get them through illegal means, right?"

"Through legal means. A friend who is a fortune teller prepared them for us."

I wasn't lying. It was the result of a divine calculation.

"That fortune teller must be a real monster."

"Yes, as good as Father."

"She sounds capable of that."

"So, who is Kuna's father?"

"A stubborn, unfaithful, and useless father."

If both Kuna and Anne say this, he must be a real monster.

Next time, I'll ask Kuna to introduce me. What should I say? "I always appreciate your daughter" or something? ...For some reason, I had a bad feeling.

◇

"The exam results are being announced. Those whose names are called, please come forward: Lina Forklback, Johann Schuppling, ..."

The grading was complete, and the examiner, a tall man over 190 cm with a well-built and imposing physique, began calling out names.

There were about sixty people in this room, and everyone was eagerly waiting to be called.

Each time a name was called, the examinees made a fist and ran forward.

"Soji, I hope we're called soon."

"The results were good, but I'm still nervous. I won't feel relieved until we're called."

"No, it would be bad if we were called."

"Huh?"

Kuna and Anne opened their mouths in surprise.

Actually, it's easily misunderstood...

"Forty-five names in total!"

Our names were not called.

The examinees who were called looked happy as they stepped forward.

Others sat dejectedly. ...Some knew the trick, so they looked calm.

Kuna and Anne had expressions of disbelief.

I should have explained it from the beginning.

"Let's go home. We're disqualified."

Those called are the ones who didn't meet the required score.

There were screams and shouts. The opposite of before, those who had stepped forward collapsed, and those who had been sitting stood up and cheered.

Sometimes I wonder if they do this on purpose...

"Those who passed, follow me. We will now proceed to the practical exam."

The examiner started walking.

In this room, forty-five out of sixty were cut, and fifteen passed. Probably around 100 to 150 in total made it to the practical exam.

"Wait, wait!"

An examinee who was cut clung to the examiner's leg.

"It's a mistake for me to be disqualified. Please, I'll pay any amount of money to take the practical exam. There, I can show my true abilities."

He looked like a rich kid, with his fancy clothes and accessories.

I could understand his desperation. This school allows those 16 and under to take the exam, but if you fail, you can't retake it.

"Do you expect me to accept a bribe? As a knight, I have the authority to judge criminals. If you continue, I will arrest you for bribery."

The examiner's voice was cold as ice.

All the teachers in this school are qualified knights.

This town, while not actively enforcing the law, allows knights to arrest criminals.

Naturally, the boy, who had offered a blatant bribe, could be arrested.

"Ah, ah!"

The examinee jumped away from the examiner's leg.

"But it's unfair. The daughter of a criminal is qualified, and I'm not?"

"There's nothing unfair about it."

"But she's the daughter of a criminal. I'm more important."

"Outside, you might be. You are the son of the famous merchant, Recklarte."

"Then!!"

"But here, we evaluate ability! If you continue to insult our school, I will cut off your head, boy!"

That was the final blow, and the examinee ran away.

"Miss Recklarte, I apologize for the unpleasant experience."

The examiner bowed.

It was strange to see such a large man bow.

"N-no, it's fine."

Anne seemed intimidated.

"Let me give you one piece of advice. You are excellent. Until last year, no one had ever scored full marks on this test."

This caused a stir among the others.

The questions here are extremely difficult. Getting a perfect score is a dream.

"I welcome excellent individuals. I have no intention of letting personal feelings affect this exam or your education... but,"

He paused, creating a moment of tension.

"Personally, I do not have