Chapter 22

On the morning of the announcement day.

"Ugh, I'm so nervous..."

I pulled the pale-faced Iefa and headed towards the academy.

Right after passing through the main gate, there was a huge bulletin board.

"Ah, it looks like that, Iefa."

"Seika-kun!"

She firmly grabbed my sleeve.

"Even if I fail, I'll work hard as your servant, so please don't abandon me..."

"O-Okay, okay, I got it."

Let's see, my name is... Ah, there it is.

600 points in the written test, 120 points in the practical test, for a total of 720 points.

I'm third from the top.

I probably got a perfect score in the written test.

The practical score was lower than I expected, but this ranking is about right.

There are always geniuses in every era.

And the second name is...

"Wait, Iefa!?"

"W-W-W-What? I'm second!? I did it, Seika-kun!!"

590 points in the written test, 200 points in the practical test, for a total of 790 points.

Well... this is a bit of a shock...

"I used all three attributes, yet my practical score is 80 points lower than Iefa's...?"

"Really..."

Iefa thinks for a moment.

"Maybe it was because I didn't break the target..."

"Y-Yeah, that's probably it!"

Iefa scored 200 points with fire and wind.

I scored 120 points with earth alone.

If 20 points were for the partial scores of fire and water, then it all adds up.

In other words, the examiner's behavior, which seemed to suggest that breaking the target was undesirable,

was a trap to confuse the examinees.

"Congratulations, Iefa."

I turn to face Iefa.

"Your cold and ruthless judgment in mercilessly destroying the target, without being swayed by the examiner's words or reactions, has paid off. I lost because I was still too soft."

"Y-Yeah... It feels a bit complicated to be called heartless... But, thank you, Seika-kun. It wasn't intentional, you know?"

This is how a disciple surpasses the master...

"Anyway, Seika-kun."

"What?"

"You kept scaring me by saying that anything less than a perfect score in the memorization subjects wouldn't be acceptable."

"Yeah."

"Everyone else, except for you and me, scored below 500 points in the written test."

"Huh...? Ah!"

It's true.

Why? It was such an easy exam. In the literary exams of my previous life or the imperial examinations of the Song dynasty, this would be impossible...

No, wait.

This is a test for twelve-year-olds.

...I probably shouldn't have compared it to the exams for elite officials.

"Um, that... It was to motivate us! After all, we only had six months until the exam."

"Okay, I'll go with that. I really am grateful."

"..."

Somehow... I feel the pressure.

I should try not to anger Iefa.

Wait a minute.

Everyone scored below 500 points in the written test?

Then the top score must be...

"..."

I was surprised when I saw it.

A total of 1020 points.

600 points in the practical test.

The name is—Amu.

"Wow... Amu is that girl with the red hair, right?"

Without responding to Iefa's voice, I stared at the bulletin board.

Hmm.

Could it be... that they found me already?