"All right, pencils down! Any writing from this point forward will be treated as cheating."
Following the toll of the bell and Sophie's booming voice, the sound of examinees laying down their pens rippled through the hall. With that, my concentration broke, and the tension drained completely from my body. In the end, I never did figure out how long the exam had actually lasted.
"We will now collect the answer sheets. All examinees, please remain in your seats."
A flock of nuns seemed to materialize out of thin air, catching me completely off guard. With this many watchdogs around, I'd definitely made the right call not trying to use any magic. Ah, looks like they're coming for my paper too.
"All right, I'll take that."
"The booklet as well?"
"No, you are welcome to keep the booklet."
The nun took only the grid-lined sheet, leaving just the question booklet before me. I didn't know what good it would do me back in the countryside, but I supposed it would make a decent souvenir.
Once the collection was finished, Sophie reappeared at the pulpit and raised her voice.
"Now then, we shall take an intermission. Please be sure to return to your seats before the start of the essay exam."
The hall erupted as the other examinees began chattering with those around them, filling the cathedral with a noisy buzz. It seemed friends were comparing notes on the test they'd just taken. Not that it had anything to do with me, seeing as I had no friends in the royal capital—not that I had any back home, either.
By the way, what was this "essay exam"? I'd assumed the whole ordeal was over with that last test. Had Sophie explained this earlier too? Sleeping through the briefing really had come back to bite me. Oh well, as long as I got back to my seat in time, it'd probably be fine.
"...Huh?"
Glancing up, I noticed a considerable number of examinees packing their bags and heading for the exit, their expressions grim. There was still this "essay exam" to go, so were they really just heading home?
"Three more years, huh..."
"And here I thought I actually had a shot this time."
"I think... I'm done. I'm giving up..."
Nothing but bitter lamentations drifted from the departing crowd. The proctoring nuns merely watched them go, making no move to stop them. Maybe this was an ordinary sight that only I was clueless about.
"Well then."
I decided to take a stroll around the cathedral during the break. As long as I didn't leave the testing grounds, it didn't seem to be an issue, and since I'd come all the way to such a gorgeous place... I wanted to burn the sight into my memory.
Rising from my seat, I wandered between the pews. From every angle, the architecture was breathtaking and refined. I wished I could show it to my sister. Unlike me, she was truly devout.
I strolled toward the front along the cathedral wall. After working my brain at full throttle, moving my legs was a welcome change of pace.
"...Oh?"
Just then, I spotted a nun wearing reading glasses walking my way from the other end. No mistake about it—it was Sister Sophie.
As the distance closed, she seemed to notice me too... so I gave a slight nod as we passed. I assumed she'd keep walking, but Sophie called out to me.
"Were you studying late into the night yesterday, I wonder?"
"Huh?"
Turning around, I found Sophie smiling warmly at me. While I stood there wondering what she meant, she continued.
"I was quite surprised when one of our proctors told me. It seems you were dozing off during the pre-exam briefing."
"Ah, well, that's..."
"My heart nearly stopped, wondering what kind of trouble you were about to stir up. You really are something else, aren't you?"
For a second I thought she was being sarcastic, but Sophie looked entirely sincere. Since she wasn't scolding me, it seemed there at least wasn't any explicit rule forbidding naps right before a test.
"Um, Sister...!"
"Oh my, Lisa. Whatever is the matter?"
Before I knew it, a female examinee was standing near us. The woman, Lisa, had tears welling in her eyes as she rushed to Sophie and buried herself in an embrace.
"I... I couldn't solve a thing this time either...!"
"Results are not everything, my dear. The Lord has surely seen all your hard work."
"But... I don't have any more...!"
"Being a court mage is not the only path in life. If you ever find yourself in need, you are always welcome at the church."
"Ah, aaahhh...!"
Holding Lisa as she sobbed and clung to her, Sophie gently stroked her head. I still didn't truly understand what the Court Mage Selection Exam was all about. Even so, I knew with absolute certainty that the dream of the woman before my eyes had been shattered just moments ago.
"Come now, chin up. Go on home and get some rest."
"Yes..."
Spurred on by Sophie's gentle encouragement, Lisa slowly pulled away. She turned toward the exit, but just as she was about to leave, she spoke to me.
"Um, you're an examinee too, right? Are you staying for the essay exam?"
"Huh? Well... yeah."
"I envy you. Please, do your best."
"Ah, thank you."
Lisa bowed deeply and walked away. As I stood there, somewhat at a loss, Sophie stepped quietly up beside me.
"Lisa has challenged this exam many times since she was young. She is a sweet girl."
"She mentioned having 'no more' earlier..."
"...She is already twenty-seven years old. She will no longer be eligible to sit for the exam three years from now."
"What?"
"One must be under the age of thirty to take the Court Mage Selection Exam."
...That was news to me. She would never have another chance to become a court mage. Lisa was standing on the edge of that despair, yet she had still wished me good luck. That must have been what Sophie meant by calling her a sweet girl.
"Um... forgive me, but I really don't know much about how this exam works..."
"Please say, 'Sister, would you please explain the exam guidelines to me once more?'"
"Huh?"
"I am an examiner, after all. If an examinee asks, I am obligated to explain."
Sophie offered a gentle smile. In other words, explaining it to me unprompted would be improper. It would look as though she were playing favorites with a single applicant.
"Would you please explain the exam guidelines to me once more?"
"Very well. First, all applicants must take this written exam."
"Right."
"The written exam is split into a 'short-answer exam' and an 'essay exam.' A candidate's final result is determined by combining the scores of both parts."
I'd wondered how on earth they could filter ten thousand applicants with just those two hundred questions, but that explained it.
"But Sister, people have been leaving in droves since earlier."
"If your short-answer score does not place you in the top ten percent, your essay will not even be graded. Therefore... for those who know they did poorly, taking the essay exam is completely pointless."
"Meaning, because their short-answer performance wasn't great—"
"They give up and go home. No matter how much effort a child has poured into the past three years, for the vast majority, it all ends right here."
Sophie spoke softly, her expression full of sorrowful compassion....This exam was far crueler than I'd imagined. Out of ten thousand test-takers, at most five would pass. I thought I'd understood that on paper, but having the reality shoved in my face left me speechless.
"Look, see for yourself. Less than thirty percent of the examinees remain."
Looking across the cathedral as told, I saw vast swaths of empty seats. Assuming seventy percent had left, roughly seven thousand people had already been weeded out. People like Lisa, who had dedicated three years of their lives to studying.
In the week since arriving in the capital, I'd envied those born in Ulm. I'd assumed that being surrounded by books and magic made it easy to casually strive toward becoming a court mage.
The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Even if you were born in the royal capital, the overwhelming majority couldn't overcome this brutal wall. From afar, Ulm had looked like a paradise. But up close... in some ways, it felt like hell.
"To return to the point: only those who pass the written exam may advance to the second exam."
"When do we find out today's results?"
"Once the essay exam ends, all the court mages will gather to grade the papers. The results will be posted tomorrow morning."
"Wait, that fast?"
"That is precisely why we must narrow the field using the short-answer exam. Now then, is there anything else you are unclear on?"
To be honest, I'd heard more than enough. For the first time since arriving in Ulm, I'd caught a glimpse of how harsh life here could be. It was a kind of hardship you'd never encounter in the countryside. I was glad I'd learned about it before heading home.
"No, I understand completely now. Thank you very much."
"You are staying for the essay exam, yes? Your short-answer exam must have gone well, then."
"Well, about that..."
I had no clue how my performance measured up against the average examinee. The locals probably knew the ballpark passing score, but I certainly didn't.
"Well, I am sure you will do just fine. May the Lord's blessing be upon you."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
"Intermission is almost over. Make sure you don't miss the instructions this time."
"Sorry about that..."
I bowed reflexively, and Sophie offered a quiet chuckle before walking away.
Since I had no real intention of passing, maybe it would've been fine for me to pack up and leave too. But seeing as I'd come all the way to the royal capital, I might as well sit through the essay exam as a final memory.
The essay exam had a much more generous time limit than the short-answer portion. The prompt was simple enough—merely expressing an opinion on a given topic—so I jotted down my thoughts while recalling grimoires I'd read long ago.
They announced that anyone who finished early could turn in their paper and leave, so I became the very first person to walk out of the cathedral. After that, I returned to the inn, enjoyed some delicious pie while the innkeepers praised my hard work, and went up to my room to flop onto the bed.
All that was left now was to buy some souvenirs and go home. It really had been a fun, meaningful trip. I'd probably never visit the royal capital again, but I felt like I could live my life back in the countryside as a slightly different person. I had nothing but gratitude for my parents, who had paid for this journey.
My chest swelled with thankfulness for the life I had, and I drifted off to sleep wrapped in a warm, peaceful feeling. Carrying these memories of the royal capital, starting tomorrow, I would return to my ordinary life.
It was the very next morning that everything began to move—and my life was turned completely upside down.