"Welcome to the final exam!"
A dignified voice rang throughout the room. Bearing the honorable name of Steinbach, she was the ruler of this country. Regardless of age or gender, an overwhelming presence radiated from her.
"You must be starving! Come now, let's dine at once!"
When Her Majesty clapped her hands, a dry, crisp snap echoed through the air. Faint outlines of plates began to appear before us... gradually materializing into solid form. Piled high with assorted meat appetizers, the sudden feast caught all of us completely off guard.
"Huh?!"
"When did she...?!"
"There's no reason to let servants eavesdrop on our conversation, after all!"
With another hearty laugh, Her Majesty took her seat directly across from me. Conny had mentioned that he would "refrain from attending during the meal," but to think she wouldn't even allow servers into the room. She was remarkably thorough.
"Hmm, I see... Very interesting!"
Her Majesty surveyed the candidates seated around the table, nodding to herself. She must have already known our backgrounds and scores, so she was likely just matching faces to names.
As I sat there half-dazed, our eyes met. Noticing that I hadn't touched my knife, she broke into a pleasant smile.
"No need to hold back. Please, eat."
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty..."
"I apologize, but I haven't provided any alcohol. It is an examination, after all. Hahaha!"
Despite saying that, Her Majesty's right hand was firmly clasping a goblet....Isn't that wine inside? Perhaps she meant one couldn't endure being King while sober.
Timidly, I picked up my knife and sliced off a small piece of the meat pâté. I brought it to my mouth with my fork, but I could hardly taste a thing....Is there anyone in the world truly confident they wouldn't commit a table manners blunder before their monarch? I'd certainly like to meet them.
"Are you Elena Arendt?"
"Y-Yes!"
Suddenly, Her Majesty turned to her right. Caught off guard, Elena let out a slightly shrill reply, looking thoroughly flustered. I had always thought Elena was fearless, but even she grew nervous in a situation like this.
"I hear you're the daughter of Arendt Preparatory School's headmaster. Was your magic taught by your father?"
"Yes. Um... do you know my father?"
"Many mages look up to him as their revered mentor, you see. Supplying a uniform caliber of talent to the court can undoubtedly be called your father's great achievement."
"I am deeply honored. Thank you very much."
Elena offered her thanks obediently, but something about the phrasing struck me as odd. Was "uniform caliber" truly intended as praise? As the owner of Groot had said, the preparatory school system had also caused exceptionally standout talents to fall through the cracks....It seemed our monarch wasn't merely a jovial, straightforward ruler.
"You're the only woman remaining in the final exam. Was it a struggle?"
"No. I took this exam prepared to strike down whatever stood before me."
"I see. You're a brave one."
Her Majesty tipped her goblet back and let out a deep breath. Unlike before, they now seemed to be speaking from the heart. Perhaps they shared a mutual understanding as women.
"Next is number five. Where were you born..."
Satisfied with her conversation with Elena, she turned to another examinee. She asked the same sort of questions as before, inquiring about family lineage and origins.
Still... those factors should have already been evaluated during the second exam. I couldn't quite understand why Her Majesty was personally asking about them at this late stage.
As the conversation shifted from one candidate to the next, Her Majesty's laughter grew louder and louder. The alcohol was likely playing a part. She drank well and ate heartily. Was a King required to be a glutton?
"And so, after that—"
"Ahaha, truly?! Now that is an amusing story...!"
Swept up by Her Majesty's boisterous laughter, some candidates began chatting candidly... but whether that was the right approach for this exam remained unclear. We had absolutely no idea what the grading criteria were.
"Now then, where is Hermann Meißner?!"
"Right here, Your Majesty."
Her Majesty turned to her left, addressing Hermann, who sat one seat over from her. Ever since stepping into this room, he had been uncharacteristically tense, which piqued my curiosity.
"You're... the son of House Meißner! Your family was a great help in the late King's era!"
"My house hasn't produced a court mage in decades. You overestimate us."
"Nonsense! Without the power of House Meißner, foundational magic theory would never have advanced!"
"Thank you very much. I am profoundly humbled."
As expected of a noble, his family was well known even to Her Majesty. Still... had Hermann always spoken so stiffly? Showing respect to the King was natural, of course, but hearing it from him felt almost unsettling.
I wasn't deeply familiar with the history, but I had heard that the Court Mage Selection Exam was institutionalized back when the previous ruler was young. Hermann had said his family hadn't produced a mage in decades. Had they continuously been blocked by the mage examination after all?
While I was lost in thought, the banquet proceeded, and lavish dishes appeared one after another. Though in this room, Her Majesty was likely the only one actually enjoying the flavors. For my part, I could barely tell whether I was eating meat or fish.
"...I see! All right, next: Keegan Bauer!"
"Y-Yes!"
My name was called out of nowhere. Turning to face forward, I found Her Majesty staring straight at me, her face flushed red from the drink. She wasn't glaring, but I couldn't help feeling the sheer power behind her gaze.
"I've heard the tale. It seems you suffered quite the misfortune."
"T-Thank you for your concern."
As the other candidates cast bewildered glances our way, I expressed my gratitude. So word of Father's incident had reached Her Majesty as well. Even with Wittmann doing everything in his power, she shouldn't have been able to openly criticize the church. I was truly grateful.
"With that in mind, there's one thing I wish to ask."
"Yes?"
Her Majesty brought the goblet to her lips once more, draining the wine in an instant. The moment she exhaled a sharp breath, she fixed me with a piercing gaze unlike anything she had shown before.
"—Did you kill them?"
"...Pardon?"
"The bastards who laid a hand on your father... you killed them long ago, didn't you?"
A murmur ran through the room. I thought it might be a joke, but Her Majesty's eyes were deadly serious—