Truth be told, having prepped with Aunt Coffey—even for such a brief time—meant I hadn't been especially worried about the written test.
The real problem was the practical exam that was about to begin.
From what I had heard, the format was supposed to be like a physical fitness test back in my old world.
You performed magic equivalents of things like the 100-meter dash or grip strength tests.
In other words, getting a high score was difficult, but the tasks themselves were straightforward. However, there were so many varieties, and since there was no telling which ones would show up, I hadn't been able to cover everything in my preparation.
Moving from the written exam hall, I was now in a training ground the size of a gymnasium.
Including myself, there were roughly eighty examinees left.
Thousands of people had gathered in this school building today, but everyone else had been sent packing.
Talk about a tiny turnout.
Just how many got weeded out by the document screening and written test?
They said the average intake was forty students, so maybe I actually had a shot at this.
"Oh, hey."
While waiting for the next test to begin, the girl right next to me spoke up. When I recognized the voice, I realized it was the droopy-eyed girl I had met this morning.
"You passed."
"Ah, yeah."
"Hmm."
Showing no desire to keep talking, she casually stared off into space.
Should I try to bring up a topic?
Just as I was having that silly thought, a man wearing glasses arrived at the training ground.
"Attention, all personnel."
The man, who appeared to be a new examiner, issued a brief instruction, prompting everyone present to snap to attention. That included the girl who had been daydreaming into the void until a second ago. Mimicking the others, I assumed the same posture a few seconds late.
"We will now commence the Instantaneous Maximum Magic Coefficient Measurement Exam."
Sorry, what did you just say?
"First: numbers Twenty-Seven, Fifty-Five, Sixty-One, and Sixty-Six. Line up in order."
Following the examiner's bare-minimum instructions, four people smoothly stepped forward, and the first one received a small device resembling a grip dynamometer from the instructor.
What is that? How do you use it?
I never saw anything like that at Grandpa's house.
I don't think my aunt ever mentioned it either.
Could it really just be a literal grip dynamometer?
No good. I'll just ask honestly.
I decided to whisper to the droopy-eyed girl, my only acquaintance here.
"Sorry. How do you use that?"
"Huh?"
"Tell me, please."
"...Are you serious?"
Although the droopy-eyed girl's expression didn't change, she couldn't hide her utter disbelief.
"You just hold it in your hand and channel your gathered mana. It measures your simulated output when casting magic."
I see.
So it literally measures the magical power you can unleash in an instant.
"Number Twenty-Seven: 72 points. Number Fifty-Five: 66 points. Number Sixty-One: 75 points. Number Sixty-Six: 102 points."
Murmurs of "Ohh" rose from the surrounding crowd.
Presumably, breaking 100 was considered a good score.
"How good is that?"
"The average for people our age is 50."
I see.
Then the level here is actually pretty high.
As expected of the Magias entrance exam.
"Thanks. Want some candy?"
"No."
I offered the droopy-eyed girl some candy I had gotten from my aunt, but she brushed me off.
"Number One Hundred Eleven. Filiestra Adinson. 325 points."
At that, a particularly loud cheer erupted.
The one who had scored over three hundred points was a pale-blonde girl.
She had a short bob cut and a refined, well-bred look about her.
Slender and delicate as she seemed, she had packed six times the average power. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that put her straight into gorilla territory.
Or so I thought, but sure enough, there were even bigger monsters right after her.
"Number One Hundred Twenty-Two. Garry Locke. 780 points."
"Number One Hundred Thirty. Luluck. 785 points."
A stir ran through the venue as high scores kept rolling in back-to-back.
The double-digit scorers from earlier were starting to look like power-crept side characters, but almost everyone scored in the high double digits; even among those who had made it this far, not even one in five broke 100.
And then, a little while after the exam began, she appeared.
"Number Five Hundred Six. Mercedes Meltzelia. 980 points."
An examinee whose name sounded like a luxury car slammed down the highest score yet, drawing cheers from nearly everyone in the room.
She was a girl with chestnut hair in a half-up style, sporting a fearless smirk.
"Amazing."
The droopy-eyed girl murmured softly beside me.
Up until now, she hadn't reacted no matter what score was announced, but apparently, even she was stunned by this.
Several other high-scoring examinees followed after that, but not a single one managed to surpass Miss Luxury Car.
By the way, the droopy-eyed girl's name was Amae Vandenberg, and she scored 505 points.
That's ten times the average.
Ten times, I tell you. Ten times!
Even so, watching this test, I had a feeling I could put up a pretty decent score myself.
Working backward from what I had seen, I had a rough idea of the numbers I could pull.
I might want to start bracing myself for the crowd squealing and crying out, "...Is that guy a monster?!"
Amae-san would probably fawn over me too.
Witness it... my magic coefficient...
"Number Seven Hundred Seven, step forward."
Since the numbers were uneven, it turned out I was taking it all alone.
Every eye fell on me, but my nerves were completely gone.
All that was left was to give it everything I had.
"...Wait."
"Huh?"
"Number Seven Hundred Seven, hand over the measuring device."
"Ah, yes, sir."
I handed the metallic-textured device to the bespectacled examiner.
He furrowed his brow slightly and let out a thoughtful "Hmm."
"Equipment malfunction. Number Seven Hundred Seven will remain on standby."
"Huh?"
"All other personnel, proceed promptly to the next venue."
At the brief instruction, every examinee in the room started moving.
Apparently, they needed a replacement tester.
Am I really getting left completely behind here?
"See you ahead."
Leaving only those parting words, the droopy-eyed examinee—Amae-san—vanished along with everyone else in the blink of an eye.
In the end, it took about twenty minutes for the new measuring device to arrive. During that entire time, the bespectacled examiner and I didn't exchange a single word.
"All right, Brendan. Resume the exam."
"...Ah... Y-Yes, sir..."
Generating mana within my body, I channeled every last drop into the device. I pushed it with enough force to shatter the tester like something out of a battle manga, but nothing broke.
Incidentally, the examiner monitored the numeric readout on a receiver and jotted it down on paper.
Whatever score I got would be a surprise to look forward to later.
Did I pull it off?
If possible, I would've loved to show off in front of everyone, but oh well, nothing I could do about it now.
"I'm finished."
"Hm? Right. Let's see..."
The examiner stared at the receiver for a few seconds, then silently wrote something down on his clipboard.
"Good. This test is complete. Proceed to the next venue."
Tell me the score already! You're killing me with suspense!
"The next venue is right next door. My apologies for our delay, but you had better hurry."
...W-Well, whatever that score was, it shouldn't be half bad. There were still several practical exams left. Time to focus on the next one.
I jogged over to the adjacent hall.
Waiting there was a single, sharp-eyed female examiner, with not a soul else in sight.
"You're Number Seven Hundred Seven, right?! You're late!! What the hell were you doing, you bastard?!"
The second I walked in, she ripped into me.
She had a baby face, but she seemed way harsher than the previous two.
"I'm sorry. I was held up by an equipment malfunction."
"You messing with me?!"
"I'm not messing with you."
"You messing with me?!"
"I'm really not messing with you."
Man, this school has a ton of weird examiners.
"This is the Magic Conversion Efficiency Measurement! Wrap it up fast and catch up to the ones ahead of you!"
Thank goodness.
This was something I actually knew.
All that mattered was keeping the energy loss to a minimum when converting my own blood into mana.
Receiving a device similar to the previous one, this time I simply gathered and refined mana without releasing it. Grandpa had drilled this into me until I was blue in the face, and since I practiced it every single day, it was my specialty.
"I'm finished."
"Alright! Move your ass to the next one!"
Several more tests followed after that, but in the end, I never caught up with the others before the final practical exam.
Well, not that it really mattered.
"This is the Specialized Magic Exam."
The one waiting at the end was a tall, blonde man wearing a monocle.
To put it bluntly, he was quite the handsome examiner.
"Demonstrate a single spell of your specialty in this area with appropriate scale and power, and prove your worth as a mage."
In short: show off your best trick.
Since this seemed to be the one exam they ran every single year, I had come prepared.
"I heard it is acceptable to submit research deliverables instead."
"That is acceptable. Let me see it."
I drew a bare straight sword from the elongated bag I was carrying.
The dedicated wood for the scabbard hadn't arrived in time, but it couldn't be helped.
"A magic sword, is it?"
The examiner took the purplish-blue blade into his hands and inspected it closely.
My specialized magic was 'Refining.'
It referred to the craft of applying magical processes to blacksmithing, primarily for the creation of 'magic swords.'
It was the secret art of the Walker family, governing fire and earth, and could rightfully be called the magic that defined who I was. A magic blacksmith—that was my classification as a mage.
"Here are the detailed documentation sheets."
"Duly received."
"Um, what about the others?"
"Everyone was dismissed a short while ago."
"H-Huh, is that so..."
So it really did end up being a solo private exam for me straight to the finish. It wasn't the end of the world, but it left an oddly hollow feeling in my chest.
"All examination processes are now complete, Walker. You may return home and rest for the day."
Without gaining any real sense of whether I had done well or bombed it, my practical exam came to an end.
◇
As I trudged along toward the front gates alone, Aunt Coffey was waiting just outside the school building. It looked like she had come to pick me up.
"Bren, good job~! How was the exam~?"
"There was an equipment malfunction, so I had to take almost the entire thing by myself."
"Huh~. Feel like you passed?"
"Probably."
At this point, "probably" was the best I could offer, but I didn't feel like I made any glaring mistakes during the practicals. I gave it everything I had.
"Did you make any friends?"
"...No, none at all."
"N-Now, now, you can just make friends once you enroll──── Wait, isn't that them?"
In the direction Aunt Coffey was pointing, a group of about a dozen examinees who had made it to the practicals were walking together.
While I naturally didn't remember all their names, the faces of those who had topped the magic coefficient test stood out whether I wanted them to or not. The exam was supposed to be over, so were they hanging out and chatting?
"Great work today, everyone! Thanks to all of you, I was able to give it my all too!"
A cheerful-looking boy declared to the rest of the group.
"Let's definitely meet right here next month!"
Look at them getting super hyped without me.
Someone needs to make having fun without me strictly illegal.
"Bren. If you want to go, why don't you ask them to let you hang out right now?"
I frowned at my aunt's suggestion.
I'd love to join in, but there's a time and place for these things. Jumping into that circle now was way too high a bar for me.
"Can't be helped, then. Leave this to your aunt."
Huh?
Before I even had the chance to ask what she meant, my aunt suddenly waved both hands toward the group.
"Hey, you kids over there! You're the ones who just took the Magias entrance exam, right?!"
"A-Auntie—!"
"This boy wants to be friends with everyone too! Can you let him join your group?! Don't worry! He's a really good boy!"
"U-Uwaaah! Stooop it!!"
Grabbing my aunt by the hand, I took off running as if fleeing for my life.
I thought I heard the after-party group shouting something back, but there was no way in hell I was looking over my shoulder.
◇
The examinees left behind stared blankly at the two retreating figures for a good while.
"...What was that just now?"
The boy who had just been delivering his farewell speech to the group let out a voice of utter bewilderment.
A young woman with red hair, and a boy with dark, scorched-brown hair.
He quietly watched their figures shrink into the distance.
They had yelled something from afar, but he hadn't caught the words properly.
Had there even been a student like that among the examinees today?
"Since the conversation appears to be over, I shall take my leave now."
Breaking the silence was an examinee with deep chestnut-colored hair. Wearing a smile that maintained an air of innocent beauty, she slowly began walking away.
Calling out to her straight, elegantly refined back, one of the boys spoke up.
"Ah, Meltzelia-san!"
"Yes?"
"All of us who hit it off just now are heading out to celebrate. Would you like to come with us, Meltzelia-san?"
The girl called Meltzelia gave a soft chuckle, her polite smile never wavering.
"Thank you very much. However, I find myself quite fatigued today. If it pleases you, perhaps you might invite me again another time?"
"S-Sure! I'm definitely passing anyway! Let's hang out once we enroll!"
"Though I doubt we will end up in the same faculty."
"Huh?"
"No, it is nothing."
Meltzelia shook her head, offering a warm, benevolent smile.
Leaving behind the boy who stood thoroughly captivated by her grace, Meltzelia departed from the grounds alone.
"Fufufu."
At the offer of a victory toast before the results were even posted, Meltzelia couldn't help but stifle a laugh. She truly could not comprehend just how carefree one had to be to arrive at such a notion.
She didn't know what examinee number that person held or who he even was, though he evidently knew the name Meltzelia. Not that it mattered in the slightest.
More importantly, that red-haired woman from earlier possessed a face she recognized. If she recalled correctly, yes, she looked like someone who had attended a royal foundation anniversary ceremony.
Her name was... right, Coffey Dreadroll.
She bore an uncanny resemblance to the mage known by that name throughout the realm.
However, it was surely just her imagination.
There was simply no way an Archmage, one of the nation's supreme fighting forces, would be chaperoning an examinee in a place like this.
By the time Meltzelia arrived back at her family's secondary residence, she had already forgotten all about that unremarkable examinee with the faintly rustic air.
◇
One week after the exam.
In the living room of my aunt's house (where I was staying), I sat staring down an envelope sent from Magias.
The exam results had just arrived via express delivery moments ago.
All that was left was to open it.
Sudden as the whole thing had been, I had poured every ounce of effort available to me into that test. If it wasn't enough, I would quietly pack my bags, head back to the countryside, and figure out another path in life.
"C-Come on. Open it already."
"Y-Yeah..."
Beside me, Aunt Coffey nudged me with her elbow.
She had been bragging about how it'd be a breeze, but uncharacteristically, she seemed on edge too.
Carefully breaking the seal, I pulled out the document inside.
Slowly, I cast my eyes down onto the opening lines.
'To Mr. Brendan Walker
Following our rigorous selection examination,
you are hereby recognized as having earned qualification for admission to Magias Magic Academy.
This notice certifies that your magical aptitude, theoretical comprehension, and practical combat abilities
exceed our passing criteria.
Assignment: Imperial Archmage Faculty, Basic Magic Course
Remarks: This faculty serves as the core of advanced magical technology within our realm, representing a curriculum dedicated to fostering the next generation of "Archmages." Enrollment entails the following obligations:
- Periodic submission of research deliverables
- Engagement in hazardous field missions and national defense
- Strict observance of confidentiality regarding state secrets
- Absolute obedience to magical ethical standards
Violations of these terms may result in expulsion, revocation of credentials, and disciplinary action by the nation of Gleefia.
Further details are outlined in the accompanying documentation.
We welcome your enrollment.
Ordion Raves Headmaster, Magias Magic Academy'
Only after reading the very last word did I realize I had been holding my breath the entire time.
"I... I passed..."
"Way to go! That's my nephew!"
Even my aunt's cheering sounded distant in my ears.
The fruits of pouring an absurd amount of time into magic out of pure passion had finally blossomed. It was definitive proof that Grandpa's training had been entirely right all along.
"B-But what is this Imperial Archmage Faculty?"
"It's an elite honors faculty reserved exclusively for top scorers! You get all kinds of special perks while you're enrolled!"
In short, it meant I had pulled off an incredible score. Since I had rarely compared myself to others in my life, my self-esteem was through the roof right now.
"You'll get to study not just your specialty, but all kinds of fields at the highest level! Be happier about it!"
"O-Ohh..."
"The Imperial Faculty even assigns you a private research lab, and they throw an insane amount of funding at you! You can forge magic swords all day long in your dream workshop! On the school's dime!"
"U-Uwoooooooooo!!"
That's amazing!
The only thought running through my head was how glad I was that I listened to my aunt. Could a person's life really change this much in a single week?
"They heavily prioritize practical experience, though, so you'll get shipped out on dangerous missions from time to time."
"Huh?"
"There isn't a better educational institution in this entire country!"
"U-Uwoooooooooo!!"
"Today calls for a celebration, Bren! Go get changed, and let's go feast!"
"Thank you, Auntie! I'm so glad I followed your advice!"
"You did amazing too, Bren, especially with practically zero prep time!"
And just like that, I passed the Magias Magic Academy entrance exam with flying colors.
If anyone had told me I was letting it get to my head, they would've been right.
I hadn't paid much mind to the ominous words Grandpa left on his deathbed, and I assumed the typical, peaceful school life I had always imagined was waiting for me.
At least, that's what I thought back then.