Using Estelle’s teleportation magic, I moved to a spot out of sight and joined a significantly shorter line, where I showed my online application form. After being assigned number 32 in the queue, I finally finished everything that needed to be done before the exam began.
“Do you want to head home first? I still have to take the magic exam this afternoon, so it might take too long if you wait for me.”
Even though there weren’t many tasks to handle before the exam, it still took about thirty minutes to wrap everything up.
Since the exam required waiting separately in a designated waiting room, I wouldn’t be able to stay with Estelle during that time.
Being number 32 meant my exam slot was relatively late, so after finishing, I would grab lunch and then head straight to the afternoon magic exam. There, I would also be assigned a number before moving to another waiting room to wait for my turn.
“Staying at home is boring, though.”
“Then why not help my parents with the farm work?”
“Oh, I guess I could. That would definitely be helpful.”
When Estelle got involved in anything, it was rare for her not to be helpful.
Honestly, she seemed like someone who could learn and excel at just about anything.
Compared to her, I…
[Status Window]
Name: Theo (Kim Min-seong)
Age: 20
Job: Really Amazing Villager
Titles: Proud Son, Village’s Best Handyman, Skilled Swordsman, Scarecrow Slayer, Scarecrow Crusher, Someone with a Large Mana Pool, Competent Magic User, Farming? Easy as Pie
I was just a really amazing villager loaded with a bunch of strange titles.
But seriously, when is that ridiculously lame “Villager” title going to disappear?
Couldn’t it change to something like “Academy Entrance Exam applicant” by now?
“Well, I’ll head back first, so good luck with your exam. Oh, right, I’ll leave the scarecrows over here.”
After Estelle set down the bag stuffed with scarecrows she brought, she left, and I finally entered the waiting room.
There was absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed about carrying scarecrows.
Most of the people inside the waiting room had brought scarecrows with them.
…Though, admittedly, no one else seemed to have as many as I did.
Still, isn’t it best to bring extras in case they break during demonstrations? Better safe than sorry, right?
“Wow, you brought a lot of scarecrows.”
While I was thinking that, a man sitting next to me struck up a conversation.
“Oh, yeah. I saw in the instructions that if you don’t have spares when one breaks, that’s it for you.”
“That’s true, but do you really think those sturdy scarecrows are going to break?”
Huh? Am I not supposed to think that way?
I wasn’t sure how sturdy the scarecrow he got was, but mine was something I’d received from Uncle Duncan.
I had already broken it hundreds of times before, so I simply prepared spares.
“Haha, mine’s on the weaker side. It tends to break easily.”
“Huh? This thing breaks easily? It looks like it’s made of some seriously sturdy materials.”
Was this guy some sort of scarecrow expert?
“They used incredibly good wood for this, and you’re saying it’s weak? You must be really strong. Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Marty. I live in the Wesker County.”
Wesker County was a bit closer to the capital compared to Deir Viscounty where I lived. It was also known for having a fairly thriving commercial district.
Among its many trades, the most famous were its food and bakeries, so much so that even members of the imperial family would occasionally come down from the capital just to taste them.
If I were to compare it to Korea where I lived before possessing this body, it’d probably be something like Daejeon City.
The main difference, though, was that while Daejeon was practically synonymous with the local S**gDang bakery, Wesker County had a variety of delicious food from seafood to mountain specialties. And, above all, it was a coastal city.
“Oh, I’m Theo. I’m a farmer from the Deir Viscounty.”
Though my parents’ occupation was farming, it wasn’t really my own. Still, since I’d been living as a farmer all this time, I introduced myself as someone working as such.
“If you came from the Deir Viscounty, it must’ve been quite the long journey.”
As the endless chatter went on, it started to feel a bit noisy.
“Alright, we will now begin the exam. Please enter one by one in the order you were informed of earlier. While in the waiting room, you may use your smartphones, but please refrain from making calls. Once the test begins, smartphone use will no longer be permitted, so keep that in mind.”
The exam supervisor entered the room and began explaining a few simple precautions and details about the exam schedule.
“The exam will last a maximum of one hour, but there is no minimum time limit. Please don’t be too nervous and do your best to take the exam comfortably. Does anyone have any questions?”
The lack of a minimum time limit meant that whether someone showed everything they had in under a minute or took the full hour to demonstrate, only their strength and exceptional talent would be evaluated, with little regard for the actual time spent.
In other words, whether you showed the same level of power over one minute or an hour, the score would be the same. It all depended on your performance.
“Ah, I heard that the members of the imperial family are visiting today to observe…. Could we possibly know who has come?”
Oh, right. Now that I think about it, Iris mentioned needing to attend as part of the observation. I wonder if she arrived safely.
“Today, His Majesty the Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress, and even Her Highness the Crown Princess have come to observe.”
“Wow! That’s amazing!”
“It’s true!”
“No way! You’re saying it’s really true?!”
The waiting room, which had quieted down when the supervisor entered, suddenly became lively and noisy.
What’s going on? Are they cheering because the Emperor and Empress showed up? Weren’t they supposed to come anyway?
“Quiet, quiet. Settle down. Are there any other questions?”
“Ah, excuse me!”
“Yes, please go ahead.”
“In the event that, during a swordsmanship demonstration, debris or fragments accidentally fly out and injure someone in the audience or one of the supervisors… what happens in such a case?”
Oh, that’s definitely an important question.
Basically, all the supervisors were people with noble titles.
Even if someone started out as a commoner, reaching the position of a supervisor required a level of skill that earned them a noble title and an appointment as a supervisor under the current system.
And the audience here isn’t just nobles. It included members of the imperial family!
If, by any chance, the imperial family were to sustain any physical injuries, it would certainly lead to a huge issue.
“First of all, the audience seats and the area where the guards are stationed are protected by magic cast by the mages of the Imperial Court, so you don’t have to worry about it. However… if someone has the ability to break through that magic and cause an attack, it would mean that they’re talented enough to surpass all the nobles and become the top student of the academy. Of course, nothing like this has ever happened since the academy was founded, but rest assured that no one will hold you responsible for anything that happens here. Please focus on your exam without any worries.”
After the supervisor’s brief explanation, the room grew quiet again, as though no one else had any further questions.
“If there are no more questions, we’ll begin the exam.”
Since my turn was 32nd, I figured it would take quite a while. As soon as the supervisor disappeared, Marty’s chatter started again. I only half-listened to him and mentally went over the test procedure again; I made sure to visualize it carefully.
***
“Hello! I’m the 31st applicant, Peter!”
“Alright, Peter. Please show us what you’ve prepared.”
The exam field was covered in grass and it resembled a vast meadow.
One by one, the applicants demonstrated what they had prepared. But even though it was the 31st applicant’s turn, the expressions of the supervisors who were judging them were just indifferent.
“This time, there doesn’t seem to be any promising applicants.”
“I wonder how many will even meet the cut-off criteria.”
“We’ll probably need to see the magic portion of the exam before we get any successful applicants.”
The supervisors continued their chatter, careful not to let the applicant, who was struggling to set up a scarecrow on the grass, overhear them.
“This applicant looks clumsy too, as expected…”
The 31st applicant was visibly struggling. He couldn’t even secure the scarecrow properly and was grunting with effort. In addition, the weight of the sword hanging from his waist caused him to stumble awkwardly.
“Well, looks like we’re starting with a minus 10 points.”
Most applicants assumed the exam began when they drew their sword and showcased their skills, but in reality, the exam started the moment they left the waiting room and entered the exam field.
“Alright then, I’ll do my best!”
The 31st applicant, who had just barely managed to plant the scarecrow, earnestly tried to demonstrate their swordsmanship. However, the heavy sword he had chosen turned out to be more than he could handle, and in the end, he dropped it on the ground.
“Yes, thank you for your effort.”
While applicants were free to showcase any skills they wanted, dropping a sword during the exam was unacceptable. A swordsman losing their weapon symbolized death on the battlefield, and as such, dropping a sword meant immediate disqualification.
“Sob, sob… I shouldn’t have picked such a heavy sword…”
The supervisors let out a deep sigh as they watched the 31st applicant leave the field in tears.
“Call in the next applicant.”
“Yes, understood.”
After what could only be described as a rather unimpressive evaluation, the next turn began.
“Greetings, I’m Theo, applicant number 32.”
A man with a plain appearance stepped lightly into the exam field. On his back, he carried what seemed to be a dozen or so scarecrows, and in his hand, he held not a real sword but a simple wooden one.
“How many scarecrows…did he bring?”
No applicant had ever brought more than two scarecrows to the exam before.
Seeing Theo casually carrying what looked like more than ten scarecrows with ease, the supervisors couldn’t help but look a little surprised.
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