08

“How is it? Pretty difficult, right? I remember struggling quite a bit myself back then.”

Seidel reminisced fondly about his past hardships.

Ains, however, had a very different impression.

‘I see now. No wonder the mages of this country are said to be all theory and no substance.’

Ains felt something was off about an exam that focused so heavily on checking how much trivia and pedantic knowledge one had memorized.

Seidel noticed Ains’s ambiguous expression.

“You do not look troubled by the difficulty, Ains-dono.”

“That’s right. This exam has its means and ends completely reversed.”

Ains replied while continuing to skim through the questions.

“I understand what you mean… no, perhaps that is not quite right. It was only after I became involved with magic myself that I realized how unsuitable the content of this academy’s entrance exam truly is.”

However, Seidel continued,

“If the goal is to differentiate applicants and limit the number of admissions, then it is understandable that the exam would take this form. And that is precisely why those who, like you and me, come to question this system after enrolling are the ones who become truly excellent magicians—and even sorcerers worthy of Lady Lizelotte’s recognition.”

From those words alone, Ains understood that Seidel was at least an exceptional magician.

The written exam lasted roughly three hours. Between the sheer volume of questions and the many problems requiring calculations and written explanations, time management and concentration were put to the test.

Every examinee was desperately grappling with the exam papers in front of them.

During that time, Ains and Seidel became engrossed in a discussion about magic.

What fascinated Ains most was how countless magical tools had been created from existing magic. The loudspeaker from earlier was one such example. The existence of magical tools that allowed even those unable to use magic to easily benefit from it was something Ains readily accepted.

‘…But that’s strange. Could the world really have changed this much in just a few years while I was holed up in the forest? The city itself has changed so much too.’

Sensing a discrepancy in how quickly things had progressed, Ains resolved to look into it later.

“Stop!”

The loud voice of the examiner holding the amplifier announced the end of the written exam.

All at once, pens were set down on desks.

Several proctors then collected the answer sheets, and once everything had been gathered, dismissal was announced.

Laika, stretching as she walked, approached Ains and Seidel together with Kirishiya.

“Good work, Laika. And you too, Kirishiya-sama.”

Ains raised a hand in greeting.

“Ains-san, please do not use such formal language. I would be happy if you spoke to me as casually as you do with Laika.”

Kirishiya said this with a slightly troubled expression.

“Even so, you are a princess… Laika, is that really okay?”

Unfamiliar with noble etiquette, Ains looked to Laika for guidance, but she responded breezily.

“Hm? Sure, why not? Kirishiya herself is saying it’s fine.”

“…Then, Kirishiya-san.”

“You may call me simply Kirishiya. I do not have many friends close to my age, so I was hoping we could get along…”

She trailed off shyly, fidgeting slightly, and Ains could not help but find her charming.

“W-well then. At least until I get used to it, Kirishiya-san.”

As the four chatted idly after the written exam, a pair approached them, and one of the two spoke up.

“Well, if it isn’t Laika Brandy. What a coincidence. I never expected you to be taking the Sorcery Academy exam as well.”

A young man with a smug face stood there, and half a step behind him was Talidge, who had been sitting in the attendants’ waiting area earlier.

“…Darius. Of course I am. I’m the same age as you. Just as you are taking the exam, so am I.”

Laika replied with clear annoyance.

“Oh, I know your age well enough. I simply assumed you were off training at a bakery workshop. After all, your territory is famous for wheat, and I hear the bread there is excellent.”

Darius spoke with a cynical smile.

“Oh my, I’m flattered. To think such praise would reach the ears of the Sobi house. Do you serve it at your dinners as well? Being complimented by the heir of House Sobi is such an honor.”

Laika shot back with an exasperated look.

However, Darius’s attention quickly shifted elsewhere.

“Ah, Princess Kirishiya. I am Darius, eldest son of Marquis Zoin Sobi.”

“Hello, Darius-san.”

“This is our first greeting since the banquet at the royal castle, I believe. Given who you are, the written exam must have posed no problem. Let us both do our best in the practical exam as well.”

After giving Kirishiya a light bow, Darius turned back to Laika.

“You can always make up for it in the practical exam, so there is no need to be discouraged.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“By the way, where is your attendant? I do not see anyone who looks the part.”

Although Ains was clearly within Darius’s field of vision, his physical condition and appearance led Darius to assume he was simply another examinee—a strange one at that.

“That man there is my attendant. His name is Ains.”

At Laika’s introduction, Darius looked genuinely shocked.

“Him!? Have you lost your mind, Laika Brandy? With such bodily impairments, he would unquestionably be a burden in many situations.”

Darius’s gaze was openly contemptuous.

“How rude. I have never once considered him a burden. On the contrary, I rate him as more capable than many half-baked knight wannabes.”

Laika’s eyes shifted pointedly toward Talidge, who was notorious for his insolent behavior.

Taking that as a provocation, Talidge bristled.

“Hah! Are you saying I’d lose to some guy full of defects like that, little lady!?”

Even if an attendant served a marquess’s household, that did not make him a noble. In other words, it was completely unacceptable for someone in Talidge’s position to speak so brazenly to the eldest daughter of a marquess.

But Talidge was infamous for his conduct, and he barked back at Laika without hesitation.

“And from the looks of it, he’s the same age as you and the young master, right?”

Unwilling to get involved, Ains stayed silent, his face stiff.

“…That’s right. According to him, he’s the same age as I am. But so what? Just because he’s younger than you doesn’t mean he’s inferior to you.”

“Interesting! To speak so lightly of someone like me, who stands near the realm of a Sword Saint, a Sword King of this caliber—very amusing indeed. Let him fight me!”