Episode 17

“Put away the book you were looking at and only take out your writing tools.”

The proctor, Kendra Hemington, was a strict individual. As a math teacher at Stellarium Academy, she had gained a reputation among the students for her eccentricity.

She also had a tendency to meddle too much.

“I don’t know how many of you here will pass, but do your best. Coming to a top educational institution and slacking off is nothing short of an insult to our school.”

There she goes again, making unnecessary comments.

But still, she isn’t a bad person.

Minutes passed in this manner.

We received our thick test papers and answer sheets.

Chairs moved, the second hand ticked, and a heavy silence descended upon the examination room.

An uncomfortable atmosphere prevailed, punctuated occasionally by students coughing.

I steadied my breath and picked up my pens—one in the left hand and one in the right.

It was time to test the skill I had acquired this morning. I loosened up my hands and fiddled with the edge of the test paper.

Then, with the sound of the bell, the test began.

The written test at Stellarium spans over five hours.

The first two hours are dedicated to in-depth Korean and mathematics.

The remaining three hours are more lightly covered for the fourteen subjects.

There is a saying that passing the first round is determined solely by Korean and Mathematics. That is how significant their scores are.

However, to make it to the final selection, one cannot neglect the other subjects.

There are no shortcuts in Stellarium entrance tests. Ultimately, it is the well-rounded students who prevail.

Anyway, the first two hours are undoubtedly the most crucial. Kendra pondered this as she surveyed the room from beyond the lectern.

‘Everyone looks so clueless.’

She snickered to herself.

For two hours (actually, more than five hours), she had to look at the faces of examinees in one classroom.

It would drive anyone insane, but what can be done? This is also the fate of an educator, Kendra decided to think.

It was boring, yet there was a certain pleasure in watching. Observing the students using their brains was entertaining.

Some solved the problems quite smoothly.

Others sighed heavily.

‘Maybe I should memorize the faces of the examinees.’

It was a tradition she upheld every year—a kind of game to endure the boredom.

Kendra rose with the board to check the admission tickets.

‘Let’s start with the first row.’

She faced each examinee one by one. Kendra had no trouble; her memory was excellent. She could quickly memorize the names and faces of students she saw once.

However, her steps halted at the third row.

White hair and purple eyes.

The girl had an uncommon appearance.

Firstly, the white hair wasn’t that of an elderly person, nor was it dyed. It shone as if natural from birth.

‘Mixed with the bloodline of Adelwein.’

It was a well-known fact, so much so that one didn’t have to be Kendra to know. Indeed, the students who saw the color of the girl’s hair felt intimidated.

Furthermore, her violet eyes, as if dyed with Tyrian purple, were as sharp as a beast’s.

‘Not a collateral line, but a direct descendant…’

Though the caste system had long vanished, noble bloodlines still existed. Adelwein was once the royal bloodline that led the empire, and even now in the Federation, its prestige remained unbroken.

Kendra checked the girl’s admission ticket.

‘Zelnya von Unt zu Trisha Adelwein.’

Speculation turned into certainty.

‘This one will pass for sure.’

The Adelwein family is famously studious. Kendra quietly smiled and pondered the name.

It is rare for even one student to pass the first round in a class. But for the Adelwein family, especially a direct descendant, passing is a given. Everyone knows how rigorous the Adelwein family’s education methods are.

Kendra moved on.

Soon, she encountered a girl with an aura similar to Zelnya’s.

She too had silver hair, but her eyes were golden—a sign of noble lineage.

‘Ceti von Adelwein Reinhardt.’

Upon checking the admission ticket, Kendra suppressed a chuckle.

‘Such coincidences are too good to be true.’

It was surprising enough that the candidate was of the Adelwein lineage, but to also bear the surname Reinhardt was even more so.

What kind of family is Reinhardt?

A prestigious family that made it to the top 10 in the business world with just medical skills.

Unlike other prestigious families involved in both business and politics, the Reinhardts had secured both wealth and honor solely through academics. Historically, they were all born scholars.

About half of Reinhardt’s children pass the Stellarium test. After that, they often demonstrate academic excellence in the academy course and proceed to medical college.

As a result, every year, when the Stellarium test occurs, the appearance of this name makes other candidates nervous. It is well-known.

‘…This year seems lucky.’

Kendra speculated that perhaps the examination room housed two successful candidates.

Next, Kendra’s gaze fell upon a girl with blonde hair and pale eyes. Her name was Rustila Kersil, a child of the Kersil family, which held some renown in the legal field.

Since they were merely a moderately famous family, Kendra intended to just check the girl’s face and test slip before moving on.

But she couldn’t.

“…”

After facing Rustila, Kendra returned to the podium. To avoid disturbing the other examinees, she carefully took out a tissue. Kendra pulled out a few sheets and returned to Rustila’s seat.

Kendra carefully placed the tissue on the desk. Rustila silently nodded and wiped her eyes, looking exhausted.

It seemed that it wasn’t just the difficulty of the test affecting her. There must have been some other circumstances.

Kendra now headed for the fourth row. The boy sitting at the front sensed her presence and lifted his head.

Eyes of gold, like Ceti’s.

The face was slightly different but strangely similar.

‘Aidel von Reinhardt.’

In that moment, Kendra felt a chill.

‘If it’s Aidel, he’s the notorious troublemaker who was famous for a while.’

From around the time Kendra first started working at Stellarium, Aidel was a well-known figure. His initial fame came from appearing on programs like ‘Our Child Won’t Change’.

There, Aidel was known for his violent behavior, shaking his sister by the hair—a person with a questionable character. Moreover, the extent of his misdeeds was such that it sparked heated discussions among viewers across the galaxy.

Kendra too enjoyed watching that show. She once thought that if she were the parent of such a child, she would have abandoned Aidel.

Aidel continued to appear in the news after that, mostly for crime-related issues. Whenever Aidel caused trouble, the Reinhardt family intervened. Kendra remembered that he was considered a juvenile delinquent, so he wasn’t held criminally responsible.

Kendra glanced over at Ceti, who was sitting at the end of the third row.

‘Did they come here together?’

Kendra turned back around. Aidel was staring intently at her, his cold eyes unflinching.

She felt an inexplicable unease.

However, Kendra dismissed it as her imagination.

Regardless, it’s none of her business. If he came to his senses, good; if he caused trouble, she would simply call security to remove him.

After verifying identities, Kendra returned to the podium. She slightly lifted the chair to place it beside her and watched the students as if conducting a survey.

It was the beginning of a long stretch of time filled with yawns…

‘…Uh?’

Aidel picked up his pens—one in each hand. He secured the test paper with his elbows and began solving problems, writing with both hands simultaneously.

‘Am I seeing things now…?’

Kendra rubbed her eyes.

This was no mistake.

Flap! Flap!

Aidel turned to the next page and repeated his previous actions, like a hamster in a wheel. Kendra leaned forward slightly.

The handwriting was neat and the speed considerable. He was solving two problems at once—one non-literary and one literary.

Aidel read the non-literary passages and checked the answers for the literary questions, flipping through several pages in this manner.

Kendra barely managed to close her gaping jaw.

It was the same with essay and math problems. Aidel’s eyes looked in different directions, giving the impression he might be cross-eyed. Nonetheless, it wasn’t something a human brain should be capable of.

‘What about the others…’

Kendra’s gaze shifted to Zelnya, who was likely to pass. She solved some problems with ease while others struggled.

This year’s Stellarium entrance test was tough. Hearing that smart kids were applying, the examination committee had significantly increased the difficulty.

Only two students managed to solve all those difficult questions: Aidel of the Reinhardt family and Zelnya of the Adelwein family.

They were evenly matched. Kendra’s breath caught in her throat. It was like watching a horse race on which she had bet her entire fortune. Her eyes darted restlessly from left to right.

Who would be faster?

Who would finish first?

Who would get more correct answers?

She was more than a little curious. Kendra wished the results would come out quickly. Yet, she didn’t feel bored by this wait.

It made sense. The frenzied scratching noise tickled her ears and heart. Moreover, that sound brought despair to the students around them.

Aidel, even using both hands, kept pace with Zelnya. She wondered if it might be better to solve one problem at a time instead.

‘Well, it isn’t my place to interfere.’

She tapped her toes, waiting only for the clock’s hands to reach noon.

Meanwhile, Aidel, who was diligently solving math problems with both hands, inwardly cursed upon noticing Kendra staring intently at him.

‘Hey, stop shaking your leg…!’