Chapter 6

It seemed there was a considerable number of applicants, as the entrance exams were being held simultaneously across multiple classrooms.

The moment I recovered from my state of frozen shock, I realized the starting time was looming. I sprinted toward the classroom indicated on my examination slip—one of the many testing venues.

Safe. I made it before the start. Just barely, but I made it.

Even though it hadn’t officially begun, it was already time for everyone to be seated, and the other students were already in their places. A seating chart was posted at the front, but I didn’t even need to look at it. There was only one empty seat left.

The other applicants watched me with dubious eyes as I scrambled to my desk.

Well, I certainly stood out. A kid whose clothes were clearly different from everyone else’s had just come barreling into the room at the very last second.

As I scanned the room, I noticed two familiar faces among the students staring at me.

One was that beautiful boy, Kirio.

The bloodshot look in his eyes had faded, and that razor-sharp intensity had vanished. He wasn’t radiating bloodlust anymore. In its place was a coldness like ice. Because of his beauty, that coldness was striking; he somehow reminded me of a Japanese blade.

The other was that guy, Bob.

He was glaring at me with hateful, mocking eyes.

Ignore him. Just ignore him.

“Alright, everyone is here.”

The proctor entered the room, clutching a stack of papers in both hands.

“Now then, first we will confirm the schedule for today. We begin with the written exam. I trust that none of you aspiring to enter this military academy would be so foolish as to fail this portion. Only those who pass the written exam will be granted the right to take the magic practical exam on the school grounds this afternoon. That is all.”

After giving the exact same explanation we had been provided beforehand, the proctor began distributing the papers.

“You may begin.”

The proctor flipped over the mounted hourglass.

Right, let’s get to work.

To be honest, I wasn’t feeling particularly stressed. As the proctor implied, failing the written exam for the military academy was practically impossible unless you were a complete idiot.

That wasn’t because the questions were exceptionally easy, per se.

You could tell just by looking at them.

Question 1: Provide the noble house names that correspond to the following…

Question 2: Explain the regulations regarding inheritance under Shark’s domestic laws…

For nobles, these things were common sense—basic knowledge absolutely required for high society or succession issues.

The entire test followed this pattern, asking for information that anyone born into a noble family would naturally pick up. In short, it was an exam designed so that any noble could pass without even studying.

I felt a twinge of resentment at the unfairness, but there was an advantage to the written exam being structured this way.

Specifically, the scope and level of study required were crystal clear. As long as I mastered the minimum knowledge a noble needed to function in life, I was guaranteed to pass.

Question 8: Name the daughter of the current King of Shark, who is often called the reincarnation of Fata.

Easy. The answer is Princess Victie.

Just like that, I cleared the written exam with ease.

In our classroom, everyone qualified to move on to the magic practical.

The applicants filed out of the room as a lunch break was announced before the gathering on the school grounds. Apparently, there was a large cafeteria in this building, so most were likely headed there.

However, I wasn’t that hungry. More importantly, I didn’t just need to pass the afternoon exam; I had to earn the status of a scholarship student. I wasn’t in the mood to eat.

I pulled out my tattered copy of “Fundamental Magic Research” and began re-reading the contents I had already scanned thousands of times.

Not that I needed to—the information was completely burned into my brain. It was more like a lucky charm to help me maintain my composure.

“What is that? Figures a commoner would have such a filthy book.”

The voice was dripping with contempt.

I looked up to find Bob approaching my desk with a nasty smirk on his face.

“What? You need something?”

I intentionally adopted an insolent tone.

“Don’t get cocky,” Bob’s face instantly flushed a deep red. “Don’t think you’re going to make it home safely after you fail this exam.”

A very straightforward threat.

Actually, this guy made for an excellent tension-reliever. His sheer pettiness was almost soothing.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to pass,” I said, as if to encourage myself.

That’s right. I will pass.

“Even if you pass, how is a pauper with clothes and books like those going to pay tuition?”

“I’m going to pass as a scholarship student, so I’ll be fine. Thanks for worrying about me.”

As I shot back, Bob looked stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Hahaha! A… a scholarship student!?”

He laughed harder. “Look, let me tell you something, since you’re so pitiful. Scholarship students at the military academy are naturally born from excellent noble lineages who have received the best education possible. Someone like me, for instance.”

“Is that so?”

I brushed him off, bored of the interaction. This guy was definitely not getting a scholarship. In a novel, a character like this is practically destined to be crushed. It’s a trope.

“There is only one scholarship student per year.”

A cold, ice-like voice cut in.

It was Kirio.

He had approached without me noticing and interjected. Only the three of us—me, Bob, and Kirio—remained in the classroom.

“Bob, you won’t make it. Not this year. ‘Golden-Eyed Leo’ is here. You know that, don’t you?” Kirio spoke with a chilling, sharp gaze, his presence once again thick with bloodlust.

“Leo? Don’t be stupid! A guy like that is—”

Bob began to shout back in a rage, but his mouth was slammed shut by a voice.

“I heard my name.”

It was a quiet voice, yet it carried an overwhelming, crushing weight.

The classroom was plunged into instant silence.

Me, Bob, and Kirio—all of us were forced to stop breathing simply by hearing that voice, beyond all logic.

With a smooth, fluid movement, a man entered the classroom.

Perhaps “man” wasn’t the right word. Since he was a fellow applicant, I should probably call him a boy.

But I couldn’t believe we were the same age. No, “man” felt like the only correct description.

He must have been a very high-ranking noble. His clothes were excessively decorated in gold and crimson. Yet, he wasn’t overshadowed by the outfit; he stood as tall as a grown man, with a rugged, muscular build. His skin was dark, and fangs peeked out from his large mouth.

It seemed he strongly inherited the traits of an Ogre.

And then, there was his golden hair, swaying like a lion’s mane. He had thick eyebrows and a strong nose that spoke of an indomitable will.

But more than anything, it was his eyes that overwhelmed me. They were large, and his pupils shone with a brilliant gold. There wasn’t a hint of arrogance in them; instead, they overflowed with pure, unadulterated confidence.

Perhaps the heroes of mythology looked something like this.

He reminded me of the Greek stone statues I’d seen in art textbooks back in my old world. In short, he was an overwhelming presence—so much so that just looking at him made my spirit quail.

I stood there captivated, Kirio remained silent while biting his lip, and Bob’s face cycled through shades of red and pale blue.

“I wondered who it was, but it’s just Kirio from the Rahura house and Meijin’s idiot son.”

His voice was deep, resonant, and carried to every corner of the room.

“W-Who are you calling an idiot son!?”

Bravely—or perhaps foolishly—Bob snapped back at that overwhelming presence.

“Would you like to hear exactly how your father whines whenever he visits my estate?”

With that single sentence, Bob fell silent.

“…Hmph!”

After puffing out his cheeks for a moment, Bob exhaled a breath as if spitting out his lingering hatred and stormed out of the classroom in a fit of rage.

The man watched Bob’s retreating figure with an amused expression before speaking again.

“Kirio. You haven’t changed either, you coward. However, I’ll give you credit for stepping in to help him when he was being harassed. It seems you’ve developed a bit of backbone.”

This time, the man turned his golden eyes toward Kirio.

“Shut up.”

Unfazed, Kirio once again radiated bloodlust. His eyes turned red and sharp. The bloodshot, piercing gaze met the golden eyes filled with confidence.

The tension in the classroom skyrocketed. It was suffocating. In an atmosphere where it felt like a lethal struggle could break out at any second—

“How tedious.”

Suddenly, Kirio suppressed his killing intent and averted his eyes from the man, returning to his seat away from us. He began eating his lunch with his back turned to the room.

“A packed lunch? How modest of you.”

The man continued to call out to Kirio.

“Be quiet. Don’t mock me.” Kirio replied without looking back.

“I’m not mocking you. Truly. I’m actually impressed. You made that yourself, didn’t you? It’s a wonderful thing.”

Answering in a tone that seemed entirely sincere, the man slowly turned toward me.

Dammit, what is even happening right now?

Just having those eyes directed at me made my body stiffen. Like hell I’m going to stay intimidated forever. I put some strength into my core and glared back.

“Hello.”

That was the first thing the man said to me.

“Eh? Ah… yeah, hello.”

I managed to return the greeting, though I was clearly flustered.

The man’s large mouth relaxed into a smile. Yet, even with that smile, he didn’t leave a single opening in his stance. It was breathless.

“I am Leo Baal. Of the House of Baal. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Ah, right. I’m Van. Van, the commoner.”

I replied while feigning composure, trying my best not to sound subservient. In truth, I wanted to flee the scene as fast as possible.

“I know,” Leo said with a slight bow.

The gesture sent a shock through me. A high noble… bowing to a commoner? It was hard to believe.

Yes, Leo Baal was a high noble—someone even I knew about. After all, his name was included in the “minimum knowledge a noble should possess.”

Leo Baal.

He was the head of the House of Baal, the premier noble family that held forty percent of Shark’s territory as their domain. Yes, he was the head of a Great House. The man himself.

Having lost his parents at a young age, he became the head as the sole heir. Naturally, dozens—if not hundreds—of relatives stepped forward to act as his guardians. Their goal, of course, was to use Leo as a puppet to seize the actual power of the House of Baal.

Leo was only ten years old when he became the head. They must have thought they could manipulate him as they pleased.

However, that boy with the golden eyes—a rarity in Pangea—was no ordinary child.

He controlled the relatives who sought power by playing their factions against each other, ensuring he maintained leadership of the house. He survived traps and crises through his own wit and strength. Furthermore, he built and expanded a network of connections outside the house, reaching the royalty and other influential nobles.

Ultimately, Leo made the country recognize that he was an absolutely indispensable existence, not just for the House of Baal, but for the nation of Shark itself.

A man of legendary success—that was Leo Baal. While his name hadn’t appeared on this year’s written exam, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if he were the subject of a question next year.

“I was aware beforehand that a commoner with no money or connections was taking the exam. No one else besides me really cared, though.”

That very Leo Baal was talking to me right now. Just by speaking with such dignity, the sheer pressure of his persona weighed on me.

“From my perspective, I can only call it incompetence. A person with no backing intentionally takes an exam for the military academy, knowing full well they’ll draw the ire of the nobility. You must have a trump card up your sleeve, don’t you?”

“Ah, well…”

“You said you’d pass as a scholarship student. I look forward to it.”

After saying that without a hint of sarcasm, Leo leaned in and whispered into my ear.

“Besides, you have a good eye for people. It seems you’ve befriended Kirio in a very short time. I’ve only met him a few times in high society, but he’s quite interesting. Treasure that bond.”

With that whisper, he turned his back without waiting for a reply and walked out of the classroom with a light step that belied his massive frame.

I stood there, frozen.

Seriously, the nobility are all monsters and ghouls.

I’d been rendered speechless twice in a single day. Only Kirio and I remained in the classroom.

Dammit, calm down. I need to focus.

But can I really beat a monster like that and become the scholarship student? I started re-reading my book once more just to settle my nerves.