Chapter 28

I felt a wave of relief after finishing that lunch, which required far too much social vigilance. History class was next on the agenda for the afternoon.

Returning to the classroom, I quickly skimmed through the second-year History textbook. Just like Language Arts, this would be a piece of cake for Patience. Even I could probably pass with just a little bit of study.

However, skipping a grade is only allowed once a year. Furthermore, skipping a grade is merely permission to attend higher-level classes. Unless I obtain “Certificates of Completion”—like I did for Magic Practicum—I won’t be able to free up time to improve the Granger family’s standard of living.

The fact that being Princess Margaret’s Lady-in-Waiting takes up more time than I expected is a real blow. I truly wish Louise would enter the dormitory and take over the position for me.

There were no other first-years who had skipped into this History class. Without Prince Keith or Louise around, I felt strangely at peace.

I attended the lecture diligently, and once it was over, I headed straight for the library. I was happy that Magic Practicum was waived, and I wanted to use this time to research the curriculum for the third year of Middle School.

“There’s no one here. Ah, right, everyone is in class.”

The emptiness was convenient. It would be a hassle if people thought I was being precocious for looking into Middle School-level Mathematics.

“I doubt the library has actual textbooks. But if there are reference books, I can get a general idea of the content…”

I scanned the spines of the books, looking for anything helpful for my studies, but didn’t have much luck at first. In times like this, it’s best to ask the librarian.

“Excuse me. Do you have any reference books for third-year Middle School Mathematics?”

From behind the desk, the librarian looked at me with a puzzled expression. Due to poor nutrition, Patience was small even for a first-year. It probably seemed strange for such a young child to be looking for Middle School references. Nevertheless, she kindly showed me the way.

“The third-year Middle School Math references are over in this section.”

An entire shelf was filled with them. I hadn’t touched Math since high school—which meant I had forgotten quite a lot. I picked up one book and flipped through the pages. Yeah, this is about the level of Math I (high school freshman math). I’m sure it gets harder once you reach University. I felt like I could get a Certificate of Completion with a bit of review, but how exactly does one obtain one? I decided to go ask Mr. Kepner.

Normally, I should study first before asking, but I didn’t want to waste any effort. The disappointment of how the grade-skipping worked had been quite a shock to me.

I also wanted to ask if it was possible to skip directly into Middle School. Borrowing one reference book, I headed for the faculty office.

Why is the faculty office always so intimidating to enter?

I’ve disliked faculty offices since my previous life, even though I haven’t done anything wrong.

“Excuse me,” I called out as I entered. Mr. Kepner was grading homework, but he noticed me and beckoned me over.

“Ah, Patience. That’s right, you received a Certificate of Completion for Magic Practicum. Do you have a question for me?”

As expected, Mr. Kepner was easy to talk to.

“Um, how does one go about obtaining a Certificate of Completion for a subject?”

His eyes widened in surprise. If it were Nasius, it would be cute, but I don’t have a thing for middle-aged men.

“You are a brilliant student, after all. Which subject are you aiming for? Though, it covers everything up to the third year of Middle School, so it will be quite difficult.”

“I’d like to get the certificate for Mathematics, but I wasn’t sure of the process.”

Mr. Kepner suddenly slapped his desk as if he’d realized something. What? Don’t scare me like that.

“Of course! You are the daughter of Viscount William Granger. Simple math must be tedious for you.”

Wait, what? Was my father that famous of a scholar? I only knew him as the man who was dismissed and spent his days reading newspapers and books in his study.

“To get the certificate, you simply need to achieve an excellent grade during the final exams. You’ll have to take the third-year Middle School final, so a student from the Elementary section taking it will certainly stand out. I’ll consult with the Mathematics teacher for you.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll make sure to study for a year.”

A whole year, huh… I suppressed a sigh, realizing that only Magic Practicum would be waived until then.

“No, the earliest opportunity would be the final exam for the Spring Term.”

“Eh? But in the Spring Term, we haven’t covered everything until the end of Middle School yet, have we?”

I wondered if it was really okay to issue a Certificate of Completion based on an exam that only covered the Spring Term.

“Well, the final question is designed so that it cannot be solved unless you understand the entire Middle School curriculum. It’s the same for other subjects as well.”

I see!

“Besides, it’s better for you to spend your time on other studies rather than sitting through lessons you’ve already mastered.”

Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this. The trauma of the “useless grade-skip” resurfaced.

“Um… if I receive the Certificate of Completion, I don’t have to attend that class anymore, right?” This was the most important part.

“Yes. The Elementary section has a fixed schedule, but in Middle School, you can choose classes you’re interested in.”

I wonder why he looked so regretful saying that. Following the flow of the conversation, I decided to ask about Middle School.

“Next year, when I become a third-year, would it be possible to skip a grade into Middle School?”

“Theoretically, it is possible. It’s a waste of time to keep a student who has mastered the Elementary curriculum from moving into Middle School. However, it is very difficult. Also, if you obtain Certificates of Completion for all the compulsory subjects, you should be able to skip into Middle School. Mind you, no student has ever done that before.”

I see. If I get the certificates for all compulsory subjects, I can enter Middle School starting next year. I’m currently relying heavily on Patience, but I’ll do my best!

“Tell you what, I’ll give you the third-year Elementary textbooks. And the Middle School Math textbooks as well.”

Mr. Kepner, you are a wonderful person! …But these are incredibly heavy.

Mr. Kepner had the Classics textbooks on hand, but he asked other teachers for the other subjects.

And yes, the Math teacher was my previous homeroom teacher, Mr. Hagan.

“Challenging the Certificate of Completion, are we? Good luck!” he encouraged me.

“Mr. Kepner, Mr. Hagan… thank you so much.”

The two of them shared a small smile.

“Not at all. The world of education feels a debt of gratitude toward Viscount Granger. Besides, it is a teacher’s duty to support a student who is devoted to their studies.”

“Patience, if there’s anything you don’t understand in Math, come and ask me anytime.”

What on earth did my father do? I really want to look into that.