First, passing the exam is my highest priority, but thinking about how much work they’d give to a noble family heir, I’ve already told the old man that I’ll be a work-study student if I pass.
Of course, in that case, the tuition would still go into my magic pocket.
After running around the training ground until my back felt hot, I drank just enough water to moisten my lips and swung the wooden sword. The wooden sword with an iron core wasn’t comparable to a spear, but it was heavy enough to feel satisfying when swung.
Still, I prefer the spear. The range I can perceive becomes much wider the moment I hold a spear. That much is my territory. Within the next five years, I needed to be strong enough to fight and win against demons, even if I couldn’t kill the Demon King.
The Royal Academy lectures also included swordsmanship, martial arts, physical training, and basic military science. Except for physical training, they were electives, but the old man seemed to want me to take all of them, and I also planned to take all the lectures that would help train my body.
Since the old man’s and my understanding align, things couldn’t be more harmonious. Of course, I’m planning to grab the money and run as soon as I graduate, but I have no intention of showing it to others, nor the courage to tell them.
I’m not crazy enough to say to Daniel Bliss, “In the next five years, the Demon King will descend, and the Empire and Bliss will all be destroyed. Let’s flee together, old man.” I’d be lucky to just be called insane, and even if he believed me, he’d despise me, asking how the future Spear of the Empire could think of running away first.
But if I run away, the old man, butler Noah, Jerry, and Tom would all…
‘Don’t think about it. Give up. It’s easier if you give up.’
My mind is troubled. When emotions falter, so does breathing. I lowered the sword while taking rough breaths. Don’t think about it. I need to find my own way to survive. Just because I’m inside the fence doesn’t mean I can take care of everyone. If I try to save everyone, I won’t be able to save anyone, including myself.
“Damn. This is a headache.”
I returned the wooden sword to the makeshift armory in the corner of the training ground and briefly washed my sweat-soaked body. After pouring hot water over myself, my body felt much lighter.
Thinking I should clear my head, I continued reading “The History of Imperial Development – The Decline of the Alliance Led by Cultural Differences According to Race,” which I had left unfinished yesterday. It’s not necessary for the exam, but it’s necessary for my future life. There aren’t many texts that describe the culture and ecology of non-human races in such detail.
“Young master, do you want to become a civil official?”
“No. I want to be a knight, why?”
“Among the knights I know, none read books as much as you do, young master.”
Instead of saying that the only knights you know are from our family, I handed Jerry a bag of butter cookies that the chef had prepared for me to eat while studying.
I meant for him to go back to his quarters and eat with the other servants since I was fine now, but he opened the bag and plopped down in the chair across from me.
“I heard work-study students can’t bring attendants with them.”
“To be precise, there are no servant quarters in the dormitory rooms used by work-study students.”
“That’s what I mean. Then what am I supposed to do here? Just collect wages while waiting for you to come back during holidays for three years?”
“I’ll talk to Noah about it, so when I’m not around, do as the butler instructs.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Jerry said as he lay flat on the table and gave me a sidelong glance. In noble families, the same-age attendant commonly assigned to the heir serves as both an attendant and a friend. So even if they use somewhat impertinent language, it’s not considered disrespectful or punishable.
The point is that just as a king who beheads a jester is called a tyrant, one needs someone close who can speak harsh truths. So even if he acts familiar with me, I, as a noble, cannot coldly push him away. It’s quite troublesome.
It’s nothing now to listen to Jerry’s chattering with one ear and let it go out the other. I took out a cookie and stuffed it into Jerry’s mouth, then continued reading my book.
The last year passed quickly. During the five years spent at the Bliss mansion, I grew tall enough to catch up with Jerry and gained enough physical strength to train for more than six hours a day, excluding spare time, without vomiting.
The Bliss spear technique was like a deep well. The forms were concise and simple, but the more I dug, the more I realized how inadequate I still was.
Still, it’s enjoyable. Whether it’s because Zaher Bliss’s body is a genius, or whether it’s me who entered this body that’s the genius, I can feel my own growth.
On the day of the entrance exam, I woke up early and loosened my body by running lightly around the training ground. Even so, all I had for breakfast was white bread with butter, raw ham, and a glass of fruit juice. There was plenty of food prepared, but even though I wanted to eat more, my stomach felt shrunken, and food wouldn’t go down my throat.
Damn, who said that moving your body helps when you’re troubled? Looking at the untouched plate, the butler carefully asked:
“Does the meal not suit your taste?”
“I seem to be more concerned about the exam than I thought. I feel like I’ll get sick if I eat more.”
“To think that the young master would feel pressured by the exam…”
“For the sake of those who believed in me and cared for me, I want to achieve results proportional to my efforts.”
“…While the Margrave also highly regards your diligence, please do not overexert yourself to the point of harming your body.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Noah.”
The butler seemed surprised that I, who had been brazen from our first meeting with the Margrave, was now turning away meals because of an exam. The butler looked at me with eyes full of emotion after hearing my nonsense. Usually, I would have added a word or two to score points, but today I didn’t even have the composure for that.
To be honest, it feels like taking a college entrance exam.
In terms of weight, both the college entrance exam and the academy entrance exam are similar. The difference is that even if I don’t get good grades on this exam, I can still enter the Academy.
I know that, but understanding and emotions don’t always align, so having experienced a college entrance exam once before, my heart doesn’t seem to calm down easily. They call it being startled by a pot lid after being startled by a snake.
In the end, it was too much to call a priest for something like this, so I had to soothe my aching stomach by looking out the window in the carriage on the way to the Royal Academy.
‘Even if not first or second place, I need to score well enough to receive a scholarship at the very least.’
My goal isn’t just to enter the Academy. I need to prepare as much money as possible until graduation and persistently train in spear and sword techniques necessary for survival.
If I want to extract pocket money from the old man, I need to show that I’m worth it at the Academy. Similarly, I need to catch the professors’ eyes somehow and learn even one more technique to survive.
The Demon King and demons’ massacre disguised as war is just a fantasy novel to pass time when read from afar, but when you think about experiencing it directly, there’s no greater tragedy.
The old man said he’d be able to come to the villa next week because he’s busy with work in Bliss.
Even though I’m close to forty if I add up my years from my previous life and this one, I’ve never been embarrassed by the old man treating me like a young grandchild. A person needs to be a bit shameless to live well. I felt guilty about using the old man, but if I excel, isn’t it good for him too, not just me?
My thoughts have wandered too long. Not liking how my train of thought stretches into unnecessary areas, I give up thinking. Instead, I focused on enjoying the scenery visible through the window.
The number of people walking on the road begins to increase slightly. Most are around my age. Probably examinees.
Fortunately, the distance from the villa to the Royal Academy wasn’t far, so the carriage arrived at the exam site in 30 minutes. Thanks to the guards recognizing the Bliss family crest, I was able to enter quickly after skipping a few procedures. Power really is good.
The Royal Academy was incomparable in scale and quality to the Bliss family villa. There were dozens of large and small buildings with gardens and training grounds, and some fields were as large as our mansion, including the estate.
Well, it’s a place where outstanding resources not only from the Empire but also from vassal states and other kingdoms gather.
The age criterion for admission to the Royal Academy is unconditionally 20 years old. That’s probably why the old man came looking for me as soon as he confirmed the head tax. Because one must graduate from the Royal Academy to become the heir of Bliss.
To endure Academy life that involves using the body, such as swordsmanship or physical training, one needs sufficient physical strength and intelligence. However, retaking isn’t possible. That’s probably why donation admissions exist.
The buildings for taking the exam were dispersed throughout the Academy. It seemed that the building for the exam was randomly determined through a lottery. Luckily, the building where I would take the exam wasn’t far from the Academy’s main gate.
Even among the young men who mostly appeared to be around my age, the carriage with the Bliss family crest was quite noticeable.
Well, it’s one of the six families guarding the Empire. Other than the imperial or royal family, no one would stop the carriage. And those in such positions would already be recommended by local academies and enter with a free pass.
Amidst the stares pouring from all directions, I pretended to be composed as I got out of the carriage. Following behind, my attendant Jerry stood respectfully one step back and whispered quietly:
“I looked around carefully on the way here, but still, young master is the prettiest and most handsome.”
“…Um. Well. Thanks, but we’re not at a ball, so that’s not really important.”
“That’s all right. Your physique is the best too, young master. You’ll definitely get first place.”
It must be words of encouragement. He probably doesn’t think at all that I’d be upset hearing it. As evidence, Jerry had a proud look on his face because his master was the most handsome.
Instead of glaring at Jerry, I laughed lightly and let his words go in one ear and out the other. It’s fine. Judging by the lack of attention drawn, it seems no one heard.
“Examinees taking the 217th Royal Academy entrance examination, we will begin entry to the exam hall. Please gather this way.”
Since outside visitors are only allowed up to the entrance of the exam hall, Jerry returned riding the carriage.
He wanted to wait outside until the end, since the exam would take quite a long time, but I was able to convince him and send him back, saying, “What are you, a parent with an examinee son? Even normal parents don’t come this far. I’ll return by carriage when it’s over, so go back to the mansion and help the butler.”
It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve been to such a crowded place. Feeling a bit unsettled, I look around. Blonde hair, white hair, brown hair, vermillion hair. One, two with blue-violet hair like mine. It’s truly a collection of all natural colors.
I see young men with youthful faces that haven’t shed their childish looks, and also one elderly-looking man with a bushy beard who appears middle-aged. I thought I’d grown a lot taller in five years, but everyone is about the same height. Well, it’s fine. At least I’m not short.
After confirming there were no examinees who had found the wrong exam hall, the Academy official authorized entry.
Inside the building, there was the smell of old paper.
No one approaches me. It was convenient that I didn’t bump into anyone while walking through the corridor crowded with examinees. Looking around, everyone seemed to avoid eye contact, looking like intimidated children. Well, they are children. All the guys here must be 20 years old.
Each desk placed at intervals on the arch-curved tiered floor had a name tag attached. Zaher Bliss. After confirming the number and name on my exam ticket, I sat in my seat, and the magic lamp that had been off lit up with a blue flame.
To put it simply, the exam was quite difficult.
But it didn’t include questions I didn’t know. It was just twisting what I knew. Linguistics. Sociology. Basic Literature. After lunch, I finished the History exam and moved to the practical exam hall.
Swordsmanship and physical measurement were conducted in the form of a match with a designated examiner. Those who chose the advanced test had to take an additional test afterward, and I chose spear technique, so I took one more exam.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
