NOVEL NEXT Chapter 34
<34 - The Guarantor>
The First Gate was a test of self-identity.
If the Second Gate was a test of creativity.
The Third Gate was a test of combat power.
‘I never thought passing the Academy would be this difficult.’
Irene finally passed the Third Gate after much struggle.
She asked the examiner at the Third Gate.
“Have you held such exams every year?”
“Pretty much.”
“Don’t you need to test the combat power of the passers from the Second Gate?”
“Why bother? Combat power is only needed for passive inferior students lacking self-identity and creativity.”
“……!”
“Irene, the Northern Grand Duchess. Active as a military mage in the North. Participated directly in 13 battlefronts. If you’ve experienced harsh wars, you should know better that combat isn’t everything.”
Irene felt a sense of realization.
No matter how much war raged, it never seemed to end.
No matter how many you kill, all that increases are the numbers of the fallen and the graves filled with broken weapons.
Exhausted from the prolonged war with the Demonic Clan, the Northern Grand Duke sought answers from the capital.
That was the backdrop for Irene to take the entrance exam at the Gift Academy.
“The reasoning is the same. Did it help, Sing?”
“I don’t think so, but if that’s the Academy’s policy, I’ll have to follow.”
Irene and other exceptional talents, including Sing, easily passed the Third Gate.
Those who didn’t pass the Third Gate had just failed the Upper Class exam, but their chances of passing the retake in the Lower Class were still very high.
‘It stings my pride that I can’t even match that little brat despite all this effort.’
Irene, Sing, and all the successful candidates thought alike.
They all aimed to learn everything from Oknodie, the top candidate who had proven the gap in ability not once, but twice.
‘She must have some reason for collecting pretty stones, right?’
Irene gently tucked a round stone into her inner pocket.
[Entrance Exam Upper Class Passers]
[A Group: 17 people]
[B Group: 22 people]
[C Group: 5 people]
[Total: 44 people]
[Entrance Exam Lower Class Passers]
[A Group: 1223 people]
[B Group: 815 people]
[C Group: 48 people]
[Total: 2086 people]
[Total Passers for Class 981]
[Upper Class: 44 people]
[Lower Class: 2086 people]
[Total: 2130 people]
After days of recovering the stamina and injuries spent in the lounge, the details about the successful candidates appeared on the mana board.
Dorothy and Rockbell, her two childhood friends, passed as well but seemed to be hiding in their individual rooms, likely uncomfortable seeing each other.
“That’s a lot of people.”
“Over 2000 passers. That’s more than I expected.”
“Wahaha! Most of them are probably less than our little mouse, right?”
Unlike the excited comrades, I felt a bit uneasy.
And it wasn’t just because of the earlier conflict with Minerva.
It was about the classification of successful candidates.
“Groups, huh? I’ve never seen that before.”
“It’s a regional classification.”
“Does Oknodie know something about it?”
“A is the Border. B is the Central. C is Special. Since the Central has a large land, the East, West, North, and South are treated as the Border. We are probably in Group A.”
“It’s hard to understand why they would sort successful candidates by origin after selecting them.”
“They aren’t being sorted again. Candidates from the Border and those from the Central took their tests in separate venues, so they’ll be grouped separately.”
Jezel and Isabel looked at me with peculiar expressions.
“Did they teach you those things in noble families?”
“Oknodie’s knowledge about Academy matters stands out.”
“Ugh, it’s just a coincidence. It just came back to me.”
While I was awkwardly using Jezel’s words, a serious voice interrupted, “That’s strange.”
Andersen Pretzel, the first of the Western Noble Union, cut into our conversation from the table beside us.
“A candidate who knows stories even I, Andersen Pretzel, second son of the richest noble family in the Doichi Kingdom of the Western Three Kingdoms, don’t.”
“Then my papa must be an extraordinary person!”
Sorry, Papa.
When else would I use Papa if not now?
“The information level surpassing the first noble house of the central representative superpower is interesting. Oknodie, I look forward to seeing how remarkable your background is.”
“I agree. Unless one is a royal from some country, it’s hard to understand such information power.”
Seoguyeon, second in rank, and Hong Iljeom [Arcadia] peeked from behind a fan, eyes gleaming as if they could penetrate through me.
Dressed in a Eastern-style Chinese dress, showcasing a tattoo of the Southern Tribe on her shoulder, and wielding a fan, a must-have accessory for Central noble daughters—she was a low-ranking character but ranked in the popularity chart in the late 20s, known as the icon of senselessness among players for following trends without discrimination.
“Tch. How dare you talk back, Arcadia.”
“This little lady seems rather irritated. I hope you aren’t thinking anything rude?”
“…Not really. I just thought that adding a fur coat from the North would mean we’d covered East, South, West, and North.”
“Wow, unexpectedly sensical? I was just about to arrange a winter coat, and you know my sense, so you’re quite commendable!”
Having my favorability plummet to that of a 2.5 tier supporting character, just below the NTR heroine Yui, didn’t make me feel proud at all.
“This is our kingdom’s specialty, fried squid. I bought it at the restaurant attached to the rest area. Let’s chat about the trendy items we girls sometimes enjoy.”
I thought that until I received the fried squid.
“Akaidia is now my number one favorite! Nobody can ignore her!”
“…First tier? I don’t really understand, but I guess it’s some sort of kids’ praise? I will gladly accept it.”
Nom nom nom.
Crunch crunch!
While blissfully munching on the fried squid, reveling in the crispy texture and taste, a crow tapped at the lounge window, making its presence known.
“What’s that?”
“There’s something tied to its leg.”
“It’s a messenger bird.”
The Eastern Swordsman Sing leaned back against the wall and said.
“In the East, instead of communication magic, messages are written on paper tied to a bird’s leg and sent.”
The crow sat on a nearby desk and began pecking at the string tied to its leg, dropping the paper.
Flap flap!
Then it charged toward the nearest feed container!
“Looks like Oknodie.”
“Hoho, I agree.”
“Wahaha! A flying little mouse has appeared!”
“Ugh! Don’t call me that way! I’m not a little mouse! I’m still growing, and I’ll be 2.3m tall!”
“That’s too big, isn’t it?”
Recalling my height from my muscular male character days made Son Ohchun burst into laughter.
If I were really a male character, I’d tower over that cocky little monkey, letting him know the difference in our heights!
“Oknodie candidate, you have a message. It’s a summon from Examiner Minerva to the counseling room on the floor below.”
Ugh. Of all times, that woman?
Unwillingly, I headed to the counseling room.
“What did you want to talk to me about this time?”
“You were summoned for a different purpose today.”
Minerva showed me a chart.
“What is this?”
“That’s the group classification chart distinguishing A, B, and C groups. The successful candidates are divided into the Border’s A Group, the Central’s B Group, and the rest into C Group. This classification will remain after enrollment.”
“But I am already in A Group, right? I took the entrance exam in the Border’s venue.”
“That’s the problem. It turns out, Oknodie candidate, that you’re an unregistered candidate who has never been registered with the International Identity Registration Magic Bureau.”
“Eh?”
A bad premonition arose.
No way, right?
“An unregistered identity cannot belong to either the Border or the Central. You’d be a nonexistent person, someone society does not recognize. Unclear origins are grouped into C group.”
“What does that mean?”
“Your freedom of movement will be restricted, and you will always have to operate under the watch and permission of the instructors wherever you go.”
No way!
Then I wouldn’t be able to gather stat stones or complete vital events.
I couldn’t sneak into the archives to tear pages from forbidden books disguised as regular ones, nor battle gargoyles hidden among statues, nor set the garden ablaze to burn the Mandragora!
“C’mon, can’t you overlook this just once?”
“No.”
Minerva was heartless.
“Therefore, Oknodie candidate will have to be accompanied by an instructor assigned by the main building at all times from now on.”
“That’s too much!”
“I’d like to say that as well. But for the last three days, we waited 72 hours for a guarantor to appear for Oknodie candidate. And now, a guarantor has finally shown up.”
When Minerva waved her hand, the curtain in the corner of the counseling room opened, revealing a familiar man in a suit.
“Jonnas!”
“It’s been a while, Young Lady. Have you been well?”
I dashed over and hugged his leg tightly.
A butler with 100% loyalty, summoned by blowing a whistle, who would never betray me.
The only person I can trust in this other world, my butler, Jonnas Wahyhiemhai.
“Stop it.”
“Ugh.”
Jonnas pressed my forehead with one hand, letting me go.
Though I thought I’d gotten stronger, I was no match for Jonnas’s strength.
“The Academy examiner is watching. Maintain your dignity, Young Lady.”
“Tch. Why hasn’t anyone changed at all? It’s been so long, and you start with your ‘stop it’ again.”
Was Jonnas not happy to see me?
Pouting and complaining, I noticed a slight, very slight, upturn at the corners of Jonnas’s mouth.
Wow……
No matter how much my butler is, that’s just too much.
Look at that savage smile, as if he could take someone down!
This guy shouldn’t be allowed to smile anywhere!
“Jonnas. Take that smile away for three weeks!”
“……?”
Who else could stand such a smile but me?
So from now on, only I should see it.