The Academy’s Doomed Young Lord Dies Ten Thousand Times

Chapter 09 - Entrance Evaluation

Two types of evaluations existed for the freshmen of Archenia Academy. And those two types were the entrance exam and the entrance evaluation.

The entrance exam was a proof of whether one had the minimum ability to enter the academy. In other words, it was a ‘filtering’ process.

In contrast, the entrance evaluation had the meaning of ‘ranking’ among the students who possessed that ability, to see who was more superior.

And the content of that entrance evaluation differed for each department……. The Combat Department, which I belonged to, consisted of a total of three procedures.

Ability test, magical beast test, and duel test. The Magic Department, which learns magic, and the Administration Department, which learns administrative skills and command abilities, also had their own respective tests.

Anyway, there was one noteworthy point among the tests of the Combat Department.

And that was that the final test, the duel test, was held publicly. The ability test and the magical beast test were conducted in private.

Therefore, the most suitable for standing out was the duel test.

“Hoo…….”

On a slightly early morning, I took a small deep breath while walking to the examination hall.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous.

Depending on the results of today, the events to come would change dramatically.

What if I fail today? Well then, all the groundwork I had laid so far would become the futile efforts of a fool, and I would be left in the lurch.

I couldn't help but be nervous thinking about that.

“……No, if it comes to that.”

I unconsciously muttered so and turned my gaze to my waist. The standard-issue sword provided by the academy was at the end of my gaze.

If the results of the test are bad, it wouldn't be a bad choice to turn back time by taking my own life.

If I die a few times now to get good test results, I'll be able to reap the benefits handsomely anyway.

“Heh.”

A hollow laugh escaped me as that thought crossed my mind. Here I was, trying to avoid the pain of death, and yet the first thing I think of is killing myself with my own hands.

But the previous thoughts weren't a bad plan. Rather, they were close to the best.

Perhaps I had become a little desensitized to the pain of death due to the previous deaths.

[ Episode 2. Entrance Evaluation ]

Prove your worth.

[System : 『Overcoming Ten Thousand Deaths』 has reached a checkpoint!]

Around the time I was having such thoughts, a message like that appeared on the screen in front of my eyes.

Was it reading my mind, or was it pushing me to die…….

“Sigh.”

I had gone through all that trouble to finally enter the academy, but the road ahead was still rough.

And, I steeled my resolve.

***

The entrance of the examination hall in the morning was crowded with people from the start.

Why from the entrance, you ask? It was because of the first procedure of the entrance evaluation.

Yes, the ability test.

How do they test abilities, you ask? Does a status window pop up like a game character? If you think so……. you'd be about half right. Because the results would come out similarly.

“Next student, please come forward.”

As the test supervisor said that and waved his hand, a male student who was in line stepped forward. And that male student placed his right hand on the machine placed at the entrance.

Then, the male student's body was scanned once in a blue light.

“Alright, it's done. Next student, please come forward.”

The ability test was conducted like that. It was to scan with a magitech machine called the ‘Value Miner’ and then grasp what abilities and aptitudes this student currently had.

Actually, it wasn't a big deal for me since I could always check my abilities, but that didn't mean it was a worthless procedure.

《 Stats 》

[ Strength : D- ]

[ Agility : C+ ]

[ Stamina : D- ]

[ Intellect : B ]

[ Mana : F+ ]

[ Dexterity : B+ ]

Trait Details>>

Skill Details>>

Proficiency Details>>

Aptitude Details>>

Because the last item among the items that appeared after opening the status window, the ‘Aptitude’ item, would be unlocked and I would be able to check it after the entrance evaluation was over.

I quietly closed the status window again. As I came out of my thoughts, the surrounding noise began to enter my ears again. Yes, the sound of murmuring.

Most of it was not pleasant to hear. What kind of sound would I hear when I was in this place?

Wow, it's Rain Enlight. He really looks gloomy as rumored. Is he the one? I should be careful not to get involved with him. I don't want to make trouble with the nobles……. the same murmuring I had been hearing since yesterday.

As you can hear, even the commoners didn't send me favorable words……. and well, there was nothing like that.

Basically, the commoners who entered Archenia Academy were the so-called ‘well-to-do’ children, so they would rather be looked down upon by the nobles than go against them.

Seeing them make such slanderous remarks regardless of their status, it was truly a ‘we are the world’ moment. They should use that unity for something more positive.

‘I'm starting to get annoyed.’

It was around the time I was getting annoyed by the fact that I couldn't mute them in reality like in a game…….

“Hey, hey, look at her.”

I heard someone say in a curious voice. I, who was spacing out, unconsciously raised my head following that voice.

And, a girl was standing in the direction of the hand the owner of the voice was pointing.

A girl with blue hair as if it held the sky, and even bluer eyes that seemed to hold the stars.

“Wow, it's Arien…….”

A voice laced with admiration or envy, quite different from when they looked at me.

Yes, she was one of the seven main characters of . The ‘Star Seeker’, Arien Ortega.

I felt that the difference in treatment was too much, but it was actually understandable.

Because Arien was the successor and daughter of the current Magic Tower Master……. or so she was supposed to be.

It would be a status that was difficult to approach even for the children of the prominent families in the empire.

“They say she has an aptitude for all magic……”

“They say she'll become the Magic Tower Master right after graduation. That's crazy.”

The topic of the murmurs from the surroundings had already shifted to Arien. It was a bit better, I thought, but then.

I felt a gaze.

And when I turned my eyes to the direction of the gaze, I made eye contact.

With Arien, who was glancing this way out of the corner of her eye.

“……?”

At that gaze, I looked behind me. The murmuring guys seemed to have felt Arien's gaze as well, and they had quieted down.

‘Did she look because it was so noisy.’

At first, I thought she might have been looking at me, but I soon discarded that thought and sighed inwardly.

Yes, what interest would she have in me? She had no interest in worldly affairs and only knew about magic.

Arien was that kind of person. A so-called stuffy genius type character who paid no attention to anything other than her interest, magic…….

‘How am I supposed to get close to her…….’

I didn't know about the other characters, but I had to build a friendly relationship with Arien no matter what. It was because of the magic that only Arien could handle in , the ‘Origin Magic’.

Origin Magic, which deals with the laws of the world such as space, time, and causality, was essential in fighting against the final boss faction.

In the first place, in the latter half of the game, it was structured so that you couldn't even touch a hair on them without that magic.

Anyway, for that reason……. to turn the tide of the story line that was going to hell in a handbasket, cooperation with Arien was not an option but a necessity.

The problem was how to get close to her.

“Sigh.”

I let out a small sigh. I didn't know about the other things, but I really had no clue how to get close to her.

She was the most difficult character to raise intimacy with even with other playable characters in the game……. what was I, a complete nobody, supposed to do.

By the way, I had the feeling that I had felt Arien's gaze quite directly, but it seemed I had become self-conscious at some point.

As if to prove my thoughts, there was nothing special after that. Arien was tested by the Value Miner and then entered the examination hall, and I, whose turn came a little later, also placed my hand on the Value Miner and was tested.

After the scan was over, the examiner's expression seemed to waver a bit, but……. it was probably just my imagination. Because there was nothing special about any of the abilities I had right now.

……or so I thought. At that time.

Without even imagining what kind of ripple effect this smoothly passed test would have.

***

The great lake in the center of the continent, and the sky island floating serenely above it, is often called the holy land of magic.

There are various reasons for that status, such as its long history, but……. there was a more important factor.

The fact that the continent's top magic research institution, the ‘Magic Tower’, was located there was it.

And the Magic Tower, as if to show off its status, stood tall in the center of the sky island. Boasting its height of 99 floors.

On the top floor of that Magic Tower, the floor of the head who rules the Magic Tower—the Magic Tower Master—only one elderly man stood in the elegant office.

The man, Tyrion Ortega, looked down at the vast land spread out beyond the window. No, perhaps he was looking beyond the continent.

“……That child should be at the academy by now.”

The softly muttered voice was about his successor who contained all of him, the culmination of magic, and his daughter, Arien Ortega.

But that voice contained no kind of affection or attachment. Rather, it might be closer to a voice discussing a useful tool.

And, while Tyrion was looking out the window for a long time…….

Knock, knock.

A knock was heard.

“Come in.”

At Tyrion's voice, his secretary, Kalen, entered the room with a document in his hand. And he lightly placed the document on the table.

Tyrion turned his body, sat at the table, and asked, looking down at the document.

“What document is this? I believe there are no more matters to deal with today.”

At Tyrion's question, Kalen answered in a polite tone.

“It is the ability test document of a student who has entered Archenia Academy.”

Although the results of the tests at Archenia Academy are forbidden from being leaked, except for the public tests, there is no such thing as an absolute in the world.

This was especially true for the influential figures of the continent who stood above the law.

Isn't Archenia Academy a place where the most outstanding raw stones among the talents who will carry the future of the continent are gathered?

Marking out outstanding talents in advance was a necessary procedure in enhancing the prestige of each influential family.

“I have already told you not to bring me such worthless things……”

But there were also influential figures among the influential who were not bound by such logic, and who were omnipotent in their power.

The Magic Tower Master, Tyrion Ortega, was one of such powerful figures.

What did it matter that it was the generation of the most brilliant talents among the generations so far? He was not interested in the fuss about the raw stones that would save the chaotic world.

After all, such talents were a natural phenomenon that occurred because the mana flowing in from the outside world could not escape from the inside world.

In other words, it was a natural occurrence within causality. Tyrion did not pay attention to such ‘obvious’ talents.

The only raw stone that Tyrion valued was his successor, Arien Ortega.

Because she was the only magician who could handle the absolute magic that escaped the laws of the world and interfered with those laws, the Origin Magic.

He didn't care about the academic community's evaluation that it was an impractical and lost magic. That was the nonsense of fools.

“……I brought it because I thought it would be good for you to check it at least once.”

Kalen seemed flustered by Tyrion's displeased expression at having his time taken away, but he still answered firmly.

“…….”

Tyrion had a displeased expression, but he was also curious. They had been together for a long time, so Kalen wouldn't be unaware of him, and yet he had brought this document while enduring his complaints.

And, that curiosity could be resolved as soon as he checked the contents of the document.

[Rain Enlight

Strength : D-

Agility : C+

Stamina : D-

Intellect : B

Mana : F+

Dexterity : B+

Proficiency - Swordsmanship : A

……]

Various things were written in the document. They were various lengthy analysis results regarding the talent of a boy named Rain Enlight.

However, what caught Tyrion's eye was only one passage.

[Aptitude - Origin Magic]

“……Heh.”

Tyrion let out a sigh, as if in admiration, or as if he was dumbfounded.

“Did Enlight also create a monster.”

At Tyrion's words, the secretary Kalen nodded slightly and asked.

“Shall we make contact first?”

“No, since he is a person of the duchy, a direct approach is more likely to be a source of trouble.”

“Then……”

“I'll leave it to my daughter.”

Tyrion said so curtly and shifted his gaze back to the window.

“Even if left alone, it will naturally……. flow according to reason.”

And so, Rain was facing a new phase in a place he had never intended.