The Esdinas Academy’s final exams are graded using magic.
While there are some subjective questions, the majority are multiple-choice, making it possible to grade answers instantly with a magic “click.”
Thus, the instructors quickly obtained results and convened a faculty meeting as soon as the scores were revealed.
“So, you’re telling me someone got a perfect score?”
“That’s correct.”
“No way! This has to be some kind of joke!”
A particular student’s test paper had become the center of urgent discussion.
“A perfect score! That’s unheard of at the Academy!”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?”
“There must have been some kind of tampering…!”
“Enough.”
Despite some rash accusations, several instructors were already reviewing the uploaded test answers through the magic pad.
“If it were just answers, it might be suspicious, but look here—the solution process is written in detail.”
“Indeed. And some of these are not concepts typically taught to first-year students. They even used formulas usually reserved for third-year undergraduates preparing for graduation.”
“Could they have deliberately shown off? Trying to prove they didn’t cheat and solved everything purely on their own merit?”
“This is unacceptable…!”
While a student’s perfect score should have been a cause for celebration among the faculty, certain instructors displayed no such enthusiasm.
“Instructor Esta, Instructor Kadisha! Was there any wrongdoing during the process?”
“Are you accusing us of tampering?”
“The special class took the exam separately in the Old School Building, and you two supervised it!”
“We are instructors. Are you suggesting we would risk our positions by altering a student’s grades?”
“It’s a possibility…!”
“Absolutely not.”
Instructor Kadisha smiled lightly, projecting one of the exam questions onto the large screen for everyone in the room to see.
“This question, for instance, was never even covered in the Old School Building curriculum.”
“Ugh…!”
One of the instructors groaned audibly, while a few others exchanged uneasy glances.
“The comparison of the seven magical attributes and their ranked advantages—this content isn’t part of the Old School Building syllabus.”
“Well, isn’t that just common knowledge?”
“In theory, you could call it basic knowledge, but this is more advanced, suitable for graduates. Moving on.”
Instructor Kadisha displayed another question.
“This one, regarding the field of bio-magitech, isn’t just beyond the Old School Building’s scope. The solution requires reference to a specific research paper, correct, Instructor Eugenberg?”
“Heh… quite so.”
The middle-aged instructor Kadisha addressed by name let out a low laugh as he stood.
“Every year, we instructors design the exam questions with at least one question meant to be ‘unsolvable’.”
“Don’t waste time explaining.”
“…I just got here.”
The middle-aged instructor gritted his teeth at the interruption but soon ignored it and pointed at the solution displayed on the screen.
“Look, everyone. The solution submitted by Student Phoenix. As Instructor Kadisha said, it’s impossible to solve this question without reading my research paper.”
There was even a hint of affection in the bio-magic engineering instructor’s gaze as he looked at the solution.
“Moreover, this solution reflects my ‘current theory’—an update to my paper published just a month ago. But Student Phoenix’s solution is based on the previous theory, perfectly aligning with my earlier work!”
“That means…”
“Yes! Student Phoenix didn’t just memorize a cheat sheet or receive some kind of preferential treatment to get all the answers correct. They actively studied the instructors’ research, even reviewing papers from the Hall of Wisdom, to solve the exam questions!”
Instructor Eugenberg’s statement caused a few instructors to groan softly.
Some exchanged wary glances and even clicked their tongues in irritation.
“Instructor Kadisha.”
“Yes?”
“Though you specialize in magic alchemy engineering, while I’m in bio-magic engineering—”
“If Student Phoenix enters graduate school, I’ll take them under my wing.”
“That’s absurd.”
Instructor Eugenberg waggled a finger.
“There’s no way a first-year undergraduate has already decided to pursue graduate school. And if they had…”
“If they had?”
“You, Instructor Kadisha, would have already submitted a proposal for early graduation to the faculty meeting.”
“…Tsk.”
Kadisha clicked her tongue and turned her head away.
“Hm. It seems we’ve reached some kind of conclusion.”
Dean Ederson clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
“In the 500-year history of Esdinas Academy, while there have been annual valedictorians, only five individuals have ever achieved a perfect score. This is the first time for a first-year student.”
“…”
“This is not the fault of the instructors. Who could have predicted that a first-year would study papers published just a month ago?”
“That’s…”
“And you.”
Ederson swept his gaze across several male instructors with a twisted smile.
“Considering you’re all wearing magic pants, is this really something to complain about?”
“Ahem! Dean, that’s—!”
“Those magic pants exist because of theoretical studies by undergraduates who read instructors’ research papers. Let’s handle this appropriately as it pertains to the valedictorian.”
As Ederson’s words hovered like a heavy mist, Instructor Esta abruptly stood.
Bang!
“Everyone, listen carefully.”
She slammed her mana-charged hand on the table, drawing all eyes to her, and spoke calmly yet firmly.
“Just because he’s the top student, I will not tolerate Student Phoenix being moved to the valedictorian’s private dormitory room.”
She declared.
“Student Phoenix belongs to the special class in the Old School Building.”
“…According to the Academy regulations, the valedictorian is entitled to…”
* * *
I became the valedictorian.
If you ask how I achieved it, the answer is simple: I studied.
‘I know magic theory inside and out.’
In-game, I studied extensively to clear heroine routes, and during my time in the Demon World, I spent over ten years—possibly longer—studying the origin of mana.
– You’re wrong! Today, we’re farming 100 dire wolves for an hour nonstop!
…I was forced to study.
Through such efforts, I naturally gained knowledge in magic theory, to the level of a doctorate—or even a professor.
The only thing I needed to be cautious of was whether my knowledge aligned with the current “modern theories” during the exam.
I was momentarily caught off guard by the trap question involving non-attribute mana theory.
However, using the information from a recently published paper by one of the instructors, I managed to resolve it.
‘In reality, it was an error.’
According to natural laws, it wasn’t correct.
But for Esdinas Academy’s exam question, it was correct.
Rather than showing off my knowledge and potentially alienating the instructors, I wrote answers that made them cheer and gladly support me.
In other words, I wrote the correct answers for the test.
“It’s unfair.”
“There’s nothing unfair about it, miss second place. You were up against me, after all.”
“But I wrote the right answer.”
Second place, Yunia, held out the exam question she had gotten wrong.
“Isn’t this correct?”
“It is.”
“Then why did they mark it wrong?”
Here’s one thing about Yunia: even though she is a tolerant and kind heroine in the main story, there’s one area where she refuses to compromise.
“The seven magical attributes can balance out to become non-attribute mana, but it doesn’t necessarily have to come from humanity’s seven types of mana alone!”
Her unwavering belief in the magic theories she learned from her master.
“There’s no way Master was wrong.”
“True.”
Yunia doesn’t know her master is the [Grey Witch], a legendary hero of humanity.
But even without knowing that, she cannot believe her master was mistaken.
“Spiritual power, divine power, the mana of the Demon World… Just because humanity can’t wield them doesn’t mean they can’t all neutralize each other into pure nothingness!”
For Yunia, this belief is an undeniable truth.
“Miss Yunia.”
“Yes.”
“Consider this: don’t you think the Academy instructors are still… unenlightened?”
“Hmm…”
“Think of it this way. Miss Yunia, you’re advocating heliocentrism to people who firmly believe in geocentrism.”
“Ah, I see?”
Though the topic was astronomy, Yunia quickly understood.
“The Church of the Goddess has long preached geocentrism… that Heaven is the center of the world, and everything revolves around it.”
“Exactly.”
As a player, you inevitably encounter a question with an incorrect answer.
The problem involves geocentrism and heliocentrism.
By common sense, “heliocentrism is true”, but in the Esdinas Academy world, “geocentrism”, as claimed by the Church of the Goddess, is considered the correct answer.
Here, “Heaven” refers to the celestial plane.
Through this incorrect answer, players realize that this world operates under a medieval geocentric worldview upheld by the Church.
This realization is pivotal to uncovering the Church’s flaws and the broader distortions in this world.
“Miss Yunia, what will you do? Will you answer as the Academy and the Church expect, or will you write the truth you know?”
“Isn’t that blasphemy?”
“Truth doesn’t change.”
“Then…”
Yunia whispered softly.
“I don’t think this land, nor Heaven itself, is the center of the world.”
“Whoa, that’s something the Church would send Inquisitors for. So, where do you think the center is?”
“My master said…”
Yunia pointed to the sky.
“The sun.”
“Your master is brilliant.”
“Do you agree, Phoenix?”
“Of course. But the Academy doesn’t see it that way.”
I unfolded a map I had prepared in advance for Yunia.
“Now that finals are over, how about we discuss what we’ll do this summer?”
“Discuss…?”
“Yeah. The story of heretics uncovering the hidden truths buried deep in the doctrines of the Church of the Goddess.”
“The map is blank.”
“That’s because we’re about to fill it in.”
The Esdinas of Heaven.
The special event that begins in later playthroughs.
“We’ll explore the Old School Building’s library and uncover the truths of the past.”
The Old School Building dungeon.
Deep within its lowest levels lies an entrance to the Demon World.
“What do we need to prepare?”
“First… swimsuits?”
“?”
