[At that moment, in the Esdinas Academy faculty meeting room.]
“It’s started.”
With the words of a middle-aged man with a lion’s mane seated in the ‘Academic Affairs Dean’ chair, sixteen screens appeared on the large magic stone screen installed on one side of the meeting room.
“All gates to the North, South, East, and West are now open. Let the entrance exams commence.”
A blonde woman with glasses, dressed in office attire, switched off the voice amplifier in her hand and set down the microphone.
“…The competition rate is likely to be lower this year.”
“After all, most of them couldn’t make it to the Western Terminal.”
Instructors in distinctive outfits exchanged relieved sighs.
“Isn’t that right, Instructor Esta?”
“…Hmph.”
The woman who was addressed, Esta, the White Sword Saint, fiddled with her white suit while keeping a close watch on the camera showing the Western Terminal.
“Huh? For those who couldn’t make it to the Western Terminal, there were unavoidable problems, so we should give them another chance. Isn’t that what you said?”
“Why would I say something like that, Instructor Blaster?”
Esta sharpened her tone toward Blaster, who was teasing her.
“Whether it’s a natural disaster, someone’s death, or even if the Silverstar train malfunctioned and happened to not run today, I have no intention of denying the 500-year tradition and history of Esdinas.”
“You’re quite strict. But considering those from the West might file a claim for damages against Silverstar, you might not be able to dismiss this so easily.”
“Filing a claim for damages? That’s laughable.”
Esta shook her head.
“The mere thought of taking a train at dawn to reach Esdinas is naive. At the very least, they should have stayed somewhere within three hours’ walking distance of the Academy, even if it meant spending the night outside the Greenbelt.”
“You’re absolutely right, Sword Saint.”
The Academic Affairs Dean clapped his hands in agreement with Esta’s words.
“Back in my day, the magic trains and terminals weren’t nearly as convenient as they are now. My siblings and I walked ‘for a whole month’ from our hometown to take the exams. Camping and sleeping rough were just part of the journey. Haha.”
The Academic Affairs Dean reminisced about the past, but no one interrupted him.
“I, Ederson Lionheart, may have failed to establish the ‘Long-Term Greenbelt Survival Training’ course in this semester’s curriculum, but I will ensure that one day, our students are taught survival skills in extreme conditions. Haha.”
When seated, he was just a middle-aged man with a pleasant demeanor, but as soon as Ederson stood up and flexed his muscles, his body swelled, nearly bursting out of his suit.
“Isn’t that right, Sword Saint?”
“Yes. As [Fist King], you’re right. Even if it’s not to the extremes of Lionheart, I believe students must learn survival techniques for crisis situations.”
“Haha! Is the sun rising in the west today? The Sword Saint is actually agreeing with me!”
Ederson’s hearty laughter made the instructors exchange glances.
“In that case, for the upcoming summer term…!”
“Accident alert.”
“W-What kind of accident, Instructor Margarita?”
Ederson was startled by the words of Margarita, the blonde woman with blue eyes, and quickly turned his gaze to the magic stone screen.
“Same accidents as always. …Some naive students have been ensnared by those like venomous snakes.”
“Ah, no…!”
Dean Ederson let out a sigh of pity.
“Yet again, it’s the kind and righteous students who…!”
“They’re not students until they pass the entrance exam.”
Instructor Blaster shrugged as he mocked.
“They should’ve been able to recognize those kinds of traps.”
He gestured toward the screen, prompting Instructor Margarita, who was near the magic stone screen, to enlarge a few of the screens.
“A child who fell face-first. A p*rvert who suddenly attacked a woman. A boy who collapsed and vomited blood the moment the door opened… They’re all actors trying to eliminate the competition.”
“Not all of them. Last year, there was a real case of someone having a seizure.”
“Ugh…!”
Dean Ederson clenched his fists and scowled.
“No matter how fair and neutral an instructor must be, it’s painful not being able to warn them about such dangers…!”
“It’s the school rules.”
School rules.
The unchanging, inviolable tradition of Esdinas Academy for 500 years.
“Even if the content of the entrance exam varies within the Academy, ‘stepping foot on Academy grounds within the designated time’ is what matters most, isn’t it?”
“Instructor Blaster.”
“I’m concerned as well. Look, one of the students I used to teach is still outside, helping an old lady who collapsed.”
Though instructors are meant to remain neutral, they all have certain connections with particular groups.
“Look at this. Do I look like the kind of person who would leak school rules or anything like that? If I were trying to give someone special treatment ahead of time, that guy would be trampling over the old woman instead of helping her, just to get through the gate.”
“Watch your words.”
“It’s not wrong, though. But… it’s still unfortunate.”
Dean Ederson shut his eyes tightly as he watched those who couldn’t make it inside despite the doors being open.
“Can students who resort to such underhanded tactics to enter the Academy truly learn how to ‘prepare for the Apocalypse’…?”
“Dean, if the Apocalypse foretold in the prophecy truly comes to pass, it will be an era where even surviving by oneself will be a challenge.”
Instructor Blaster pointed to the gun at his waist.
“In the prophesied Apocalypse, it will be difficult to even save one’s own family. In such times, someone who recklessly goes out of their way to help others before they’ve even become an adult, all while facing the entrance exams? People need to be selfish to survive longer and keep themselves alive. What we need to teach them is ‘how to survive’.”
“Ugh…!”
“Isn’t that right, Maiden of Light?”
“It depends on the situation.”
Esta responded nonchalantly to Blaster while keeping her eyes focused on one of the screens.
“Hmm? Do you know someone at the Western Terminal?”
“…”
The other instructors showed some interest as Esta fixated on the screen showing the Western Terminal, but when she remained silent, they soon lost interest.
“Hah. Preparing a different entrance exam every year is a task in itself, and some might say, what’s the point of this process as part of an entrance exam?”
Dean Ederson brought his hands together and prayed.
“I pray that among the incoming students, there will be many with the character and ability to extend a helping hand not only to themselves but to others as well.”
That’s what he wanted.
To wish for such a thing is to acknowledge that the current state of Esdinas Academy lacks this.
“…”
“We…”
Dean Ederson shut his eyes tightly, his eyelids trembling with emotion.
“Everything we do is to cultivate individuals capable of saving the world from the Apocalypse…!”
* * *
Esdinas, the land of opportunity where anyone can succeed.
For women, achieving a C-rank or higher is enough to meet the minimum admission requirements, and for men, they just need to meet certain conditions to apply.
So, how many months does this exam take?
No.
The decision is made in just ‘one day’ when the entrance exam is held.
It might seem harsh, but—
‘It’s similar to military enlistment.’
Like the deadlines for entering a military training camp or reservist training, being late for any reason is met with a stern, “No exceptions,” and any unfortunate circumstances are simply considered the individual’s responsibility.
In this fantasy world, there’s not even the possibility of casting a spell like [Start Investigation] to uncover the truth.
In the modern world, you could at least report your grievances to the media, venting your frustrations for all to see, but that’s not possible at Esdinas Academy.
In that sense…
“Hey, are you okay? You look even worse than before…”
“I-I’m fine… Cough.”
“D-Don’t speak. Just lie down and stay still.”
Yunia’s actions—giving up her chance to take the entrance exam to help an injured person—could be seen as extremely foolish.
From the perspective of 99.99% of people in this world.
“Excuse me, is this person seriously ill?”
“He has lost a lot of blood, after all.”
The old man with white hair, dressed in a white coat with the Silverstar emblem, glanced at the man lying on the ground after vomiting blood and tilted his head.
“It seems he’s been poisoned.”
“Poisoned…?”
“Yes. Young lady… Be careful next year. There are more than a few people who end up in the hospital with holes in their stomachs after drinking something given to them by others.”
Yunia’s face turned pale at the old doctor’s words.
“Someone drank something and collapsed, vomiting blood…?”
“They’re trying to sabotage others. Preventing someone like you from entering the exam hall by using dirty tricks during the entrance exam.”
“Oh….”
Yunia sighed at the old doctor’s explanation.
“Ugh, ugh….”
The man tries to get up in pain.
He gives me a fierce gaze and appeals to me by seemingly saying, ‘I didn’t say anything.’
‘Good.’
Yunia would learn about the dirty conspiracies surrounding the Academy entrance exam, one way or another.
But there’s a world of difference between “hearing warnings from others” and “experiencing it yourself”.
Especially if someone sets out to save another out of goodwill, only to realize that goodwill was actually a trap intended to mess with them and ruin their life.
“Student. Next time, don’t do that. Just close your eyes and run forward like everyone else. Got it?”
“…I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t ignore someone who was hurt.”
“Student.”
“But I still have two more chances, right? If not this year, then next year…”
Yunia’s voice began to tremble.
“Even if not next year, then the one after that…”
“Miss Yunia.”
If I hadn’t put my hand on her shoulder, she probably would have started crying right then.
“Elder. Please take good care of her.”
“You’ve been through a lot. You were probably planning to enroll together.”
“I think it’s better for me to stay by the side of someone who needs me.”
“…Take care then. If you get hurt around here, look for this [Dr. Frog].”
The elderly doctor pointed to the frog badge hanging under his coat and turned away.
“Now, let’s see…. Not only is the blood flowing, but it seems like your abdomen is twisted too….”
I took Yunia and stepped outside the hospital.
Time had already passed, and the doors that had been open for the Academy’s prospective new students had firmly closed.
“…Phew.”
Yunia barely held back her sobs, turning her gaze toward me.
“I’m sorry to say this now, given the situation, but… is there really a way?”
“What if I’m lying?”
“…”
“I know, I know. I can see the answer just by looking at your eyes.”
I raised both my hands in surrender.
“Even if there’s no way to enter the Academy, Miss Yunia, you would try to get in by some other means, wouldn’t you?”
“Well… yes.”
“Alright. Then, the solution is simple.”
I took Yunia to a secluded spot.
“Instead of us trying to get into the academy, we’ll make them say, ‘Please, come to us’.”
“…Could it be.”
Yunia’s eyes sparkled with hope.
“By rescuing those who help others…?”
“No, not like that.”
“Then how…?”
“Just wait.”
Calmly.
“There are lodgings at the terminal, so let’s find a room first. We can relax for about three days… no, even if it takes up to a week.”
“…Are you going to tell me?”
“If you’re already thinking you’ve failed, let’s just enjoy ourselves with good food at the terminal until someone comes begging us to take the test.”
“…So, is there an extra test or something?”
Yunia seemed to need reassurance.
“I wanted to keep it as a mystery.”
“I need the answer right now.”
“What will you do if I tell you?”
“If you tell me….”
Yunia blushed slightly.
“…I’ll watch over you tonight too.”
“Hmm.”
As expected, that’s just like Yunia.
“The terminal has multiple rooms, so we could book separate ones.”
“…”
“I’m joking, just joking.”
In the first place, there’s no reason for me to book a separate room.
“Yunia. The answer is simple.”
The reason why we can’t help but enroll.
“They picked them and then realized there were serious issues—so serious that the Academy simply couldn’t accept them.”
“Is that… possible? It would be obvious just by looking, right?”
Yunia tilted her head in confusion, lifting her chest slightly from below.
“Yes?”
“It’s possible. Because it’s hard to tell just by looking until you strip it down.”
“…?”
“Should I tell you? You might be surprised.”
Right now.
“It’s because of the chest manipulation.”
Fraud.
Falsified measurements.
The Academy only realized that the applicants were below C-rank after they passed the entrance exam through falsified chest measurements.
